Innholdsfortegnelse for 7 February 2022 i India Today

When the BJP high command anointed the mahant of the Gorakhnath Math as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh on March 19, 2017, after the party swept an assembly election it went into without naming a chief ministerial face, it came as a big surprise to the nattering nabobs who love speculating on such matters. In that election, the BJP won 312 of the state’s 403 seats, the biggest win since Indira Gandhi’s 309-seat haul in 1980. That election was won solely on the strength of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s charisma despite the demonetisation-induced distress just six months earlier threatening to damage the BJP’s prospects. The landslide victory gave the party a free hand to appoint anyone of its choosing as the CM. Although the choice of Yogi Adityanath may…

I&B minister Anurag Thakur is hoping that resuscitating ghosts of films past will help him earn some electoral karma too. Come 2024 and 5,000 films and documentaries at the National Film Archives of India in Pune, that KPMG has been tasked with to restore and digitise, will be moved to a new building. The project was first launched in 2017 but was never completed. In 2019, it was taken forward under Prakash Javadekar, but later abandoned. Now, Thakur has infused Rs 600 crore into the endeavour and is making it his showcase project. Third time’s the charm?…

To survive Kerala of the early 21st century, you need to be adept at navigating the absurd. Friends from Bengal scoff at me when I say this because they have been there, done it. But no. This is a scene worthy of the Dutch Renaissance master Hieronymus Bosch, whose teeming canvases still confound the modern eye. In this ever-growing ocean of fleshly apparitions—which can, without notice, turn into a vast desert, or intimidating voids that can only be imagined—you will encounter some dark ironies. Communist leaders who are said to sup with those given to natural resource predation on a carnivorous scale. Masses of ‘empowered’ female bodies swaying synchronously or standing in attention at the Supreme Leader’s command—witness the semi-feudal Thiruvathira dances at recent CPI(M) district conferences, and the so-called…

It was a rainy Saturday afternoon in Dehradun. Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had wound up after recording a video message at the adjoining camp office—his official residence, a 10-acre affair on New Cantonment Road that his predecessors thought to be jinxed, would have seemed an auspicious place to park himself on such a day. Winter rains cause more than just a dip in temperatures in these parts, and he had had to suspend his campaign travel. It would have been foolhardy to risk getting stuck on a winding mountain highway, with a landslide ahead and a steep fall on one side, just a fortnight or so before polling. That hypothetical scenario, in fact, can well serve as a visual metaphor for the situation 46-year-old Dhami finds himself in.…

Most observers tend to view the Manipur election as a clash between the two better-known national parties: the BJP and Congress. But a regional force—and not one of Manipuri origin at that—is hoping to carve out a steady, silent route to power. Currently part of the BJP-led government in Manipur, the National People’s Party (NPP) has chosen to go solo, aspiring to yank its numbers up from four to something in double digits in the 60-member House. This is part of NPP president Conrad K. Sangma’s calculated design. Conrad, former Lok Sabha Speaker P.A. Sangma’s son and Meghalaya CM, plans to turn the NPP into a true pan-Northeast party. That’s a unique experiment in ecumenism in a region beset by inter-state, interethnic rivalries. The NPP is already spreading its organisational…

There’s no telling what effect words can have. Days after Priyanka Gandhi said, only half in jest, that there was “no other face” in UP, the Congress has lost two of its recognisable faces…from its already slim roster of recognisable faces! R.P.N. Singh, the former Union MoS for home who retains a footprint in native Kushinagar as ex-royalty, has decided to start “a new chapter”. The other: Imran Masood, former party secretary and a name to reckon with in Saharanpur. Just a day ago, a video had gone viral where Imran was talking about his humiliation at the hands of the Samajwadi Party. The next day, hey presto, he had jumped ship. What explained the yo-yo motion? Say SP sources: “Earlier, Imran wanted two tickets, one for himself, one for…

G. V. PRASAD Chairman & Managing Director, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories HAPPINESS MANTRA 1. Finding purpose and meaning in the work I do—it is the only way to realise your full potential and be happy; 2. Cultivating meaningful relationships—it is not about the number but the depth of relationships with family, close friends and colleagues who understand and accept you with all your quirks, defects and gifts; 3. Valuing peace of mind—follow your conscience and commit to the right thing; 4. Appreciating natural beauty—taking breaks amid forests, mountains and rivers can be joyful and rejuvenating; 5. Never forgetting the importance of good health and high energy in enabling all of these.…

A prototype usually arrives balancing hope and expectation, but also riding first mover advantage. But when it comes to the iconic auto marque Maserati, you can imagine the decibels of excitement and hype that race along. An early prototype of the new MC20 convertible exited the gates of the historic Modena plant in the third week of December. This time around, Maserati has selected a new look for its camouflage, featuring a play of clouds; after all, it is a convertible. Much like the MC20 coupé, the new model remains original in its own daring way, designed for performance and perfection. The body is made of carbon fibre and composite materials in its entirety, an identical solution studied for all future configurations: coupé, convertible and, yes, even electric.…

Imagine being able to watch a live cricket match on your mobile phone in real time with no lag (or ‘network latency’)—or being able to do so while travelling from one end of your city to another with no disruption. Should India’s telcos see a trouble-free rollout of their 5G networks, that might well become a reality in the country. For now, the Centre’s DoT (Department of Telecommunications) has allotted test spectrum to various companies for testing and validation of their technologies, and plans to conduct auctions for 5G spectrum by July. According to the DoT, 5G will at first be made available in 13 cities across India in 2022—Delhi, Gurugram, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Jamnagar, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Pune and Gandhinagar. India’s three top telcos—Reliance Jio, Airtel and…

Yogi Adityanath, the ochre-robed, shaven-headed monk-turned-politician, faces the biggest ever test of his life—but seems unfazed by the magnitude of the challenge. For five years, as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, he has ruled India’s most populous state with an iron fist sheathed in a saffron glove that was never far from controversy. Now the moment of reckoning has come, with 152 million voters about to decide whether to give him a second term or usher in a new dispensation. At his official residence in Lucknow, seated on a sofa draped with a saffron towel, flanked by a bronze statue of Lord Ram with a bow and arrow and a pichhwai of Lord Krishna, Adityanath makes for a picture brimming with optimism. “I’ve never lost and never accepted defeat,” he…

Words have a way of swinging back in the air towards you and, right now, Navjot Singh Sidhu must be feeling the unique pleasure of being sliced up by one’s own boomerang. In the run-up to the previous poll, and even during this campaign, the motormouth chief of the Punjab Congress was continuously taking digs at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for not having announced a chief ministerial face. They were taking out a “baraat without a dulha (a marriage procession sans a groom)”, he sneered. But now, all sides except the BJP-led combo have formally anointed a name for the top job. The AAP elevated comedian-turned-neta Bhagwant Mann, the Akalis have Sukhbir Badal…even the farm unions have projected Balbir Sidhu! It’s no secret that Sidhu too badly wants himself…

With his trademark Jack-in-the-box enthusiasm, Leander Paes had rushed to the forecourt. In November, just a month after formally joining the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in the presence of Mamata Banerjee, the tennis ace virtually hit the campaign trail—meeting voters across all walks of life in Velim constituency, south Goa. He got a rousing welcome as he met people early morning, interacting with fisherfolk and promising to resolve their problems if the TMC is voted to power. The 1996 Atlanta Olympic bronze medalist had focused on Velim—named after a large village mentioned in old Konkan/Kannada chronicles—because his father Vece, the former India hockey midfielder who played in the 1972 Mun ich Olympics, hails from the village. Paes projected himself as a son of the soil who has returned to his…

In 2012, BJP campaign workers painted the walls in Uttarakhand with the slogan, ‘Khanduri Hai Zaroori’. He was seen as the party’s fulcrum here, and ticked all boxes—the army veteran, with firebrand oratory to match, stood out with his clean image and can-do spirit. Cut to the present, and for a while the contrast was stark: the BJP seemed all too eager to bury that chapter. B.C. Khanduri was forced to retire in 2019, citing the 75-year age criterion. His US-returned son Manish was next to be denied a ticket. But those who were calling it the end of the Khanduri era are eating their words. Daughter Ritu has bucked the trend with a ticket from family fief Kotdwar, in the Pauri region.…

FLAGSHIP SCHEMES YSR PENSION KANUKA A social security monthly pension of Rs 2,250 to the old, widows, toddy tappers, weavers, single destitute women, fishermen, HIV positive patients, traditional cobblers; Rs 3,000 a month to the disabled, transgender and traditional folk artists; Rs 10,000 a month to those affected by chronic kidney disease for treatment at government or private dialysis facilities Beneficiaries 6,172,964; Spend Rs 36,830.71 cr YSR RYTHU BHAROSA Investment support of Rs 13,500 a year to farmers, including tenant ones and those cultivating forest/assigned lands. Includes Rs 6,000 given by the Union government under PM Kisan. Beneficiaries 5,238,000; Spend Rs 17,029.88 cr WOMEN YSR AASARA Clear the total loan outstanding of Rs 27,168 crore as on April 11, 2019 of members of the women’s self-help groups across the state…

Watching shuttler Lakshya Sen play can, at times, feel like watching a b-boy pulling off unbelievable moves. He will dive to retrieve a seemingly unreturnable shuttle and then quickly bounce back up to prolong the rally. You will gasp at his ability to switch from defence to offence. You might also wince, seeing what he is putting his body through. As he revisits his matches, Sen realises the risks he takes as he pushes himself. “There are chances of injury in shots where I throw myself on the court. I want to do it only when it is required and be more stable on my feet,” he says. “But there’s so much happening that you are not thinking, and then they turn into amazing rallies.” In the past two months,…

“It isn’t ideal to be a stand-up comedian in India the way it is in the West. There’s not much money in it unless you’re going viral. What comes your way, instead, is outrage. It’s as if people forget that political satire existed in India even before stand-up comedy.” -MUNAWAR FARUQUI “You can’t be in stand-up comedy in India today without having a great lawyer. But having said that, being a comedian means knowing the difference between joking about oppressors as opposed to cracking jokes that feed into stereotypes” —AGRIMA JOSHUA “To be a stand-up comedian in this eventful phase of India is a rare privilege. It’s a creatively satisfying pursuit, one that shouldn’t come with the many occupational hazards” —ANIRBAN DASGUPTA…

SUPERMAN (1987) Before playing Duryodhana on TV, Puneet Issar played the title role in this entertaining B-movie, a rip-off of the Christopher Reeve Superman. With Dharmendra as the Jor-El character, declaring “Yeh dharti meri maa hai” as his planet is about to blow up! KRRISH 3 (2013) Arguably the most enjoyable entry in the “Krrish franchise” that began with Koi Mil Gaya, this film gets much of its energy from Hrithik Roshan—one of our most superhero-appropriate stars—fully inhabiting the title role. A FLYING JATT (2016) This sweet-natured film about a Sikh superman (played by Tiger Shroff) could have been more fun if it had stuck with its initially goofy tone throughout, instead of trying to replicate every trope of the western superhero film.…

THE QUIET TERROR OF EVERY FATED ROMANCE breathes the inevitable question: how long will it last? So also with every trend, fad, and popular movement. But the pandemic-primed demand has proved to be an especially unpredictable beast. Therefore, to dedicate an entire issue to outlining trends has involved a complex balancing act between pent-up aspirations and an entirely new generation of luxury that is trend-forward, but conscious of Covid-adjacent etiquette. In travel, for instance, charter-ready destinations and private aviation will be especially popular thanks to the whimsical aesthete who enjoys bespoke experiences and private sojourns. This niche has seen exponential growth. Apart from generous cabin space, low decibel levels and the spine-coddling comfort of supple leather seats, it is the reassurance of safety and privacy, apart from the above and…

Hemp is at Hand The new superfood that is taking beauty and wellness by storm is hemp, so when SoulTree introduced India’s first Ayurvedic range of Hemp products with 100 per cent pure, certified organic hemp seed oil, it’s time to take notice. Youthful radiance, here I come. Although the new range consists of 10 rejuvenating products, our recommendation: Ayurvedic Treatment Oil Facial Oil. Price ₹1,895; Availability flagship store, DLF Galleria, Gurugram; www.soultree.in Winter Glow What better way to battle the cold than to mellow its harshness with a smooth single malt. Glenmorangie’s Highland whisky makers marry endless imagination with five key ingredients—wood, water, barley, yeast and time—to deliver deliciousness. Sample the Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban 14 Years Old to herald your delectable journey. Voluptuous flavour combinations include walnut and black…

Ruggedness can be beautiful. Luxury sports watches are the Henry Cavills of the horological world. They’re versatile, durable, sleek, and exude prestige. What was once seen as a radical crossover between bejewelled timepieces and a watch that can bear the grime is commonplace practice today. A person’s watch is said to be the reflection of their personality, which is why it isn’t so surprising to see these watches dominate fashion trends these days. They are patronised by a younger demographic that is indomitable, keen to live experiences and adventures, and unapologetically announce their achievements. “Whether it’s motorcycles or watches, I have been lucky to have worked in fields that I have been passionate about, especially Rado, which is a strong, beautiful, and a unique brand,” confesses Adrian Bosshard, the motorsports…

It is difficult to accurately gauge the size of the NFT market given its decentralised nature. However research from last year pegs the market at USD 22 billion. This number has definitely grown exponentially over the past year, indicating a buoyant demand from buyers purchasing multiple works with 750,000 unique buyers and 350,000 unique sellers (globally as of November 2021). It is also worth noting that blockbuster sales often run into millions. A case in point: A non-fungible token by digital artist Beeple Everydays: The First 5000 Days, which sold for $69.3 million at Sotheby’s in March 2021, was the most expensive NFT ever sold at auction. As the NFT market rages on, market capitalisation grew 1,785 per cent in 2021.…

Who could have imagined that our mothers’ dreams would come true through our indulgenceof cocktails and alcohol? No, I’m not kidding at all. “Eat your vegetables” is a command that is easy to follow with a smart and measured relationship between you and alcohol, and is easier still when accompanied by even more vegetables—and herbs and aromaticsas well. In the recipes I share here, I have taken a plant-forward approach to the mixing of cocktails, and it is my hope that as you sip on these drinks, you can savour the flavours and connect with the earth literally and figuratively. Drink in moderation Remember, even good things take on bad airs when taken to excess. The good news is that alcohol in moderation is nothing to be scoffed at. Its…

He may be the home minister of Madhya Pradesh, but that does not stop 61-year-old Narottam Mishra from taking up issues that could hurt ‘Hindu sensibilities’ anywhere in the country. With a standing of 30 years in state politics, Mishra has succeeded in compelling ‘offenders’ to back down, earning a cult following in the bargain. He is placing himself as a principal challenger to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and many see his zeal as nothing more than an attempt to reinvent himself politically. Amazon is only the latest target of the minister’s ire. On January 25, Mishra directed the Madhya Pradesh director general of police to file an FIR against the e-commerce giant for allegedly selling a shoe with the Indian flag on it. “It has come to my…

BJP Yogi Adityanath STRENGTHS ↘ A strong CM candidate with assured support from traditional Hindutva voters ↘ The BJP’s organisational skill—booth-level microplanning—and its strong IT cell. Implementation of welfare schemes for the poor CHALLENGES ↘ Soaring inflation, unemployment and the perception of being ‘anti-Brahmin’. The fallout of the farmers’ agitation ↘ The challenge of winning non-Yadav OBC voters ALLIANCE PARTNERS ↘ Apna Dal (S): Led by central minister Anupriya Patel, strong in east UP. Its focus is on Kurmi OBC voters—the second-most influential OBC caste in the state after the Yadavs ↘ Nishad Party: Led by Dr Sanjay Nishad, it focuses on Nishad and Mallah voters, who have a presence in Prayagraj, Varanasi and Jaunpur, among other areas BSP Mayawati STRENGTHS ↘ Personal mass appeal and a solid vote bank. Having been chief minister…

ANGER, WELLING UP from a deep sense of humiliation, has turned into a steely determination to wipe out one party from the political map of Punjab. That party is the Congress, and the man involved is someone who has spent 27 years of his political life as a Congressman. If that suffices as a statement on the Grand Old Party, it also catches Amarinder Singh in a sunset moment he would have perhaps liked to visualise differently. A two-time chief minister, he’s now playing for narrower stakes—unless you count the healing of injured pride as a valid electoral objective. With a hockey stick-and-ball as the symbol of his new party, the Punjab Lok Congress (PLC), he has hit the astroturf as a junior alliance partner—contesting 37 seats against the BJP’s…

In an election not short of hair-trigger contests, the spotlight fell on Dhuri when the Aam Aadmi party (AAP) decided to field its 48-year-old chief ministerial candidate, Bhagwant Mann, from this seat in the heart of the Malwa belt. The comedian-turned-neta goes up against a popular sitting MLA, Dalvir Singh Khangura, 40, fondly known as Goldy, a sharp but soft-spoken Congressman with a hands-on approach and an outreach to all villages in his constituency. But over and above Mann’s fate, Dhuri, part of the Sangrur Lok Sabha constituency that he has held twice, opens up a fascinating landscape that contains all of Punjab’s political colours. The Malwa region, lying southeast of the Sutlej river, has 14 of the state’s 22 districts. Dhuri also falls squarely within what’s called ‘Royal Punjab’—the…

IAS TOTAL STRENGTH 5,231 POSTED AT THE CENTRE 458 POSTED IN STATE AND UT CADRE 4,773 IAS OFFICERS PROMOTED FROM STATE CIVIL SERVICES 1,316 IPS TOTAL STRENGTH 3,049 PROMOTED FROM STATE CIVIL SERVICES 1,060 OFFICERS WHO CAN BE DEPUTED TO THE CENTRE 1,075 IFOS TOTAL STRENGTH 2,224 PROMOTED FROM STATE CIVIL SERVICES 967 OFFICERS WHO CAN BE DEPUTED TO THE CENTRE 382…

With Covid-related anxiety and a return to work from home, it is natural to get over-whelmed. In such times, brightening up your home can bring in some positive vibes. Experts from the décor and design industry give five simple tips on how to bring happiness home. Make it green “Plants can instil an invigorating feeling in any space. Sculptural indoor planters or organically made ones can become stunning accessories,” says Astha Khetan, founder, The House of Things, a décor and design company. Set the table Often in times of distress, your appetite takes a hit. A good way to bring focus back on food is by throwing yourself a feast. “Pull out your best tableware. We set aside our prized tableware for special occasions, but using it on a day…

Q. As an artist whose craft exists at the intersection of sold tickets and internet views, how do you measure success? Success is getting better at the craft. I became a comic to write and tell jokes, so it doesn’t matter how many tickets I sell or how many views I get. It’s about making the most of that time people are giving me by becoming the best I can be at what they have come to see. “THERE ARE SOME THINGS BETTER SAID IN A SONG, SOME BETTER SAID THROUGH JOKES” Q. Ten years into standup comedy, are there any changes that you have noticed in how comedians approach the art form? We live in a time of influencers. Not enough people pay attention to the craft anymore because…

Q. Would it be fair to say Gehraiyaan has given you the most layered part till now? I think, emotionally, Tia is my most fleshed out character. Now that I have tasted blood and know what it feels like to surrender to a character, I hope I get more roles like this. It’s cool to see women who are strong, complex and flawed, who are not judged by the filmmaker and, hopefully, the audience. Q. Infidelity forms the core of this relationship drama. How did you get into Tia’s head? I had to borrow a lot from myself. I haven’t been cheated on, but I do have some of Tia’s personality traits. I am insecure as a person and when I’m in a relationship. Tia is very loyal, loving and…

There’s been a lot of fuss recently about the chef Salt Bae and his £315 gold-encrusted steak, available at his new London restaurant, Nusr-Et. To which I say, pah! Or rather, pearls! That was what Cleopatra was said to have crushed into a glass of wine to make Marc Antony’s dinner the most costly in history. Take that, Salt! (May I call you Salt?) What a magical elixir that pearl-laced libation must have been, albeit not one to consume with a tickly throat. A luminescent past Pearls have always had lustre—metaphorical and literal. In ancient China they communicated the supposed purity of the wearer. In the Dark Ages knights would wear pearls into battle as a protective talisman. The pearl is reputed to be the first precious gem to have…

Founder & Director, Princeps Art is always executed on some medium—cave walls using natural pigments, wood panels, watercolour on paper, canvases with oil or acrylic-based paints. It was only natural that with thea dvent of the computer, with its editing and videography tools that art began to be created on a digital medium. This is here to stay and grow. Preparatory sketches have now been replaced by studies done with digital tools. The progression to digital art being more pervasive (than physical art) has been in the making over the last couple of decades. It has reached tipping point that makes it clear that a majority of the major exhibitions in the future will be based around digital art. Early Days One of the early experiences of the writer in…

Nawazuddin Siddiqui was one of the first actors to testdrive the OTT vehicle before it became a sought-after model. Sacred Games (2018), Netflix’s first Indian original, seems like a distant memory but it was to acquaint audiences with long format storytelling. Five years back, Siddiqui saw what his peers couldn’t or didn’t bother to. Streaming platforms gave access to a wider audience compared to theatres, which governed by commercial diktats made it difficult for non-studio, non-star driven films to run long. The stories on the services, he felt, were “made with daring”. Most importantly, it was the opportunity that it provided to the deep pool of talent “who wouldn’t have come to the forefront in [theatrical] films”. The two-year, and running, reign of the Covid-19 pandemic has only reaffirmed Siddiqui’s…

The hero in my dish is always the ingredient. I try not to mask them; they are there for all to see, smell and taste. Travel plays an important role in what I do, because it gives me the chance to understand the stories behind the food people eat, to taste different ingredients, and to learn from and eat as locals do. It allows me to discover a side of India that I don’t always get to see when living in a big city. These ingredients define their regions of origin; I try to interpret them my own way, bringing them to the forefront so our guests can experience them as I did. The idea is to summon India on your plate, with your palate as guide and traveller. Sea…