Innholdsfortegnelse for October 1, 2018 i India Today

In April 2008, I thought I had run out of words to describe the abysmal state of the Indian bureaucracy when I wrote an eighth letter on the subject in 19 years. A decade and a ninth cover story later, things are where they were. In fact, a time travelling civil servant from the British Raj a century ago would feel at home in a government office near the end of the second decade of 21st century India—armies of peons, musty offices and the slow, enervating pace of decision-making where the march of a nation’s progress is measured one file at a time. The failure to transform the Indian civil service from a colonial rent-seeking institution of the Raj era into one focused on development, poverty alleviation and transformation is…

A recent study, using data up to 2016, published in the medical journal Lancet , showed that over a third of women who committed suicide worldwide were Indian. The rate of suicides among Indian men is higher than the global average too, but with women, the social pressures seemed more detrimental. A high proportion of Indian women who commit suicide are married—often when too young, in arranged marriages with men whose primary loyalties appear to be with their families rather than their wives; forced to deal with early motherhood, and sometimes domestic violence, while finding themselves economically dependent with few options. In June, India was controversially declared the world’s most dangerous country for women in a Reuters poll of 548 experts. The Indian response to the poll…

Feeding the Trolls Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman has had a busy week, claiming that Navjot Singh Sidhu hugging the Pakistan army chief was “demoralising” for soldiers, though it wasn’t specified whether she had asked any soldiers or was merely projecting. She then went on TV and ‘joked’ ghoulishly about Indian soldiers beheading Pakistani soldiers, but “not displaying” the spoils of war. Critics accused her of making irresponsible comments to impress social media trolls. She also claimed that winners of a students’ union election at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), part of a left wing alliance, were associating with “forces which are waging a war against India”. Should a country’s defence minister be accusing students, without evidence, of being part of a fifth column? Ironically, Sitharaman is (presumably) the proud owner…

Pictures of Rajasthan PCC chief Sachin Pilot biking through crowds with former CM Ashok Gehlot riding pillion went viral on social media a few days back. Pilot says he took the bike to beat traffic—the roads were choked with Congress supporters and their vehicles. The duo hopped on a bike to make it to the venue of Pilot’s sankalp rally in Karauli district. Packed rallies and your bete noire riding pillion. Two birds, one stone.…

Aiming to inject vigour and vitality into the Leviathan that is India’s 164-year-old bureaucracy, the Narendra Modi-led NDA government decided in June 2018 to open the highest echelons of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), with over 5,000 officers, to outstanding domain experts from the private sector and academia. Bypassing the constitutionally sanctioned Union Public Service Commission examination, the central government invited applications from candidates under the age of 40 and with 15 years of experience for the post of joint secretary—the cerebrum of the top bureaucracy dealing with policymaking—in the 10 key departments of Revenue; Financial Services; Economic Affairs; Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers’ Welfare; Road Transport & Highways; Shipping; Environment, Forests and Climate Change; New & Renewable Energy; Civil Aviation and Commerce. It would add just 10 more specialists to…

In this day and age, no company wants to be seen on the wrong side of customer experience, and insurers are no different. A huge part of this is improving claim processes. Timely settlement is to the insurer’s benefit too as a healthy customer experience drives positive word-of-mouth publicity which in turn attracts new business. The regulator, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), has also made complacency costly by mandating penal interest payment if the claim isn’t processed within 30 days. Filing claims online has also become a lot simpler. “A lot of the information is being pre-filled. Customers can attach scanned documents for faster processing,” says Mehmood Mansoori of HDFC ERGO General Insurance. “Insurance firms are now looking at claims settlement within 24 hours to 2-4 days,…

“I love dancing. I keep getting injured while doing action scenes. So, I like dancing more” TIGER SHROFF Actor “India doesn’t need Hollywood. Hollywood needs India. I will always do Made in India films.” VARUN DHAWAN Actor “Varun can go to the West, anyone can go if there’s an opportunity. I’m not actively working towards it. I will go there only if it gives me the same opportunity as I’m getting here” ANUSHKA SHARMA Actor “I don’t have a fear of failure. A film may not work, but that’s not the end of my career. I am a star because of the risks that I have taken” TAAPSEE PANNU Actor “I have failed more than I have succeeded, and I have learnt from my failures”SHAHID KAPOOR…

A descendant of the Afghan Durranis on her mother’s side, filmmaker, lecturer and first-time author, Najma Yusufi wears several hats. Based in the UK, she has in past made films on the trans-gender community and lawyers of Lucknow, and her book The Begums of Peshawar is an attempt to pay tribute to the Pathan women of Peshawar. From working with a fashion house to writing, how did the change happen? After finishing my fashion business degree from the London College of Fashion, I went on to own a number of different businesses, some of which did quite well. However, there still was a feeling of not being fulfilled in my work life. After my mother’s death in 2001, I started a travel writing course from City University, London, and went…

Ekta Kapoor, 43 CREATIVE DIRECTOR, BALAJI TELEFILMS, MUMBAI The Boss Lady pin on her blue dress emphatically reflects the aura that Ekta Kapoor exudes. It’s of success, aggression and power; of knowing that she is the uncrowned queen of television and the confidence that she can turn failure into glittering success. She’s transformed the face of television programming, launched stars, created records and changed the way India consumes at-home entertainment. She’s also been accused of projecting regressive roles for women, of temper tantrums and showdowns. But with 17,000 hours of programming, 150 shows in seven languages, a turnover of ₹415 crore, top ranks in the popularity charts, bouncing back from losses and sustaining a daily soap for eight years, Kapoor’s story is awe-inspiring. “Success brings me a sense of self-worth…

WRITER and advertiser Anuja Chauhan with titles such as The Zoya Factor, Those Pricey Thakur Girls and more recently Baaz, on how to combat failure, her journey so far and what she’s learnt. What does success mean to you? It means being proud of and satisfied with the work I set out to do. It’s a deeply personal thing. If something I’m personally unsatisfied with gets applauded or feted, to me that is not success. Tell us about your journey to success. It has been really exciting. There wasn’t much formal learning as I don’t have a degree in advertising, literature, journalism or filmmaking but the informal, on-the-job learning has been tremendous. I’ve had to learn how to write scripts from advertising filmmakers such as Prahlad Kakkar, marketing from interactions…

WHEN I BEGAN to see the world through the lens of my camera, I was struck by the possibilities of patterns and shades. The art and architecture of structures I once took for granted began to tell a story as my lens focused on them. My photographs narrate that story and they are predominantly in black and white, the primordial colours of being, beginning, believing and belonging. What attracts me is not the rainbow with all its colours but the cloud with its monastic purity of monochrome. What is it about black and white photographs at a time when we are surrounded by an abundance of colours? Here are seven rules to go by if you are also passionate about capturing moments in a monochrome frame. Let the frame choose…

If the doshas are elemental combinations forming the basis of internal human constitution, then panchkarma is an organised, procedural, seasonal system for purifying and recalibrating the doshas, for overall health, hygiene and well-being. Traditional panchkarma procedures are very intricate and best experienced in the hands of seasoned Ayurvedic practitioners. However, there are simple, everyday, and useful lifestyle changes women can make, to incorporate the broad panchkarma principles of cleansing, healing, and rejuvenation. HEALING 1 Get ample sleep. It allows the body to regulate its internal processes and replenish energy reservoirs. Sufficient amount of undisturbed and uninterrupted sleep also helps in replenishing the skin, and in healthy skin cell renewal for that radiant glow. 2 Embrace essential oils. Though their application varies, the simple practice of a few drops of essential…

Chandeliers can’t help but stand out. From the crystals cut with precision to the delicate shape of the glass, they were made to gleam. After all, their glittering presence adds that much needed whimsy, charm, and drama to a space. At the palatial, refurbished interiors of Nivah in Moradabad, they stand as majestic reminders of elegance and craftsmanship. In fact, their history dates back to the reign of Rani Pritam Kunwar of Sahaspur Bilari who sourced them from her city palace in Moradabad during the 1940s. They have stood the test of time and today make a regal statement. PAST PERFECTED Nivah is both home to the royal family of Sahaspur Bilari and a boutique heritage property. It was previously known as Meston Niwas or Sahaspur Bilari House. A curious…

1. BOWLED OVER A modern take on the traditional chandelier, this light from Sans Souci has smooth hand-blown bowls rotated ninety degrees and suspended with the convex parts facing one another. Price on request At www.ss-gd.com 2. A GLASS APART The Neutron Pendant from Timothy Oulton has a glowing centre with 250 glass rods. Price on request At www.timothyoulton.com 3. CRYSTAL CLARITY Clear crystal glass and energy saving light bulbs are the key highlights of the Margorita Collection from TISVA. Price on request At www.lightsbytisva.com 4. TABLE MANNERS Jute table lamp by Fabuliv from Pepperfry. Price ₹5,999 At www.pepperfry.com 5. SMART LIGHT Svarochi’s colour and daylight appoperated LED bulb lets you choose from 16 million colours and shades and control up to 64 lights. Price ₹1,700 At www.svarochi.com 6. HANG…

In March, the University Grants Commission, following an Allahabad High Court decision, later upheld by the Supreme Court, announced a new policy for faculty reservations, in which an academic department, rather than the university as a whole, would be treated as a single unit for calculating available posts. As a result, according to data compiled by the ministry of social justice and empowerment, the available reserved jobs for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in particular have dwindled to next to nothing. Officials are now arguing for government intervention to overturn the policy. The figures since March show that of the hundreds of faculty positions that have become available, only a handful have been reserved, far fewer than would be the case under the old rules. Back in May, the Delhi…

The Shiv Sena knows the importance of political timing. Thackeray, the biopic on the late Shiv Sena supremo produced by Sena MP Sanjay Raut, is to release in January 2019, four months before the Lok Sabha polls. The movie chronicles Bal Thackeray’s (played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui) rise to power until the formation of the Shiv Sena-BJP government in 1995. Raut now wants to make a sequel covering the Raj-Uddhav Thackeray split, for which director Shoojit Sircar has been approached. Timed for the Maharashtra assembly polls later that year, perhaps.…

On September 8, Hakeem-ur-Rehman Sultani of the Hurriyat’s Geelani faction was killed in Sopore’s Bomai village. Unidentified assailants stopped his car and shot him, execution-style. Recently out after 18 months in jail under J&K’s contentious Public Safety Act, Sultani had been in the vanguard of a 2009 agitation that led to the removal of an army camp in Bomai and the 2016 protests after Burhan Wani’s killing. Three days after Sultani was killed, Abdul Ahad Ganai, a PhD scholar from Aligarh Muslim University, who the police knew as an overground worker for the Lashkar-e-Taiba, was similarly shot dead in his car in Srinagar’s Khanyar locality. Bilquees, his wife and a lecturer in economics, claims she had no idea of her husband’s links with militants. Police officials blame militants for the…

Jun. 2008 Ranbaxy Laboratories sold for Rs 9,576 cr in cash to Japan’s Daiichi Sankyo 2009-10 Rs 2,000 cr paid in taxes and previous loans; Rs 1,750 cr put in Religare; Rs 2,230 cr in Fortis 2009-11 Rs 2,700 cr transferred to Dhillon family firms and companies owned by RSSB associates 2009-14 Dhillon, RSSB associates’ firms invest in realty; slowdown hits, prices crash 2010-14 Religare, Fortis go into global and local expansion; slowdown hits, businesses begin to flounder Apr. 2010 Singh brothers exit from Religare board of directors 2012 Daiichi files a suit in International Court of Arbitration in Singapore accusing Singh brothers of concealing and misrepresenting critical information regarding US investigation into Ranbaxy 2016 Reserve Bank of India reprimands Religare’s lending firm Religare Finvest for Rs 1,200 cr worth…

Based on Kipling’s well-documented efforts to destroy his correspondence, in another sort of book, this incident might be the launching point for a salacious fictional exploration of the imperial bard’s secret life. But Kakar has a different game in mind: for him, the “fictional biography” or historical “faction” is not so much a springboard for literary conceit as an opportunity to clothe biographical research and a close reading of Kipling’s poems, stories, novels and, yes, letters with the intimacy that a novel affords. For such a book, “facts are a framework for the play of imagination inside the frame,” Kakar says via email. “A biography is factual; a biographical novel aims to be truthful.” Kakar was drawn to Kipling—whose position in the canon has fallen since he won the Nobel…

In 2016, Delhi-based photographer Chandan Gomes received a message in his “other” inbox on Facebook Messenger from a person called Tara Banerjee. According to the social networking site, they had more than 20 friends in common. She “likes to stalk gullible photographers online and then wreak havoc in their lives and relationships,” she told him. Then she said she knew he was lonely. Gomes took the bait, turning their online chats into an exhibition titled ‘People You May Know’. It featured at the prestigious photo festival Rencontres d’Arles in Paris this year. A curious photo-novella, the work comprises naked photos he clicked of Banerjee on Skype, an umbrella that represents the journey he took to Almora to meet her—in vain. A portrait of his mother is his answer to her…

Q. You’re hosting National Geographic’s new series Mega Icons. What interested you about the project? These icons have faced challenges and made exceptional achievements out of their situations. With this series, we are studying whether these personalities—Virat Kohli, the Dalai Lama or Kamal Haasan and more—were born to be different or turned out the way they did as a result of their conditioning. This is a question that I have always asked myself too. Q. What fascinated you the most about these people? Who would you say is an all-time inspiration? A child-like enthusiasm to learn from anybody and at any time is what inspired me. I am in awe of people who make the sustained effort required to stay relevant at a senior age too, like Mr (Amitabh) Bachchan.…

ARATI BAANDAL 37 Founder, OnlyPaithani, handwoven textile brand, Mumbai ON INFUSING NEW STYLES AND COLOURS TO PAITHANI WEAVE # Retaining the charm, in a novel fashion Traditional Paithanis are seen mostly in hues of purple, red and green. Designing with new colours and patterns gives a fresh lease of life to the weave. Paithanis in bright neon yellow, pink and green bring out the border and pallu designs very well. # Experimenting with contemporary designs We are creating a design wherein Warli art is embedded in Paithani weave giving it an appealing look besides blending the pot (matka) design with floral art around it. # Chequered patterns Creating checks in handlooms is a tedious and challenging process and is usually done by master weavers. The weaving process is longer as…

OUTSIDE her studio in Gurgaon, there is an ancient Banyan tree. There are also shattered mirrors and also an old wooden stool. A flower bed awaits the seasonal bloom. Inside the postmodern set up across multiple floors of artist Bharti Kher’s workspace, there is a folder named ‘Bindi Simplicity’. You are almost tempted to trespass. There is much more to Kher, who came to India at 23 for a vacation from her home in England and never went back, besides the fact that her work fetches the highest price among Indian women artists in the world. Though trained in painting at Newcastle Polytechnic in the UK, she learnt sculpture here and emerged as a force to reckon with. Using everyday objects and mixing them with diverse elements to arrive at…

MEGHNA Gulzar became the first female filmmaker since Farah Khan (Dilwale, 2015) to enter the coveted ₹100-crore club with Raazi. And she did it without a male superstar and with a far more accomplished and moving film. Co-written by Gulzar, the espionage thriller about an Indian spy in a Pakistani household stayed clear of jingoism and sloganeering to present a flawed female protagonist. Getting her biggest success pleases the filmmaker. “For me, success is a manifestation of the approval of the people, a validation of the work that you are doing,” she says. Daughter of writer, director and poet Gulzar and actor Rakhee, she didn’t have the easiest of starts in Bollywood. Her first feature, Filhaal, 2002, received a lukewarm response, and her second film Just Married, 2007, failed to…

DRAPED flawlessly in a beautiful saree, Vinita Jain exudes charm and a sense of calmness as she enters the room. Kolkata-born Jain is the brain behind the billion and a half dollar beauty and wellness brand, Biotique, which makes a range of skin, hair care and food supplements. Growing up in the hills of Darjeeling where her grandfather owned tea plantations, she studied yoga and Sanskrit and trained under the Himalayan masters. “It was the experience and learning during these early years that the seeds of using natural resources for skin and health needs got inculcated in me,” she says. The beginning The idea of combining authentic Ayurvedic recipes and modern technology took shape during her college days at the University of Delhi back in 1990. This took her to…

NAZIA ERUM, 31 Founder, The Luxury Label, Noida www.theluxurylabel.in Working as a communications consultant for the Global Funds Secretariat, an international funding agency, Nazia Erum often had to meet women leaders from different sectors such as multinationals, journalists and educationists. She always wondered that while these women were good at their work, they seemed overly concerned about what to wear to work. This intrigued her and she wanted to understand what they were looking for. “I wanted to create a brand that wouldn’t morph their dressing lifestyle but would give them an international look while retaining the Indianness at its core,” says Erum, who quit her job with the Global Funds Secretariat in 2014 and launched her workwear brand, The Luxury Label in 2015. She started with lightweight, wrinkle-free sherwanis.…

Too fat, too short, too dark, too flat. Most of us have at least one physical aspect that we wish we could change. Why are we as women so critical of our bodies? The answers could lie in the way ideals of beauty are drilled into us from an early age. Millions of dollars are spent every year to convince women that they are not okay the way they are. And that they have to alter or camouflage their perceived imperfections to be accepted and loved. We are expected to look young, fresh, thin and pretty at all times, and it doesn’t help that most of the judgement and scrutiny thrown our way comes from other women. It’s almost as if the universe has taken it upon itself to tell…

Two opposing design languages seamlessly integrated can stop anyone dead in their tracks. Walk into Architecture Discipline’s Delhi office, located in south Delhi, and we dare you not to. If on the one hand there are lush meadows growing maize, carrots and cucumbers, on the other is a metal shipping container fitted with state-of-the-art design. If the exteriors exude a laidback country vibe, the interiors are contemporary, straight lined and fuss-free. Architecture, according to Akshat Bhatt is what fuels his guitar-addiction. He even has a music room in his office. Not too long ago you would find this extraordinary architect with long blue hair, nails painted black, in a sarong, playing trash metal on his guitar. In fact, it is this background in music that has led him to have…

“I am ready to compromise and take two steps backwards... everyone is fed up with the BJP and wants it out of power. I want to assure you that we are confident of forming an alliance in Uttar Pradesh for the 2019 general elections and it will be formidable” Samajwadi Party chief AKHILESH YADAV reassured workers at a meeting in Lucknow early this week that he was committed to taking on and defeating the BJP next year. He was also responding to Mayawati’s caution (threat?) that her Bahujan Samaj Party was prepared to contest elections on their own steam should they not receive a “respectable” share of seats in any alliance. According to some reports, Yadav might even be tempted to concede a majority of seats to the BSP. Prime…

Premen Addy has written a well-researched book on Tibet and its changing fortunes in Central Asia, lying at the intersection of competing ambitions of the British empire in India, the Russian empire in Central Asia and the fading power of the Manchu empire in China. The story unfolds over the 19th and 20th centuries, culminating in the occupation of Tibet in 1950 by China, asserting absolute sovereignty over a country that had survived—in relative independence—in its vast and forbidding geography through political ambiguities about its status. The persistent fiction of Chinese suzerainty over Tibet, a vague and elastic term, would never have been sufficient to sustain Tibet’s autonomy whenever the Chinese power was in a position to extinguish it. China had always rejected the notion of suzerainty as diminishing its…

Techno-fixes can’t solve what is, at root, a social problem. Though it’ll be great if machines can take over the grossest tasks of safai karamcharis Asafai karamchari dies every five days in India. And from municipalities to governments—in states and at the Centre—to elected representatives, everybody just shifts the onus for doing something about it. The wretched manual scavengers briefly make news when there is a sewer death, due to asphyxiation or accident, but no authority is heard saying: ‘This is our problem; we’ll fix it.’ Technological innovations are welcome. It’ll be great if machines can take over the grossest tasks of safai karamcharis. But techno-fixes won’t solve the problem. Because, at root, it’s not a technological problem; it is first a social problem and then an administrative one. The…

Two petitions filed in the Supreme Court by more than 700 serving army personnel have challenged the FIRs filed against soldiers operating in insurgency-hit Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast, where they are protected by the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). The petitions contend that exposing military personnel to prosecution for actions during encounters would endanger national security. The petitions were provoked by the CBI’s investigations into allegations of fake encounters by the army and police in Manipur. In the past month, the CBI has filed six chargesheets against 33 police personnel for extrajudicial killings. This includes the January 2012 killing of Zamir Khan, a suspected militant accused of plotting bombings and the abduction of Congress leaders ahead of the assembly polls. Sub-inspector P. Tarunkumar, who led the ‘encounter’…

THE NEW MEASURES Curb non-essential imports and take steps to increase exports Review mandatory hedging norms for ECB (external commercial borrowings) infrastructure loans Permit manufacturing sector to access ECBs up to $50 million with residual maturity of one year instead of three Exempt rupee-denominated masala bonds from withholding tax this financial year Bring foreign portfolio investors into corporate debt market by removing investment restrictions THE FALLOUT Markets fell by over 500 points on September 17, and 294 points the next day as investors expected more aggressive measures Though curbing imports a bad idea, the proposed higher duties on gold and high-end luxury products is justified, say experts. Some argue for curbs on Chinese electronic goods Masala bonds will work only if rupee became stable, says an SBI report…

Last year, the state social welfare department asked TISS to conduct a social audit of the 110 state-sponsored shelter homes. The TISS report, submitted in April, led to revelations of rape and torture of at least 34 minor girls at the Muzaffarpur Balika Grih (a short stay home for minor girls) and massive irregularities at several other institutions. Though belatedly, the department lodged FIRs and initiated action against over a dozen field officers who were responsible for monitoring the homes. No action was taken against any senior officer in the department’s headquarters, those responsible for selecting the NGOs that run the shelter homes. Social welfare minister Manju Verma also had to quit after her husband’s call records confirmed that he was in constant touch with Brajesh Thakur, the man who…

BANANA FISH Adapted from Akimi Yoshida’s cult favourite manga series of the same name, this updated anime is a gripping thriller dealing with child abuse and sexual assault. Amazon Prime BRATA A Southeast Asian cop drama joins the thicket of Scandinoir and South American drug cartel dramas in the streaming space with the first Indonesian original commissioned by Hooq. Hooq STILL ABOUT SECTION 377 Written and directed by Mumbai-based filmmaker Amit Khanna, the nine-episode follow-up to All About Section 377 is the story of an urban gay couple’s attempt to convince one of the partners’ village parents to accept their relationship. SonyLiv…

YES It is cost-effective and employee-friendly YES It will lure women employees back to the daily grind of deadlines, targets and challenges after their maternity leave. Many small and medium-sized organisations have concerns regarding the high cost associated with the move while the progressive ones believe that retention of women employees in the workplace far outweighs the cost factor. Misha Kalra, Delhi YES It makes offices inclusive YES As women are perpetually juggling different roles and responsibilities, both at home and workplace, giving them the facility of childcare in offices is a way of telling them they are valued as employees. Such initiatives make the offices more considerate and sensitive towards the needs of working mothers. Ashwini Joshi, Mumbai YES It will give women a choice It is tough to…

Until recently, soaps were considered all-purpose cleansers both for your face and body. While soaps and face washes were used interchangeably, we now know that they are not the same—different skin types require different care, products and skincare regimen. Their cleansing techniques and effect on the skin are also quite different. l Face washes are made for delicate skin whereas soaps contain ingredients that may be harsh on the delicate facial skin. l Soap cleanses the skin and removes dirt as well as oils. This means that after cleaning the face with soap, the skin becomes dry and flaky. This is in contrast to face washes which cleanse the skin while retaining oils and pH balance of the skin. l There are different types of face washes which can be…

MANY tried to walk it, but failed gloriously. We are talking about the road from mundane to magical that requires a special kind of mastery. But it’s one that comes naturally to Anika Dhawan Gupta, Founder of Rani Pink, a wedding decor company. Since its inception in 2015, Gupta has done over 175 weddings (in India and overseas) including the decor for actor Sonam Kapoor’s wedding and the movie Veere Di Wedding. Last year marked her foray into fashion with Bageecha Banaras, which offers classic Benarasi woven across lehengas, sarees, shararas and anarkalis with a contemporary twist. Formula for success Be passionate and hardworking, have a goal and go for it. If you love what you do every single day, look forward to each day, and are ready to work…

MARRIAGES may be made in heaven, but here on earth, weddings require a lot of sweat and pain and some meticulous planning. Mehak Shahani, Founder of wedding blog WedMeGood, discovered this while planning her own wedding in 2012. “I started documenting my wedding planning journey on my blog—make-up trials, venues, trousseau—and soon brides-to-be across the country started reading it. I realised that there was a lot of content that can help brides and grooms make informed wedding planning decisions. And thus WedMeGood was born—our aim is to be every bride’s personal wedding planner,” says Shahani. Aha moment Shahani was sitting in a tiny store in Karol Bagh and listening to a woman trying to explain the shopkeeper what she wanted. Ultimately, she whipped out her phone to show a photo…

I DATED IN THE early 1990s. This was the time when we’d just about got telephones in our homes. Our first telephone arrived after years of waiting for it to be allotted. I spent a week not daring to step out to visit the doctor even when dying of a fever, in the eventuality the telephone man would arrive, ring the doorbell and go away without installing the instrument. The telephone men swaggered into the home with all the authority being the bearers of new phones conferred upon them, and there it was, a spanking new push button instrument to connect me to the world. This was about the time I met a dapper young man, and was dating him, as the phrase goes. Much of my time was spent…

A versatile and nutrient-rich grain, brown rice is a healthier and wholesome choice as it is unrefined and unpolished. Close to its natural harvested state unlike its white counterpart with the fibre and bran or protective outer coating and inner germ intact, brown rice is rich in fibre and has disease fighting antioxidants, vitamin B, phytonutrients and a number of minerals. While the endosperm or the middle layer has proteins, carbs and some micronutrients, the inner most unit or the germ contains the healthy fat and antioxidants such as vitamin E. For example, 1/3rd cup cooked brown rice provides 1.1 g of fibre as compared to 0.2 g and 1.83 g of protein as opposed to the 1.42 g of white rice. This rich fibre content makes way for slower…

Nikhil Paul, 34 Paul Matter Studio, Delhi www.paulmatter.com A postgraduate in product design from Domus Academy, Italy, Nikhil Paul turned a problem into an innovative product when he could not find suitable lights for a studio he was working in. They were either expensive, contemporary European lights or cheap, tacky options, so he started experimenting with a few components in brass, which eventually led to his first light design collection, Tango. “Named after the popular dance form, Tango lights are versatile and playful as they can be moved to different angles, filling a space as a chandelier or bed light,” he says. CONCEPT DRIVEN Satellite, another phenomenal design by Paul, is inspired by the architectonic lines by Sol LeWitt, an American artist linked to various movements, including conceptual art and…