Taj Noor's new book on music a hit

Rupee spurts 29 paise against US dollar in early trade However, sustained foreign fund outflows capped the gains, they added. On Tuesday, the rupee had skidded by 16 paise -- its third straight session of loss -- to close at 71.44 against the US dollar amid strengthening of the greenback and heavy selling in domestic equities. Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth a net of Rs 78.53 crore, and domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were sellers to the tune of Rs 84.15 crore on Tuesday, provisional data showed. Meanwhile, the benchmark BSE Sensex rose 37.05 points, or 0.10 per cent, to 36,481.69 after rising to 36,521.47 in opening trade. Dailyhunthttp://actionangler.net/ActivityFeed/MyProfile/tabid/62/UserId/156533/Default.aspx A major attraction in the book was Noor has shared his 14-year musical journey working with Oscar winner AR Rahman. The book has received a good response from the public. ... Dailyhunthttps://wanelo.co/tezappjacky

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IBPS Clerk Main exams 2019 analysis from experts

Except for General English, the rest of the objective questions were in a bilingual format that is, in English and Hindi. Each incorrect answer will reduce the score by 1/4th marks assigned to the respective question. The detailed break-up of IBPS Clerk Main Exam 2018 is as follows: General/financial awareness: Most of the questions came from the Banking Awareness, Financial Awareness and Current Affairs (maximum questions were from last six months, that is, from July 2018 to January 2019) sections. There were some questions from the static section of General Awareness. 3-4 questions were from banking awareness. The overall difficulty of this section was easy to moderate. Some questions were like: River based - 1 Q., Bank/Chairman - 1 Q., Chipko Andolan - 1 Q., Jan Dhan Yojana - 1 Q. etc. General English There were a total of 3 sets of Reading Comprehension. The overall difficulty level of this section was moderate to difficult. Reasoning Ability & Computer Aptitude There was no question from Computer Aptitude. There were 5 sets of seating arrangement and data arrangement. Level of difficulty of this section was moderate to difficult. Quantitative Aptitude There were four sets of Data Interpretation. The overall difficulty level of this section was moderate. - With inputs from Career Launcher Dailyhunthttps://able2know.org/user/feezeerkeen/ But India goes in the opposite direction and decapitates doctrinal Hinduism in the Constitution itself. ... Dailyhunthttps://justpaste.it/7lged

According to one study, love conquers all - or icy water at any rate

And the experience can no doubt legitimately stand in for a range of stressful events, such as being discriminated against for colour, or, say, being hung upside down from a ceiling fan with the balls of the feet exposed to thoughtful thrashing. In the second case, a romantic partner sitting by would be of great help as he or she screamed, wept, or otherwise tried to disrupt the proceedings. The first example is less dramatic - what's all this fuss about discrimination anyway? If something, such as discrimination, happens all the time - with reference to colour, creed or caste - a romantic partner hanging around the neck makes no difference either way, let alone mental images. Freezing water might as well be boiling, for that matter. What the study does prove is that freezing water cannot douse romance. On the contrary, it makes romance tempting, by keeping blood pressures in check. The central puzzle in this piece of research is the definition of romance, together with the amazing ability of the researchers to discover a respectable number of respondents who will admit to 'romantic' partners. A learned account offers a clue to the mystery. The number of respondents was, presumably, 102. However scientifically ordered the experiment, to imagine 102 people representing the whole world is a bit of a stretch. And these were 102 undergraduates. Romance is obviously alive and kicking among the young: in a brave new world where it is always spring. The researchers also took care of possible world-weary suspicions that romance wears off. The young people had to be in a committed romantic relationship of at least one month's vintage. No wonder romance was easy to define.The study is aspirational in a novel way - it is a state of relationship that everyone beyond the 102 would aspire to. Imagine a partner whose presence makes flowers bloom and birds sing, who soothes blood pressure into believing there is no stress ever. After all, the more common relationship is the one in which the mutual feeling is of being driven up the wall at worst and boredom or irritation at best. Even the main cause of stress in life. A frozen foot may then become so much more preferable to the beloved's company. 1670440 1681855 Dailyhunthttps://visual.ly/users/yozkelvozkeeneens2/portfolio

UK's Prince Philip apologises to woman injured in car crash: Report

The nine-month-old baby who was in the back seat of car was uninjured. The Duke said in a letter to Emma Fairweather, who broke her wrist in the accident, that he was "very sorry" for his part in the accident, and wished "a speedy recovery from a very distressing experience, the Sunday Mirror reported. "I would like you to know how very sorry I am for my part in the accident... I can only imagine that I failed to see the car coming, and I am very contrite about the consequences," said the letter published by the paper. "I was somewhat shaken after the accident," he continued, "but I was greatly relieved that none of you were seriously injured. As a crowd was beginning to gather, I was advised to return to Sandringham House by a local police officer. I have since learned that you suffered a broken arm. I am deeply sorry about this injury." Last week Fairweather, a passenger in the Kia, told the newspaper that she felt "ignored and rejected" because she had not received an apology, but told the paper on Sunday that she was "chuffed" that he had finally responded. Fairweather, from King's Lynn, told the Sunday Mirror: "I thought it was really nice that he signed off as 'Philip' and not the formal title. I was pleasantly surprised because of the personalised nature." The paper reported Buckingham Palace has confirmed the letter is genuine. The Duke of Edinburgh, who took delivery of a replacement Land Rover after the crash, was later reportedly spoken to by police after being pictured driving without a seat belt two days after the crash. Philip, who formally retired from public life in 2017, has been seen behind the wheels on numerous occasions over the decade. At present, there is no upper age limit for driving in the UK. However, a person's driving licence expires once he or she reaches the age of 70. If the licence expires and they fail to renew it, then they legally are not allowed to drive. But if they apply for a renewal they may continue. Dailyhunthttps://www.avitop.com/cs/members/tezappjacky.aspx

Samsung Galaxy S10, S10+ to sport hole-punch cameras, 3.5mm headphone jack

Marquee road ready to preen with Rs 1cr makeover ounding pleased over the progress of the work now speedily underway, Dhanbad mayor Chandrashekhar Agarwal told this paper, "Beatification work is likely to be completed by February. As you see, major work in this regard has already been done. We are just fine-tuning now." He said they chose Luby Circular Road for beautification on the centenary year of the tenure of the municipal corporation's first chairman. "We want this road to be inviting, to relax people and make them feel good about their hometown," he said. "Our basic aims are to give our citizens, when they come here, greenery and shade, comfort and inspiration, hence the saplings, the seating arrangements and busts of the four great sons of India," the mayor added.Painted bronze, the busts are made of cement, plaster and fibre by sculptors of Hooghly in Bengal. Asked why these four were chosen for the busts to be installed here, the mayor said, "These luminaries had played a huge part in making India what it is today, in their own ways, but they are not remembered that much in public sphere nowadays. We want to remind people, especially the youth, of their immense contribution." Residents are excited about the new-look artery. Mannan Sinha, a resident of Dhanbad's Hirapur, said the road beautification project was much needed. "We all love our hometown, and Luby Circular Road, which has virtually every important landmark of this place nearby, has a special place in every Dhanbad resident's heart. The aesthetic beauty of the area has really increased with this beautification project. From morning walkers to youngsters, I think people will just love this road even more when revamp work is complete," he said. Dailyhunthttp://doodleordie.com/profile/kizaaakrizz If the rumours are anything to go by, the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ will feature OLED screen while the cheaper variant Galaxy S10E will sport an LCD screen. The top-end Galaxy S10+ will sport dual-cameras on the front. Improvements are anticipated to be in terms of the battery, camera capabilities, and support for fast-charging. ... Dailyhunthttps://visual.ly/users/yozkelvozkeeneens3/portfolio

BJP Budgets: Omissions and Expectations

Inexplicably, the report was not made public and little is known about implementation. Parliament was informed in 2016 that the EMC's recommendations under 15 heads "have been shared with the concerned ministries/departments for necessary action". The picture of savings achieved is fuzzy. Ironically, the government has now tasked a committee under Jalan with determining how much money RBI can transfer from its reserves to the government. Among the domains covered by the EMC was Central Public Sector Enterprises. The state of the public sector is best illustrated by Air India and public sector banks-the total market value of all the PSBs is Rs 4.83 lakh crore, while that of HDFC Bank is Rs 5.69 lakh crore. Budget 2015-16 promised "disinvestment in loss-making units, and some strategic disinvestment." In 2017, the government chose 24 entities for strategic disinvestment. Only one-HPCL, which was bought by public sector ONGC-went through. Meanwhile, 82 CPSEs are making losses. The total loss of CPSEs, between 2007-08 and 2016-17, was Rs 223,859 crore-juxtapose this reality with funding an income support scheme. The BJP had charged the UPA government with unleashing "tax terrorism" during the campaign and promised change. Following up on the words, Budget 2015-16 assured "improved and non-adversarial tax administration". In 2014-15, tax demands of over Rs 4 lakh crore were in dispute in courts and appellate authorities. The number of cases pending is over 4.69 lakh. The tax amount stuck as per Budget 2018 is Rs 7.38 lakh crore-roughly half of the tax expected this year and a whopping 4.45 per cent of GDP. Do the math to get a fix on the consequence of adversarial conduct on the economy-both revenues and growth have stalled. The missed opportunities span policies in expenditure management and in propulsion of growth. That urbanisation is a growth multiplier is well established. The most alluring aspect of the 2014 campaign was the promise of 100 new smart cities. Budget 2014-15 stated: "The prime minister has a vision of developing 100 smart cities," and made an initial allocation of Rs 7,060 crore. The promise of new cities was binned and in execution the idea of smart cities was dumbed down. Four years later, in July 2018, the Parliamentary Standing Committee observed that among flagship schemes, utilisation for smart cities "was the lowest at 1.83 per cent, i.e, Rs 182.62 crore of the released Rs 9,943.22 crore." The updated data shows that while Rs 10,504 crore was released, certified utilization was only Rs 931 crore." The quest in 2019 is to assuage farmers. Distress in agriculture is not new. The huge disparity in rural and urban per capita incomes is evidence enough. Political parties tend to treat agriculture as a charity case whereas agriculture, as this column has repeated, needs to be liberated and provided with access to markets and credit (http://bit.ly/24uW8bm). The institution of e-NAM or Amul II could help, but governmentalized structures daunt the most vulnerable-farmers dealing in perishables are expected to classify/certify moisture levels. Opening up contract farming can bridge capacity issues, but the model law on contract farming promised in February 2017 is yet to be adopted by states. The need to improve living conditions and provide human resources to run panchayats and municipalities could be leveraged to create employment and growth, and the challenge is an opportunity. Indeed, the 2014 manifesto listed empowering panchayats with funds and functions as a goal. Three years later, Budget 2017 said panchayat raj institutions lacked human resources to implement schemes, and announced a programme of "human resource reforms for results" for this purpose. What should have been a priority is yet policy in the works. There is much applause for maintaining fiscal discipline. It is equally true that there is a silent crisis of dues owed but yet to be paid by the government. There is also the parking of debt and therefore deficit in the books of parastatals like FCI, and monetising of assets of the Peter-buys-PSU-pays-Paul kind ((http://bit.ly/27PSUs). The saga of bad loans is well-documented, and some of the aggravation in the real economy stems from poor tactics. The question is not what other governments did, but if tactics are being confused with strategy. The dilemma faced by the government, to be seen as pro-poor by voters and yet not appear profligate to markets, amidst dimmed expectations, represents the consequence of errors and omissions through the five years. Shankkar Aiyar Author of Aadhaar: A Biometric History of India's 12 Digit Revolution, and Accidental India shankkar.aiyar@gmail.com Dailyhunthttp://actionangler.net/ActivityFeed/MyProfile/tabid/62/UserId/158513/Default.aspx

Migrant worker held from Angamaly for ganja peddling

The accused is not involved in the distribution of the drug in small packets like other migrant workers. But he sells it as one kg or 500 gm portions. His customers are mainly migrant workers. A sum of Rs 2,300 and a bag used for ganja peddling were also recovered," said an officer. The accused was later produced before Angamaly Judicial First Class Magistrate Court which remanded him to judicial custody. Dailyhunthttps://www.zintro.com/profile/zi159768c3?ref=Zi159768c3

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2nd body detected in Meghalaya coal mine

ussain's body was detected, also by the remotely operated vehicle, on January 16 but was retrieved on January 24. His wife and mother were able to identify him from the tabeez (amulet) worn by him. The miner's face was beyond recognition. On Saturday morning, Hussain's mortal remains were sent to Chirang from Khliehriat, the district headquarters of East Jaiñtia Hills. Hussain is survived by his wife and three children.The mine tragedy was mentioned by governor Tathagata Roy during the Republic Day function at Polo Ground in Shillong on Saturday."Before concluding, I want to take a moment to underscore that the government is deeply pained by the tragic incident involving the 15 trapped miners at Ksan in East Jaiñtia Hills district. Despite the challenging circumstances, the government is continuing with the operations in collaboration with various agencies. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the miners," Roy said.Official spokesman R. Susngi said dewatering of coal mines was still on and pumps of Coal India Limited pumped out 45,90,000 litres of water from two old shafts from Friday evening till Saturday evening. Dailyhunthttps://www.mobypicture.com/user/heeeenkeeen

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A ready reckoner for 80C tax savers

There can be two possibilities. You're just starting out in your financial life and haven't made any tax saving investments yet under Section 80C. Or you may have been investing for some time. If you in the first category, let's move on to the next sub-head. If you're in the second category, take stock of tax-savings and 80C investments already done. For example, counting your home loan payments, EPF, children's school tuition, and life insurance, you may have existing deductions of Rs 1.2 lakh leaving you just Rs 30,000 under the 80C limit. Let's now look at what you need to do. Have dependents? get life insurance Life insurance is a must for anyone with financial dependents, or anyone repaying loans who wish to pass on debt-free assets to their heirs. If you have neither dependents nor liabilities, you may not need life insurance, so move on to the next point. If you do, you must calculate your life risks and buy an appropriate life cover. The first life cover for any person with dependents should be a term plan with a sum assured ideally 10-20x their annual income and a tenure till at least their retirement age. For example, you're 30 years old, earn Rs 5 lakh a year, and wish to retire at 60, so your minimum sum assured should be Rs 50 lakh for a minimum tenure of 30 years. With insurance out of the way, let's look at investment options under Section 80C. Do you have a risk appetite? Risk appetite can be defined by how much money you can comfortably lose. The higher the risks, the higher the potential for returns. Under Section 80C, you have options that provide you low returns with low risk, and high returns with high risks. If you don't have a risk appetite, move on to the next point. If you have a moderate risk appetite, you broadly have two options. 1) You can invest in ELSS mutual funds. ELSS funds have the lowest lock-in of all 80C investments: just three years. ELSS as a category of mutual funds have provided three-year returns of 8.41 per cent, five-year returns of 18.24 per cent, and 10-year returns of 11.95 per cent. 2) Invest in a ULIP, which mixes insurance and investment. However, as a life cover, it must be secondary to your term plan. Don't have a risk appetite? There are several 'safe' investments under Section 80C. First up, you have a whole set of options in small savings — basically, the government-backed investment options. PPF is the most rewarding option for investors in the general category. Then you have NSC, which is a five-year deposit. Any persons raising a girl child can invest in the Sukanya Samriddhi Scheme. And senior citizens can invest in the Senior Citizens Savings Scheme. Lastly, there is a less tax-efficient alternative to the NSC, which is the five-year deposit. All of these options can be availed at your local bank or post office. Before you initiate any of these investments, be careful about the lock-in period. PPF and SSS have the longest tenures, which means they lack liquidity. However, they also provide triple-exempt returns. * As per the CRISIL - AMFI ELSS Fund Performance Index for March 2018. Past performance does not guarantee future returns. The writer is CEO, BankBazaar.com ... Dailyhunthttps://forum.cyberlink.com/forum/user/profile/415957.page

Karnataka High Court rejects petition for mining near Thimlapura

162, spread across 20 acres at Chinakavajra village. The court observed that the quarry lease area was government gomala land. Further, availability of gomala land in this village was inadequate. The High Court stated the mining lease area was just 540m from the boundary of Thimlapura sanctuary, and there was no provision under the existing rules to grant quarrying lease. The judges observed, "We are not inclined to entertain this petition, particularly when it is noticed that Thimlapura has been one of the sanctuaries taken into consideration by the Apex Court, and specific directions have been issued, that an area of 10km around the area be declared an eco-sensitive zone." Welcoming the High Court's decision, forest officials, experts and activists hoped this order would set a precedent, as mining activities were earlier allowed in sensitive zones near protected areas, which had serious consequences on flora and fauna. Dailyhunthttps://www.plurk.com/zeenkeenveen

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Kareena Kapoor Khan, Kangana Ranaut, Aditi Rao Hydari: Fashion hits and misses of the week (Jan 20 - Jan 26)

Needless to say, the actor looked absolutely stunning in it. (Instgram: Priyanka Chopra) HIT: Kangana Ranaut was recently spotted attending an event looking regal as ever in a Raw Mango creation. The actor continued her love affair with sarees in this sheer one featuring gold embroidery on it that was styled with a black blouse. (Express Photo: Varinder Chawla) MISS: Sonakshi Sinha was spotted at a party wearing a red and pink sequined short dress and missed the mark completely. The outfit did nothing for her and looked rather gaudy. (Express Photo: Varinder Chawla) Kareena Kapoor Khan was recently spotted turning heads and redefining casual dressing with her head-to-toe denim ensemble. The actor wore a tight-fitting denim top from the label Madison, which she teamed with a pair of high-waisted jeans from US-based label Urban Outfitters. She further layered her outfit with a quirky black denim jacket. (Instagram: Mohit Rai) HIT: Recently, at the Urja Awards 2019 in Mumbai, Aditi Rao Hydari was seen in a beautiful Payal Khandwala sari. The actor upped her fashion game by styling it with a multi-layered silver necklace and statement bracelets. (Instagram: Aditi Rao Hydari) HIT: For the trailer launch of her upcoming film Total Dhamaal, Madhuri Dixit was recently spotted looking lovely in a yellow Marks & Spencer top and flared trousers from H&M. The ensemble is exactly what we need for the upcoming summers. (Instagram: Ami Patel) HIT: Dressed in a light gold-coloured Anavila Misra sari and complementing it with a matching blouse, Dia Mirza exuded elegance. Styled by Theia Tekchandaney, she accessorised the outfit with a silver tiered necklace and a pair of matching earrings. (Express Photo: Varinder Chawla) MISS: Malaika Arora was clad in a red dress from Russian designer Alena Akhmadullina. Her outfit seemed very confusing and we think Arora could have opted for something better. (Instagram: Maneka Harisinghani) HIT: Shilpa Shetty was spotted at the HT Palate Fest wearing a navy blue dress from the label Jacquemus. She added a fashionable twist to the asymmetric outfit, with statement silver jewellery and a sleek tight bun. (Instagram: Shilpa Shetty) Dailyhunthttps://drquinton.ca/UserProfile/tabid/57/userId/31466/Default.aspx

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Losers in Congress lobby for Lok Sabha seats

Being away from their constituencies has proved costly for Congress leaders who won in 2014. To rectify their mistakes, the leaders have started meeting all district leaders. The ticket for the Mahbubnagar Lok Sabha seat is seeing tough competition with former Union minister S. Jaipal Reddy competing with former minister D.K. Aruna and Congress working president A. Revanth Reddy. Ms Aruna and Mr Revanth Reddy lost in the Assembly elections and, according to sources, want a chance to prove themselves in the general elections. There is intense lobbying for other seats too where senior Congress leaders are angling for tickets. Former MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy, who joined the Congress from the TRS before the Assembly elections, may face competition from his previous opponent Karthik Reddy. According to party sources, there might be tough competition for Mr Patel Ramesh Reddy from Mr Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy — who won the Assembly election — for the Nalgonda ticket. Former PCC chief Ponnala Laxmiah and TPCC treasurer Guduru Narayana Reddy are both in the race for the Bhongir Lok Sabha seat. Senior leader Renuka Chowdary and MLC Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy are eyeing the Khammam constituency where the Congress got good results during the Assembly polls. All the aspirants think that they can do better against the TRS candidates in the general elections expecting that it will be a Narendra Modi vs Rahul Gandhi affair. ... Dailyhunthttps://www.ted.com/profiles/11792673

Chandrababu Naidu is doing a copy-paste job: KTR

He termed Naidu's efforts as 'chitta suddhi leni Siva pujalu (efforts sans sincerity)'. "The people of AP are very intelligent. They won't fall for your tricks," Rao told Naidu."Naidu is thinking that he will be elected in the next Assembly elections in AP if he copies and implements whatever Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao does in Telangana," Rao said. The TRS working president also questioned the priorities of some newspapers. "Some newspapers are giving more space to Amaravati news in Telangana editions. But, the same newspapers are not carrying Telangana news in their Andhra Pradesh editions," he said and opined that it was not only a failure to acknowledge the existence of Telangana but an effort by AP media to wield control over Telangana. Rao declared that the TRS government would support newspapers which promote Telangana State and its culture. The Sircilla MLA said that the TRS government had been working for the welfare of the journalists for the last four years. "The TRS government has done justice to all sections of the society which had participated in the separate Telangana movement," he said, assuring that the government would try to resolve pending issues of journalists as well. Dailyhunthttp://actionangler.net/ActivityFeed/MyProfile/tabid/62/UserId/158692/Default.aspx

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Nissan to launch Leaf EV in India later this year

He further said besides the Leaf, Nissan also has plans to bring other electric vehicles to India in the future. "We want to have this solution (Leaf) in our portfolio and in the product line up. It will not be the only electric vehicle in (our) India plan," Kargar said, adding "we are not calculating how many numbers to sell". Nissan has cumulatively sold around 3.5 lakh units of the Leaf globally since 2010 Elaborating on a sales strategy for the Leaf, Nissan India Operations President Thomas Kuehl said, "It is very clear when we come with the Leaf it will come at a special price point only in the metro cities. " He further said the Leaf will target institutional and government sales apart from "some influencers and people". Kuehl asserted that under the present circumstances, it is difficult to target the mass segment with electric cars due to the high costs. "We are working to get the cost structure down by investing in the country," Kuehl said adding the lack of component suppliers for high-end technology associated with EVs and batteries in India have been a major hurdle. Kargar said Nissan is also close to taking a decision on the introduction of its e-Power technology in India. "We are really looking at how and when we bring this technology. We are in the latest stage of confirmation in terms of how and when and which model (to be considered to deploy e-Power)," he added. Nissan's e-Power technology uses an electric motor to power the vehicle, but at the same time, it has a small gasoline engine to charge the battery when needed, thus doing away with the need for an external charger. Nissan has already deployed e-power on its different models in Japan, Kargar said adding following the response there the company has decided to bring the technology to several other countries. Kargar further said that the company plans to bring in more models both under Nissan and Datsun brands in India in order to strengthen its position in the country. "If you ask me if I am happy with the kind of numbers we are selling here, I am not," he said. Underlining the importance of Indian operations, Kargar said the company would utilize its manufacturing base here to export vehicles, components and even human resources to various global operations. Dailyhunthttps://www.sbnation.com/users/zeekrpheek

Now, you can grow vegetables without soil

According to D Kalaivanan, scientist, division of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, ICAR-IIHR, "Nutrients like phosphorous, potassium, nitrogen and others which are essential for plant growth are added to coco-peat." Kalaivanan further said that soil-less cultivation technology is very much suitable for urban and semi-urban areas. "One can grow vegetables like tomato, chilly etc., at terraces, inside houses, backyards and balconies. Coco-peat can even be used in large spaces measuring two to three acres. This mechanism will be useful for coastal and desert region as well," he said. Explaining it further, Kalaivanan said in terms of duration, there will be no difference between soil and coco-peat. In fact, plants grown in coco-peat consumes less water. "It takes less water and holds moisture for long. Vegetables grown in coco-peat are good in terms of quality as well. For example, zucchini when grown in soil is normally uneven in size, whereas it grows uniformly in coco-peat,'' he said, adding that it also weighs one-third less than soil. Kalaivanan said that coco-peat cab be bought from IIHR campus for Rs 2.5 per kilo. Dailyhunthttps://www.zintro.com/profile/zi9ceb5b14?ref=Zi9ceb5b14

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I-League: Khalid Jamil faces old club East Bengal as spirited Bagan eye revenge

Norde, who played a crucial role in their I-League triumph in 2015, has had a long injury lay-off. He has shown glimpses of his class, scoring four quality goals in the game time he has been able to cull out thus far. Pintu Mahata, Arijit Bagui and Omar Elhusseiny are all available for selection, which is definitely going to boost Mohun Bagan's confidence. But Jamil will have midfield worries after the duo of Yuta Kinowaki and Darren Caldeira were outplayed against NEROCA. Coach Khalid Jamil  "@Mohun_Bagan need everyone's support. Come and support us."#MBQEB #HeroILeague #ILeagueIConquer pic.twitter.com/n15zsDU7J8 — Hero I-League (@ILeagueOfficial) January 26, 2019 It remains to be seen whether they can hold their ground against red and golds' Lalrindika Ralte and Kassim Aidara. With 22 points from 12 matches, the red-and-gold brigade are ahead on paper. A win will close the gap on leaders Chennai City FC who are at the top with 30 points from 13 games. But a loss meant that East Bengal's maiden title hopes will become shaky as Mohun Bagan, who are sixth in the table with 21 from 13 matches, will look to upset their rivals plans. East Bengal coach Alejandro Menendez has already said their Mexican recruit Enrique Esqueda is fit and is raring to go, making it a formidable attacking troika with Jaime Colado and Jobby Justin. Manoj Mohammad will be serving his suspension while Samad Ali Mallick is expected to slot in at the left back position. For Bagan, Eze Kingsley will lead the defence and a lot will depend on Bagan's back four. Alejandro put up a brave front ahead of the derby, saying: "Mohun Bagan are a difficult match. We are focusing on the game. All the teams that are fighting for the title are difficult. But we are focusing only on the next match. We have to fight and get full three points to fight for the title." function catchException() {try{ twitterJSDidLoad(); }catch(e){}} function getAndroidVersion(ua) {ua = (ua || navigator.userAgent).toLowerCase(); var match = ua.match(/android\\s([0-9\\.]*)/);return match ? match[1] : false;}; var versions='4.2.2'; var versionArray=versions.split(',');var currentAndroidVersion=getAndroidVersion();if(versionArray.indexOf(currentAndroidVersion)!=-1){var blocks = document.getElementsByTagName('blockquote'); for(var i = 0; i < blocks.length; i++){blocks[i].innerHTML = '';}}Dailyhunthttps://www.mobypicture.com/user/feezeerkeen

In its 11th edition, the India Art Fair will focus on art from South Asia and educating young collectors

"I have been able to execute a lot of ideas and programmes," says Jagdip Jagpal, director of the fair. Taking on the mantle from the founding-director of the fair, Neha Kirpal, just months before the last edition, this time Jagpal had the entire year to work towards the event. In its 11th edition, the four-day fair will see participation from 75 exhibitors from across the world. While the showcase will include works by international biggies such as Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson and Turner Prize-winning photographer Wolfgang Tillmans, the focus will be on art from the region. "I feel the fair should be representative of the best of South Asian art and should be accessible to all. The aim is to encourage newer audiences and offer a level of engagement. We want people to meet artists and know their work irrespective of whether they can buy them," says Jagpal. In attendance will be predicable and prominent Indian galleries such as Chatterjee & Lal, Chemould Prescott Road, Nature Morte and Gallery Espace. The returning international galleries include David Zwirner (UK, New York, Hong Kong), Sabrina Amrani (Madrid), Aicon Gallery (New York) and Arario Gallery (Seoul, Shanghai). We will also see first-timers such as neugerriemschneider (Berlin), and Sokyo Gallery (Kyoto). "We have encouraged gallerists to bring at least one artist who hasn't shown at the fair before," says Jagpal. Guest curator Sitara Chowfla has been invited to manage the Forum segment, that will see performances and interactive sessions with artists. "She has a great understanding of art for the public. Every year, we will have a guest curator," says Jagpal. This edition will see Bangladeshi artist Yasmin Jahan Nupur's six-hour performance challenging the invisible boundaries and borders that regulate human interaction. In his performance, Sajan Mani will continue his powerful commentary on the socio-political conditions of Indian society and Sahej Rahal will present a performance where he will draw on the worlds of science fiction, fantasy and video games. Mithu Sen's lecture-performance will question the very idea of a staged conversation. "People will see a diverse range of art forms. We have kept the artists at the centre of the things: whether it is talks, masterclasses or book signing events," says Jagpal. Some of India's most distinguished art personalities will be walking down the aisles at the fair but through formal sessions an attempt will be made to introduce them to the viewers. For the reading aficionados, Sudarshan Shetty will be launching a catalogue on January 31. American photographer Thomas Laird will introduce his illustrated book Murals of Tibet, and artist Jitish Kallat will discuss his multimedia practice with Adam Szymczyk, curator of Documenta 14. Artist Gulammohammed Sheikh will be in conversation with art historian Kavita Singh on his biography that studies over five decades of his practice. Artists Tayeba Begum Lipi, Idris Khan and Hardeep Pandhal will discuss their own practice in individual sessions. There is also an evident focus on art education and guiding young collectors. Collecting master classes will be held and as part of the Forum section, Mitchell Crites, collector and early patron of Gond artist Jangarh Singh Shyam, will give a talk on building a collection of tribal art. New York-based art patron Kent Charugundla will present the journey of building a private collection of works by MF Husain, and another talk will discuss commissioning, displaying, collecting and archiving digital art. Latest Videos Welcoming the viewers will be a facade designed by The Big Fat Minimalist (Aniruddh Mehta), and outside of the booths they will encounter 12 art projects scattered across the fair venue. The large-scale interactive installations, sculptures and video works include self-taught artist Baaraan Ijlal's sound installation Change Room, an immersive experience from architect Pinakin Patel and a video project by KM Madhusudhanan. Gallery Ske will set up a concept store that will offer artist-designed products and sculptures. Need assistance navigating the fair? Sign up for a curated walk among the several thematic walks that will be held throughout the fair duration. The fair will take place at NSIC Exhibition Grounds from January 31 to February 3. Tickets are available on Bookmyshow Dailyhunthttp://www.penninetroutfarmandfishery.co.uk/UserProfile/tabid/61/userId/1805681/Default.aspx

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Man gets jail for sexually abusing minor

Later they informed their parents who in turn approached police. Laxman was arrested and a charge sheet was filed in the court. The Metropolitan Sessions Court at LB nagar conducted the trial and pronounced judgment on Saturday. The sessions court has also imposed a fine of 5,000 on Laxman. Dailyhunthttps://www.ted.com/profiles/11701508

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Domestic match referees and umpires too join the initiative

oung cricketers (who probably never had anything to do with Martin), former India captain Sourav Ganguly and reigning IPL champions Chennai Super Kings are among those to have pitched in, ensuring that Martin's family doesn't lose sleep over paucity of funds.Where the Board is concerned, it has merely given Rs 5 lakh from the Benevolent Fund, which covers First-Class cricketers who have played a stipulated number of matches.It's shocking, but this is how the Board is functioning nowadays under the supervision of the two Supreme Court-appointed Administrators, Vinod Rai and Diana Edulji.That's not all. Awfully disappointing too has been the silence of the three office-bearers - C.K. Khanna, Amitabh Choudhary and Anirudh Chaudhry - on the Martin issue. Even as the Board of Control for Cricket in India continues to be indifferent towards Jacob Martin, who remains on ventilator support in a Vadodara hospital, match referees and umpires who officiate on the domestic circuit have come together to assist the former India batsman's family.Where gestures go, the initiative taken by match referee Rajiv Seth and umpires M. Kuppuraj and K.N. Ramesh is unlikely to be forgotten in a hurry.Martin, who suffered grave lung and liver injuries, late on December 27, is gradually improving at the Sterling Hospital. "Twenty per cent of the infection in his lungs is still there," wife Khyati told The Telegraph around 10.00 p.m. on Friday. Khyati added: "Jacob's condition is much better, but we'd like him to be quickly out of the ICU as the risk of more infections is strong. He continues to be on the ventilator, though not right through the day and night. "According to the doctors, Jacob's injuries are no longer life-threatening, but the road to recovery would necessarily be slow." Expressing gratitude to all who have come forward with help, Khyati said: "The family is indebted to every single individual and organisation. I wasn't aware that Jacob had so many well-wishers." Exactly three decades ago, Seth was unlucky to miss out on the India selection as Vivek Razdan got picked for the 1989-1990 tour of Pakistan under Krishnamachari Srikkanth. In more recent times, he has been on the Board's panel of match referees. A medium pacer, Seth played for Bengal and Odisha (then Orissa). Earlier in the week, Seth, Kuppuraj and Ramesh were in Vadodara officiating in a Cooch Behar match. On hearing about Martin's condition, they decided to visit the hospital and make personal enquiries about the 46-year-old. Seth and the umpires met Khyati and an aunt of Martin's, besides Sanjay Patel, a former secretary of the Board and the Baroda Cricket Association. "Once the trio left the hospital, I got a message from Rajiv that he and the umpires wished to contribute towards Jacob's treatment. I gave them Khyati's bank account details and contributions started to pour in. "No one will forget the spontaneous humanitarian gesture on the part of Rajiv and the umpires. "Neither Rajiv nor the umpires had ever met Jacob, but they felt the fraternity had to lend support and to do so quickly. "As we speak, the initiative started by the trio has already seen contributions in excess of Rs 3.5 lakh from the match referees and umpires who figure in a dedicated WhatsApp group," Patel informed this Reporter. Dailyhunthttps://www.openlearning.com/u/zeenneetac

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Taxman tells CCD founder not to sell his stake in Mindtree

ccording to Section 281B of the income tax act, "Where, during the pendency of any proceeding for the assessment of any income or for the assessment or reassessment of any income which has escaped assessment, the assessing officer is of the opinion that for the purpose of protecting the interests of the revenue if it is necessary to do so, he may, with previous approval.... attach provisionally any property belonging to the assessee."At present, Siddhartha is in talks with various PE investors and technology firms to sell his 21 per cent stake in Mindtree, triggering concerns of management change or a hostile takeover as the founders are not willing to shed their stakes.Speculation is rife that L&T Infotech is eyeing the stake and discussions have taken place between the two parties. Apart from L&T Infotech, KKR is understood to be in the race. NEC Corp and Barings are also reported to be interested in buying the stake.During the third-quarter earnings call recently, the management skirted questions on the speculation, saying it remains committed to delivering growth for the company.The promoters of Mindtree - which include N. Krishnakumar, Subroto Bagchi, N.S. Parthasarathy and Rostow Ravanan - hold a little over 13 per cent in the company. An acquisition of the founders' stakes assumes significance as the acquirer needs to hold more than 25 per cent to have board representation and to reach the trigger point for an open offer.Analysts said the stake sale plans of Siddhartha is likely to receive a setback now as he will only have around 16.5 per cent stake to offload post this prohibitory order.Market circles feel the development could put pressure on the Mindtree stock when trading resumes on Monday. On Friday, the stock had closed with losses of almost 3 per cent, or Rs 23.50, at Rs 885.95. L&T Infotech, too, settled in the red, lower by 2.10 per cent at Rs 1,713.35.Mindtree, in the December 2018 quarter, had posted a 35.1 per cent rise in consolidated net profit and a 29.7 per cent jump in revenues at Rs 1,787.2 crore over the year-ago period. It had also exuded confidence that its January-March numbers will be better than the just-concluded quarter. Dailyhunthttps://www.avitop.com/cs/members/suddirbaabu.aspx

Celeb spotting: Ranveer Singh, Sunny Leone, Sara Ali Khan and others

The actor was spotted at the airport. (Express photo: Varinder Chawla) Nora Fatehi and Rohan Mehra were seen on a lunch date. (Express photo: Varinder Chawla) Pankaj Kapur and Supriya Pathak were clicked at the airport. (Express photo: Varinder Chawla) Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Amrita Rao promoted their upcoming film Thackeray in New Delhi. The film is all set to release on January 25. (Express photo: APH Images) Kartik Aaryan was spotted leaving the gym. (Express photo: Varinder Chawla) Malaika Arora looked flawless as she entered the gym. (Express photo: Varinder Chawla) Sara Ali Khan, who is basking in the success of Simmba, was also seen at the gym. (Express photo: Varinder Chawla) Saiyami Kher was clicked at the airport. (Express photo: Varinder Chawla) Dailyhunthttps://www.openlearning.com/u/teesjeen

Starting young: Meet professionals buying homes before 30

Many are not averse to new markets as long as the promise of returns is high; they are willing to buy in one location and live in another, and are increasingly looking at value-for-money and ease-of-maintenance over frills. Driving demand Ankita Shah, 27, a software engineer from Powai, says she grew up believing that a home was the best kind to investment, and so it had been a lifelong dream. As soon as she was able, she put a down-payment on a home — but one in Mulund. Having grown up in an area with no railway station, the one thing she wanted was proximity to one, she says, laughing. She used apps to help her house-hunt. 'Popup alerts from the apps helped me keep track of offers and discounts,' she says. 'I wanted to keep to my budget. After looking at about 25 properties, I found my dream home in Mulund and moved here in January.' The new house is a 1BHK with no pool or gym, but it allows her a smooth commute and it's in a good neighbourhood, she says. Siddharth Lokesh, 28, a sales executive who grew up in a 1BHK in Ulhasnagar, wanted to move to a larger flat, in a more developed neighbourhood. After months of searching, he found a 3BHK in Kalyan that he could afford. He's taken a slightly larger loan than he had initially planned, but he has the kind of location he wanted. 'Moreover, I wanted to own a house of my own and make my parents proud,' he says. 'I saved on brokerage as I connected with the house owners directly, via a website. I did a lot of price comparisons online too, for places like Kalyan, Dombivli, Badlapur and Ambernath. I finally sealed the deal in January.' 'Today's young professionals are not just earning better than the generations before them, they're also chasing their dreams, setting up their own ventures, and hence are able to buy homes early,' says Arvind Nandan, executive director for research at real-estate advisory Knight Frank India. 'Getting to know everything about a project directly on smartphone apps is helping make buying decisions easier too.' One thing that does concern the young buyer, in an age of greater transparency and ease-of-access, is the confusion around new norms and levies such as the Goods and Services Tax (GST). Saurav Ojha, 28, an entrepreneur from Delhi who bought his first home in Noida in April 2017, says he was informed in June that he still had GST payments pending. 'I do not understand how this tax system works, but I had to arrange for the money and pay it,' he says. 'I hope RERA brings in more transparency about things like processes and jargon, because the technical terms and confusing conditions act to distance the customer from the industry. Hopefully this will in the next few years.' Dailyhunthttp://www.tripntale.com/profile/134348

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How Chennai's Sanah Sharma is bringing hardcore Science concepts into her fashion line

So how did this Chennai-based, Pearl Academy alumnus get on the road to discovering her famous Planar Flux technique in design? She explains, "A major part of sustainability is dependant on the design and in India, everyone lives in a misconception that sustainability depends on the type of material we use in design such as Jute, Khadhi, Tencel and Rayon. This idea of the Planar Flux occurred to me in my final year of college when I leaning towards researching sustainability. This technique draws inspiration from Mathematical Topology - these concepts of multidimensionality were applied to fabric consumption and garment construction. In simple words, I infused human-kinetics and mathematical topology to formulate the Planar Flux technique. This technique has served me well and eliminates the 15% wastage that is usually generated in garment construction. Planar Flux was also adopted in the syllabus by the Iowa State University. So far, so good for me, but I won't stop working till this becomes a big deal in India as well." Ideas don't just pop and bloom out of nowhere. It takes time and effort! In light of this, Sanah explains how she invested her time and did all her homework before Planar Flux was fully threshed out, "When I started off with this technique, I was looking at the sustainability aspect of it, and initially, everything I designed was not zero-waste. There was a certain amount of waste and I would estimate the wastage to probably be 5%. But anyway, I was looking to be mentored by a tutor and designer from the Royal College of Art. He was a source of inspiration and when he saw samples of my work, he seemed pretty darned by it (in a good way). That is when I knew that there are possibilities of higher demand for the products I designed. Post this, I read a lot of research papers on Physics and Maths and tried applying it till I got to the zero-waste technique in designing. I further went on to win the International Zero-waste Design Competition by Faculty of Design, at the 5th International Scientific Conference for ALICE held in the City of Design, Ljubljana. That was thrilling and it expanded my customer base and reach on an international level. But if you ask me I would definitely want to reach a wider audience here in India," she adds. While thinking of the future and what it has in store might intrigue or overwhelm most, Sanah has got it all planned and figured out. This is what she had to say, "I am currently setting up my online store and I am hoping that it will be up and running in the near future. I am planning to collaborate with institutes and do workshops on sustainability more often than usual because I like teaching. My mentor and I have plans and collaborations to look forward to and I am super-excited for everything that this year holds for me." (This story was first published in www.edexlive.com) Dailyhunthttps://about.me/juck

Creating a bamboo heaven at Koonammavu

There are a lot of advantages for growing a bamboo garden; the main reason being plenty of fresh air. The garden will be known as Koonammavu's oxygen hub in the future," he says. All 34 varieties of the shoots were collected from different states. Other than just giving an exotic touch to any garden, bamboo has a lot of benefits. While Bambusa Tulda collected from Bengaluru is mainly used in the paper pulp industry, Bambusa Vulgaris is used for making huts, furniture and musical instruments. Apart from this, they are also used for medicinal purposes. The extract of the leaf of Vulgaris is used to treat tuberculosis. Bamboos such as Bambusa Polumorpha and Phyllostachys Parvifolia are edible. Another variety is Bambusa blumeana, which is mainly used for making furniture, kitchen utensils and also to prevent soil erosion. The bamboo garden at the school is already giving positive vibes to students. "We are planning to grow more varieties. For this, I have contacted Kerala Bamboo Research Centre at Peechi and they have assured to help us," said Fr Poulose. The school has a nature club in which students take the initiative to plant trees and look after them. Apart from the bamboo garden, they have also set up a paddy field and has a herbal garden. Paddy field was set up so students can experience and understand the effort put by the farmers in growing crops and also to give them a practical knowledge rather than just a theoretical knowledge. It was a whole new experience for students to get into the field and to do something different. Dailyhunthttp://actionangler.net/ActivityFeed/MyProfile/tabid/62/UserId/158797/Default.aspx

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Lentils with a side of rice: the save-the-world diet?

While richer nations must drastically slash their meat consumption, regions such as South Asia currently experience a dearth of calories and protein from a lack of red meat. Livestock farming is catastrophic for the environment, producing up to 18 percent of global greenhouse gases and contributing to deforestation and water shortages. Under the new regimen, adults would be limited to 14 grammes of red meat a day -- equivalent to half a rasher of bacon -- and get no more than 30 calories from it. A quarter-pounder burger patty contains roughly 450 calories and North Americans alone consume more than six times the current daily recommended red meat intake of between 50-70 grammes. The diet recommends no more than 29 grammes of daily poultry -- around one and a half chicken nuggets -- and 13 grammes of eggs, or just 1.5 a week. Fruit and veg up The team said consumption of fruits, vegetables, and legumes such as chickpeas and lentils must increase more than two fold, particularly in poorer nations where more than 800 million people get insufficient calories. More wholegrain foods such as barley and brown rice are needed, but starchy vegetables like potatoes and cassava are limited to 50 grammes a day. The authors of the report noted that the ideal diet would vary from region to region, stressing that their menu was designed to show how everyone could get their 2,500 daily calories, keep healthy and aid the planet. 'Eating less red meat -- which is mostly a challenge in changing human behaviour -- is crucial,' Johan Rockstrom, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Change Impact Research and one of the authors, told AFP. 'But something equally dramatic that is less talked about is the reduction in conventional cereal and tubers, and the transition to nuts, fruits, vegetables and beans as a principal source of nutrition.' Good news for nut lovers The authors estimate their diet would improve intakes of most vital nutrients while slashing consumption of unhealthy saturated fats. Healthy sources of fat such as nuts and seeds receive a boost: You could eat up to 75 grammes a day of peanuts, but would need to cut back on other unsaturated fats such as oily fish on those days. Ultimately the new diet could globally prevent up to 11.6 million premature deaths per year, according to its creators. Dailyhunthttps://www.fanfiction.net/u/11366913/

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On Heath Ledger's 11th death anniversary, Dark Knight fans post emotional messages for the Joker actor

All of your work is still very present in the film industry and in our hearts,' one fan tweeted. 'Never give up on the things in life that make you smile,' another person tweeted, quoting Ledger.  On The Dark Knight's 10th anniversary, 10 films inspired by Christopher Nolan's monumental trilogy Others shared pictures of the late actor, and of his final interviews, given to promote the film I'm Not There. Ledger had the Joker's long hair during that time, and was asked by some interviewers about his performance. When Ledger died, a narrative was floated around the internet which blamed his deep dive into the Joker character as having contributed to his death. Michael Jai White, one of Ledger's co-stars in The Dark Knight, in an earlier interview to the Hollywood Reporter, dismissed this idea. 'It upsets me that Heath gets put in a category, like he was a method actor who inhabited this darkness that consumed him because people write that story in their head,' he said. 'And that couldn't have been further from the truth. Heath was playful. When the director would say 'cut,' he would go back to this easygoing, very affable type of guy. Even when there was a day player or people in shorter roles, naturally they tend to give him his privacy and space, but Heath would be on the one initiating the conversation. He was that type of guy.' Here are some more tweets: In Loving Memory of Heath Ledger April 4, 1979 - January 22, 2008 pic.twitter.com/KJo4j3ozGa — femme fatale (@eliesaaab) January 22, 2019 "Never give up on the things in life that make you smile" Heath Ledger (April 4, 1979 - January 22, 2008) pic.twitter.com/884Bt2vW3Z — harman. (@woIgang) January 22, 2019 "When I die, my money's not gonna come with me. My movies will live on for people to judge what I was as a person." — Heath Ledger. pic.twitter.com/2UmCAGsgHI — kaz. (@galensdeathstar) January 22, 2019 some of Heath Ledger's artwork  pic.twitter.com/FYdpwlymAU — 풍풆풂  (@justgyllenhaal) January 19, 2019 It&dhapos;s been 11 years since we&dhapos;ve lost #HeathLedger (4/4/79-1/22/08) pic.twitter.com/BrRWEcpb4O — ~Oracle (@4eyedRaven) January 22, 2019 On #OscarNoms day, we remember Heath Ledger who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as The #Joker in 2008&dhapos;s #Batman film The Dark Knight. Ledger passed away on this day in 2008. Learn about his legacy to the Joker figure https://t.co/hOrobWMmGF pic.twitter.com/u8M7Mat7LH — Darknight Archivist ✌驪 (@HistoftheBatman) January 22, 2019 Today we are thinking of the late Heath Ledger. Ledger featured in Home and Away in addition to other television appearances. Ledger also won an Oscar, Golden Globe and a BAFTA award as the Best Actor in a Supporting Role as &dhapos;The Joker&dhapos; in The Dark Knight. pic.twitter.com/jUHidCKPby — Elstree Studios (@ElstreeStudios) January 22, 2019 Today its 11 years since Heath Ledger passed away. The Joker in The Dark Knight (2008) is and will always be my favorite preformance of all time. I miss him so much. Rest in peace pic.twitter.com/HXlQscTj5M — Hermione (@spdrvrs) January 22, 2019 Everyone you meet always asks of you have a career, are married, or own a house as if life was some kind of grocery list. But no one ever asks you if you are Happy - Heath ledger— Billionaire Mindset (@IntThings) January 16, 2019 function catchException() {try{ twitterJSDidLoad(); }catch(e){}} function getAndroidVersion(ua) {ua = (ua || navigator.userAgent).toLowerCase(); var match = ua.match(/android\\s([0-9\\.]*)/);return match ? match[1] : false;}; var versions='4.2.2'; var versionArray=versions.split(',');var currentAndroidVersion=getAndroidVersion();if(versionArray.indexOf(currentAndroidVersion)!=-1){var blocks = document.getElementsByTagName('blockquote'); for(var i = 0; i < blocks.length; i++){blocks[i].innerHTML = '';}}Dailyhunthttp://profile.hatena.ne.jp/seenveensz/

Why Cheat India movie review: One is left wondering, why?

Out of the multitude, the ones who make it, by hook or by crook, are survivors the entire nation looks up to; the ones who don't are losers who have nowhere to go. As many reports suggest, quite a few from among them, commit suicide too! Education, that is, perhaps, society's most critical responsibility, is at its lowest ebb. So, then, is the faulty education system? Or the over ambitious parents who are to be blamed for all the disastrous mess? Whatsoever is the cause, it's the scariest situation that needs immediate attention, and hardly anything is being done to address it! If you thought that Soumik Sen's Why Cheat India comes up with an answer, or at least looks at the aforementioned psychological concerns among children and their behavioural issues that often lead to suicides with grave concern, you'd be disappointed. While it does focus on a number of existing malpractices in our country's education system, or the whole concept of buying one's way through education, jobs and earnings, it loses track midway, and becomes yet another film where there is a 'hero' who may have erred, but still has a heart of gold. In any case, whatever wrong he commits, it wasn't only because the education system has not been evolving, but it was the combined misfortune of too many helpless victims that made him go wrong. As a theme, Why Cheat India picks one of the most pressing stories on the education system of India, with more and more gullible students desperate to please their families' dream get trapped in the quagmire of cheating, only to procure a seat in their desired college. It also focusses on the small towns of Jhansi and Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh where multinational companies have not heralded a vision for middle-class Indians to the extent that they have in cities like Gurgaon, Hyderabad and Bengaluru, to name a few. Despite three attempts, Rakesh Singh (Emraan Hashmi) could not make it to the medical exams. On the other hand, his brother who earned himself a degree in medicine makes a fortune in the US. He is quick to divert his attention to running a business that decidedly, helps many students attain their achievable dreams: by enrolling some of the brightest students into his game plan, he makes them sit for proxy exams for rich, but undeserving students who are unable to clear the entrance test. And thus, he makes them earn a degree. His so-called humanitarian act serves a twofold purpose: some unworthy students go on to fulfil their parents ambitions and become the prized catch for many. It also fills the coffers of many in the close nexus — professionals, ministers, school authorities, not to forget the go-getting pushy parents, even as quality education goes downhill and scams flourish in the country. One such bright boy, Satyadeep alias Sattu (Snigdhadeep Chatterjee), comes from a middle-class family and lives in morbid fear of his strict father's aspirations to dream of a better life. His impressionable mind serves as the most likely prey to Rakesh's scheming plan. Singh becomes almost ruthlessly smug (both as a character and as an actor too) to spearhead his ambition as the lead of the education mafia, and even behaves as if the entire nexus of many powers that are central to the scam are under his thumb. To be fair, Why Cheat India opens with some believable shots of Jaunpur and the intricacies associated with the aspirational middle class family. It soon, falls short of ideas to take it forward. Where it also falters is its skin-deep study of the wrongs in the system. The story fails to dig deep into what ails the entire world of men and women that ends in a malaise few can recover from. Hashmi may not be in his erstwhile mode of gangster-romantic-eternal lover that he has always played. But his slick fixer look is less earnest, and more swag. Whosoever gets into a fulltime business of making millions fraudulently runs the risk of looking hassled and bogged down by pressure, no matter how many strings he could pull to escape any eventuality. Not Hashmi. He delivers lines with an arrogant brash throughout. On the other hand, some unknown faces, especially those of Singdhadeep Chatterjee's as Sattu and Shreya Dhanwanthary's as Sattu's sister Nupur, who falls for the charms of Singh, are far more convincing. One wished there was a little more of them. For a narrative that has all the elements culled out from real incidents (almost everyday the newspapers are replete with stories of many teenagers unable to cope with the pressures of exam and parents, and taking their own lives) writer-director Sen has not invested much on the underlying grey area of drive, determination and desire getting eclipsed by malpractices. Or, the justification that most people tend to offer and turn dishonest and deceitful. In the climax — taking place in a typical courtroom — Hashmi's submission is as dramatic and theatrical as for one who was accustomed to seeing Sunny Deol in the 90s in potboilers. The only difference is: Hashmi's decibels don't hurt your ears. Or your sensibilities. The overstretched film also makes you wonder why the CBFC insisted on affixing 'Why' before the title 'Cheat India', when in reality, the title serves as a homonym: the first meaning eggs you on to go ahead, and deceive and double-cross to one's detriment or to one's heart's content; the other gives the image of the vast country as the one with unscrupulous morality as the basic fibre. No, I don't subscribe to the latter, but I respect any writer and filmmaker's creative efforts, and hence, would not be judgmental about their intents! ... Dailyhunthttp://www.feedbooks.com/user/4844083/profile

Land protest halts Gujarat highway

and was to be acquired from 63 mostly tribal villages, spanning four Lok Sabha seats, for a 93km road connecting Surat with Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, as part of the flagship Bharatmala project that Modi had launched in October 2017.Mandaviya's comments betrayed his anxiety about a possible tribal backlash."Only a primary survey was being carried out. This was not final. But some people were misguiding the villagers," he told reporters at the Surat circuit house on Thursday after a meeting with the agitating farmers."I want to assure the villagers that no land would be acquired without consultation with the farmers and the people's representatives - MLAs and MPs. I have ordered suspension of all work related to the project."Such is the BJP's nervousness that Mandaviya went on record saying he wouldn't mind a detour by an additional 25-30km but "the farmers should not be disturbed".Rupani said in Dang: "We are suspending the project for now. No land will be taken without talking to the farmers."In the 2017 Assembly polls in the home state of Modi and party president Amit Shah, the BJP won 99 of the state's 182 seats against the Congress's 77, watching its 2012 margin of 60-odd seats whittled down to just over 20.The BJP holds all the state's 26 Lok Sabha seats and is desperate to retain all of these at a time it is being increasingly seen as unsympathetic to the weaker sections like Dalits and tribal communities.On Monday, the displaced tribal villagers in Kevadiya colony where the Vallabhbhai Patel statue has come up will hold a demonstration demanding rehabilitation. Kevadiya is about 190km from Navsari."In such a situation, the government could not risk alienating the farmers and tribal people in four Lok Sabha seats. It could have had an impact on other seats as well," a BJP source said.Anant Patel, the Congress MLA from Vansda who had led Thursday's march, is not impressed with the announcements. "This is a lollipop: we are not going to stop our movement," he told this newspaper over the phone.He said the boycott of Modi's January 30 meeting was on. "They have arranged 80 buses for Vansda and 200 to 250 for Chikhili and Gandevi. No villager will attend any programme by Modi until he scraps the entire project," Patel said.Balubhai Patel, a resident of Pratapnagar village in Vansda, said: "About a month ago, some people came to measure the land. They said they were doing a survey for the Bharatmala project. We won't give up our land. That's why we have been protesting."The Bharatmala project envisages the development of 44 economic corridors, 66 inter corridors and 116 feeder routes. It was designed to develop highways across the country, including border roads, international connectivity roads, coastal roads, port connectivity roads and ring roads, measuring up to 65,000km.The first phase had a target of building 24,800km of roads by 2022. But the project has been marred by delays. 1674893 1671941 Dailyhunthttps://www.avitop.com/cs/members/zeeeneetaac.aspx

ED attaches assets worth Rs 2.09 crore of Rajasthan firm in chit fund case

It added that the company and its directors Satyendra Sharma and Sandhya Sharma acquired various immovable and movable properties 'out of the proceeds of crime'. The ED has attached a total of Rs 7.55 crore properties in this case so far. A charge sheet has also been filed by the ED in the case and the main accused Satyendra Sharma has been arrested and his bail has been rejected by the Rajasthan High Court, it said. Dailyhunthttp://www.feedbooks.com/user/4883150/profile

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Sikkim hotels call off boycott of MakeMyTrip, Goibibo

amta, however, warned that any breach of verbal assurances could again lead to the boycott of the two online portals. "SHRA would like to thank all hoteliers for their support in the interest of all hospitality stakeholders in Sikkim," she said.The five concerns raised by the industry include no coupon code discount on hotels from online travel agencies (OTAs), commission level to be set at 15 per cent, no performance linked bonuses without written consent of hotels and with exit clauses, early check in/late checkout/cancellation/modification policies to be decided by the hotel and not the online portals, and payments to be made more transparent with all payments to be done within 48 hours of a booking being made and not at the time of check in.The SHRA president said both the online portals had put a cap of 22 per cent on commission, discontinued performance linked bonus and regularised payment and reconciliation issues. "They have also promised more control to hotels via their extranet," she said.The members of the SHRA, which is the apex body representing all hotels and restaurants of Sikkim, had stopped taking bookings of the two online portals from January 16 after they allegedly turned a deaf ear to the concerns of the association.Lamta said MakeMyTrip and Goibibo had also verbally promised to support Sikkim tourism and the SHRA by way of innovative digital marketing, exclusive blogposts on Sikkim, and other promotions in their apps and websites. Dailyhunthttps://diigo.com/0dnox7

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Free rice for Assam tea workers

he department initially was in a fix as it does not maintain a separate list of tea garden workers because there was no need for a division between the beneficiaries of tea gardens workers and others so far. The results of past elections in the state indicated that majority of tea garden workers had voted in favour of the BJP. "However, it has been estimated that the scheme will put an additional burden of Rs 300 crore per year on the state exchequer," said the source.He added the Congress government had also made an effort to lower price of rice under the NFSA to Rs 2 a kg, but as it put an additional burden of Rs 13 crore a month for the state exchequer, the government abandoned the scheme after two months.The source said the advocate-general of Assam had given a green signal to the government's plan to use the ration cards of the NFSA beneficiaries to advertise the government's schemes using photographs of chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal.Senior officials of the department had reservation about cancelling the existing 60 lakh ration cards ahead of time and print new ones spending around Rs 9 crore following which they approached the advocate-general. Dailyhunthttps://www.mobypicture.com/user/heeeenkeeen

Pope seeks peace in Venezuela crisis but doesn't pick sides

peaking off-the-cuff at his Sunday blessing, Francis said he felt particularly close to Venezuelans while he was in Panama. He "asked the Lord to seek and find a just and peaceful solution to overcome the crisis that respects human rights and exclusively seeks the good of all people."The Venezuela crisis has dominated Francis' visit to Panama, both behind the scenes and in public, with the pope at one point asking out loud if any Venezuelan bishops were on hand at the end of an event. The Vatican's secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, was former ambassador to Venezuela so he knows the situation well.Francis made the Venezuela comments after he closed out World Youth Day with a Mass in a Panama City field before an estimated 700,000 people and presidents from across the region: Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama and Portugal."You dear people are not the future but the now of God," Francis told the pilgrims draped in flags from across the Americas.At the end of the service, the Vatican announced the next edition of World Youth Day would be in Lisbon, Portugal, in 2022."Our trip was very long but it was worth it because we came here to Panama City because of our faith, our Christian faith," said pilgrim Sawadogo Kiswensidad, who travelled from Burkina Faso.After Mass, Francis visited a church-run home for people infected with HIV, sending a strong message of acceptance in Panama, where AIDS carries a stigma."Many of the people we help here have been rejected by their families, by people in the street," said the Rev. Domingo Escobar, director of the Casa Hogar El Buen Samaritano. "But here they receive Christian help, as the church wants."Using the parable of the Good Samaritan, who tended to a stranger in need, Francis called for an end to the indifference that society treats the poor and the sick."For indifference can also wound and kill. Some for a few miserable coins, others for fear of becoming unclean," he said. "The Good Samaritan, whether in the parable or in all of your homes, shows us that our neighbor is first of all a person, someone with a real, particular face, not something to avoid or ignore, whatever his or her situation may be."Francis used his visit to the home to issue a string of appeals, beyond Venezuela. He appealed for peace in Colombia following a car bombing at a police academy that killed 21 people earlier this month. He denounced the bombing of a cathedral in the Philippines earlier Sunday. And he added his voice to the chorus of solidarity on Holocaust Remembrance day.After meeting with World Youth Day volunteers, Francis was heading back to Rome to prepare for another trip next weekend to Abu Dhabi, the first by a pope to the Arabian Peninsula. Dailyhunthttps://ask.fm/zeekrpheek

Newly-minted Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka embraces pressure

"This feels more like I'm used to it now," she told reporters as she posed with the trophy at a Melbourne beach on Sunday, "I know that sounds a bit strange because this is only the second one but the first time I won it definitely felt a bit more unreal." While her maiden Grand Slam was marred by losing finalist Serena Williams' umpire-baiting histrionics and boos from the Flushing Meadows crowd, Osaka was allowing her follow-up success in Melbourne to soak in. "It means a lot. I think moments like this are what you train for as a little kid to play the Grand Slams," she said. "To win another one is definitely a dream come true." The rising star said she was hungry for more Slam titles. "The way the tennis world is, there's always the next tournament, the next Slam, and we all just want to keep training hard and winning more," she said. "So, I'm not really sure if I'm satisfied." - 'Go with the flow' - Osaka became the first woman to win successive majors since Serena Williams in 2015 and the youngest since Martina Hingis in 1998. Williams went on to complete her second "Serena Slam" -- holding all four majors in the same 12 month period -- and Osaka was excited about the prospect of claiming the French Open and Wimbledon for a "Naomi Slam". "I'm not going to lie and say that thought hasn't crossed my mind," Osaka said. "But I don't know. "For me, I just have to take it one tournament at a time, especially Indian Wells is coming up and I won that tournament last year. I feel like I have to think about that." Osaka was unfazed by the attention she was receiving, saying she was in the spotlight even when her ranking was languishing in the 70s. She said it was misleading to view her rise as an overnight success. "I guess looking from the outside, from your guys' view, it does," Osaka said. "For me, every practice and every match that I've played, it feels like the year is short and long at the same time. "I'm aware of all the work that I put in. I know all the sacrifices that every player does to stay at this level. "In my opinion, it didn't feel fast. It felt kind of long." Osaka said she had learned about resilience at the Australian Open after completing three three-setters on her way to the title, likening herself to "a robot" in the final set against Kvitova. Quizzed about off-court pressure that accompany life as a tennis superstar, Osaka said she preferred to concentrate on her game. "I feel like I'm going with the flow. That's sort of been my motto my whole life," she said. Dailyhunthttp://doodleordie.com/profile/jeedsbeeds

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Film on Tibet refugees settled in India to premiere at TIFF

That Toronto boasts of a sizeable Tibetan diaspora bolsters its attraction as a venue for the screening. A still from the film, The Sweet Requiem, which will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. (TIFF) The film is mainly in the Tibetan language, and set largely within the community settled in Delhi. Its fulcrum is 26-year-old Dolkar and her life as a refugee, counterpointed with flashbacks to the perilous journey she undertook as a child, along with her father, leaving her mother and sister behind, to flee Tibet and find sanctuary elsewhere. TIFF's artistic director Cameron Bailey said, 'You see the period in India and the nuances of the social milieu there and the story of leaving as well. It's quite a powerful story and I think they're doing something quite remarkable.' The film's protagonist is played by newcomer Tenzin Dolker, who had no prior acting experience but carries the movie with a subtle but potent performance. As Sarin pointed out, there is no film industry in exile. 'Finding the right character to play Dolkar was crucial. She did a little audition and we realised she had the potential,' Sonam explained about the choice. A still from the film, The Sweet Requiem, which will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. (TIFF) Obviously, the filmmakers couldn't shoot in Tibet, given how politically charged their project was, though the sense of oppression is conveyed through off-camera vignettes, from phone conversations to videos of self-immolations watched on a phone. Instead, Ladakh substituted for the rugged landscape of Tibet. Sarin said filming there was 'quite difficult', given the altitude of about 15,000 feet. But they were also fortunate: Snow was required for certain scenes and after eight years, there was sufficient snowfall to meet their requirement. Another challenge is that of China flexing its muscles in the film world, as they experienced in the past. In 2010, as they had a film at the Palm Springs Film Festival, the Chinese yanked two productions in retaliation. That makes the selection at TIFF particularly meaningful, as Sonam said, 'So, the question for festivals would be: Is it worth showing one exile Tibetan film that comes along once every few years if that might mean upsetting the Chinese authorities and losing access to Chinese films?' For now though, this moving story will be told at TIFF. And the filmmakers are hopeful of taking it to a larger audience, including one in India. Sonam said, 'We would love our film to be widely shown. After more than 60 years, most people have no idea what their (the exiled community's) lives are about.' Dailyhunthttps://forums.ubi.com/member.php/3567505-teesjeensz

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In its 11th edition, the India Art Fair will focus on art from South Asia and educating young collectors

"I have been able to execute a lot of ideas and programmes," says Jagdip Jagpal, director of the fair. Taking on the mantle from the founding-director of the fair, Neha Kirpal, just months before the last edition, this time Jagpal had the entire year to work towards the event. In its 11th edition, the four-day fair will see participation from 75 exhibitors from across the world. While the showcase will include works by international biggies such as Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson and Turner Prize-winning photographer Wolfgang Tillmans, the focus will be on art from the region. "I feel the fair should be representative of the best of South Asian art and should be accessible to all. The aim is to encourage newer audiences and offer a level of engagement. We want people to meet artists and know their work irrespective of whether they can buy them," says Jagpal. In attendance will be predicable and prominent Indian galleries such as Chatterjee & Lal, Chemould Prescott Road, Nature Morte and Gallery Espace. The returning international galleries include David Zwirner (UK, New York, Hong Kong), Sabrina Amrani (Madrid), Aicon Gallery (New York) and Arario Gallery (Seoul, Shanghai). We will also see first-timers such as neugerriemschneider (Berlin), and Sokyo Gallery (Kyoto). "We have encouraged gallerists to bring at least one artist who hasn't shown at the fair before," says Jagpal. Guest curator Sitara Chowfla has been invited to manage the Forum segment, that will see performances and interactive sessions with artists. "She has a great understanding of art for the public. Every year, we will have a guest curator," says Jagpal. This edition will see Bangladeshi artist Yasmin Jahan Nupur's six-hour performance challenging the invisible boundaries and borders that regulate human interaction. In his performance, Sajan Mani will continue his powerful commentary on the socio-political conditions of Indian society and Sahej Rahal will present a performance where he will draw on the worlds of science fiction, fantasy and video games. Mithu Sen's lecture-performance will question the very idea of a staged conversation. "People will see a diverse range of art forms. We have kept the artists at the centre of the things: whether it is talks, masterclasses or book signing events," says Jagpal. Some of India's most distinguished art personalities will be walking down the aisles at the fair but through formal sessions an attempt will be made to introduce them to the viewers. For the reading aficionados, Sudarshan Shetty will be launching a catalogue on January 31. American photographer Thomas Laird will introduce his illustrated book Murals of Tibet, and artist Jitish Kallat will discuss his multimedia practice with Adam Szymczyk, curator of Documenta 14. Artist Gulammohammed Sheikh will be in conversation with art historian Kavita Singh on his biography that studies over five decades of his practice. Artists Tayeba Begum Lipi, Idris Khan and Hardeep Pandhal will discuss their own practice in individual sessions. There is also an evident focus on art education and guiding young collectors. Collecting master classes will be held and as part of the Forum section, Mitchell Crites, collector and early patron of Gond artist Jangarh Singh Shyam, will give a talk on building a collection of tribal art. New York-based art patron Kent Charugundla will present the journey of building a private collection of works by MF Husain, and another talk will discuss commissioning, displaying, collecting and archiving digital art. Latest Videos Welcoming the viewers will be a facade designed by The Big Fat Minimalist (Aniruddh Mehta), and outside of the booths they will encounter 12 art projects scattered across the fair venue. The large-scale interactive installations, sculptures and video works include self-taught artist Baaraan Ijlal's sound installation Change Room, an immersive experience from architect Pinakin Patel and a video project by KM Madhusudhanan. Gallery Ske will set up a concept store that will offer artist-designed products and sculptures. Need assistance navigating the fair? Sign up for a curated walk among the several thematic walks that will be held throughout the fair duration. The fair will take place at NSIC Exhibition Grounds from January 31 to February 3. Tickets are available on Bookmyshow Dailyhunthttps://ask.fm/punchrajolee

Mudra woman entrepreneur who sold her thermos flasks meets PM Modi

Her chore was to supply simple goods and products to government offices. After coming to know about the Government e-Marketplace (GeM), she registered on it and to her surprise in 2017, while browsing the GeM site, she noticed that the Prime Minister's Office was keen on purchasing a few thermos flasks and she readily responded. The PMO confirmed the order and the flasks were supplied and the payment made. Arulmozhi shared this success story with the Prime Minister through a letter and Modi later mentioned it in his 'Mann KiBaat' programme in mid-2017. In her letters to the PM, she addressed Mr. Modi as her father. Her business grew gradually and recently, she wrote to the Prime Minister again, informing him of the updates in her business, and the transformation in her life. Interestingly, the turnover of her enterprise has crossed Rs. 1 crore in the current financial year. And it all started with an order of Rs. 234 on GeM. Arulmozhi, who was using firewood for cooking has now switched to a gas cylinder and she is planning to give up her cooking gas subsidy. She hopes to avail a home loan. According to her, the GeM makes her believe it is a great platform for Government offices to save public money. To her, the GeM is not just a means to a business but a service to the nation, she says. Doing business has become even easier after GST implementation. Arulmozhi's success story is an example of how Government's reforms can transform peoples' lives socially and economically. ... Dailyhunthttps://www.openlearning.com/u/tejappjacky

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Pishaach Sundari Ka Badla: Enter the dark, secret world of India's horror writers

He gave up writing 14 years ago because of the slump in the pulp publishing sector. 'I thought Shubhanand was joking. My understanding was that the market was finished long back. To my surprise, he told me that people still routinely search for pocket books on e-commerce portals. It was music to my ears,' says Sharma in his deep baritone. Shubhanand's publishing house is one among many that is giving a fresh lease of life to desi pulp fiction through online sales and ebooks - and this includes horror novels. Though crime has always been the highest-selling genre within pulp, Manesh Jain of Meerut's Ravi Pocket Books, a big name in pulp, says that novels about the supernatural and paranormal also always sold well. Today, ebooks and online sales combine the ease of Net shopping with the nostalgic appeal of popular yesteryear authors. They gain from the fact that railway stations, bus stops and neighbourhood bookstores are no longer the biggest sales points of the books. Sanjay Chawla, proprietor of Meerut's Chawla Book Depot, which traded in pulp fiction, says, 'That era is over. People at railway stations and in trains are now hooked to their mobile phones.' Says Minakshi Thakur, publisher, language division, Westland, 'Pulp fiction, you could say, has been pulled from the fringes to mainstream publishing. The genre in English is extremely popular in the West, and there's no reason why our writers in the languages shouldn't have been given the respect and shelf space they deserve. We should give due credit to Daily Hunt (news and local language content application) that changed the decline in the industry of pulp writing six-seven years ago. They actively converted print books, old and new, to e-books and made them available at extremely affordable prices.' Amazon too offers popular horror titles in Hindi along with translations. Self-publishing regional language platforms such as Pratilipi and MatruBharti encourage established as well as new authors. Ravi Pocket Books has developed a mobile app for e-books and that includes horror. Jaisalmer-based FlyDreams Publishers trades in online books, and has six horror titles in its bouquet. When Shubhanand started his publishing firm five years ago, he took the digital route because traditional distributors didn't show interest. For credibility, he wanted to associate himself with established authors. 'Getting a popular horror writer like Parshuram Sharma on board was a big value-add for my brand. I plan to rope in more writers who were famous decades ago but are out of work now,' says Shubhanand. Since their phone chat, Shubhanand has republished three of Sharma's horror novels from the '70s - Agiya Betal, Khoon Barsega and Korey Kaagaz Ka Qatl. Back in his music school in Meerut, Sharma is fighting writer's block. He is supposed to write a new novel for Shubhanand, tentatively titled Darr Lagta Hai. When he was in his prime, writing came naturally to him, just like talking. He would finish at least one novel a month. Now, it's different. Ideas don't come. He has been buying time to write his next. He confesses, 'Earlier, we could easily fool people. Not anymore. I could show a volcano explosion wherever I wanted. Now, the reader can figure out whether volcano exists on the mentioned location or not,' he says. He has the basic plot with him though - a real-life incident at RK Studio, Mumbai. Sharma was in Mumbai during 1994-2004 as part of the writers' groups which penned multiple thriller and horror shows for TV, including Aahat and Thriller At 10. One of his friends, the personal assistant of a yesteryear superstar, told him that a room in the RK Studio was haunted. 'That's the basic idea I want to develop,' he says. Writing horror is also challenging for Sharma because the story and details have to first scare him. Else, it is not worth pursuing. 'I can't expect my readers to feel a certain way if I don't feel the same way,' he says. Many stories that are passed on through generations in Sharma's village in Uttarakhand's Pauri Garhwal district have made it to his novels. The author claims that Agiya Betaal, his most popular horror title, is based on an incident he and his friends witnessed around 40 years ago when they were passing by some woods in Pauri Garhwal. He recounts, 'It was like a circle of fire which would break into fragments and rejoin again and again.' Whether Sharma believes in the supernatural or not is irrelevant, he says. 'My logic is simple. If something has a name, it means that it exists and has a history. We don't imagine a being or phenomenon and name it. Do we?' POPULAR HORROR THEMES Pishaach/ Vampire: Our own desi vampire. He has a day job, is a romantic at heart but does not belong to this world. Horror writers in the country woke up to vampires when clones of Bram Stoker's novel, Dracula hit the market. Aatma/ Stories of spirits: Apart from umpteen horror films by the Ramsay brothers, a spirit longing for salvation or mukti has been one of the favourite themes of horror writers in India. Tantra Mantra/ Sorcery: How is sorcery used and who casts a spell on whom? The answers decide the plots, twists and multiple endings of horror novels. ABID ALI RIZVI: SPINNING SUSPENSE Last year, Meerut-based author and translator Abid Ali Rizvi wrote an anthology of stories titled Bhoot Pret Ki Kahaniyan - his first original horror work. He describes it as his return gift to Hindi pulp literature. 'I have so many stories in me that it will take me a lifetime to put them all out,' says Rizvi, 77. Rizvi, who has a Master's in Hindi, shifted to Meerut in 1974. He did English-to-Hindi translations of best-selling horror novels such as Dracula. He worked with three of the biggest publishing houses of Meerut: Dheeraj, Ravi and Maruti, all of which were run by the same family. Before Rizvi made Meerut his home, he quit his job as a school teacher in Hamirpur (Uttar Pradesh) to join Nikhat Publications, Allahabad. Mujtaba Hussain Rizvi, who used the pen-name Ibn e Sayeed, was the author of Tilismi Duniya (Realm of Sorcery), a series published by Nikhat. 'I used to take dictation of those stories from Ibn e Sayeed,' recalls Rizvi. Rizvi has a Masters in Hindi. He translated four novels of a popular Pakistani horror series, Inka. He is working on his next horror novel for Ravi Pocket Books, Meerut. (Sanjeev Verma/HT PHOTO) It took Rizvi four years to lose interest in taking dictation from Ibn e Sayeed. He shifted to Delhi. Kartar Singh (aka Raj Bharti), who had a stellar career as a horror pulp fiction writer in that era, got him assignments. Ghost stories continued to haunt Rizvi. 'Once in two months, I would write a pocket book on the occult,' he says. But after arriving in Meerut, he did translations, ghost writing and editing. His translation of four novels of the Inka series - a suspense/horror series originally written by Pakistani author Anwar Siddiqui - consolidated his position in Hindi pulp. Inka is the story of a supernatural creature who takes the form of a 6-inch woman who lives on the head of her master Jameel Ahmed Khan. During the early 1990s, more than 20 publishing houses in Meerut shut shop. Rizvi had to live on his savings. 'Everyone was washed away in that flood. No one survived the slump,' he says. But now he is writing again. He sees content as an elaborate buffet. 'TV and social media offer regular meals. I serve snacks,' he says. RAJ BHARTI: THE KING OF D Kartar Singh was addicted to writing. It wasn't about any kind of love of writing. It gave him a sense of completion - writing in the wee hours, visualising his characters while drinking more tea than his entire seven-member family in Delhi's West Patel Nagar could in a day. 'He used to go in a trance when he wrote. Just himself in a world only he knew,' Saroj Kanta remembers her husband who died in 2009. Which is why no one questioned Singh when he quit his job with the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation in 1978 to make a career out of writing Hindi pulp fiction, or when he took four pen-names to write novels in different genres, or when he gave up writing anything else but horror - he churned out 46 horror novels as Raj Bharti in four years. Bharti became Hindi pulp literature's dominant horror writer with a cult following. 'When an author passes away, readers make peace with it. But Bharti ji was different. I still get at least one inquiry every week from a reader who cites Bharti's example to demand new horror novels,' says Manesh Jain, owner of Ravi Pocket Books, Meerut, which published all of Bharti's horror novels. 'I tell them that we are working on something. But I know there will never be another Raj Bharti.' Raj Bharti who died in 2009, was one of the pen names of Kartar Singh, under which he wrote almost 100 horror novels. He was the most successful writer of this genre. (HT PHOTO) The late author mashed up ideas from mythology, true crime, the paranormal and supernatural, sci-fi, horror and folklore to create a world of ghosts, spirits, exorcism and cannibalism. Mayaavi Pretaatma is the story of a good spirit in disguise who is out to take revenge. Swaaha, one of Bharti's most successful novels from 1992, is about a girl who finds herself caught in a supernatural world peopled by evil spirits. Chudail is the story of a witch who wants salvation. 'Whereas horror novels by other writers sold 5-7,000 copies, Raj Bharti's would often touch 10-15,000 copies,' says Jain. PULP KNOWS NO LANGUAGE Crime, mystery, horror and paranormal novels rule everywherePulp literature is not confined to Hindi. The genre thrived and garnered fans in other languages too. Gujarati pulp fiction writer Atom Golibar has written more than 80 books. He mostly writes horror and crime thrillers. Suhas Shrivalkar, Gurunath Naik and the Arnalkar brothers - Baburao and Madhulkar - wrote Marathi pulp. Most of Arnalkar's books were inspired by Perry Mason novels. Malayalam pulp fiction got its popular name Paingli (songbird) fiction from Padatha Paingli, the novel written by Muttathu Varkey, a pioneer of the genre in Malayalam. Much of the pulp literature in Indian languages is being translated into English and finding readers. A quick look at Tamil and Bengali pulp, which has recently been translated in English: IN TAMIL The Tamil pulp fiction industry was at its peak in the 1980s and '90s. The writer duo Subha (Suresh and Balakrishnan) and Pattukottai Prabakar ruled the Tamil pulp market for nearly two decades through the 1980s and 1990s. Crime was the most-read segment followed by family drama and horror. There were more than 30 publishers across the state bringing out pulp literature. Encashing on its popularity, the publishers of many weekly and monthly magazines such as Malaimathi, Rani Muthu, A Novel Time, Ungal Junior, Sathya and Sujatha started including stories from this genre. Suresh of the writer duo Subha says, "Most of the writers had exclusive contracts with publishers. Crime Novel, a monthly, would carry stories by Rajesh Kumar, the king of Tamil pulp. Super Novel carried our novels." Says Rakesh Khanna, co-founder of Blaft Publications, which has published four volumes of Tamil pulp fiction in translation, "Tamil pulp has got its own style and its own conventions - like how the detective leads almost always come in male-female pairs." IN BENGALI Multiple printing presses in Battala, a 20 minute train ride from Howrah, published stocks of Bengali pulp or battalar boi (cheap fiction). Bengali pulp emerged during the late 1800s, almost parallel to modern Bengali novels. "As readers grew, these books were sold in various neighbourhoods surreptitiously. One had to ask for them. They were not formally displayed in kiosks and bookshops," says Arunava Sinha, who has translated an anthology of eight short stories and novellas titled The Moving Shadow: Electrifying Bengali Pulp Fiction. Bengali pulp covered a spectrum of themes: crime, sleaze and horror. It was a world of extra-marital affairs, espionage, the supernatural and Holmes-like-detectives. "Overall, there was a cerebral touch to it," says Sinha. The range of authors was equally varied. Swapan Kumar, perhaps the doyen of crime writing in Bengali pulp literature, was also an astrologer and sex advice expert. Muhammad Zafar Iqbal brought science fiction to pulp literature. "Both in terms of content and in a linguistic sense, these publications were the defining "other" of an emergent standardised modern Bengali language and literature," notes Anandita Ghosh in Power in Print: Popular Publishing and the Politics of Language and Culture in a Colonial Society, 1778-1905. Dailyhunthttp://www.penninetroutfarmandfishery.co.uk/UserProfile/tabid/61/userId/1783761/Default.aspx

UK's Prince Philip apologises to woman injured in car crash: Report

The nine-month-old baby who was in the back seat of car was uninjured. The Duke said in a letter to Emma Fairweather, who broke her wrist in the accident, that he was "very sorry" for his part in the accident, and wished "a speedy recovery from a very distressing experience, the Sunday Mirror reported. "I would like you to know how very sorry I am for my part in the accident... I can only imagine that I failed to see the car coming, and I am very contrite about the consequences," said the letter published by the paper. "I was somewhat shaken after the accident," he continued, "but I was greatly relieved that none of you were seriously injured. As a crowd was beginning to gather, I was advised to return to Sandringham House by a local police officer. I have since learned that you suffered a broken arm. I am deeply sorry about this injury." Last week Fairweather, a passenger in the Kia, told the newspaper that she felt "ignored and rejected" because she had not received an apology, but told the paper on Sunday that she was "chuffed" that he had finally responded. Fairweather, from King's Lynn, told the Sunday Mirror: "I thought it was really nice that he signed off as 'Philip' and not the formal title. I was pleasantly surprised because of the personalised nature." The paper reported Buckingham Palace has confirmed the letter is genuine. The Duke of Edinburgh, who took delivery of a replacement Land Rover after the crash, was later reportedly spoken to by police after being pictured driving without a seat belt two days after the crash. Philip, who formally retired from public life in 2017, has been seen behind the wheels on numerous occasions over the decade. At present, there is no upper age limit for driving in the UK. However, a person's driving licence expires once he or she reaches the age of 70. If the licence expires and they fail to renew it, then they legally are not allowed to drive. But if they apply for a renewal they may continue. Dailyhunthttp://www.dtt.marche.it/UserProfile/tabid/43/userId/6138118/Default.aspx

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