Archive For The “General” Category
Srinagar/New Delhi, Oct 21 : In January this year, the Jammu and Kashmir government opened up the water resources of the erstwhile Himalayan state and signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) to make J (and) K power surplus and to attract the investment of Rs 35,000 crore into the newly carved out Union Territory.
The MoUs were signed for implementation of much awaited mega hydro power projects, including 850 MW Ratle HEP and 930 MW Kirthai-II HEP besides execution of long pending Sawalkot HEP (1856 MW), Uri-I (Stage-II) (240 MW) and Dulhasti (Stage-II) (258 MW).
Besides signing the MOUs nineteen important projects of Jammu and Kashmir Power Department aimed at greater generation, efficient transmission and better distribution of power supply in J (and) K were also inaugurated.
Since then there has been no looking back and efforts are on to make J (and) K self reliant vis-a-vis power generation.
The Jammu and Kashmir has numerous hydro resources and is capable of generating 14,867 MW power but during the past 70-years the erstwhile State was only able to generate 3,504 MW electricity.
But after the MOUs were signed, the administration claimed that the power generation in the Union Territory would double up in the next three to four years.
Union Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy, R.K.
Singh who visited Jammu and Kashmir recently assured the people that the Government of India is committed to provide all possible support to J (and) K across generation, transmission and distribution sectors in order to make J (and) K power surplus, remove all supply constraints and provide 24x7 quality power to all citizens of J (and) K.
During his visit to the UT, Singh along with J (and) K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, inaugurated six transmission and distribution projects worth Rs 118 crore.
The projects that were dedicated to people included 100 MVA,132/33 KV GSS Nowbugh Chadura with 18 Kms D/C 132 kV Transmission Line; Distribution Strengthening works in Circle Bijbehara, Sumbal, Kupwara and Shopian towns; 33/11kV 10MVA Sub Stations at Industrial Estate Khonmoh, Super Speciality SMHS Srinagar completed under the various UT and Central schemes.
According to the officials in the recent past Jammu and Kashmir has attained remarkable progress in the power sector.
It has enhanced its transformation capacity by 150 per cent and revenue generation has gone up by over 23 per cent.
Power politics
Prior to August 5, 2019 -- when the Centre announced its decision to abrogate J (and) K's special status and bifurcated it into two Union Territories -- politicians in the erstwhile state left no opportunity to play politics over hydel power resources of the Himalayan region.
In August 2014, the then Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah, in a meeting with the Union Power Ministry had demanded that NHPC should return the power projects to the state.
He had claimed that the Indus Water Treaty between India and Pakistan was "a cause of enormous losses to Jammu and Kashmir".
"While both India and Pakistan benefited from the treaty, J (and) K was put to a disadvantageous position," Omar Abdullah had stated.
He had termed the treaty as "a hurdle for the launch of a huge water supply project for Greater Jammu to utilise Chenab water to meet the requirements of the people for next 25 years.
Three power projects that the Jammu and Kashmir government wanted the NHPC to return were 690-MW Salal, 480-MW Uri and 390-MW Dulhasti.
Interestingly, Omar had raised the issue just a few months before the assembly elections were to be held in Jammu and Kashmir.
He had upped the ante as his bete-noire Peoples Democratic Party at that point of time had promised people that if it wins the polls it would get all the power projects under NHPC in J (and) K back.
After the National Conference and PDP turned the return of power projects from NHPC into an election plank, the business chambers of both Jammu and Kashmir and civil society members too joined the chorus and sought return of all power projects run by NHPC in J (and) K.
They claimed that there was no justification in its reluctance to handover them to the J (and) K Government.
In March 2015, the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) ruled out the return of power projects to J (and) K.
The then Director, Finance NHPC, ABL Srivastava said the Central Government and Union Power Ministry have made it clear in unambiguous words that there is no question of returning these projects to the J (and) K Government.
J (and) K's power sector revamped
After Jammu and Kashmir's complete merger with the Union of India on August 5, 2019, politics that was played over the hydel resources of Jammu and Kashmir has taken a back seat.
No one wants these power projects back now as the Union Territory has witnessed a complete change in the power scenario during the past two years.
The urban areas are getting electricity 24x7 and the situation in the rural areas has also improved.
Recently, the Administrative Council headed by J (and) K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha authorised the Jammu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (JPDCL) and Kashmir Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL) to implement smart metering project in J (and) K.
These corporations aim to install 6 lakh smart/prepaid meters across J (and) K through a wholly owned subsidiary of Rural Electrification Corporation under the Ministry of Power, Government of India.
Currently, 2 lakh smart meters are being installed in Jammu and Srinagar under the Prime Minister's Development Programme(PMDP).
The new distribution system will improve the quality and reliability of power supply to consumers.
The Smart meters will bring about transparency in metering, billing and collection which will eventually reduce power losses and ensure quality and reliable power supply to consumers.
The power distribution sector of J (and) K has a total consumer base of nearly 21 lakhs, out of which metered consumers are only about 50 per cent.
A strong power sector in J (and) K means ease of living, industrialisation and employment generation.
The government is putting in all the efforts to strengthen J (and) K's power infrastructure which has remained dilapidated for the last several decades.
Past practices of delays have become a history and power projects are being executed at an accelerated pace.
During the past two years, upgradation of power infrastructure, and languishing projects have been completed in record times.
The J (and) K Lieutenant Governor recently stated: "We have presented an investment plan of Rs 12,000 crore by 2025 in transmission and distribution sectors in order to strengthen infrastructure as well prepare a future-ready power infrastructure.
It would not just provide power on demand to all citizens but would also cater to the industrial demand in line with the proposed investment of Rs 28,400 crore under J (and) K's new Industrial Policy."
The revamping of the power sector in Jammu and Kashmir has brought the Union Territory at par with the other states across the country.
The bold steps taken by the Central and UT Governments have driven home a point that there is a huge difference between offering lip service and transforming words into action.
In January this year, Kashmir witnessed a heavy snowfall but the Power Department ensured that people do not face cuts and kept the Valley illuminated in the dark winter nights.
The change surprised the people as in the past snowfall meant no electricity for many days.
People of J (and) K have realized that the ground situation is changing and it is changing for the good.
--IANS
pgh/.
Source: IANS
The MoUs were signed for implementation of much awaited mega hydro power projects, including 850 MW Ratle HEP and 930 MW Kirthai-II HEP besides execution of long pending Sawalkot HEP (1856 MW), Uri-I (Stage-II) (240 MW) and Dulhasti (Stage-II) (258 MW).
Besides signing the MOUs nineteen important projects of Jammu and Kashmir Power Department aimed at greater generation, efficient transmission and better distribution of power supply in J (and) K were also inaugurated.
Since then there has been no looking back and efforts are on to make J (and) K self reliant vis-a-vis power generation.
The Jammu and Kashmir has numerous hydro resources and is capable of generating 14,867 MW power but during the past 70-years the erstwhile State was only able to generate 3,504 MW electricity.
But after the MOUs were signed, the administration claimed that the power generation in the Union Territory would double up in the next three to four years.
Union Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy, R.K.
Singh who visited Jammu and Kashmir recently assured the people that the Government of India is committed to provide all possible support to J (and) K across generation, transmission and distribution sectors in order to make J (and) K power surplus, remove all supply constraints and provide 24x7 quality power to all citizens of J (and) K.
During his visit to the UT, Singh along with J (and) K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, inaugurated six transmission and distribution projects worth Rs 118 crore.
The projects that were dedicated to people included 100 MVA,132/33 KV GSS Nowbugh Chadura with 18 Kms D/C 132 kV Transmission Line; Distribution Strengthening works in Circle Bijbehara, Sumbal, Kupwara and Shopian towns; 33/11kV 10MVA Sub Stations at Industrial Estate Khonmoh, Super Speciality SMHS Srinagar completed under the various UT and Central schemes.
According to the officials in the recent past Jammu and Kashmir has attained remarkable progress in the power sector.
It has enhanced its transformation capacity by 150 per cent and revenue generation has gone up by over 23 per cent.
Power politics
Prior to August 5, 2019 -- when the Centre announced its decision to abrogate J (and) K's special status and bifurcated it into two Union Territories -- politicians in the erstwhile state left no opportunity to play politics over hydel power resources of the Himalayan region.
In August 2014, the then Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah, in a meeting with the Union Power Ministry had demanded that NHPC should return the power projects to the state.
He had claimed that the Indus Water Treaty between India and Pakistan was "a cause of enormous losses to Jammu and Kashmir".
"While both India and Pakistan benefited from the treaty, J (and) K was put to a disadvantageous position," Omar Abdullah had stated.
He had termed the treaty as "a hurdle for the launch of a huge water supply project for Greater Jammu to utilise Chenab water to meet the requirements of the people for next 25 years.
Three power projects that the Jammu and Kashmir government wanted the NHPC to return were 690-MW Salal, 480-MW Uri and 390-MW Dulhasti.
Interestingly, Omar had raised the issue just a few months before the assembly elections were to be held in Jammu and Kashmir.
He had upped the ante as his bete-noire Peoples Democratic Party at that point of time had promised people that if it wins the polls it would get all the power projects under NHPC in J (and) K back.
After the National Conference and PDP turned the return of power projects from NHPC into an election plank, the business chambers of both Jammu and Kashmir and civil society members too joined the chorus and sought return of all power projects run by NHPC in J (and) K.
They claimed that there was no justification in its reluctance to handover them to the J (and) K Government.
In March 2015, the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) ruled out the return of power projects to J (and) K.
The then Director, Finance NHPC, ABL Srivastava said the Central Government and Union Power Ministry have made it clear in unambiguous words that there is no question of returning these projects to the J (and) K Government.
J (and) K's power sector revamped
After Jammu and Kashmir's complete merger with the Union of India on August 5, 2019, politics that was played over the hydel resources of Jammu and Kashmir has taken a back seat.
No one wants these power projects back now as the Union Territory has witnessed a complete change in the power scenario during the past two years.
The urban areas are getting electricity 24x7 and the situation in the rural areas has also improved.
Recently, the Administrative Council headed by J (and) K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha authorised the Jammu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (JPDCL) and Kashmir Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL) to implement smart metering project in J (and) K.
These corporations aim to install 6 lakh smart/prepaid meters across J (and) K through a wholly owned subsidiary of Rural Electrification Corporation under the Ministry of Power, Government of India.
Currently, 2 lakh smart meters are being installed in Jammu and Srinagar under the Prime Minister's Development Programme(PMDP).
The new distribution system will improve the quality and reliability of power supply to consumers.
The Smart meters will bring about transparency in metering, billing and collection which will eventually reduce power losses and ensure quality and reliable power supply to consumers.
The power distribution sector of J (and) K has a total consumer base of nearly 21 lakhs, out of which metered consumers are only about 50 per cent.
A strong power sector in J (and) K means ease of living, industrialisation and employment generation.
The government is putting in all the efforts to strengthen J (and) K's power infrastructure which has remained dilapidated for the last several decades.
Past practices of delays have become a history and power projects are being executed at an accelerated pace.
During the past two years, upgradation of power infrastructure, and languishing projects have been completed in record times.
The J (and) K Lieutenant Governor recently stated: "We have presented an investment plan of Rs 12,000 crore by 2025 in transmission and distribution sectors in order to strengthen infrastructure as well prepare a future-ready power infrastructure.
It would not just provide power on demand to all citizens but would also cater to the industrial demand in line with the proposed investment of Rs 28,400 crore under J (and) K's new Industrial Policy."
The revamping of the power sector in Jammu and Kashmir has brought the Union Territory at par with the other states across the country.
The bold steps taken by the Central and UT Governments have driven home a point that there is a huge difference between offering lip service and transforming words into action.
In January this year, Kashmir witnessed a heavy snowfall but the Power Department ensured that people do not face cuts and kept the Valley illuminated in the dark winter nights.
The change surprised the people as in the past snowfall meant no electricity for many days.
People of J (and) K have realized that the ground situation is changing and it is changing for the good.
--IANS
pgh/.
Source: IANS
Panaji, Oct 21 : The Goa government on Thursday capped the rate for an RT-PCR test for inbound foreign tourists at Rs 3,200, according to a government directive.
An order issued by under secretary (Health) Gautami Parmekar, said the price would be applicable to all inbound foreign travellers arriving by air or sea, for whom undergoing an RT-PCR test is mandatory, barring exceptions.
Charter flight operations in the country have been permitted since October 15, while free of itinerary tourists will be allowed from November 15.
According to central government norms, RT-PCR testing is compulsory for everyone travelling to India, barring those who have tested negative for Covid 72 hours prior to arrival and those originating from countries who have mutual agreements with India on recognition of vaccination certificates.
The first charter flights are expected to arrive in Goa in early November, as per travel and tourism industry stakeholders.
Before the pandemic, nearly five million foreign tourists arrived by tourist charter flights to the coastal state in 2019.
--IANS
maya/shb/bg.
Source: IANS
An order issued by under secretary (Health) Gautami Parmekar, said the price would be applicable to all inbound foreign travellers arriving by air or sea, for whom undergoing an RT-PCR test is mandatory, barring exceptions.
Charter flight operations in the country have been permitted since October 15, while free of itinerary tourists will be allowed from November 15.
According to central government norms, RT-PCR testing is compulsory for everyone travelling to India, barring those who have tested negative for Covid 72 hours prior to arrival and those originating from countries who have mutual agreements with India on recognition of vaccination certificates.
The first charter flights are expected to arrive in Goa in early November, as per travel and tourism industry stakeholders.
Before the pandemic, nearly five million foreign tourists arrived by tourist charter flights to the coastal state in 2019.
--IANS
maya/shb/bg.
Source: IANS
New Delhi, Oct 21 : How is it that Bengal has stood out in nurturing great directors like Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen and Ritwik Ghatak, whose films "contain in them visions of many possible futures" and "critiqued the present and the pasts leading to it"?
"There is no doubt that the cultural scene in Bengal during the 1940s-1970s period was very rich.
Not only art films but mainstream Bengali films also flourished. There were legions of directors, cinematographers, art directors, music directors, actors, and singers who did remarkable work.
"Moreover we must not think of film in isolation.
Bengali literature, music, and theatre was also flourishing during this period. Ray, Sen, and Ghatak must be situated within this cultural milieu," Rochona Majundar, an Associate Professor in the Departments of South Asian Languages and Civilisation and Cinema and Media Studies at the University of Chicago, told IANS in an interview of her book "Art Cinema and India's Forgotten Futures -- Film and History in the Postcolony" (Columbia).
At the same time, "there was exceptionally important work being done in Bombay" in films, theatre, music, and art.
Kerala witnessed its own cinematic efflorescence. Ramu Kariat, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, G.Aravindan, P.A. Backer, John Abraham are just a few notable examples.
"Overall, these decades were special for Indian cinema generally when there was both a keen sense of regional particularity that was also cosmopolitan," Majumdar explained.
The films of Ray, Sen, and Ghatak are significant to her "because they contain in them visions of many possible futures.
They critiqued the present and the pasts leading to it. Their assessments were not identical. This is why, for each, the forgotten futures were also different".
"Sen imagined a future that was internationalist.
He saw India as part of a rising third world -- what in today's parlance is the global South -- not a capitalist giant but a society that was responsible to women and other disempowered groups.
"Ghatak critiqued the deep rupture that produced the Indian nation.
Although he was a committed leftist, his imagination of left politics did not banish archetypes and myths.
The present, he argued, had distorted India's founding myths beyond recognition. A culture that spoke of the mother goddess thought nothing of exploiting women. The future anticipated in his films would renew humanity through on-the-ground popular work by leftist cultural workers who would find ethical ways of bringing together ecology and economy.
"Ray is the least prescriptive of the three.
For him, the challenge was to find ways of being present, ethically and with patience, in tumultuous times.
The old gods were all dead: the promises of development and modernisation could only be looked at with skepticism.
How did one live with a sense of fullness in a difficult present when known formulas of transition are compromised? These are questions we have too," Majumdar elaborated.
Put differently, "all three filmmakers would agree that the goal for humanity was a better, more inclusive future.
They did not converge on the paths that we might take toward that future. Sometimes the films pointed to a non-statist socialism, a benevolent developmentalism, better and more inclusive democratic practices, or simply to live each day fully embracing the uncertainty of not knowing what tomorrow has in store," Majumdar maintained.
She also makes some very powerful other points in the book:
* Art films gave Indian cinema international recognition in Cannes, Venice, and scores of international festivals.
* Art filmmakers were among the first to see the problems with the developmental state. The films spoke both thematically and cinematographically of the many ills that beset the new nation state.
* Certain traits such as the "angry young man" arose first in art films before they reappeared in Bombay films in the star persona of Amitabh Bachchan.
* The novel use of songs, location shooting, melodrama, poster art, graffiti, found footage, and sound camera techniques marked unprecedented breaks in Indian cinema.
Why then has the Indian Art Cinema gone into oblivion? Is it just the new climate brought by liberalisation and multiplexes or is it something more?
"I think the answer is complex.
I should clarify that the moniker art films contained within it a very wide variety of films. Some of these were commercially very successful, others less so. As I mention briefly in the conclusion of my book, cultural globalization and the rise of the multiplex have loosened the neat separation between art and mainstream films.
"Multiplexes cater to niche audiences.
They also draw big audiences who troop in to watch blockbusters. The festival circuit has expanded, producing more venues for the exhibition of non-mainstream films. The role of the state is also an important factor as we consider the fate of films more generally in India," Majumdar said.
The 1950s-1970s were unique in some respects in the way that the state regarded films.
"Sure, there was censorship.
But there was also very interesting work that happened despite it. As some scholars have shown, even Films Division documentaries were sites of tremendous creativity. After all, S.N.S Sastry, Pramod Pati, and many like them worked under the aegis of the Films Division.
Like many of the figures I discuss in my book, they too cast a very critical gaze upon the politics of development.
"In sum, films were central to critical discourse about the nation and its place in the world.
That atmosphere has changed. We must also consider the role of OTT platforms. I think a lot of excellent work has migrated to these platforms.
"Finally, I must underscore that the ongoing pandemic has posed enormous challenges to filmmaking and filmgoing.
It remains to be seen how we emerge into the post-Covid world. I, for one, will be deeply saddened if film watching as a public activity does not recover," Majumdar contended.
She also writes about the commonality of the era of art films and modern times -- "they are both disorienting" -- and of the challenges -- "the pioneering labour of a certain kind that we also need today: the creation of historical sensibilities adequate to the challenges of disorienting times".
Does she see this happening?
"Today we find ourselves in a historical moment when futures are even more fragmented.
Oddly, with the pandemic we are all nostalgic for the life we had before it. There are many historians, philosophers, and social scientists who even argue that it is fallacious to think of the future in terms of humanity alone.
"We are once again in disorienting times when the vice grip of neoliberal capitalism, extreme weather events, rising numbers of refugees, a growing precariat, and many other factors makes it challenging to consider the future, making future thinking paradoxically into big business," Majumdar said.
While there are many filmmakers who are grappling with the strangeness of our times, in the last decade, there have been "very interesting films that bring together human beings and animals, films that strive to forge a political aesthetic of combating exclusion and marginalisation, and films that address the rage that arises from just trying to live from one day to the next," she added.
In such films, she sees a version of the humility to not be programmatic, to admit that it is important to listen and take stock than to prescribe solutions.
In filmmakers such as Chaitanya Tamhane, Suman Mukhopadhyay, Nagraj Manjule, Ivan Ayr, Arun Karthick, Paromita Vohra, Konkona Sen Sharma, Nandita Das and many others "I see efforts to look at the past both respectfully and critically in order to forge humble scripts toward possible futures", Majumdar concluded.
(Vishnu Makhijani can be reached at vishnu.makhijani@ians.in)
--IANS
vm/dpb.
Source: IANS
"There is no doubt that the cultural scene in Bengal during the 1940s-1970s period was very rich.
Not only art films but mainstream Bengali films also flourished. There were legions of directors, cinematographers, art directors, music directors, actors, and singers who did remarkable work.
"Moreover we must not think of film in isolation.
Bengali literature, music, and theatre was also flourishing during this period. Ray, Sen, and Ghatak must be situated within this cultural milieu," Rochona Majundar, an Associate Professor in the Departments of South Asian Languages and Civilisation and Cinema and Media Studies at the University of Chicago, told IANS in an interview of her book "Art Cinema and India's Forgotten Futures -- Film and History in the Postcolony" (Columbia).
At the same time, "there was exceptionally important work being done in Bombay" in films, theatre, music, and art.
Kerala witnessed its own cinematic efflorescence. Ramu Kariat, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, G.Aravindan, P.A. Backer, John Abraham are just a few notable examples.
"Overall, these decades were special for Indian cinema generally when there was both a keen sense of regional particularity that was also cosmopolitan," Majumdar explained.
The films of Ray, Sen, and Ghatak are significant to her "because they contain in them visions of many possible futures.
They critiqued the present and the pasts leading to it. Their assessments were not identical. This is why, for each, the forgotten futures were also different".
"Sen imagined a future that was internationalist.
He saw India as part of a rising third world -- what in today's parlance is the global South -- not a capitalist giant but a society that was responsible to women and other disempowered groups.
"Ghatak critiqued the deep rupture that produced the Indian nation.
Although he was a committed leftist, his imagination of left politics did not banish archetypes and myths.
The present, he argued, had distorted India's founding myths beyond recognition. A culture that spoke of the mother goddess thought nothing of exploiting women. The future anticipated in his films would renew humanity through on-the-ground popular work by leftist cultural workers who would find ethical ways of bringing together ecology and economy.
"Ray is the least prescriptive of the three.
For him, the challenge was to find ways of being present, ethically and with patience, in tumultuous times.
The old gods were all dead: the promises of development and modernisation could only be looked at with skepticism.
How did one live with a sense of fullness in a difficult present when known formulas of transition are compromised? These are questions we have too," Majumdar elaborated.
Put differently, "all three filmmakers would agree that the goal for humanity was a better, more inclusive future.
They did not converge on the paths that we might take toward that future. Sometimes the films pointed to a non-statist socialism, a benevolent developmentalism, better and more inclusive democratic practices, or simply to live each day fully embracing the uncertainty of not knowing what tomorrow has in store," Majumdar maintained.
She also makes some very powerful other points in the book:
* Art films gave Indian cinema international recognition in Cannes, Venice, and scores of international festivals.
* Art filmmakers were among the first to see the problems with the developmental state. The films spoke both thematically and cinematographically of the many ills that beset the new nation state.
* Certain traits such as the "angry young man" arose first in art films before they reappeared in Bombay films in the star persona of Amitabh Bachchan.
* The novel use of songs, location shooting, melodrama, poster art, graffiti, found footage, and sound camera techniques marked unprecedented breaks in Indian cinema.
Why then has the Indian Art Cinema gone into oblivion? Is it just the new climate brought by liberalisation and multiplexes or is it something more?
"I think the answer is complex.
I should clarify that the moniker art films contained within it a very wide variety of films. Some of these were commercially very successful, others less so. As I mention briefly in the conclusion of my book, cultural globalization and the rise of the multiplex have loosened the neat separation between art and mainstream films.
"Multiplexes cater to niche audiences.
They also draw big audiences who troop in to watch blockbusters. The festival circuit has expanded, producing more venues for the exhibition of non-mainstream films. The role of the state is also an important factor as we consider the fate of films more generally in India," Majumdar said.
The 1950s-1970s were unique in some respects in the way that the state regarded films.
"Sure, there was censorship.
But there was also very interesting work that happened despite it. As some scholars have shown, even Films Division documentaries were sites of tremendous creativity. After all, S.N.S Sastry, Pramod Pati, and many like them worked under the aegis of the Films Division.
Like many of the figures I discuss in my book, they too cast a very critical gaze upon the politics of development.
"In sum, films were central to critical discourse about the nation and its place in the world.
That atmosphere has changed. We must also consider the role of OTT platforms. I think a lot of excellent work has migrated to these platforms.
"Finally, I must underscore that the ongoing pandemic has posed enormous challenges to filmmaking and filmgoing.
It remains to be seen how we emerge into the post-Covid world. I, for one, will be deeply saddened if film watching as a public activity does not recover," Majumdar contended.
She also writes about the commonality of the era of art films and modern times -- "they are both disorienting" -- and of the challenges -- "the pioneering labour of a certain kind that we also need today: the creation of historical sensibilities adequate to the challenges of disorienting times".
Does she see this happening?
"Today we find ourselves in a historical moment when futures are even more fragmented.
Oddly, with the pandemic we are all nostalgic for the life we had before it. There are many historians, philosophers, and social scientists who even argue that it is fallacious to think of the future in terms of humanity alone.
"We are once again in disorienting times when the vice grip of neoliberal capitalism, extreme weather events, rising numbers of refugees, a growing precariat, and many other factors makes it challenging to consider the future, making future thinking paradoxically into big business," Majumdar said.
While there are many filmmakers who are grappling with the strangeness of our times, in the last decade, there have been "very interesting films that bring together human beings and animals, films that strive to forge a political aesthetic of combating exclusion and marginalisation, and films that address the rage that arises from just trying to live from one day to the next," she added.
In such films, she sees a version of the humility to not be programmatic, to admit that it is important to listen and take stock than to prescribe solutions.
In filmmakers such as Chaitanya Tamhane, Suman Mukhopadhyay, Nagraj Manjule, Ivan Ayr, Arun Karthick, Paromita Vohra, Konkona Sen Sharma, Nandita Das and many others "I see efforts to look at the past both respectfully and critically in order to forge humble scripts toward possible futures", Majumdar concluded.
(Vishnu Makhijani can be reached at vishnu.makhijani@ians.in)
--IANS
vm/dpb.
Source: IANS
Panaji, Oct 21 : As many as 12 beaches in Goa were damaged by oily, carcinogenic tarballs last month, while 33 others have been afflicted by the menace since 2015, according to the coastal state's government.
The state authorities have written to the Directorate General of Shipping to track the source of the menace, which has affected the tourist state for the last two to three decades.
In a written reply tabled during the recently concluded session of the Legislative Assembly, Goa's Environment Minister, Nilesh Cabral said that both Central and state government agencies were being requested to keep an eye for oil spillages, leakage or dumping of waste oil from fishing trawlers in respective marine jurisdictions.
The 33 popular beaches which have been by plagued by tarballs include the sandy stretches from Baga to Sinquerim, Morjim, Arambol, Ashwem in North Goa and Varca, Cavelossim, Betalbatim, Benaulim in South Goa.
Beaches, along with nightlife are a top draw for the tourism industry in Goa, which witnessed nearly eight lakh footfalls in 2019.
Tarballs are formed due to a reaction of oil or oily ballast dumped by sea going-vessels, which then reacts with the saline water, and is then deposited on the seashore.
Tarballs regularly wash ashore along the western coastline polluting the beaches and the coastal environment, especially during monsoon, when the phenomenon peaks.
According to the Environment Ministry, they have requested to take issue with the concerned departments for patrolling of the seas to rein in the menace.
In response to a question from MLA Rohan Khaunte, Cabral said that based on a study conducted by the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), the government had broadly arrived at a conclusion that the source of the tarballs was oil spills at Bombay High, an offshore rig off the coast of Maharashtra.
"The state has its own State Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan.
The Board had communicated the same to (the) Department of Environment and Climate Change, Goa, regarding the publications of NIO Scientist, indicating the source tracing tarballs to Bombay High region," Cabral said.
A note by the Goa State Pollution Control Board, which was also a part of the Minister's written reply, has advised to broaden the net to check on other oil spills off the coast, which lead to the formation of tarballs.
The note has advised the state and central agencies "to keep a check on spillages during transportation, waste/burnt oil from DG sets used on vessels leakages from fishing trawlers as mentioned above within the jurisdiction of the state government and also direct the Indian Coast Guard, Goa, to keep strict vigil of waters within their jurisdiction".
Tourism industry stakeholders in the state have repeatedly urged the Goa government to take up the matter with the Central authorities in order to ensure permanent solution to the menace, which are a top draw as far as the tourism industry in the state is concerned.
--IANS
maya/sks/ksk/.
Source: IANS
The state authorities have written to the Directorate General of Shipping to track the source of the menace, which has affected the tourist state for the last two to three decades.
In a written reply tabled during the recently concluded session of the Legislative Assembly, Goa's Environment Minister, Nilesh Cabral said that both Central and state government agencies were being requested to keep an eye for oil spillages, leakage or dumping of waste oil from fishing trawlers in respective marine jurisdictions.
The 33 popular beaches which have been by plagued by tarballs include the sandy stretches from Baga to Sinquerim, Morjim, Arambol, Ashwem in North Goa and Varca, Cavelossim, Betalbatim, Benaulim in South Goa.
Beaches, along with nightlife are a top draw for the tourism industry in Goa, which witnessed nearly eight lakh footfalls in 2019.
Tarballs are formed due to a reaction of oil or oily ballast dumped by sea going-vessels, which then reacts with the saline water, and is then deposited on the seashore.
Tarballs regularly wash ashore along the western coastline polluting the beaches and the coastal environment, especially during monsoon, when the phenomenon peaks.
According to the Environment Ministry, they have requested to take issue with the concerned departments for patrolling of the seas to rein in the menace.
In response to a question from MLA Rohan Khaunte, Cabral said that based on a study conducted by the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), the government had broadly arrived at a conclusion that the source of the tarballs was oil spills at Bombay High, an offshore rig off the coast of Maharashtra.
"The state has its own State Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan.
The Board had communicated the same to (the) Department of Environment and Climate Change, Goa, regarding the publications of NIO Scientist, indicating the source tracing tarballs to Bombay High region," Cabral said.
A note by the Goa State Pollution Control Board, which was also a part of the Minister's written reply, has advised to broaden the net to check on other oil spills off the coast, which lead to the formation of tarballs.
The note has advised the state and central agencies "to keep a check on spillages during transportation, waste/burnt oil from DG sets used on vessels leakages from fishing trawlers as mentioned above within the jurisdiction of the state government and also direct the Indian Coast Guard, Goa, to keep strict vigil of waters within their jurisdiction".
Tourism industry stakeholders in the state have repeatedly urged the Goa government to take up the matter with the Central authorities in order to ensure permanent solution to the menace, which are a top draw as far as the tourism industry in the state is concerned.
--IANS
maya/sks/ksk/.
Source: IANS
New Delhi, Oct 21 : Abhishek Vichare's Best Selling novel of 2020, 'The Girl Who Got Labelled', makes record-breaking sales even during a global crisis like the Covid-19 pandemic.
Despite the low that hit the paperback novel industry, avid book readers found solace in good reads like Vichare's fiction novel.
The book continues to maintain its Best Seller ranking in the Times list even in 2021. This massive success is notable for a debutante writer with a paradoxical career background. Though careers are often just labels, it is the art that defines creative work. It has been the case of author Abhishek Vichare.
The 'Girl Who Got Labelled' was released in July 2020 when the pandemic hit. Since then, the book has gained tremendous popularity among avid lovers of romantic fiction. The story revolves around Anupama and her rocky journey towards life, love, and more. This book connects with every reader who has experienced loss, tragedy, love, and overriding passion.
The paperback industry was affected by the Covid-19. Sales for many books saw a dip. But some content outdoes others. It is the writer's ability to excite the reader, with a beautifully crafted storyline, that makes a book stand out.
That is how Abhishek Vichare's 'The Girl Who Got Labelled' made its way to the Indian readers.
Vichare comes with a diverse background in marketing, administration, entrepreneurship, technology, and more.
His enterprise RICHMOND India is a renowned conglomerate. By qualification, he is a B.E in Electronics and Telecommunication from Mumbai University and he also holds an M.S in Mobile and Satellite communication from London University, U.K.
Abhishek has worked as a Brand Ambassador and established an Experiential Marketing Firm in London. Delving into his long-overdue passion for writing, he has authored this debut novel.
Talking about his passion project, he says, "Writing has always been my medium expression. Being an entrepreneur by profession, an engineer by education, I am a writer by choice. It has empowered me. I am overwhelmed by the response my debut work has received. It encourages me to explore more layers of my writing style. The story of Anupama has been close to my heart. There are bits and pieces of me in my work. It made my story more authentic and relatable for the readers. I hope that this response keeps growing and every reader finds comfort in this piece of work."
Thriving through the pandemic, Abhishek Vichare's Best Selling novel of 2020, 'The Girl Who Got Labelled', gets a massive response even after the pandemic in 2021.
The book has been into Amazon's best read and is available on Amazon for easier access to the global audience.
--IANS
san/dpb.
Source: IANS
Despite the low that hit the paperback novel industry, avid book readers found solace in good reads like Vichare's fiction novel.
The book continues to maintain its Best Seller ranking in the Times list even in 2021. This massive success is notable for a debutante writer with a paradoxical career background. Though careers are often just labels, it is the art that defines creative work. It has been the case of author Abhishek Vichare.
The 'Girl Who Got Labelled' was released in July 2020 when the pandemic hit. Since then, the book has gained tremendous popularity among avid lovers of romantic fiction. The story revolves around Anupama and her rocky journey towards life, love, and more. This book connects with every reader who has experienced loss, tragedy, love, and overriding passion.
The paperback industry was affected by the Covid-19. Sales for many books saw a dip. But some content outdoes others. It is the writer's ability to excite the reader, with a beautifully crafted storyline, that makes a book stand out.
That is how Abhishek Vichare's 'The Girl Who Got Labelled' made its way to the Indian readers.
Vichare comes with a diverse background in marketing, administration, entrepreneurship, technology, and more.
His enterprise RICHMOND India is a renowned conglomerate. By qualification, he is a B.E in Electronics and Telecommunication from Mumbai University and he also holds an M.S in Mobile and Satellite communication from London University, U.K.
Abhishek has worked as a Brand Ambassador and established an Experiential Marketing Firm in London. Delving into his long-overdue passion for writing, he has authored this debut novel.
Talking about his passion project, he says, "Writing has always been my medium expression. Being an entrepreneur by profession, an engineer by education, I am a writer by choice. It has empowered me. I am overwhelmed by the response my debut work has received. It encourages me to explore more layers of my writing style. The story of Anupama has been close to my heart. There are bits and pieces of me in my work. It made my story more authentic and relatable for the readers. I hope that this response keeps growing and every reader finds comfort in this piece of work."
Thriving through the pandemic, Abhishek Vichare's Best Selling novel of 2020, 'The Girl Who Got Labelled', gets a massive response even after the pandemic in 2021.
The book has been into Amazon's best read and is available on Amazon for easier access to the global audience.
--IANS
san/dpb.
Source: IANS
New Delhi, Oct 21 : Three persons were arrested on Wednesday for allegedly raising 'pro-Pakistan' slogans during a religious procession taken out in Noida.
Arrests were made after a video of the incident went viral on social media and the Noida police in its investigation found the video as authentic.
According to the information, based on the video clipping, three people were identified and arrested by the Noida Police.
The procession was taken out in Sector 20 police station area on Tuesday to mark Eid Milad-un-Nabi.
According to the information, the police were also present on the spot in view of the security at the time when these slogans were raised.
"We have arrested three people in this case as well as got the video investigated, prima facie it appears that someone spoke Pakistan in the middle of the Hindustan Zindabad slogans, due to which the crowd also spoke Zindabad," Noida DCP Rajesh S.
told IANS.
Noida Additional DCP Ran Vijay Singh told IANS, "We got the video examined by experts and after investigation it was found that there was no tampering with the video.
We have also registered a case against the accused under relevant sections."
--IANS
msk/anm/shs.
Source: IANS
Arrests were made after a video of the incident went viral on social media and the Noida police in its investigation found the video as authentic.
According to the information, based on the video clipping, three people were identified and arrested by the Noida Police.
The procession was taken out in Sector 20 police station area on Tuesday to mark Eid Milad-un-Nabi.
According to the information, the police were also present on the spot in view of the security at the time when these slogans were raised.
"We have arrested three people in this case as well as got the video investigated, prima facie it appears that someone spoke Pakistan in the middle of the Hindustan Zindabad slogans, due to which the crowd also spoke Zindabad," Noida DCP Rajesh S.
told IANS.
Noida Additional DCP Ran Vijay Singh told IANS, "We got the video examined by experts and after investigation it was found that there was no tampering with the video.
We have also registered a case against the accused under relevant sections."
--IANS
msk/anm/shs.
Source: IANS
New Delhi, Oct 20 : The world-renowned Kung Fu Nuns of the Drukpa order of Buddhism has won the prestigious Martial Arts Education Prize 2021 from the UNESCO International Centre for Martial Arts for their brave acts of service.
The prize recognises the Kung Fu Nuns' heroic acts of service and championing of gender equality across the Himalayas.
Through martial arts, the Drukpa nuns empower young girls to defend themselves, build confidence, and take on leadership roles in their communities.
This award from UNESCO ICM also recognises the Kung Fu Nuns' work in Indian and Nepali communities hit especially hard by the pandemic, leaving many marginalised groups in need of supplies and education.
The Kung Fu Nuns hail from the Drukpa Lineage of Indian Buddhism and began learning Kung Fu to build strength and confidence.
They now use those skills to serve others through unimaginable acts of bravery -- from their recent 2,500 km "Bicycle Yatra for Peace" from Kathmandu, Nepal, to Ladakh, India, to speak out against human trafficking, to their refusal to evacuate after the 2015 Nepal earthquake in order to deliver critical aid to neglected regions.
Adept in both weaponry and hand-to-hand combat, they have begun a self-defence training initiative for young girls in the Himalayas, where violence against women is rarely reported.
With over 700 Drukpa nuns in the ranks, there is a long waiting list of women and girls who want to join them.
The Kung Fu Nuns have transformed the way the Himalayans view not only nuns, but women.
Their Kung Fu demonstrations draw audiences in the tens of thousands, inspiring a new generational mindset that women can do anything.
Through their acts of service, and by setting an example of empowerment for the marginalised, the young Kung Fu Nuns have become heroes in their own right.
Their efforts were honoured with several prestigious international awards.
The nuns are recipient of the Atlantic Council's prestigious Unsung Heroes Award 2020 and the Asia Society's Game Changer Award 2019.
They were also finalists for the Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize for their humanitarianism in the Himalayas.
--IANS
vg/shs.
Source: IANS
The prize recognises the Kung Fu Nuns' heroic acts of service and championing of gender equality across the Himalayas.
Through martial arts, the Drukpa nuns empower young girls to defend themselves, build confidence, and take on leadership roles in their communities.
This award from UNESCO ICM also recognises the Kung Fu Nuns' work in Indian and Nepali communities hit especially hard by the pandemic, leaving many marginalised groups in need of supplies and education.
The Kung Fu Nuns hail from the Drukpa Lineage of Indian Buddhism and began learning Kung Fu to build strength and confidence.
They now use those skills to serve others through unimaginable acts of bravery -- from their recent 2,500 km "Bicycle Yatra for Peace" from Kathmandu, Nepal, to Ladakh, India, to speak out against human trafficking, to their refusal to evacuate after the 2015 Nepal earthquake in order to deliver critical aid to neglected regions.
Adept in both weaponry and hand-to-hand combat, they have begun a self-defence training initiative for young girls in the Himalayas, where violence against women is rarely reported.
With over 700 Drukpa nuns in the ranks, there is a long waiting list of women and girls who want to join them.
The Kung Fu Nuns have transformed the way the Himalayans view not only nuns, but women.
Their Kung Fu demonstrations draw audiences in the tens of thousands, inspiring a new generational mindset that women can do anything.
Through their acts of service, and by setting an example of empowerment for the marginalised, the young Kung Fu Nuns have become heroes in their own right.
Their efforts were honoured with several prestigious international awards.
The nuns are recipient of the Atlantic Council's prestigious Unsung Heroes Award 2020 and the Asia Society's Game Changer Award 2019.
They were also finalists for the Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize for their humanitarianism in the Himalayas.
--IANS
vg/shs.
Source: IANS
New Delhi, Oct 19: The failed Pakistan and IMF talks on Sunday, before the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Plenary session which is scheduled to be held from October 19, is not good news for the Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan who has been at loggerheads with the powerful military establishment over the issue of appointment of the spy Chief.
As per the 2019 IMF deal, the Imran Khan government had agreed to the formal mention of money laundering in the document, thus linking IMF tranches directly to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
Pakistan, which is on the grey list of the FATF since 2018, was given three months time in June this year to fulfil the remaining conditions by October.
The FATF plenary will be held in Paris from October 19-21.
The latest US Congressional report on terrorism "Terrorist and Other Militant Groups in Pakistan", says that at least 12 groups designated as "foreign terrorist organizations" by the US are based in Pakistan, including five that are India-centric.
As per the US administration, Islamabad continues to remain a base of operations for numerous non-state militant groups, many with global reach.
Quoting the report, the US State Department had pointed out that Pakistan remained a safe haven for terrorism despite claims to the contrary.
Despite promises made to the international community about taking action against terrorist groups, Pakistan has not taken any action against terrorist groups and their sanctuaries.
Last week, the Biden administration downgraded the bilateral relationship with Pakistan for playing a double game in the fight against terrorism.
On the one hand Pakistan was supposed an ally of the US in the "war on terror". But simultaneously, it was helping the Taliban takeover Afghanistan. Since the Taliban came into power in mid-August, Pakistan has been publicly talking about the future recognition of the Taliban government, which has close ties to Pakistan's powerful military intelligence services, the ISI.
As the report suggests Pakistan has become a classic hybrid state with the military and militants influencing the state and its actions.
The former US National Security Advisor H R McMaster told a US congressional hearing that the US should hold Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan accountable for some of his comments after the fall of Kabul in August and that Pakistan should be confronted broadly with international isolation because of its "support for jihadist terrorists".
"Given that Washington has always seen Pakistan as the key sponsor of the Taliban, its insistence on asking Pakistan to control the Haqqanis has created a lot of complications for Islamabad," says one Pakistani journalist adding sanctions are looming large on Pakistan.
Citing the report, Fabien Baussart, the founder and President of the think-tank Centre of Political and Foreign Affairs wrote on Times of Israel, that FATF must also put on record evidence collated by various countries of Pakistan's role in helping a militant group, the Taliban, from overthrowing an elected government in Afghanistan.
Pakistan's association with global terrorist outfits such as the Haqqani Network, known for hosting groups like Al Qaeda, needs to be brought on record.
"FATF will fail in its duty if it delays blacklisting Pakistan for its terrorist sponsorship," warns Baussart.
In the last meeting held in June, the FATF decided to continue keeping Pakistan on its grey list and asked it to prosecute and target senior leaders of UN-designated terrorist groups.
(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)
--indianarrative.
Source: IANS
As per the 2019 IMF deal, the Imran Khan government had agreed to the formal mention of money laundering in the document, thus linking IMF tranches directly to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
Pakistan, which is on the grey list of the FATF since 2018, was given three months time in June this year to fulfil the remaining conditions by October.
The FATF plenary will be held in Paris from October 19-21.
The latest US Congressional report on terrorism "Terrorist and Other Militant Groups in Pakistan", says that at least 12 groups designated as "foreign terrorist organizations" by the US are based in Pakistan, including five that are India-centric.
As per the US administration, Islamabad continues to remain a base of operations for numerous non-state militant groups, many with global reach.
Quoting the report, the US State Department had pointed out that Pakistan remained a safe haven for terrorism despite claims to the contrary.
Despite promises made to the international community about taking action against terrorist groups, Pakistan has not taken any action against terrorist groups and their sanctuaries.
Last week, the Biden administration downgraded the bilateral relationship with Pakistan for playing a double game in the fight against terrorism.
On the one hand Pakistan was supposed an ally of the US in the "war on terror". But simultaneously, it was helping the Taliban takeover Afghanistan. Since the Taliban came into power in mid-August, Pakistan has been publicly talking about the future recognition of the Taliban government, which has close ties to Pakistan's powerful military intelligence services, the ISI.
As the report suggests Pakistan has become a classic hybrid state with the military and militants influencing the state and its actions.
The former US National Security Advisor H R McMaster told a US congressional hearing that the US should hold Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan accountable for some of his comments after the fall of Kabul in August and that Pakistan should be confronted broadly with international isolation because of its "support for jihadist terrorists".
"Given that Washington has always seen Pakistan as the key sponsor of the Taliban, its insistence on asking Pakistan to control the Haqqanis has created a lot of complications for Islamabad," says one Pakistani journalist adding sanctions are looming large on Pakistan.
Citing the report, Fabien Baussart, the founder and President of the think-tank Centre of Political and Foreign Affairs wrote on Times of Israel, that FATF must also put on record evidence collated by various countries of Pakistan's role in helping a militant group, the Taliban, from overthrowing an elected government in Afghanistan.
Pakistan's association with global terrorist outfits such as the Haqqani Network, known for hosting groups like Al Qaeda, needs to be brought on record.
"FATF will fail in its duty if it delays blacklisting Pakistan for its terrorist sponsorship," warns Baussart.
In the last meeting held in June, the FATF decided to continue keeping Pakistan on its grey list and asked it to prosecute and target senior leaders of UN-designated terrorist groups.
(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)
--indianarrative.
Source: IANS
Kolkata, Oct 19 : Owing to year-long lockdown and Covid restrictions for more than 18 months, a huge rush of people to bars and restaurants in Kolkata during Durga Pujas forced many of the premiere dine-outs in the city to go for a forced closure even before the scheduled hours because of a shortage of food and beverages.
"I think every restaurant would smash their own record in terms of footfall and revenue in the week gone by," said Hotel (and) Restaurant Association of Eastern India president Sudesh Poddar, who operates Manthan, Songhai and MS Bar (and) Lounge.
A reality check will give a better picture.
Premiere restaurants in the city like Manthan and Songhai went out of stock on Sanshthi which was also a Sunday.
Similarly, Trinca's on Park Street -- one of the most famous Bar cum Restaurant in the city -- had to pull their shutters down on Navami by 11.30 p.m.
Several other restaurants in the city like Oh! Calcutta, Mainland China and Flame (and) Grill on Eastern Bypass and Momcambo, Peter Cat and Peter Hu on Park Street had 25 per cent to 30 per cent more sales than they had before the lockdown started a couple of years back.
Restaurateurs, who have been in business for decades, said they have never witnessed anything like this in their lifetime.
"What we have been witnessing during the puja is extraordinary. We usually do two-time the regular business during the puja days but here the rush was all through the day.
Restaurants have done almost 25 per cent - 30 per cent more business than they did during the festival in 2005," a senior restaurateur said.
One of the restaurant owners who owns a restaurant chain in Kolkata and abroad said the restaurants had not only done 25 per cent more sales than before, they would have done at least 30 per cent more business had there been more tables to accommodate patrons.
"What we witnessed was revenge eating.
People who have been indoors for the last 18 months came out and dined like anything. There were no bounds. I have not witnessed anything like this before. And it is not just in Kolkata but restaurants in other parts of the country and abroad made similar business.
It was really surprising to find the people jostled for a table in London," he added.
--IANS
sbg/dpb.
Source: IANS
"I think every restaurant would smash their own record in terms of footfall and revenue in the week gone by," said Hotel (and) Restaurant Association of Eastern India president Sudesh Poddar, who operates Manthan, Songhai and MS Bar (and) Lounge.
A reality check will give a better picture.
Premiere restaurants in the city like Manthan and Songhai went out of stock on Sanshthi which was also a Sunday.
Similarly, Trinca's on Park Street -- one of the most famous Bar cum Restaurant in the city -- had to pull their shutters down on Navami by 11.30 p.m.
Several other restaurants in the city like Oh! Calcutta, Mainland China and Flame (and) Grill on Eastern Bypass and Momcambo, Peter Cat and Peter Hu on Park Street had 25 per cent to 30 per cent more sales than they had before the lockdown started a couple of years back.
Restaurateurs, who have been in business for decades, said they have never witnessed anything like this in their lifetime.
"What we have been witnessing during the puja is extraordinary. We usually do two-time the regular business during the puja days but here the rush was all through the day.
Restaurants have done almost 25 per cent - 30 per cent more business than they did during the festival in 2005," a senior restaurateur said.
One of the restaurant owners who owns a restaurant chain in Kolkata and abroad said the restaurants had not only done 25 per cent more sales than before, they would have done at least 30 per cent more business had there been more tables to accommodate patrons.
"What we witnessed was revenge eating.
People who have been indoors for the last 18 months came out and dined like anything. There were no bounds. I have not witnessed anything like this before. And it is not just in Kolkata but restaurants in other parts of the country and abroad made similar business.
It was really surprising to find the people jostled for a table in London," he added.
--IANS
sbg/dpb.
Source: IANS
New Delhi, Oct 19 : While awards may not be something new for Professor Emeritus Jitendra Mohan, Department of Psychology, Panjab University (Chandigarh), considering his extensive research and work in the fields of experimental, positive and sport psychology, but the recent Honor Award of 'International Society of Sport Psychology' (ISSP) for the year 2021 during the 15th World Congress of Sports Psychology at Taipei is definitely one which has left him humbled.
After all, he is the first Asian to receive the award, which is presented every four years in recognition of significant contributions to national and international sport psychology through leadership, research, and/or other professional service.
"This one is really special, not just for me but the field of Sports Psychology, which for decades did not get the attention it deserved, especially in India.
Of course, in the recent past, sports bodies and players have recognised its importance and it has become an important element in training especially when competing at the world stage," Dr.
Mohan, who has served two terms as a member of the Managing Council of the ISSP, the oldest and largest global society of Sport Psychology, which boasts of thousands of members across the world tells IANS.
It has been an interesting journey for someone who came to PU for his MA in Psychology and was not an athlete.
It was by sheer chance that he was introduced to sports psychology on the campus.
In 1975, PU had organised a training camp for the Indian Hockey team for Hockey World Cup, and the then Vice-Chancellor had requested Dr.
Mohan and three others to help them.
"I spent a lot of time with them as a psychologist, and helped the team to the best of my capacity.
That is when I gained several new perspectives in the field of sports psychology which was relatively a new area then.
I understood how it could be instrumental in imparting an edge to players. Everything changed for me after that. By the way, the team won the championship."
For someone who has written 300 research papers, 28 books including five on sports psychology and guided around 95 doctoral students, he stresses that in order to make a mark on the international level, it is important for decision makers to understand that sports is a lifetime commitment which calls for sacrifice, support, encouragement and financial assistance.
"An elite athlete requires immense support. And we need to start with young children. There have to be more playgrounds, sports need to be encouraged at the school level, and not just as an extra-curricular activity, there needs to be infrastructure and equipment -- only then can we expect to compete with the world's finest," he says.
Adding that young women from the countryside entering sports and winning medals in the past few years has been a great achievement for the country, Dr.
Mohan says that besides the government, corporates too need to come forward and do the needful. "Abroad, we see a lot of companies, and not just major ones supporting players and teams. If this happens in India, it would be a great boost to players, especially those hailing from rural areas."
Stressing that it no longer makes sense to ignore mental training to excel in sports, and Indian players are fast understanding its importance, the professor says, "I get requests not just from teams but also individual players who realise its importance in getting a real breakthrough.
This kind of training is intense and involves multiple sessions, but the satisfaction one derives from observing the change in a player's outlook is worth all the effort put in.
One important thing is that sports psychologists should be more visible. Players here must know that we exist, just like in the west."
Admitting that there was a need to narrow down the gap between research, teaching and practice, he opines that the country needs to have more sports psychology clinics.
"That way, theory will materialise into real benefits for players. Also, a team comprises a manager, coach, physiotherapist and a nutritionist. Now that we have done so well in Olympics and Paralympics, much more attention should be paid to every aspect, which includes Sports Psychology."
Lamenting that despite the importance of the subject, it is still not being taught in many universities, Dr.
Mohan says, "Unless we have enough students taking up the subject, there will be heavy dependence on foreign experts."
--IANS
sukant/shs.
Source: IANS
After all, he is the first Asian to receive the award, which is presented every four years in recognition of significant contributions to national and international sport psychology through leadership, research, and/or other professional service.
"This one is really special, not just for me but the field of Sports Psychology, which for decades did not get the attention it deserved, especially in India.
Of course, in the recent past, sports bodies and players have recognised its importance and it has become an important element in training especially when competing at the world stage," Dr.
Mohan, who has served two terms as a member of the Managing Council of the ISSP, the oldest and largest global society of Sport Psychology, which boasts of thousands of members across the world tells IANS.
It has been an interesting journey for someone who came to PU for his MA in Psychology and was not an athlete.
It was by sheer chance that he was introduced to sports psychology on the campus.
In 1975, PU had organised a training camp for the Indian Hockey team for Hockey World Cup, and the then Vice-Chancellor had requested Dr.
Mohan and three others to help them.
"I spent a lot of time with them as a psychologist, and helped the team to the best of my capacity.
That is when I gained several new perspectives in the field of sports psychology which was relatively a new area then.
I understood how it could be instrumental in imparting an edge to players. Everything changed for me after that. By the way, the team won the championship."
For someone who has written 300 research papers, 28 books including five on sports psychology and guided around 95 doctoral students, he stresses that in order to make a mark on the international level, it is important for decision makers to understand that sports is a lifetime commitment which calls for sacrifice, support, encouragement and financial assistance.
"An elite athlete requires immense support. And we need to start with young children. There have to be more playgrounds, sports need to be encouraged at the school level, and not just as an extra-curricular activity, there needs to be infrastructure and equipment -- only then can we expect to compete with the world's finest," he says.
Adding that young women from the countryside entering sports and winning medals in the past few years has been a great achievement for the country, Dr.
Mohan says that besides the government, corporates too need to come forward and do the needful. "Abroad, we see a lot of companies, and not just major ones supporting players and teams. If this happens in India, it would be a great boost to players, especially those hailing from rural areas."
Stressing that it no longer makes sense to ignore mental training to excel in sports, and Indian players are fast understanding its importance, the professor says, "I get requests not just from teams but also individual players who realise its importance in getting a real breakthrough.
This kind of training is intense and involves multiple sessions, but the satisfaction one derives from observing the change in a player's outlook is worth all the effort put in.
One important thing is that sports psychologists should be more visible. Players here must know that we exist, just like in the west."
Admitting that there was a need to narrow down the gap between research, teaching and practice, he opines that the country needs to have more sports psychology clinics.
"That way, theory will materialise into real benefits for players. Also, a team comprises a manager, coach, physiotherapist and a nutritionist. Now that we have done so well in Olympics and Paralympics, much more attention should be paid to every aspect, which includes Sports Psychology."
Lamenting that despite the importance of the subject, it is still not being taught in many universities, Dr.
Mohan says, "Unless we have enough students taking up the subject, there will be heavy dependence on foreign experts."
--IANS
sukant/shs.
Source: IANS