Innholdsfortegnelse for September 26, 2016 i India Today

As we head to work in the mornings, sit back at home for dinner with the family or go out on the weekend for a grocery run, ignoring aches and niggles as routine irritants, a vast majority of Indians are unaware that their bones are slowly being eaten away from within. Vitamin D deficiency has reached epidemic proportions in the country. More than 70 per cent of the population is deficient and another 15 per cent has insufficient quantities of the ‘sunshine vitamin’ in their bodies. This is leading to a host of debilitating problems. Vitamin D deficiency can cause osteoporosis and rickets, apart from cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, infections such as tuberculosis and even depression. In extreme cases, the bones become like butter. A bit of pressure could leave…

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Vietnam in advance of his participation in the G-20 Summit at Hangzhou, China, with the announcement of a $500 million defence line of credit, had the hallmark of a classic outflanking manoeuvre that Chanakya may have approved of. As Chinese activism on India’s western flank increases, as manifest in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project and the development of Gwadar as a potential Chinese naval base, engaging more closely with countries in China’s neighbourhood, particularly those threatened by its unilateral military actions in the South China Sea, appears to make sense. The intent was not lost on a commentator in the Chinese paper, Global Times, who observed: “New Delhi and Hanoi both wish to raise their bargaining position while having interactions with China but…

BODY WEIGHT People with excess body fat tend to have lower vitamin D levels; obese or overweight people at higher risk SEDENTARY JOB Working for long hours reduces vitamin D by 8%; erratic lifestyles in urban India cutting sun exposure DARK SKIN The average Indian needs 10 times more sun to pro duce the same amount of Vit D as most Europeans LESS TIME OUTDOORS Spending very little time out doors. Even a generation ago, this was not the case AWAY FROM THE EQUATOR Vitamin D in skin depends on exposure to UVBradiation, so less sun is a hazard AGE AND LONGEVITY Seniors process 4x less vitamin D from the sun than the young (less cho lesterol in skin)…

Manish Sisodia pulled up outside the gate to his official residence on Mathura Road, in central Delhi, on a recent weekday evening. Delhi’s deputy chief minister strode towards his home office, a set of sparse rooms, overlit so that everything, sofas and people, looked a little shabbier, seams a little more exposed. Assistants followed, bowed under the weight of files. Two others wheeled a pair of squat, burgundy leather despatch boxes into the office. The scene is like a parody of industry, as if Sisodia were about to enter the Circumlocution Office and wade through an ocean of government paperwork to reach his marooned desk. When Sisodia emerged from his office, it was with an apology: “Sorry, I just cleared 50 to 60 files.” He had a flight to Finland…

Ahead of the 2014 general elections, Narendra Modi successfully projected the image of a tough leader who would transform the terms on which India dealt with terrorism emanating from Pakistan. During his initial months in office, Prime Minister Modi seemed to make good on this promise. Since then, however, the Indian government has struggled to evolve a coherent and consistent policy towards Pakistan. Faced with terrorist attacks, New Delhi has resorted to the old playbook of calling off talks and urging Pakistan to bring the perpetrators to justice. To be sure, the government hasn’t had to deal with a major attack on the scale of 26/11. In consequence, the question of how the Modi government will respond to a major terror attack remains open. In particular, the old debates on…

1 Filling the room with too much One of the most common mistake is filling the house with heavy furniture pieces and accessories that make the space look smaller. Take for instance, a bedroom. It has multiple purposes; besides sleeping one tends to use as a space to unwind and watch TV, store items and sometimes even catch-up with work. An expert will be able to organise the space efficiently as per all the functions. So that the bedroom is free of clutter, while being utilitatian and above all stylish. 2 Not seeing the big picture Another big issue is that homeowners tend to look at singular piece (be it furniture, furnishings, lighting or accessories) and purchase it without thinking or understanding how it will look in their home. Unfortunately,…

Most think us think of security devices as oversized eyesores with such complicated systems that need nothing less than a PhD to be deciphered. However, in the modern context, this couldn't be further from the truth. Forget large, most nifty gizmos fit in the palm of your hand, come in a plethora of colours and styles and have easy-to-understand manuals. In fact, more often than not, they are installed by the agency, implying that you don’t even need to lift a finger. Home security is a major issue, one that should not be taken lightly. The simplest form of home security is locks, grills, doors and guards. Today, the market is flooded with different types of security systems for households and businesses. Typically, you will find components such as a…

TWIRL STORY An example of exquisite Gamthi work, this lehenga in blue, pink, green and black combination has an embroidered border of tikka and thread work and is paired with a bright green blouse with heavy gamthi work. GO WITH THE FLOW The flowing black chaniya with traditional Kutchi Gamthi work flares up to a diameter of seven metres with every garba twirl. The bright blouse is embroidered with tikka and thread work with birds and leaves as the main motifs. SUMMER BREEZE This vibrant green chaniya has heavy Kutchi thread embroidered bird shaped motifs. The waist band showcases motifs of dancing human figures with the embroidered ochre blouse is a blend of Gamthi work and zari buttis. DANCE AWAY THE BLUES The beautiful bright blue chaniya comes with a…

SEPTEMBER 5 , 2016 In a state that has bled since Independence, lack of progress has bred resentment “The present insurrection is patently aimed at securing the accession of J&K to Pakistan under the euphemism of ‘azadi’. The uprising has to be put down—humanely, if possible, ruthlessly, if necessary.” BISHAN SAHAI, via e-mail Cause and the Kashmir Effect In Kashmir, the need to address people’s anger with security forces has been neglected while making futile attempts to engage with separatist leaders (What Went Wrong in Kashmir and How to Fix It). There is no way of pinpointing who is responsible for the mess the state is in. For as long as one can remember, it has been in the militants’ crosshairs, bent on wanton violence, mostly orchestrated from across the…

AD AADMI PARTY Fresh trouble is brewing for Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP government in Delhi. A Supreme Court-appointed three-member panel is likely to come down hard on its ad spends. Led by former chief election commissioner B.B. Tan don, with Rajat Sharma, editor-in-chief, India TV, and Piyush Pandey, executive chairman, South Asia, Ogilvy & Mather, the panel was constituted in April this year to check violations of the SC’s guidelines on government advertising. It is likely to recommend punishment for guilty officials and the recovery of roughly Rs 15 crore from AAP party funds. The panel was looking into the case after Congress leader Ajay Maken petitioned the Delhi High Court in July over the alleged wastage by AAP of public money in other states. BETTER HALF Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis’s…

Vit D deficiency is high among an astonishing range of Indians 80% urban Indians found to suffer from Vit D deficiency 50% showed no symptoms, but were found deficient after a check-up 81% of 14.97 lakh people in 20-40 age group across India had sketchy levels 80% men out of 73 lakh screened across India had below par D levels 90% people complaining of back pain, sore muscles found low on vitamin D 90% schoolchildren in Delhi found to have rampant vitamin D deficiency GET INTO THE RED How sunlight, a natural source of vitamin D, comes into play across the world Insufficient most of the year Insufficient at least one month Sufficent all year Source: Endocrine Society of India, World Bank and media reports Reasons for Vit-D deficieny VEGETARIAN…

NAVIN B. CHAWLA Former Chief Election Commissioner of India Holding simultaneous elections is a proposal worth considering. However, its prerequisite is political consultation leading to consensus, follo wed by the necessary amendments to the Constitution. Without consensus, any amendment to the Constitution will not be desirable. The Election Commission is busy with elections throughout the year. It is either conducting elections or preparing for the next round. In 2014, for instance, the general elections were clubbed with polls to four state assemblies. Two other assembly elections followed in SeptemberOctober, and another two in NovemberDecember. The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) was in force in the whole country or large parts thereof. The conduct of elections has now become increasingly complex. With our continental size and 816 million voters, this is…

Mumbai-based emcee and new MTV VJ Clince Varghese won’t be too popular among flight attendants. Before the flight takes off, the 25-year-old has to take a wide-angle selfie with his GoPro camera. A few flyers have smiled, some have seemed bemused, and others, sleepy, in the over 55 pictures he now possesses. Only once has Varghese been threatened with eviction. He stayed on board and still got his groupie. “I am besharam that way,” says Varghese, winner of MTV’s show Great Selfie Challenge last year. “A selfie is about mastering the skill of being confident and spreading smiles.” But Varghese’s lofty photographic pursuits may suffer with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation recently announcing it will ban selfies for both passengers and crew. Varghese, though, will come up with another…

In this short and punchy book, Husain Haqqani unpicks the tangled web of ties between India and Pakistan over the past seven decades. There is nothing particularly new in his account. The striking thing about the book is the author’s determined effort to sound a reasoned note amidst the din of competing nationalisms. A former Pakistani ambassador to the United States and advisor to his country’s prime ministers, Haqqani provides an admirably balanced take on why the two countries are unable to bury the hatchet. Indian readers will approve of the candour with which he criticises the disastrous policy of supporting terrorism adopted by successive governments. Yet they should also read him carefully on Pakistani perceptions of India. While readily conceding that the Pakistani establishment has been paranoid about India…

NET WINNER Sumeet Vyas’s successful stint on the internet as star of web series Permanent Roommates and co-writer of Bang Baaja Baaraat have vaulted him to hero status. Now he will star in Ribbon with Kalki Koechlin. HOW WAS THE WEEK? Good Konkana Sensharma Her directorial debut, A Death in the Gunj, earned unanimous praise at its world premiere in Toronto Bad Katrina Kaif 2016 is turning out to be a not-so-great year for the actress whose Baar Baar Dekho failed to impress COMEBACK CUE Amrita Puri has been M.I.A. since Kai Po Che!, focusing on building a career as a designer. The actress will next be seen in Nikkhil Advani’s Star Plus TV series, P.O.W: Bandi Yuddh Ke, an adaptation of the Israeli drama Hatufim that inspired US TV…

Home is a place where you can be yourself. It is a blank canvas, waiting to be filled colour, craft and your personality. However, decorating it can seem daunting. Do you stick to a safe neutral scheme in muted colours and minimal patterns, or look to the latest trends for inspiration? While neutrals can create a calm environment and an on-trend interior initially looks great, does it really reflect your life story? I believe that your home should evolve naturally over time to tell your story. But how do you find and introduce pieces that show who you are? Illustrated and handmade homewares are a lovely way to bring a bit of your personality into your home. They inherently tell a story and can reflect your travels, experiences and interests.…

This will certainly have you foaming in the mouth. What are the common uses of foam? As a mattress, case padding, chair cushions, pillows, motorcycle seats, display models and sound proofing. In short, foam is as commonplace as it gets. Where most of us saw a mundane material, Belgiumbased Michel Sels saw a fabric that had the potential to change the way we look at furniture. So in 2003 he and Pieter Jamart started Sixinch Design. Today they make sofas, chairs and loungers for offices, living rooms, and even the study. THE CREATIVE CONNECT Sixinch was founded keeping two ideas in mind. One was that of combining aesthetics and functionality, and second, merging innovative materials and progressive designs to create both indoor and outdoor furniture. The brand name says it…

Paintings and murals around the world show how artists have used light and shade to illustrate mood and create atmosphere. In decor this is done using pretty lights. However, the art of lighting is a tricky thing. Not only does it put the spotlight on your interiors, its shape and form can either make or mar the look of your room. Thankfully, this Gourmand floor lamp by Italian luxury brand, Visionnaire, falls in the former category. Designed by renowned international design house La Conca the metal structure has several concave surfaces stuck together is such a way that it bounces off the light, creating a shimmering effect. The cherry on the cake (or in this case, lamp) is the gold printed leather lampshade. PRICE on request AT www.visionnaire-home.com…

Mumbai, the city that never sleeps, is a beautiful sight during the festive season as well as the weeks that lead up to it. Come twilight, the shopping districts shimmer with twinkling fairy lights, brightly coloured lanterns say hello from the newly blossomed stalls in bazaars and sway in the wind that blows through window grills across chawls as well as high-rise apartment buildings alike. The four-day festival, which will be celebrated at the end of October this year, illuminates the city like no other. But apart from being the festival of lights, Diwali has over the years also picked up the tradition of giving. The city has no dearth of great gifting options. From Anavila Misra’s stark linen style to the luxurious gemstones of the Kothari’s, from cupcakes that…

Jehan Daruvala has seen more of the world this year than most teenagers have in their lifetime. The 17-yearold racing prodigy, in his second season of single-seater racing, is participating in three different series this year. So, getting a chance to visit his Dadar Parsi colony home comes as a very welcome break. “I get the chance to meet my family and friends; it’s nice to have some time off,” says Daruvala. Even though his fitness routine and workouts continue and his diet is under constant observation, being in Mumbai allows him respite from his grueling schedule in England where he practices on a simulator in Banbury and races with coach Pieter Belmans and works with his mind coach Don MacPherson in Bath. UK has been home since Daruvala was…

Those Aching Bones It’s official. Indians have weak bones. The World Congress on Osteoporosis at Toronto announced out loud to the world a few weeks back. With the World Osteoporosis Day just a week away on October 20, medics have now pressed the panic button. Indians could be having the highest prevalence of bone disorders in the world, they warn. Piecemeal studies, trickling in over the last five years, hinted that bone health in India is heading towards a disaster. There’s now enough research on the ground to give a bird’s eye-view of the nation. Based on the 2001 Census, approximately 163 million Indians are above the age of 50; this number is expected to increase to 230 million by 2015. Even conservative estimates suggest that 20 per cent of…

IT’S THE NEW MENACE, HOLLOWING OUT OUR BONES, PLAYING WITH THE QUALITY OF OUR LIFE—AND DEATH. THE HOPE, HYPE AND HORROR OF VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY Their bones are like butter. So soft that even a bit of pressure leaves a dent. So light that an awkward twist or a careless turn leads to a fall. So brittle that something as simple as bending forward snaps the spine. So porous that when metal screws are put in to fix a fracture, bones crumble like egg shells. That’s what orthopedicians at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi are talking about: patients with such abysmal levels of vitamin D in their blood and such acute bone decay that they make even veteran doctors weak in the knees. Suddenly, vitamin…

GUEST COLUMN “O, sunlight! The most precious gold to be found on Earth.”—Roman Payne India has been a country of sun worshippers since ancient times. For the most part of the year, the sun beats down on us relentlessly. Indeed, India is looking to harness the power of the sun to solve its energy problems and is on its way to becoming a ‘solar superpower’. It is ironic, therefore, that Indians are commonly found to 1be lacking in Vitamin D, popularly called the sunshine vitamin, as it is synthesised in the skin on exposure to sunlight. There are several possible reasons for this phenomenon. First, the oppressive heat, coupled with a never-ending quest for fair skin that makes Indians heliophobic. With increasing urbanisation, we also spend less time outdoors. Second,…

C lass work” is how 62-yearold Manohar Lal Khattar describes the 14 long years he spent honing his organisational skills as a full-time pracharak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. The smile on his face tells you that it was a happy time, completely unlike the insanely confounding first 20 months as Haryana’s chief minister. He sees this, his current assignment, as “mass work”. For someone who arrived in the posh chief ministerial bungalow in Chandigarh’s Sector 3 with all his worldly possessions in one suitcase, Khattar remains aloof to the relatively plush trappings of his office, including a set of brand new bulletproof Toyota Land Cruisers replacing the trusty motorcycle he so loved as an RSS pracharak. But the first-time CM, like his mentor Prime Minister Narendra Modi a confirmed…

For some decades now, three clichés have been painfully ubiquitous in commentaries on India. One is a reference to US Amb assador Galbraith’s rendition of us as a ‘functioning anarchy’. The second is economist Raj Krishna’s description of our tepid post-Independence performance as a ‘Hindu rate of gro wth’. And the third is Ram Manohar Lohia’s dismissal of Indira Gandhi as a goongi gudiya (or voiceless puppet). Audiences in places such as the India International Centre would nod sagely and smile conspiratorially as these clichés were trotted out: they were like passwords for entry into a self-anointed cognoscenti. To Ramachandra Guha’s credit he repeats only the third of these tired phrases in his most recent Demo crats and Dissenters, and yet his book falls squarely within that particular intellectual milieu,…

Make a Trunk Call If you are looking for a fresh feel for your interiors then Inhabit's new furniture range, The Mitra Collection, is worth a look. Featured here is Chota Bada Sandook from the collection. It is a trunk wrapped with kilim style fabric with interesting accents. PRICE on request AT 8-2-602/C, Road No. 10 Banjara Hills, Hyderabad Entry Point Considered the gateway to your home, a door says a lot about the owner's style and taste and also doubles up as a means to keep you and your loved ones protected. Keeping this in mind, wood veneer company Coast To Coast Designs has introduced a range of 100 per cent customised engineered doors and frames. The ready-to-fit doors and frames are one of the best tools for not…

Foam Fixation Though it looks like a bag, this one called Take a Seat from Sixinch design is a portable foam seat. Easy to clean, this waterproof seat comes in all colours, sizes and finishes. PRICE on request AT www.sixinchindia.in Glass Art Beer bottle spiral key hanger from Kavi The PoetryArt Project is made by upcycling a glass beer bottle with acrylic art work and wood and iron pegs. PRICE ₹599 AT www.kavipoetryart.in Rear Find The Bummy Suite, a set of four multicoloured ceramic coasters with inlay from Amalgam serve a dual purpose; they prevent your table from being destroyed and add a bright and colourful element in the room. PRICE on request AT www.facebook.com/amalgam.designs Shake it Up Designed to resemble glass bulbs hanging from a height this Street Light…

One day, vintage enthusiast Paris-based Lionel Obadia found himself looking for an Eames chair, a popular design in the 50s. He was trying his luck online. He ended up spending two hours browsing through scores of websites and each time he found something he liked, he was dogged with doubts about whether the piece was authentic, or if the vendor could be trusted. That’s when he thought, “Wouldn’t it be great to have a website that gathers all these specialist dealers in one place, where I could purchase these rare pieces in a fully secure environment?" And so, Design Market—an online marketplace that gathers vintage design pieces from galleries across the world—was born. Launched in 2014 for the European market, this year it made its worldwide debut. On the site…

Known for vintage-inspired furniture, the British eponymous brand Timothy Oulton has opened its doors in the Capital in collaboration with Tarun Vadehra Interiors. Spread over 3,600 sq ft, the store is visual treat. Here’s what the brand’s founder had to say. Describe your brand Daring, authentic, select and inspired by vintage. The design process... Every piece should have a story, I won’t make it otherwise. Think about it, isn’t it more interesting to eat at a table made from century-old timber from an English mill, or have a coffee table built from the propeller of an old fishing boat? Tell us about materials you use Reclaimed timber comes from the UK, marble from Italy, leather from Argentina and Brazil. Why use reclaimed materials? I want the pieces to have character…

WE’RE DEALING WITH A DIFFICULT SITUATION BUT WE’RE NOT GOING TO STOP. I AM WILLING TO PLAY THIS TABLE TENNIS WITH THE GOVERNMENT, AND IF IT COMES TO IT I AM WILLING TO TAKE THE LEGAL ROUTE AND APPROACH THE JUDICIARY. I moved to Versova in October last year. My new apartment was right on the beach and the sea view was beautiful. But the first time I stepped onto the beach for a morning walk, I was in for a rude shock. The sand was barely visible; plastic covered every inch, the layers going down as deep as two to three feet. I’m an ocean lover and the sight was so disturbing that I broke down right there on the beach. Later, I surveyed the entire stretch from Sagar…

Athletes use the therapy for two purposes—to stimulate the body before exercise but also as a recovery tool to relieve pain Behind the magnetic door of the surprisingly compact cryotherapy chamber, a cross between a space ship and a stand-alone shower room, the air has been brought down to a chilling -130 degrees. Handing me a pair of thick socks and a toweling coat, Neville Wadia, director, The Alchemy Life, asks me to ensure I pat myself completely dry while I change and gear up for the novel therapy session. The three minutes I’m supposed to spend in the subfreezing levels are enough to cause frost bite or another cold-related injury and so I am careful about following Wadia’s instructions. But cryotherapy isn’t as controversial as it seems. Extremely popular…