Innholdsfortegnelse for June 26, 2017 i India Today

Vinod Khanna was a huge star for my generation. He was also a friend. When cancer claimed him last month, it was yet another case of the disease’s seemingly relentless march. Worldwide, cancer is on the way to equalling cardiac disease as the biggest killer. In India, it is now the second biggest killer, after heart disease and stroke, up from seventh position in 2000, reports the World Health Organization. While cancer deaths are falling in the West, they are rising here, with 70 per cent lives snuffed out in the first year after dignosis, as 80 per cent patients consult doctors at a stage when recovery is impossible. Yet, there is hope. Advances in molecular biology, nextgeneration gene sequencing, big data and innovative diagnostics are opening up a whole…

Having just returned from Europe only to take off for Kazakhstan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will once again be leaving on his jetplane, this time for a June 26 meeting with Donald Trump in Washington DC. Pictures of the prime minister walking hand in hand with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and clasping the new French President, Emmanuel Macron, in a lingering embrace became an internet meme. Trump too has had a number of odd physical encounters with foreign leaders. Their handshake will be one for the ages. Like Trump, Modi uses body language to project confidence. Unlike Trump, Modi has taken to the world stage with gusto, flying to dozens of countries in his time in office and receiving warm welcomes. 28 FOREIGN TRIPS BETWEEN JUNE 15, 2014, AND MAY…

The sense of crisis in West Asia, already experiencing conflict in Syria, Iraq and Yemen, has deepened over the last week. Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies--the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt--have isolated Qatar diplomatically, economically and in terms of transport and communications. Regime change in Doha is also being threatened through disgruntled royal family members. And, then there was the terrorist attack on Iran’s iconic symbols–the national assembly and the mausoleum of Ayatollah Khomeini–in which 17 people were killed and about 50 injured, the first assault on Tehran by the Islamic State (IS), its sworn sectarian enemy. The IS attacks took place in Iran even as the ‘capitals’ of the self-styled caliphate, Mosul and Raqqa, are under siege, portending the likely dispersal of its cadres to buttress the ranks of…

The question now is how long May will last till there is a leadership challenge within her party After the third national election in two years (two general elections and the Brexit referendum), the British public are watching the political establishment struggle to make sense of a deeply fractured mandate. Prime Minister Theresa May called fresh general elections to strengthen her hand in Brexit negotiations. Running a heavily perso n al ised campaign that promised ‘strong and stable leadership’, she hoped to cash in on her high app roval ratings and on the dismally low ratings of her key opponent, Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn. The results—a hung parliament, with the Conservatives hanging on as largest party but without a majority, and large gains by Labour— have turned the electoral…

IMMUNOTHERAPY Using the body’s own immune system to help fight off cancer, sometimes by boosting it, sometimes by training it to attack cancer cells specifically CANCER GENETICS DNA-based cancer diagnostics that enable precision medicine and customised treatment LIQUID BIOPSY Painless and simple blood test to detect and monitor tumour genes in a patient’s blood, much before scans and needle biopsies can CANCER VACCINE Vaccines to prevent or treat some types of cancer, such as cervical and some liver cancers, that are caused by viruses TARGETED THERAPY Indian companies are emerging as strong global players in biosimilars or exact copies of already approved molecularly targeted cancer drugs HUMAN BIOBANK Leftover tissues from surgery or diagnostic procedures that spur research, that can boost, and sometimes even replace, the need to test new…

GENE EDITING AND CRISPR-CAS9 The ultimate, world-changing technology of our time. This radically fast, easy and precise gene editing software tool allows scientists to cut, patch, slice, edit, activate or silence genes in the DNA of living organisms, conduct molecular surgery on genes, remove abnormalities and replace those with normal genes, even remove genes which give an advantage to cancer cells. Has revolutionised biomedical research and changed how we target cancer therapeutically GENE SEQUENCING ON USB The decade-old next generation sequencing technology is now entering the doctor’s office. The Oxford Nanopore Technologies USB has a sequencing unit the size of a large stapler and draws its source of power through the USB port in a laptop. The MinION, weighing under 100 gms and at $1,000, is the only portable, real-time…

The india today Best Universities survey, conducted by the Nielsen Company, examined the country’s universities in four streams—general (arts, science and commerce), technical, medical and legal. Universities that offer postgraduate courses in these streams were considered. Institutions of national importance specialising in only one area of knowledge, such as engineering, medicine and law, have also been included in the survey. That’s why premier institutes such as IITs and AIIMS also find place in the list. A list of 500 universities was generated, based on secondary data sources, such as the Internet, published reports and the Association of Indian Universities Handbook, and suggestions from experts. Between February and March this year, around 600 experts across the country were asked to rank these universities. The experts—deans, registrars, department heads, professors and readers—were…

TECHNICALIIT Kharagpur O N A 2.2 KM LONG road, fondly referred to as Scholar’s Avenue, images of many of the country’s biggest names stand shoulder to shoulder. Jawaharlal Nehru, Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose, Maulana Azad, Sardar Patel, Naidu and Rani Laxmi Bai are all there, each representing a hostel. So when Google’s chief executive officer Sundar Pichai visits his alma mater and shouts “Nehru ka tempo high hai”, he is greeted with a roar of applause as the students of his hostel make their approval known. Welcome to one of the country’s premier engineering colleges—the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (IIT-KGP). Spread over 2,100 acres of land, with lush green- ery, lakes, broad lawns and huge trees in every direction, the university also boasts stadiums, tennis courts, hockey, football and…

THE PEW FOUNDATION of New York/ Washington had recently, after an inter- country comparison of school education standards, concluded that India is at the very bottom of the pile—dead last! While such comparisons for higher education are not readily available through credible studies, it can be surmised that our university education standards are not likely to be in the top five—more among the last 10 of the world! After the major thrust in the education sector in national policy in the first two decades of Independence, subsequent policymakers have not considered education a key area of national interest. The IITs and IIMs heralded the focus on higher education; in the following decades, regulatory institutions to cater to emerging requirements were established to ‘oversee’ the sector. It is now clear that…

Indian mountaineer Arjun Vajpai was disappointed when bad weather prevented his attempted summit of Mount Kanchenjunga during this spring’s climbing season in Nepal. But Vajpai, India’s only professional mountaineer, knows he’ ll be back to take another crack at the third highest peak in the world. “It was dishear tening, but not hear tbreaking, because it was not for any technical reason [that the attempt failed], but because of the absence of a clear weather window. That factor is not in human hands,” says the 24-year-old, who returned to India recently after his month-long expedition. ARJUN VAJPAI The mountaineer breaks new gro und as a professional athlete India’s only consistent professional high-altitude mountaineer for nearly a decade now, since summiting Mount Everest at the tender age of 16, Vajpai is…

A successful failure: that is how K.V. Vijayendra Prasad—best known as the writer behind such hit films as Magadheera, Eega and Baahubali—describes his professional life before he took up screenwriting 30 years ago. Today, at the age of 75, he is one of the most sought-after writers in the country, with industries from Kollywood to Bollywood seeking his creative services. Hindi TV also wants Prasad’s recipe for success, and Star Plus has hired him to write a 65-episode fantasy epic series, Aarambh. “Movies are very fast-paced,” says Prasad about the difference between writing for small- and big-screen. “So much of the story gets left out because of time constraints. With TV, you have the opportunity to explore characters and situations in more depth.” For Aarambh, Prasad has taken inspiration from…

On August 23, 2016, the National Board for Wildlife sanctioned the Ken-Betwa river link project, which will drown 58 square kilometres of critical tiger habitat in the Panna Tiger Reserve, along with its tigers. The irony is that Panna’s tigers owe their existence to a groundbreaking government-supported relocation programme that brought tigers back to the park after they had been declared extinct here in 2005. Why, then, has the government decided to drown its tigers? Prerna Singh Bindra tells Panna’s story, and dozens like it, in her book The Vanishing, which highlights one of the primary causes of India’s wildlife crisis: the deliberate destruction of natural habitats, beginning with the Congress-led UPA’s policies of the 1990s and continuing with renewed vigour under the Modi-led NDA. Of the many hats she…

For 45 years now, a simple old bungalow in Victoria Layout has been one of the best kept secrets in town and the seat of handloom revival like no other. Established by the Late Chimmy Nanjappa in 1974, Vimor now sees the involvement of her grandchildren. Once the antique saree business ran out of pieces, the family decided to venture into revival sarees. Walk into the store with an heirloom saree and Pavithra Muddaya, 58, Nanjappa's daughter and a self-taught designer, will translate those memories into a wearable piece for you. The revival happens in stages, based on whether you want an exact replica or an interpretation of the original, the fabric you choose and the number of pieces you are looking to own. The tiny single room shop stacked…

Waste not, want not. It is a great adage, but in real life, rarely does it work and as a result a lot of waste material is generated. That’s where our eco-warriors come in. Armed with lots of ideas for creating products out of old textiles, tyres, plastic, keys and ropes, to name a few, they have changed the design industry. If a few years ago this meant ordinary, run-of-the-mill products, today they come in attractive colours and an array of sizes and styles. ANU TANDON VIEIRA, 53 PRODUCT DESIGNER AND FOUNDER, THE RETYREMENT PLAN, MUMBAI THERETYREMENTPLAN.IN WHY RECYCLE? If you visit any of the innumerable small industries, bins are overflowing with scraps of perfectly good raw materials. The idea is to produce beautifully designed and woven pieces of furniture,…

A few years ago Scandinavian minimalism was considered theheight of international design. Few went overseas to purchase big brands. However, today the market is full of global goodies ranging from lamp shades and accessories to beds and tables. The good news is that not every international brand is expensive, so select one that suits both your budget and your home. SAMVIT TARA, 41 MANAGING DIRECTOR, ROCHE BOBOIS, INDIA WWW.ROCHE-BOBOIS.COM WHY INDIA? The growth and demand for quality luxury products from the domestic market propelled our decision to launch Roche Bobois in India three years ago. We continue to see India as a market with strong growth potential and we plan to expand our retail footprint DEFINING INTERNATIONAL DESIGN It is elegant, modular, customisable, simple and minimal. Currently the trends that…

Chandigarh-based Gurleen Kaur, 24, an MSc Degree holder from Panjab University (2016), who has written the script for the short film Zimmevari, which became an instant Youtube hit, says that she is finally doing what she has always wanted to. With storyteller Neelash Mishra lending his voice, the movie which released last month, explores the complex relationship between a new bride and her mother-in-law, staying miles away from the clichéd evil portrayal of the bridegroom’s mother. “I wanted to showcase multiple layers of this relationship and bring forth the fact that adjustments have to be made on both sides because it is complicated when a new person enters a house which was complete even without her.” The idea, the young writer says, came to her when she started attending her…

We set the premise. Let us not talk only about his art, after all so much has been written about this 82-year-old major contemporary artist, Paramjit Singh, who was in Chandigarh in April on the invitation of Punjab Lalit Kala Akademi. Born in Amritsar and now residing in Delhi, the artist has held exhibitions of his breathtaking landscapes around the world—art pieces in which nature has been invented and its essence introduced on canvas. We want to talk about his process of creation. He says that a process can never be created. That it develops, after rigorous training. “It’s never about the technique, but allowing the mind to be receptive to everything around—still life, movements, sensations, the gust of wind, that peculiar silence before the snow.” Married to painter Arpita…

E.K. Palaniswami has completed 100 days as Tamil Nadu chief minister amid increasing uncertainty and his party, the AIADMK (Amma), teetering on the brink of implosion. That the present assembly may not last its full term until May 2021 was an increasingly real prospect for the legislators who resumed the 29-day budget session on June 14. The ruling AIADMK faction that Palaniswami heads is poised for yet another split, forced by the party’s deputy general secretary T.T.V. Dinakaran, even as the earlier breakaway group, AIADMK (Puratchi Thalaivi Amma) led by former chief minister O. Panneerselvam, ruled out a merger. To emphasise this, Panneerselvam disbanded the sevenmember panel set up to work out the unification with the Palaniswami faction. Both factions have spoken of a possible merger since April, but haven’t…

New Biology of Cancer Looking into genes and molecules 1. WHO YOU ARE Your body has about 37.2 trillion cells. Each cell has up to 100,000 genes 3. OOPS, A TYPO Sometimes random mistakes occur in how A, T, C and G work. Risk of error goes up with lifestyle and environmental factors 2. WHEN GENES TALK Genes send messages constantly for you to function. They do so in 4 chemical letters: A, T, C and G 4. THE OVERLOOKED The proofreading tools of the cells usually correct such mistakes, but some get overlooked Immune System Angry defensive cells of the body raise a storm whenever they confront foreign invaders— bacteria, viruses, carcinogens or transplant tissues— but get cheated by cancer. Here’s how your immune system works BONE MARROW Produces…

Aweek is a long time in politics. Union minister for agriculture Radha Mohan Singh rediscovered the truism the hard way. Just two weeks ago, he told india today that the central government would like to emulate the Madhya Pradesh model of growth in agriculture. A week later, five farmers in the state were killed in police firing, a sixth died on Friday of injuries sustained during curfew, highways in western MP were cut off, about 150 vehicles were torched, a DM was manhandled and railway lines damaged by agitating farmers. With an average growth rate of nearly 20 per cent in the past four years, MP has been touted as an agricultural success story for some time now. It has helped Shivraj Singh Chouhan portray himself as kisan putra, a…

SOMETIME AGO, I interviewed a large number of young applicants— drawn from the discipline of mathematics—for the position of assistant professor. I was deeply disappointed to learn that even though almost all of them had been exposed to the very practical real-world discipline called fluid dynamics, they were unaware of its important connection to the design of aircrafts. In fact, they failed to cite a single practical application relevant in today’s world. In another case, just after the launch of Chandrayaan, I was just as disappointed by a large group of IIT undergraduates drawn from computer science, electrical engineering and mathematics, because they were clueless not just about the basic ideas behind the orbit of Chandrayaan, but also seemed to be unaware of how to figure out the distance of…

MEDICALAIIMS Delhi NEW POSTS IN MD/MS HAVE BEEN CREATED IN VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS SUCH AS ENT, PEDIATRIC AND PALLIATIVE MEDICINE IN THE LAST ONE YEAR 143 FOR MEDICAL ASPIRANTS, THE All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi is the ‘Medical Mecca’ of India. But be warned, it’s no easy ride here. After cracking one of the toughest medical examinations in India, only a handful—75 students—is selected for the MBBS course here every year. And the struggle does not end here. In fact, the grilling process starts once you enter the campus and make the first step in the medical career to become a doctor. “AIIMS got established as an Act of Parliament in 1956,” says Dr Randeep Guleria, the current AIIMS director. “We found three areas we had to…

Rokeby Manor, Landour A mid-19th century property recently gussied up as a cosy chic hotel for millennials. Its aesthetic is high on comfort, style and professionalism, rather less on antiquarian authenticity. Prices start at Rs 7,000 but Rs 50,000 will get you a three-bedroom log cabin, complete with a butler King’s Cliff Ooty A nine-room mansion that was a popular wedding venue during the Raj, it promises cosy fireplaces, luxurious bathtubs and a panoramic view of the hills. Rooms are for Rs 9,975 for two nights for two guests The Retreat, Bhimtal A 19th-century planter’s bungalow nestled in a cedar, oak and pine forest estate. The rate for a standard double room is Rs 3,500 a night and inc - ludes breakfas Connaught House, Mount Abu A ‘typical English’ cottage…

Actor, director and writer Jayant Kripalani is best loved for his roles in TV series’ such as Mr Ya Mrs, Ji Mantri Ji and Khaandaan. He has appeared in films such as 3 Idiots and Hawaizaade, and is the author of New Market Tales (NMT) and the recent Cantilevered Tales ( ) Cantilevered Tales is a rather deceptive title for a novel... Why is it deceptive? A cantilever is a girder that is fixed only on one side. My characters are like that. Grounded on one end, floating at the other, all slightly flaky. In fact, I deeply resent the use of the term ‘deceptive’. Plus, Howrah Bridge is a cantilevered bridge and is itself a character in the book. These are short stories which became a large story purely by happenstance.…

Q: Tell us about a day at your Nizamuddin studio in Delhi? A: It’s a two-bedroom apartment inside an urban village... a space where people from different eras co-exist. From morning till 2 pm I am at the studio, after which I go for lunch. At around 5 pm, I am back in front of the easel Q: What about when you aren’t painting? A: I really enjoy cooking. I am writing a gastronomic travelogue nowadays. There is always a book that I am reading. I write and also work at my NGO that is into educating unprivileged children. Q: What is your favourite medium to paint in? A: It’s always a pleasure to challenge myself with different mediums of expression, however, no matter what, I always return to oils…

A 50-foot long stunning bar showcasing over 140 varieties of whisky greets you as soon as you enter Whisky Samba, the newest haunt for lovers of the amber liquor. But this is not the only thing that will impress you, for when you actually get down to trying their quirky concoctions and fabulous fare, you are left a tad lightheaded and overjoyed by the beauty of flavours. The bar menu is impressive to say the least, with whisky trails, innovative cocktails and rare malts, but it's the food menu that takes you by surpirse—with fresh ingredients and beautiful preparations that will have you wishing you had a bigger appetite. We recommend The Whisky Samba Sour, Formaggio amusebouche, Samba Style Pork Ribs, Truffle Risotto, and the Classic After 8 Samba Style…

Playing it safe is as tempting as it is boring; which is why we have been seeing decorators and designers take the risky route and infuse homes with colour, prints and patterns. Increasingly graphics are being used on everything from wallpaper to home decor. Creating a visual story and using graphics innovatively are the key defining factors of this trend. SHUBHRA CHADDA, 37 CO-FOUNDER, CHUMBAK, BANGALORE WWW.CHUMBAK.COM POPULAR GRAPHICS The demand for graphic prints and illustrations is growing while animal-themed and tropical themed printed cushion covers, serve-ware, breakfast tables and other home decor are very popular. THE FORECAST Regarding graphic elements, trends like prints of llamas, flamingos, motivating type, large florals, minimalist designs like polka dots and bright and bold colours will be trending in the home decor range. COST…

Restoration is a tricky business. It is the art of keeping the essence of the old alive, while infusing it with current design ideologies and trends. Not just to bring it back to life, but to make it stand out. Experts say that this year will be all about the royal revival, a way to let unfettered imagination give wings to the past. So, forts, palaces and havelis will get a much-needed revamp. AYUSH KASLIWAL, 42 FOUNDER, AYUSH KASLIWAL DESIGN STUDIO, JAIPUR WWW.AKFDSTUDIO.COM THE NARENDRA BHAWAN MAKEOVER The last ruler of the Bikaner royal family, Narendra Singh ji, did not leave many memories in the public domain. We had to build the space based on few images and anecdotes we had. Trying to create an 80- room property that felt more…

India was the target of some of US president Donald Trump’s ire as he announced his country’s exit from the Paris Agreement early in June. The US, Trump insisted, was at a disadvantage because developing countries such as India are able to increase coal production. In fact, India has received much international credit for its embrace of renewable energy sources, including most recently in the comprehensive Renewables Global Status Report, released on June 7 and produced by a wellregarded international NGO. Despite impressive progress, India is behind on its ambitious targets though the government insists it is still on course to “lead the world towards clean energy rather than follow”. `65,000 CRORE OR AROUND $10 BILLION, INDIA’S INVESTMENT IN RENEWABLE ENERGY INSTALLATIONS IN 2016 5% OR 94 GIGAWATTS (GW) OF…

@ShougatDasgupta Freudian slip? Tejashwi Yadav, deputy CM of Bihar, emotional on his father Lalu Prasad’s 70th birthday, tweeted a heartfelt message. “Lion hearted, Injustice crusader... proud of you dad.” It’s okay, Tejashwi, we’re sure he knew what you meant. To be fair, Yadav fils did go on to describe his father as a socialist patriarch and messiah of the poor, but the damage was done. That, and the two ACs in one room in the picture. Socialist? How Twitter chortled. n Tech-savvy farmers As authorities struggled to control farmer unrest in Madhya Pradesh in which five farmers were killed by police fire on June 6, they searched in vain for leaders with whom they could negotiate. But, it turned out the farmers spoke for themselves, organising through social media and…

BAA BAA CHIEF MINISTER In terms of ambition, you can’t fault Telangana chief minister K. Chandrasekhara Rao’s plan to give 20 sheep and a ram to every Yadav and Golla Kuruma family in the state from June 20. It would mean distributing 8.4 million sheep in two years, for Rs 5,000 crore. Not only is the stock being sourced from other sta tes, but grass is being sowed on 46 lakh acres to ensure enough fodder, and 100 mobile veterinary clinics and a tollfree number are being set up. The state government, however, is a tad sheepish about the Rs 90 crore plan for insurance and on tagging livestock, spawning speculation of existing stock being recycled BOW TO THE COW To prove that the health benefits of cow products are…

On May 24, the Talbari Sethiyara panchayat in Bihar’s eastern district of Purnia forbade a 12-yearold rape survivor and her parents from filing a police complaint. Far away from Haryana’s notorious khaps, similar self-styled village councils are evidently commonplace in Bihar as well. Just the past month saw three such panchayats mete out jungle justice. The ‘wise’ men of Talbari Sethiyara told the rape survivor and her family that since Manik Bosak, their neighbour, had confessed to his crime, they must wait till the girl attains adulthood and marry her off to her rapist. They even ordered that Bosak promise in writing he would marry the girl. In shock and fearing reprisals from the panchayat, the girl and her parents withdrew to their home for a fortnight before finally summoning…

PERSONAL GENOMICS TEST Ever since Hollywood star Angelina Jolie had preventive double mastectomy in 2013, radical new genetic management of the disease— even before the cancer strikes—is catching on: it includes genetic counselling, testing, screening, chemo-prevention, preventive surgery and aggressive lifestyle modifications. Personal genomic service providers are coming up, while star hospitals are expanding their cancercare packages to include familial cancer clinics. The focus is on checking SNPs (pronounced Snip, meaning single nucleotide polymorphisms) in your genes, that indicate small genetic changes, ‘faulty’ genes and risk of cancers, hereditary and otherwise. DNA TEST Any trace of tumour DNA in blood indicates cancer. Johns Hopkins researchers are working on a general screening tool that could be used to find molecular traces of cancer even in people who show no symptoms. It…

2017 February 25 Dera Sacha Sauda followers Satpal Sharma and Ramesh Sharma killed in Ahmedgarh January 31 IED blast kills six during assembly poll campaign in Maur Mandi January 4 Hindu sect leader Amit Sharma killed in Ludhiana 2016 August 26 RSS state vice-president Jagdish Gagneja killed in Jalandhar April 23 Shiv Sena leader Durga Dass assassinated in Khanna February 17 Shiv Sena leader Deepak Kamboj shot at in Jalandhar February 4 Attempt to gun down Shiv Sena leader Amit Arora in Ludhiana January 16 Attempt to assassinate RSS functionary Naresh Sharma in Ludhiana January 1 Fidayeen strike on Pathankot air force base leaves seven security personnel dead 2015 July 27 Fidayeen attack on police station in Dinanagar leaves seven dead April 12 Attempt to assassinate Gurdaspur Shiv Sena chief…

NO. 1 GENERAL JAWAHARLAL NEHRU UNIVERSITY New Delhi TECHNICAL INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY Kharagpur MEDICAL ALL INDIA INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL SCIENCES New Delhi LEGAL JAMIA MILLIA ISLAMIA UNIVERSITY New Delhi THE INDIA TODAY GROUP’S annual Best Universities survey has emerged as the most authoritative commentary on higher education in the country. The exercise, conducted by the Nielsen Company, mirrors the emerging trends in university education. As innovation has been the norm, the survey for 2017 ranks the universities across four streams— general (arts, science and commerce), technical, medical and legal. With each passing year, private universities have been challenging the traditional centres of learning. While such competition is welcome, what’s of concern is the performance of Indian universities on the global platform. On June 9, when President Pranab Mukherjee received…

GENERALJNU New Delhi O NCE TUCKED AWAY IN A REMOTE CORNER of Delhi amid the undulating ridges of the Aravallis, the Jawaharlal Nehru University, better known just as JNU, today is in the thick of things, ideologically as well as geographically. Priding itself on being the only central university in the country that is research-oriented, not just doling out degrees, it is often derided by adversaries for presu ming to think that any thought process in the country begins here. Over the years, the varsity has grown into an organic being with a life of its own. The organic unity of the campus is not just physical— contained in its many small dhabas, barber shops and canteens—but also in the unique student-faculty relationship, a reconfigured guru-shishya relationship as it were.…

FACULTY OF LAW JAMIA MILLIA ISLAMIA, New Delhi N ESTLED IN THE HEART OF SOUTH Delhi, Jamia Millia Islamia’s history as a central university goes back to India’s pre-Independence era. Founded in 1920 by the Ali brothers—Moulana Mohammad Ali Jouhar and Moulana Shaukat Ali—Jamia Millia Islamia is today home to over 23,000 students pursuing a variety of courses at its sprawling, picturesque campus. Spotting the university is never a problem even for newbies. Blue signboards on the nearby arterial roads guide you. The Faculty of Law building is far inside the campus, roughly a 10-minute walk. As you arrive, the very first impressions are inviting: marble benches, lush green trees on both sides of the road, food joints offering momos, sandwiches and cold drinks. STAR ALUMNI BHARAT CHUGH TOPPER, DELHI…

Mulamadhyamakakarika A text from the 2nd or 3rd century that, some scholars say, carries the most authoritative philosophical explanation of emptiness, a key premise of Mahayana Buddhism Lankavatara Sutra One of the key texts for Buddhists that records a conversation between Buddha and a Bodhisattva, set in Lanka Astasahasrika Prajnaparamita Sutra The ‘perfection of wisdom in 8,000 lines’ is one of the oldest surviving Sanskrit texts Pramanaviniscaya A text written by Dharmakirti, an influential Indian scholar who was in Nalanda in the 6th century Bhadrakalpikasutra A text found in Xinjiang dating back to 4th or 5th century. It’s one of the earliest teachings of the Buddha that became popular in China after being translated into Chinese by the Indian monk Dharmaraksha Our Man in Tibet The trove of Sanskrit manuscripts…

Lesson one: throw that iodised table salt out. You food will taste metallic. Wait, what?! Samin Nosrat breaks down cooking into its primary elements, and like an excellent teacher, takes you through the physics, chemistry and magic of delicious cooking. Among her myth-shattering tips: do not skimp on salt and never melt your butter on the stove for baking cakes. Other gyaan: use acidic ingredients to balance your cooking and pull your meats out of the oven a few minutes before they’re completely done to allow for ‘carryover time’. Nosrat writes with the elegant lucidity that inspires star chef dreams in absolute amateurs Illustrated deliciously by Wendy MacNaughton, this book teaches you everything you need to understand about the science of cooking. And like in school, once you know the…

Since her international acting debut with Quantico in September 2015, Priyanka Chopra has continued to break new ground worldwide. This year, she signed with Nirav Modi, representing the brand alongside Rosie Huntington- Whitely and starred in Baywatch with Dwayne ‘the Rock’ Johnson and Zac Efron. But take a moment to recall her singing career, such as it is—which is what brought her to the attention of beer-drinking Americans, when ‘In My City’ was chosen as the theme song for the National Football League’s Thursday Night Football broadcast. As far as crossover performances go, that tune ranked a smidge closer to Eddie Murphy’s 1985 turkey, ‘Party All the Time’, than J.Lo’s ‘Jenny from the Block’. But let’s be honest: that was mostly down to the songwriter. The marketing whizzes at GAP…

A SPECK OF DUST A comedy special by the acerbic Sarah Silverman. Sample this: “When you’re a comedian [these days], you really have to think things through before you post them on Twitter. Who do we think we are? Presidents?” Squirrels, sisters, laser hair removal, death and more... this is Silverman at her self-deprecating best. Netflix ROMIL & JUGAL The classic Romeo & Juliet gets queer, college romcom treatment in this charming web series, by far one of the better offerings on Ekta Kapoor’s streaming platform. ALT Balaji KEDI If there ever was a cat video fully worth a watch, Kedi is that video. A documentary that follows seven feline strays in Istanbul. Warning: you will have a desperate urge to adopt a cat after you’re done watching it. YouTube…

Terrarium Trinkets Leafy Affair Did you know you could own a little terrarium and wear it around your neck like a pendant? That's what botany graduate Supriya Dondhi, 25, had in mind when she started Leafy Affair. "To preserve bits and pieces of nature and keep them close to the heart", she says. Her line of miniature preserved moss jewellery now includes necklaces, earrings, bracelets, bookmarks and more. She is also working on creating more options for men like cuff links, lapel pins and bracelets. "Some of the most popular products are the little bulb earrings with preserved moss and necklaces with charms. I also customise with a selection of charms, like an anchor for somebody who loves travel," explains Dondhi. ATleafyaffair.com PRICE Rs 700 onwards Perfect Fit Buttercups It…

Ever felt captivated by Shah Rukh Khan’s daring stunts in the movie Don 2 and wondered if you could do them too? Head to Noida to train under the man who choreographed these fight sequences. Meet Shifu Kanishka Sharma, the appointed India head of Shaolin Temple by The Ven. Abbot Shi Yongxin (the current head of Shaolin Temple in China), who has been popularising the Shaolin culture in the country with his master classes. Sharma happened to watch the movie The 36th Chamber of Shaolin at the age of six and went on to watch it over 300 times. He had no idea then that this would be the first source of inspiration for what would turn into his life’s passion. Shifu Kanishka, as he is known today, travelled to…

BATH AND BEYOND A bathroom is no longer a space to just wash and rinse, it as dramatic as the living room, as serene as the bedroom and as utilitarian as the kitchen. Keeping this in mind entrepreneurs Kekin Shah and Hameed Khan have opened Keha Casa in Bangalore, last month. Showcasing the finest international bath and surfaces brands, the 8,000 sq ft space has been designed by architect Vikram Phadke and Vinita Chaitanya has styled the interiors. PRICE on request AT 21, Kensington Road, Ulsoor, Bangalore SIT ON THIS Bring home a showstopper. IOTA’s new Spring Summer collection has on offer furniture and accessories in an array of styles and hues. This patchwork armchair from the collection will look striking anywhere in the home. Made using a polyblend fabric,…

Tolstoy’s War and Peace rests on Gurmehar Kaur’s bedside table. She is excited that Jane Austen will feature extensively in her second year literature studies at the Lady Shri Ram College in Delhi. And she just finished Anuja Chauhan’s Baaz (and loved it). She tells us a secret—that she is no leftist, loves hoarding money and can’t live without Zara. One day, she wants to be known as a writer and maybe work at the UN too. No, entering politics is nowhere in the picture. “This is despite the fact that I always tell television journalists that I have not even attained the legal age to fight elections.” She has a close group of friends, doesn’t party much and can share where she hangs out in Delhi. “But you won’t…

Shoes are a girl’s best friend they say, but for 23-year-old Gurveen Kaur—who has been suffering from a rare autoimmune disease since the age of 12— shoes are her only creative outlet. Hailing from Panchkula, her brand Inara Shoes has found a place on websites such as Koovs and Ajio and has sold over 10,000 pairs in the last two years. She has had no formal design training; all her knowledge comes from working in her father’s shoe export factory. She says, “Inara is part of me, my vision drives it.” She talks to us about making it big in the face of adversity. Tell us about your journey? I started experimenting with art and sketching when I was in second year of college pursuing Mass communication from Chitkara University.…

Chai lovers in Chandigarh can add another café to their go-to list, for Delhi-based tea chain Chaayos – Experiments with Chai has opened its 37th outlet in the city. The café, which is famous for its customised teas, serves their famous desi chai with up to 12 ingredients. The décor is quirky with walls adorned with chai quotes and facts and the ceiling is decorated with painted cycle tyre rims giving the place a funky touch. Their menu offers a variety of Indian snacks to accompany your tea. We recommend you try the Palak patta Crispy, Kala Channa Chaat, the Kulhad Pav bhaji and the Masala Chicken Kulcha to go with your favourite cuppa. Price Rs 400 for two people At Unit 47, Ground Floor, Elante Mall, Plot 178, Industrial…