Wednesday, 2 January 2019
PM, junk your Exam Warriors
The Prime Minister said in a staged interview that nobody was pointing fingers at him. The whole country is directly pointing fingers at you. Questions are about your conduct," Rahul said in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.On a day Congress members were seen flying paper planes that often landed on BJP ministers' desks in the House, Rahul led the charge and the government found itself deserted by even some allies when it resisted calls for a fair probe.Later, Rahul told a media conference: "It is very interesting the Prime minister thinks questions on Rafale are about somebody else. Which world does he live in? It is about you, Mr Prime Minister."He added: "The PM is involved in corruption. Chowkidar chor hai. Let us not believe in what the Congress is saying. Let us have a JPC (joint parliamentary committee). Modi can hide but the truth can't be suppressed."Modi was not seen in the Lok Sabha, leaving it to Arun Jaitley, the finance minister, to defend the government. Nothing prevents Jaitley from speaking in the lower House. But Trinamul MP Saugata Roy pointed out that although the NDA has 300 MPs in the Lok Sabha, it had to ask a member from the upper House to speak on the Rafale deal in the lower House. Jaitley is a Rajya Sabha member and a former defence minister.Rahul lamented that the Prime Minister did not have the guts to come to Parliament and was hiding in his room to evade questions. The Congress leader asked some specific questions:How was the deal negotiated after eight years of hard work changed?Did the Indian Air Force ask you to change the deal and purchase 36 aircraft instead of 126?Is there an objection by defence ministry officials to the increase in the benchmark price mentioned on the files?Is there a file noting (by a defence ministry official) asking the Prime Minister's Office not to interfere?Jaitley did not respond to the specific questions but cited the Supreme Court judgment to claim a clean chit, questioned Rahul's ability to understand issues of national security and insisted that the price difference is because of weaponisation of the fighter aircraft.BJP members clapped the loudest when Jaitley said: "When he was young, was he playing in the lap of Q?" The reference was to Ottavio Quattrocchi, the middleman in the Bofors deal.On Wednesday night, Rahul tweeted: "Tomorrow, the PM faces an Open Book #RafaleDeal Exam in Parliament.Here are the exam questions in advance:Q1. Why 36 aircraft, instead of the 126 the IAF needed?Q2. Why 1,600 Cr instead of 560 Cr per aircraft.Q4. Why AA instead of HAL?Will he show up? Or send a proxy?"The "Missing Q3" was held back but later revealed "on popular demand". "Q3: Modi Ji, please tell us why Parrikar Ji keeps a Rafale file in his bedroom & what's in it?"Earlier in the Lok Sabha, Jaitley used the Supreme Court judgment as a shield and tried to embarrass the Congress by referring to cases like Bofors, Agusta and National Herald. He rejected the need for the JPC, arguing that a partisan body cannot investigate and overrule the findings of the Supreme Court.Arguing that the Supreme Court had spoken on every aspect of the deal, which should be taken as the last word, Jaitley said: "The court is satisfied with the procedure. They also asked for pricing details to satisfy their conscience and ruled that they should not get into this after reading what the government supplied in the sealed envelope. I can say with fear of contradiction that the basic price of per aircraft is 9% less than the UPA deal and weaponised aircraft is 20% cheaper."Jaitley's target was clearly Rahul as he alleged that "the conspirators of defence deals" were trying to invent evidence to tarnish the Modi government.Jaitley added: "This family understands the arithmetic of money but not national security. It is a pity that the party which was led by legends is now being led by someone who understands nothing. He doesn't know a bare aircraft is just a flying equipment and a fighter aircraft needs weaponry and avionics." Dailyhunthttp://www.penninetroutfarmandfishery.co.uk/UserProfile/tabid/61/userId/1759827/Default.aspx
RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das to meet MSME representatives
report put out by Kotak Institutional Equities said that the overall exposure of banks and NBFCs is Rs 13 lakh crore (of loans up to Rs 25 crore) of the overall Rs 23 lakh crore MSME portfolio.A note from Icra estimated that MSME loans under the forbearance stood at less than Rs 10,000 crore as on September 30, 2018.Analysts expressing bewilderment over the bailout plan for MSMEs, which stood in stark contrast to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's stand that his government would not step in to bailout farmers who have been similarly plagued by loan distress.In its note, Kotak Institutional Equities said the forbearance comes as a surprise move as the lenders are not witnessing any build-up of stress in the segment. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Shaktikanta Das is set to meet representatives of micro, medium and small enterprises (MSMEs) next week even as the representatives from the sector have expressed dissatisfaction with the restricted conditions attached to the one-time loan restructuring scheme announced by the central bank on Tuesday.The MSMEs are demanding that the scheme should be extended to cover firms that are not registered under the goods and service tax (GST).RBI governor Shaktikanta Das tweeted: "Will hold meetings with MSME associations and representatives of NBFCs next week."Das had earlier met the heads of various PSU and private sector banks.The RBI also said it will form an expert committee to identify the issues and propose long-term solutions for economic and financial sustainability of small businesses. The panel will be headed by U.K. Sinha, former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India, according to a press statement published on the central bank's website. Das's meeting with MSMEs could see their representatives raking up the issue of exclusion of non-GST registered units from the restructuring scheme."The borrowing entity should be GST-registered on the date of implementation of the restructuring," the RBI had said while citing the conditions of the mechanism. "It would have been far more effective if the scheme covered all MSMEs, GST-registered or not, as a large number of units are adversely affected due to delays in payments owing to stressed economic conditions as a result of the twin shocks of demonetisation and GST," Federation of Indian Micro and Small and Medium Enterprises secretary-general Anil Bhardwaj said. Dailyhunthttps://justpaste.it/3yk3c
India vs Australia: Ishant Sharma to miss Sydney Test due to discomfort in rib cage
Skipper Virat Kohli too has had injury issues, but on Wednesday played down fears that recurring back spasms could hinder his stellar career, insisting all players get 'niggles' and they were 'nothing new'. Kohli received treatment from the physio on day two of the Melbourne Test against Australia last week, appearing to be in pain just before he was out for 82 in the first innings. Team India name 13-man squad for Sydney Test; Call on Ashwin before toss He has a recent history of back problems and was forced off the field during the second Test in England earlier this year. But the 30-year-old, widely considered the best batsmen across all three formats of the game and crucial to India's success, said it wasn't a major concern. 'I've had this issue since 2011, it's nothing new,' he said in Sydney ahead of the fourth and final Test against Australia. 'I've been able to manage it because of the physical effort I've put in over the past few years. And when you have a back that has these issues you can only maintain it that way.' The passionate Kohli, who admits he is obsessed with winning cricket matches, added that he was 'not too bothered' about the issue. 'If the workload gets high it can get into a spasm, I mean you don't necessarily get serious issues, you get fine in two or three days,' he said. 'I'm not too concerned with it, you just have to manage it physically and stay ahead of the injury and I have been able to do it for now. 'I'm sure I'll find other ways and more options to keep countering that. 'I mean, it's impossible to keep going without niggles and I think it's fine to have a few niggles here and there. You just need to be able to manage it.' (With agency inputs) Dailyhunthttps://www.zintro.com/profile/zi68b53d8e?ref=Zi68b53d8e
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Maldives' move could prevent overfishing of cuttlefish
ourish Misra,CalcuttaSir - Prohibiting tobacco products at polling booths during the Lok Sabha elections is a step in the right direction. The ban on the sale of cigarettes and gutkha in areas surrounding schools must also be strictly enforced, as it is regularly flouted.Colleen Castanha,Calcutta Sir - If chameleons are masters of disguise on land, then their counterparts in the marine world are the incredible cuttlefish. These cephalopods camouflage themselves with the help of tiny skin cells called chromatophores, which come in several colours and act as pixels across the cuttlefish's body. These creatures are also a delicacy is certain cultures. Unfortunately, this means that they are also prone to overfishing. The Maldives government recently announced plans to introduce commercial farming of small cuttlefish. One hopes that these fascinating marine animals do not face the risk of endangerment in the future.Meghna Sen,CalcuttaToo slowSir - It was shocking to witness the callousness with which the government of Meghalaya handled the crisis involving the 15 miners trapped in a 370-feet-deep illegal mine in the state's Lumthari village since December 13. The people could not make their way out of the rat-hole mine after water from the nearby Lytein river flowed in. The authorities did not act fast enough in arranging adequate rescue operations. It reportedly took a week for the district commissioner at East Jaintia Hills to send a letter to the state government for acquiring powerful pumps to get the water out, and nearly another week before assistance was requested from the Central government-owned Coal India Limited - the world's largest coal mining company with expertise in operating heavy pumps - for deploying the high-power pumps used in mines in West Bengal and Jharkhand. Incidentally, pumps manufactured by an Indian company were sent to save 12 boys trapped in a cave in Thailand not long ago. Now, a diver of the National Disaster Response Force team has reported a foul smell is emanating from the mine. Pumping operations were suspended when the available pumps proved to be ineffective. It is not only the state dispensation that is to blame; the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre could have used its own resources to ensure timely rescue operations. It did not do so. It will be a matter of national shame - and a clear case of negligence - if the miners die because the Centre and state government did not take adequate action on time - action that they were well-equipped to take.S.K. Choudhury,BangaloreSir - We ought to be ashamed that the miners in the rat-hole mine in Meghalaya remain trapped even though so many weeks have passed by. One does not even know how many of them are still alive. While such rescue operations are never easy - the depth of the mine is immense and river water has gushed in - they should have started promptly. The apathy of the Central and state dispensations towards the lives and safety of ordinary citizens is evident in the inordinately long time they took to start the process of pumping water out of the mine. This inefficiency is also reflected in the way in which natural calamities in the country - floods, earthquakes - are handled.The suffering of the families of the trapped miners cannot be imagined. In case they lose their loved ones, not only must they receive compensation, but those responsible for such criminal negligence must be punished. Avni Madan,MumbaiKeep them safeSir - It was chilling to read about the elderly woman in Salt Lake who was stabbed by a man who broke into her flat recently. The safety of senior citizens remains one of the biggest concerns in our country. They are soft targets, and there has been an alarming rise in the number of attacks on them. The usual motive for such attacks are the theft of cash and valuables. In many cases, senior citizens, especially women, have to respond to doorbells and attend to strangers, which puts them at higher risk. The setting-up of special cells in police stations for elderly people or the installation of CCTVs in the houses rarely act as deterrents for criminals. In several cases of such crime, security guards, drivers and domestic help are also found to be involved.There is a tendency within Indian families to overlook the concerns of old people. The primary responsibility of ensuring the safety of elderly people at home lies with the family members.Dipak Thakker,Mumbai Dailyhunthttps://www.openstreetmap.org/user/zincovitzenz
Stop depicting spas as brothels: Madras HC
In all these cases the owners were added as the accused and the women working in these centres were shown as victims involved in prostitution, the judge added. Explaining in detail, the legal issues involved in these cases, the insight into human behaviours, outlook of the society regarding spas and massage centres, ignorance of science behind massage and the urgent need to get out of the pre-conditional mind of the majority who unfortunately see spas and massage centres as brothel houses, the judge said in the present case, the record shows a further consideration of interest and significance, as it affects the rights of the individual. 'The public prosecutor does not dispute that even a prostitute is entitled to the protection of her person. Certainly, she is as such entitled to protection as the most respectable women for instance with regard to such offences as indecent assault or rape,' the judge added. Citing a case of a therapist, the judge said, 'Here we have an instance of an officer, accompanied by witnesses, proceeding into the bedroom of a young girl and pushing open a closed door, without even the civility of a knock or other warning to her to prepare for the intrusion. Such conduct would be quiet inexcusable, unless the officer thereby hopes to gather the evidence which is essential for proof of any charge.' 'But since prostitution is not an offence, I am really unable to see how the officer and party were justified in thus bursting into the bedroom of a girl and surprising prosecution witness and an accused together in a state of undress. There can be no doubt that such conduct implies an outrage on the modesty of the girl,'said the judge. The judge said the technique of employing decoy witnesses for the detection of crime under the Act by the police in this case was against all standards of decency and shocks one's conscience. Such methods instead of preventing the evil were likely to encourage it. It has been deprecated by various courts in the country 'and I must also add my voice to it,' the judge added. The judge said police have no legal right to prevent a health spa being operated by anyone even if the therapy was done by persons of one sex to those belonging to the opposite sex. A health spa, where cross gender massages was a worldwide phenomenon, there was no legal prohibition and to borrow the wordings of the Supreme Court, except the majoritarian impulses rooted in moralistic tradition which was attempting to impinge upon individual autonomy, the judge added. Coming to the case of the Indonesian therapist, the judge said the entire action of the police was illegal and it has violated the personal liberty of the petitioner and also her reputation. This was clearly a case of colorable exercise of power. If this power was unchecked, spa centre or a massage parlour can be run only under the mercy of a police officer. For an extraneous consideration, the police can brand any spa or a massage centre as a brothel and even if a brothel was run in the name of a spa or massage centre, no action will be taken. This situation was neither good for society nor to the police force, the judge added and directed the state government to pay Rs 2.5 lakh as compensation to the girl. ... Dailyhunthttp://www.lipapromet.hr/UserProfile/tabid/43/userId/4018/Default.aspx
The Arena for gourmet & guzzles
Suffice to say, the place is worth many a visit, and they have not yet started the beer... So, it's all about the food and spacious light spangled interiors. We ordered from their bar, a whisky cocktail infused in popcorn… smokey, popcorn notes… very good. 'I have travelled quite a bit. I also lived in Singapore, studied in the US and Dubai, and always thought that Bangalore deserved a landmark. There are many classic architectural places in Mumbai and Delhi. I thought that our beautiful Cantonment deserved a place that was an architectural marvel, a brewery that was known for its delicious cuisine too,' says the enterprising fellow who studied at Santa Clara University in California and United World College in Singapore. Armed with a diploma and bachelor's in economics, he turned to real estate, and now is building pyramids that are the talk of the town. This huge black and white filament lit pyramid on 100 Feet Road is almost hidden under the expanse of huge Gulmohars that Sharath was adamant about keeping. It almost looks Louvre-ish. Enter the Arena, inspired by Egyptians and their beer history, and his passion for architecture. Mumbai-based Studio 54's Anjum and Saba designed it with a high ceiling, rich blues and green, dark wood, a mirrored handsome bar and LED-lit interiors (the latter is too out of place). 'Beer is known to be the staple drink of the Egyptians and the civilisation is synonymous with pyramids. Every civilisation is known by a destination. It was time Bangalore had its own Arena,' says Sharath who wanted a place he could dine at, quiet and classic. We were pleasantly surprised at this extraordinary brewery… as the partners and Rohan have searched into their treasure chest of experiences, and given the foodie a menu that walks the cobbled streets of many countries and presented global cuisine. Yet, this is no ordinary 'global' that every restaurant suffixes to the menu, this is worth its salt in every morsel. From dim sums that came in dreamy translucence to the artsy sushis… a work of an able team, for sure. We had the edamame dumplings that were simple, subtle in flavour, tangier though. The prawn hargow was pink succulent, delicious and so were the half-fried pork gyoza… with a subtly spiced mince. Yum. A bit thicker. Dipped into a fresh burnt chilli and unique lemon grass dip. For sushi, red tuna… beautifully parcelled, a salmon, with a petal of hibiscus (we think), and prawn tempura sushi crunchy in the middle with a crab glazed one as well. Add the flair of the chef's artistry, and you are good to gobble away. They could give more wasabi, for thos e who love the punch of the Asian root as we finished ours! We also chomped on mushroom croquettes that were ok. And then came the signatures, a Tasmanian scallop served in a shell with a creamy glaze and texture, and baby baked mud crab - slivers in spice and topped with gooey cheese. Beautiful. Walloped. The high ceilinged black and white pyramid shaped haven has an able crew headed by chef Julius Jack who was earlier with Biere Club, and has the renowned Rohan Dsouza curating its cuisine as consultant chef. Rohan and his partners Hitesh and Karan are known through their parent company Silver Beach Hospitality. The consultant chef worries us, as it usually sees quality go down, and Sharath feels the team is hands-on and that he will be the 'eyes' to see the same flourish is maintained. 'It's nine days old, and we don't intend to dilute the brand, many bars and lounges get identified as clubs. But we will stay true to our origins, with club nights once a month. Our celebrity Chef Rohan Dsouza is a dear friend, and we have chef Julius who is able bodied, along with a pesky owner,' says the owner, tongue-in-cheek. Incidentally, Sharath's father has been in the liquor industry for 35 years, manufacturing local brands like SPR, Polo Club, Super Jack, Raja, OC, even a knock off of Haywards called Aywards, so it was only a matter of time before he decided to venture. He was also prompted when his father helped the CA's daughter open a pub, and remarked that it's strange that his own children are not into the business. 'I did this mainly to make him proud,' he adds. Looks like he's right on track. There is no beef, which is Sharath's tribute to his mother to honour her memory. The pyramid also has a special VIP lounge, where guests can buy bottles, and sit in secluded pods for a private party. We skipped mains, because Sharath insisted we taste the Belgian Chocolate mud cake and the Paris Brest mousseline. Wow. Gooey chocolate, spongey cake, sinful in taste, creamy ice-cream… diets can go out of the window. Even the PBM was spectacular. Crusty, rounded, rich creaminess (it was made first for the Paris-Brest-Paris cyclists so it's full on the calories), wish it had more strawberries, though. Arena's sofas coax you, its expanse and space between tables gives it the feel of one of those Art deco British dining rooms, giving one a breather from the rush hour at most pubs. It's delectable food swirled in exquisite artistry, definitely for an occasion, or just because you want to feel special, and have a uninterrupted meal… till the beers bring in the guzzlers who are as eclectic, and would like a bit of class. ... Dailyhunthttps://www.openlearning.com/u/huaansaangs
The best supporting performances of 2018
In Raazi, he played a RAW agent who trains Alia Bhatt to be a spy. Jaideep has a unique way to portray his characters that stand out from other actors. While Alia truly gave an award-winning performance, it was also Jaideep's character that left the audience in awe. A film is always a team effort. It's only when the lead actors and the supporting artistes sync that a movie becomes real for the audiences. Therefore, in the big picture, it's as important to cast suitable supporting actors as it is to find the right lead. Sometimes these parallel leads even turn out to be bigger scene stealers than the hero or heroine. The year 2018 saw many such films where supporting actors turned out to be a big draw for cinema lovers. Let's take a look at some of such characters who have raised the bar of a film with the power of their performances this year. Pankaj Tripathi - StreeThe Kaleen Bhaiyya, from the recently released video-on-demand series Mirzapur, Pankaj Tripathi, always has surprises up his sleeves for audiences. Pankaj's performance in blockbuster Stree was stupendous. His character Rudra was one of the most-loved roles in the film that drew many of his fans to the cinema multiple times. Though the film stars Rajkummar Rao and Shraddha Kapoor in lead roles it was Pankaj's character that brought a lot of applause and laughs onscreen. Richa Chadha - Love SoniaGeared up for her next, a biopic on Shakeela, with the titular role, actress Richa Chadha gave an outstanding performance through her character Madhuri in the film Love Sonia, a sex worker entrapped in the global flesh trade. She stole the show for playing the role in which she is seen ensnared in sex racket and suffering from a deadly disease. She even walked away with the Outstanding Achievement Award at the London Film Festival for the role. Rasika Dugal - MantoActress Rasika Dugal, who played Safiya opposite Nawazuddin Siddiqui in Nandita Das's Manto, was on a par with his onscreen husband Nawazuddin in the author Saadat Hasan Manto's biopic. Rasika is a brilliant actress with a theatre background that ultimately helped her to match up with the talented Nawaz in many scenes. Much like Nawazuddin who played Manto and earned rave reviews and awards, Rasika, too, walked away with praises for the film. Neena Gupta - Badhaai HoThe veteran actress has been in Bollywood for the past 36 years and has been associated with some brilliant films. She is enjoying rave reviews for her performance as the elderly pregnant woman in Badhaai Ho starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Sanya Malhotra. The NSD alumni stole the show with her performance as the mother to Ayushmann who gets pregnant accidentally in her late 50s. Dailyhunthttps://forums.ubi.com/member.php/3474729-sreengreens
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