Innholdsfortegnelse for November 19, 2018 i India Today

There are times when a mission captures the imagination of a nation. President Kennedy announced in May 1961 that within a decade America would send a man to the moon and back. He said: “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organise and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept...” Maybe Prime Minister Narendra Modi had this in mind when he announced ‘Mission Gaganyaan’ on August 15, declaring that India will put an Indian in space “by 2022 or before”. The first Indian ‘gaganauts’ will launch India into a rarefied club. Only three nations—the…

What runs through the mind of Xi Jinping, the most powerful man in China? That’s the question Francois Bougon, a French journalist who spent five years in Beijing as Agence France-Presse correspondent, attempts to answer in this new book. Unfortunately, the only person who can answer that question with any sense of authority is Xi himself. And through his long political career, Xi has managed to reveal very little—so much so that at the time he took office in November 2012, no one had an inkling of how he would govern. Leading journalists and Sinologists speculated he might be a closet Gorbachev, a liberal who would usher in political reforms. Even the Dalai Lama, recalling his good relations with Xi’s “friendly and open-minded” father, who presented him a watch, suggested…

With less than a month to go for the assembly elections, two Congress veterans are sulking, ostensibly cold-shouldered by party president Rahul Gandhi. Rahul’s erstwhile mentor Digvijaya Singh couldn’t ensure tickets for some of his aides despite heading the coordination committee. He apparently had a big showdown with Jyotiraditya Scindia, who has Rahul’s backing on most issues. In Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot hasn’t got far with his hints to Rahul to declare him the party’s chief ministerial candidate; the Congress president reminded him of media surveys projecting Pilot as the most popular choice. Gehlot and Singh could learn from another veteran, Madhya Pradesh Congress president and nine-time Lok Sabha MP Kamal Nath, who has kept quiet so far, knowing full well that victory makes bargaining room.…

With barely four weeks to go for the December 7 assembly polls, the Congress-steered praja kutami (People’s Alliance) is getting its act together. Though Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao dissolved the assembly on September 6, the alliance, including the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) and the Communist Party of India (CPI), had kept its plans under wraps till November 1. The praja kutami game plan hopes the delay in naming of candidates will disrupt the ruling TRS’s constituency wise strategies. “After his so-called shock and awe plan of calling for early elections fizzled, KCR thinks running down rivals will help,” says the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy. TRS scion and municipal administration and industries minister K.T. Rama Rao, though, scoffs at…

Rajasthan/ Madhya Pradesh Elections invariably kick off the defection season. And it’s no different this time in Rajasthan. Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje was the first mover, poaching the Congress party dynast Ashok Sharma, who is incidentally the son of former Congress minister Banwari Lal (who trounced her in Dholpur in 1993, her only electoral defeat). Then came the others. Mahesh Pratap Singh Chauhan, a one-time supporter of former Congress minister C.P. Joshi, followed Sharma into the BJP. The Congress too has done quite well in luring in the big fish. On October 17, former BJP foreign minister Jaswant Singh’s legislator son, Manvendra Singh, shed his ‘saffron’ robes. He was followed by ex-BJP minister Usha Poonia, the party’s Jaipur district chief Mool Chand Meena and the Nagaur district president, Bindu Chaudhary.…

On January 7, 2017, two months after he had announced a ban on the circulation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the national executive meeting of the BJP in Delhi, said there was a need to make political funding more transparent and that his party was in favour of electoral reforms. This government has introduced three major changes since in the mechanics of political funding in India—political parties can now receive foreign funds; any company can donate any amount of money to any political party; and any individual, group of people or company can donate money anonymously to any party through electoral bonds. All three provisions, it has been argued, instead of increasing transparency, have made the process even more opaque than earlier.…

Parties spend in building organisation and infrastructure, on election rallies, food, travel and accommodation, salaries of workers; for publicity in print, digital and electronic media During elections, candidates distribute cash, gold, liquor and other freebies such as mobile phones, TVs, refrigerators, blankets and sewing machines To avoid detection by the Election Commission, innovative methods of luring voters are used—candidates pay utility bills of people and distribute coupons encashable after victory…

The State of the State (SOTS) study of Bihar’s 38 districts is meant to outline the broad trends in economic and social development in the state and a district-wise ranking of performance. The evaluation has two segments: best-performing district at a particular time and the most-improved district over the past decade. The data was collected by Asian Development Research Institute from various sources—Census, National Sample Survey, Central Statistical Office, National Family Health Survey, District Information System for Education, National Crime Records Bureau, various ministries, Directorate of Economics and Statistics for the state government, to name a few—and standardised. Ten categories were selected, each a composite index of variables for which uniform, continuous data was available. The constituent indicators were arranged in a unidirectional manner, i.e. all indicators were positive or…

Nestled in a large frame, amidst acrylic, oil, sand and wire are dinosaur toys remnant of Jurassic Park merchandise. Of the wide variety of eccentricities on display in Jhaveri Contemporary’s first Mohan Samant solo exhibition (October 11-November 17), this work, called ‘Medusa on the Moon’, best codifies his art. Playful and irreverent, it’s as if the late Samant, once a member of the Progressive Artists Group, decided that the history of art doesn’t quite include the history of the world. As curator and cultural theorist Ranjit Hoskote writes in an essay on the artist, Samant’s work embodies “those avant-garde possibilities…between the 1960s and 1980s that Indian art did not explore” otherwise. The ongoing solo show in Mumbai, titled ‘Masked Dance for the Ancestors’, includes 12 works, some on paper and…

THE HEAD TINGLES AS YOU SMELL THE freshly brewed coffee in your head, picture the sink-in-me bed, and imagine dipping your toes into sand so soft it makes you want to give up the flip flops eternally. Travel is made of memories and very often, we travel to make new ones that envelop us like a cloudy afterthought, long after that moment in time has passed. In our travel issue this month, we chase the beauty of fine travel, the luxury of unhurried vistas and the ecstasy of new discoveries. Our cover man, Ayushmann Khurrana has had a busy year as both his films, Andhadhun and Badhai Ho, have done exceptionally well at the box office. The actor seeks inspiration in nature as he travels out of the city with…

Shimmery Shades What spells vacation more than a pair of gold speckled sunnies? These limited-edition Lizzy sunglasses are intricately finished with exclusive golden suede applied directly onto flat mirrored lenses. Go on, splurge on that special lady in your life. Price On request Availability Brand boutiques Pop Nails You’ll never have an excuse for shabby nails with Ellement Co’s at-home gel nail kit. This kit has everything you need for a pro-level manicure, including two nai colours, for the woman who is constantly on the go. Price ₹6,000 Availability www.ellementco.in Scent of Joy Housed in an intricately cut-glass bottle, Cartier’s new fragrance Carat is a light, radiant fragrance that is ideal for travel. Price On request Availability Brand boutiques Arm Candy Inspired by nature, Aranyani handbags…

Glow Getter Turn on that glow while travelling with Epique’s Intensive Luminescence cream. The cream is packed with concentrated plant molecular extracts, which helps in revitalising your skin. Price ₹3,800 Availability myepique.com Hair Raising Have salon worthy hair even while travelling with the multitasking Keratstase’s Elixir Ultime that can be used as a serum, leave-in, heat protectant or oil. Price ₹2,500 Availability Salons across India New Delhi Scrubbed Clean Organic products are the best way to ensure good skin and hair while on the move. Olive’s smoothing scrub has the goodness of olive oil and leaves your skin clean, but incredibly soft. Price ₹3,285 Availability Sephora stores and online Magic in a Bottle Spray on this little bottle of miracle when travelling takes a toll on…

The low-key Kaikoura Peninsula in the South Island is rife with spectacular views of the ocean. But there is one experience that trumps others in all ways—watching the sperm whales and dolphins from a high-winged aircraft. The mammoth 60 tonners are amazing to spot from a unique perspective, their almost 18 metre length being showcased fully. The flight orbits over schools of dolphins and whales for 30 memorable minutes. Nature’s treasures don’t end here. Back in town, you can also spot fur seals on the rock formations along the sea. Price Approximately 180 NZD per person; Book whales.co.nz…

OF ALL THE PILLARS involved in building a business in the travel industry, one that has captured my imagination the most is the beginning of the inspirational process: where and how do people choose where to travel to? How is curiosity piqued, and where do moments of true motivation to get out and see the world come from? For so many periods in history, that inspiration was drawn from the privileged class that had the luxury of moving in social circles where almost everyone was well-travelled. Their inspiration tended to be drawn from circuits that were safe and had seen lots of action. These circuits gave rise to guide books and route maps—iconic images taken in specific locations and tour guides who navigated these routes according to these well-defined maps…

Being bespoke comes easy to Indians, so when a foreign brand that is big on craftsmanship makes it may to the Capital, it is only natural that people flock to it. Stefano Ricci is an Italian international luxury fashion and lifestyle brand and after its first store in Mumbai attracted a fair bit of attention, the brand has now launched its second store in India at The Oberoi, New Delhi. The 2,400 square feet store’s interiors feature hand polished black briar-root wood and the Florentine stone known as pietra serena. In addition to the new menswear line, the store also exhibits the brand’s home collection and a junior line for young ones who really want to up their style quotient. AT Stefano Ricci, The Oberoi Hotel, New Delhi…

A celebration of two decades of its Ocean Collection, Harry Winston unveiled the toast of this iconic line of watches—the Ocean Biretrograde Perpetual Calendar Automatic 42mm—at Baselworld. Harry Winston’s first bi-retrograde perpetual calendar was launched in 1989 as a world first. It would be 18 years before Harry Winston would create its second bi-retrograde perpetual calendar in 2007, followed by a third in 2010, which was introduced in the Premier Collection. The Ocean Biretrograde Perpetual Calendar Automatic 42mm gives the graphic codes of perpetual calendar watches a total overhaul. Architectural and geometric, this 42mm timepiece displays a biretrograde perpetual calendar through a play on contrast and levels. This represents a new design challenge for Harry Winston’s Ocean family of watches. One of the most noble and lavish complications has been…

The death of Doordarshan cameraman Achyutananda Sahu in a reported Naxal ambush in Chhattisgarh was a stark reminder of the perils some reporters face on the job. Sahu’s name is part of a long global list of journalists killed so far this year, including the grisly murder of Saudi Arabian columnist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi embassy in Istanbul. Five years ago, the United Nations declared November 2 as ‘International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists’, but journalists remain a soft target. A recent UNESCO report says a journalist dies every four days somewhere in the world but the vast majority of the murders go unpunished. In India, arrests, such as those of the alleged killers of editor Gauri Lankesh, are sometimes made but are often controversial. The…

Maharashtra’s man-eater tigress Avni, shot dead on November 2 for killing 13 people, is now stalking Mantralaya’s corridors. Union women and child development minister Maneka Gandhi wants state forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar sacked for having the animal killed instead of being tranquilised. Mungantiwar in turn accused her of twisting facts and tweeting mindlessly on the basis of half-baked information. Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has promised to look into the issue and catch the problem by the tail.…

We are working to ensure that Vizag Fintech Valley (VFV) is on the map along with New York, London and Hong Kong,” Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu declared at the five-day Vizag Fintech Festival that concluded on October 26. Touted as the largest such event in the world, it attracted nearly 2,000 delegates from 15 nations. Working since December 2016, the chief minister is developing the new tech ecosystem in collaboration with corporates, universities, financial institutions, technology service providers, startups and accelerators. There are over 30 partners, including Visa, Thomson Reuters, Broadridge Financials, HSBC and Mastercard. KPMG is helping implement block chain technology in the state land registry and road transport departments. Visa is working to turn Visakhapatnam into India’s first ‘less cash’ city. They have also created a…

First human in space Apr. 12, 1961: Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin is the first human in space onboard Vostok 1. He spends 108 minutes in space and orbits once around the Earth First American in space May 5, 1961: Project Mercury astronaut Alan B. Shepard is the first American in space aboard Freedom 7. He spends 15 minutes in sub-orbital flight First woman in space Jun. 16, 1963: Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova is the first woman in space, aboard Vostok 6 First man to walk in space Mar. 18, 1965: Soviet Alexei Leonov is the first man to walk in space First astronauts to land on the Moon  Jul. 20, 1969: Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin Jr are the first humans to land on the Moon…

The limit for anonymous cash donations has been lowered from Rs 20,000 to Rs 2,000, but critics say it is meaningless without a cap on the amount of money that can be collected anonymously through cash The removal of the cap on corporate contributions from 7.5% of a company’s net profit of the past three financial years could enable routing of black money to political parties via bogus companies Political parties can now receive funds from foreign companies, a move that has been vehemently opposed by the Election Commission. Experts say it may result in foreign countries influencing Indian elections Electoral bonds—bank instruments through which anonymous payments can be made to political parties—could result in most corporate donations flowing only to the ruling party…

JEREMY JAUNCEY FOUNDER & CEO, BEAUTIFUL DESTINATIONS Jeremy Jauncey is one of the top 50 luxury instagrammers in the world, who is passionate about travel, digital media, health and entrepreneurship. He believes in building and investing in scalable, data driven businesses that are fun and have a positive impact on the world. Jauncey has 645,000 followers on Instagram. SONAL SINGH DIRECTOR, CHRISTIE’S INDIA Sonal Singh heads Christie’s in India, working closely with both the South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art Department and the global business development team. Singh also manages relationships with our South Asian clients based between Dubai, Hong Kong and Singapore and is actively working with the Asian Contemporary Art department in Hong Kong to create a wider awareness of South Asian art in the region. SUPRIYA SEHGAL…

Brewing Strong Oh Cha  hile this may be the time when you are busy boxing goodie bags and hampers for your loved ones, nothing can be quite as guilt-free as Oh Cha's gourmet tea hampers and gift boxes. Although Oh Cha’s parent company has owned tea gardens in Dooars in north Bengal and Assam for nearly a century, it was only last year that they started retailing teas. Founded by Pallavi Kanoi, 27, the company uses these very teas as the base tea to create lovely aromatic flavours. Oh Cha’s most unique and popular flavours are the ‘dessert teas’. If your are health conscious and watching your sugar but crave the smells of baked goodies, take comfort from cups of delicious red velvet tea, blueberry cheesecake, orange cinnamon or choco…

With characteristic flourish, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on November 2 that loans will be sanctioned online to MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) in 59 minutes flat, and their cash flows guaranteed through an e-discounting platform. Experts see it as a politically motivated and economically unsound pie-in-the-sky initiative, pointing out that lenders are not likely to warm to the idea. “How much more effective is the scheme from the existing ones? Will it bring the MSME sector much more credit?” asks Madan Sabnavis, chief economist at Care Ratings. “The difference between the new announcement and the existing policies is marginal.” The MSME package had also assured freedom from harassment by government inspectors, loans through the GST (Goods and Services Tax) portal for registered firms, greater interest concessions on loans…

Indian universities face a serious challenge to the culture of dissent and deliberation due to a concerted attempt by the Narendra Modi government to influence the orientation and curriculum of public and private universities to accommodate the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Sangh Parivar’s ideology of Hindu nationalism. Government intrusion in universities is not new, it gathered momentum in the past 25 years, but the interference that we see now has never really happened on this scale. It has now reached a stage that could spell the end of academic autonomy for public universities. The Modi government’s plan is clear: press ahead with substantive changes in education through long-term changes in programmes and priorities, and making key appointments of personnel who will call the shots in the future. To…

Relations between India and Italy have been bedevilled by serious differences in the past eight years. The marines issue, the Finmeccanica and AgustaWestland deals cast a long shadow. But there were signs of a thaw in ties after Prime Minister GIUSEPPE CONTE’S recent visit to address the annual Technology Summit in New Delhi. Conte gave written answers to questions posed by Geeta Mohan , India Today TV’s foreign affairs editor, about his visit. Excerpts: On the current state of relations between India and Italy India and Italy share the same principles of democracy, pluralism and respect for human rights. We are convinced that by working together, we can promote a free and fair system of international trade, fighting off protectionism while managing globalisation and minimising its distortions…

Old versus Young Rajasthan With first lists of nominees contesting the December 7 assembly polls in Rajasthan expected around Diwali, both parties are in a bit of a bind. The ruling BJP leadership still hasn’t decided on the optimal number of incumbent MLAs they must replace with friendlier new faces to minimise anti-incumbency. The opposition Congress faces a similar, if not identical, dilemma about whether it ought to go with weathered veterans in their 70s and 80s, or launch younger, fresher faces as candidates. There aren’t any easy answers, in either camp, but leaving it any longer could be leaving it too late. FOR THE RECORD Telangana Both CM K. Chandrashekar Rao and leader of the Opposition K. Jana Reddy are poised to break the late Congress leader M. Baga…

ORBITAL MODULE Divided into a crew module to house the astronauts and a service module to power the craft in orbit Status: In process CREW ESCAPE SYSTEM In case of malfunction at launch, crew capsule will be ejected to a safe distance Status: In process INTEGRATION FACILITY The critical parts are mating the orbit module with launcher and modifying launchpad for human interface Status: To be done ROCKET LAUNCHER The GSLV Mark III has been modified to improve reliability and accommodate orbital module Status: Done CREW MODULE Has to be tested for maintaining temperature and pressures comfortable for astronauts Status: Seeking foreign collaboration DEEP SPACE NETWORK Need to track module 24x7 as it orbits the Earth Status: Done RECOVERY SYSTEM Crew module has to withstand the high temperatures and g-forces…

The primary sources are voluntary donations, crowd funding, sale of coupons and party literature, membership drive and corporate donation Political parties cannot receive more than Rs 2,000 as cash; for donations above Rs 2,000, they must keep records of donors; most parties flout this provision by breaking higher cash amounts into multiples of Rs 2,000 as there is no need to mention details of donors for cash donation under Rs 2,000 Local businessmen and contractors pay cash or make in-kind transfers directly to candidates, not the party Companies can donate directly to parties or through electoral bonds and electoral trusts; the donor does not need to reveal the party he has donated to; parties need not reveal who they’ve got funds from…

EACH OF BRITISH SINGER AND rapper M.I.A. aka Mathangi “Maya” Arulpragasam’s three identities are namechecked in the title of Matangi/Maya/M.I.A., a new documentary made by her college friend Steve Loveridge. To relatives in Sri Lanka, she’s known as Matangi. She’s Maya to friends in London, where she grew up after her family moved to the UK as refugees in the mid-1980s. And, of course, to millions of fans across the world, she’s M.I.A. One of modern music’s most provocative personalities, M.I.A. has stood out for her mosaic compositional style that mashes together genres and sounds from around the globe, and her fearlessness as a political commentator who would rather speak her mind than sell a few more records. Screened at the recently concluded Mumbai Film Festival, Matangi/Maya/M.I.A. is more about…

The music of M.L. Vasanthakumari, MLV to those who knew her, was a genre of its own. She and her contemporaries, D.K. Pattammal and M.S. Subbulakshmi, were known as the ‘female trinity of Carnatic music’—hinting at a status bordering the divine. MLV’s renditions trespassed the traditional boundaries of the form; her film songs became katcheri (concert) songs and her classical works were incorporated into popular cinema. In honour of MLV’s 90th birthday this year, Sudha Raghunathan, her disciple and one of the most sought-after Carnatic vocalists today, will perform at a concert at Stein Auditorium, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, on November 25 along with renowned Bharatanatyam dancer Rama Vaidyanathan. Titled ‘Samadrishti’, the performance will explore the ‘same gaze’ that the performers will interpret through their different disciplines. Sudha Raghunathan…

Q. You will perform at the NH7 Weekender festival in Pune in December exactly a year after Steve Vai, who learned to play guitar from you. What makes a great student? Dedication, tenacity, respect and an unswerving will to succeed. Q. You’ve worked with a vast number of artists over the years. What makes a good collaborator? You have to let your guard down and not be afraid to fail, to express ideas that might be silly or seemingly off the wall. Conversely, you have to give a lot of leeway to your fellow collaborators and let them feel comfortable to open up and try anything. Q. Even in this age of electronic music, the guitar is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Why? The fingertip of…

Sometimes, Mother Earth throws up the most miraculous of discoveries that make you step back, take a deep breath and simply marvel at the sheer abundance. This 5,655-carat Zambian emerald discovered at Kagem by Gemfields in October is a rare and exceptional find. Christened ‘Inkalamu’ or the Lion Emerald in honour of the work carried out by Gemfields’ conservation partners the Zambian Carnivore Programme and the Niassa Carnivore Project, the emerald will be offered for sale at Gemfields’ emerald auction in Singapore in November. The naming of uncut emeralds is a tradition reserved for the rarest and most remarkable gems. While no official records exist, perhaps two dozen have merited their own name and with the majority weighing less than 1,000 carats. Gemfields last named an emerald in 2010 when…

The hyper-digital age gives us little room for the appreciation of simplicity, the mechanism of movement and the beauty of time. In 2018, Breguet interprets the simplicity of time and movement of the tourbillon with the lassique Grandes Complications 5367. Minimalistic and deliberately pared down to essentials in order to give the mechanism the full attention it deserves, the 5367 has no power-reserve indicator. Breguet has opted for a graphic hand-bevelled tourbillon bar, topped by a spinel. The blue hands strike a powerful contrast with the stark whiteness of the traditional enamel, thereby ensuring perfect legibility of the hours and minutes. This display layout is reminiscent of the watches created by A.L. Breguet, who revelled in revolutionising the aesthetic conventions governing the timepieces of his era. The Classique Tourbillon Extra-Plat…

NEW ZEALAND IS A land coloured from an extensive palette of green, with soulful views and dramatic landscapes to immerse in. It seduces the traveller with its unfaltering brush with nature. You can choose from action-packed adventures, mellow nature trails or charming experiences dominated by the Maori culture. So touted is the nation as an outdoor playground, that travellers often miss the fact that New Zealand offers a number of luxury experiences for the indulgent traveller. Chalk these as the top five un-missable ones on your next trip. Volcano viewing from a helicopter This is the most magical ‘hotspot’ of New Zealand—both literally and figuratively. White Island is the country’s only permanent active offshore volcano, and can be reached by a three-hour helicopter ride from Rotorua. Get a bird’s…

Shortly after the rally in Prague, H-D announced a slew of models the company intends to launch by 2021. Strikingly different from the chrome and metal steeds associated with HD, these modern-looking motorcycles include the all-electric Livewire, an adventure bike (Pan America) as well as a naked street bike and custom roadster. The new models signal a paradigm shift to the future for the company; it’s likely that the new riders these motorcycles bring into H-D’s fold, will allow the company to continue producing it’s trademark heritage machines.…