Innholdsfortegnelse for July 4, 2016 i India Today

This month 25 years ago, I watched the Narasimha Rao government open the doors to the world in what came to be known as the economic liberalisation of 1991. There was no option really—it was more of a compulsion. The Indian economy was in a mess. It owed the world $70 billion, overspent Rs 40,000 crore annually and staggered under a soaring trade deficit. The rapidfire reforms scaled down import tariffs, deregulated markets, slashed taxes and opened the floodgates of foreign investment. The reforms were prompted by the International Monetary Fund, which pressed for deflation and deregulation in exchange for emergency loans. It seemed like a huge gamble at the time but worked spectacularly well. India’s economy rocketed into a high growth trajectory, growing by as much as 9 per…

The 1986 National Policy on Education, as reviewed in 1992, has been the guiding document of the central government on the education sector for over two decades now. This was preceded by the National Policy on Education, 1968, the first post-Independence articulation of a national education policy. Indeed, even during the British period, the Wardha Education Scheme (Nai Talim of Mahatma Gandhi) had in 1938 worked out a ‘national policy’ and had recommended it for adoption by provincial governments. The CABE Committee’s 1944 Report on ‘Postwar plan for educational development in India’ (the Sargent Plan), sought to ‘Indianise’ education, universalise primary education and improve overall quality. The 1986-’92 policy, though robust in concept and orientation, has not delivered acceptable outcomes in the education sector. Despite the stated priority and the…

THE 100% CLUB SECTORS WHERE 100 PER CENT FOREIGN INVESTMENT WAS ALREADY PERMITTED AGRICULTURE/ANIMAL HUSBANDRY Pisciculture, aquaculture and animal husbandry included on June 20; already existing in floriculture, horticulture MINING Coal, lignite, precious ores, coal processing, titanium PHARMACEUTICALS Extended to brownfield projects; 100 per cent FDI already in greenfield AVIATION Brownfield airports included. Ground handling services, nonsche duled air transport already open to full FDI MEDIA Cable, DTH, nonnews uplinking, technical-scientific magazine publishing PETROLEUM Exploration, pipeline, regasification infrastructure CONSTRUCTION DEVELOPMENT Township, housing, built-up infrastructure, industrial parks SATELLITES Establishment and operation, subject to ISRO and government guidelines FINANCIAL SERVICES Asset reconstruction companies, NBFCs, ATM operations TELECOM All services, including telecom infrastructure providers NEWLY OPEN FOR FDI BUSINESS Sectors opened between 2014 and June 20, 2016 DEFENCE Subject to clearances from defence…

All of Us in Our Own Lives by Manjushree Thapa Aleph Book Company Price Rs 499 Pages 213 Manjushree Thapa’s third novel All of Us in Our Own Lives portrays Nepal as if through a prism, tracing each channel of light bouncing through glass. In an unparalleled exploration of the socio-economic layers of the country, Thapa examines from each prismatic angle the lives of the Nepalese. Few nations as small as Nepal receive as much international attention. But, thanks to the country’s remarkable geography with its beloved and familiar strains, Gorkha power, the 2015 earthquake and the country’s role as chief pawn in the grand match between India and China, Nepal enjoys the concentrated gaze so many Third World countries (usually hastily clubbed together in their culture and deprivation) yearn…

GETTING SHREW-D Indian-American actor Maulik Pancholy (of 30 Rock fame) has taken to the stage as part of the Bard’s 400th death anniversary celebrations. The Yale School of Drama alumnus plays Katherina in the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s all-male musical production of The Taming of the Shrew in Washington. LONG WAY FROM HOME Best remembered as Ranbir Kapoor’s bubbly buddy in Wake Up Sid!, Shikha Talsania will now have Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sonam Kapoor and Swara Bhaskar as her BFFs on the big screen. Daughter of comedian Tiku Talsania, the 30-year-old has a big part in Veere Di Wedding, in which a gang of girlfriends head to Thailand for hen party bash. BEGUM JAAN 2.0 Daisy Shah The Jai Ho actress makes her stage debut as a lonely Lucknow courtesan who…

1 DOLCE & GABBANA DAUPHINE TEXTURED LEATHER TOTE Dolce & Gabbana’s texturedleather tote is printed with painted tulips and finished with subtle gold hardware and has a spacious blush suede-lined interior that comes with a detachable pouch. Carry yours in-hand or over your shoulder. Price $2,494 Buy from www.dolcegabbana.com 2 CHRISTIAN LACROIX VINTAGE BROOCH This yellow and white pearls and metal flower motif brooch from Christian Lacroix Vintage made of Murano glass is made in France. It is the perfect summer accessory for the day to night look. Price $792 Buy from www.farfetch.com 3 MARNI EMBELLISHED BELT This multi-coloured calf leather ornate belt from Marni features glitter detail, crystal and rhinestone embellishments and a concealed fastening. Its vintage charm and elegance makes it the accessory to play around with this summer. Price…

“We’re about technical mastery meeting exquisite artistry” —PATRICK HOFFMANN, CEO, ULYSEE NARDIN Why did you choose to make this watch? Since 1846, when a visionary Ulysse Nardin set out to make precision marine and pocket chronometers for the world’s navies, the dynamic force of the sea has given life to his dream: to chart a unique course through the world of mechanical watchmaking. Ulysse Nardin continually seeks innovation, creating, developing and manufacturing astonishing timepieces. This impressive timepiece showcases breakthrough technology in the nautical design of the Marine collection. Evoking the golden age of yachting is the patented time display; a boom pulled by super-strong nanowires that incorporates a majestic tourbillon. It is the most appropriate timepiece to honor and mark 170 years of Ulysse Nardin and the 20th anniversary of…

GOLD STANDARD Classique Phase De Lune Dame 9088 BREGUET Breguet’s Classique Phase De Lune is a watch for a woman who prefers subtle details. The white-gold timepiece, 30mm in diameter, features exquisitely fluted sides and a dial in white ‘grand feu’ enamel. The latter is adorned with Arabic numerals, also known as ‘Breguet numerals’ a nod to the founder of the House, who designed them in 1783. The minutes track, made up of tiny stars, together with stylised fleurs-de-lis for the five-minute fractions pay homage to another Breguet tradition. The blue steel hours and minutes hands are inspired by the famous open-tipped Breguet hands. In addition, the house has also produced a model with natural mother-of-pearl, engine-turned by hand, complete with Breguet hands and Roman numerals, in white or rose…

Refusing to be enslaved by the 86,400 seconds we call a day, we are snobs of the infinite and lovers of all that’s eternal. Jaquet Droz revolutionised watchmaking in the 18th century. In conceiving two barely superimposed dials, one of them off-centered at 7 o’clock and with an extra-fine hand marking the seconds, the new Grande Seconde Off-Centered Onyx embodies this essential Jaquet Droz design code and displays a striking graphic simplicity with a stylised black dial of edgy, intense black directly cut out from an onyx mineral disc. Together, the two indexes, crafted from 18-carat white gold, form the legendary figure 8, a symbol of balance and wholeness all encased in a 43mm stainless steel frame, whose diameter further amplifies the exceptional, magnetic blackness of the dial designed to…

RESTAURANTREVIEW / BUNTA BAR 1 ODE TO BUNTA Remember the iridescent marbles—or kanchas— we would play with as children? Bunta Bar, the newly opened cafe and bar in Janpath, brings back that delicious slice of carefree childhood memory. Walk in and you will be in awe of the multiple uses the humble codd-necked Bunta bottle has been put to. From wall fixtures to chandeliers and ofcourse, used to serve delicious concoctions, it is clear that Bunta remains the hero here. The bar menu stands out with its Long Island iced tea served in plastic pouches and a drip pipe, kala khatta vodka, and the Bunta cocktail served in a bunta bottle. The food menu at Bunta Bar is an eclectic desi smorgasbord of failsafe dishes like pizzas with a North…

Q. Your last film Bela Seshe was a family drama that drew audiences from across communities and even non-Bengali speaking households. How has the audience received Praktan? A. This time we are getting feedback spanning generations. From 11:45a.m. shows to the 9:50 p.m. ones, most are running to capacity in cineplexes. I guess everyone has that one ‘ex’ or that ‘one who got away’. Strangely, the film relates to everyones—from children in the tenth standard to the married and elderly or even that hip couple from Bangalore. Q. What was it like directing Rituparna and Prosenjit after 14 years? A. My co-director, Nandita Roy had written the script in 2003 which is when they weren’t working together. We are grateful that they agreed to work together with us again. When…

You see that flash of gold Rolex or the trusty leather band of an HMT. Watches, even when hidden behind cuffs of formal shirts are for many the equivalent of wearing one’s personality on one’s sleeve. “But if you invest in your watches, then why not in your clocks?” asks Praveen Kanodia, 43, director, Just For Clocks, who stocks a range of high end designer clocks sourced from niche clockmakers and designers across the world. In Kolkata, Just For Clocks’s display is spread out over three storeys of Spacio, an interiors showroom that Kanodia is the director of along with brother Naveen Kanodia, 44. A clock is not just a clock here, promises Kanodia. “It’s a conversation starter. It can be a piece of art or be a part of…

JUNE 20, 2016 Why India has reason to worry “India’s policy of no-first-use is underscored by massive retaliation in the event of being targeted by nukes. Nuclear weapons are not toys to play with. If Pakistan is to survive, they should stop talking of nuclear war with India.” M.R.G. MURTHY, Mysore Inching Towards Inclusion Modi’s calibrated diplomacy can compel Barack Obama to recommend India’s case for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG in Sight). India’s record on nuclear proliferation is impeccable. By contrast, Pakistan has been accused by US officials of supplying nuclear technology to North Korea for military purposes while a weekly there alleged scientist A.Q. Khan had meetings with Al Qaeda members. If China and Pakistan do thwart India’s chances of joining the NSG, then we might…

BULLET TRAIN VS BICYCLES One of PM Narendra Modi’s key pitches for the 2017 Uttar Pradesh polls is a bullet train between Delhi and his Lok Sabha constituency. With the unlikely claim that it would cover the 782 km distance between the national capital and the temple town in 2.5 hours, it has left Akhilesh Yadav far behind in the race. The CM had ordered the construction of cycle tracks (the bicycle is the Samajwadi Party’s symbol) in all of UP’s 75 dis tricts in December 2014. Eighteen months on, Varanasi is the only exc eption. Tracks had been proposed at the collec torate, Ashapur and Lalpur areas, but early this month, the district administration said the roads were too narrow for land acquisition and refunded the first instalment of…

If there is one sector that needs less government and more governance, it is aviation. The sector has been stagnant owing to ill-conceived policies, high taxes, poor regulation and monopoly airports. Once India’s lodestar, the JRD Tata-founded Air India is decrepit and moribund today. For maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services, our aircraft fly to Sri Lanka, West Asia or Singapore where, ironically, many of the technicians and engineers are Indian. Our 40 or so active airports put together handle less cargo than the Hong Kong airport alone. General aviation (comprising helicopters, business jets and small turboprop planes that offer regional connectivity), which exploded during UPA-I, has shrunk. n such a bleak scenario, a sound, visionary aviation policy was needed. But the policy advertised as the first since Independence falls…

Travelling to international destinations needs a lot of planning and preparation. From hotel booking to airline tickets, and the most important of all: how to carry money while travelling abroad. Given the multiple options available now, ranging from prepaid travel cards to international mobile wallets, choosing the right one can be a bit confusing. The lowdown on the various options: CARRYING CASH Exchanging cash at airports and hotels might not be a great idea as foreign exchange rates at these places are the highest. Still, keep some foreign currency so that you have cash on hand for immediate expenses. PREPAID TRAVEL CARDS It’s said to be the most inexpensive, safest and convenient way to carry money across the world. Banks like Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank etc and non-bankers…

THE GOSPEL OF YUDAS By K.R. Meera Penguin Price Rs 599 Pages 109 Consigned to history, the Emergency is mostly forgotten. It’s a period rendered fabular, a surreal stain on what we like to think of as our robust, argumentative democracy. For 21 months, though, India was not a democracy, was ruled by the whims of an autocrat and a son made delirious by power. People were arbitrarily imprisoned. People were tortured. And no one from Congress has seen fit to apologise. In a newspaper interview last year, Salman Khurshid even argued that he “could even ask the Opposition to apologise because they created a situation in which it became necessary to bring about the Emergency”. A new English translation of award-winning Malayalam writer K.R. Meera’s novella, The Gospel of…

It’s precious, in short supply and labelled one of the world’s biggest luxuries today. Till recently time wasn’t a consequence, a desire, a fragment of nostalgia; it was quite simply, just time, measured out in slow minutes that morphed into liquid hours. Yet given the way the world has changed, time too needs to reorient itself and give itself a new face. The watch industry is doing a fine job of pioneering this change and giving it a new impetus. Our annual watch special pays tribute to the instruments that measure time. The two flagship watch events, Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie or SIHH in Geneva and the Basel World watch fair have become the focal points for all those who are passionate about timepieces and everything new they…

2016 stands as a milestone year as far as the invention of the chronograph goes. Described by his peers as a “gifted artist”, an “eminent scholar” and “a specialist in transcendent horology”, Louis Moinet began work on the chronograph in 1815 and completed it in 1816. This year, we celebrate the 200th anniversary of this complication that has changed the industry. Paying tribute to this great inventor, artist and academic, we dedicate this section to the finest chronographs that luxury Swiss watchmakers have introduced this year. Bright Spark Memoris 200th Anniversary LOUIS MOINET To celebrate the bicentenary of the maker’s invention, Louis Moinet lights up the stars by presenting Memoris, the first chronograph-watch clothed with light. The Memoris 200th Anniversary uses a fixed graver engraving technique that is unprecedented in…

The world of watchmaking has long been a domain of the Swiss who have typically enjoyed an international presence. So this year, would be the very first in history where we have Indian ownership of a legendary Swiss brand. The brand is all set to launch in India at the end of the year and according to Thomas Morf, CEO, Favre-Leuba, “We are very proud to be a brand owned by the Tata Group as it has a proven track record of reviving global brands in other industries such as Jaguar or Land Rover and at Favre-Leuba we are aiming to achieve the same in the watch industry. Favre-Leuba being a Swiss brand is entirely based and managed in Switzerland by a team of industry specialists. For the re-launch in…

Taking the road less travelled is brave but paving your own path is difficult. While Parmigiani’s investment in new technology goes beyond the traditional Swiss lever escapement, Bvlgari chose to craft their minute repeater in titanium. Greubel Forsey produced a truly hand-made watch the traditional Swiss way, Fabergé made its foray into haute horlogerie with four new movements. Discovering the ‘different’ that made a difference in 2016. PURE DESIGN LE GARDE TEMPS—NAISSANCE D’UNE MONTRENT GRUBEL FORSEY It all started with the vision of three highly renowned watch creators, Robert Greubel, Stefen Forsey and Philippe Dufour; united by a common goal of recording and preserving traditional watchmaking techniques. A young watchmaking teacher, Michel Boulanger, was entrusted with the role of learning such techniques before they were permanently lost. This how the…

TOP FIVE HEALTH TIPS 1 Never skip your meal and balance your diet with proper carbohydrates, proteins and fats 2 Keep yourself hydrated 3 Mix cardio with weight training for quicker results 4 Sleep for 7 to 8 hours every night 5 Eat every 2 to 3 hours to boost your metabolism. Higher the metabolism rate, better your fitness levels At a time when youngsters are busy juggling corporate jobs, Piyush Kerni is helping people get involved in a fitness routine. This 25-year-old founded Fitness Universe, a protein supplement brand in 2013 to bring “good quality fitness supplements” to the country. “I came to know that imported supplements were exorbitantly expensive and Indian brands were just mixing anything and everything in the name of supplements. And then there were those…

After years of lethargy, the government appears to be waking up to economic imperatives, initiating changes that are the most radical India has ever seen. Also, for once, there is a move to build a consensus about change, with the Opposition being used as sounding boards and the media as conduits to tell the population that the situation is terrible, and changes are necessary. Many people suggested that the IMF—pressing for deflation and deregulation in return for emergency loans— and not Singh was the real agent of change. And hopes for a stable economic future were tempered by fears of hard times ahead. But nobody was willing to detract from the importance of what the man was trying to do: making a move to clean up India’s economic mess. The…

It had been 16 years since I had the opportunity to question Russian President Vladimir Putin. When I interviewed him at the Kremlin in 2000 for INDIA TODAY, Putin had just taken over as President. He was catapulted to the most powerful post in Russia without too many credentials, except being a former KGB spy, a party loyalist and a black belt in judo. Putin had been tasked with pulling Russia out of the deep morass it had sunk into—chaos prevailed across the federation, the oligarchs controlled the economy, the new mafiosi ruled the streets and corruption was rampant. But even then he exhibited a quiet determination and a firmness (his rivals called it ruthlessness) to get the job done. When I met Putin for an exclusive interaction in St…

Raghuram Rajan, the ‘rockstar’ governor who steered the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) through treacherous global financial headwinds for three years, was an outlier in more ways than one. When was the last time India’s central bank had a governor lauded in international circles for predicting the global financial crisis? He who grabbed newspaper space with his charming manner and sharp suits and was also the subject of heated public debate for his unflinching war on inflation. As Rajan, 53, hangs up his boots on September 4, the country is divided on the virtues of his comparatively short tenure as the RBI’s 23rd governor. Short because he will be only the second RBI governor since 1991 (S. Venkitaramanan was the other) to not have served for five years. There is…

Paying property tax is always a daunting proposition. A long, seemingly never-ending queue, and then a lengthy form to fill at the end of it. Delhi, Maharashtra and Karnataka provide some relief, initiating an online payment facility for property tax. All you need to do is visit the municipal corporation site of the particular state/city/zone you are in. THINGS TO KEEP READY BEFORE YOU PAY TAX ONLINE All details regarding zonal classification, location, dimension, built-up area, number of floors, etc of your property On the municipal corporation page, click property tax payment option Enter your property ID number, owner’s name and load the document relevant to your property (which details your zone/property type, etc); you can find property ID number in previous property tax receipts Select assessment year Opt for…

BASE CAMP PACKAGE Up to a lakh EVEREST PACKAGE Up to Rs 18 lakh BEST TIME FOR THE EXPEDITION Apr-May Sept-Oct TIME TAKEN FOR THE EXPEDITION 40 days They called him Everest paagla (mad) in his hometown Bankura. Subhas Pal, 58, could be seen poring over a map of the mountain when he was not transporting goods in his Tata Ace. His windscreen was plastered with postcards of all shapes and sizes—of the snow-clad peak dazzling in the sun or reflecting the waning colours of the sunset. They were his escape from the drudgery of everyday life, constant fuel for his Everest dream. Nothing came in the way of his burning desire, not the fondness for his 11-year-old daughter Sushrita, not his lower middle class background, which made it difficult…

THE BOOK OF SHIVA by Ravi Shankar Etteth HarperCollins India Price Rs 499 Pages 255 Ravi Shankar Etteth, whose repertoire extends from political cartoons to crime fiction, has added another feather to his quill with his latest novel. Chronicling the journey of the monk Asananda, sent by his Guru to find the mystical Book of Shiva, the travelogue-style book is replete with encounters with fantastical characters and looming questions, answers to which eventually fall into place THE COLOURS OF DESIRE ON THE CANVAS OF RESTRAINT by Sudhamahi Regunathan HarperCollins India Price Rs 399 Pages 278 “Jainism was not born with Mahavira,” reveals Regunathan in The Colours..., which charts the story of the preceding 23 Tirthankaras through mythological scriptures and allegories. The book is incisive yet vibrant and delves into the…

The Swiss watch industry has faced many setbacks this past year as the business grappled, among other things, with a slowdown in Swiss exports. The rise of the smart watch also worried traditional manufactuers who saw this as a real threat to their autonomy. Add to that sluggish sales witnessed in the South-East Asian region and there was plenty to be concerned about. As a result, the year 2016 has inspired the Swiss watch industry to think smart and be sensible rather than blindly ape the ultimate smart watch. In the face of these multiple challenges, the Swiss have done what they do best; innovate, so that 2016 is different. This promises to be a year when watch manufactures re-evaluate their pricing strategy. An accessible price point seems to be…

Harry Winston once said “People will stare. Make it worth their while”. The fascinating world of bejewelled watches has always been in a state of dynamic evolution aesthetically. The play of colour, the setting of precious and semi-precious stones and the varied motifs remain intrinsic to their innate appeal with women. While the most prominent trend in high-jewellery watches last year was secret-watches, this year we see pendant watches ruling. Romancing History Limelight Exceptional Piece PIAGET Piaget takes inspiration from the two legendary cities of Venice and Samarkand for its new collection. Entitled “Secrets & Lights—A Mythical Journey by Piaget”, the collection celebrates the mysterious and captivating light effects born of an invisible time: namely the countless hours devoted to each creation that echoes the history of the Silk Route.…

In an industry that rose from the ashes of the ‘quartz ‘crisis, one would have thought that family-controlled watch businesses would be the mainstay. Instead, we have seen a stronghold of conglomerates that control 90 per cent of the luxury Swiss watch industry among the Fab Four. Most of the time the talented artisans and master watchmakers and their entrepreneurial spirit is overpowered by the financial clout of these giants. The independents though are the ones who have endured this resistance. Their sheer creativity and brawny technical prowess has won them the patronage of horological aficionados. This has clearly turned the tide for these small ateliers. Their work, though limited in number, has actually brought about real exclusivity as compared to the big brands. Here’s a closer look at the…

Janpath ORGANIC FLAIR Recycling has been one of the coolest existing trends. Go natural with an all-cotton look, from attire to accessory. PEOPLE TREE Top Rs 1,250 Shorts Rs 950 Watchband Rs 100 Neckpiece Rs 650 Bracelet Rs 275 Bangles Rs 225 Earrings Rs 265 Footwear Stylist’s OWN Styled by SRISHTI JHA Make-up & hair- SRISHTI JHA Photographed by M ZHAZO Model- Luana from KARMA MODELS Hauz Khas Village OFF TO THE STREET MAATI Painted t-shirt Rs 1,900 Bracelets Rs 350 EACH Earrings Rs 250 Neckpiece Rs 650 Shahpurjat POWER DRESSING Go formal in style with the shirt dress with leather woven pockets. Yes, you can wear leather in summers. RARA AVIS Shirt dress Rs 15,900 Handcrafted doctor bag Rs 24,900 Neckpiece Rs 6,500 Footwear Price On request Khan Market…

ANIMAL INSTINCTS Ismail Shariff , 36 I SMAIL SHARIFF, 36, REMEMBERS THE DATE he bought his first camera. This was back in 2005, when he was studying in Budapest and the journey ever since has turned him from a corporate professional to an entrepreneur, “and a wildlife photographer for life,” he says. Following a family of tigers for documentation or losing all sense of time shooting snow leopards at Hemis National Park in Ladakh—is what Shariff does for passion, if not for a living. He has made more visits to the Tadoba National Park, Maharashtra, than he cares to remember but recalls the time when he spotted a blue-eyed tiger in Bandhavgarh. “It was almost like a studio set-up. We were on a slope and it was almost on eye…

THE FASHION RULEBOOK THIS SEASON 1 Less is more, go for minimalism 2 Opt for a fine balance between drape and structure 3 Look decadent in tones of blue and ivory. 4 A draped kurta paired with a well fitted jacket works well for the Indian man 5 Clean lines and a perfect fit are a must. We have always looked at Kolkata as an artistic space and believed that it deserves to have products that come from a creative mindset. We have seen that the men in Kolkata have a keen sense of design. Perhaps because of their upbringing or exposure to the city’s rich heritage in textiles. They understand textures, fabric and drapes—which are all elements that we usually play around with while creating our designs. Unfortunately, the…