Innholdsfortegnelse for November 27, 2017 i India Today

One of the many invisible changes happening in the country is the acceptance of cooperative and competitive federalism as a tenet of good governance. Decentralisation has gone from being mere rhetoric to reality, with two major reforms in the methodology of revenue and tax sharing in the country. First, the government accepted the recommendation of the 14th Finance Commission to raise the share of states in central taxes from 32 per cent to 42 per cent. Second, a unified tax structure, the Goods and Services Tax (GST), was introduced. The impact of GST is yet to be evaluated, but according to a World Bank report published in July 2016, the overall effect of this new revenue-sharing model on state finances in 2015-16 has been positive. The axis of India is…

Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and US president Donald Trump met on the sidelines of an international conference in Manila to emphasise shared goals and the warmth of bilateral relations. Numerical evidence of that warmth came in a survey by the US state department, which showed that the population of Indian students at American universities, for the third consecutive year, is growing faster than that of any other country. The latest report of the Institute of International Education’s annual ‘Open Doors’ survey, released on November 13, says India is still an area of double-digit growth for US universities. China and India make up half of all foreign students in the US. 186,267 INDIAN STUDENTS WENT TO US UNIVERSITIES IN 2016-17, UP 12.3% FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR $39 BILLION CONTRIBUTED BY…

How many Congressmen does it take to write a newspaper editorial? Quite a few, it seems. Three senior party leaders had a hand in party vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s recent article for a British financial newspaper attacking demonetisation. Former rural development minister Jairam Ramesh prepared the initial draft after being briefed by Rahul. Former prime minister Manmohan Singh and former finance minister P. Chidambaram fact-checked the piece. An associate in office helped Rahul vet the final proof.…

With elections to the Karnataka assembly less than six months away, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is directing his attention to the serious business of voter appeasement. One overambitious bid, though, to rein in the private healthcare industry, is beginning to unravel. The proposed Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (Amendment) Bill, 2017, has provisions to cap prices of healthcare services and punish doctors for medical negligence, even jail them, if necessary. If the Congress government has its way, the proposed district-level ‘grievance committees’ (consisting of local politicians, panchayat heads, police officers, health officers etc.), will be empowered to summon a private doctor if a patient lodges a complaint of deficient service. It can even convict him/ her to a term of up to five years with fines up to Rs 5 lakh for…

Former CPI(M) general secretary and hardliner Prakash Karat, who till now was holding out on a tie-up with the Congress for Lok Sabha elections 2019, has reportedly had a change of heart. Just last week, the issue had come up for vote at the central committee meeting in Delhi, with the Karat-led faction (mostly consisting of Kerala unit leaders, where the party is on a strong wicket and the Congress is the principal opposition) winning a close verdict, 33-31, to not go with the Congress. Karat’s change of heart is especially important for Bengal. A former Left bastion, the party is now in total disarray here, with the saffron party making a big noise. “It’s a question of survival, reservations of the past cannot hold,” says a West Bengal state…

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao has relied on a multi-pronged effort to set the pace for the evolution of his fledgling state. Telangana, he points out, has emerged as one of the fastest growing states in the country. With a buoyant economy, it has improved liquidity and enjoys the distinction of being allowed to borrow up to 3.5 per cent (Rs 25,019 crore) of its total GSDP, as against the normal three per cent, for the third year in a row since 2015-16. Improved fiscal responsibility and budget management measures have helped cut wasteful expenses, increase revenue and welfare allocations. While boosting the GSDP, the state has consistently remained at the top of the ease of doing business (EoDB) rankings with the TS-iPASSthe single-stop clearance facility launched by KCR…

Despite the low per capita income, Kerala has become a role model with human development indces that match those of the developed nations of the world. The southern state, with near 100 per cent literacy, low infant mortality (5.59 per cent), minimum maternal mortality (0.26 per cent), higher average life expectancy (75.2 years), the best public health management, the least school dropouts and crime rates, is miles ahead of most states in India. In 1996, Kerala launched a people’s plan movement, giving autonomy to local self-government bodies in decision-making. As part of the campaign, all stakeholders had a say while implementing the projects, democratising the governance process at the grassroots level. The experiment had a huge impact on women’s empowerment in the state as they actively participated in the local…

“The state government is laying emphasis on quality education. Every effort will be made to address the manpower shortage and infrastructure problems.” PEMA KHANDU Chief Minister, Arunachal Pradesh On October 14, Arunachal Pradesh finance minister Chowna Mein tabled a Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report in the state assembly. The report said Arunachal Pradesh had failed to achieve the target of providing free and compulsory education to every child even six years after the implementation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act. It also said that the mapping of schools and survey of households for identifying children eligible for elementary education had not been carried out. Moreover, at the end of March 2016, the number of children out of school stood at 57,032—26,009 children who were not enrolled…

SWEET AS THEY MIGHT SEEM, SUGAR sweetened beverages (SSBs) are actually poison for your cardio metabolic health. The World Health Organization reports that at least 19 million deaths a year are a result of cardio metabolic disorders—an umbrella term for cardio-vascular disease and conditions such as metabolic syndrome and Type 2 diabetes. New research in the Journal of the Endocrine Society examined 36 studies published in the past 10 years—one as recent as September 2017—to point out a strong correlation between SSBs and a range of risk factors for cardio metabolic diseases. These include a large waistline, high level of triglycerides in the blood, low levels of ‘good’ cholesterol, high blood sugar and high blood pressure. Clubbing the findings of the 36 studies, the team of researchers, led by M.…

SPIELBERG “All my films come from the part of myself I really can’t articulate,” he says. Family and peers like Martin Scorsese give us more insight into his genius. HotStar Premium BARAKAH MEETS BARAKAH Writer and director Mahmoud Sabbagh beautifully navigates the conservative boundaries of Saudi Arabia in a heartwarming love story that makes you laugh and root for its awkward hero. Netflix…

Q. You made a career of asking kids difficult questions. Do you ever feel like a quizmaster asking questions inside Parliament? To be a good quizmaster you need research, research, research. It’s the same in Parliament. But quizzing was yesterday, Parliament is today and tomorrow. I haven’t done a quiz in eight years. Q. Is elocution important? No. The two things you need to make a good speech in Parliament are research and conviction. Q. Your new book is your 53rd publication! How many times do demonetisation and GST come up? Well, it’s my first real book. It has 50 political essays; about 15 of them on the economy. Others include my take on the Opposition strategy for 2019 and why I think the BJP can be beaten. Q. As…

On October 24, law student, Raya Sarkar, published a list of alleged sexual predators in Indian varsities on Facebook. Predictably, the conversation veered in every direction, and was only in part supportive of those the list sought to caution—the victims, both past and prospective. There were fits thrown as freely as the term “smear campaign” and the feminist movement within the country was fragmented. Centring the voices of women, we ask the affected sex about the importance of this list, “due process” and whether the two can coexist. Priyamvada Gopal 49, Academic, University of Cambridge, UK Such lists are indicative of a degree of desperation and a sign of how rife the problem of humiliating and degrading sexual behaviour is in academia. Due process is highly desirable at all times…

1 Women should take their own baraats One of my best friends got married last year and she said, “I don’t want a baraat to come, I’m going to go with my baraat”. She was in a car in her own baraat with friends and her family, the boys family also joined in. 2 A trip with your girls Definitely do a bachelorette with your girlfriends before you get married, it’s not just for the boys to do. 3 Wear what you want This friend didn’t go for a typical lehenga, she wore a South Indian saree for her wedding and she was Jasmine for her sangeet. I have another friend who actually did her sangeet in shorts and a crop top, and said, “I just want to drink and…

T ere hasn’t been a time when the documentation of weddings was given as much importance as it’s being given now. With social media at its peak, through the visuals shared in an instant, we’re all aware of the latest trends—be it jewellery, photography or trousseaus. It’s a big time for wedding platforms that propagate those trends, and some with a viable financial model will supply those trends to you, whether you need the hottest designer, the most off-beat photographer or a caterer worth his or her salt. A PICTURE SAYS A LOT What consistently stands out, even as trends come and go, is a good shot. Since weddings brim with many rituals and ceremonies and emotions, it’s crucial that a photographer is seasoned enough to almost anticipate your defining…

Planning a wedding can be a bittersweet journey, ranging from torturous to inspired moments of joy. Sure, there are some things that make you want to pull your hair out and which can mess with or cause a delay in plans. One of the most important aspects of a wedding is the outfits. I think it’s important to not get carried away by trends. Instead, explore your culture, tradition, and heritage, and think about the uniqueness each textile and fabric can bring, and of course, dress for your body type. Incorporate local produce in curating the wedding. So, if your wedding is taking place in Kashmir then you could source Nargis flower instead of importing Hydrangeas from France. This not only supports local businesses and promotes socio-economic growth, but also…

A wedding invitation is not only a formal invite to the ceremony, but also a request to partake in the festivities—of emotions and traditions alike, shared by the couple and their families. The age of generic paper designs that list names, dates and venues is behind us, as more people seek more elaborate and off-beat styles. With everything from personalised doodles to cupcake boxes, it’s important that a couple hands out an invite which is a true reflection of their journey. ENGRAVE YOUR LOVE Engraved wooden cards give your invite that classical, yet rustic vibe. For the less experimental, a rectangular wooden invite is not over the top, and still manages to keep things trendy. Optionally, you could opt for the contemporary, polished look of a laser cut acrylic…

Are you tired of trying out different diet plans and making zero progress despite cutting down the quantity of food and resorting to fat-free food items? We live an environment where pesticides and chemicals are used freely and preservatives have become common in everything we consume. It is important to understand that fruits, vegetables, cattle and other livestock are treated with antibiotics and hormones to make them look bigger. However, our bodies are unable to process these harmful substances, which in return, get stored in the form of toxins in the fat cells and disrupt functioning of the body. Look out for these harmful toxins as they could be leading to weight gain. Pesticides The pesticide residue found on fruits and vegetables is endocrine disrupting, which is linked to weight…

“I believe the word secular is the biggest lie since Independence. Those who have given birth to this lie and those who use it should apologise to the people... If someone said government has to be run by one way of prayer, that’s not possible. In UP, I have to look after 22 crore people... I’m not here to ruin one community... You can be sect-neutral but not secular.” YOGI ADITYANATH, chief minister of UP, speaking at a media event, expounded on his theory that secularism is not a viable political system. While he spoke of being “sect-neutral”, his references to the BJP’s ‘Ram rajya’ don’t lend credence to that assertion.…

President Ram Nath Kovind’s maiden fun ction in Madhya Pradesh was interrupted by slogans demanding the release of godman Ram Pal, who has been in a Haryana jail since 2014 on murder and sedition charges. CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan defused the situation by accepting the petition and later presenting it to the president. Later, the police made another embarrassing discovery—the sloganeers had been ‘sponsored’ to attend the event, part of the ‘crowds’ ferried to Bhopal by the state SC welfare department.…

The state’s ruling BJP should be worried, the Congress party has won two assembly byelections in Madhya Pradesh on the trot. The Congress’s Nilanshu Chaturvedi defeated the BJP’s Shankar Dayal Tripathi in the Chitrakoot bypolls in Satna district by 14,133 votes. In a previous byelection, the Congress had retained the Ater assembly segment. Chitrakoot fell vacant after incumbent MLA Prem Singh passed away in May earlier this year. For the Congress, the byelection was a test for Opposition leader Ajay Singh — the seat fell in the Vindhya region, where he is considered influential. Singh handled the Congress campaign singlehandedly with other big state leaders like Jyotiraditya Scindia and Kamal Nath making only brief appearances during the campaign. Singh not only prevented a BJP victory but also ensured an increase…

The India Today Group’s State of the States study was conducted by Nielsen, a global information, data and measurement company. The data for the parameters (see table) under every category—agriculture, health, education, infrastructure, economy, law and order, governance, inclusive development, tourism, entrepreneurship and environment and cleanliness—were collected from recognised and highly credible government and academic sources. The parameters are normalised so as to ensure that comparisons across states are meaningful. Two sets of data were examined—the performance of the states in 2015-16 in all the parameters and their improvement between 2010-11 and 2015-16. In the category of entrepreneurship, only the data for 2015-16 was examined, as consistent and reliable data on improvement was not available. While scrutinising the data for 2015-16, every parameter of each category was ranked. The rank…

Kerala has effectively used information technology in governance to ensure transparency and improve quality of services. We are working on an ambitious plan to set up the state’s own fibre optic pathway—the Kerala Fibre Optic Network (KFON) with an estimated budget of Rs 1,028 crore to improve Internet connectivity and provide free Internet access to two million poor families by October 2018. The Kerala State IT Infrastructure Ltd and Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) have jointly set up a special purpose vehicle for the project. The fibre optic pathway will be laid through KSEB’s power lines. The high broadband width will improve quality of governance and state services will be a click away. We have started setting up smart classrooms in every government school. Some 2,000 wi-fi hotspots will be…

Besides being a political powerhouse, Delhi has the highest per capita income, highest life expectancy and the highest number of doctors per 100,000 people. At a time when growth is slipping—India grew 5.7 per cent during the April-June quarter down from 6.1 per cent from January to March—the national capital managed to beat the slowdown through some progressive policies. For instance, the government tweaked its excise policy by cancelling the renewal system of excise licences for hotels, restaurants and clubs; instead payment of an annual fee automatically renewed the licence. In the area of health, the Delhi government introduced a mobile health scheme, taking basic healthcare to underserved areas—the focus being on raising awareness and participation in national health schemes like Pulse Polio, measles immunisation, dengue control, etc. Among the…

In the absence of rail and air linkages, roads have been the lifeline for the people in Sikkim. However, with the state having to share 30 kilometres of NH10 with West Bengal, any unrest in the Darjeeling Hills has a fallout on trade and transport in the smaller state. As happened with the indefinite call for a bandh in June against the West Bengal government which brought life to a halt in Sikkim. Come November 30, and some of that inconvenience could well become a thing of the past. On that day, Sikkim will get its first public air base, a greenfield airport at Pakyong in east Sikkim, 35 km from capital Gangtok. So far, the state had to rely on the airport at Bagdogra, 124 km away in Jalpaiguri…

 Based on extensive conversations between M.F. Husain and Ila Pal, who first met him in 1961 as a young artist, this biography’s value lies in the material that the author has access to, as well as her detailed first person narrative of her interactions with her subject. There’s too much about Husain’s erotic life but the absence of art world jargon is welcome’ Of particular interest are the long sections in Husain’s voice. He remembers details of the people he met: Meena Kumari, Rossellini, Octavio Paz, Jean Riboud, Francois Truffaut and Henri Langlois— who acquired two of his films for Cinematheque. He recounts anecdotes of his peers: all stalwarts of modernism in Indian art. He recalls the music he heard and his opinions about art—both historical and contemporary—as well as…

Q Do we need more women in military combat roles? YES Women can handle difficult situations I think there should be more women in military combat roles considering the endurance and patience they have. During stressful times, women have been found to make intelligent and sound decisions compared to men. Also, they are more fit and agile now. So, their presence in combat roles can definitely give an edge and increase the efficiency of the armed forces. Aakash Kumar, Delhi YES It’s a strong message of equality Bringing more women into on-field combat would send a strong social message that equality is eternity. Men and women together should overcome life-threatening challenges, inculcating a sense of mutual respect and understanding. By doing that, women would also be liberated. These women as…

On five things to know as an entrepreneur Build a strong network Entrepreneurs are often known by the quality of their connections. You can build better business contacts with an impressive and updated public profile on your own website and on other networking platforms. Be recognised as a thought leader Entrepreneurs by extension are thought leaders in their domain of expertise. Writing articles, tweeting, or blogging about the subject, and stating views can help you position yourself better. This also helps in amplifying your voice. Build a vibrant team driven by common vision Entrepreneurs are successful when they are also great leaders. When a highly empowered and motivated team complements your leadership and vision, magic happens. Focus energies on core tasks There are always reasons for entrepreneurs to be distracted…

SANDHYA PREM TIWARI, Dum Laga Ke Haisha (2015) Pednekar’s Sandhya is an unapologetically overweight woman, who not only celebrates life unfazed by the male gaze, but also finally alters the mindset and destroys the entitlement of a husband who has been conditioned to desire popularised notions of beauty. JAYA SHARMA, Toilet: Ek Prem Katha (2017) Topper of her class, the brash and assertive Jaya Sharma cherishes her independence and is willing to risk personal happiness to fight the practice of open defecation affecting less fortunate women around her. SUGANDHA, Shubh Mangal Saavdhan (2017) In a love story which treats sex with an ease scarcely seen in Hindi cinema, Sugandha marries Mudit, who, it turns out, suffers from erectile dysfunction. The former’s agency, desires and sexuality are portrayed by Pednekar with…

Build a wedding registry that reflects not only your taste, but also takes care of what you will need as a couple setting up a home Opening your wedding gifts can be a bit like the new iPhone launch. All that build-up leading to something you already have or don’t need. That’s unfortunate, because behind each of those gifts you won’t use, is someone who wanted to get you something memorable. Enter gift registry; the perfect platform to bridge the gap between what your guests give you and what you really want. WHAT IS A GIFT REGISTRY? You and your fiancé can visit a wedding registry website and choose the products you would like to receive. From home appliances and gift cards to holidays and charities, it’s all there. Once…

As a part of traditional wedding trousseaus, jadau jewellery has always been top choice, but over the years, the traditional pieces have undergone change and are more in step with the times. Today, a combination of uncut diamonds, precious stones, unique motifs and jadau are the perfect fit for a bride. Here are five wedding jewellery trends. Peacock-inspired pieces are in Jewellery that draws inspiration from the national bird known for its grace and beauty is getting very popular. The eternal beauty of the bird is captured and portayed in pieces by many jewellery houses and elements of gold, precious gemstones and fine Basra pearls are finding mention. You are seeing the bird motif in bridal necklaces, jhumkas and chokers which are sure to add charm to every bride’s trousseau.…

“My desire to speak desire, as I struggle against their weight, is revisionist, of myself, and of what I understood to have made that self” It used to be just lust. It used to be the only linguistic instance I could imagine where the adjective ‘just’ signified excess, not restraint. Just lust. Guiltless, shameless, astonishing lust. I fed the word into my computer’s internal search engine. A mail dating to 2007 emerged; a letter to a poet. Its subject: Lustory. “I wonder how many times I must tell you that I want very little from you. I want your body to long for my black nothingness, to quiver at the mere touch of my gaze, to live off every word that comes from the mouth of my c***,” my very…

After the frenzy that comes as part of the wedding celebrations package gets over, it is time for most couples to head over for their ‘our-time to bond’ holiday to a distant locale. While preparing for their honeymoon, it is essential for women to do some advance planning and work out a strategy as what to pack in their vanity kit, and what to unpack. It is a good idea for women to empty their handbags and carry what is most needed. Keep your documents and tickets in a separate pouch so you are not looking around for them frantically. In the next pouch, pack your essential make-up. Do not stuff in too much. In your cabin luggage, pack a set of light clothes as well, just in case your…

POTUS was to make a funny speech and Litt, imagining he might be nervous, advised him, “Hold on to your lily-white butt.” I googled David Litt to check out if Barack Obama’s daughters had rubbished his book or if someone charged him with disloyalty. Chances were low in any case because Litt is dewy-eyed about his ex-boss. Huffing-ton Post declared its disappointment with its review headlined, ‘Barack Obama Speechwriter Tells All (Spoiler: He’s a Big Fan)’. But then, Litt was all of 24 and just out of college (Yale) when he was hired to join Obama’s team of speechwriters. That’s not the age when one is cynical, hard-wired and hard-nosed. Litt remained an Obama admirer even after eight years in the White House. I guess Obama was like that. Litt…

#AHashtagIsNot­ARevolution Spurred by a promotion for a new TV show, many young women took to social media last week to question Indian society’s idea of “shaadi material”. Of course, it’s women who are judged on the most trivial details and expected to adhere to a sprawling list of behavioural commandments. But the hashtag took a serious problem and made it an occasion for vapid selfies by preening women seeking praise for mildly unconventional behaviour. For too many Indian women, marriage is a kind of indentured labour. For too many Indian women, marriage is socially sanctioned mental, physical, sexual violence. In that context, women complaining about social expectations when they are in a position to flout those expectations without consequence is the sort of millennial narcissism that keeps all us ageing…

Studies have shown that confessions tend to corrupt other evidence, triggering confirmation bias in both forensic experts and lay witnesses Within hours of the news that a seven-year-old student of Ryan International School, Pradyuman Thakur, had been killed, the Gurugram police reported that it had cracked the case and arrested the murderer—Ashok Kumar, bus conductor at the school. The police claimed that Kumar had ‘confessed’ to murdering Pradyuman. More significantly, they claimed he led them to the murder weapon—in legal speak, the murder weapon was ‘recovered’ on a ‘disclosure’ by Kumar. In the great majority of cases of such a nature, Kumar’s arrest would have signalled the end of media interest in the murder. His applications for bail would have then been denied because bail will be denied in serious…

Nine weeks on, the massive re-survey of all lands in Telangana, which began on September 15, has covered over half the state’s 10,885 villages. Officials have found that, of the 6.97 million acres verified, own ership records of 872,000 acres appear fuzzy. The disputed lands are either in a court logjam, trapped in boundary disputes, have claims from multiple owners or simply lack records. Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao calls it a “purification process”, saying that once it is completed, “the hard copy of the final document with details pertaining to the holdings of every farmer will be displayed at the gram panchayat office or the village”. The CM also quoted global consultants McKinsey, saying they had in a report “pointed out that if land records were cleaned in a…

The Maharashtra government’s initiative to computerise the public distribution system and link ration cards to Aadhaar has had impressive results, with the food and civil supplies department claiming to have saved foodgrains worth Rs 3,000 crore from being siphoned off. The initiative has helped the department detect 9.2 million fraudulent beneficiaries and 1.2 million fake ration cards so far. This has come as a relief to the state at a time when the Supreme Court is hearing a petition on whether the 12-digit unique identification number should be mandatory for access to the benefits of public schemes. The exercise of linking Aadhaar with ration cards was widely criticised after 11-year-old Santoshi Kumari from Jharkhand died of starvation on September 27 (her family was denied foodgrains under the PDS as they…

“Agriculture is the state’s economic backbone. My government is committed to Nagaland’s development, particularly in agriculture.” T.R. ZELIANG Chief Minister, Nagaland On October 20, speaking at a public function in Kohima, T. Imkonglemba Ao, principal secretary, agriculture and agriculture production commissioner, Nagaland, said the state should learn from the achievements of the agriculture sector in a war-torn country like Vietnam, where agriculture contributes 75 per cent to the national GDP. That’s a tall task even for Nagaland were agriculture contributes nearly 30 per cent to the state’s GDP. But Ao perhaps wanted to ring an alarm bell. Although the agriculture sector remains one of the largest contributors to the state’s economy, the share of agriculture and allied sector in the Gross State Value Added (GSVA), which was 30.9 per cent…

STATES DO, AND MUST, COMPETE ON THE BASIS OF GOVERNANCE AND PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE, NOT ON THE BASIS OF FISCAL CONCESSIONS It was the year 2003 when Laveesh Bhandari and I joined hands with india today to rank the states of the country on an annual basis. This product came to be known as State of the States (SoS). In hindsight, it was quite a successful product, with an annual issue devoted to SoS, and an annual event, with awards. The product has changed a bit now. Initially, there was resentment and criticism, often from states not ranked high. There were more brickbats than bouquets, especially when we made statements like “half the states are below average”. As we too learnt, we corrected ourselves and said “half the states…

An indoor show so far, in Mumbai, it’s being held outside “There is an essential need for all of us to map our own past in order to make sense of our present,” the 55-year-old artist explains on a recent afternoon, as he supervises a team of craftsmen who put the final touches on the exhibition—his first in Mumbai in seven years. “All of it is a representation, but can it extend into our existence? Where do we draw the line and what is our interior and exterior world?” Inspired by Shunya gadh, a rhyming couplet by 12th century poet Gorakhnath, the show explores the dual concepts of abundance and nothingness. Showing at Mumbai’s Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum until December 26, the exhibition comprises four works. Most impressive is…

Once a senior vice president at Yes Bank, Rajeswari Vaidyanathan traded her corporate suit for a spangled costume five years ago—joining the competitive ballroom dancing circuit. “It was my passion, where my heart lay,” said Rajeswari from Bangkok. Together with dance partner Shannon Benjamin, she has already won the silver and bronze medals in the Thailand Open Dancesport Competition in May. More recently, the pair beat couples from 20 countries to take the gold in the Latin segment at the Chinese Taipei World Dancesport Federation. Rajeswari credits Thai coach Watcharakorn Suasuebpun for training them in the technicalities and nuances of the dances and familiarising them with the world of competitive Latin ballroom dancing. Still, money remains a big obstacle in their dream to make India proud on the European stage.…

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine Gail Honeyman Eleanor works in an office, likes to drink vodka on the weekends and has a conversatiion with her creepy mother every Wednesday. Utterly alone, she is not lonely. Published by Harper Collins 400 pages 399 . Rani Padmavati: The Burning Queen Anuja Chandramouli & Padmini: The Spirited Queen of Chittor Mridula Behari Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s movie has sparked an interest in possibly the most mythologised beauty in India, our very own tragic Helen of Troy. Mridula Behari’s Padmini (Published by Penguin Random House India; 248 pages 299) tells the tale from the point of view of the legendary beauty while Anuja Chandramouli goes full metal jacket, retelling the story as a modern love jihad, complete with a war mongering brutal Alaudin…

After a long night of passionate love-making (thrice, as the conversation the morning after reveals), new bride Jaya (Bhumi Pednekar, 28) and her mustachioed husband Keshav Sharma (Akshay Kumar) are roused, from what is understandably blissful slumber, with incessant knocking on their bedroom window. Turns out, the lota party (a group of women from the village who follow the century old tradition of taking to the bushes every morning at 4 am to defecate for lack of toilets at home) is ready to welcome Jaya to their tribe. She reluctantly stumbles along, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes but never losing the frown on her face. And finally, as if suddenly snapping out of a deep sleep, Jaya storms off, refusing to follow an oppressive and harmful practice. This…

‘‘I got the proposal embroidered on one kali where Vanraj asked me to marry him in Maldives and there’s an image of my hand with the ring holding champagne” KRESHA BAJAJ ZAVERI 29, Designer and owner of Koecsh, Mumbai Immortalising her love story on the wedding outfit made this bride stand out from the crowd ONE EVENING, WHILE WATCHING The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, I saw TV actor and shoe designer Adrienne Maloof ’s framed wedding dress. I decided that I wanted to frame my wedding dress as well. In order to create a piece of art that would remain special always, I decided to embroider my lehenga with our love story—how we met, the milestones in our relationship, the proposal and the wedding. It took…

First there were weddings. Then came destination weddings. Now that Thailand, Jaipur and Udaipur have been done and dusted, in vogue are offbeat destinations. Families are becoming adventurous and I’ve had couples come to me with plans of a wedding in Ladakh, or hiking up a trail and staying in camps, or snorkelling their way to an abandoned island. While all these ideas sound exciting, there are a number of basic logistics that we as professionals need to plan, manage, and very often, this brings the excitement levels down by just a few degrees. But then, there are many locations which make for an offbeat celebration without having to trade in your wedding finery for a set of hiking boots. India offers options that range from the desert sands of…

WeddingZ For those who fantasise about destination weddings, WeddingZ helps you find the best venue that would fit your budget and style. The app helps you create a venue list, schedule a visit to the shortlisted venues with an expert, and find and book vendor services. USP Organised over 1,000 weddings till now Compatible with iOS and Android Shaadilogy Shopping for an outfit with complementing accessories is a hassle. The app has a label free section and clients can buy head-turning outfits at a reasonable price. USP Allows to shop on EMI for products over 3,000 Compatible with iOS and Android Euphoriq Besides managing all wedding events, Euphoriq creates a personalised experience for you and your guests. The app helps preserve all the beautiful memories from your big day as…

Fendis and facelifts, Missonis and moisturisers, wedding sangeets and Louis Vuittons. Austenistan, an inventive book of short stories inspired by Jane Austen, edited by Laaleen Sukhera, with seven short stories, and set in Pakistan, is a delightful read. From ex-husbands who are more substance abuse than substance to aunties worried about virginity; from Dubai and London-based eligible bachelors to Lahore and Rawalpindi-based smart bachelorettes, Jane Austen couldn’t have found a more appropriate home for her class-obsessed, marriage-oriented society. Why is Jane Austen’s work still so popular around the world? Jane was far ahead of her time with her brisk dialogue, concise descriptions, biting wit and sass, the brilliant repartee between characters, and her astute social commentary. Her characters are universally appealing, relatable and will never go out of style. Which…

WOMEN DON’T WANT TO DO THE THANKLESS WORK OF FEMINISM BY THEMSELVES.WE WANT ALLIES. The word ‘feminism’—that was often heard in the same breath as ‘feminazi’—is no longer taboo. It’s trendy to be feminist. Feminist groups and collectives are everywhere, feminist memes are increasingly popular, and books about feminism have a varied readership. The other day, I saw a Tinder bio that read “Proud Feminist.” It was a man’s bio. Even as we commodify feminism, I wonder how many people pretend to be feminists? How many men? They are known as the “woke bros.” These are the men who post Facebook posts about respecting women, or who share news items about celebrity men turning out to be abusers. They are happy to engage any woman in a heated discussion on…