Archive For The “General” Category
Ayodhya, Oct 18 : The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has decided that nine lakh diyas (earthen lamps) would be lit in Ayodhya during 'Deepotsav' this year, while an additional 45 lakh 'diyas' would be lit in the homes of the beneficiaries of the BJP government's schemes.
The state government had earlier announced that 7.5 lakh diyas would be lit in Ayodhya this year.
The Deepotsav function is held on the Diwali eve which falls on November 3 this year.
According to a state government spokesman, there are an estimated nine lakh beneficiaries of Prime Minister's and Chief Minister's Awas Yojanas (housing schemes) in urban parts of Uttar Pradesh.
"The Chief Minister has said that his government would light one diya for each of them during the Deepotsav," the spokesman said.
"While these nine lakh earthen lamps would represent the housewarming ceremonies of as many people in urban Uttar Pradesh, the government would also light earthen lamps at the houses of 45 lakh people across the state who have got a house."
The move comes days after the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Lucknow where he expressed the wish to see that, along with Ayodhya, the homes of the beneficiaries of government schemes also shine bright with lights emanating from earthen lamps prepared by local potters.
"I am told that the Uttar Pradesh government plans to light up 7.5 lakh diyas in Ayodhya during this year's Deepotsav.
I want to task you with homework. Can we also see as much brightness emanating from the homes of those who got their new house under the PM or CM Awas Yojana? Will you accept this challenge?" Modi had said.
Yogi Adityanath has also appealed to the people to buy locally made clay idols of Lakshmi and Ganesh on Diwali.
The state government's push for clay ahead of Diwali is being seen part of a major outreach towards the Other Backward Caste (OBC) Prajapati community comprising potters.
Dharamvir Prajapati, a newly appointed minister, said that Yogi Adityanath's appeal to the people to buy the clay idols prepared by local potters and to light up earthen lamps would also help the community.
"Through Maati Kala Board we have managed to ignite fresh hope among the potters.
We organised exhibitions of their products in Lucknow and elsewhere across the state too and it was quite successful," he said.
Since 2017, the Adityanath government has been holding the Deepotsav function in Ayodhya, beginning with 51,000 earthen lamps in the inaugural year to 4.10 lakh diyas in 2019 and 6.6 lakh diyas in 2020.
--IANS
amita/ksk/.
Source: IANS
The state government had earlier announced that 7.5 lakh diyas would be lit in Ayodhya this year.
The Deepotsav function is held on the Diwali eve which falls on November 3 this year.
According to a state government spokesman, there are an estimated nine lakh beneficiaries of Prime Minister's and Chief Minister's Awas Yojanas (housing schemes) in urban parts of Uttar Pradesh.
"The Chief Minister has said that his government would light one diya for each of them during the Deepotsav," the spokesman said.
"While these nine lakh earthen lamps would represent the housewarming ceremonies of as many people in urban Uttar Pradesh, the government would also light earthen lamps at the houses of 45 lakh people across the state who have got a house."
The move comes days after the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Lucknow where he expressed the wish to see that, along with Ayodhya, the homes of the beneficiaries of government schemes also shine bright with lights emanating from earthen lamps prepared by local potters.
"I am told that the Uttar Pradesh government plans to light up 7.5 lakh diyas in Ayodhya during this year's Deepotsav.
I want to task you with homework. Can we also see as much brightness emanating from the homes of those who got their new house under the PM or CM Awas Yojana? Will you accept this challenge?" Modi had said.
Yogi Adityanath has also appealed to the people to buy locally made clay idols of Lakshmi and Ganesh on Diwali.
The state government's push for clay ahead of Diwali is being seen part of a major outreach towards the Other Backward Caste (OBC) Prajapati community comprising potters.
Dharamvir Prajapati, a newly appointed minister, said that Yogi Adityanath's appeal to the people to buy the clay idols prepared by local potters and to light up earthen lamps would also help the community.
"Through Maati Kala Board we have managed to ignite fresh hope among the potters.
We organised exhibitions of their products in Lucknow and elsewhere across the state too and it was quite successful," he said.
Since 2017, the Adityanath government has been holding the Deepotsav function in Ayodhya, beginning with 51,000 earthen lamps in the inaugural year to 4.10 lakh diyas in 2019 and 6.6 lakh diyas in 2020.
--IANS
amita/ksk/.
Source: IANS
New Delhi, Oct 17: As expected, Islamic State Khorasan Province, (ISIS-K) claimed responsibility for the attack on the Shia mosque on Friday in a stronghold of the Taliban.
Releasing the pictures of their two suicide bombers, the militant group's statement says, "Anas al-Khurasani and Abu Ali al-Balushi, ISIS fighters, who first killed the guards at the Shia mosque in Kandahar and then detonated the explosive on their waists in the middle of the crowded worshippers." The group also warned that there will be more attacks.
This attack came a week after a similar suicide attack at a Shia mosque in northern Kunduz province that killed more than 100 people.
The killings, and other IS bombings -- including an attack on a heavily guarded mosque during the funeral of mother of Zabiullah Mujahid, the chief Taliban spokesman, are undermining the Taliban's claim they have brought security to Afghanistan after taking over in August this year.
On Friday the ISIS-K's weekly mouthpiece paper Al-Naba mocked the Taliban's claim of controlling the country's security and mocked Taliban's sympathy with the minority Shia community.
The article ridiculed the Taliban as fake "jihadists" and that the country was simply handed over to the Islamist rival by the withdrawal of Americans.
While the Taliban are touting their ability to provide security, as an achievement, the ISIS-K with its attacks is seeking to discredit that claim and using the Taliban's own tactics to attack them.
Like the Taliban, the ISIS-K are also using sticky bombs -- magnetic bombs usually stuck to the underside of cars -- the attacks targeted Taliban members in exactly the same way the Taliban itself used to hit officials and civil society figures to destabilize the previous government.
The Taliban has been struggling to curb a slew of bombings by ISIS-K, which has developed a stronghold in the eastern province of Nangarhar.
The provincial capital of Jalalabad has seen regular bombings, which the group have claimed credit for that have killed both Taliban fighters and civilians.
Last week, the US had offered the Taliban help to fight Islamic State terrorism but the group has rejected the offer by saying, "We are able to tackle Daesh independently."
But analysts have doubts about the Taliban's claims since they have no experience of governing a nation.
(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)
--indianarrative.
Source: IANS
Releasing the pictures of their two suicide bombers, the militant group's statement says, "Anas al-Khurasani and Abu Ali al-Balushi, ISIS fighters, who first killed the guards at the Shia mosque in Kandahar and then detonated the explosive on their waists in the middle of the crowded worshippers." The group also warned that there will be more attacks.
This attack came a week after a similar suicide attack at a Shia mosque in northern Kunduz province that killed more than 100 people.
The killings, and other IS bombings -- including an attack on a heavily guarded mosque during the funeral of mother of Zabiullah Mujahid, the chief Taliban spokesman, are undermining the Taliban's claim they have brought security to Afghanistan after taking over in August this year.
On Friday the ISIS-K's weekly mouthpiece paper Al-Naba mocked the Taliban's claim of controlling the country's security and mocked Taliban's sympathy with the minority Shia community.
The article ridiculed the Taliban as fake "jihadists" and that the country was simply handed over to the Islamist rival by the withdrawal of Americans.
While the Taliban are touting their ability to provide security, as an achievement, the ISIS-K with its attacks is seeking to discredit that claim and using the Taliban's own tactics to attack them.
Like the Taliban, the ISIS-K are also using sticky bombs -- magnetic bombs usually stuck to the underside of cars -- the attacks targeted Taliban members in exactly the same way the Taliban itself used to hit officials and civil society figures to destabilize the previous government.
The Taliban has been struggling to curb a slew of bombings by ISIS-K, which has developed a stronghold in the eastern province of Nangarhar.
The provincial capital of Jalalabad has seen regular bombings, which the group have claimed credit for that have killed both Taliban fighters and civilians.
Last week, the US had offered the Taliban help to fight Islamic State terrorism but the group has rejected the offer by saying, "We are able to tackle Daesh independently."
But analysts have doubts about the Taliban's claims since they have no experience of governing a nation.
(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)
--indianarrative.
Source: IANS
New Delhi, Oct 17: As the Dutch warship Evertsen, steaming towards Mumbai to participate in the military exercise crossed the equator on Saturday, it performed a traditional naval ritual which has its roots in the Roman era.
On crossing the equator, an actor colourfully dressed as Neptune, the Roman God of fresh water and the sea, welcomed the 130 sailors into his kingdom with a traditional ceremony of water wave.
The historic navy custom of nautical 'Crossing the Line' is full of characters, including queen and an entourage of Neptunus Rex, dressed in colourful costumes ready to carry the initiation rites into 'the Ancient Order of the Deep' whenever a ship crosses the equator.
Traditionally, it commemorates a sailor's first crossing of the equator.
During the ceremony, the 'Pollywogs' or 'Tadpoles' -- members who have never crossed the equator onboard a warship -- and 'Shellbacks' -- those who have paid homage to Neptune earlier and who have been inducted into his empire -- perform various rituals in the 'royal court'.
With Queen Amphitrite sitting beside him, King Neptune, usually wearing a gold crown and holding a trident, presides over the assembly.
As part of the rituals, Pollywogs are dunked in water to cleanse them of the dirt and put through a series of tasks.
Tradition stated that sailors had to be cleansed of impurities, both physical and mental.
After trials and punishments, the Pollywogs, once initiated, are designated as Shellbacks and are presented with a certificate or affidavit to mark their initiation.
As Royal Australian Navy (RAN) -- which adopted 'Crossing the Line' ceremonies following its inception and first voyage from England to Australia in 1913 -- notes, there are different categories of Shellbacks too.
"A Golden Shellback is one who has had the honour of crossing the equator where it dissects with the international date line in the Pacific Ocean.
Rarer still are Emerald Shellbacks who have the distinction of having crossed the equator at the Prime Meridian in the Gulf of Guinea west Africa, "the RAN explains.
Citing historical references, the Australian Navy reveals that the Phoenicians of the Mediterranean, when passing through the straits of Gibraltar to trade with Britons, would often engage in religious ceremonies of appeasement to the God of the Seas during their voyages.
The Vikings of Northern Europe also had their own geographical parallels.
"The present-day ceremony is thought to have originated from the superstitions of those days and over time the custom made its way to the English-speaking world.
The ceremony eventually lost its religious aspects becoming, to a large extent, a means of inducting young novices into the world-wide fraternity of mariners, "says the RAN.
Megan Harris, a Senior Reference Specialist for the Veterans History Project (VHP) of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress in Washington, says the ceremony predates the establishment of the US Navy.
"As scholars have pointed out, the ritual has its roots in the days in which all sea journeys posed grave dangers, and crews needed to ensure that new sailors could meet the rigours of life aboard ship, "Harris wrote in her detailed blog, seven years ago.
Of course, the sailors of different countries have added their own set of rituals while crossing the equator.
The team of six women officers of Indian Naval Sailing Vessel Tarini (INSV Tarini) which completed a historic global circumnavigation voyage in 2018 had settled for a cake-cutting ceremony while crossing the equator into the Southern Hemisphere!
(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)
--indianarrative.
Source: IANS
On crossing the equator, an actor colourfully dressed as Neptune, the Roman God of fresh water and the sea, welcomed the 130 sailors into his kingdom with a traditional ceremony of water wave.
The historic navy custom of nautical 'Crossing the Line' is full of characters, including queen and an entourage of Neptunus Rex, dressed in colourful costumes ready to carry the initiation rites into 'the Ancient Order of the Deep' whenever a ship crosses the equator.
Traditionally, it commemorates a sailor's first crossing of the equator.
During the ceremony, the 'Pollywogs' or 'Tadpoles' -- members who have never crossed the equator onboard a warship -- and 'Shellbacks' -- those who have paid homage to Neptune earlier and who have been inducted into his empire -- perform various rituals in the 'royal court'.
With Queen Amphitrite sitting beside him, King Neptune, usually wearing a gold crown and holding a trident, presides over the assembly.
As part of the rituals, Pollywogs are dunked in water to cleanse them of the dirt and put through a series of tasks.
Tradition stated that sailors had to be cleansed of impurities, both physical and mental.
After trials and punishments, the Pollywogs, once initiated, are designated as Shellbacks and are presented with a certificate or affidavit to mark their initiation.
As Royal Australian Navy (RAN) -- which adopted 'Crossing the Line' ceremonies following its inception and first voyage from England to Australia in 1913 -- notes, there are different categories of Shellbacks too.
"A Golden Shellback is one who has had the honour of crossing the equator where it dissects with the international date line in the Pacific Ocean.
Rarer still are Emerald Shellbacks who have the distinction of having crossed the equator at the Prime Meridian in the Gulf of Guinea west Africa, "the RAN explains.
Citing historical references, the Australian Navy reveals that the Phoenicians of the Mediterranean, when passing through the straits of Gibraltar to trade with Britons, would often engage in religious ceremonies of appeasement to the God of the Seas during their voyages.
The Vikings of Northern Europe also had their own geographical parallels.
"The present-day ceremony is thought to have originated from the superstitions of those days and over time the custom made its way to the English-speaking world.
The ceremony eventually lost its religious aspects becoming, to a large extent, a means of inducting young novices into the world-wide fraternity of mariners, "says the RAN.
Megan Harris, a Senior Reference Specialist for the Veterans History Project (VHP) of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress in Washington, says the ceremony predates the establishment of the US Navy.
"As scholars have pointed out, the ritual has its roots in the days in which all sea journeys posed grave dangers, and crews needed to ensure that new sailors could meet the rigours of life aboard ship, "Harris wrote in her detailed blog, seven years ago.
Of course, the sailors of different countries have added their own set of rituals while crossing the equator.
The team of six women officers of Indian Naval Sailing Vessel Tarini (INSV Tarini) which completed a historic global circumnavigation voyage in 2018 had settled for a cake-cutting ceremony while crossing the equator into the Southern Hemisphere!
(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)
--indianarrative.
Source: IANS
New Delhi, Oct 17 : In just days to the crucial UN climate conference in Glasgow, nearly 200 countries under the leadership of US President Joe Biden will also put in place the crucial rules of the carbon market mechanism and its transparency to ensure its smooth functioning for supporting countries in achieving their climate commitments to put the brakes on dangerous climate change.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to play his crucial part in delivering climate ambition through the carbon market mechanism, hanging since the 2019 Madrid conference, at the upcoming two-week Glasgow Climate Change Conference (COP 26) that Britain is hosting.
Sources told IANS that Modi will be travelling to Glasgow from November 1-2 to participate in the World Leaders Summit where President Biden and Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison have confirmed their attendance.
An official confirmation about Modi's visit is yet to be announced.
India, China, Brazil and some other developing countries have strong been advocating for continuation of carbon credits, which allow companies to compensate for their greenhouse gas emissions, under the 2015 Paris Agreement -- an ambitious global action plan to fight climate change.
The carbon market mechanism, principally the guidance for Article 6 (market and non-market mechanisms) of the Paris Agreement rulebook, is the new climate change voluntary mitigation mechanism that aims to assist organisations in reducing carbon footprints.
At the 2019 UN climate summit the countries failed to agree unanimously on Article 6 concerning the carbon markets system as the lengthy negotiations remained inconclusive despite 48 hours past the official deadline.
Outlining agenda for the 26th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), UN climate chief Patricia Espinosa says one of the key negotiation topics is the wrapping up outstanding negotiations around Article 6 rules, to finally enable market and non-market tools to launch their operations.
Agreement on Article 6 rules uphold environmental integrity, including guidance for cooperation under Article 6.2, a new UN mechanism under Article 6.4 and a work programme on non-market approaches under Article 6.8.
Explaining the carbon market mechanisms, the UNFCCC says when countries set a limit, or cap, on greenhouse gas emissions, they create something of value: the right to emit.
What happens if we apply market principles and rules? The countries or companies that reduce emissions below their cap have something to sell, an unused right to emit, measured in tonnes of CO2 equivalent.
Countries and companies that don't meet their target can buy these one-tonne units to make up the shortfall.
This is called emissions trading, or cap and trade. The net affect on the atmosphere is the same, provided measurements are accurate, i.e. each unit represents a true one-tonne reduction below the cap and each unit is used only once. This requires clear rules and transparency.
The Article 6 carbon market rules will replace Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) under the Kyoto Protocol, the predecessor to the Paris Agreement.
In India, 1,669 projects have been successfully registered under the CDM, millions of certified emission reductions (CERs) credits, better known as carbon credits, remain unsold with collapsing of the CDM market.
One CER equals to one tonne of carbon dioxide.
The CERs help companies earn billions of dollars by trading them. Currently, there is market but no political platform.
At the last UN climate summit the developed world took the stand of not allowing the 'junk' carbon market, which allows buying and selling of carbon emissions, and emerged under the Kyoto Protocol adopted in December 1997 to continue in the exiting mechanism under the Paris Agreement.
They blamed faulty mechanism and loopholes in the existing system that failed to prevent double-counting of carbon credits and wanted a new mechanism to be put in place.
Several countries like India were demanding to carry forward the old carbon credits earned also by companies to meet new climate targets.
The carbon credit system allows countries to reduce their emission reduction targets by accumulating and trading in carbon credits.
As per rough estimates, nations hold close to 4 billion unsold certified emission reductions (CERs).
India has a depository of 750 million and China has much more than India.
Climate negotiators say there is need to build transparency in the COP26 to trade carbon credits as the current mechanism has been "fraught with scandals".
A latest report from an international task force led by UN Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance, Mark Carney, and chaired by Bill Winters, CEO of Standard Chartered Bank, says to achieve the Paris goals to limit global warming, the global community needs to reach 'net zero' emissions by no later than 2050.
This will require a whole-economy transition -- every company, every bank, every insurer and investor will have to adjust their business models, develop credible plans for the transition and implement them.
The report, Taskforce on Scaling Voluntary Carbon Markets, says given the demand for carbon credits that could ensue from global efforts to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, it's apparent that the world will need a voluntary carbon market that is large, transparent, verifiable, and environmentally robust.
Limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius requires that global annual greenhouse gas emissions are cut by 50 per cent of current levels by 2030 and reduced to "net zero" by 2050.
(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in)
--IANS
vg/ksk/.
Source: IANS
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to play his crucial part in delivering climate ambition through the carbon market mechanism, hanging since the 2019 Madrid conference, at the upcoming two-week Glasgow Climate Change Conference (COP 26) that Britain is hosting.
Sources told IANS that Modi will be travelling to Glasgow from November 1-2 to participate in the World Leaders Summit where President Biden and Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison have confirmed their attendance.
An official confirmation about Modi's visit is yet to be announced.
India, China, Brazil and some other developing countries have strong been advocating for continuation of carbon credits, which allow companies to compensate for their greenhouse gas emissions, under the 2015 Paris Agreement -- an ambitious global action plan to fight climate change.
The carbon market mechanism, principally the guidance for Article 6 (market and non-market mechanisms) of the Paris Agreement rulebook, is the new climate change voluntary mitigation mechanism that aims to assist organisations in reducing carbon footprints.
At the 2019 UN climate summit the countries failed to agree unanimously on Article 6 concerning the carbon markets system as the lengthy negotiations remained inconclusive despite 48 hours past the official deadline.
Outlining agenda for the 26th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), UN climate chief Patricia Espinosa says one of the key negotiation topics is the wrapping up outstanding negotiations around Article 6 rules, to finally enable market and non-market tools to launch their operations.
Agreement on Article 6 rules uphold environmental integrity, including guidance for cooperation under Article 6.2, a new UN mechanism under Article 6.4 and a work programme on non-market approaches under Article 6.8.
Explaining the carbon market mechanisms, the UNFCCC says when countries set a limit, or cap, on greenhouse gas emissions, they create something of value: the right to emit.
What happens if we apply market principles and rules? The countries or companies that reduce emissions below their cap have something to sell, an unused right to emit, measured in tonnes of CO2 equivalent.
Countries and companies that don't meet their target can buy these one-tonne units to make up the shortfall.
This is called emissions trading, or cap and trade. The net affect on the atmosphere is the same, provided measurements are accurate, i.e. each unit represents a true one-tonne reduction below the cap and each unit is used only once. This requires clear rules and transparency.
The Article 6 carbon market rules will replace Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) under the Kyoto Protocol, the predecessor to the Paris Agreement.
In India, 1,669 projects have been successfully registered under the CDM, millions of certified emission reductions (CERs) credits, better known as carbon credits, remain unsold with collapsing of the CDM market.
One CER equals to one tonne of carbon dioxide.
The CERs help companies earn billions of dollars by trading them. Currently, there is market but no political platform.
At the last UN climate summit the developed world took the stand of not allowing the 'junk' carbon market, which allows buying and selling of carbon emissions, and emerged under the Kyoto Protocol adopted in December 1997 to continue in the exiting mechanism under the Paris Agreement.
They blamed faulty mechanism and loopholes in the existing system that failed to prevent double-counting of carbon credits and wanted a new mechanism to be put in place.
Several countries like India were demanding to carry forward the old carbon credits earned also by companies to meet new climate targets.
The carbon credit system allows countries to reduce their emission reduction targets by accumulating and trading in carbon credits.
As per rough estimates, nations hold close to 4 billion unsold certified emission reductions (CERs).
India has a depository of 750 million and China has much more than India.
Climate negotiators say there is need to build transparency in the COP26 to trade carbon credits as the current mechanism has been "fraught with scandals".
A latest report from an international task force led by UN Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance, Mark Carney, and chaired by Bill Winters, CEO of Standard Chartered Bank, says to achieve the Paris goals to limit global warming, the global community needs to reach 'net zero' emissions by no later than 2050.
This will require a whole-economy transition -- every company, every bank, every insurer and investor will have to adjust their business models, develop credible plans for the transition and implement them.
The report, Taskforce on Scaling Voluntary Carbon Markets, says given the demand for carbon credits that could ensue from global efforts to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, it's apparent that the world will need a voluntary carbon market that is large, transparent, verifiable, and environmentally robust.
Limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius requires that global annual greenhouse gas emissions are cut by 50 per cent of current levels by 2030 and reduced to "net zero" by 2050.
(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in)
--IANS
vg/ksk/.
Source: IANS
New Delhi, Oct 17 : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will create history in Uttarakhand by winning two polls in a row as there is pro-incumbency for the state government, claims Sardar R.P.
Singh, the party's election co-incharge.
In an exclusive interview to IANS, Singh said that the BJP government in the state has ensured the overall development of Uttarakhand in all the parameters and on the basis of work done in the last four-and-half years, they will come to power once again.
"There is pro-incumbency for the BJP government in Uttarakhand.
I cannot tell you the exact number of seats but on the basis of feedback reports collected from across the state, I can say that we are going to achieve our slogan 'Abki Baar 60 Paar'," Singh said.
Singh denied the existence of factionalism in the party's state unit.
Excerpts of the interview:
Q: How do you see the BJP's prospects in next year's Uttarakhand assembly polls?
Singh: The BJP will win Uttarakhand polls with record number of seats because our government in state has done tremendous overall development of state under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in last five years.
People have witnessed how the "double engine" government has transformed the state and they hope that this transformation will continue for another five years under the BJP rule.
In the last five years, road networks from rural to national highways have been strengthened and increased in the state.
Rail connectivity has increased, health insurance under 'Ayushman Bharat' has been provided to all the residents, (Pushkar Singh) Dhami government is providing one lakh government jobs in coming months.
The BJP government in Uttarakhand ensured overall development of the state in all the parameters.
On the basis of work done in the last four-and-half years, I am saying that the BJP will win the assembly polls with a record number of seats.
Apart from ensuring development of the state, the BJP government also gave transparent and corruption free administration.
Q: How will the BJP will counter anti-incumbency in Uttarakhand?
Singh: There is no anti-incumbency and it is visible in several surveys done by different media agencies, including one by the IANS.
In other words there is pro-incumbency for the BJP government in Uttarakhand. I cannot tell you the exact number of seats but feedback reports collected from across the state say that we are going to achieve our slogan 'Abki Baar 60 Paar'.
Q: There are reports of factionalism and differences in the BJP state unit. Do you think it will affect the party's prospects in the elections?
Singh: There is no factionalism in the BJP's Uttarakhand unit and everyone is united.
All the senior leaders and workers are working very hard to ensure BJP's victory in next year's assembly polls.
Take my word, due to the collective hardwork of the state unit, BJP will be the first party to form government for two continuous terms by winning back to back elections in the state.
Q: Will the changing of three Chief Ministers in six months favour the party?
Singh: I don't think that changing the Chief Minister will have any impact in elections.
It shows that the BJP is a party which has a number of workers with chief ministerial qualities. Both the previous Chief Ministers, Trivendra Singh Rawat and Tirath singh Rawat did a good job and current chief minister Dhami is taking forward the development work.
Dhami is popular and doing good work and ensuring development of the state. For the BJP, development and welfare of people is priority and whosoever is chief minister work to achieve both.
Q: Do you think Yashpal Arya joining Congress will go against you?
Singh: Before every election, many people change sides.
Arya was earlier with Congress and before the last Assembly polls, he joined the BJP and before next election he left the BJP to rejoin Congress.
Arya going back to Congress has no impact on the BJP's poll prospects in the next assembly election. BJP is cadre based party where joining and leaving of an individual has lesser impact. We were in power in Uttarakhand before Arya joined us and will return to power in March next year after he left us.
Q: What would you say to Congress leader Harish Rawat's comment that he wants to see a Dalit Chief Minister in Uttarakhand?
Singh: Harish Rawat's affection and love for Dalit is recently seen by everyone when he insulted Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi by saying the next assembly election will be contested under leadership of Navjot Singh Siddhu.
If he really wants to see a Dalit Chief Minister in Uttarakhand then why he did not Congress name a Dalit leader as its Chief Ministerial candidate.
Harish Rawat and Congress only do lip service and insult Dalits.
--IANS
ssb/svn/ksk/.
Source: IANS
Singh, the party's election co-incharge.
In an exclusive interview to IANS, Singh said that the BJP government in the state has ensured the overall development of Uttarakhand in all the parameters and on the basis of work done in the last four-and-half years, they will come to power once again.
"There is pro-incumbency for the BJP government in Uttarakhand.
I cannot tell you the exact number of seats but on the basis of feedback reports collected from across the state, I can say that we are going to achieve our slogan 'Abki Baar 60 Paar'," Singh said.
Singh denied the existence of factionalism in the party's state unit.
Excerpts of the interview:
Q: How do you see the BJP's prospects in next year's Uttarakhand assembly polls?
Singh: The BJP will win Uttarakhand polls with record number of seats because our government in state has done tremendous overall development of state under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in last five years.
People have witnessed how the "double engine" government has transformed the state and they hope that this transformation will continue for another five years under the BJP rule.
In the last five years, road networks from rural to national highways have been strengthened and increased in the state.
Rail connectivity has increased, health insurance under 'Ayushman Bharat' has been provided to all the residents, (Pushkar Singh) Dhami government is providing one lakh government jobs in coming months.
The BJP government in Uttarakhand ensured overall development of the state in all the parameters.
On the basis of work done in the last four-and-half years, I am saying that the BJP will win the assembly polls with a record number of seats.
Apart from ensuring development of the state, the BJP government also gave transparent and corruption free administration.
Q: How will the BJP will counter anti-incumbency in Uttarakhand?
Singh: There is no anti-incumbency and it is visible in several surveys done by different media agencies, including one by the IANS.
In other words there is pro-incumbency for the BJP government in Uttarakhand. I cannot tell you the exact number of seats but feedback reports collected from across the state say that we are going to achieve our slogan 'Abki Baar 60 Paar'.
Q: There are reports of factionalism and differences in the BJP state unit. Do you think it will affect the party's prospects in the elections?
Singh: There is no factionalism in the BJP's Uttarakhand unit and everyone is united.
All the senior leaders and workers are working very hard to ensure BJP's victory in next year's assembly polls.
Take my word, due to the collective hardwork of the state unit, BJP will be the first party to form government for two continuous terms by winning back to back elections in the state.
Q: Will the changing of three Chief Ministers in six months favour the party?
Singh: I don't think that changing the Chief Minister will have any impact in elections.
It shows that the BJP is a party which has a number of workers with chief ministerial qualities. Both the previous Chief Ministers, Trivendra Singh Rawat and Tirath singh Rawat did a good job and current chief minister Dhami is taking forward the development work.
Dhami is popular and doing good work and ensuring development of the state. For the BJP, development and welfare of people is priority and whosoever is chief minister work to achieve both.
Q: Do you think Yashpal Arya joining Congress will go against you?
Singh: Before every election, many people change sides.
Arya was earlier with Congress and before the last Assembly polls, he joined the BJP and before next election he left the BJP to rejoin Congress.
Arya going back to Congress has no impact on the BJP's poll prospects in the next assembly election. BJP is cadre based party where joining and leaving of an individual has lesser impact. We were in power in Uttarakhand before Arya joined us and will return to power in March next year after he left us.
Q: What would you say to Congress leader Harish Rawat's comment that he wants to see a Dalit Chief Minister in Uttarakhand?
Singh: Harish Rawat's affection and love for Dalit is recently seen by everyone when he insulted Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi by saying the next assembly election will be contested under leadership of Navjot Singh Siddhu.
If he really wants to see a Dalit Chief Minister in Uttarakhand then why he did not Congress name a Dalit leader as its Chief Ministerial candidate.
Harish Rawat and Congress only do lip service and insult Dalits.
--IANS
ssb/svn/ksk/.
Source: IANS
In the environ of disruption and internal divide whipped up by certain political forces in India in their quest for power, it is necessary to distinguish the national identity of India with its democratic dispensation from the narrative of doom created by these contestants in public life.
In today's time the nation state has to conform to certain basic paradigms in order to measure up to the mandate of Kautilya's Arthashashtra that the 'King's happiness lies in the happiness of his people'.
Five components of the matrix that defines the norm for such a state suggest themselves and any public evaluation of the same would be the right base on which to judge the performance of the present regime.
First, a nation cannot exercise sovereignty unless it feels autonomous and strong enough to counter any hostile moves of an adversary or speak up for a right cause for the world at large.
A nation with self-pride cannot be taken for granted -- for this all its citizens must have a sense of identity with the former and stakes in its unity derived from shared interests and security outlook.
Prime Minister Modi has been able to give a message to the world that India had a new strength, military and moral, to deal with an aggressive adversary outside and any subversive forces within.
The nation is witness to the people reposing full confidence in the Prime Minister's political will to punish an external enemy like was the case in the surgical strike at Balakot and the military build-up in Ladakh ordered on the first signs of Chinese aggressiveness on LAC in that sector.
The consistency of the security policy of 'no talks' with Pakistan unless the latter stopped cross-border terrorism against India, has been fully endorsed by the people of this country -- discordant voices of a few 'intellectuals' indulging in 'politics by proxy' were largely peripheral.
In matters of national security two things are crucially important -- one, that they would be kept above party politics and second, that there should be a fuller understanding of the concept that in a democratic state 'security for all also meant all for security' -- highlighting the awareness of the citizens about their own contribution to national security.
In the Modi regime, Prime Minister addressing the Foundational Course of Indian Civil Services on the one hand and the first Combined Commanders Conference chaired by the new CDS on the other, sent down the message that the nation attached highest importance to national security and public service.
Secondly, a modern nation state realises the importance of economic growth in making it strong -- this was something even Chanakya's statecraft of 300 BC vintage laid down when it advised the King to work not only for the defence of his kingdom but also for its prosperity.
The link between security and economy is now fully acknowledged in the doctrine that 'national security was inseparable from economic security'.
Prime Minister Modi's grasp of this is evident from the tireless effort he has made towards the country's economic recovery despite the lingering pandemic.
His statesmanship came to the fore in the perceptive policy formulation he made in the advocacy of 'vocal for local' for the purpose of making India economically self-dependent.
His appeal to investors outside to come here for 'make in India' is producing results as in his charge the country has progressed towards the goal of 'ease of doing business'.
Reasonable monetisation of public assets is in line with the objective of making India financially strong within the norms of globalisation -- India had the singular advantage of having many big players in business who were naturally given to handling global operations because of the lead the country had taken in the domain of IT.
Prime Minister Modi is perhaps the first leader who drove the application of technology in all spheres of national life with a rare passion.
India is going to see the long-range benefit of this -- the fact of rise of per capita GDP notwithstanding the internal inequalities is keeping the country on the path of economic advancement.
The third defining feature of nationhood is a certain commonality of perspective that must exist amongst the citizens on the happy and unhappy memories of history, equality of opportunity in the present and a sense of shared destiny of their country in terms of what lies ahead.
Interpretation of history is somewhat problematic for Indians because the narratives on ancient India of five thousand years ago are not shared enthusiastically by large sections of population conditioned by Prophetic religions for whom the civilisation itself began much later.
The Quran insisted that the world was in a state of 'zahaliyat' or utter ignorance before the advent of Prophet Mohammad.
To make matters worse, evaluation of rulers of India in the recorded history runs into serious differentials because the communities took a mutually contradictory view of the monarchs who ran their regimes on the diktat of a particular religion or faith.
It is remarkable that Chanakya, the greatest philosopher of ancient India on statecraft, kept the state above divisions of class and region and reminded the king to follow his Dharma or duty that essentially had a secular core.
Prime Minister Modi has promised development for all and equal protection of law for every citizen -- these are the built-in components of a secular governance that did not need political publicity.
Indian democracy resting on one man one vote and the constitutional mandate of the political executive not carrying any denominational stamp, gives itself a strong secular foundation but some opposition forces indulging in minority politics alleged that the Modi regime was deviating from it.
India's nationhood demands that all communities would respect the country's national symbols and yet some political elements raised controversies about them for vote bank objectives.
The Indian Constitution defines fundamental duties that called upon the citizens to promote patriotism by showing respect for the national symbols.
Politics cannot be allowed to damage the base of nationalism. Prime Minister Modi should strictly put down elements who tried to weaken the nation by questioning its flag or the national anthem.
Fourthly, it is unfortunate that historical repercussions of the cataclysmic Partition that accompanied India's freedom are still casting their shadow on the present, largely because of the machinations of Pakistan and the doings of pro-Pak elements in this country.
Pakistan continues to raise the issue of Kashmir on the ground that it was a Muslim majority state that need not abide by the accession to India opted for by the Maharaja.
The play of Islamic card by the Pak-ISI that resulted in the forced eviction of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley in the beginning of the Nineties intensified Hindu-Muslim divide in this border state and, in fact, in the entire country.
This happened around the time Pakistan -- flush from the victory of anti-Soviet armed campaign in Afghanistan for which it got all the credit from the US -- had decided to replicate the Afghan Jihad in Kashmir and sent in the first set of Mujahideen of the dreaded Harkat ul Ansar, a combination of Taliban and what would become Jaish-e-Mohammad -- into the Valley to push terrorism there to a new pitch.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has lately made direct attacks on the Modi government for not safeguarding the rights of Muslim minority and permitting 'Islamophobia' to grow in India.
India's domestic scene is getting vitiated fast because of the pro-Pak lobbies within the country and outside fomenting a narrative of 'intolerance', suppression of 'diversity' and violation of human rights.
Pakistan is once again using cross-border terrorism in Kashmir to whip up the communal divide.
Comprehensive ways and means have to be found to check the dangerous erosion of Internal Security caused by the inimical forces operating from outside in concert with pro-Pak elements inside -- they were exploiting India's vulnerability on the communal front.
Finally, the biggest threat to India's nationhood is from the faith-based terrorism emanating from the growing communal militancy fostered by the exclusivist Islamic extremism.
A quick recall of Jamaat-e-Islami, a pro-Pak organisation establishing Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) at AMU in 1978 and a militant arm of SIMI called Indian Mujahideen (IM) subsequently joining up with global Islamic organisations like the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY) and more recently even with ISIS, is enough to show how Pakistan got the opportunity of fishing in the troubled waters of India once the vested interests played up the Minority issues here.
Pak agencies have been sponsoring terror acts in India as part of the 'proxy war' against this country and the developments in Afghanistan leading to the return of Taliban-controlled Emirate at Kabul with the full backing of Pakistan as also the emergence of Sino- Pak military alliance primarily working against India, have multiplied this danger to our national security.
This is the time for Indian nationhood to revitalise and reinvigorate itself embracing all -- irrespective of caste, creed and region -- and for the citizens to rally behind the state in safeguarding the country against external and internal threats.
They should realise that there can be no development in a situation of conflict and no growth without security.
Internal security presently is on top of our national tasks being a part of our economic mission too.
(The writer is a former Director of Intelligence Bureau)
--IANS
pathak/am.
Source: IANS
In today's time the nation state has to conform to certain basic paradigms in order to measure up to the mandate of Kautilya's Arthashashtra that the 'King's happiness lies in the happiness of his people'.
Five components of the matrix that defines the norm for such a state suggest themselves and any public evaluation of the same would be the right base on which to judge the performance of the present regime.
First, a nation cannot exercise sovereignty unless it feels autonomous and strong enough to counter any hostile moves of an adversary or speak up for a right cause for the world at large.
A nation with self-pride cannot be taken for granted -- for this all its citizens must have a sense of identity with the former and stakes in its unity derived from shared interests and security outlook.
Prime Minister Modi has been able to give a message to the world that India had a new strength, military and moral, to deal with an aggressive adversary outside and any subversive forces within.
The nation is witness to the people reposing full confidence in the Prime Minister's political will to punish an external enemy like was the case in the surgical strike at Balakot and the military build-up in Ladakh ordered on the first signs of Chinese aggressiveness on LAC in that sector.
The consistency of the security policy of 'no talks' with Pakistan unless the latter stopped cross-border terrorism against India, has been fully endorsed by the people of this country -- discordant voices of a few 'intellectuals' indulging in 'politics by proxy' were largely peripheral.
In matters of national security two things are crucially important -- one, that they would be kept above party politics and second, that there should be a fuller understanding of the concept that in a democratic state 'security for all also meant all for security' -- highlighting the awareness of the citizens about their own contribution to national security.
In the Modi regime, Prime Minister addressing the Foundational Course of Indian Civil Services on the one hand and the first Combined Commanders Conference chaired by the new CDS on the other, sent down the message that the nation attached highest importance to national security and public service.
Secondly, a modern nation state realises the importance of economic growth in making it strong -- this was something even Chanakya's statecraft of 300 BC vintage laid down when it advised the King to work not only for the defence of his kingdom but also for its prosperity.
The link between security and economy is now fully acknowledged in the doctrine that 'national security was inseparable from economic security'.
Prime Minister Modi's grasp of this is evident from the tireless effort he has made towards the country's economic recovery despite the lingering pandemic.
His statesmanship came to the fore in the perceptive policy formulation he made in the advocacy of 'vocal for local' for the purpose of making India economically self-dependent.
His appeal to investors outside to come here for 'make in India' is producing results as in his charge the country has progressed towards the goal of 'ease of doing business'.
Reasonable monetisation of public assets is in line with the objective of making India financially strong within the norms of globalisation -- India had the singular advantage of having many big players in business who were naturally given to handling global operations because of the lead the country had taken in the domain of IT.
Prime Minister Modi is perhaps the first leader who drove the application of technology in all spheres of national life with a rare passion.
India is going to see the long-range benefit of this -- the fact of rise of per capita GDP notwithstanding the internal inequalities is keeping the country on the path of economic advancement.
The third defining feature of nationhood is a certain commonality of perspective that must exist amongst the citizens on the happy and unhappy memories of history, equality of opportunity in the present and a sense of shared destiny of their country in terms of what lies ahead.
Interpretation of history is somewhat problematic for Indians because the narratives on ancient India of five thousand years ago are not shared enthusiastically by large sections of population conditioned by Prophetic religions for whom the civilisation itself began much later.
The Quran insisted that the world was in a state of 'zahaliyat' or utter ignorance before the advent of Prophet Mohammad.
To make matters worse, evaluation of rulers of India in the recorded history runs into serious differentials because the communities took a mutually contradictory view of the monarchs who ran their regimes on the diktat of a particular religion or faith.
It is remarkable that Chanakya, the greatest philosopher of ancient India on statecraft, kept the state above divisions of class and region and reminded the king to follow his Dharma or duty that essentially had a secular core.
Prime Minister Modi has promised development for all and equal protection of law for every citizen -- these are the built-in components of a secular governance that did not need political publicity.
Indian democracy resting on one man one vote and the constitutional mandate of the political executive not carrying any denominational stamp, gives itself a strong secular foundation but some opposition forces indulging in minority politics alleged that the Modi regime was deviating from it.
India's nationhood demands that all communities would respect the country's national symbols and yet some political elements raised controversies about them for vote bank objectives.
The Indian Constitution defines fundamental duties that called upon the citizens to promote patriotism by showing respect for the national symbols.
Politics cannot be allowed to damage the base of nationalism. Prime Minister Modi should strictly put down elements who tried to weaken the nation by questioning its flag or the national anthem.
Fourthly, it is unfortunate that historical repercussions of the cataclysmic Partition that accompanied India's freedom are still casting their shadow on the present, largely because of the machinations of Pakistan and the doings of pro-Pak elements in this country.
Pakistan continues to raise the issue of Kashmir on the ground that it was a Muslim majority state that need not abide by the accession to India opted for by the Maharaja.
The play of Islamic card by the Pak-ISI that resulted in the forced eviction of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley in the beginning of the Nineties intensified Hindu-Muslim divide in this border state and, in fact, in the entire country.
This happened around the time Pakistan -- flush from the victory of anti-Soviet armed campaign in Afghanistan for which it got all the credit from the US -- had decided to replicate the Afghan Jihad in Kashmir and sent in the first set of Mujahideen of the dreaded Harkat ul Ansar, a combination of Taliban and what would become Jaish-e-Mohammad -- into the Valley to push terrorism there to a new pitch.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has lately made direct attacks on the Modi government for not safeguarding the rights of Muslim minority and permitting 'Islamophobia' to grow in India.
India's domestic scene is getting vitiated fast because of the pro-Pak lobbies within the country and outside fomenting a narrative of 'intolerance', suppression of 'diversity' and violation of human rights.
Pakistan is once again using cross-border terrorism in Kashmir to whip up the communal divide.
Comprehensive ways and means have to be found to check the dangerous erosion of Internal Security caused by the inimical forces operating from outside in concert with pro-Pak elements inside -- they were exploiting India's vulnerability on the communal front.
Finally, the biggest threat to India's nationhood is from the faith-based terrorism emanating from the growing communal militancy fostered by the exclusivist Islamic extremism.
A quick recall of Jamaat-e-Islami, a pro-Pak organisation establishing Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) at AMU in 1978 and a militant arm of SIMI called Indian Mujahideen (IM) subsequently joining up with global Islamic organisations like the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY) and more recently even with ISIS, is enough to show how Pakistan got the opportunity of fishing in the troubled waters of India once the vested interests played up the Minority issues here.
Pak agencies have been sponsoring terror acts in India as part of the 'proxy war' against this country and the developments in Afghanistan leading to the return of Taliban-controlled Emirate at Kabul with the full backing of Pakistan as also the emergence of Sino- Pak military alliance primarily working against India, have multiplied this danger to our national security.
This is the time for Indian nationhood to revitalise and reinvigorate itself embracing all -- irrespective of caste, creed and region -- and for the citizens to rally behind the state in safeguarding the country against external and internal threats.
They should realise that there can be no development in a situation of conflict and no growth without security.
Internal security presently is on top of our national tasks being a part of our economic mission too.
(The writer is a former Director of Intelligence Bureau)
--IANS
pathak/am.
Source: IANS
New Delhi, Oct 17 : As someone who has been a prominent face of Indian television for decades now, she feels that the industry has witnessed multiple changes at both technical and thematic levels.
Actor Rupali Ganguly, who played the character of Dr.
Simran Chopra in the Star Plus serial 'Sanjivani' and later, the role of Monisha Sarabhai in 'Sarabhai vs Sarabhai' besides being a a contestant in the reality show, Big Boss, in 2006, feels Indian television has constantly evolved over time.
"Look at powerful content and the way it is being shot in high-definition. Television has not only managed to introduce every generation with the ethos of Indian culture but also reflected the aspirations of young Indians," she tells IANS.
Stressing that in contemporary times, content sits on the highest throne, the actor feels that people are constantly hunting for good stories.
"And Indian TV has always stood the test of time and delivered cutting edge stories. It has also made sure that newer generations find the content relatable, precisely how it is able to connect to audiences across all age groups," says the actor who is currently playing the titular role in the television series 'Anupamaa' on Star Plus.
Ganguly is the face of the recently launched Tata Sky Videshi Kahaniyan that will provide a gamut of international content and will feature international series and movies in various languages including Korean, Bulgarian, Spanish, and Turkish.
Talking about the association, she says, "International content has gained immense traction, be it Korean or any other language.
I personally enjoy exploring new content across various languages. This service is for people who are inclined towards exploring new stories from across the globe."
Talk to her about the increasing popularity of Korean dramas among Indian audiences, and she admits that she too is hooked on them.
"Their stories, the elements of romance and comedy are quite similar to Indian shows yet different in a way that they touch a chord.
When it comes to international content, I am quite fond of 'Undercover' and 'Eternal', a Turkish family drama."
When it comes to the OTT revolution sweeping the country, the actor feels that ultimately content is platform agnostic as it is made to engage with the audience.
"Be it OTT or television, both are just a mediums/platforms where one relaxes and enjoys content of their choice.
TV caters to all age groups and so does OTT, They can coexist as long as there is a demand for good content," says Ganguly.
(Sukant Deepak can be contacted at sukant.d@ians.in)
--IANS
sukant/pgh.
Source: IANS
Actor Rupali Ganguly, who played the character of Dr.
Simran Chopra in the Star Plus serial 'Sanjivani' and later, the role of Monisha Sarabhai in 'Sarabhai vs Sarabhai' besides being a a contestant in the reality show, Big Boss, in 2006, feels Indian television has constantly evolved over time.
"Look at powerful content and the way it is being shot in high-definition. Television has not only managed to introduce every generation with the ethos of Indian culture but also reflected the aspirations of young Indians," she tells IANS.
Stressing that in contemporary times, content sits on the highest throne, the actor feels that people are constantly hunting for good stories.
"And Indian TV has always stood the test of time and delivered cutting edge stories. It has also made sure that newer generations find the content relatable, precisely how it is able to connect to audiences across all age groups," says the actor who is currently playing the titular role in the television series 'Anupamaa' on Star Plus.
Ganguly is the face of the recently launched Tata Sky Videshi Kahaniyan that will provide a gamut of international content and will feature international series and movies in various languages including Korean, Bulgarian, Spanish, and Turkish.
Talking about the association, she says, "International content has gained immense traction, be it Korean or any other language.
I personally enjoy exploring new content across various languages. This service is for people who are inclined towards exploring new stories from across the globe."
Talk to her about the increasing popularity of Korean dramas among Indian audiences, and she admits that she too is hooked on them.
"Their stories, the elements of romance and comedy are quite similar to Indian shows yet different in a way that they touch a chord.
When it comes to international content, I am quite fond of 'Undercover' and 'Eternal', a Turkish family drama."
When it comes to the OTT revolution sweeping the country, the actor feels that ultimately content is platform agnostic as it is made to engage with the audience.
"Be it OTT or television, both are just a mediums/platforms where one relaxes and enjoys content of their choice.
TV caters to all age groups and so does OTT, They can coexist as long as there is a demand for good content," says Ganguly.
(Sukant Deepak can be contacted at sukant.d@ians.in)
--IANS
sukant/pgh.
Source: IANS
New Delhi, October 16: As US multinational Microsoft announced its decision to close its LinkedIn service in China due to the "challenging operating environment," concerns within the global business community have risen.
Analysts said that as Beijing continues to tighten its grip over the private sector including the tech companies, there could be a few more companies that decide to slash down their operations.
Reuters tweeted, "Seven years after its launch in China, Microsoft is pulling the plug on LinkedIn.
The company cited challenges of operating in a country with strict government regulations over content sharing."
"This could be the beginning as many companies are now becoming more and more wary of China as a market due to the uncertainty in its policy regime," an analyst told India Narrative.
Also read: Harvard University's Chinese language programme to shift from Beijing to Taiwan
The American tech giant however said that the company will launch a China-specific jobs-only platform called InJobs, which would not offer social feeds.
Users of the new feature would also be unable to share or post articles.
A senior executive of a multinational company that is present in China said that the authorities that have been typically supportive of businesses have suddenly become hostile.
"There is a rising sense of apprehension among the businesses and this has definitely dampened sentiments, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic," the executive on condition of anonymity said.
In his blog, Mohak Shroff, senior vice-president of linkedIn said, "We're facing a significantly more challenging operating environment and greater compliance requirements in China."
It is worth noting that earlier this week, Harvard University announced its decision to move its Chinese language programme from Beijing to Taipei.
The university said that the growing "hostile environment" between China and the US was one of the main reasons for the decision.
Also read: Evergrande misses another payment deadline --all eyes now on China's growing real estate crisis
Meanwhile, in another drastic step, the Chinese authorities published new data security draft regulations that would choke data sharing for multinational companies operating in China or even other firms which operate beyond the country.
According to Global Times, the new regulation would "ban the export" core and important data.
The Beijing based news organisation defended the step saying that this is necessary "to ensure national security and normal functioning of society," most others have registered their discontent.
China Briefing said that for multinational companies headquartered in China or with branches in China, cross-border data transfer might be inevitable when engaging with overseas companies or investors.
"Businesses are well advised to carefully evaluate if they fall into the scope of critical information infrastructures operators before transferring their data to overseas parties and must keep a close eye on future legislative developments to avoid compliance risks and potential penalties," it said.
(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)
--indianarrative.
Source: IANS
Analysts said that as Beijing continues to tighten its grip over the private sector including the tech companies, there could be a few more companies that decide to slash down their operations.
Reuters tweeted, "Seven years after its launch in China, Microsoft is pulling the plug on LinkedIn.
The company cited challenges of operating in a country with strict government regulations over content sharing."
"This could be the beginning as many companies are now becoming more and more wary of China as a market due to the uncertainty in its policy regime," an analyst told India Narrative.
Also read: Harvard University's Chinese language programme to shift from Beijing to Taiwan
The American tech giant however said that the company will launch a China-specific jobs-only platform called InJobs, which would not offer social feeds.
Users of the new feature would also be unable to share or post articles.
A senior executive of a multinational company that is present in China said that the authorities that have been typically supportive of businesses have suddenly become hostile.
"There is a rising sense of apprehension among the businesses and this has definitely dampened sentiments, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic," the executive on condition of anonymity said.
In his blog, Mohak Shroff, senior vice-president of linkedIn said, "We're facing a significantly more challenging operating environment and greater compliance requirements in China."
It is worth noting that earlier this week, Harvard University announced its decision to move its Chinese language programme from Beijing to Taipei.
The university said that the growing "hostile environment" between China and the US was one of the main reasons for the decision.
Also read: Evergrande misses another payment deadline --all eyes now on China's growing real estate crisis
Meanwhile, in another drastic step, the Chinese authorities published new data security draft regulations that would choke data sharing for multinational companies operating in China or even other firms which operate beyond the country.
According to Global Times, the new regulation would "ban the export" core and important data.
The Beijing based news organisation defended the step saying that this is necessary "to ensure national security and normal functioning of society," most others have registered their discontent.
China Briefing said that for multinational companies headquartered in China or with branches in China, cross-border data transfer might be inevitable when engaging with overseas companies or investors.
"Businesses are well advised to carefully evaluate if they fall into the scope of critical information infrastructures operators before transferring their data to overseas parties and must keep a close eye on future legislative developments to avoid compliance risks and potential penalties," it said.
(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)
--indianarrative.
Source: IANS
Hyderabad, Oct 16 : For decades before formation of the Telangana state, the Telugu dialect used in this region was not considered mainstream by Telugu filmmakers and actors.
The Telangana dialect was often used to ridicule a character, and this portray was time and again considered offensive by people involved in the movement for a separate statehood.
Films which were made on the Telangana movement alone had the local dialect before 2014, but now the tide has turned.
Shekhar Kammula, a big name in Telugu cinema, who made movies for the last decade and half using earlier propagated dialect has taken an uncharted path by making a movie in Telangana using the local dialect.
His first such movie 'Fidaa' starring Varun Tej and Sai Pallavi was a huge hit.
Irrespective of the dialect, the film was well received by the masses of Telangana, Rayalaseema, and Andhra regions.
His latest film 'Love Story', fully laced with Telangana flavour, has hit the box office jackpot.
"When I decided on a film script native to the Telangana region, I did not have any doubts whether people will welcome it or not.
I know Telangana dialect and Telangana rituals and practices is now a part of mainstream Telugu cinema," said King Johnson, producer of 'Assalem Jarigindi', a movie shot in various locations across Telangana, and is scheduled for a theatrical release on October 22.
"My movie also has a song on 'kallu' (toddy ? a drink more prominent in Telangana) and I am confident this catchy number will be a massive hit among the masses," he added.
"First Varun Tej, now Naga Chaitanya, many prominent actors and actresses are working on Telangana-centric scripts.
Young actors from Mega (Chirnjeevi) family, Akkineni family, and every other famous family in Telugu cinema are now open to work in languages which their predecessors did not.
This is a welcome move and will help bridge the cultural gap between multiple regions within these two States," said Tekmal Sreekar Reddy, an executive producer in the Telugu film industry.
"Filmmakers are now obligated to accept Telangana as a reality.
This region, its social or cultural practices, its soul, its struggles, and diversities here were ignored in the past.
But after the division of the State, many filmmakers will be compelled to embrace elements of Telangana into their scripts when they want to shoot in Hyderabad or other parts of the youngest State in the country," said political analyst Palwai Raghavendra Reddy.
The Telangana movement highlighted discrimination in school textbooks, state sanctioned cultural festivals, active endorsement of certain kind of Telugu in administrative activities while ignoring the heterogeneous nature of Telugu language were raised.
The movement also responded to Telugu cinema by attacking the hegemonic structures of the industry, and its links to the political apparatus dominated by Seema-Andhra.
Activists then argued that film Industry was given prime land at heavily subsidized prices, besides production subsidies, soft loans, and tax incentives by successive governments to facilitate the shift of the industry from Chennai to Hyderabad.
--IANS
ms/ksk/.
Source: IANS
The Telangana dialect was often used to ridicule a character, and this portray was time and again considered offensive by people involved in the movement for a separate statehood.
Films which were made on the Telangana movement alone had the local dialect before 2014, but now the tide has turned.
Shekhar Kammula, a big name in Telugu cinema, who made movies for the last decade and half using earlier propagated dialect has taken an uncharted path by making a movie in Telangana using the local dialect.
His first such movie 'Fidaa' starring Varun Tej and Sai Pallavi was a huge hit.
Irrespective of the dialect, the film was well received by the masses of Telangana, Rayalaseema, and Andhra regions.
His latest film 'Love Story', fully laced with Telangana flavour, has hit the box office jackpot.
"When I decided on a film script native to the Telangana region, I did not have any doubts whether people will welcome it or not.
I know Telangana dialect and Telangana rituals and practices is now a part of mainstream Telugu cinema," said King Johnson, producer of 'Assalem Jarigindi', a movie shot in various locations across Telangana, and is scheduled for a theatrical release on October 22.
"My movie also has a song on 'kallu' (toddy ? a drink more prominent in Telangana) and I am confident this catchy number will be a massive hit among the masses," he added.
"First Varun Tej, now Naga Chaitanya, many prominent actors and actresses are working on Telangana-centric scripts.
Young actors from Mega (Chirnjeevi) family, Akkineni family, and every other famous family in Telugu cinema are now open to work in languages which their predecessors did not.
This is a welcome move and will help bridge the cultural gap between multiple regions within these two States," said Tekmal Sreekar Reddy, an executive producer in the Telugu film industry.
"Filmmakers are now obligated to accept Telangana as a reality.
This region, its social or cultural practices, its soul, its struggles, and diversities here were ignored in the past.
But after the division of the State, many filmmakers will be compelled to embrace elements of Telangana into their scripts when they want to shoot in Hyderabad or other parts of the youngest State in the country," said political analyst Palwai Raghavendra Reddy.
The Telangana movement highlighted discrimination in school textbooks, state sanctioned cultural festivals, active endorsement of certain kind of Telugu in administrative activities while ignoring the heterogeneous nature of Telugu language were raised.
The movement also responded to Telugu cinema by attacking the hegemonic structures of the industry, and its links to the political apparatus dominated by Seema-Andhra.
Activists then argued that film Industry was given prime land at heavily subsidized prices, besides production subsidies, soft loans, and tax incentives by successive governments to facilitate the shift of the industry from Chennai to Hyderabad.
--IANS
ms/ksk/.
Source: IANS
Gurugram, Oct 15 : To keep Gurugram roads encroachment free, the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) will soon create 148 vending zones, of which detailed implementation plan (DIP) for 58 has been prepared.
According to the MCG officials, an enforcement team has been entrusted with the responsibility of identifying the authorised vendors along with a vending certificate.
In a recent meeting of the civic body, recovery of dues from vending agencies, new vending zones, induction of new vendors, no vending zones, vendor settlement, vending certificate renewal and recovery of monthly fees, unauthorised vendors, including revision of vendor survey list were discussed.
MCG Commissioner Mukesh Kumar Ahuja also directed the officials to ensure parking space along with the vending zones and to link nearby vending zones parking lots for vehicles.
He also asked his subordinates to inspect all the sites and confirm the design.
With this initiative, vendors will be removed from around the city's busiest Mahaveer Chowk and they will be shifted to the new vending zone to be built along the wall of the Roadways Workshop on Sheetla Mata Road.
City Project Officer, Assistant Town Planner and officials of the Rehri-Patari Association will inspect the site and submit their report.
A total of 611 vendors have been issued Letter of Recommendation (LORs), such vendors were approved subject to the condition that they can be verified at any time.
Regarding shifting of 41 vendors of the vending zone that were disturbed in Sector-14 area to the zone located in Sector-18, the Commissioner said that new sites should also be provided to the said vendors.
--IANS
str/svn/ksk/.
Source: IANS
According to the MCG officials, an enforcement team has been entrusted with the responsibility of identifying the authorised vendors along with a vending certificate.
In a recent meeting of the civic body, recovery of dues from vending agencies, new vending zones, induction of new vendors, no vending zones, vendor settlement, vending certificate renewal and recovery of monthly fees, unauthorised vendors, including revision of vendor survey list were discussed.
MCG Commissioner Mukesh Kumar Ahuja also directed the officials to ensure parking space along with the vending zones and to link nearby vending zones parking lots for vehicles.
He also asked his subordinates to inspect all the sites and confirm the design.
With this initiative, vendors will be removed from around the city's busiest Mahaveer Chowk and they will be shifted to the new vending zone to be built along the wall of the Roadways Workshop on Sheetla Mata Road.
City Project Officer, Assistant Town Planner and officials of the Rehri-Patari Association will inspect the site and submit their report.
A total of 611 vendors have been issued Letter of Recommendation (LORs), such vendors were approved subject to the condition that they can be verified at any time.
Regarding shifting of 41 vendors of the vending zone that were disturbed in Sector-14 area to the zone located in Sector-18, the Commissioner said that new sites should also be provided to the said vendors.
--IANS
str/svn/ksk/.
Source: IANS