Travel India : Udaipur

Udaipur is one of the most picturesque places in the world, and a magnet for tourists, If you are on atour of Rajasthan than you must visit Udaipur. Udaipur attractions include its picturesque beauty; the city is renowned for its lakes, palaces, and the lush hills of the Aravallis. 

Udaipur tourist places make a visit to the city a must. An Udaipur sightseeing tour can be quite an unforgettable experience indeed. Udaipur has an ancient history. It was the capital of the Kingdom of Mewar, ruled by the Sisodias. One of the major Udaipur attractions includes the City Palace, on the banks of Lake Pichhola. 

The palace offers panoramic views of the lake and Jag Niwas (now Lake Palace hotel), which is right in the middle of the lake. Other Udaipur tourist places include the Fateh Sagar Lake, which was built by Maharaja Jai Singh in 1678, and Sajjangarh Fort, the summer resort of the maharajahs, located on top of a hill overlooking the lake.

Other places that figure prominently on the itinerary of an Udaipur sightseeing tour are the Jag Mandir, another palace on an island on Lake Pichhola, the ancient Jagdish Temple right in the middle of the city, and Saheliyon Ki Bari, a garden with lotus pools, marble pavilions and elephant-shaped fountains.

A modern addition to Udaipur is the Udaipur Solar Observatory (USO), located on an island in the Fateh Sagar Lake. The clear desert air makes the city ideal for solar observations. The observatory was built in 1976 on the model of the Solar Observatory at Big Bear lake in Southern California.

There are other places of interest around Udaipur, like the pilgrimage site of Nathdwara, the Jain religious centre of Ranakpur, Chittorgarh, the ancient capital of Mewar, with a massive fort on a hilltop, Haldighati, renowned for the famous battle battle between Rana Pratap Singh of Mewar and the Mughal emperor Akbar etc.

Agra attraction : One of the biggest Agra attractions is of course the Taj Mahal, which attracts tourists from across the world. The Taj Mahal is a monument of love built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal in the 17th century. There are other Agra tourist attractions which make a visit to this North Indian city worthwhile. The city’s Mughal monuments are a must in any Agra sightseeing tour.

After the Taj Mahal, one of the biggest Agra tourist attractions is the Agra Fort, built by the Mughal Emperor Akbar in the 16th century, and now a World Heritage Site. Other Agra attractions include Fatehpur Sikhri, again built by Akbar, and which has a number of striking buildings of historical importance. Other places on the Agra sightseeing itinerary include Itmad-Ud-Daulah’s Tomb, Akbar’s Tomb in Sikandra, the Mughal garden of Ram Bagh and the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

There are many operators who offer sightseeing tours to Agra. For those who don’t want to stay in Agra, some operators offer daily trips from Delhi, which start in the morning and return you to the capital the same night.

Getting on to a golden triangle tour of North India is also a good and affordable option for travelers, as they don’t only get to visit Agra, but they also get to visit Delhi and Jaipur.

Pratiksha Banerjee

Msc.Media || PG:1

India : Railway budget

Bring down passenger fares. Don’t hike freight. But, add capacity & infra. And, yes, we know you are almost bust & have been for as long as we can remember. In a nutshell, this is what analysts had to say about the Railway Budget 2015. But, that still left the dirty job of actually doing it – in executable steps – to the Rail Minister. His maiden budget has not really stuck to the script some would want, but, has moved rail policy on to the right track.

There are the radical reforms – corporatize the railways, shift to a different accounting system, set up an independent rail tariff authority & so on. These will have to wait. For one, the minister has said that a Vision Document would soon be presented. Second, one presumes that the recommendations of the Bibek Debroy committee on revamping railway board would lay the ground for any ‘radical’ reform. Third, the brouhaha over Land Acquisition & the experience with Coal India unions must have taught the government to be less ‘dabangg’ and more circumspect in what it does.

This is perhaps the reason why it chooses to involve external funding & private participation through joint ventures, SPVs etc. The minister’s speech says he will finance ‘remunerative’ projects through market borrowings and he is open to “setting up an infrastructure fund, a holding company and a JV with an existing NBFC of a PSU with IRFC, for raising long term debt from domestic as well as overseas sources”. These are indications of Railways taking partners on a project basis instead of going in for radical privatisation measures that will be politically hot.

All through, the common thread is in getting more out of what the railways already have. Set up more tracks on lands already there, speed up trains on existing tracks, add more coaches & berths, increase haulage capacity of existing wagons, efficient empty wagon operation & so on. This fits in with his ‘short term’ strategy to raise resources for the long term. How railways manage to execute that in the year will determine if the operating ratio ends at a nine year high in 2016.

Yes, freight rate is up and it upsets further the already big imbalance between it and passenger rates. Feb 2016 will tell if the business call of hiking freight paid off for Mr Prabhu. While industries may crib about higher rates now, better rail turnaround time may help them get more product to market. Emphasis on passenger amenities will also come in handy next year. For long passengers have asked ‘where are the amenities’ each time fares have been hiked.

True, more information is needed on how these JVs, external financing will work. The minister mentioned several times in the speech that he has been in touch with other ministers, PSUs, multi-lateral institutions for money, so we have to take his word on it for now.

Finally, there was no long laundry list of ‘new trains’. A lot of significant work will happen under the hood. The minister has proposed management/governance & technological steps to manage freight, clients, vendors, improve performance. These could potentially transform Railways into an efficient transport system with sound processes & oversight systems, setting stage for growth beyond 2016. Suresh Prabhu has made a realistic beginning.

Pratiksha Banerjee

Msc.Media || PG:1

Swine flu is back to haunt India

A viral storm is raging across the country. More than 200 deaths due to Influenza A (H1N1), known as swine flu, have been recorded within a short period of over a month. India’s Health Ministry said Monday 1,115 of the 20,795 people infected with swine flu in 2015 have died. The majority of cases and deaths have been reported from the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Telangana, and the capital city, New Delhi. Heavy rainfall in Delhi and other parts of the country's north can have bad impact on the current H1N1 virus .

Symptoms of swine flu are similar to those produced by standard seasonal flu - fever, cough, sore throat, body aches and chills. Some people with the virus also experience nausea and diarrhea. The disease originated from pigs, but is now a wholly human disease and is spread by coughing and sneezing.

Swine flu first appeared in Mexico in 2009 and rapidly spread around the world. The sudden burst of cases over the past month forced the health ministry to review the swine flu situation in various states and check if medical teams were ready to tackle and defeat an epidemic if it arises.

"With better monitoring, the number of fatalities should decline, but we are not taking chances and have asked all health departments to set up isolation wards in hospitals," A.K. Panda, a secretary in the health ministry, told DW.

Although the name 'swine flu' brings up a lot of extra fear and worry, it is important to take some precautions-

1)      Avoid over crowded places like picnic spots, shopping malls, restaurants etc.

2)      Use medicated facemask while going out, which are available free of cost in hospitals or at very nominal prices.

3)      Keep at least 6 feet gap from person sneezing or suffering from bad cough as germs in air can infect you.

4)      Be cautious while touching or using unhygienic public facilities like toilets, roadside food etc.

5)      Use sanitizer and frequently wash hands with soap after visiting public places.

6)      Pregnant women must avoid going to public places, as they are more prone to Swine Flu.

7)   Consult doctor immediately if cough and cold prevails for long duration. Infected person must visit doctor without hesitation.

While some of the Ayurvedic medicines like Kadha (prepared by boiling herbs in water) is also a good way to increase your immunity against this disease. Nowadays, many organizations are distributing them free of cost.

Priya Arora
Msc.Media || PG:1

Over 25,000 test positive for Swine Flu

Swine flu deaths continued unabated as 51 more people died of the virus raising the toll to 1370 while the number of affected crossed the 25,000 mark.

According to data collated by the Union Health Ministry, the highest number of 322 deaths were in Gujarat where 5,521 people have been affected by the deadly virus. Rajasthan has reported 321 deaths while 5949 people have been affected in the state.

The number of affected people across the country has mounted to 25,190.

With Delhi receiving rains in the past few days, health officials fear the virus may only spread more as high temperatures are deterrent to it. Delhi, which has reported 10 deaths, witnessed a rise in the number of persons affected by it as the figure reached 3,438.

The virus had on Saturday claimed the life of noted theatre personality and former HoD, foreign languages department of Agra University, Jitendra Raghvanshi.

Meanwhile, the health officers of Odisha's Ganjam district will keep track on migrant workers returning to state, mostly from Gujarat, to prevent the spread of swine flu by them. Around seven lakh Odia workers, mostly from Ganjam, work in textile mills and diamond cutting industries in Surat and Ahmedabad respectively, officials said.

In Maharashtra, 10 people died on Sunday raising the toll to 211 while that of those affected was 2,504 followed by Madhya Pradesh 193 deaths and 1,461 affected.

In Karnataka, as many as 1,707 people have been affected while the death toll has reached 55. In Telangana, the number of affected was 1,770 and the death toll 63.

In Kashmir, the death toll stands at 11. Kerala has witnessed nine deaths while in Haryana, 27 people have died due to the swine flu and in neighbouring Punjab 47.

In Uttar Pradesh, the disease has claimed the lives of 16 people and in Andhra Pradesh, 15 people have died due to swine flu.

Prosenjit Purakayastha
Msc.Media || PG:1

#Nagaland Lynching

A total of 42 arrests have been made, many through the night on Sunday, in connection with the lynching of a rape-accused in Nagaland's Dimapur last week by a large mob that broke into a jail and dragged the man out.

Curfew has been lifted in the city from this morning but markets and schools remain shut. Internet and SMS services are still suspended across Nagaland, four days after videos of Syed Sarif Uddin Khan's lynching surfaced on the net.

On Thursday, thousands broke into the Dimapur Central Jail, dragged out Syed Sarif Uddin Khan, stripped him, beat him up, tied him to a motorcycle and dragged him for 7 km. He died on the way. The mob then hung his body at a roadside roundabout.

Mr Khan, a 35-year-old second-hand car trader, had been arrested for allegedly raping a Naga woman on February 24.

Questions have been raised about the rape complaint.

Rumours that Mr Khan was an illegal immigrant - believed to be one of the reasons behind the brutal killing - were found to be untrue as his three brothers are all in the army.

About 20 people had been arrested till Sunday evening, with the rest of the arrests made on Sunday night, as the police identified the attackers from the footage. Mr Khan's brother Jamal Khan alleged that most of his killers are still roaming free in Dimapur.

"We are in the process of identifying more people and we can expect several more arrests in the coming days," said senior Nagaland police officer Wabang Jamir.

Widespread protests took place across Nagaland, and at Mr Khan's hometown Karimganj in neighbouring Assam, where his funeral was held on Sunday. Over 10,000 people attended the funeral.

Mr Jamir denied charges that prison officials had been complicit in the jailbreak by the mob.

Prosenjit Purakayastha
Msc.Media || PG:1

Changing trends in the world of Smart Phones

With the inception of the concept of smart phones, the entire world went through a major change which resulted in people always being connected to the internet. The entire world came down to one common platform (smart phone) and everybody became accessible at any time. This concept completely changed the pattern of our lives.

Initially, it was only the reputed companies like Apple, Nokia, Blackberry or Samsung who came up with the so called smart phones. At that point in time, smart phones were perceived as an item of luxury rather than an item of need. But this did not remain constant. With the coming up of companies like Micromax, Lenovo, HCL and also Spice, the market for smart phones totally changed. Initially, smart phones were priced way above the price of regular phones, but what these companies did was, they offered the same kind of products with the same features at half the price of the products produced by the mentioned reputed companies.

Recently, there came such a situation where Nokia had to sell its maximum amount of shares to Microsoft. Thus, changing the name of the company to Microsoft Mobile. This is really shocking for people who have been using mobile phones for over a decade now. About ten years back, the only company that the masses relied upon for mobiles was Nokia. During this period, Nokia had the largest market share and the market share of other mobile producing companies were nothing worth mentioning. This entire trend changed after 2010, with the inception of the Android Operating System, which created a totally new platform for applications for phones, along with easy access to the public. This is the point from which the main shift in the mobile usage pattern of the people can be seen.

Android, being a free platform / Operating System, opened up the possibility for smaller companies to deliver products which boast of features which are parallel to the features of phones from reputed companies. Thus, smaller companies as well as new companies started penetrating the market and this led to the shift in the usage pattern of the people in such a  manner that it gave the big dogs in the market a run for their money.

A great example of this would be the company called Xiaomi Tech. Mainly centered at China,Xiaomi Tech is going on fire in India with its Mi mobiles. The mobiles of this company are available only via Flipkart. Initially, the phones were given up for sale through the medium of “Flash Sale” and thousands of units got sold in mere seconds.

This shows the shift in the usage pattern of the people in our country. It is no longer the brand name that is taken into consideration before purchasing a smart phone, what people are looking for at this moment are the features that a smart phone can offer at the cheapest possible price. 

However, there will always be a certain section of the population who would be skeptical towards the emerging companies and would still be willing to shell out extra money and get a phone from one of the reputed companies which have lasted in the market for over a decade now.

However, at large, there is a huge shift which is happening which will result in smart phones being a necessity rather than a luxury as there are still a few in our country as well as other countries who do not feel the need of keeping a smart phone.

Riddhiman Sharma

Msc.Media || PG:1

Nagaland rape accused killed, what could be the reason?

On Thursday, 5^th of March, 2015, thousands of people stormed into the Central Jail of Dimapur, Nagaland, and dragged out an alleged rapist. The victim was thrashed to the extent that he could not survive after the incident.

Syed Farid Khan, who was a second hand car dealer was sent to jail when he was accused of raping a Naga girl on the 23^rd of February, this year. He was also suspected to be an illegal immigrant from Bangladesh.

As it is, this episode of rape had stirred the emotions of the locals of Dimapur, Nagaland.
On the other hand, the people of Dimapur had been voicing out their opinions regarding illegal immigrants coming into their land and their agenda against immigrants slowly started getting recognition. And it so happened that the rape – accused, by virtue of being a non – tribal, jointly faced the consequences of the wrath of the locals whose emotions were stirred because of the rape incident and the people who were against illegal immigration .

Because of the massacre outside the central jail, several people were also injured when the police tried to get the situation under control by means of lathi charge and then by open firing.

Relating to this incident, some people vandalised shops belonging to alleged illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. Following attempts to set a shop on fire, the police were forced to bring up Sec 144 so that the people could be controlled.

Now it has come to light after investigations have revealed that there were social media posts on Muslims being attacked and mosques being ransacked which originated from outside Nagaland but some way or the other, got into the network of the Naga people and hence, became a serious issue. 

On Friday morning, 6^th of March, the hashtag #Nagaland was trending on Twitter as many expressed shock at the incident. The police in Nagaland's Dimapur town have arrested 21 people since Saturday night in connection with the lynching of rape accused Syed Farid Khan. The district administration imposed total curfew until Sunday midnight and mobile and internet services were jammed for 48 hours to check the spread of hate messages.    

Now the question is, why did the people reacted in such an extreme manner? Whether it was only due to the fact that the person was accused of rape, or because the people believed that he was an illegal immigrant, or was it because of both these factors or is there any kind of a political motive behind this, a motive of interest of a strong political personality who could have influenced a large mass of the population of Dimapur to take such a drastic step?

 The true motive behind this entire event can come out only if proper investigation is carried out. As we can see, many areas of concern pertaining to this issue is vague and there are no proper or concrete information as to what triggered the emotions of the locals in this extreme manner, because the lynching of the accused is closely related to issue of illegal immigrants and this issue can possibly be under some kind of a political motive. Only time will tell why this happened. We can only speculate at this moment. 

Riddhiman Sharma
Msc.Media || PG:1

Film Review : White Earth

The documentary short films are the great beneficiaries  of the Academy”s magnanimity, both in continuing to recognize an outdated format and in directing attention towards worthy causes. Its one way AMPAS demonstrates its engagement with various social issues , nearly always celebrating subject matter over cinematic achievement , as evidenced by its selection of two Polish-made terminal-illness portraits , two serious- minded employment impact studies and a pressing look at the veteran suicide epidemic.

Fortunately, a couple of these norms specifically “White Earth”are truly exceptional films in their own right.'White Earth' directed and written by Christian Jensen ,  is a documentary with the duration of about 20 minutes.It was released on 18^th January,2014 .

The film explores life in the oil boom through the eyes of four children and an immigrant mother. The documentary was nominated for the “Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject ) at the 87^th Academy Awards. In the snowy North Dakota, depicted in “White Earth”, director Christian Jensen chronicles the influx of opportunity seekers to a quiet oil-drilling town , ignoring the labourers in favour of their families. 

It’s obvious why the men have come , so the film wisely privileges their kids, who sometimes go weeks without seeing their parents , describing the pungent gas smell that permeates their clothes when they come home. Oil becomes an everyday staple in their lives and the sole reason they can afford to survive cold winters. Without censor or reason to be diplomatic, they share the pros and cons of the industry it relates to their personal childhoods. For them, the American Dream is little more than a phrase they may have never even heard. The oil is already in their blood since its existence is most likely a driving force for their escape. 

Jensen”s film becomes an educational look at the Northern Plain’s changing landscape via those who to experience what it means to live there.  Their  fathers spend so much time on the rigs that home respites are spent sleeping rather than living. To them, this way of life is a means to an end , for their children it’s the only reality they know. 

No one can therefore blame them for their frustrations , unable to reconcile adulthood responsibility with their yearning to be loved.  We know their parents do it for that love, but these middle-schoolers only see their isolation in a desolate world far removed from what they used to know. It would appear crude oil always creates a hot button issue for American families , not just the reserves in the Middle East.   

This year, all five noms are chasing some ineffable sense of poetry, but only Jensen achieves it with this Stanford master’s thesis project , collecting and arranging details in a way that makes it feel as if we’re experiencing the scene in person, fending off the cold and chasing the dream. 

Rupkatha Ghosh
Msc.Media || PG:1

#Swine Flu

Swine Flu  (swine influenza) is a respiratory disease caused by viruses that infect the respiratory tract of pigs , resulting in nasal secretions ,decreased appetite and listless behaviour. Swine flu produces most of the same symptoms in pigs as human flu produces in people. 

Swine influenza virus was first isolated from pigs in 1930 in the U.S.  and has been recognized by pork producers and veterinarians to cause infections in pigs worldwide.  Swine flu is transmitted from person to person by inhalation or ingestion of droplets containing virus from people sneezing or coughing  ; it is not transmitted by eating cooked pork products. 

The newest swine flu virus that has caused swine flu is influenza A H3N2v (commonly termed H3N2v) that began as an outbreak in 2011. The “v” in the name means the virus is a variant that normally infects only pigs but has begun to infect humans also.

Swine Flu has been in the news since it first appeared this spring and while there have been deaths and hospitalizations in countries worldwide, most cases have been relatively mild. And now, there is an H1N1 swine flu vaccine ,too. But the bad news is that swine flu can still be serious and it”s still widespread. And now it  continues  to spread over India , with 55 more fatalities from the disease reported in the latest figures released by the country’s health ministry taking the total death toll to 1,370. 

The number of people who have contracted the virus has now crossed 25,000 , as according to Delhi based news agency ANI. But the highest number of reported deaths is in Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat , where 322 people have succumbed to the disease thus far. While in the neighbouring state of Rajasthan, 321 have died, according to local news channel  NDTV. The continued rise in number of cases is being attributed to unusual weather conditions , including unseasonal rains , that have kept humidity levels high and allowed the virus to thrive.  

Swine flu can be prevented  by getting both the vaccines  since seasonal flu can be serious, specially for infants, elders and people with weak immune systems. Sick people should wear a face mask ,to avoid spreading their illness. People should wash their hands often, should cover their mouth and nose while sneezing or coughing , should avoid touching their nose , eyes and mouth and finally, should stay atleast 6 feet away from people with flu-like illness.  If people b more careful in protecting themselves, then swine flu shall soon be eradicated.   

Rupkatha Ghosh
Msc.Media || PG:1

Violence against women

Much has been written and debated about the BBC documentary, “India`s Daughter” and whether it should have been banned in India? After seeing the film and hearing the defence lawyers and the equally rabid rapist, being interviewed at length, I realised that nothing new was being filmed or said. It all happened on prime time TV in India and though we never got to see the parents as shown in the film, there were quite a few printed interviews that showed their love, their loss and their terrible grief.

The fact that civil society came out in huge protests all over the country and the congress government was totally out of touch with the people of India and their genuine outburst of grief and anger is also reported .

All this does not detract from the merits of a well packaged documentary that in the end most of the public will see if they want to on social media sites. The only reason the Nirbhaya story became a worldwide sensation was because of Indians who rose in revolt against the violence and demanded new more aggressive laws against rape and quicker justice for victims.

Other countries where such incidents have occurred have not had the same effect on its societies. 

This has happened, thanks to our very active media and civil society. But it has made a worldwide difference. Infact, the countries with the highest rape cases in the world are (91.6 per 100000), Trinidad and Tobago (58.4 per 100000), Sweden (53.2 per 100000), korea ( 33.7 per 100000) etc.

While, the annual rape rate in India has increased from 1.9 to 2.0 per 100,000 people over 2008-2012 period. Compared to other developed and developing countries, incidence rates of rape per 100,000 people are quite low in India. This could be due to unreported cases and there is concern about this aspect but due to a very active civil society and non-governmental organisations more victims are coming forward to register cases. 

A study done by International Business Times, UK, with official statistics reported that Lesotho had the highest incidence of rape followed by South Africa. In Lesotho, sexual violence against women and girls is widespread at the rate of 88.6 rape cases per 100,000 inhabitants in 2011, according to a UN report. 

“Unequal gender relations and belief in the sexual entitlement of men are entrenched in cultural and social norms, and the country has a very high incidence of rape. In the majority of cases, victims of sexual violence are silenced,” according to a research by NGO kick for life. 

All these facts are not an attempt to play down violence against women in India. As a woman and a journalist who has covered this issue for 25 years, there is no denying the feudal and often medieval mindset of men in this country who regard women as their property but the fact is that this is changing and civil society is bringing about this change which in turn is propelling political will. This is one fact that makes India different.

India`s Daughter, should have stressed on this aspect more.

Rupsha Roy

Msc.Media || PG:1

Democratize society for women's equality at all levels.

March the 8th, International Women’s Day, impacts corporate life a little less this year, for two reasons. One, it fell on a Sunday; and, two, in reality, Indians observe the day, for the most part, purely as a token, whose import is restricted to some women-oriented activities that day, with little spill over for the rest of the year. Women are seriously under-represented inside the womb, forget corporate boards, Parliament seats, the civil service, the judiciary or the professions.

There is a good reason why the sincere efforts of many professional women (and some men) fail to make a difference to this hypocritical attitude towards women. Those who do try to make a difference in terms of gender sensitivity and gender equality rarely try to link this process with the overall democratization of society, and so limit their own impact.

 Consider the discourse on women’s safety. It centers on policing, legal penalties, panic buttons, etc. Very few voices seek to review society’s attitudes towards women, about the serious breaches with religious teaching and tradition that women’s equality calls for.

The futility of pursuing social change in the limited space of elite interaction is brought home, more often than not, by violence. The elite have to interact with the non-elite. Emancipation clashes with the traditional notion that women who place themselves outside spatial and temporal locations that are considered virtuous are asking for sexual depredation.

 A woman who climbs the corporate ladder alongside her male colleagues at the workplace can feel secure about her young daughter as she traverses home, city and campus, only when women’s equality is part of society’s consciousness at all levels.

Yet, she has a disincentive to see the question in broader democratic terms. Her own relative emancipation is achieved at the expense of subaltern women, to whom she outsources her domestic chores. Sharing of housework by men at all levels, in other words, is part of the process of rendering March 8 something a little more than a mere token.

Rupsha Roy
Msc.Media || PG:1

“Nirbhaya-Fearless”

Here’s why the documentary shouldn't have been banned:

(CNN)India's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has told all news channels not to air a controversial documentary about rape in India -- warning that the excerpts "appear to encourage and incite violence against women."

An Indian court restricted the publication and airing of the film in India as well as the dissemination of excerpts from it after Mukesh Singh's comments were released in several media outlets. He appeared to show no remorse and blamed the rape victim for being out at night, according to the documentary called "India's Daughter."Mukesh Singh told the documentary crew that his victim "should just be silent and allow the rape.

A decent girl won't roam around at 9 o'clock at night," he told the BBC. "A girl is far more responsible for rape than a boy. Boy and girl are not equal. Housework and housekeeping is for girls, not roaming in discos and bars at night doing wrong things, wearing wrong clothes."He suggested that they "had a right to teach them a lesson."

In December 2012, a young woman was savagely attacked and raped by a group of men aboard a public bus in New Delhi and later died from her injuries. Mukesh Singh, who was driving the bus, is now on death row and has filed an appeal.

His comments in the documentary have stirred fierce debate about whether airing his interview gives him a platform to share his misogyny, versus those who say it increases awareness and understanding of the horror of rape.

The documentary's director, Leslee Udwin, wrote that she was "deeply saddened" by attempts to silence the film."India should be embracing this film -- not blocking it with a knee-jerk hysteria without even seeing it. This was an opportunity for India to continue to show the world how much has changed since this heinous crime," she wrote for India's NDTV.

Banning this documentary on the grounds that the content bears ‘malicious, offensive, and outrageous remarks against women’ is legit, except that it really isn’t, because it merely portrays the harsh reality of women in India, all thanks to years of oppression and overwhelming patriarchy that exists till date with TV shows like Savadhan India, Crime Patrol, etc that put forward similar content every single day.

Numerous people are of the opinion that the documentary should not be banned. While there are so many of us who are educated and even well off, it’s shocking how a lot of us are still so incredibly  narrow minded when it comes to knowing what a woman’s place is in our society. 
A nation where Goddesses are worshipped just as staunchly as a woman is treated like she’s a nobody.

SAGARIKA DEV
Msc.Media || PG:1

#Instagram

Do you guys even remember the days before Instagram? I mean, of course you do — but really, where would we be without it now?

Today, the Instagram community has grown to more than 300 million Instagrammer capturing and sharing their lives every month. Over the past four years, what began as two friends with a dream has grown into a global community that shares more than 70 million photos and videos each day from passion for jazz to Kiev. 

Instagram is home to creativity in all of its forms, a place where you can find everything from images of the Nile River or a peek inside the mind of Taylor Swift. New record turnouts of communities coming together to form friendships, explore new places and celebrate creativity in all corners of the globe from New Delhi to New York, Bucharest, Nairobi and beyond. 

As Instagram gets bigger, it’s focusing on helping us discover photos and videos from people, whether it’s a friend or your favorite musician.

Some fashion bloggers have reached wildly impressive amounts of followers as well, numbers that far exceed their Twitter or Facebook counts.

 So what’s the secret to Instagram fame? The exact formula varies, but always seems to have these elements: good captions, sharp detail or still-life photos and lots of outfits. Let’s take a closer look. It has launched a People tab on the Explore page, which highlights interesting accounts to follow.

They have added verified badges for celebrities, athletes and brands, making it easier for us to connect with the authentic accounts Finally, as more people join, keeping Instagram authentic is critical—it’s a place where real people share real moments.

We’re committed to doing everything possible to keep Instagram free from the fake and spammy accounts that plague much of the web, and that’s why we’re finishing up some important work that began earlier this year.

4 take-aways to give our #Instagram feeds a boost:

#Post frequently! Posting at least twice a day, if not five times a day. Consistency like this keeps your followers engaged.

#Pay_attention_to_your_captions – they make a difference.  Mention brands, use appropriate hashtags and add humor or emotion whenever we can!

#See_the_beauty_in_wherever_you_are. Keeping a creative eye on our surroundings, look for history, color, nature, and character all around us. Get creative – there are gorgeous locations- the biggest cities to the smallest towns.

#Showcase_your_style. Instagram users love to see our fashion, so embrace the #OOTD hashtag and share our personal style with our followers all the time. Trying different angles have a friend snap a quick picture for you, and embrace fancy mirrors.

SAGARIKA DEV

Msc.Media || PG:1

Indian Bullet Express (IBE)

Japan's shinkansen bullet train technology is the leading candidate for a planned 500km railway linking the western city of Mumbai and the state of Gujarat to the north, the first step in India's extensive high-speed rail project. The Indian and Japanese governments initiated a joint feasibility study in late 2013, and a final report is to be released in July 2015. The Japan International Cooperation Agency, which is participating in the study, told participants at a Feb.
 28 high-speed rail seminar in New Delhi that the report will likely recommend that Japan's bullet train project with Japan. The Japanese contingent at the seminar included Issei Kitagawa, state vice-minister of transport; Yuji Fukasawa, executive vice president at East Japan Railway, which hopes to win orders for the project as part of a consortium of Japanese companies; Tadaharu Ohashi, a counselor at Kawasaki Heavy Industries; and top Hitachi officials.
With construction likely to start as early as 2017, India and Japan will quickly work out the necessary details, such as fundraising, as soon as the study is complete. Plans include combining official development assistance from JICA with an infrastructure fund set up by Japan's transport ministry. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has been working to revive manufacturing with the "Make in India" initiative, will probably require that rolling stock be built locally.
How much Japanese companies will cede to India's demands will be a point of interest. The railway linking Mumbai and Ahmedabad will cost 700-800 billion rupees, including 12 stations to be built along the route, the Indian government said. The train will have a top speed of 320kph, slashing travel time to around two and a half hours from about eight hours now. India plans to build nine railways linking the major cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata, which has been dubbed the Diamond Quadrilateral project.
Since the Mumbai-Ahmedabad railway requires tunneling beneath a river, India favors Japanese drilling technology, which was used in such projects as the Seikan Tunnel linking Japan's main island with the northern island of Hokkaido. 
India also focused on Japan's safety record, with no passenger deaths in 50 years of operation, and know-how allowing trains to run at intervals of several minutes. France, Spain and China also have shown interest in India's high-speed rail plans, and competition over the other routes will likely remain fierce technology is the most appropriate option. A top official in India's Ministry of Railways told The Nikkei that Japan's technology is the world's best and that India hopes to work on this.

SAMAYEETA DAS 
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A neat win for India

India confirmed the top spot in their group, took their winning streak in World Cup matches to nine, their longest and now only behind the great Australian run between 1999 and 2011, and also maintained their record of bowling oppositions out in this World Cup, claiming their 50th wicket in five matches in the 49th over of Ireland's innings. 
Ireland scored the highest score against India in this World Cup, William Porterfield and Paul Stirling registered the best partnership - 89 - against them, Niall O'Brien came within one run of the best individual score against their unbeaten opponents, but India's excellent offspin bowling and aggressive captaincy restricted them to 259, well below par on a flat pitch, small Seddon Park boundaries and given Ireland's weak bowling. Shikhar Dhawan, with his second hundred this World Cup, and Rohit Sharma knocked the runs off with ease.

Good knocks by Porterfield, Stirling and Niall O'Brien. Ireland could well have posted a more imposing total so credit to the Indian spinners for pegging things back and applying enough pressure to restrict Ireland's batsmen, who have been scoring very well against full members and associates alike.

I was impressed with the Irish skipper's post match interview. Their team appears settled psychologically and are meeting challenges with the right mindset. 
Ireland has a well respected captain, their batsmen are fearless and technically competent enough to hold their own, and if the bowling could gain more penetration it would balance this team out nicely. 

By far the most successful associate team this WC and I wish them well for the rest of the tournament and their future cricketing endeavours. Dhawan moved to No. 2 on the runs list this World Cup, second behind Kumar Sangakkara.
 Once he reached the fifty Dhawan accelerated even as Rohit fell to a somewhat lazy dab, playing Stuart Thompson on. Dhawan went from 50 off 54 to 96 off 74 before bringing up the hundred with the 84th ball he faced and getting out to the 85th. However, India needed only 70 at that time, and got them without drama.

SAMAYEETA DAS
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Filmfare Awards 2015

The black lady has always been one of the most prestigious awards for the Bollywood film fraternity.  2014 had been a wonderful year for the film industry where the audience were offered a plethora of films catering to all kinds of viewers.

The film that stole all the limelight and hype was ‘Queen’ which bagged most of the Filmfare awards this year. ‘Queen’ bagged awards in the categories of

• ·         Best film- Queen
• ·         Best director- Vikas Bahl
• ·         Best actor - Kangana Ranaut
• ·         Best background score- Amit Trivedi
• ·         Best cinematography- Bobby Singh & Siddharth Diwan
• ·         Best editing- Abhijit Kokate & Anurag Kashyap.

‘Haider’ was another movie that was acclaimed critically and it also bagged quite some awards. It achieved awards in the categories of

• ·         Best actor - Shahid Kapoor
• ·         Best actor in supporting role- Kay Kay Menon & Tabu
• ·         Best production design- Subrata Chakraborty & Amit Ray
• ·         Best costume design- Dolly Ahluwalia.
• The other categories run as follows-
• ·         Best debut actor- Fawad Khan (Khoobsurat) & Kriti Sanon (Heropanti)
• ·         Best debut director- Abhishek Varman (2 States)
• ·         Best music- Shankar Ehsaan Loy  (2 States)
• ·         Best lyrics- Rashmi Singh (Muskurane ki wajah- Citylights)
• ·         Best playback singer- Ankit Tiwari (Ek Villain) & Kanika Kapoor (Ragini MMS2)
• ·         Best screenplay & dialogue - Rajkumar  Hirani & Abhijat Joshi (PK)
• ·         Best story – Rajat Kapoor (Ankhon Dekhi)
• ·         Best choreography- Ahmed Khan ( Jumme ki raat-Kick)
• ·         Best sound design- Anil Kumar Konakandla & Prabal Pradhan (Mardaani)
• ·         Best action- Sham Kaushal (Gunday)
• The winners in the Critic’s choice categories go as follows-
• ·         Best actor- Sanjay Mishra (Ankhon Dekhi) & Alia Bhatt (Highway)
• ·         Best film- Ankhon Dekhi

The Lifetime Achievement Award was handed over to Kamini Kaushal for being a timeless icon even at the age of 88. Her contribution to the industry is endless and still counting as no age can stop her from continuing with her strides. 

SANGITA BANERJEE
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