Innholdsfortegnelse for April 26, 2021 i India Today

India has often exhibited a penchant for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. It seems so with the way we are handling the Covid-19 pandemic. On February 1, India had 8,500 new cases, the lowest figure since June 8, 2020. On April 13, that had climbed to 180,000 new cases in a day, the highest level since the pandemic began. Unfortunately, this is a feat the country has been surpassing every day since April 6. Last week’s resurgence of the Covid-19 virus has now turned into a tsunami. The April 13 count took our total active cases to 1.2 million and our total Covid count to 13.7 million, the second highest globally after the 31.3 million cases in the US. We mistook the calm before the storm as evidence…

NATIONAL The National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19 (NEGVAC) guides all vaccine-related approvals, distribution, procurement, financing, deliveries, safety and communication STATE A steering committee and task force set up at the state level distributes the vaccines received to various districts based on age, demographics and case load DISTRICT District committees monitor the number of doses received from the state, payment to vaccinators and the vaccine rollout to various centres. The committees have also set up 24/7 helplines CHAIN OF COMMAND APPROVAL The NEGVAC and the Central Drugs Standard Control  Organisation (CDSCO) approve vaccines based on data submitted by various manufacturers and, till April 13, required a bridging study to be done in India DISTRIBUTION TO STATES In India, costs are managed from the  budgetary provision of Rs 35,000…

KEY COMPANIES Shapoorji Pallonji and Company (SPC) The flagship of the SP Group, with a presence in construction, real estate and infrastructure Operating income (2018-19) ₹13,474 crore Profit after tax ₹368 crore SP Engineering & Construction* Specialises in comprehensive end-to-end solutions in the engineering and construction sectors in India SP Engineering, Procurement & Construction* Provides turnkey engineering, procurement and construction solutions in the fields of power, metals and minerals, industrial solutions and special projects such as defence and chemical plants in India and global markets Shapoorji Pallonji Finance A non-banking financial company Revenue (2019-20) ₹183 crore Profit after tax ₹22 crore SP International* The international arm of SP Engineering, Procurement & Construction SP Investment Advisors* A 100 per cent subsidiary of Shapoorji Pallonji and Company SP Oil & Gas* A…

Born in Australia and raised in Germany, Daniel Bauer, like most foreigners who arrive in India, wasn’t well-versed with Hindi. It’s also why the hair and make-up artiste had difficulty pronouncing his first celebrity client’s name—Aishwarya Rai. “To avoid embarrassment and [causing] offence, I called her Aish,” he says. After 12 years in Mumbai, Bauer’s Hindi has improved. The names of his clients—Deepika, Katrina, Kareena, Alia, Anushka, Vaani and Kangana—now roll off his tongue smoothly. Be it fashion shoots, commercials or movies, Bauer’s services are frequently sought. A trailblazer no doubt, Bauer isn’t the only foreigner to have made it in the Hindi film industry. There are others who have made India home and risen through the ranks: British-Indian Katrina Kaif, Bahrain-born former Miss Sri Lanka Jacqueline Fernandez, Pakistani-Czech US…

Q. To start with, a question about the title—Stories I Must Tell. What is it that made you feel you have to tell us these stories? I came to a point where I told myself, ‘Listen, you have had a long, tumultuous and, ultimately, fulfilling life. This is a story you must be able to tell’. When I set about writing the book, I figured that I wanted to tell a series of stories that were all central to my life. Some of these stories, I saw, overlapped each other in time. The title, I remember, just came to me one night—‘Stories I Must Tell’. Q. Did writing this book feel cathartic? It has been a catharsis, but the book has helped me re-evaluate my life, too. When you look…

Always in search for the right light, Sharmila Patil, 32, better known as the Sincere Storyteller creates a feast for the eyes on her social media platforms that her loyal following can’t get enough of. Perhaps it’s because she dons many fashionable hats with ease: Patil is a lifestyle photographer, videographer, interior styling aficionado, product and home stylist, as well as an aesthete and a minimalist. The result? You simply can’t ignore her carefully curated decor setups and wonderful ideas. “My social media journey started years ago under another name but the journey of @sincerestoryteller on Instagram started in September, 2019 when we moved to our new home,” she says, adding, “I think one of the main reasons that we have grown from 8,000 followers in September 2019 to a…

THE SECOND WAVE of Covid-19 infections has hit the nation like a fierce tide. The number of daily cases crossed a hundred thousand within two weeks—almost five times faster than in the first wave. Another nightmare is unfolding across hospitals in major metros. In the national capital, Delhi, 50 hospitals ran out of ICU and ventilator beds last week. In Maharashtra, which accounted for over 40 per cent of the new cases, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray was forced to impose what he called a ‘Janata Lockdown’, restricting personal movement and economic activity. Meanwhile, nine other major states showed an alarming rise in cases and there is a looming threat of mini lockdowns across the country, threatening the fragile economic recovery India has managed in recent months. “This wave is just…

Fear, Fatigue & Loneliness By Suhani Singh Senior Editor For 11 months, I successfully avoided Covid-19. Then it came—with a bang. I had moved into my parents’ place for two weeks to care for my 64-year-old Covid-positive mother, a patient of hypertension. I tested negative thrice as she isolated and recovered. A week later, though, I tested positive. So began the process of first assuring her that she wasn’t to blame, for I had begun stepping out for office. Then came the ordeal of reaching out to those who I may have unknowingly transmitted the virus to. One contact had her 90-year-old father living with her; another a diabetic mother. As if my fever and body ache weren’t bad enough, the guilt added to my woes. Having fed myself on…

SWAPAN DASGUPTA, 65 (BJP) CONSTITUENCY: Tarakeswar MAIN RIVAL: Ramendu Sinha Roy (TMC) “ West Bengal is being over-politicised. I hope to see an end to divisive politics ” BACKGROUND: Right-leaning politician, noted journalist and author. A nominated Rajya Sabha member of the BJP, Dasgupta quit the Upper House recently to officially join the party and contest the assembly election. In 2015, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan for his contribution to literature and education. He earned a doctorate from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, and was a research fellow at Oxford University. CAMPAIGN STYLE: In sync with the atmosphere of the temple town of Tarakeswar in Hooghly district, Dasgupta mostly sports shades of saffron on the campaign trail. People greet him with saffron and…

December 2013 Cyrus Mistry takes over as Tata Group chairman October 2016 Tata Sons ousts Cyrus Mistry from the post of chairman, names Ratan Tata as interim chairman December 2016 Mistry moves NCLT alleging oppression of minority shareholders and mismanagement January 2017 Tata Sons names N. Chandrasekaran (pictured) as its new chairman February 2017 Mistry removed from the post of director of Tata Sons September 2017 Tata Sons board approves plan to become a private company July 2018 NCLT dismisses Mistry’s pleas challenging his removal as chairman December 2019 NCLAT orders Mistry’s reinstatement as chairman March 2021 Supreme Court overturns NCLAT order, upholds Mistry’s removal…

Sanya Malhotra tends to make a profound impression on her collaborators. She did so with Anurag Basu who directed her in a commercial much before she made her big Bollywood debut with the wrestlingdrama Dangal (2016).“Youmeet many actresses, but the individuality is missing. She has a personality that stays with you,” says Basu, who directed her in last year’s Netflix release, Ludo. Ritesh Batra recognised her “meticulous” approach while making Photograph (2019). “You can tell when an actor has read the script 300 times and knows it in their bones,” says Batra. “She’s always trying to make it better.” For Malhotra, 28, it’s the only way to stay relevant in a competitive industry. “With every film, I’m learning something about acting and filmmaking,” she says, but adds that she remains…

HAUTE SEAT Chester’s, a furniture maker, has launched a new line of special edition furniture, Object. It brings together carpentry skills from Chennai and upholstery skills from their atelier in Bangalore. You can pick up six seating options inspired by Colonial furniture. PRICE on request AT www.chestersindia.com BRICK BY BRICK Jindal Mechno Bricks India has introduced a new range of cladding tiles in its Assorted Think Brick collection. The tiles are weatherproof, allows fast and easy installation during construction and comes with zero maintenance. PRICE ₹65 to ₹130 per sq ft AT www.jindalbricks.in FUN FABRICS Like your wardrobe, your home decor needs to change seasonally. Helping you along the way is SanSar that has launched a new range of summer-inspired cushions, pouffes and throws. PRICE ₹1,499 to ₹7,999 AT www.sansarhome.com…

PILLOW TALK Can there be too many cushions? This living room styled by Eris Home uses a muted upholstery fabric along with colourful cushions to give the space a facelift. The material used is ahimsa silk (created using non-violent silk breeding and harvesting methods), which gives the space a formal feel. We love the upholstered centre table. Furnishings from the Autumn Winter collection, Price on request, from Eris Home TONE ON TONE If you are looking for a grand entrance then this look is for you. Artisan India transforms the foyer by using a pretty, blue wallpaper. A blue console and blue upholstered chairs add to the appeal of the space. Wallpaper from the Brewed Collection, ₹6,840 per roll, from Artisan India DINE A DOZEN Orange Tree styles a dining…

A high-rise space that is aglow by Mumbai city’s skylights, the quintessential geometry-centric residence is high in design and comfort. Befitted for both form and purpose, the unique space works both aesthetically and utility wise. Case in point: from a design point of view, all rooms not only offer views of the never-ending skyline but the interiors flow in angular patterns from room to room, combining beauty with functionality. The Elemental Sky House is spread over 3,100 sq ft with three bedrooms, four bathrooms, a kitchen, study, living, dining and terrace. LIVING SPACES A balance of yin and yang, black marquina and statuario white marble inlay in a chevron pattern welcomes the eye to the living cum dining area and reveals the house gradually. Viewed from the passageway, the brass…

Between the Serum Institute of India, Bharat Biotech and Biological E Ltd, India has the capacity to manufacture 3 billion doses of vaccines of any kind in a year. But export commitments, late approvals and slow manufacturing have meant the country has seen only 110 million doses in 3 months COVISHIELD Manufactured by Serum Institute of India Capacity to manufacture 70-100 million doses of Covishield per month; 1.3-1.5 billion doses of other vaccines annually Vials given to India 100 million; new order for another 100 million placed in March-end Price paid for each vial Rs 210; new order for Rs 150 Revenue generated Projected revenue of $4 billion (around Rs 30,052 crore) in two years from its Covid vaccines; the company recorded sales worth $250 million (around Rs 1,878 crore)…

Q. You met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several key cabinet ministers and discussed your mission to get all nations to cut their carbon emissions to net zero by 2050. How important is India’s role in this? A. India’s role is crucial. First of all, India is a leading democracy together with the United States; a huge nation, but also known for its humanistic values, for its connection to earth and to responsibility. India can contribute very significantly because as a nation it is the third-largest emitter—we’re the second largest, China the first. So, we have a special responsibility. Between the three of us, we have over 50 per cent of the world’s emissions. So even though India’s [emissions] are smaller, by half, than ours, we all have to do…

The journey of Akshay Kumar’s latest film began in Ayodhya, at Ram Janmabhoomi. The Canadian citizen boarded a private jet along with his co-stars, Nushrratt Bharuccha and Sri Lankan actress Jacqueline Fernandez, to “seek blessings” from Lord Ram. It was last year on Diwali that Kumar took to social media to announce the film, Ram Setu, directed by Abhishek Sharma (Tere Bin Laden) and creative produced by Chandraprakash Dwivedi (of Chanakya TV show fame). “Sach ya Kalpana (truth or myth),” wrote Kumar on Instagram. “This Deepawali, to perpetuate and secure the pious memories of Indian nation’s idol and superhero, Bhagwan Shri Ram, in the Indian psyche for eons to come, let us create a bridge which will keep generations connected with Ram. Ram Setu is our humble effort in this…

In the introduction to her food memoir “placed in the east of India”, Indranee Ghosh astutely notes that when everything else has changed “what we as a family have not lost is the food we ate…perhaps the only thing that connects us to our roots and remains an active source of comfort”, Yet while Ghosh’s book is largely set in Shillong, most of the 70 recipes included in Spiced, Smoked, Pickled, Preserved: Recipes and Reminiscences from India’s Eastern Hills show even more clearly how the family stayed connected to its roots in Bengal. Ghosh’s maternal grandfather left Calcutta for Cherrapunji as a Brahmo Samaj missionary in the late 19th century and her family returned to the city in 1973, a year after the formation of Meghalaya, spurred by the fear…

Black for me is the mother colour,” S.H. Raza once said. In his iconic ‘Bindu’ series, the late master flung a black acrylic dot on the canvas as a metaphor for Mother Earth “from which all life forms take birth”. Raza’s ‘Shanti Bindu’ (1993) is on display at Mumbai’s Akara Art gallery as part of an ongoing group show, Memories Arrested in Space (on till May 5). Its intentions are modest but engaging—to map the short trajectory of Indian abstract art from the 1960s to now. Variously described as a seed of fertility, symbol of infinityand shunya (state of emptiness), the ‘Bindu’ first captured Raza’s imagination in the 1980s even though his art had long embraced abstraction, mostly renderings of French and Indian landscapes in thick impasto. Typically, a Raza…

Hargunn Jayaswal Founder, Misa www.misa.in When The year 2020 was a turning point for Jayaswal. She did extensive research in the luxury candle market only to realise that options for premium candles in India were few and far between. So, Misa was born in March 2021, with fragrances curated by the best master perfumers in France and the USA. Retail Therapy They launched with four collections, a total of 19 products. The candles are placed in gorgeous jars and designed to suit every mood and occasion. Top Trend “Bergamot has generated a lot of interest lately because of its citrusy core with a unique floral and spicy undertone. Another fragrance that is trending among perfumers and fragrance lovers alike is oud, mainly because of its rarity and intense, mystic aroma,”…

Orient Express Part of the Cantonese Collection the Dragon teapot from Dale and Co is made from Porcelain and available at Mi Casa Collective. Price ₹4,000 AT www.micasacollective.com Pretty Pair Simple but stunning, this 150 ml stoneware teapot with cup in red by Miah Decor from Pepperfry. Price ₹817 AT www.pepperfry.com Evergreen Design This emrald green teapot from L’Objet available at Emery Studio is part of the Malachite Collection. It has hand-gilded 24 carat gold accents. Price on request AT @emerystudio.in (Instragram) An Iconic Piece Made of classic Scandinavian stoneware in rustic black-brown, cast iron finish, it was designed in 2014 by Canada-born designer Francis Cayouette for Stelton. The handle is in sustainable Asian bamboo. Price ₹11,385 AT www.in.teabox.com Subtle Sophistication Ideal for afternoon tea, the Camellia Set fro Good…

Love kulfi, how about a table inspired by it? Farzin Adenwalla the designer behind these beautiful pieces worked under some of the biggest names in the industry. She then opened up a multidisciplinary studio, Bombay Atalier in 2014. Last year when the lockdown happened she wanted to help the artisans. She then fused her love for desserts with design, and The Kulfi Project was born. “It’s a collaboration with Bharat Flooring, we have a limited edition of 50 pieces for each of the four classic flavours,” says Adenwalla. The kulfi base is hand spun from sheet aluminium, buffed, grinded and polished for a seamless finish. The tops are hand crafted by tile artisans of Bharat Floorings. PRICE ₹75,000 onwards (20 per cent of the proceeds go to the artisans); AT…