Innholdsfortegnelse for November 8, 2021 i India Today

The basic rule may perhaps be tersely put as bail, not jail,” Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer said in a 1977 judgment, one of many landmark verdicts to his name. He was interpreting Article 21 of the Constitution, which guarantees an individual’s right to liberty, to explain why detention should not be the norm. Undertrials—those hauled off to jail for suspected violation of the law but innocent until proven guilty—bear the brunt of our dysfunctional criminal justice system. India currently has 330,487 undertrials in jails across the country—more than the population of Ladakh. That these undertrials, whose guilt has yet to be established, make up 69 per cent of Indian prison inmates exposes another truism. In India, the wheels of justice often turn so slowly that the process itself becomes the…

Nitin Jairam Gadkari, 64, looks a lot fitter these days. A good 10 kilos leaner than he was a few years ago, he walks briskly and looks sharp in his navy blazer and running shoes, as he inspects the Zojila tunnel at Sonmarg in Jammu and Kashmir, surrounded by an entourage of engineers. The 14.5 km tunnel will supposedly be Asia’s largest bi-directional tunnel and offer year-round connectivity between Srinagar and Leh. The Union minister for road transport and highways was making a two-day trip to J&K and Ladakh to take stock of projects worth an estimated Rs 1.5 lakh crore in the region. The deadline for the Zojila tunnel has been advanced by nearly two years, to be ready before the Narendra Modi government seeks re-election in 2024. The revised…

The Centre’s National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP) hinges critically on road assets, with 15-17% of the targeted Rs 110 lakh crore investment to be met through asset monetisation and funding by development finance institutions. Monetisation of road assets accounts for 27% of the NMP in value terms Budgetary allocation for NHAI was increased by over 16% for FY22 Source: Crisil Research NHAI borrowings have gone up four times in the past five years…

Patanjali Group’s revenue crossed Rs 30,000 crore in FY21, with the firm posting Rs 13,118 crore in revenue in FY20. Patanjali Ayurved posted Rs 9,784 crore in revenue in FY21 Dabur’s healthcare vertical reported 30 per cent growth in Q1 2021-22, with the firm’s reported revenue from operations at Rs 2,600 crore and profits at Rs 437 crore for that period. Its Ayurvedic OTC (over the counter) and Ayurvedic Ethicals businesses grew over 50 per cent Hamdard is reportedly aiming to have its medical division achieve a turnover of Rs 1,000 crore in the next five years…

Anuk Arudpragasam is often suspicious of books and things that win big prizes. Had his second novel, A Passage North, not been shortlisted this year, he says he may not have fully grasped the Booker’s cultural significance. “I really wasn’t aware of the bells and whistles involved.” Though the nomination has introduced Arudpragasam to many more readers, giving him the confidence that he can now look at writing as both career and vocation, he remains wary of the limelight: “All I want to do is to read and write. These days, all I am able to do is answer emails. I’m a quiet person. I like to keep to myself.” Published in 2016, Arud-pragasam’s acclaimed first novel, The Story of a Brief Marriage, squeezed into the story of a single…

With only 10,000-odd Instagram followers, Anupam Tripathi was virtually unknown until September 17 this year. Then came the Korean Netflix drama Squid Game where Tripathi plays Pakistani migrant Ali Abdul a.k.a. contestant #199. Today, the New Delhi-born actor can boast of more than 3.9 million fans. After having spent nearly a decade in Seoul, it is the popularity of Squid Game that has justified Tripathi’s decision to pursue a career in South Korea. The going, though, was never very easy. In 2010, Tripathi won a scholarship to study acting at the Korea National University of Arts. Since then, he had only played small, mostly nameless parts in Korean films and TV shows. “Every day was survival,” says Tripathi. “You have to convince agencies to give you work and follow up…

Q. So, what was harder—shooting an episode of one of your shows or writing this book? Adventures can be short and sharp and all-consuming. Books are different. They require the long haul. This one has been 10 years in the making. I wanted to write every word myself and get it right. It’s like climbing a mountain. If you keep putting one foot in front of the other, you’ll eventually get there. Q. You write “fear is a terrible reason not to do something”. Would it be fair to assume that you have conquered all fears, even that of death? As I get older, my fears grow in number. But fear starts to conserve us if we learn howto harness it. When it comes to the fear of death, I…

Typically, when you think haute horology, what comes to mind is provenance, precision, technology and beauty. Colour isn’t your immediate cue. But every case is different, and that is the precedent set up by Blancpain’s Ladybird Colors. The Ladybird Colors offers seven vibrant case and strap combinations. The red gold model is available with a choice of peacock green, midnight blue or satin-white alligator leather strap, while the white gold version can be paired with a lemon yellow, tangerine orange, lilac or satin-white alligator leather strap. And you thought watch marques still revelled in stodgy origins. The watches feature high-end gem-setting in which each parameter is meticulously hand-crafted by the most experienced gemsetters. The bezel, lugs and the crown of the watch are set with 59 diamonds totalling over two…

The world of horology is an unspoken salute to legacy that pays homage to the power of provenance and sheer craftsmanship. While a timepiece was no more than a device to tell time earlier, today it is worn proudly as an ornament or fashion accessory, flaunted as an emblem of prestige and a marvel of delight on your wrist with what it can achieve. But ultimately, it is their legacy that binds them to their past and a growing legion of fans. For instance, when one thinks about Rolex, they envision the Crown’s commanding signage across sporting events, or when they encounter Omega, they imagine the Speedmaster, which has clocked world records while adorning the wrist of the world’s favourite fictional spy. The history of horology is studded with spectacular…

The exotic world of perfumery is no stranger to heritage and legacy. Warmly ensconced in the scented pages of history, buffeted by rich traditions and expert craftsmanship, the art of perfume making has been searing hearts since our ancients realised that a scent can capture a glorious moment in time as ardently as an annotation of history. The delicate skill of balancing art and craft, scent and science is a journey that has employed generations of honed and refined skills to master perfume making. The result: an olfactory composition that can stir, sway and alter a person’s mind and heart. The significance of crafting a scent lies not only in its composition, but also the techniques and individual components used to create it. Over centuries, this fine art has grown,…

28 PER CENT ACCUSED OF ANY OFFENCE GET BAIL IN INDIA 69 PER CENT OR 330,487 OF THE 478,600 PRISONERS ARE UNDERTRIALS 51 PER CENT NO. OF UNDERTRIALS LODGED IN DISTRICT JAILS 22 PER CENT UNDERTRIALS LODGED IN UP, THE HIGHEST SHARE AMONG ALL STATES 36 PER CENT UNDERTRIALS CONFINED FOR MORE THAN A YEAR 5,011 UNDERTRIALS WHO HAVE BEEN LODGED IN JAILS FOR MORE THAN FIVE YEARS Sources: 268th report of National Law Commission, Prison Statistics India, 2019 ARYAN KHAN, THE 23-YEAR-OLD SON OF SUPERSTAR SHAH RUKH KHAN, may think his plight to be miserable. On October 3, he was arrested under the stringent Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, for his alleged ‘involvement in consumption, sale and purchase’ of drugs. Yet, when a special court rejected his…

BHARATMALA PARIYOJANA ↘ Launched in 2017 to develop 34,800 km of National Highway corridors connecting over 600 districts. Phase 1 supposed to be completed by 2021-22 ↘ 10,000 km of National Highways Development Projects are envisioned as part of the programme ↘ Aims to increase vehicular speed on highways by 20-25% ↘ Reduce supply chain costs by 5-6% ↘ The first phase is expected to bring in $82 billion (Rs 6.15 lakh crore) worth of investments by 2022 for the development of 34,800 km of highways…

↘ Build-Operate-Transfer (Annuity) The private firm designs, builds, operates and transfers the facility back to the public sector. Gets funds, is responsible for maintenance. In return, is allowed to collect revenue from users ↘ BOT (Toll) The concessionaire is responsible for building, financing, operating, tolling; transfers project back after concession period, usually 30 years ↘ Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) The concessionaire builds, funds, operates and transfers project after the concession period. Government provides an inflation-adjusted construction support of 40% of the bid project cost ↘ InvIT Instruments designed to pool small sums from investors to invest in assets that give returns over a period of time…

Chyawanprash sales fell five per cent in 2019 compared to 2018, but rose 132 per cent in 2020. Both Patanjali and Dabur benefited Himalaya saw sales of its herb-based sanitiser, Pure Hands, grow the most, followed by sales of its Pure Herbs range: Guduchi, Tulasi, Amalaki, Ashvagandha and others In Delhi, Zandu balm sales rose 20-fold between April and May 2021 Rooh Afza, Hamdard’s iconic herb-based refreshment, is eyeing Rs 1,000 crore in sales this year, following its launch in a ready-to-drink format Baidyanath has seen high demand for its new range of Ayurvedic immunity-boosters, including Ayush Kwath Churna, Ayursh Kwath tablets, Immun Guard, Giloy Churna and Giloy Ghan Bati Dabur Honitus grew over 80 per cent in Q1 2020-21; Dabur Honey ended with growth of over 60 per cent…

GREAT CIRCLE by Maggie Shipstead Doubleday ₹799; 608 pages A starlet gets obsessed with the story of a pilot who vanished after having NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT THIS by Patricia Lockwood Bloomsbury ₹599; 224 pages The story of how real-life tragedy interrupts our all-consuming obsession with the internet THE PROMISE by Damon Galgut Chatto & Windus ₹699; 304 pages The divisions in a white South African family become a stand-in for bigger, national fissures BEWILDERMENT by Richard Powers William Heinemann ₹699; 288 pages A young astrobiologist reckons with both a violent world and the future of his troubled son…

This deep-dive into Calcutta’s food history describes how the food habits of European, Jewish, Armenian, Chinese, and Parsi settlers shaped the city’s vibrant cuisine A TASTE OF TIME A Food History of Calcutta by Mohona Kanjilal SPEAKING TIGER ₹899; 512 pages Combining Bengali humour with the Bengali palate, the creator of The Bong Sense page delves into the historical and geographical background of popular Bengali cuisine THE NON-SERIOUS GUIDE TO BENGALI FOOD by Arpan Roy HARPERCOLLINS INDIA ₹299; 192 pages By the author of the bestselling Bong Mom’s Cookbook, this novel stirs together marriage, immigrant life and a series of mysterious letters containing recipes and memories THOSE DELICIOUS LETTERS by Sandeepa Datta Mukherjee HARPERCOLLINS INDIA ₹299; 264 pages…

LEGACY IS MAN’S LEAP TOWARD IMMORTALITY. Patek Philippe’s provocative tagline: ‘You never actually own a Patek Philippe; you merely take care of it for the next generation’, perfectly captures the power of a legacy. As Goethe said: “Choose well. Your choice is brief and yet endless.” Learning from the past, living in the present, and building for the future, is what keeps an idea alive, a brand relevant and history abuzz. This issue of Spice explores the idea of legacy, offering a glimpse not only into the tug of tradition but the engagement between provenance, passion and patronage. The definitive metal and chrome heritage of Harley Davidson is as much about the motorcycle as it is about being part of the tribe. It is a way of life, an inalienable…

Where time is a devouring tyrant, one can effortlessly imagine a 300-year-old producer being stuck in a time warp and passé traditions. But that’s not the way the story played out for legendary cognac brand, Martell. Armed with the inheritance of a glorious heritage and an enviable savoir faire, Martell has marched into new chapters and territories with undeterred confidence and written many ‘firsts’ for the spirit. It’s a story spread over nations, that of merchants, royalties, wars, and celebrations, without which cognac is incomplete. Much-Ado about Marell Englishman Jean Martell travelled from the self-governing territory of Jersey to France and founded his eponymous company on the banks of the Charente in 1715. The true magic of cognac was only a few decades young when the determined and ambitious Jean…

If there are two things that the Japanese have aced, it’s preserving traditions and ageing gracefully. Surprisingly, both are rather meaningfully connected. Ancient Japanese beauty rituals, carefully nurtured and passed down generations, are the subject of global envy and emulation. In the last decade, there has been a steady influx of ancient beauty rituals modernised with anti-ageing skincare products. Clearly, hope springs eternal as does the lure for youthful-looking skin. Beauty is not a state of constant perfection; it is a choice to serve the self and well-being first. When you feel good on the inside, only then will it reflect on the outside. These values of nurturing both your physical self as well as your inner self are rituals that are deeply embedded in Japanese culture. Spice explores five…

Innovation they say is the only antidote to irrelevance. Maybe, but it’s also the raison d’être for evolution. With its first collaboration with Japanese contemporary artist, Takashi Murakami, watch marque Hublot has pushed the boundaries of creation by developing a new dynamic on the theme of Murakami’s artistic emblem, the smiling flower. Hublot’s “The Art of Fusion” motto, embraced by the brand’s manufacture regularly draws on great creative spirits. Here is where Murakami comes in. His visually modern style offers a subtle reflection between Japanese tradition and pop culture. This collaborative creation resulted in the very innovative Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami, inspired by Murakami’s icon, the smiling flower. Here, it is present both in and on the watch. The centre of the smiling flower is inserted onto the sapphire glass,…

Maharashtra opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray were the best of friends when the BJP-Shiv Sena were in alliance. The parting was bitter when the Sena leader broke up with the BJP and formed a government with the Congress and NCP in 2019. Fadnavis has written 231 official letters to Thackeray in the past 22 months, taking on the government on issues ranging from the farmers’ agitation to Covid management; he has reportedly not received a response to even one. BJP leaders now voice their woes to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, who, we hear, is more than happy to lend a sympathetic ear.…

BROOKE BOND In 2018, Brooke Bond released an ad that in the end proved more divisive than rousing. Seeing a man overcome his hesitation and buy a Ganesh idol from a Muslim artisan wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea. #BoycottRedLabel would soon become a template for “Hindus to unite and protest against such acts”. JAWED HABIB In 2017, Jawed Habib courted trouble after Kolkata newspapers carried an ad that showed goddess Durga and her divine retinue being pampered in one of his salons. Though Habib apologised for the ad and its tagline—“Gods too visit JH salon”—he couldn’t avert a mob attack on his Motinagar branch. MANYAVAR In its effort to replace the wedding ritual of kanyadaan with a trendier, more progressive hashtag—#KanyaMaan—Manyavar hired Alia Bhatt and gave her two full minutes…

These three books cover a wide swathe of Indian foreign policy today: our multilateral approaches and postures; our immediate neighbour to the north—Nepal; and the country every foreign office focuses on—China. Former Permanent Representative to the UN Akbaruddin’s book India vs UK describes the election for an Indian judge to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2017. While the outcome is known, his animated and event-filled narrative maintains dramatic tension to the end. In early 2016, the ICJ was not even on the government’s radar. Things changed as the Kulbhusan Jadhav case made the ICJ more valuable than simply a comfortable perch for an Indian judge. Even so, by the time India announced its candidature in mid-2017, with the elections due in November, much time had been lost. India…

↘ Bail essentially means interim release of a person who is suspected of a crime and arrested or anticipating arrest, subject to monetary assurance—either one’s own, which is called a personal bond, or through third party sureties ↘ Sections 436-450 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, deal with provisions relating to the grant of bail. Offences have been classified into two categories—bailable and non-bailable. In bailable offences, bail is a matter of right; in non-bailable ones, bail depends on court discretion ↘ Persons in jail as undertrials are statutorily eligible for bail under Section 167(2) of CrPC if the investigating authorities fail to file a charge sheet within 90 days, where the probe relates to an offence punishable by death, life imprisonment or imprisonment for more than 10 years,…

Following a tip-off on the night of October 2, a team of the Mumbai unit of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), posing as passenders, boarded Cordelia Cruises’ ship Empress, where a Delhi-based events company had organised a two-day musical voyage. Among the guests was superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan, 23. Led by zonal director Sameer Wankhede, the NCB team began a search and claimed to have seized 13 gm of cocaine, 5 gm of MD, 21 gm of charas, 22 pills of MDMA (Ecstasy) and Rs 1.33 lakh cash. The next day, the NCB arrested Khan, his friend Arbaaz Merchant and 18 others for the alleged consumption, sale and purchase” of contraband substances. Khan was charged under sections 8(c) r/w 20(b), 27, 28, 29 and 35 of the Narcotic…

CHAR DHAM MAHAMARG VIKAS PARIYOJANA To improve access to Hindu pilgrimage sites of Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath in Uttarakhand. Revised deadline for developing 890 km of roads is December 2021 WESTERN AND EASTERN PERIPHERAL EXPRESSWAYS Both projects are operational and aim to decongest Delhi by diverting traffic not destined for the city SETU BHARATAM Under the project, 208 over/under bridges will be built at unmanned railway crossings on national highways; 1,500 British-era bridges to be replaced. Running way behind the 2019 deadline Other major expressways and corridors: Delhi-Meerut Expressway, Vadodara-Mumbai Expressway, Delhi–Mumbai Expressway, Amritsar-Bhatinda-Jamnagar Economic Corridor, Ambala-Kotputli Economic Corridor…

When Prakhar Chopra’s 61-year-old father was diagnosed with acute gout, he was adamant about only considering allopathic treatment options. However, the medication he was prescribed to reduce his uric acid levels—the main cause of gout—also caused digestive complications. “Instead of curing him, the medicine made him worse because he had severe acidity; he lost a lot of weight and his energy levels fell drastically,” says Chopra. “On the advice of a family friend, we tried Ayurvedic remedies.” These remedies included a high-alkaline diet, with lots of fresh fruit juices, green vegetables and rice and curd. Foods that increased uric acid levels were cut out completely. “It made a huge difference,” says Chopra. “His uric acid levels reduced and his acidity became better too. I used to be sceptical about Ayurveda,…

NATIONAL SYMBOLS The Pakistani Intelligence Operatives (PIOs) usually post pictures associated with the Indian national flag to establish patriotic credentials. ‘Ishanika Ahir’ had posted pictures of actor Urvashi Rautela with the Indian tricolour FAKE RELATIONS The perpetrator identifies herself as a relative of a senior officer. ‘Payal Sharma’ befriended jawans and asked for information claiming to be working on a PhD on the Indian Army UNIFORM/LOGO They post their pictures in military uniforms or the logos of defence establishments GADGETS GALORE The ISI handlers promise laptops and iPhones in exchange for information. This is the second biggest lure after phone sex MILITARY NURSES The PIOs claim to be Military Nursing Services (MNS) personnel to get closer to the men in uniform SIM CARD Once the perpetrators get friendly with the…

HIMESH PATEL After Danny Boyle put him on everyone’s radar with Yesterday and Christopher Nolan cast him in Tenet, Patel will next be seen grappling with a fictional pandemic in the HBO series Station Eleven SIMONE ASHLEY London-based Simone Ashley or Simone Ashwini Pillai had to fight her protective Indian parents to get into acting. She now has parts in two of Netflix’s biggest shows—Sex Education and Bridgerton RAHUL KOHLI Born to a Punjabi family in London, Kohli showed he can do the heavy-lifting with iZombie, but the actor broke out with two Netflix horror series—The Haunting of Bly Manor and Midnight Mass…

For the scores of automobile marques that wither and fade away, there’s always that rare breed that endures the wash of years, and rarer still, the one that becomes iconic. The truly lucky ones though, are those that are resurrected. It’s easy in the world of automotive luxury, since it’s easy be pigeonholed with bespoke artefacts and fittings. Craftsmanship, when it comes to the car, has to extend to the car’s fundamental purpose—its drive, handling, safety, and that elusive ‘feel.’ Technology and craftsmanship make for surprisingly amenable bedfellows when it comes to cars, and it is possible, today, to drive a classic machine outfitted with cutting-edge tech. What it comes down to, eventually, is how brands interpret their own legacy and how that vision manifests in the vehicles they create.…

If you’re simplytired of painting faces, wearing colour co-ordinated team T-shirts and caps, but long to extend your sporting enthusiasm with personal endorsements, here’s a cool way to indulge both play and palate. Jacob’s Creek™, Australia’s leading bottled wine brand and official wine partner for the International Cricket Council, is all set to commemorate its partnership with ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 with a host of cricket themed limited-edition bottles and gift packs. This is your chance to toast your willow-wielding idols. The bottles and gift packs are available in two varietals—Chardonnay Pinot Noir and Classic Cabernet Sauvignon. While Jacob’s Creek Classic Cabernet Sauvignon is a new introduction, which is considered as a medium-bodied wine with the bold characteristics of Cabernet Sauvignon, the Chardonnay Pinot Noir is a sparkling…