Innholdsfortegnelse for Monday, November 20, 2023 i India Today

India, as we all know only too well, is home to a million culinary delights from a variety of food cultures. It’s Diwali, the festival of prosperity and abundance, and chances are that some of those delights are temptingly within reach. Perhaps it’s a good time to think about food and its effect on our bodies. In substantial parts of our population, as prosperity levels increase, so does access to a mind-boggling range of edible goodies. With inevitable results. The National Family Health Survey-5, published in 2022, found that 60 per cent of urban Indian women and half of all their male counterparts are in the high-risk category when it comes to waist-to-hip ratio, one of the chief markers of abdominal obesity. The explosion in lifestyle diseases mirrors that. Naturally,…

AAP MLAs are getting caught in legal troubles, and not just in New Delhi. Now, the party’s tribal face in Gujarat—Chaitar Vasava—has been charged with firing in the air during a showdown between tribals and forest department officials, who claim that tribals were irrigating forest land. AAP has thrown its weight behind its MLA, whose popularity has risen so much that state AAP president Isudan Gadhvi announced Vasava might contest the Lok Sabha polls. Right now, the young MLA is on the run and his wife under arrest.…

Going by what had been sowed last season in the bighas that make up Indian politics, one would have expected a full harvest of Mandal by now—waving in the fields, ready to be reaped in time for the voting. But one does not see caste as the main cash crop in the four big assembly elections this month. What else, then? If you missed all the party proclamations that scream it out, a set of visual clues came early in the morning on October 29, when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi could be spotted wading into waist-high paddies at Kathiya village, near Chhattisgarh’s capital Raipur. Sickle in hand and farmhand-style safa around his head, he was immersed in a light-hearted lec-dem from labourers busy at the harvest. Happy, farm-fresh images were…

Q. The BJP seems to have enlisted a surfeit of leaders in Rajashtan. Isn’t it better to have a CM face? A. It does help to have a CM face, but then it may also result in intra-party rivalry. We will win Rajasthan comfortably. It is not just anti-incumbency against the Ashok Gehlot government, but the people want the BJP back in power. The voters feel if PM Modi can do it for India, his government can do so much for Rajasthan. We don’t just have an edge, we are way ahead in the race. It is because of the way we planned our campaign a year back, taking out yatras and building on the anti-incumbency. Q. CM Gehlot says the welfare measures he launched are the Congress’s USP this…

Tribhuvaneshwar Saran Singh Deo, 71, the deputy chief minister of Chhattisgarh, recalls the time when he used to accompany his father on hunts, sitting at water holes, waiting for the quarry to arrive. The experience, says Singh Deo—or Baba as the ‘Maharaja’ of the erstwhile princely state of Surguja is fondly called—instilled in him a desirable virtue: patience. It was this patience that saw him through a rough patch when his party, the Congress, purportedly failed to honour the promise of rotational chief ministership and even the local administration stopped responding to his requests, given his then strained relationship with Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. It was only in June this year that Singh Deo was elevated as deputy CM, as the Congress set out to put its house in order…

It’s an almighty coalition between spiritual and temporal. Yagnas, chanting purohits, mahants, fakirs, bhajan singers—like always in India, all the beady-eyed shades of the divine can be spotted in the electoral arena. The other day, Telangana CM K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), his crown a tad shaky, held a three-day ‘Raja Shyamala Sahita Subramanyeswara Yagam’ at his 40-acre farmhouse at Erravalli. Legend has it that kings performed this yagna before they went to battle. Some 170 priests from all over, under the expert eye of Sarada Peetham head Sri Swami Swaroopananda Saraswati, came together to propitiate goddess Raja Shyamala Devi. Some 800 miles to the north as the crow flies, Swami Balmukundacharya, the angelic-looking mahant of Hathoj dham, has rolled up his saffron sleeves to contest from the Hawa Mahal seat…

GRAINS Carb comparison (based on 100 gm values) WHEAT 76.3 gm 364 kcal 2.7 gm 65 BAJRA (PEARL MILLET) 61 gm 348 kcal 11.49 gm 70 RAGI (FINGER MILLET) 72 gm 328 kcal 3.6 gm 70 JOWAR (SORGHUM) 75 gm 361 kcal 6.7 gm 70 KUTTU (BUCKWHEAT) 71.5 gm 343 kcal 10 gm 40 WHITE RICE LONG-GRAIN 80.3 gm 359 kcal 2.77 gm 60 BROWN RICE LONG-GRAIN 76.7 gm 366 kcal 4.3 gm 50 JAU (BARLEY) 73 gm 354 kcal 17 gm 60 Carbs Energy Total dietary fibre GI (how quickly a food makes blood sugar rise) Source: USDA, nutritionfact.com VEGETABLES Top five nutrient-dense vegetables. Nutritionists recommend having five portions of differently coloured fruit and vegetables per day CARROTS 1 cup (128 gm) ➘ Packed with vitamin A, delivering 119…

WHAT IS THE GLYCAEMIC INDEX? Glycaemic Index (GI) is a way of ranking carb-containing foods on how slowly or quickly they get digested and increase glucose levels in the blood over a period of time, say, 2 hours. It uses glucose or white bread—which has a GI score of 100—as a reference food. Foods with low GI release sugar slowly into the blood, which helps with insulin sensitivity and cuts hunger pangs. WHAT ARE CALORIES? They are a measure of how much energy a food item gives you. Reducing calories in the diet forces body to burn stored energy (fat). However, experts warn against drastic reduction in calories as the body needs a certain amount of vitamins, minerals, proteins per day to function. Restricting calories can also slow down your…

In the Author’s Note to Stolen Hours and Other Curiosities—Manjula Padmanabhan’s career-spanning science fiction anthology—she writes about what the genre means to her. “Writing SF is a way of celebrating the ‘other-ing’ that I experienced as a young person. Instead of travelling to other countries, I can explore alternate states of consciousness, timelines, body types, species, genders, dimensions.” There are 25 stories in total, with the oldest (‘A Government of India Undertaking’) written in 1984 and the most recent one (‘Octobaby’) written shortly before publication. Together, they’re a reminder of the 70-year-old Padmanabhan’s stature as one of the most versatile and inventive Indian writers of her generation—not to mention, one of the pioneers of South Asian science fiction. “This collection has been in the works for a while,” Padmanabhan says.…

While the art and culture scene in Hyderabad may be much talked about, a certain level of stagnancy seems to have crept in post-pandemic. The inaugural edition of the Manam Theatre Festival, presented by The WE_US Collective (the social and cultural programme of the Almond House Foundation initiative) promises to shake things up with its impressive line-up of performing acts by artists across geographies. Spanning four weekends from November 24–December 17, the festival will showcase performances by four visiting and four Hyderabad-based troupes across four venues in the city. From puppetry to live music, dancing to masking, and more, the event is all about diversity in theatre. Alongside, a series of fringe events like mini talks, meet and greets, workshops and demonstrations have also been planned to offer visitors a…

For sharp analysis on topical issues by the editors of INDIA TODAY, log on to www.indiatoday.in/india-today-magazine-insight BIG STORY Why the Modi government is extending its food security programme By Anilesh S. Mahajan Even as the Union cabinet is yet to approve its extension, PM Narendra Modi made the announcement during an election rally at Durg in Chhattisgarh https://bit.ly/3sokauO FROM THE STATES: KERALA Why Kerala’s temple management body has banned RSS activities on its properties By Jeemon Jacob Citing a High Court ruling, the Travancore Devaswom Board, which manages some 1,200 temples—including the Sabarimala shrine—bans activities of several organisations, including the RSS, at its temples https://bit.ly/474xwLP SPOTLIGHT: MADE-IN-INDIA iPHONE Why the Wistron buy makes Tata a significant player in Apple’s India ambitions By M.G. Arun Tata Electronics will become the third…

Amid the clamour for a caste census, Opposition leaders are attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s OBC credentials. On November 4, Janata Dal (United) national president Rajiv Ranjan alias Lalan Singh called Modi a fraud saying he is not an OBC. The same day, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi asked why Modi identifies as OBC when he considers ‘poor’ the only caste in the country. Earlier, in October, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar claimed Modi allegedly got his caste—the Modh-Ganchi—included in the OBC list in 2002 when he was Gujarat CM. It was the social welfare department of the then Congress state government, though, that had passed a notification in July 1994, announcing 36 castes, including Modh-Ghanchis, as OBC.…

For long building a Hyderabad vs Bengaluru narrative, BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao (KTR) has dialled up the volume closer to the state polls on November 8. Alleging a Congress conspiracy to shift industry to Bengaluru to bleed Telangana, KTR says Karnataka deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar wrote to Taiwan-based Foxconn Technology, which is setting up an Apple Air Pod unit in Hyderabad, to consider relocation. Dis missing the letter as fake, Shivakumar has complained to the cyber cops. Trouble is, the letter’s already gone viral.…

➘ CHHATTISGARH The ruling Congress promises hike in paddy MSP to Rs 3,000 per quintal from existing Rs 2,640—already Rs 600 above the central MSP. The BJP manifesto lists it at Rs 3,100. The Congress revises it to Rs 3,200. The state is the third largest contributor to central paddy stocks, after Punjab and Haryana ➘ TELANGANA To overshadow the BRS regime’s flagship Rythu Bandhu scheme that provides Rs 10,000 per acre to farmers across two seasons each year, Congress guarantees Rs 15,000 under Rythu Bharosa. BRS in turn promises a hike to Rs 16,000, though without including tenancy farmers like Congress ➘ RAJASTHAN Ashok Gehlot brings a first-of-its-kind ‘Agriculture Budget’, providing 2,000 units of free power, waiving all crop loans from cooperative banks worth Rs 15,000 crore, benefiting around 22…

Becoming a dependable alternative demands some complex political manoeuvring. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may have perfected it into a fine art elsewhere, but not when it comes to challenging two-term chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) and his Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in Telangana. Rather than calling the shots, the BJP finds itself caught in a three-way contest, with a resurgent Congress vying for power too in the coming assembly polls on November 30. The party, therefore, is going all-out in a vigorous poll campaign. “If the BJP is voted to power, the chief minister will not be confined to a farmhouse but will be among the people,” says state BJP chief G. Kishan Reddy, promising free education and health cover for the poor. To reap quick political dividends,…

Stance, style, flick…everything was intact when he won from UP’s Moradabad in 2009 wearing Congress colours. But uncharacteristically for ex-India cricket captain Mohammed Azharuddin, 60, timing and placement deserted him in Rajasthan’s Tonk-Sawai Madhopur in 2014. After cooling his heels in the pavilion, he’s bracing for another innings, this time to be a MLA, back in native Hyderabad. But the Jubilee Hills constituency is turning out to be a dodgy pitch. The Congress had had bad outings here the last two times. Sitting BRS MLA Maganti Gopinath, in fact, has got a runner. P. Vishnuvardhan Reddy, who won from here on a Congress ticket in 2009, has joined the rival team, exiting the GOP in a rage after ‘Ajju bhai’ got the ticket. Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM is still reading the…

SWEET KILLERS Indian sweets with fat and sugar overload GULAB JAMUN (1 piece with 1 tbsp syrup) 143 kcal 2.9 gm 16 gm GUJIYA (1 piece) 200 kcal 4 gm 18 gm MYSORE PAK (1 piece) 180 kcal 7 gm 11 gm JALEBI (1 piece) 150 kcal 2.1 gm 18.9 gm KARACHI HALWA (1 piece) 185 kcal 2.5 gm 21 gm HIDDEN SOURCES OF SALT The Food and Drug Administration of the US recommends no more than 2,300 mg of sodium a day. Salt in chips or salted nuts is no secret, but here are other hidden sources of salt ➘ Papads ➘ Cold cuts, cured meats ➘ Processed cheese ➘ Salad dressings ➘ Pickles ➘ Breads ➘ Tinned/ packet soups ➘ Sauces ➘ Tinned fish or meat THE TRUTH…

➘ All government buying agencies should report pending arbitration cases every quarter and the amounts due to MSME vendors ➘ The Arbitration Council should choose from a panel of qualified arbitrators. Currently, a conciliator acts as an arbitrator ➘ Arbitral awards should mention the interest accrued with the principal amount. This ambiguity occurs due to the phrase ‘unless otherwise agreed’ under Section 31, which must be removed ➘ The terms ‘Public Policy / Fundamental Policy of Indian law’ in Sec. 34 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, should be clarified and judiciary sensitised so cases are not accepted in high courts on frivolous grounds ➘ Ensure that once the arbitral award is granted, payment is made. If the arbitral award gets challenged under Sec. 34, the company should be…

More than 500 people turned up for a special screening of the India vs South Africa match that West Bengal governor C.V. Ananda Bose hosted at the Raj Bhawan. There was no doubting the political colour of the meeting. Bose announced a Governor’s Century group, under which 100 children with a talent for cricket will be trained and nurtured, and also heaped praises on the BCCI and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling India’s win against South Africa a sign of Aatmanirbhar Bharat. Needless to say, the ruling Trinamool Congress wasn’t too happy, calling Bose a stooge of the Centre again and accusing him of running a parallel administration. Expect another governor-state government conflict.…

Guess who’s sharing his ‘mann ki baat’ with school children now. On November 4, at a function in Nagpur, while answering a question on the role of women in politics, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said, “No person is superior because of their caste, creed, language or gender…. Indira Gandhi became prime minister without any reservation. In this ‘game of backwardness’, everyone wants to prove that they are backward.” Now that’s a dual dig. It’s the Narendra Modi-led central government that passed the Women’s Reservation Bill, and Opposition parties are demanding a caste census and higher reservations.…

Q. If you win, you will be chief minister for a record fourth time. But there is also talk of huge anti-incumbency. How do you rate your chances? A. We are doing our best to win. There is some anti-incumbency against MLAs at the local level. But our welfare schemes are good. For example, we offered universal health insurance for every category for Rs 25 lakh, going beyond the Centre’s Rs 5 lakh coverage for the poor segment alone. One crore people get social security pension with an assured raise of 15 per cent annually. We have a minimum income guarantee act, also one for gig workers and have enacted a law to stop auction of farmers’ land if they default on bank loans. Then, we have been giving smartphones…

➘ The party is positioning itself as a champion of the OBCs and is promising to appoint a member from the cohort as Telangana’s next chief minister ➘ It has nominated 37 candidates from the backward classes, which may even surpass the number fielded by other parties ➘ PM Modi is addressing five rallies. On October 1, he laid foundation stones and dedicated multiple developmental projects worth Rs 13,545 crore ➘ The chink in its armour? Some analysts say the BJP now favours the BRS’s return to power—seen as a strategic move to prevent the Congress from seizing power…

Food’s 3 musketeers: fats, carbs & protein FATS The most efficient source of energy, with each gram of fat containing 9 calories, compared to 4 each for carbs and proteins Which foods provide fats? Fats are of four kinds. Saturated fats: Found in beef, pork, poultry, full-fat dairy items, eggs, and in coconut and palm oils Transfats: Naturally-occurring transfats are produced in the gut of some animals. Artificial ones are made in an industrial process Monounsaturated fats: Found in olive, canola, peanut and sunflower oils, avocados and peanut butter Polyunsaturated fats: Found in fatty fish, walnuts, flaxseeds, tofu, soybean. Rich source of Omega 3 and 6 Recommended amount: 25-30% calories must come from unsaturated fats, 5-6% from saturated. Transfats should be avoided entirely CARBOHYDRATES They are what power the body,…

➘ Ajit sets up parallel unit to review the progress of key infrastructure projects in state. Doesn’t go down well with allies ➘ Files approved by Pawar will now be routed to CM Shinde via deputy CM Fadnavis for final approvals ➘ BJP and Sena legislators reportedly upset at budgetary allocations Ajit made for his party MLAs ➘ The NCP has staked claim to the guardian minister’s post in Raigad, Satara, Pune and Nashik districts. Sena, BJP leaders are livid ➘ The Maratha quota agitation (they are Kshatriyas who want to be put in the Kunbi [tillers] category) has Ajit’s faction in a bind. The Kunbis and other OBCs vehemently oppose the move ➘ The NCP is a ‘Maratha-dominated’ party, while the OBCs form part of the BJP’s core base…

Sometimes, writers are truly found in translation. A proliferation in translations of vernacular texts in the past decade has allowed many regional Indian writers to be discovered by a wider audience—occasionally gaining international recognition as well. The case of Kannada novelist, short-story writer and playwright Vivek Shanbhag is special in that it is underpinned by a close partnership with his translator, Srinath Perur, an accomplished writer in his own right. They first tasted success with Ghachar Ghochar. Perur’s 2015 translation brought international acclaim to Shanbhag’s work. Ghachar Ghochar was included by The New York Times in its listing of the best books of 2017. It was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and the International Dublin Literary Award. And Srinath Perur bagged the Sahitya Akademi Prize for…

THE GREAT INDIAN CRICKET CIRCUS Amazing Stats, Facts and Everything in Between by Abhishek Mukherjee and Joy Bhattacharjya HARPERCOLLINS INDIA ₹599 | 456 pages This is the perfect gift for a cricket fan: 400-plus pages of stats, trivia and the most fascinating anecdotes set in and around the world of Indian cricket. Learn about the former cricketer who was also a fingerprint expert, or the time a snake stopped play, or a kind of mango that came to be named after Tendulkar. THE LORDS OF WANKHEDE Tales Between Two Titles W.V. Raman and R. Kaushik RUPA PUBLICATIONS ₹395 | 288 pages Veteran cricket writer R. Kaushik joins former Team India opening batter W.V. Raman for this book which tracks and chronicles the series of small and large changes that led…

Walking through the sculptor K.S. Radhakrishnan’s studio in Delhi is a heady experience. You see works from across five decades, the familiar bronze figures of Musui and Maiya (the artist’s twin muses, based on a young Santhal boy who posed for him at Santiniketan) sprawled in various poses. Unfinished and assembly-required works share that space. A stray Staedtler pencil rests over the beginnings of a sketch of a pensive-looking woman. “This is my 50th year as an artist,” says Radhakrishnan. “When I began in the 1970s, I think I was a very closed person, an introvert. But gradually, if you see my work in the years after that, you can see the process of opening up. I have a large body of work now and I don’t know for how…

Q. What was collaborating with Avinash Arun again like? The advantage of working with someone again is that there is already an understanding. Avinash knows I like challenging myself and I know he will allow me the freedom to take my sensibilities and merge them with his. When you combine forces, the edge on the character becomes sharper. Q. You don’t like the ‘OTT actor’ tag… Why? OTT and theatre may be different platforms, but the craft is the same…. Yes, cinema has a different impact on the big screen. But whether you are shooting for OTT or the big screen does not change the way you work on set. Q. What draws you to a role? The first and foremost is the script. It has to be honest. Yes,…