Innholdsfortegnelse for November 21, 2016 i India Today

He’s a one-man demolition squad who destroyed 16 candidates who competed against him for the Republican Party nomination, bypassed the party during the campaign, cursed the media, mocked the Establishment, demonised his opponent and in spite of a dubious record, has become the President of America. For a rank outsider with no political experience to single-handedly achieve this is remarkable. Somewhat reminiscent of Narendra Modi’s bid for power in the 2014 general election, he tapped into anger against the traditional politicians and alienation from the government. It is the triumph of what historian Richard Hofstadter called the paranoid style in American politics, where the dispossessed feel the American way of life is being taken away from them. What the liberal establishment interpreted as his racism, misogyny and xenophobia are actually…

There is no question today that Delhi faces a public health emergency because of its deteriorating air quality. It is death by breath. The issue now is why has Delhi’s air become so bad and what can be done to combat this toxic and hazardous pollution. In the winter gone past, in November, December 2015 and January 2016, air was classified as “severely polluted” for over 65 per cent of the days. According to the government’s own air quality index, this would mean pollution is so bad that it would cause “respiratory effects even on healthy people”. This winter, the season has started with a toxic bang—the level of particulate matter in the city exceeds 14-16 times the safe limit and is worse than even the infamous London smog of…

A seemingly interminable election cycle is finally at an end, and Donald J. Trump has been elected the 45th President of the United States. It is a mark of the strangeness of the season that the first female nominee of a major political party was the more traditional candidate, but in comparison with her opponent— an opportunistic blowhard with authoritarian instincts—that is precisely what she was. A vote for her was a vote for stability and sobriety over mindless rage. The electorate, on balance, chose rage. America was deeply divided even before it was conceived, with a good portion of its subjects treated for centuries as less than human. But at least since the civil rights era there has been a semblance of common purpose and a broadly shared allegiance…

MANAV RACHNA UNIVERSITY PARTNERS WITH RELIANCE JIO In an effort to digitise its campus and provide new short-term courses to students, Manav Rachna University, Faridabad, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Reliance Jio. As part of the understanding, smart classrooms will be developed on campus and Reliance will set up a training centre to train faculty members in fibre optics technology, sales and marketing. The trained faculty will then impart knowledge to students. Reliance Jio will also provide training and equipment to establish a full-fledged fibre optics communication laboratory on campus. PEARSON INDIA LAUNCHES E-BOOKSTORE, ACADMIX Education publishing agency Pearson has launched a first-of-its-kind academic e-bookstore, Acadmix, in India. It offers a repository of over 10,000 national and international e-books that students can access digitally for a…

Why do a higher percentage of students use a tutor in India than anywhere else in the world? We know that school outcomes determine our children’s future. Board examinations and admission test results are the single factor that determines if and where a child goes to college. With 50 children to a classroom, it is impossible for students to get any personal attention. And yet, each child is different—in talent, in attitude, in family circumstance—nature and nurture make each one of us different. And every student is constrained by time; the academic structure requires them to understand, practice and memorise large quantities of knowledge in limited time. This is where the demand for tutors kicks in. Parents want someone who can guide, motivate and explain, in accordance with the needs…

WRITING STATEMENT OF PURPOSE (SOP) IS AN ART. KEEP IT UNIQUE AND TO-THEPOINT. IT IS AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF THE ENTIRE APPLICATION PROCESS, AND IT IS YOUR VOICE.  If you intend to pursue graduate and postgraduate studies abroad, then you need to take a longterm approach; it requires investment of time, commitment and money. The key element of the application process is writing your statement of purpose (SOP) and keeping it unique and to-the-point. What is statement of purpose (SOP)? The SOP, an important application component, is your voice; it helps the admissions committee better understand your experience, education, skills, personal traits and accomplishments vis-à-vis your intended course of study and aspirations. The SOP is an opportunity to tell your story, and share your passion and individuality, which is not…

 What are the skills that make a hospitality professional? What does it take to create a great customer experience? Are attitude, motivation and attention to detail important? An exhaustive list from an educator’s standpoint. 1 A hospitality state of mind You need to feel a certain passion for people and service to be successful. Presentation and attention to detail can be learned on the job, but a positive can-do attitude to tackle a range of tasks and interact with people from different backgrounds is indispensable. 2 Cultural awareness Accommodating people lies at the heart of hospitality, irrespective of origin and culture. This makes it necessary for students to learn foreign languages and stay curious about different traditions to become cross-cultural communicators. 3 Develop a practical mindset From preparing a meal…

The inside story of why the Tata Sons chairman had to go “More than the sacking of Cyrus Mistry as chairman of Tata Sons, it is the allegations he raised regarding the standards of corporate governance at India’s iconic conglomerate that are making waves” K.S. JAYATHEERTHA, Bengaluru Unresolved Mistry The summary sacking of Cyrus Mistry as Tata Sons chairman has shocked corporate India (The Cyrus Mystery). Ratan Tata has come out of retirement to take back control of the group. While this might seem a very ‘un-Tata’ thing to do, it was clearly a decisive action. We will probably never know what really happened, but with the selection board having just four months to find a successor, they are unlikely to find an experienced hand to take over the sprawling…

THE WEEK IN POLITICAL OBJECTS PETHA The Samajwadi Party has bought large quantities of the sweetmeat from Agra to feed workers on Akhilesh Yadav’s rath yatra DRUMSTICK SEEDS MP WCD minister Archana Chitnis distributed packets of ‘Surajana’ to journalists on Diwali TRAVEL BAGS Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar gave MPs/MLAs Made in China travel bags for the state’s 50th year MAMATA’S CASTLE M amata Banerjee’s one-storeyed house on Kolkata’s 30 B, Harish Chatterjee Street is as much a part of her persona as her flip-flops, white cotton sari and sling bag. But with water seeping through the tiled roof of the termite-ridden, rat-infested structure, the Bengal CM had agreed to shift to a government guesthouse till the house was repaired. But with the news of the shifting came rumours of…

I have seen nothing like this in my life. I do not mean the cancellation of 500 and 1,000 rupee notes, I mean the website of the Reserve Bank of India crashed. Instead, there was a message: “Error 521 Ray ID: 2ff1c1321ce83192 • 2016-11-09 13:54:13.” That is hardly worth a complaint, for the prime minister himself gave a pretty clear explanation. And he gave us in detail the arrangem e nts the gov ernment had made for exchanging banned notes for unbanned ones. All one had to do was to choose one of the exchange counters—in crematoria, milk booths, rail ticket booths and so on—and queue up with one’s sacks of notes. True, it was an unwarranted waste of time; but while one stood for hours, one only had to…

The US presidential election of 2016 will be remembered for its widely unexpected and astonishing outcome, the incendiary nature of its campaign and the perfect storm of anger that it unleashed. Some called it “the election of our discontent”. The idea of America was called into question. In the words of British pollster Lord Ashcroft, who tied his country’s vote on Brexit as analogous to the emergence of the Trump phenomenon in the US: “Brexit and Trump are the opening chapters in a story whose den ouement we have yet to see.” ‘Trumpism’, a growing global phenomenon (witness the rise of the right in many parts of Europe), will not go away even after the election of Donald Trump to the US presidency. The United States is today a…

Choices: Inside the Making of Indian Foreign Policy Shivshankar Menon Penguin Random House Pages 136 Price Rs 559 Ambassador, High Commissioner, Foreign Secretary and National Security Advisor, Shivshankar Menon’s career has spanned some of the most interesting times in Indian diplomacy. A storied career—and we’re fortunate now, to see some of its more intriguing chapters in print. Menon always cut an imposing figure, but his physical stature and lineage (his grandfather was India’s first foreign secretary and his father and uncle too were eminent diplomats) were presumably useful distractions from his subtler intellectual attributes. As a diplomat, Menon must have been difficult to read—when he wanted to be. The same cannot be said of his new book, now exclusively excerpted by IndIa Today. It has its own subterfuges, though—it’s…

FAMILY TIES Soundarya Rajinikanth works with her brother-in-law, Dhanush, for her next. Hopefully its fate will be better than Kochadaiyaan, the film she did with her father. SOUTHERN LIGHT Bejoy Nambiar heads home, down south, for his next. And he is reaching for the stars, bagging Dulquer Salmaan for the Tamil-Malayalam film, Solo. A ROYAL HIGH Jasleen Royal is hitting the right notes as Bollywood’s next big thing. The 25-year-old Punjabi singer and composer, who already has Khoye Hum Tum Kahaan and Raatein to her credit, has also sung the title track of Dear Zindagi. The Brave One It’s back to homeland for Nimrat Kaur. She will be seen next in Ekta Kapoor’s web series. Directed by Nagesh Kukunoor, the actress plays “the first woman to be inducted in a…

The University of Queensland Science Scholarships University of Queensland, Australia, is offering scholarships worth AU$3,000 and AU$10,000 for its science programmes. Students must have passed class 12 with marks equivalent to a Queensland tertiary education rank of 96 or higher, or have a graduation with a GPA of six or higher, along with an offer from the university. The deadline is December 1, 2016. Check https://scholarships.uq.edu.au/scholarship/science-international-scholarships Gandhi Fellowship Programme 2017-19 The Gandhi Fellowship Programme by Kaivalya Education Foundation provides young Indians with an opportunity to work in the education sector. Fellows will be responsible for transforming five schools over a course of two years. They will receive a stipend of ₹14,000 per month. To be eligible, the candidate should be a graduate and not older than 26 years as on…

FACULTY MATTERS A LOT AND MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE. LOOK FOR A COACHING INSTITUTE WHERE TEACHERS ARE EASILY APPROACHABLE AND CAN HELP CLEAR YOUR DOUBTS INDIVIDUALLY Sixteen-year-old Nidhi Sharma has been busy researching coaching options for the past few months. While a majority of her friends got enrolled in the same coaching class, which is more than an hour away from their respective homes, Sharma does not want to follow the crowd. She wants something closer to her home so that she can utilise her time better. Today, it has become a herculean task to find a coaching institute that suits your requirements and pockets. Some key attributes to help you choose the best one. The older the better Well-established institutes are likely to be in high demand by students.…

 Having a medical or engineering degree can provide a host of career options, but with the changing world demographics, an education in liberal arts is critical to success. It teaches students what employers value the most—critical thinking, sound decision making, teamwork, and sensitivity to cultural, economic and societal differences—in addition to providing experiences and understanding to lead a fulfilling life. Five reasons why an education in liberal arts is valuable. Develops learning, critical thinking and effective communication An education in liberal arts provides the tools necessary to think clearly by constantly asking students to articulate their thoughts via papers, presentations and discussions. It aims to train them in various modes of thinking, leading to intellectual growth by application of these skills to examine, analyse and synthesise information. Through personalised attention…

 Academics across the globe are debating on how do we make our next gen learners ‘lifelong’ learners. How do we develop critical and analytical thinking skills in them. It is the responsibility of the policy makers and curriculum developers to design a transformative pedagogy which fosters research-based activities for our schools. Here are ten pointers on how research-based curriculum helps students. 1 Problem-solving skills Students will enter a career that values skills and abilities far different from the workplace talents that are relevant today. They will have to be able to procure, synthesise, and analyse information, conduct specified research and work with teams to engage the newfound knowledge. 2 Firsthand experience They learn more if they have engaged in activities that require applying classroom gathered knowledge to real world problems…

 The heavy gold jewellery stays in the locker and reds and pinks have given way to taupe and power blue; the runup to the D-day is all about spa appointments for the bride and groom and catering is the most carefully crafted affair. The big fat Delhi wedding is all about elaborate planning, contemporary influences and attention to detail. Wedding Wows RANI PINK Matches may be made in heaven, but the big fat Indian wedding is made by some of the most skillful creative visualisers in the city. With opulent set-ups, picturesque destinations, out-of-the-box themes, the Indian wedding isn't just getting bigger and better, it is turning into an affair to remember. "The biggest trend this wedding season is going traditional with a twist of contemporary. Think Paris meets…

 I began my professional career as a curator in the British Museum, in the oriental manuscripts department which subsequently became part of the British Library in 1971. I became a curator because I had the language capacity to curate the Sanskrit manuscript collections in the museum. Back in 1971, I spent some happy hours wondering around the manuscript stalls of the library when I came across three enormous bound volumes containing the five books of Valmiki’s Ramayana (which consists of six books or Kandas—Bala, Ayodhya, Aranya,Kishkindha, Sundara and Yuddha). Four of the five turned out to be the Ramayana commissioned by Raja Jagat Singh of Mewar between 1649 and 1652 and the third one was the first book, Bala Kanda Ramayana which came from the reign of Sangram Singh II…

You can’t miss the echo of Franklin Delano Roosevelt 1932 in Barack Obama 2008. FDR’s New Deal needs a 21st century update and Obama, whose election is indebted to the economic meltdown, is ready to be the man, even at the risk of being labelled a ‘socialist’, which is worse than being called a terrorist in conservative America. (Maybe not after the fall of Lehman Brothers and other towers of capitalism.) Still, apart from the unsolicited endorsement from the economy, what else contributed to the phenomenon of O!b-am-a, which has become a sonorous synonym for the renewal of the American ideal? For, the velocity of his victory has swept away the last vestiges of Republicanism from the erstwhile citadels like Ohio, Florida and Pennsylvania. It happened because the Obama campaign…

Terrorism is a frightening threat, so many have lost their lives because of it.... Enemies from across the border are running their operations using fake currency notes,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his November 8 address. The threat of terrorism held out by the PM as one of the reasons for his phaseout of 500 and 1,000 rupee notes goes deeper than just terrorists using Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN). It is part of a larger stratagem, a low-intensity war against the Indian economy by Pakistan’s deep state. This strategy gathered pace over the past decade, and counterfeit notes began flooding the Indian market. Counterfeiting currency is a favoured tactic of economic war. Under ‘Operation Bernhard’, Nazi Germany printed and distributed fake pound sterling notes to undermine the British…

It was a Wednesday morning late in June and Sudhanshu Kumar was in class joshing with friends. The class was to leave for the school assembly in a few minutes when the student of Dayanand Public School, Jamshedpur, heard a loud cracking sound and then felt an excruciating pain in his back. It took the Class XI student a few seconds to realise he had been shot before he slumped on the desk, bleeding. Kumar had been shot by a classmate sitting two rows behind him. The assailant was chased down and caught, at which point he claimed that the gun had gone off accidentally. School authorities recovered two countrymade handguns from him, one of which was a 7.65 mm pistol with a spent chamber. Kumar still lives, but with…

I n the early 1970s,” writes Shivshankar Menon, “an Indian could see China in one of two ways: as an underground Maoist guerrilla or as a diplomat. I chose the easier course.” Menon intended to return from diplomatic service to pursue a PhD on ancient Indian and Chinese kingship, but ended up advising India’s present leaders rather than studying those of the past. A glittering career culminated as foreign secretary and then national security advisor in eight out of the last ten years of the Congress government. But Choices: Inside the Making of Indian Foreign Policy shows that he never lost his intellectual curiosity, an instinct to see all sides of a situation, and a cool detachment from the passions of government. The book’s structure is simple. Menon describes five…

1 CONNECT OPENING WITH CONCLUSION KEYWORD Looping Every speech requires a good opening and a closing note. Make sure that the beginning content of your speech is mentioned back again in your conclusion so that the speech takes the shape of a loop. 2 ADD NOT MORE THAN TWO CARRY BACK WORDS KEYWORD Value The best way for your speech to be remembered is by having only one or two messages in your script. The audience like to take something back from public speeches, but not in huge numbers. This will ensure your message (carry back value) triggers in people’s mind forever. 3 DON’T PREACH, BUT REACH KEYWORD Reach Whatever you’re trying to deliver, add some facts to it. So, if you’re talking about strenuous work, quote examples of…

 It’s difficult to find an Indian today who hasn’t heard of or tasted a Cremica product. Whether it’s the mayonnaises or the biscuits, Opera chips or the ubiquitous ketchup sachets that come with the fries at the nearby Mcdonald’s. But what most Indians don’t know is that, what is now a dominating food conglomerate, was once a pet project of Rajni Bector in 1978, whose love for ice cream making had her start a small backyard enterprise. Once a cup-sized single scoop, the dollop of success came under the leadership of her son, Akshay Bector, 53, who over three decades has turned Cremica Food Industries Limited into a force to reckon with, with fresh original recipes, leading bread plants, successful joint ventures with top players such as McDonald’s and Quaker…

 The world is slowly discovering that there is no age limit to game addiction. The good news is that the you do not have to resign to merely playing games; you can now make a career out of gaming sitting right here in India which is evolving into one of the fastest growing and largest markets for games process outsourcing. The gaming industry has grown ten-fold in the last decade and is estimated to be raking up $86 billion. OUTSOURCING PROCESS The development cycle for a game includes steps such as game concept development, programming, scripting, character design and creation, animation, level creation and testing. This cycle is divided into three stages—preproduction, production and post-production. While pre-production work revolves around concept art creation, game design and prototyping, a bulk of…