Friday, 27 December 2019
Dastan Live musicians Sumant Balakrishnan, Anirban Ghosh, Shiva Pathak, Nirmala Ravindera booked for insulting religious sentiments at Goa fest
Alia Bhatt teaches dreamy Ranbir Kapoor to have some fun in new music video. Speaking to reporters, investigating officer attached to the Panaji police station PSI Subhash Gaonkar said that the four musicians had been released on a bail surety of Rs 20,000. 'They have been let off on condition that they will be cooperate with the probe,' the official said. While the organisers of the festival could not be contacted for comments at the time of writing, a brief descriptor of the Dastaan Live event on the Serendipity Arts Festival's website states: 'We live in the world's largest democracy. However, there is a parallel narrative unfolding in the streets, the villages, the rivers and the forests of India. Values that we took for granted...' Serendipity Arts Festival is a multi-disciplinary art festival which is being held in Goa from December 15-22. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: Hindustan Timeshttps://clm.utexas.edu/robotpatch/robotpatchforums/users/guessyleague/
Williams hands perfect X-Mas gift as ATK pip Bengaluru FC 1-0
This was ATK's first ever win over Bengaluru FC from five attempts and it could not have come on a better day as the Antonio Habas side climbed to the top of the table, ahead of FC Goa on goal difference, both having 18 points each. There was little to differentiate between the two teams as Bengaluru FC had 58 per cent ball possession at the goal-less halftime. Michael Soosairaj was exceptional for the home team but the final touch was missing as they played some smooth passing games and were unlucky not to go ahead. Bengaluru FC forward line failed to penetrate the opposition citadel in a thrilling first 45 minutes. The win also meant that ATK remained the only team to be unbeaten at home, while this was the first loss away from home for the Carles Cuadrat's Bengaluru FC this season. The Blues had the chance to equalise on the hour mark when Harmanjot Khabra's cross in the ATK box came off the head of a red shirt and fell kindly to Dimas Delgado. But the Spanish midfielder, under no pressure, fired agonisingly wide on the volley. Cuadrat soon made his first change, introducing Ashique Kuruniyan for Bheke, as Bengaluru switched shape, going with four at the back. With the home side continuing to keep things tight at the back, Bengaluru made a second attacking change by bringing on striker Semboi Haokip for Augusto. Udanta and Ashique attacked the flanks with Semboi the focal point, but the Blues could do little against a resolute ATK defence that held fort to secure the full three points. DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The Indian Expresshttp://www.nfomedia.com/profile?uid=rJcZcfG
Quinton misses ton by 5 runs
hotographer injuredMeanwhile, photographer Christiaan Kotze became part of the story on Thursday when he was injured in front of the sightscreen and caused a delay to the start of a Test.Kotze, on assignment for AFP, had finished shooting some pre-play images. He was walking in front of the sightscreen when he tripped on the boundary rope and then lost his footing on a slippery pitch cover. He collapsed in severe pain from what was diagnosed as badly-sprained right knee ligaments. DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The Telegraphhttps://jobs.alumni.umich.edu/employers/345322-potygfebswao
Our non-Bolly film faves of the year
Dark and often dazzling, this Thiagarajan Kumararaja film about sexual fantasies and the darker side of the human mind trained an unsentimental and non-judgemental lens on its characters, extracting winning acts from a strong ensemble comprising the likes of Fahadh Faasil, Samantha Akkineni and Ramya Krishnan. Its dark tone punctuated by lively colours and an unmistakable chutzpah, Super Deluxe may be brazenly excessive but is undeniably entertaining. Kumbalangi NightsMalayalam (stream it on Amazon Prime Video)The story of four brothers who share a love-hate relationship with each other but are drawn closer when they join forces to help one of them win over his love, Kumbalangi Nights brought in a crowd-pleasing mix of heartwarming moments and visually appealing frames. Not bound by any formula, this Fahadh Faasil film - that also starred Shane Nigam and Soubin Shahir among others - addressed a number of contemporary socio-political issues and also worked as a moving essay on human relationships, loss and redemption. It turned toxic masculinity on its head, giving us real and flawed people, with the house peopled by these characters emerging as the strongest leitmotif of this Madhu C. Narayanan directorial debut. VirusMalayalam (stream it on Amazon Prime Video)Director Aashiq Abu set his wholly fictionalised and largely intriguing tale against the 2018 outbreak of the Nipah virus in Kerala, coming up with a well-crafted multi-starrer. Clinical and yet compelling enough to suck in the viewer from the get-go, Virus scored for its tense and taut screenplay, playing out as a mix of a suspense drama and an investigative thriller. The performances at its heart - led by Parvathy, Tovino Thomas and Revathy - powered the film that had long legs at the box office. AamisAssameseWildly original and genre defying, this Assamese film helmed by Bhaskar Hazarika turned out to be a compelling watch, riding on its central theme of the repercussions of unbridled lust. It's meat that drove the narrative of Aamis, with the film turning out to be many things in one - food movie, unconventional romance, addiction drama and psychological horror, and yet its win lay in the fact that it couldn't be easily slotted. Benefiting from the casting of debutants as its main leads and powered by an unpredictable template, Aamis deserved a watch. And then some more. JallikattuMalayalam (stream it on Amazon Prime Video)That Angamaly Diaries man Lijo Jose Pellissery is one of the most exciting voices in Indian cinema was once again reinforced by this spectacularly frenzied tale that followed the aftermath of the escape of a bull from a slaughterhouse in a hilly remote village. Working as much as a thriller as it did as a social commentary, Jallikattu was searingly honest, cutting close to the bone, with the characters and situations staying on with the viewer. The film was a courageous blend of theme, image and sound and took the audience on a whirlwind ride as it ripped apart the ugly side of unhinged masculinity. DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The Telegraphhttps://www.sbnation.com/users/guenshesehs
Protests at UP Bhavan, Jama Masjid, many detained
Exactly a week back, the site of protests at nearby Delhi Gate had turned violent after few protesters resorted to pelting stones at the police standing behind the barricades. To contain them, the police had trained water cannons at them followed by a lathicharge in which several protesters were badly injured.Flag marches were conducted in some areas of the northeast district in the national capital and heavy police force was deployed in parts of the city ahead of Friday prayers and protests calls by some organisations against the amended citizenship act, police said. The police organised flag marches in northeast Delhi's Seelampur, Jafrabad, Welcome and Mustafabad areas, they said.Adequate police forces from adjoining districts and 15 companies of paramilitary forces were deployed in the northeast district to maintain law and order. Delhi police is also using drones to keep a vigil on the situation, they said.Heavy police deployment was also witnessed in Jamia Nagar, Jama Masjid and Chanakyapuri areas, the police said. "We have been conducting flag marches in the northeast district along with the members of Aman Committee to ensure that law and order remains in control in the area. We have also been appealing to the people to help police maintain peace," deputy commissioner of police (northeast) Ved Prakash Surya said.As prohibitory orders under section 144 of the CrPC have been in place in the district since a month after protests turned violent, police have urged people to not participate in any demonstrations that could turn violent. Delhi police have also put up a banner asking people to refrain from staging demonstrations outside UP Bhavan as prohibitory orders are in place.On Thursday, as many as 213 people were detained from outside UP Bhavan for protesting against the alleged police atrocities in the state during protests against the act, police added.The protests were staged without police permission following which those detained were taken to Mandir Marg police station and Connaught Place police station.Another group has also called for a protest march from Dargarh Shahe Mardan, near Jor Bagh to Prime Minister's house for "unconditional release" of Bhim Army chief Chandrashekar Azad and withdrawal of the amended citizenship act, National Register of Citizens and National Population Registry. DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The Telegraphhttps://www.edocr.com/user/guessyleague
'BFI did not tell Nikhat to skip Nationals'
I didn't play the Nationals and that's why I am right now the fourth-choice boxer for the trials in 51kg,' she added 'Whatever Nikhat said about BFI not giving her a chance to choose between the League and the Nationals is incorrect. I was at the meeting that happened in early November— this year — at the Indira Gandhi Stadium, New Delhi. An option of competing at either the Nationals or the League was presented to Nikhat too like other boxers from Sacheti or rather the BFI. Nobody from the Federation forced her to compete at the League, it was purely her choice,' an amused Santiago Nieva, High Performance Director of BFI, said in an exclusive interview to this newspaper from Sweden. 'In a meeting comprising Sacheti, Nikhat, myself and a couple others, right before the men's national camp, we told Nikhat it's completely her choice when it came to picking the event. In fact, Nikhat even asked for our opinion before she could decide between the Nationals and the League,' Santiago recollected. 'In the end, she chose the League over the Nationals. For her to cry foul is not correct as she chose the League over the Nationals. Maybe she said those things as she was not able to find the right words to express her opinion at that point of time,' Argentina-born Swede added. Nikhat said she is disappointed because the BFI had assured her the spot if she fared well against Mary Kom on December 17, 2019. Adding, 'I was looking forward to the bout with Mary Kom but unfortunately it's not happening today (Dec.17). 'In the meeting, we also assured Nikhat that her chances to compete at the Olympic trails will not depend on her performances at the League. She has performed well at the international level, is consistently improving as a boxer and that she will be given a fair shot at the trials. Even now if you see the rankings for the trails, Mary Kom is first, Nikhat second, Jyoti who won gold at the Nationals is third and Ritu, who settled for silver, is fourth. The seeding for the trails has been done purely on merit unlike her claims of being a fourth-choice in the 51kg. There is no favouritism,' the High Performance Director asserted. However, when this newspaper tried to reach Sacheti for his response on the controversy, he refused to comment. Off the 18 men's boxers who made the cut for the Olympic trials in various weight categories, 11 were not a part of the Nationals. And off the 12 boxers from the Olympic weight categories, who competed in the Nationals, only seven made the cut while five were left out due to various medial concerns. Clearing the air, Santiago said, 'Jayesh Desai got knocked out by Naveen Boora in the men's 69kg final. Jayesh has to undergo certain medical treatments before he can step back into a ring. While Rohit Tokas, who moved up from 64kg to 75kg category early this year, has injured his knee pretty badly. He has to undergo a knee surgery. Meanwhile, Arshdeep Singh, who lost to Sachin Kumar in the 81kg title bout, left the national camp within two weeks due to an injury. Sumit Sangwan on the other hand won gold in the 91kg category in the Nationals but decided to move down a weight category and has been named in the 81kg category. But Sumit will only be able to compete, if the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) clears him off the doping charge. Brijesh Yadav and Satish Kumar have been included in the trails cause of their performances at the World Championships and their progress in the national camp.' The women's trials will be held on December 27 and 28 at the Indira Gandhi Stadium, New Delhi, while the men's trials will be organised in Bellary, on December 29 and 30. DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: Deccan Chroniclehttp://raptorx3.uchicago.edu/bbs/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=1111&extra=
Paul Pogba hailed as 'best midfielder in the world' by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Big, big plus and it might be that we do get him in from the start.' Pogba, who had only played twice since the end of August due to an ankle injury, was introduced on Sunday with United already trailing by two goals and went close to scoring during a late attacking flurry from the visitors. 'He can play anywhere, he can play the whole midfield,' said Solskjaer. 'He's a box-to-box midfielder. He can drop deep, get it, play long passes. He can get it higher up and combine like he did today.' 'That's the beauty of having Paul, because he is the best all-round midfielder in the world,' added the United boss, who has said the 26-year-old will not be leaving in the January transfer window despite links with Real Madrid. Solskjaer said he was looking for a reaction from his players against Newcastle after United again failed to turn dominance of possession into a positive result at Watford. 'One of the good things about the team this year, we have reacted after bad results,' he said. 'We haven't kept the consistency as we would have liked the other way but we've never gone on a big (bad) run like we did towards the end of last season so there will be a reaction, definitely.' United are struggling in eighth place in the Premier League, seven points behind fourth-placed Chelsea despite recent morale-boosting wins against Tottenham and Manchester City. Solskjaer admitted progress had been slower than expected but said he was focused on developing a team that could dominate and break sides down. 'It's taken Liverpool a few years to get to that stage and we need to keep on building because that's what we want to get to,' he said. 'Yes, we're good at counter-attacking. Yes, we've got pace and fast players. We should always keep that because that's in our tradition. Now we need to be better at breaking lower blocks.' DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: Hindustan Timeshttp://wiznotes.com/UserProfile/tabid/84/userId/331237/Default.aspx
Bianca Andreescu named Canada's athlete of the year
'I can't wait for what 2020 will bring and am always proud to represent Canada at the highest level.' Andreescu was a unanimous choice for the award, which is selected by a poll of 30 sports journalists. Other nominees for the honour included Brooke Henderson (golf), Jordan Binnington (ice hockey), Andre De Grasse (athletics) and Mike Soroka (baseball). Previous winners of the award include ice hockey legends Wayne Gretzky, Sidney Crosby and Bobby Orr, 1996 Olympic 100m gold medallist Donovan Bailey and former Formula One world champion Jacques Villeneuve. DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: Hindustan Timeshttp://raptorx3.uchicago.edu/bbs/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=1037&extra=
The newsmakers of 2019
WTF of the year: SaahoAll eyes were on Bahubali man Prabhas in this big-budget film that ticked all the potential blockbuster boxes. But lazy writing, shoddy special effects and a largely incoherent Prabhas translated into a three-hour headache in the theatres. What got our goat? An (unintentionally) laugh-out-loud sequence that had Prabhas's Saaho/Ashok facing off against a cobra, an ostrich and a black panther... in the middle of a Mumbai slum! Music album of the year: Gully Boy"The voice of the streets" was brought to the mainstream, with Gully Boy bringing the desi underground scene to the forefront. A host of artistes - most prominently Divine and Naezy on whose lives the Zoya Akhtar film was loosely based - collaborated for its music, with leading man Ranveer Singh often chipping in with his voice. Dissent to desire, angst to attitude, the Gully Boy album was a blast, giving us gems like Azadi, Apna time aayega, Mere gully mein and Doori. Action man of the year: Vidyut JammwalTiger Shroff and Hrithik Roshan's power-packed moves may have propelled War to blockbuster status, but it was Vidyut Jammwal who quietly came up with two action-oriented money-spinners this year. While Junglee had the man playing saviour to a horde of animals, Commando 3, despite its corny plot and premise, brought in the crowds on the strength of Vidyut's action - karate to Kalaripayattu to some good ol' dishoom dishoom! Polariser of the year: Kabir SinghAnyone who had watched Arjun Reddy, the original Telugu film starring Vijay Deverakonda, knew what they were in for when they walked in for Kabir Singh. The film was quickly called out for its misogyny and toxic masculinity, with director Sandeep Reddy Vanga's problematic and deeply patriarchal take on millennial relationships being severely criticised. But an uninhibited central act from Shahid Kapoor, some compelling moods and moments and hummable songs ensured that viewers flocked in droves (mostly to gauge for themselves what the fuss and furore was all about) to theatres, making Kabir Singh a Rs 300-crore-plus blockbuster. Even today, voices on both sides of the misogyny debate rage on. Boo-boo of the year: KalankLavish sets to a seemingly epic story, Kalank had everything going for it. Add to that its as-big-as-it-gets cast. But save for one crackling scene between Sanjay Dutt and Madhuri Dixit and a few foot-tapping Pritam numbers, Kalank was a huge disappointment, with even the ever-dependable Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan coming up short. This was one big spectacle with zero soul. Tearjerker of the year: The Sky is PinkA gut-wrenching film that you were compelled to watch with a perpetual lump in your throat, The Sky is Pink - Shonali Bose's film about life and death and also about everything that comes between life and death - made you empty out your box of tissues. The film spoke about loss and collective healing and touched upon both helpless vulnerability and a quiet innate strength that we need to dig deep within ourselves. Priyanka Chopra, back from a break, was the pivot around which The Sky is Pink revolved, giving us a film that ripped your heart into shreds and then pieced it together. Cameo of the year: Mohit Raina in UriTV's Mr. Popular made a seamless transition from screen small to big with his role of a courageous armyman who sacrifices his life for the country in the blockbuster Uri. Mohit Raina - who shot into the spotlight with his turn as Lord Shiva in the mythological series Devon Ke Dev... Mahadev - had limited screen time, but made quite an impression, owning the few scenes he was in. "People are saying to me, 'We wanted more of you... we were looking out for you'"... is what Mohit told t2 about his Karan Kashyap after the film's release. DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The Telegraphhttps://www.magcloud.com/user/potygfebswao
Pakistan Govt to disclose its view on verdict
Campus trouble: What is behind the Panjab University's decline?
'We can wish for all kinds of things for the university, but the reality remains that its condition is steadily deteriorating in the last few years,' added Brar. One of the oldest institutes of higher education in the region, Panjab University was first established in Lahore in 1882, before it shifted to Chandigarh post-Partition in 1956 where it was designed by Pierre Jeanneret under the guidance of Le Corbusier, the famed pioneer of modern architecture. Due to the historic significance of its architecture, many buildings in the university such as the Student Centre, Gandhi Bhawan and the Fine Arts department are valued as heritage structures. However, the structures now stand faded and corroded, silent witnesses to the steadily diminishing glory of the varsity. Slipping Down the Ranks The varsity, which ranked at the first place in Times list of top universities of India up till 2014, slipped to the 20th position in 2019. A university that once boasted of highly successful alumni making a mark the world over, now finds it increasingly hard to increase student enrollment. In its revised budget for the year 2019-2020, the University's Board of Finance cut down its budget by Rs 13 crore, as the projected annual income of the varsity had slipped due to lower enrollment of students. At the last meeting of the Senate, a governing body of the varsity akin to the lower house of Parliament, members of the body proposed a plan to increase enrollment of students by devising more courses. However, other members conceded that increasing enrollment by introducing more courses is an unachievable dream, when the university can barely afford to hire more staff or build more infrastructure to cater to new courses. Far from increasing the faculty strength, most departments of PU are running at a strength less than half of the sanctioned strength of faculty members. When asked why the University does not hire more faculty to cater to the needs of its student population, Dean University Instruction (DUI), Shankarji Jha nonchalantly proclaimed that when 'there has been no hiring of staff in some departments since the 1990s, how can we even look towards hiring more?'. There are departments such as archaeology where the staff strength is as low as two against the sanctioned number of nine. Financial Crunch Perhaps the biggest challenge faced by the University is the shortage of funds and manpower. Though the staff crunch is often attributed to an order by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, which allegedly does not allow for fresh recruitment of faculty, the poor infrastructure, falling quality of education and lack of resources points to a deeper malaise — chronic lack of funding. The university, which currently falls under the bracket of a state university, receives most of its funds from the Central Government. According to a concept note prepared by a few PU professors, arguing for a central status in order to relieve the burden of funding, 92 percent of the budget deficit of the University is given by the Central government. 'Then why can't we make a serious case for attaining central status? What is stopping us?' asked Gurmeet Singh, Chairperson of the Hindi Department, at a Senate meeting held on December 14. However, stakeholders allege that looking towards any source of public funding is no longer a feasible option. Brar, the professor emeritus from the Political Science Department, suggested that the university look towards American universities' models of funding, where money is sourced from a public-private partnership. However, the idea of looking towards private sources, raises questions about affordability. 'We cannot let the burden of funding fall on our students. Our university works according to the tenets of a socialist country, we should aim to provide more scholarships and financial aid to all students who need it, rather than place the burden of funding on them,' says Chamman Lal, Senator and recently elected Dean of the Faculty of Languages. Deteriorating Facilities Far from providing more scholarships to its students, the University has failed to deliver basic facilities to a fee paying student on campus. To begin with, getting hostel rooms on the campus is an unending struggle for many, who often wait for a year or longer. There are 11 hostels for boys and eight for girls, which can in all accommodate a few thousand students out of a total of over 16000 students enrolled in PU. The rest stay outside as paying guests. Furthermore, many students allege hostel rooms lie vacant but are reserved for guests who pay more for the accommodation than regular students. Others say the rooms are often occupied by alumni even years after they have graduated. 'There are so many political types who have been staying here and they have jobs and everything, but no one dares to evict them,' says a helper at one of the boys hostel. Though the university has come up with an online portal to introduce transparency in allotment, the portal can only be used by students to register their names, after which students have to go through the same grueling process that they had to when the portal did not exist. Safety and Welfare Women hostellers have relentlessly reported on how unsafe they feel inside the campus to no avail, especially in the late evening or at night. There have been series of protests by women students who have asked for a safe passage between the hostels and the library, since many have faced instances of molestation, but to no avail. A woman student, who was stalked for a whole week by a gang of boys, has now stopped going to the library altogether. In response to these incidents, authorities such as the Chief Security Officer and the Dean Student Welfare ask women students to be more careful and move in groups, stating that nothing can be done to check the actions of 'outsiders' who roam the campus at night. One such 'outsider' made news early December, by molesting a journalist who was out for a morning walk at the Botanical Garden in the university. Another young student was molested at the garden last year, which led to an investigation by the Committee Against Sexual harassment (CASH). The committee submitted its findings and suggestions but no action was taken. 'Now another such incident has occurred in the same garden, and the authorities are as lax about it as ever,' groused Ameer Sultana, convener or the CASH committee. A PU Professor, who wishes to remain anonymous, succinctly sums up the state of affairs at the varsity: 'There is just too much red tape and bureaucracy here, so change is hard to come by any time soon. We are stuck in the same old administrative roles, forming committees and asking for permissions, but no real work gets done!' Schooling for success The growing number of centrally introduced interventions are robbing teachers of the time they need to shower on students From the decision to end the non-retention policy of students up till Class 8, to the launch of a booklet on the Phoenix application, the Chandigarh administration took a number of steps to reform the school education. According to the non-retention policy, students up till Class 8 were not failed by examiners, no matter how dismal their performance. Former Education Secretary BL Sharma, decided to do away with this policy to compel both students and teachers to work towards better grades. 'This is not the way to inculcate the values of hard work and discipline in students, this will stump their academic growth,' BL Sharma had opined in an earlier interview with Newsline. Sharma also made news for conceptualizing and implementing the Phoenix application, which he introduced in schools to regulate the academic performance of every student enrolled in government schools. In the app, teachers across schools have to input information on every student's performance in accordance with prescribed learning outcomes on a monthly basis. After evaluating the performance, students are sorted into different performance grades, and those who perform poorly are given extra attention and tutoring to improve their performance. 'My goal is to make sure that each and every student from government schools performs as well if not better than their counterparts in private schools,' said Sharma, before he retired from his post as Education Secretary. Preparing for PISA Improving the performance of government school students is extremely crucial in the light of the upcoming Programme for International Students Assessment or PISA test, in which Class 8 students from Chandigarh will represent India. Preparations for the test, which will be conducted in 2021, have already began in full throttle, as the exam does not test the student's knowledge based on rote learning, but evaluates the analytical skills, knowledge application and problem solving skills. 'We give them an hour long extra class to prepare them for the test. We also make them practice problem solving with real life applications; a lot of work has been done to make sure they are well prepared,' says Ravinder Kaur, a government school principal in the city. The pressure to perform well in PISA is further compounded by the fact that India's performance was exceptionally dismal during the last time its students participated in the PISA examination. The country ranked 72nd amongst 73 participating countries, beating only students from Kyrgyzstan. It was also observed that Indian students performed quite poorly in solving mathematical problems. To amend this lapse in mathematical skills, the UT administration announced that additional chapters will be added to the mathematic syllabus of Class 6, 7 and 8. However, the Central Government's decision to introduce the option of Basic Math level examination in Class 10 board examination could dilute this effort. In Chandigarh, more than 80 percent students in government schools have opted for the basic level of math examination, instead of the usual standard- level examination. Strengthening Public Education The efforts to fortify government school education began to bear fruit this year as was evidenced by the steep jump in the aggregate pass percentage of students from 48.51 percent in 2018 to 75.27 percent in 2019. Still, most students who have the economic means or harbour the dreams for a bright future for their children scampered around the city to admit their children in private schools. The Director of School Education, Rupinderjit Singh Brar, attributed this phenomenon to an irrational belief in Indian parents that 'if one pays more for something, it is automatically supposed to be something worth paying for'. With the central government introducing a slew of programmes such as Khelo India, Constitution day, shiksha pe charcha, Swacch Bharat et al, Sukhraj Kaur, a nodal officer, says her hands are full. Exciting as the events sound, for most teachers, these only translate into more administrative work, and days spent laboriously consolidating and processing data. 'Sometimes we have too much administrative work to look into the academic progress of our students, which, at the end of the day is the most important function of a school,' rued a schoolteacher, while requesting anonymity. 'If we could just focus on their education, instead of all this other meaningless activity, maybe our students will fare better,' she signed off. DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The Indian Expresshttp://raptorx3.uchicago.edu/bbs/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=1085&extra=
https://visual.ly/users/jeffmattyhardayhappy2/portfolio She said that far-reaching reforms were being carried out in the press information department, and a new advertisement policy was being introduced to ensure transparency. ... DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: Deccan Chroniclehttps://www.bagtheweb.com/u/rebensonim/profile
General, it's none of your business
he mention of students was seen as a thinly veiled reference to the protests now under way, at the forefront of which are youths from campuses.Rarely before has a serving army chief in the largest democracy in the world given an impression that he was wading into a political - and highly sensitive - issue with which the military has nothing to do.Gen. Rawat's audacious remark also showed how much the relationship between the executive leadership and the military has changed since Independence when Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru insisted that the army should never interfere in any civilian matter.The worth of Nehru's foresight is borne out by the fact that unlike in the neighbourhood, no military junta has so far dared to topple an elected government in India.The army chief's comment was all the more galling because Gen. Rawat retires less than a week from now, on December 31, and he is said to be among the frontrunners for the newly created post of the Chief of Defence Staff.As controversy erupted, army sources circulated the following points:*The chief has not referred to the CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act.)*He has not referred to any political event or personality.*He was addressing the future citizens of India who are students.*It is his righteous duty to guide students on whom depend the future of the nation.*In the Kashmir Valley, youths were misguided by people whom they trusted as leaders.During his speech, Gen. Rawat had added: "A leader is one who leads you in correct direction, who gives you correct advice and then ensures that you care for the people you lead. So leadership is through personal example and that is what we in the armed forces are proud of. Each and every leader in the Indian Army. the defence forces. has proved his worth as a leader and that is what I think makes us stand out among our people."Military veterans and security experts chastised the army chief for making "overtly political statements", which they said were unbecoming of an officer in his position.Some of the veterans suggested that an army chief wading into a domestic political debate was more distinctive of Pakistan than India.Air Vice-Marshal (retired) Kapil Kak told The Telegraph: "India's armed forces are apolitical. The army leadership should not make any political statements at all, let alone on this issue which is in many ways (a protest against an) unconstitutional (measure). The military leadership should always remember that the citizens look up to the armed forces."Former navy chief Admiral L. Ramdas told PTI: "The rule is very clear that we are serving the country and not political forces, and to express any political views as we have heard today are quite a wrong thing for any serving personnel, whether he is the top gun or at the bottom rank. It is not proper."An army veteran who had retired from the Northern Command said: "It's unbecoming of a serving army chief to align with his political masters and make such political statements. He shouldn't forget that India is still a democracy and that the armed forces have to work under a democratic set-up. It seems he has become desperate and is eyeing a post-retirement post."A retired naval officer said he did not know of any Indian army chief issuing such political statements in the past. "This happens in the Pakistan army. It seems we now have Pakistan as our role model. The country is on the path to becoming a Hindu Pakistan through the enactment of discriminatory laws."The veteran said this was all a part of the Narendra Modi government's politicisation of the armed forces, and underlined how the BJP and the government had milked the Balakot air strikes during the Lok Sabha poll campaign.Modi and other BJP campaigners had sought votes in the name of security personnel killed by militants, and had highlighted military operations like Balakot and the September 2016 cross-border "surgical strikes".This had prompted more than 150 veterans led by Admiral Ramdas to write to President Ram Nath Kovind in May, urging him to stop political parties from invoking the military for electoral gain.A veteran said on Thursday: "We are witnessing rampant political exploitation of the military under the current government, and what is shocking is that the army chief is a party to it."Former Uttar Pradesh director-general of police Prakash Singh said: "Neither an army chief nor a police chief should make any political statement."Another veteran, however, said people were reading too much into Rawat's statement. "He has made several political statements in the past, too, to suit the government's agenda. The bigger question is why he is making such a statement just 4-5 days before his retirement," he said. A political storm also raged. "The army chief's remark on CAA is highly objectionable, unethical and beyond his remit," the Congress leader in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, tweeted.The CPM urged the general to apologise to the nation for his "indiscretion", which it said had extremely adverse ramifications for the constitutional arrangement in the country.The CPM politburo said Rawat had "directly indulged" in condemning the student protesters. "The army chief's statement underlines as to how the situation has degenerated under the Modi government where the highest officer in uniform can so brazenly breach the limits of his institutional role. It is, therefore, necessary to raise the question as to whether we are going the Pakistan way of politicising the military. Such obnoxious interference in matters of democratic struggles from top-ranking military professionals is unheard of in the history of independent India," the politburo said in a statement.CPI general secretary D. Raja said Rawat should not have commented on what was a "political issue"."He is the chief of the Indian Army and not of any political party. His mandate is to safeguard the borders and not to make such political comments. He has criticised the leadership of the protest, clearly siding with the ruling party," Raja said.Additional reporting by PTI DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The Telegraphhttps://chalmers.in.gov/forums/users/potygfebswao
Premier League 2019-20: Deadly Liverpool blow away Leicester City 4-0
A trip to Leicester, who went into the game unbeaten at home this season, was the toughest test of the season, but Klopp's men passed the test with barely a hint of drama and it will now take an extraordinary slump for them to fail to win their first title of the Premier League era. 'We played really good football after all the travelling and intense period, yes it is the best performance of the season and we controlled it, to get four goals is something to be proud of,' said Alexander-Arnold. 'You don't really think you will be 13 points clear but we are happy to be in this position and we won't take it for granted. This is the Premier League and anything can happen,' he added. Popping up in the inside-left position, Alexander-Arnold floated a pinpoint cross to the backpost for Brazilian Firmino to head Liverpool into the lead in the 31st minute. Leicester keeper Kasper Schmeichel then produced an outstanding close-range save to foil Sadio Mane and Liverpool would be have been disappointed to go in at halftime with only the solitary goal. Liverpool were utterly dominant but had to wait until the 71st minute to extend their lead when Alexander-Arnold's corner struck the left arm of Caglar Soyuncuand substitute James Milner slotted home the penalty with his first touch of the ball. Firmino then made it 3-0, collecting and firing home a powerfully struck low-cross from Alexander-Arnold before the 21-year-old rounded off the rout, hammering a low shot into the far, bottom corner at the end of a swift counter-attack. Liverpool have 52 points from 18 games; Leicester are on 39 points from 19 matches and Manchester City are 14 points behind the leaders before their game at Wolves on Sunday. 'It's one of many successful nights so far this season,' said Milner. 'We are not even halfway. So much can change and happen. The strength of this team is we tale it one game at a time.' DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: Deccan Chroniclehttp://ebusinesspages.com/potygfebswao.user
JDU hurls non-tribal barb at Raghubar Das
as also lost for the first time in 25 years from his pocketborough Jamshedpur East to his own former cabinet minister-turned-rebel Saryu Roy. The JDU leader said that an attempt to change the provisions of the age-old land tenancy acts - CNT and SPT - also sent a wrong message to tribals. "They started seeing the Raghubar Das government as one that wanted to give tribal land to corporate houses," Tyagi said.Tyagi also raised a question on the functioning style of the outgoing CM Raghubar Das and observed that Das failed to establish proper coordination in the workings of his government and become a leader who "could take everyone along with him".The BJP did not take kindly to these remarks. Reacting sharply, BJP general secretary Deepak Prakash said those raising questions of tribal and non-tribal with respect to the outgoing CM (Das) did not know ground realities. "Also, the Raghubar Das government has set such milestones of development that their importance will be realised in the times to come," Prakash said. "Also, critics are forgetting that Jharkhand has a tribal lady governor (Droupadi Murmu) and the Das government had a tribal Speaker (Dinesh Oraon). The BJP also made a tribal leader from Jharkhand (Arjun Munda) a minister in the Centre in addition to giving the Rajya Sabha seat to a tribal (Sameer Oraon)." DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The Telegraphhttps://ask.fm/ranaagdagbejs6
On barbs over Rahul's Savarkar remark, Uddhav Thackeray's biting comeback
If you can't give sons of soils (Marathi speaking population) in Karnataka justice, then what's the point of this CAA,' questioned Thackeray. Reacting on the Veer Savarkar's controversy, where the BJP accused the Sena of not being critical of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's controversial statement, Uddhav once again turned his guns on the BJP questioning them whether they adhere to the late leaders views completely. 'Do you understand Savarkar completely? Do you accept his views on the cow? You have introduced beef ban here (opposed by Savarkar) but not in other states. 'Maharashtra madhe gou Mata, dusri kade chatta'. He also referred to the late BJP Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parikar's stance that there will never be beef ban in Goa. 'Why these double standards?,' rued Uddhav. Thackeray then took potshots on the oft repeated accusation by the BJP that the Sena has struck an unholy alliance with their opponents…Congress and the BJP saying he had taken a leaf from the BJP. 'Whatever we have done we have learnt from you. You broke the alliance between Nitish Kumar and Laloo. As per your convenience you were okay with Mehbooba Mufti, Nitish Kumar and Ram Vilas Paswan,' said Thackeray. DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: Hindustan Timeshttps://c-stem.ucdavis.edu/users/pernezkumens/
How to prevent infectious diseases among children this winter
The symptoms, can last an entire week or more, include nasal congestion, cough, sore throat and even headaches. The most effective way to treat this is to hydrate well and get plenty of rest. Common winter infections among children Commonly known as the 'flu', influenza is highly contagious and symptoms include high fever, sore throat, headaches, muscle pain and coughing. The best prevention is a flu shot and while there are antiviral medications available, the best cure is to get lots of rest and drink fluids. Strep throat, a fallout of cold and cough, is prompted by bacterial infection and is more painful than a regular sore throat. It's commonly seen in school-going children, spreading through sneezing and coughing. During this, one may have trouble swallowing, besides having fever, headache and swollen lymph nodes in the neck. While antibiotics can help in curing the infection, drinking warm water also brings relief from pain. A common respiratory infection among children, the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is the most common cause of bronchiolitis. It causes inflammation of the airway in the lungs, leading to mucous clogging, making breathing difficult. The illness is accompanied by nasal congestion, low-grade fever, cough and wheezing. Besides antibiotics, get plenty of rest and drink lots of water. This is an infection of lungs, caused by bacteria and exhibiting symptoms such as cough, fever and breathing difficulty. Long-term diseases like asthma, cancer or heart problems make one more susceptible to pneumonia. It may even call for hospitalisation. Contact your healthcare provider if you suspect pneumonia. Preventive steps Here are some simple things you and your child can practice to reduce their chances of getting or passing on a cold: It is important to take these measures at the early stage of the symptoms to prevent a full-fledged ailment. Visit your doctor to check whether medical intervention is necessary. (Inputs: Dr Parimala V Thirumalesh, Senior Consultant - Neonatology & Paediatrics, Aster CMI Hospital.) DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The Indian Expresshttps://www.sbnation.com/users/guessyleague
Ooru hudugi in Hollywood!
It is about Christine, a working actor of Asian descent who is fading into obscurity. But, what intrigued me the most was how the director wanted to present it and his idea to address various issues like diversity, gender parity, ageism and sexism including the sensitive issue of #metoo.' This movie is being selected for most of the film festivals; it won several awards and inspired her to focus more. Her other notable works as a designer are Unspeakable and Where The Water Runs. Harshita's holds a bachelor's degree in architecture switched her path. Her biggest fear of being stuck at a desk job was always her driving force and motivated to pursue her passion. She adds, 'Going to AFI played a big role in paving my path into Hollywood. Right after graduation, I applied to the Production Assistant Internship program at the Art Department Union in Hollywood called the 'Art Director Guild-800'. After reviewing my portfolio, they deemed me overqualified to be a PA and pre-approved of me to become an Asst. Art Director. This opened the way into the Art Directors Union which catapulted my career.' Lake House and The Prestige designed by Nathan Crowley are the films pushed her to quit her job and start working towards her real goal. When asked about the difference between Indian films and Hollywood, she opined, 'With my experience in Hollywood and observation on Indian films, I get a sense that Hollywood is much more structured and streamlined. It is mostly content-driven as opposed to Indian films which often bank on the leading male actors although it is changing now.' Ava DuVerney's powerful stories has inspired Harshita. She shares her experience of working with Ava. 'Ava has tirelessly worked towards increasing awareness of diversity and gender parity. In fact, she managed to achieve full gender parity with a production crew of over 50 per cent women, including 18 female department heads. I hope to keep working with filmmakers like Ava to create thought-provoking content that makes a difference,' said Harshita. Sharing her long-term goals to work as a production designer in India she said, 'After many failed attempts at getting into Tollywood, art director Peketi Ranga Rao hired me to work for hi. However, I was just working on for large weddings and corporate events and my exposure to film making was zero. By the time I got into my graduation programme, it was also the time the TV industry and multiple OTT platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime were taking off. Considering the rate at which they produced good quality content, it was evident there would be a growing need for well-trained professionals. But my long term goal is to work as a production designer in India.' ... DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: Deccan Chroniclehttps://jobboard.usw.edu/employers/342015-devakrajints
Police to step up anti-Maoist drive to tackle menace
A senior police officer said Kabani Dalam was the first and prominent dalam set up by CPI (Maoists) in Kerala to expand its activities in the Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. "We have managed to weaken the activities of the dalam in the past three years through various counter operations. Identifying the members of the dalam was in itself a major challenge and the police now have a complete list of the members of all the dalams that included Kabani," said the officer. Apart from Kabani, the CPI (Maoists) has set up three more dalams in Kerala - Nadukani, Bhavani and Varahini.State police chief Loknath Behera said that wings engaged in anti-Maoist operations have been directed to remain vigilant and further strengthen their combing operations. "We have taken up the recent sightings of the Maoists as a major development and have issued appropriate directions to deal with it," Behera told TNIE. Intelligence agencies anticipate that the extremists would change their nature of operation in Kerala after three police encounters resulted in the death of seven Maoists.While they have been following an offensive strategy in other LWE-affected states by targeting the forces, no casualty has been reported in the state. DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The New Indian Expresshttp://www.nfomedia.com/profile?uid=rJdRhgC
Monday, 23 December 2019
Don't believe govt: Panel
he mills have been non-functional for the past few years.Addressing a news conference here, committee president Manabendra Chakra-borty said Union minister for heavy industries Prakash Javadekar on July 9 said in Parliament that Rs 4,141 crore invested in HPC during 2014-15 and 2018 and asked for a "white paper" on the utilisation of funds."But it is known that during this period both the industries remain closed and altogether 60 workers/employees have died since the mills ceased to function. Three committed suicide because of non -payment of salary for 36 months. Chief minister (Sarbananda Sonowal) should release white paper to disclose the huge funds of Rs 4,141 crore utilised or siphoned off or misused," he said.Cachar Paper Mill, the only major industrial undertaking in Barak Valley, is located at Panchgram in Hailakandi district. The Nagaon mill is at Jagiroad in Morigaon district."Prime Minister Narendra Modi betrayed the people of Assam by disrespecting his own commitment to revive the industries committed on March 27 in 2016. Chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal also betrayed his repeated commitments delivered for the revival of the two paper industries of Assam. Both of them invariably misused their power to destroy both the industries and source of employments of two lakh youths and destroyed the rural economy of the state," he said.Chakraborty also said the industries with a value of more than Rs 5,000 crore was "going to be sold to favoured cronies" with nominal price of scrap materials."People involved in the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protest should not be swayed by the commitments being made by the government at present. Hence, they have lost all the credibility to be believed in any issue related to Assam and the Northeast," he said.The committee also expressed solidarity with the struggle against the amended citizenship act."We also paid our tributes to those who sacrificed their life in the movement against the CAA to protect the interest of Assam, its citizens, culture and heritage. We support all the struggles to save interest of Assam, its citizens, culture, employments and heritage," he said. DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The Telegraph
New device to help people with swallowing problems
"We want to provide a reliable, patient-friendly and affordable way to treat the millions of people with swallowing disorders," said Malandraki. "Many devices to help these people are expensive, not able to be taken home and not accessible in many rural areas." The researchers have created a skin-mountable sensor sticker that attaches firmly to the neck area and is connected with small cables to a wireless transmitter unit. The skin-mountable sensor sticker measures and records muscle activity and movement associated with swallowing. The information is then sent wirelessly by a separate unit clipped on the wearer's shirt to software that stores it for later analysis by a doctor. Successful completion of a swallow requires the precise coordination of more than 30 pairs of muscles of the head and neck, six pairs of cranial nerves, and complex circuitry in the brainstem and several brain areas. Any disruption in these pathways can result in severe swallowing disorders. "Our device is unique in that we specifically created it to work well with the small and intricate muscles associated with swallowing events," Lee said. "The sensor sticker is stretchable and flexible to work well with the skin and curvilinear head and neck shape, while the connected unit has electronic chips and more rigid components," added Lee. The sensor stickers are disposable, designed with inexpensive components and meant to be used about 10 times before they are thrown away. ... DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: Deccan Chroniclehttps://clm.utexas.edu/robotpatch/robotpatchforums/users/guenshesehs
7 things busy dads can do to spend quality time with children
Here are some tips for busy dads to spend more time with their kids to build a strong bond: You do not always have to set a separate schedule to spend time with kids. Fathers can involve themselves in regular, daily tasks like getting the child dressed, making them breakfast or taking them to school. That way, your little one will not depend on the mother for everything but also begin to rely on you. Be it running an errand or carrying out household fixtures, you can get your child to help you or just accompany you for the activity. What adults may otherwise find boring can sometimes excite kids. Children love to hear stories. So, next time you put them to bed, narrate to them an imaginative story or read to them from a book. You can also take out time on weekends and play board games with them. Instead of just sending your child out to play, you can sometimes tag along to watch them or even play a sport with the kids on occasion as a way of encouraging them. New dads may not feel an instant bonding with the baby Give the mother a break and make an effort to find out what your kids are studying at the moment, help them prepare their lessons and also clear their doubts if any. This can help you bond with your child better. Talk to your child, even if for five minutes, to know what they are thinking or feeling, ask them about school or how they spent the day. Share age-appropriate incidents from your daily life with them. Soon, your child might find a confidant in you. 10 tips for new parents to bond with their baby Your may have a tight work schedule but you cannot take your family for granted. Planning an annual holiday or just a weekend getaway will not only allow you more time with your family but also rejuvenate you in the process. After all, dads need a break too. DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The Indian Expresshttps://www.sbnation.com/users/pernezkumens
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