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India Today|February 12, 2018EDITOR-IN-CHIEFGoing into the last full Union budget of his term, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not only bet on the farmers, but bet the farm on his rural voters. Articulating his vision for the general election of 2019 quite clearly, he has recognised the existence of rural distress, amplified by a string of farmer protests and suicides last year provoked by falling commodity prices and increasing debt. Hoping to deliver on his promise to double farmers’ incomes by 2022, when India celebrates 75 years of independence, the budget has shown every intention of boosting farmers’ incomes by raising the minimum support price for crops to 1.5x the cost of production, liberalising export of agri-commodities, and modernising agricultural markets. This comes in the wake of agri-GDP registering an insipid average annual…3 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018Big Bets at Casino IPLSpreadeagled over two marathon days, the IPL auction in Bengaluru on January 27 and 28 featured the usual frenzied cheque-waving. In the American style, IPL teams are often described as franchises, a reminder that they are businesses as much as they are sports teams, with their eye on the bottom line and with purchasing decisions based on factors beyond simply bat and ball. The news this year was the continued attractiveness of uncapped players, untried at international level but ideally suited to the format. It’s the ‘moneyball’ approach of using statistics to invest in players as opposed to star power and reputation.…1 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018INDEXLast week, a seven-month-old tiger cub was reported to have died at a reserve in Madhya Pradesh. The state was at the top of the list for tiger fatalities in 2017. The tiger census is due in February, and critics of the MP government say it’s not doing enough to protect its tigers, undermining the state’s attempts to attract tourists. CATASTROPHIC! 308 Total tigers in MP, revealed 2014 census, up from 257 in 2010, 300 in 2006 115 Tigers estimated to have died in India in 2017, 98 recorded and 17 assumed through seizures of bones, skins and claws 55% Of tiger deaths recorded last year were in 3 states—MP, Maharashtra and Assam 40% Of India’s tigers live in forests outside reserves; 54 deaths in 2017, or 47% of total…1 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018THE SACKING OF KASGANJOn Republic Day, communal rioting broke out in a part of Kasganj, Uttar Pradesh, sparked, locals allege, by men on motorcycles, who disrupted their small flag-hoisting ceremony. It was a Muslim neighbourhood, and the men were associated with Hindutva groups. They demanded that their noisy procession be let through, and when the locals objected, they were allegedly insulted and told to go to Pakistan. In the spreading fracas, a young man, Chandan Gupta, was shot and killed a couple of kilometres from where the trouble first began. Kasganj is now a symbol of the communal tensions that critics say are a trope of the new India. In the days after the violence, a mob ransacked the house of the accused men, sons of a local businessman. And shops, as can…1 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018‘Fringe’ Benefits Keep the Core IntactMaintaining the otherness of the Karni Sena is useful for the BJP/ RSS because it helps establish the centre as ‘not fringe’, allowing them at once to occupy spaces of governance as well as of protest What is it in Hindutva politics that it is always spoken of in a duality of being, by which some groups are the “(lunatic) fringe”, where others are the centre? This appellation, used most recently by the media for the Karni Sena in the context of the violence that has been unleashed, has displaced an earlier metaphor to describe Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s relation to his Sangh Parivar kin, and particularly the RSS, in 1997. Famously termed as a mere mukhota, i.e. mask, that the BJP was choosing to wear to present a liberal face…3 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018Stifling DissentOn January 25, Chief Minister K. Chandra shekar Rao endorsed a controversial decision allowing the Telangana police to register criminal cases for verbal abuse without judicial sanction, and even when no complaint has been filed. The state government has identified misdemeanours under Section 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) and Section 507 (criminal intimidation through anonymous communication) of the Indian Penal Code as nonbailable offences that can be investigated without the court’s permission. Penalties under both sections include two to seven year jail terms and cash fines. Existing provisions that make it mandatory for police to seek judicial approval before registering cases have been done away with. Opposition leaders say the move is designed to curb the growing protests KCR faces in the state. “We will not accept this oppressive politics…2 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018A NEW RAINBOWHe spearheaded the statewide shutdown after the attacks on Dalits at Koregaon-Bhima (near Pune) on January 1. Now, Prakash Ambedkar, a grandson of the late Dr B.R. Ambedkar and president of the little-known Bharip-Bahujan Mahasangh (BBM) is looking to consolidate Maharashtra’s hitherto politically and socially divided lower caste and tribal communities. Maharashtra had never witnessed such largescale protests by Dalits since January 1992, when the community came together to force the renaming of the Marathwada University after Dr Ambedkar. The grandson has been working diligently to give the Dalits a common cause. First rallying the community to support rebel JD(U) leader Chhotubhai Vasava (he later floated the BTP—the Bharatiya Tribal Party) in the Gujarat assembly polls in December, he projected the Dalits as a ‘martial race’ in giving them a…2 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018THE BIG PICTUREBudget 2014-15 Staid & Sturdy FISCAL DISCIPLINE, SMART CITIES, FURTHER OPENING UP OF DEFENCE AND INSURANCE, TARGETED GROWTH RATE OF 4 PER CENT IN AGRICULTURE, PSU BANKS RECAPITALISATION Arun Jaitley said: “We cannot spend beyond our means” Fiscal deficit seen at 3.6 per cent of GDP in 2015-16; aimed for sustained growth of 7-8% in the next 3-4 years Income tax exemption limit raised by Rs 50,000 to Rs 2.5 lakh and for senior citizens to Rs 3 lakh Long-term capital gains tax on non-equity mutual funds doubled to 20 per cent; lock-in period increased to three years Limit on FDI in defence and insurance sectors increased from 26% to 49% Rs 7,000 crore earmarked to create 100 smart cities Rs 4,000 crore for affordable housing Targeted growth of 4…3 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018SOCIALLY RELEVANT“With a public-private partnership model, more than 50% of India’s healthcare needs can be delivered” DR NARESH TREHAN “Workforce will be a challenge unless they expand the resources available to the National Health Mission” DR K.S. REDDY ON FEBRUARY 1, there were smiles on the faces that usually slip into a frown on Budget Day. India is one of the stingiest countries when it comes to shelling out money on public health. Doctors have been crying hoarse about the near-disappearance of health from the government’s agenda, with 63 million Indians slipping into poverty due to health expenses every year. Hence, as Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced spectacular projects, especially the National Health Protection Scheme, funding more than 10 crore families with Rs 5 lakh insurance coverage, the medical fraternity…2 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018A SARKAR UNDER THREATFOR MANIK SARKAR, chief minister of Tripura for the past 20 years, the 2018 assembly election is unlike any other he has fought in his four-decade-long political career. By his own admission, the prime challenger to the 25-year-long Left government in this election is not the traditional rival Congress but the BJP, a party which lost its deposit in 49 out of the 50 assembly seats it had contested in 2013. Five years later, the same BJP has made public its ambition in the slogan for the February 18 polls—‘Chalo Paltai’ (Let’s Change). For the first time, the CPI(M), which prides itself on the organisational strength of its cadre, faces a serious electoral challenge from the BJP and RSS. The surge of saffron in this Left citadel has been sharp…8 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018HISTORY IN THE RE-MAKINGDANISH KHAN OF SONY SAYS THEY WANTED A SHOW THAT RECREATES THE “GOLDEN AGE OF INDIAN HISTORY ON THE SMALL SCREEN” TO BE TRANSPORTED BACK TO 300 BC and see Macedonia, Paurav rashtra and Takshashila, all one has to do is to head to Umbergaon. It’s in this small town in the Valsad district of Gujarat, known for its beach and produce of chikoo, that Swastik Productions has chosen to build the sets for Porus, a historical show that revisits the epic battle of Hydaspes (the Greek name for the river Jhelum) between Paurava king Porus aka Por or Purushottam and Alexander the Great aka Sikander in 326 BC. According to Danish Khan, executive vice president of Sony, the brief is to make a show to recreate “the golden age…7 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018REBIRTH OF A TOMBHundreds of historic tombs dot the urban landscape of Delhi. Among these are five octagonal tombs that occupy a special place architecturally—for the unusualness of their design, their graceful form and the stylistic cohesiveness between them. Each of these tombs consists of a large octagonal central chamber with an arcaded walkway wrapped around it. The eight external corners of the walkway have a characteristic buttress, and between each thick corner spring three tall arches. Above the arches runs a continuous bracketed stone chhajja. The tomb’s large central dome is encircled by smaller domes or chhattris. Three of these tombs were built during the Sayyid and Lodi period, and are located in Kotla Mubarakpur (Mubarak Shah, mid-15th century) and Lodi Gardens (Muhammad Shah, mid-15th century, and Sikandar Lodi, early-16th century). Another…2 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018Tradition on My PlateFamily lore makes for interesting food stories. And every family has its own version of the local cuisine. Chand Sur and Sunita Kohli’s The Lucknow Cookbook, for instance, states that a typical garam masala consists of white peppercorns, cinnamon, mace, black and green cardamom pods, bay leaf and cumin seeds. Some would omit the bay leaf and cumin entirely. Others add cloves or star anise. The best part of book is reflective of the oral tradition of cooking that passes through generations to become family tradition. Each section of the book is prefaced with a small write-up about the food type and recipe credits wherever their provenance is traceable. The book covers decent ground, beginning with the kebabs that we have come to associate with Lucknow, moving on to soups,…1 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018Tragedy in TranslationTracing the history of Chinese labour in the tea gardens of Upper Assam, in Chinatown Days, Sahitya Akademi Award winner Rita Chowdhury narrates an epic saga of almost unrelieved pain and anguish, spanning more than a century and several continents. Writer Arunabh Bora is a happily settled resident of Guwahati until he meets well-known Chinese writer Lailin Tham at a writers’ conference in Toronto. Lailin is openly hostile to Arunabh, shockingly so. Disturbed and curious, Arunabh insists on knowing the reason. On his persistence, Lailin reveals she hates all Indians. Intrigued, Arunabh delves into Lailin’s history. “I stepped into those dark corners where humanity and civilisation had lost their footing, from where even history returned, shrouded in sheer indifference,” says Arunabh. Lailin’s ancestors were Chinese bonded labourers in Assam in…2 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018LETTER FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEFTO BE A TRENDSETTER YOU NEED TO BE bold, shun convention and make your own rules. While it is always easier to go with the crowd, sometimes being distinct has its advantages. Whenever it’s time to take stock of trends in lifestyle, we look to experts to get a nuanced version of what works and what doesn’t. In this month’s trend issue, while we have those experts at hand, our cover story focuses on the alternatives, those who are bucking the so called ‘trends’ by creating their own fashion-forward identity. A dye like indigo which was once considered too ‘mass market’ goes luxe and is trending as a natty alternative to dull, shimmering fabrics that have always been in the rich club. We are also seeing a trend where designers…2 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018BEAUTYPalette Power This multi-hued eyeshadow palette from Huda Beauty is a must-have on every makeup lovers’ list. Featuring shimmery, matte and nude shades, the Desert Dusk eyeshadow palette is everything you need to be Instagram ready. Price On request Availability nykaa.com Shine and Shimmer When holiday parties take their toll on you, turn to Moroccanoil’s shimmering body oil. Argan and sesame oil combine to revive and moisturise the skin, leaving it soft and fragrant. Price 4,500 Availability Sephora stores Pretty in Pink Feel the silk with Jo Malone’s Red Roses bath oil that makes for a sumptuous experience. With crushed violet leaves and a hint of lemon, it unfolds like a bouquet of freshly cut flowers. It’s the ultimate in self love. Price On request Availability…1 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018The AlternativesRISE OF THE REAL In clear defiance of the calendar’s expiry date, older models are not just walking the ramp, but are some of the most sought after such as Sonalika Sahay (35), Noyonika Chatterjee (43) and newcomer Monica Jha (30), a political activist from Nepal. WEARING CEMENT The new kind of adornment glorifies jewellery that is not gold or silver but made of paper, scrap, cement; it explores beauty in everything. BEING SUSTAINABLE Recycled and upcycled fashion uses scrap, metal, plastic and waste material, as well as leftover threads to make garments that are all about responsible fashion, zero waste and unlimited imagination. IDENTITY IN FASHION Return to roots represents the new geographic marker where designers are moving out of Delhi and Mumbai to find inspiration and identity in…5 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018Natural Beauty Wins Hands DownCURIOSITY ABOUT WELLNESS AND WAYS TO SLOW down aging remains a global obsession. But the major change I’ve seen in 38 years of involvement in health, beauty and anti-aging as a plastic surgeon, is the desire to opt for natural refinement as opposed to drastic changes. Trends have come and gone but the appeal for natural holistic health has only become stronger and pervades Bollywood, Hollywood as it does the rest of the world. Natural versus drastic Gone are the days of scooped-out noses, over-plumped lips and overdone plastic surgery. My patients, whether they are actors, singers, models, politicians, executives, or royalty, prefer subtle highlights. Specifically for rhinoplasty, the technique of closed rhinoplasty (where incisions are made inside the nose) is popular as patients want a more natural result with…3 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018Meeting of the TitansPut renowned chef Alain Ducasse and Dom Perignon’s cellarmaster Richard Geoffroy in a room and there are bound to be laughs. Seated at a hotel in Beijing to promote the launch of Perignon’s latest vintage champagne, P2 2000, there is an effortless camaraderie that suggests their 25-year-old bond. “Richard’s quest for perfection stood out in my first tasting of P2,” says Ducasse, with the help of a translator. Geoffroy laughs at the praise, adding “To be fair, I have not achieved it yet in my job.” To which Ducasse instantly replies, “I appreciate his elegance and refinement, and that he is trying to better himself all the time.” That both have a proclivity to take risks and venture into unfamiliar paths is another factor that facilitates their partnership. “We were…4 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018THE WESTIN RAJARHAT Kolkata High on AttitudeAs one moves the curtains aside and peers into the distance, one could be anywhere in the world. There are no signboards proclaiming place of origin and it is only the jet black snake-like road far below, punctuated by bright lights that bestows it with the stature of an urban centre. We are on the 27th floor of The Westin, Rajarhat Kolkata, which is located somewhere between the homes of retired bureaucrats and offices of tech crunchers, in an area aptly titled New Town. True to the Westin brand of hotels, this one too means business and has been smartly conceived as a space where you can mix business and pleasure. The vibe is young, current, bright as bulb and no-fuss. With food that’s high on comfort at the all…2 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018SINGAPORE AIRLINES Flying made PersonalRecreate the luxury of private air travel with Singapore Airlines’ new cabin products for the Airbus A380 fleet—a host of offerings that are bound to take the mundane out of flying and the fatigue out of travel. Riding high on the theme of “space made personal, experience the difference”, the new additions make provisions for more space and greater privacy in all classes, featuring bespoke elements designed especially for the discerning flyer. Each Suite is furnished with a full-flat bed enabling travellers to lounge comfortably in the chair or rest in bed without the need to convert the bed from a sitting position. Each suite also has a 32-inch full HD monitor, a full-sized personal wardrobe, customised handbag stowage compartment, amenity box lined with soft leather, specially-designed carpet and a…1 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018BREWING UP A STORMStylish Platters FARZI Cafe Everything about Farzi Café spells oomph, including the powder room downstairs that could pass off as an art gallery. Step into the café and the fuss-free ambience is inviting and soothing—with dark wood tables and alfresco seating. The menu comprises Indian fusion food and experimental cuisine such as tasteful ratatouille gujia or dumplings filled with dal-chawal and a piece of fried papad to go with. Grilled chermoula prawns are a rage here, besides matka chole or malabari paratha paired with slow-cooked baby lamb shanks. Rasmalai tres leches for dessert would make for the perfect end to a meal that is sinfully indulgent. At Road No 36, Banjara Hills Secunderabad Tel 23108888 Price for two Rs 1,800 (inclusive of alcohol) plus taxes Classic Brew TEA Lounge Take…7 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018A Quarter Century Under the RaintreeOne of the city’s oldest hotels, The Oberoi is celebrating 25 years of opening its doors in the city and what better way to do it than to invite guests to take part in the fun through a modern-day staycation. Built around a beautiful 150-year-old raintree, the hotel uses this as a recurring theme that finds favour in its 25 years of celebration logo as well. The stunning raintree is reminiscent of what the city once stood for and harks back to a time when Bangalore was truly a Garden City, green and full of flowers. The lush oriental gardens interspersed with water bodies is an oasis of calm, despite being located on the busy MG Road. With a lotus pond in the lobby, large glass windows opening out to…1 min
India Today|February 12, 2018The Question of AutonomyNagaland poses a unique challenge to the BJP’s grand ambition of spreading its wings across the Northeast. Assembly elections are scheduled for February 27, but can Naga social and political groups be persuaded to participate? On January 29, 11 parties, including the local BJP chapter, issued a joint declaration of their intent to boycott the elections if the Centre failed to “allow the Naga political process to reach its logical conclusion by giving space and time to the negotiating groups to bring out an early solution”. A day later, the BJP high command reacted by suspending the two leaders who had signed the declaration. Union MoS for home affairs Kiren Rijiju, the BJP’s election in-charge for Nagaland, said a boycott was not the solution. “We fully understand the sentiments expressed...…3 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018CHRISTIAN DIOR’S COUTURE KNOCK-OFF?The resemblance is obvious, though Dior has replaced the lotus in Orijit Sen’s yoga motif with a tulip I am the guy with a pistol fighting an army equipped with tankers,” says graphic artist Orijit Sen. He has had a difficult, discomfiting week at the centre of a social media storm. A yoga motif he says he created in the 1990s was printed without attribution or acknowledgement on a dress from French fashion giant Christian Dior’s ‘Resort 2018’ collection, launched in California last May. Actress Sonam Kapoor wore the dress on a magazine cover this month, leading to a furious allegation of plagiarism by Sen’s daughter Pakhi. The design, she pointed out, has been used for years on t-shirts produced for People Tree, her parents’ independent brand. On January 29,…3 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018INSIDER, OUTSIDERAny account of the life and times of a prominent politician is an opportunity to understand an alternative political reality, as A. Raja’s recent book shows. Sadly, the genre of political biography and autobiography in India is often disappointing as it rarely looks beyond the banal details of events and elections. Equally, few readers are bothered about issues of ethics or public morality, having outsourced such vital topics to the daily slanging matches that now pass for primetime news. Sheila Dikshit was, and for many still is, Delhi’s favourite Auntyji. Graceful and smiling, her hair tied up in a granny’s knot, she handled her job as Delhi’s chief minister in the same no-nonsense, efficient way that she ran her beautiful home. Remarkably free of arrogance (an occupational political hazard), she…2 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018GLASSHOUSEHINDU JEA BAND BJP bigwigs make no secret of their love of music. Union minister Nitin Gadkari burst into a Bollywood song at a recent political event in Madhya Pradesh, and not for the first time. BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya is a bhajan singer and performed at the wedding of MoS Babul Supriyo in 2016. Prime Minister Narendra Modi let slip his predilection for the drums with a duet with Tanzanian President John Pombe Magufuli in 2016. But the party’s closet musician is president Amit Shah. When not crisscrossing the country eyeing new conquests for his party, the pakhawaj player can be found at home drumming up a beat. COMMON CAUSE When it comes to extending their terms in office, Telangana chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and his Andhra…1 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018PATANJALI GETS A LEG UPIn what may be a first-of-its-kind endorsement, the recently elected BJP government in the state is all set to start pushing yoga guru Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali line of FMCG and other products through the state’s network of fair price shops (those licensed to distribute essential commodities under the Essential Commodities Act, 1956). Kishan Kapoor, Himachal’s new food, civil supplies and consumer affairs minister, who met with representatives of Patanjali Ayurveda in Shimla on January 20, said from February the products will be made available through fair price shops. “The state government is considering making available the popular Patanjali brand products at fair price shops regulated by the food and civil supplies department and consumer affairs corporation,” a pleased Kapoor told reporters after the meeting. If it goes through, the move…2 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018Why Panda Had to GoFor observers of Odisha politics, MP and businessman Baijayant ‘Jay’ Panda’s ouster from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) holds no surprise. Especially given his open admiration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the way he has defended the BJP’s policies of late. That said, soon after being suspended, Panda tweeted his surprise at the decision, even alleging that CM Naveen Patnaik had failed to see through the conspiracy of a certain IAS officer. The party’s official line, however, was that Panda was being ejected for simultaneously holding an office of profit. Panda is the vice-chairman of listed mining firm Indian Metals and Ferro Alloys Ltd (IMFA). Political analysts here had seen it coming way back in May 2017 when Panda faced off with angry BJD workers in his own constituency,…2 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018MODI’S GREEN REVOLUTIONBUDGET 2018 WAS A Modi moment. Without doubt. And as with everything he does, he made sure everyone knew it. Soon after the Union budget was tabled in Parliament, the prime minister, pen in one hand and notepad in the other, went on national television and for a good 25 minutes spoke on its highlights with admirable fluency. He was acutely aware that this is his government’s last full-fledged budget before the general elections. So every word he spoke had an underlying message for the electorate: I am your prime sevak. I care for you, I care for our country, I am a problem-solver and I am thinking not of the next election but the next generation. Narendra Modi has already demonstrated his capacity for big ideas. His newest catch…4 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018COUNTRY ROADS, TAKE ME HOMETWO YEARS AGO, on the eve of Budget 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing a ‘Kisan Swabhiman’ rally in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, vowed to double farmers’ incomes by 2022. It was a time of severe rural distress, following back-to-back droughts for two years, and the previous year had seen two heavy electoral reverses for the BJP, in Bihar and in Delhi. At Bareilly, therefore, the prime minister hit the country road, declaring, “I wish to double the income of farmers by 2022 when India will celebrate 75 years of its Independence.” The BJP government has not wave red from that path. If the two budget documents of 2016-17 and 2017-18 and the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare’s Doubling of Farm Incomes (DFI) 14-volume study set the ball rolling,…4 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018DOWN TO EARTHQ: What are your key takeaways from Budget 2018-19? Would you call it ‘populist’ or ‘growth-oriented’? A: N.R. BHANUMURTHY It is a mix of both. Focus on infrastructure will significantly impact the growth potential. One could mistake the government’s emphasis on rural development as a populist measure but this has a larger impact on job creation and demand. We are seeing the impact of the increased allocation to MGNREGA, rural housing in the current year—that’s what has restrained the economy from a further slowdown. ADITI NAYAR It can be called a growth-oriented budget. It had the unenviable task of balancing higher spending to spur growth in an environment of revenue uncertainty while minimising the deviation from fiscal consolidation. AJIT RANADE The key takeaways are the big focus on rural and…11 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018WHY THE LEFT MUST WORRYIn its seventh term, the Left government faces strong anti-incumbency; allegations of nepotism and the Rose Valley chit fund scam haunt the Manik Sarkar government The BJP campaign is the first strong, organised challenge the Left has faced, given the lacklustre competition offered so far by the Congress To counter the cadre-based CPI(M)’s organisational strength, the RSS has been running a door-to-door outreach campaign for the past three years The BJP has assigned the task of winning Tripura to Assam finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who was instrumental in forming saffron governments in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur In 2013, the CPI(M) won 18 of the 20 ST seats, but had a victory margin of less than 2,000 votes in seven. The BJP-IPFT alliance this time may consolidate tribal votes…1 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018NATIVE REVENGEWhat happens when you resign yourself to fate? Fate loses interest in you, allowing you to take control of your destiny. It sounds like hocus pocus, but it isn’t. A bit like the Delhi band, Menwhopause. Menwhopause is special for many reasons. For one, it has been around, in some form or the other, for close to 18 years. It was in 2000 that future bassist Randeep Singh approached the band at a gig, in Dilli Haat of all places. Sarabjit Chadha, then lead vocalist (now proud father) and scion of a car radiator empire, was wailing like a banshee in the august company of cotton bedsheets and woollen durries. Bipolar disorder, cancer, Parkinson’sthe band has survived it all The band, like the city they sing about, is a survivor.…4 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018Grandmama’s BoyIn his first feature, Labour of Love, a husband and wife in old Calcutta were only able to see each other in their dreams. The film earned two National Awards and was screened at over 70 international festivals. Memory was the muse for Jonaki, which recently premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam. It draws from the life of his deceased maternal grandmother, Sheela Ghosh, a woman who had a significant influence on his life and worldview. “When I was born, she came to see me and she never went back,” says Sengupta. Ghosh’s affluent upbringing and sudden loss of a wealthy lifestyle, her tendency to narrate tales of her glorious childhood before she was married off at 16 and her romanticism are some of the aspects that Sengupta has…2 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018MICHELIN ManMY MOTHER IS MY HERO. SHE USED TO COOK IN HER BISTRO. SHE PRODUCED A MENU AFTER VISITING THE MARKET EVERY MORNING For the Indian gourmet, the word Michelin stirs the imagination, especially since the guide doesn’t cover India. Tapping that curiosity, Indian Accent at The Lodhi, New Delhi, has created a pop-up space called Upstairs for guest appearances by top international chefs. First up is French chef CLAUDE BOSI , who won two Michelin stars for his restaurant Hibiscus and Bibendum at Michelin House, both in London. He spoke about the business of creating world-class food. TOP FOOD MOMENT Travelling through Japan. It was my first visit to that country and it was so different from all that I was used to in Europe. It helped…1 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018PASSAGE SOUTHIn a new collection of diary excerpts from Lady Henrietta Clive, Birds of Passage, editor Nancy Shields has presented an intriguing account of living in Madras and travelling throughout South India. Travel writing from women from the late 18th century is relatively uncommon, so the book is an important historical and social document of the period following Britain’s war against Tipu Sultan. An independent, spirited woman, Lady Clive was married to Lord Edward Clive, who was the son of Clive of India and governor of Madras from 1798 to 1803. Shields also incorporates extracts from the diary of Charly, Henrietta’s 12-year-old daughter, who went on to become the tutor of the future Queen Victoria..…1 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018A Professional AmateurReader, there is one reason why we should all read Charles Allen, humbly and without demur. In a world of specialists talking to each other, he is a man with no credentials apart from interest and energy. He allows us to experience the word amateur in its original form—of someone who does something out of love. Coromandel is a milestone for those who like numbers: his 22nd book, in about 42 years of writing. Allen’s chief gift is a capacity to make history interesting by combining natural storytelling vim with a magpie-sharp eye for shiny detail and the odd but memorable nugget. Books like Plain Tales from the Raj and Tales from the Dark Continent scrupulously string together actual experience before leading the reader to speculation or insight. Such gifts…2 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018The Fire WithinOf all women in mythology, none has held as much fascination as Draupadi, owing to her pivotal role in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. Relevant even millennia after her time, Draupadi is revered in contemporary Indian thought as the seminal icon of resilience. Jayasri Burman’s new exhibit Born of Fire: A Tale for Our Times at the Aicon Gallery, New York, portrays Draupadi’s journey through a dark time as well as her volatile nature, strength of character and angst against those who maligned her. The exhibition, comprising of eleven large-scale works on paper, including a monumental triptych, centered around the story of Draupadi. Burman reimagines traditional depictions of female goddesses by imbuing them with bright colour and energy. Instead of sexualising or overly deifying goddesses, the artist chooses to celebrate them,…1 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018JEWELLERYGilded Cage These earrings, crafted from 22-carat gold and encrusted with rubies and diamonds is Minawala’s ode to the bride. The earrings retain some traditional aspects but are fiercely modern, just as contemporary brides like. Price On request Availability Brand boutiques Timeless Treasure Own a piece of Mughal heritage with Latique’s magnificent kundan necklace with intricate meenakari work anchored by 22-carat gold. A classic design that will stand the test of time, this one will do your jewellery box proud for generations. Price On request Availability The Oberoi, Gurgaon Sweet Heart This diamond-set bangle from Chopard’s Happy Heart collection should top your list of Valentine’s Day gifts. Exquisitely feminine yet undoubtedly chic, this rose gold treasure is a gift to be cherished forever. Price On request Availability…1 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018Define your own LuxuryTHE DEFINITION OF LUXURY TRAVEL HAS changed and evolved based on the zeitgeist, but the parts that have stayed true to the notion of luxury are scarcity, authenticity, and exclusivity. Transformative and immersive experiences are envogue. The age of automation, globalisation, and technology have led to the homogenisation of cities and urban centres, so there’s a heightened craving for authenticity and transparency and a strong desire to peel back the layers of local culture that have now been shrouded by mass tourism. There’s a fundamental need to connect with one’s self, the community, and the world at large to create experiences that are deeply personal and transformative; authentic and exclusive; fulfilling and enriching. Experiences are at the forefront of almost every travel company, luxury hotel, restaurant, and organisation. Millennials and…3 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018Back to Your RootsRegional is the new fusion where gourmands are concerned. And to take it up a notch, celebrated chefs are harking back to their roots to serve up regional food that is fresh, flush with local produce, celebrates authentic recipes and comfort food. There’s Michelin-star chef Alfred Prasad who likes to twist traditional recipes to make them healthier; The Bombay Canteen’s Thomas Zacharias who is a big believer in comfort food; Joymalya Banerjee of Bohemian in Kolkata who is intent on making Bengali cuisine cool; and chef Prateek Sadhu’s food at Masque that is deeply influenced by his Kashmiri roots and local flavours of the valley. Regional defines the new culinary narrative. THE HEALTHY GOURMET He became the youngest Indian chef to receive a Michelin star at 29, yet he has…8 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018The Oberoi RenaissanceThe Oberoi Hotel, New Delhi, has been part of the Capital’s memoryscape for over 50 years. Everyone has their own favourite story about it. Of splashing about in its marble fountain in the lobby. Of fancy dates over coffee and pastries at their 24x7 coffee shop. Of dancing till 3 am at the nightclub, Tabela. And of discreetly being provided with a jacket before being allowed to enter the very snooty Cafe Chinois with its live band and Cantonese food on the hotel rooftop. And those are the memories of merely its first avatar. In its second version, after it was renovated in 1984, The Oberoi continued to dazzle with its impeccable service even as younger hotels started upping the food and beverage game of a city learning to live…3 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018THE CHANAKYA Size Doesn’t MatterThe moment the clock goes a minute past eleven there is a flurry of activity. Long cars pull up, the discreet entrance opens and closes quicker than you can see and the coffee shop in the atrium starts to fill within minutes. We are at the newly minted The Chanakya, a boutique mall that lies in the heart of Delhi, close to the diplomatic enclave and Lutyens Delhi’s only such commercial space. There is an Asian woman ordering dim sums and green tea and another bunch of Singaporeans who are dressed to the nines chat over a quick coffee catch up. A far cry from the days of a hurried film at the old Chanakya theatre followed by a bite at Nirula’s which was the date norm. This expensive piece…2 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018Love Across The CITYSCAPEOffbeat Start DIRT MANIA An appetite for adventure, love for nature and a longing for quiet moments away from the urban jungle. If this sounds a lot like you, read on. Here’s how you can leave the heart-shaped balloons and the mush of restaurants behind to spend an evening experiencing the rush of a quad bike with your special someone. Dirt Mania, a four-year-old company, specialises in off-road trails in the outskirts of the city. A 45-minute drive is all it takes to get you to site where a unique experience awaits you. “We offer seven, ten and 15 kilometre trails. They take you through the fields where you can often spot wild rabbits or on a rare occasion, a deer too,” says Jayaraman Parameswaran, 49, co-founder. The 15 kilometre…6 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018All about LoveDELICIOUS BITES LOOKING FOR A ROMANTIC SET-UP WITH GREAT FOOD? HERE ARE OUR TOP PICKS. Level 7 The new open-air lounge and restro bar, Level 7, offers a splendid and unconventional view of the city. “Most sky bars overlook the city centre and the skyline. This one overlooks the Maa flyover. Thanks to its proximity to the East Kolkata wetlands, there are very few skyscrapers hemming the view,” says Sidharth Banthia, owner. Set-up a table along the edge for fabulous views of the city or book their private dining area (PDR) which is a level above their rooftop seating. The cabana-like PDR is a perfect spot to pop the question or to enjoy some interruption-free personal time. Impress your date with your knowledge of the menu. Try the makhni tart…10 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018WOMEN OF STEELVery few people are aware that Kolkata hosts a two-day event, Soi mela-Boi mela—a programme by, of and for women but not limited to them, every year in January. “A book fair but with women’s books,” is how the president of Soi Creative Women, an association of writers and creative women from West Bengal, author and academician Nabaneeta Dev Sen describes it. Equality First The theme for the 14th edition was Creative Women Against Violence. Manipuri political activist Irom Sharmila, journalist Mrinal Pande, feminist social scientist Kamla Bhasin, and former bureaucrat Anita Agnihotri opened the panel discussion by sharing their experiences with the audience. The session was moderated by writer Antara Dev Sen. Pande talked about the four walls of the home as the seed or the mother lode where…2 minIndia Today|February 12, 20182 things to look forward toREVIEW STEP INTO PARADISE Westin Kolkata in Rajarhat opened its doors a couple of months ago. Spread over 8 acres of land with 32 floors, the hotel is steeped in luxury, tempered with a penchant for wellness. Here’s what we loved about the property. Stay In The best thing about the minimalist yet plush rooms here is the stunning view they offer. The heavenly beds with their 250-threadcount sheets, customised pillows and fire-proof, contour mattresses promises a superlative sleep. Dine Fine The hotel’s 120-cover dining outfit, Seasonal Tastes, is a cheery space done in wood, whites and pastels, perked up with paintings and quirky light fittings. Daylight pours in through the glass windows overlooking panoramic views of the verdant Rajarhat landscape. A show kitchen theatre and an atrium with a…2 min
India Today|February 12, 2018Is the NDA Wall Cracking?Angered by the criticism from BJP legislators in Andhra Pradesh, the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has warned it might follow the Shiv Sena’s example and leave the National Democratic Alliance before next year’s general election. Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu told reporters that while he would be circumspect in view of his party’s ongoing loyalties, if the BJP “does not want an alliance, we will say namaskaram and chart our own course”. Of course, so comprehensive was the BJP’s victory in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections that it may not need coalition partners in 2019. With 282 seats in Parliament, the party enjoys a majority by itself. But partners are essential in states with strong regional parties and charismatic local leaders. The TDP has 16 Lok Sabha seats and has…3 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018Homegrown Cure for Rabies Gets WHO NodThe World Health Organization (WHO) has notified a rabies immunisation protocol developed by Omesh Bharti, 49, a government doctor in Himachal Pradesh, as the new global standard. The procedure, successfully tested on thousands of dog and monkey bite victims in the past five years, brings down the cost of treatment from Rs 35,000 to Rs 350 per patient! The existing treatment involved injecting patients with the rabies vaccine and rabies immunoglobulin (RIG) extracted from horse or human blood. Human RIG, which needed to be admini stered in large doses as per the victim’s body weight, cost Rs 6,000-8,000 per vial, and was “beyond the reach of most victims”. Working at the time (2013-2015) as a health officer with the Shimla Municipal Corporation, Bharti had rare access to brain tissue samples…2 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018RAGING AGAINST IRRELEVANCETwenty years after Pankaj Mishra wrote Butter Chicken in Ludhiana, Delhi-based journalist Snigdha Poonam revisits small-town North India and brings us a ground report. Poonam draws a link between the rise of Hindutva and the “rage against irrelevance” of the provincial male, who is also an active internet Hindu. “What do young Hindu men feel other than the frustration of being held down? The hunger to move up.... All Modi had to do was speak in motivational punchlines and his politics of ‘Hindus First’ became the politics of upward mobility. They saw in him one of their own, a self-starter who imagined his life as a project and himself as the project manager.” In Indore, we meet the kids who’ve never stepped out of their town and yet generate click-bait…2 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018PULLQUOTE“Had the deceased been Mohammad Ismail instead of Chandan Gupta, there would have been a different debate in the media... we have to change this mindset.” GIRIRAJ SINGH, MoS (independent charge) for micro, small, and medium enterprises, made these remarks in Lucknow, just as Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath broke his silence on the communal violence in Kasganj on Republic Day that resulted in the death of 22-year-old Chandan Gupta. Anarchy, Adityanath said, has no place in his state. What about paranoia? Giriraj Singh also asked if Padmaavat director Sanjay Leela Bhansali would dare make a film on Prophet Mohammed.…1 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018Heavy DutyNot many would risk this in an election year. Effective midnight January 29, the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government imposed a new 1 per cent cess on petrol and diesel prices, pushing their prices, already among the highest in the country, further up. The Madhya Pradesh Motor Spirit Cess is expected to earn the state an additional Rs 200 crore a year. For comparison, on January 29 when petrol was at Rs 78.73 in Bhopal, it was selling at Rs 71.27 in Delhi. The price differential for diesel was similarly steep: Delhi, Rs 61.88; Bhopal, Rs 67.53. (‘Administered prices’ of petrol and petroleum products have traditionally been high for inland cities compared with port cities unless there is a special city subsidy like in the case of Delhi or the Northeastern…2 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018Seva No MoreIn a decision that went under the radar, the Punjab government has quietly ordered the closure of 1,647 of the 2,147 seva kendras or service centres opened by the previous Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP regime. Inaugurated in August-September 2016, then deputy chief minister Sukhbir Badal had held up the seva kendras as one of the government’s significant achievements over two terms (2007-2017). Badal had promised “efficient delivery of citi zen-centric services while wiping out corruption through minimising contact between the masses and government offices”. The state spent close to Rs 500 crore on constructing 2,147 computeri sed centres to provide a range of services, from water and power bills to birth and death certificates. But it evidently fell short of the promise. With one seva kendra for a cluster of seven…2 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018IT’S RAINING SOPS IN MODI’S BHARATTHE MESSAGE FOR THE Narendra Modi government from the recent Gujarat elections—where the ruling BJP was reduced to 99 assembly seats from 115 in 2012 and fell far short of its ambitious target of 150 seats—was quite clear: address the concerns of the rural economy in quick time or risk the wrath of the voter in the 2019 general elections. The message was not lost on finance minister Arun Jaitley as he presented the Modi government’s last full budget before the general elections. The result was a budget many experts found “populist”, given how it rained sops for the rural sector and largesse for the social sector: from a 50 per cent increase in the minimum support price (MSP) of farm products to a Rs 2.5 lakh crore hike in…7 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018MAN OVER MACHINETHE PHRASE ‘CATCH 22’ originated in an eponymous work of fiction with a military backdrop. The Indian military’s man-or-machine paradox is very real and becoming blindingly obvious with every new defence budget. The armed forces have a long-pending list of combat jets, missiles and helicopters to buy, but end up spending more on salaries for their 1.4 million-strong personnel. This year too, the lion’s share of finance minister Arun Jaitley’s allocation of Rs 2,79,305 crore for the military will be swallowed up by salaries and pensions. The budget allocates Rs 93,982 crore or 34 per cent for capital expenditure with Rs 1,85,323 crore or 66 per cent going under the revenue head. Critically, this budgetary figure does not cover a Rs 1,08,853 crore allocation for defence pensions. To put it…2 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018THE DOKLAM DILEMMALate last December, an intelligence alert from Arunachal Pradesh triggered alarm bells within the army’s Eastern Command headquarters at Fort William, Kolkata. Tribal hunters in the state’s remote Upper Siang district, abutting Tibet, had spotted a Chinese construction party at work in the Tuting sector near a village within Indian territory. The alert came just three months after the Indian Army and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) had retreated from a 73-day face-off on the remote Doklam plateau in Bhutan. The army moved in fast, but it took a patrol an 11-day foot march to access the rugged spot. A road construction crew was indeed laying the foundation for a road passing through Indian territory. The equipment, including two earth movers, was seized and the crew, all civilians, turned back.…7 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018BONUS SEASON IS HERECHHATTISGARH CHIEF minister Raman Singh spent most of December 2017 crisscrossing the state, clocking miles on the state government’s Beechcraft to attend tendu leaf bonus distribution programmes in the tribal areas. A brainchild of the late Arjun Singh, CM of the then united Madhya Pradesh, the bonus on tendu leaf plucking—an important economic activity in Chhattisgarh for nearly 1.3 million tribal families—was seen as a political masterstroke back in the mid-1980s. Singh, the longest serving BJP chief minister in the country, is hoping the nearly Rs 275 crore distributed as a bonus, the wage hike for tendu leaf pluckers—from Rs 1,800 to Rs 2,500 per standard bag—and a clutch of other schemes targeting the tribals, will be game changers in the 2018 assembly elections for him. While he speaks the…7 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018RECASTING TAGOREIndian artists tend to treat the celebrated work of Rabindranath Tagore with kid gloves. But in adapting the master’s 1914 Bengali short story Streer Patra, the Mumbai-based collective Qissa Kothi has taken a bold—and mostly successful—approach. Tagore’s tale is a first-person narrative, framed as a letter in which a woman explains, with quiet resolve, why she has left home. But in playwright-director Sharmistha Saha’s able hands, it becomes an intense two-person performance in Hindi, Her Letters, which comes to Mumbai’s Kala Ghoda Festival on February 5 after performances in New Delhi last month. “To Thine Auspicious Lotus Feet”, Mrinal’s letter begins, marking the abyss of inequality between an Indian wife and her husband. Few women would use such an expression today. But even a century later, candour and reflectiveness like…2 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018Bare FareEverybody loves a poster boy, and Vikas Khanna fits the bill perfectly. Karan Bellani’s Buried Seeds attempts to trace one chef ’s journey from his grandmother’s kitchen in Amritsar to being hot property in the food world. The book travels between Amritsar, New York and Manipal, the cities that were home to Khanna. Interviewing friends and family and the chef, the book pieces together his journey as an entrepreneur. It begins with a catering service in Amritsar, a hole-in-the wall eatery in Manhattan, restaurants that were forced to shut down until eventually the chef hit his stride and was all over the food scene—in restaurants, books, television and even the White House. Unfortunately, the biography reads more like a padded résumé and self-help book. Khanna’s culinary journey hardly features, and…1 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018FACES IN THE MIRRORCentrepiece: New Writing and Art from Northeast India opens with an image from photographer Zubeni Lotha’s series titled “How Do I Look?”, which casts a questioning gaze on Naga culture, identity and representation. Two women stand in a forest-like setting, guns in hand. They are clad in military uniforms and wearing giant hornbill heads as headgear. Melding absurdity with emblems of exotica and conflict, Lotha’s photograph is amusing, unsettling, and a perfect entry into the stories contained in Centrepiece. Edited by graphic artist and author Parismita Singh, Centrepiece is an ambitious volume that hopes to be an erudite and engaging introduction to the many cultures contained in the term “Northeast”. The artwork ranges from the contemporary sophistication of Arunachali artist Minam Apang’s spectacular “War with the Stars” series to embroidery…2 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018HONG KONG FONDUE“ASIAN ART IS A CAULDRON OF IDENTITY, SOCIETY, POLITICS AND HISTORY” Featuring works from some 248 galleries in 32 different countries, Art Basel Hong Kong is a worthy Asian counterpoint to the Swiss festival that has become one of the most important events for the art world. Director ADELINE OOI spoke about Indian art and curating the show that will be held from March 29 till 31. Q. What is distinctive about Indian contemporary art? If you look at some of the artworks, there is a distinct quality in terms of intricacy and attention to detail. The narrative is compelling and the content, Indian. The new artists in India are nuanced in their approach. Younger artists are transcending boundaries and looking at the question of identity.…2 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018The India LegQ. What made you revisit the Mahavishnu Orchestra era now as opposed to any other phase of your career? Principally, two reasons: The musicians in the 4th Dimension have been requesting we play music from the Mahavishnu Orchestra era for two years now. In addition, this music is a supremely important period of my musical and personal life. Q. Why do you think the 4th Dimension, which you formed in 2007, has become your longest-running band? It is the greatest fusion band I ever formed. There is a wonderful spirit in the band that only appears when there is a deep connection between all the players that goes beyond the musical connection. Q. India has been a source of inspiration to you for many years. Which are your favourite places?…1 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018Elegance on a PlatterTea, they say, is a hug in a cup. Encase that precious hug in a stunning line of tableware that is crafted with love, precision and the best of Italian artistry and you have a recipe for magic. Stefano Ricci’s porcelain line features elegant dinner services, tea and coffee sets and decorative accessories embellished with exclusive designs, inspired by the iconic silk patterns of the Florentine Maison. The bright colour palette of the decor is blended with precious metals such as pure platinum and gold for a unique interpretation of sophisticated dining. The exquisite tableware with its elegant curves and shapes is a perfect accent to any interior. The porcelain line includes table accents like animals designed by founder Stefano Ricci as well as valet trays, ashtrays, vases and centre…1 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018Sensible Trumps SpectacleAPART FROM SNOW FLURRIES TYPICAL OF THIS TIME OF YEAR, January is usually the month when Geneva welcomes the global community of watch collectors to one of the most coveted events of the Swiss watchmaking industry: The Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie. SIHH, an annual event that began hosting with 16 exhibitors three years ago, has grown to 35 with this year’s edition seeing the arrival of six new prestigious Maisons. Back to basics With the buzz and euphoria about the smart-watch having finally died down, fine watchmaking remains paramount. And let’s face it, nobody does it better than the Swiss. Of the holy trinity of watchmaking: Vacheron Constantin, Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe, the two former maisons have already released their novelties for 2018. The world’s oldest watchmaking…2 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018Rise of the SUVThe future may be electric but for us Indians it is still some time in the future. The here and now, roads as well as the parking lots, is being filled up with SUVs of all shapes and sizes; SUVs that look like vans and SUVs that look like hatchbacks. SUVs that can seat eight people, and those that can seat five at a stretch but only four comfortably. SUVs that are powered by diesel and even SUVs powered by petrol. They just do not stop at anything. And that isn’t just an Indian trend; it is a global trend that is driving growth. The trends in Europe were ominous. By the end of 2016, SUVs were accounting for one in four new cars sold in Europe. And that number…3 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018The German FOOD REVOLUTIONIF YOU HAD ASKED A GERMAN what he’d rather spend his Benjamins on just a few years ago, the likely answer would have included cars or accommodation, not food. However, in a post-Dieselgate-era, in which most young urban adults don’t even possess a driver’s license, in times where urbanisation trends drive single-person households out of their kitchenettes into third grade restaurants, where zeitgeist recognises the necessity of social responsibility and its connection to our approach to food, we can finally (but softly) speak of a paradigm shift. Food is beginning to receive acknowledgement within the German perception. The status symbols for millennials has changed today as they have access to experience, travel, information, and most importantly, a range of food. As one of our younger restaurant guests put it,…3 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018French KissUpstairs at Indian Accent, Delhi, has been attracting attention as the new space for experimenting with world-class food. Michelin star chef Claude Bosi, who helms the current pop up here, has two Michelin stars, and is giving Delhi diners a window to his world. According to Rohit Khattar of Old World Hospitality, which runs Indian Accent, “I have met a number of fine international chefs who are very keen to showcase their skill in India and Upstairs at Indian Accent will be looking to host several of these chefs in the coming months.” Smart, trendy and intimate (it’s a 30-seater), Upstairs at Indian Accent, in its current avatar, is hosting Chef Bosi whose six-course lunch menu and nine-course dinner menu has already attracted a lot of attention. Drawing on traditional…1 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018EDGE OF TIMEA watch ceases to be a mere timekeeper when it challenges the very boundaries of technology and blurs the line between art and science. Leading the pack in this race is the Panerai Lo Scienziato Luminor 1950 Tourbillon GMT with its titanium case, which is 3D-printed using direct metal laser sintering. The new version of the Lo Scienziato has all the characteristics of its predecessor but with a slightly revised appearance. In the new model, the blue of the hands harmonises perfectly with the metallic tones of the titanium case, and is also used on the flange and in the sewing of the black leather strap. The lightness of the new Lo Scienziato is truly remarkable, given its wealth of features. The secret of its lightness lies in the extensive…1 minIndia Today|February 12, 2018Matters of the BrainBeyond the nondescript white doors of Room 002 of the Neurobiology Research Centre lies the chance of a lifetime—to touch and hold the human brain. Taking the world-weary adage of “seeing is believing” to a monumental new level is the Human Brain Museum at Bangalore’s National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), the nation’s only brain collection open to public viewing. The brainchild of retired professor SK Shankar, this one-hall museum houses over 600 samples and serves as a knowledge resource for students and a beacon for organ donation for all who enter. “The specimens have been procured with consent of the deceased individual’s family. As much as the museum is a labour of love, it stands for and on goodwill,” says Shankar. Marking the genesis of the idea…1 min
