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A risk-taker all the way

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Actor Sathish is rarely seen doing run-of-the-mill films. He has a definite idea when it comes to what kind of roles he wants.

His characters in Pancharangi, Lucia, Love in Mandya and Beautiful Manasugalu have an altogether different feel and flavour. His strong background in theatre has only helped him carve a niche image in Sandalwood.

Sathish has for the first time in his career played a double role in Tiger Galli. He has thoroughly enjoyed portraying two contrasting characters. In an interview with Nina C George, the actor talks about the making of the movie and more.

You have always been drawn to realistic cinema. How did Tiger Galli happen?

Yes, I continue to be attracted towards realistic cinema. I have always experimented with my roles because I dont want to get stuck doing the same thing.

How did you feel portraying larger-than-life characters in Tiger Galli?

I have never played such a role before. I was a bit apprehensive about the characters at first, but when I began shooting, I discovered that I was actually enjoying it. This is an experiment and a risk that I have taken and looks like it has worked well for me.

Tell us about your characters - Vishnu and Shiva?

Playing a double role is not easy because I had to portray two extreme characters. The emotions and body language required for both were different. While Vishnu is calm and innocent, Shiva is fiery.

Are you a directors actor?

If people have liked my performance in this film, then all credit goes to director Ravisrivathsa. I have only translated his vision into reality. While actors think of only their scenes, a director always looks at the larger frame. He works towards integrating all the scenes to achieve the exact picture that he has in mind.

What is your strength as an actor?

I believe in taking risks and trying out new things. I dont believe in working on 100 films and not being known for any. Even if I work on just a handful of projects, I am still happy because I have done quality work.

Any plans to venture into direction?

I have written a few scripts that I would like to direct someday. But I am not ready to get into direction just yet.

What made you agree to a Tamil project ?

I found the story and the director to be impressive. Its about why people should do good even to their enemies. I play the lead role in the film.

What are your projects in Kannada?

Theres Chambal where I play a corporate guy whereas I play a village lad in Ayogya. Godhra is also in the pipeline.


'I don't believe in going with a plan'

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Actor, dancer and choreographer Shantanu Maheshwari couldnt believe it when he was declared the winner of Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 8.

He feels his stint in this reality show has not only made him a stronger person but also given him a chance to experience and attempt things that he never thought he could do.

The show literally opened his eyes to a whole new world. In an interview with Nina C George, Shantanu shares his experience and talks about his future plans as a dancer.

Did you ever think that you would win like Khatron Ke...?

I just wanted to give my best to whatever task that was given to me. Winning the title was the last thing on my mind. But I am glad that I got the opportunity to challenge myself.

Did the show help you overcome any fear?

I had a fear of heights. But when I continuously did tasks that involved climbing heights and jumping from high places, I slowly but steadily managed to overcome my fear. I realised that fear is just a liar that stops you from doing something.

Did you ever feel like leaving halfway?

Never. I enjoyed every moment on the sets.

Your favourites tasks on the show...

I loved the water activities, including deep sea diving.

Coming to dance, what is your groups signature style?

My group Desi Hoppers mixes street dance with animation or even studio dance. While, jazz and ballet come from dance studios, hiphop originated from the streets. We blend both. We are also known for our animated presentations.

Is there anything that you want to unlearn when it comes to dance?

I am who I am because of what I have learnt. There is really nothing that I want to unlearn.

One dancer you want to dance with...

Prabhu Deva.

What is it about him that you like?

He has an original style, is humble and carries himself very well.

What do you do in your spare time?

I love exploring new cultures and meeting people.

Where do see yourself a few years from now?

I dont believe in going with a plan. But I want to be in the industry and keep creating new dance moves that define me.

Your advice to young dancers...

Have your own style. Be open to learning and always take criticism in your stride.

Of digital challenges, and successes

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How do New York Times journalists use technology in their jobs and in their personal lives?

Damien Cave, the Australia bureau chief for The Times, who is based in Sydney, discussed the tech hes using.

Q: You opened the Australia bureau for The Times this year. What was it like getting the bureau set up tech-wise, and what did you have to think about to make it work for the Times journalists who would be working there?

The biggest challenge has been getting reliable internet service. Australia, despite its wealth, is a bit of a digital disaster. The countrys average connection speeds rank it below Kenya, Thailand and many other developing countries, and complaints about a government-sponsored rollout of broadband service are still skyrocketing.

Even now, in an office we just moved into after a few months in a temporary space, we have access to the new national broadband network, but we need a cellular backup for when service drops or slows to a crawl. Another thing Im weighing at the moment is whether we need phones - not cellphones but desk phones. Does anyone really need those anymore, especially in journalism?

Q: What tech equipment additions did you bring into the bureau?

Were still finishing up and figuring out what we need, but I bought a Sonos speaker - partly to offset the music we can hear from the hip sneaker store below us; partly because I find that music can be a useful team builder and a tool for inspiration.

Ill never forget when David Gonzalez, a longtime Times reporter Ive always greatly admired, came into a class I was in at Columbia Journalism School and started playing Miles Davis. The song was "So What," and his point was that journalism required a sense of adventure, improvisation and humility. We also went analog with our brainstorming equipment. Instead of white boards, we bought two studio rollers with craft paper.

Q: What stands out to you in the Australian tech landscape? Is there a flourishing scene of Australian tech brands, apps and websites?

There is definitely a flourishing startup scene. I went and looked at a bunch of co-working spaces when I first got to Sydney, and they were all packed with people trying to start something and network their way to success. But most people still rely on the main American brands and apps, at least as far as I can see.

Atlassian, the software company, is Australian and quite celebrated here. And Gumtree, which is Australias Craigslist for secondhand sales, is really quite good and useful. No offense to Craig Newmark (whom I know from covering tech ages ago) and his Craigslist, but theres a lot to be learned from how Gumtree works on mobile and integrates messaging across platforms.

Q: Amazon is coming to Australia and bringing its e-commerce services soon. Are Australians excited?

Reaction is pretty mixed. Americans living in Australia seem to be thrilled, especially those (like me) who got very used to relying on Amazon for almost everything in the United States. Some Australians, including small-business owners who will sell through Amazon, are also excited. But mostly, I would say, Australians are curious, and a bit anxious about Amazon.

I just wrote a big story about Amazon and the book and bookstore industry here, which is strong and protected, and heavily resistant to outsiders. And the indie bookstore crowd isnt alone in that. After all, this is a country that pushed Borders into bankruptcy, and where Starbucks has really struggled.

Malls and small-town Main Streets are still crowded all over Australia, which feels like a throwback to me as an American, and online shopping is not as common as it is in the United States. Just the other day, I interviewed a young woman in a bookstore - she was in her 20s - who told me she was not willing to pay for something online with a credit card. I was stunned.

Q: Beyond your job, what tech product do you love using in your daily life right now?

I recently bought (via Amazon, which shipped them here from the United States) a set of Bluetooth Jabra headphones, which were recommended by Wirecutter. And I love them. I cant believe how liberating it feels to not have a cord flopping around.

Q: What do you and your family do with it, and what could be better about it?

I use the headphones for music (of course) and for phone calls, but last night I called my wife walking back from dinner in Melbourne and I discovered that the microphone really doesnt work well with a bit of wind. I dont know how that could be fixed, but finding a way to ensure good audio for conversation would be one obvious improvement. And as long as were talking audio: Hey, Sonos, how about adding some Bluetooth connectivity for those of us with unreliable Wi-Fi?

Strong password key runs into limits

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Why wont the password just go away? The silly pet names, movie titles or sports teams that many people punch in to get into their online accounts are a weak spot that hackers continue to puncture.

Yet passwords remain the primary way we log in to online accounts containing our personal and financial information. Google has a new pragmatic solution: Embrace the password, but lock it down with extra physical security.

The company this month released its Advanced Protection Program, which is meant to make stealing your password pointless. To use it, youll need two inexpensive physical keys to log in to your Google account on your computer and smartphone.

This way, even if hackers stole your password in a data breach or successfully phished for it, by tempting you to hand over your credentials on a fake login page, they couldnt do anything unless they got their hands on the keys as well. And minimizing risk with minimal effort is a boon to anyone who cares about online security.

"I am a big fan of this," said John Sabin, a former hacker for the National Security Agency. "Its probably the easiest and most secure multifactor for the masses."

The physical keys are an evolution of two-factor authentication, an extra security layer to ensure that your password is being entered by you. Google was one of the first companies to start offering two-factor authentication back in 2010, not long after it learned that it had been hacked by state-sponsored Chinese hackers.

After the attack, Googles security team came up with a motto: "Never again." The company later rolled out two-factor authentication for Google customers Gmail accounts. It involved text messaging a unique code to your phone that you must type in after entering your password in order to log in.

Unfortunately, those text messages can be hijacked. Last month, security researchers at Positive Technologies, a security firm, demonstrated how they could use vulnerabilities in the cellular network to intercept text messages for a set period of time.

The idea of Googles Advanced Protection Program is to provide people with a physical device that is much harder to steal than a text message. Google is marketing the program as a tool for a tiny set of people who are at high risk of online attacks, like victims of stalking, dissidents inside authoritarian countries or journalists who need to protect their sources.

But why should extra-tough security benefit such a small group? Everyone should be able to enjoy stronger security.

So we tested Googles Advanced Protection Program and vetted it with security researchers to see if the program could be used by the masses. The verdict: Many people should consider signing up for the security system and buying a pair of keys. But if you are married to some non-Google apps that are not yet compatible with the keys, you should wait and see if the program matures.

Setting up advanced protection

Anyone with a Google account can sign up for the security program on Googles Advanced Protection webpage. To get started, you will have to buy two physical keys for about $20 each. Google recommends buying one from Feitian and another from Yubico.

The keys, which look like thumb drives and can fit on your key chain, contain digital signatures that prove you are you. To set one up, you plug the key into a computer USB port, tap a button and name it. (The Feitian key wirelessly communicates with your smartphone to authenticate the login.) This process takes a few minutes.

On a computer and a smartphone, you need to log in with the key only once, and Google will remember the devices for future logins. That is more convenient than traditional two-factor authentication, which requires entering a unique code each time you log in.

But there are trade-offs. Googles Advanced Protection cuts off all third-party access by default, allowing only applications that support its security keys. For the time being, that means only Googles Gmail mail app, Googles Backup and Sync app, and Googles Chrome browser.

Testing the security

Despite the drawbacks, security researchers agree that the Advanced Protection Program is a solid piece of security and relatively painless to use, even for everyday use for people outside high-security jobs.

Sabin, the former NSA hacker, who is now a director of network security at GRA Quantum, a security consulting firm, said the physical keys had pros and cons. On one hand, if you lose a key, a hacker would have a hard time figuring out which account it was associated with.

On the other hand, if you lose the keys or dont have the keys around when you need to log in to a new device, it takes longer to regain access to your account. Google has put in place more elaborate recovery steps for Advanced Protection users, including additional reviews and requests for details about why users have lost access to their account. In our test, we answered security questions to try to recover an account, and Google said it would review the recovery request and respond within a few days.

Runa Sandvik, director of information security at The New York Times, said the keys were not much of a hassle. She said Googles requirement of using two keys meant you essentially had a spare: If you lose one key, you can get into your account with the remaining key.

But she noted that the keys could get annoying if you used many devices and constantly needed to carry the keys around to log in to your account. That may be an issue for people who work in the technology industry, but most people probably use only one computer and one phone.

The bottom line

While the security keys are easy to set up and provide tough security, they may be disruptive to your productivity if you rely on apps that are incompatible with the keys.

It took a few minutes for us to migrate to Googles apps from Apples and integrate them into our newsroom workflow, which already relies on Googles mail, messaging and cloud storage services. But using the keys required sacrificing an important feature - Apples VIP alerts, which notify you when people you deem important email you. Googles iOS apps for Gmail and Inbox lack a similar feature. For people with flooded inboxes, lacking VIP alerts makes sifting through emails time-consuming.

Another example of how the keys can stifle productivity: Many employers still require using the Microsoft Outlook app for email, which wont work with the keys.

If using Googles security program would disrupt your work, you may want to wait for more companies to update their apps to support the keys, which rely on a standard called FIDO, for Fast Identity Online. Sabin predicts that many apps will follow Googles lead.

Automakers make plug for electric vans

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In the rush towards electric vehicles, automakers are increasingly sparing a thought for the humble delivery van, an often overlooked segment with big growth potential given tightening pollution restrictions in urban areas.

Given lingering consumer concerns about cost and charging infrastructure, many in the industry expect it will take at least a decade for electric vehicles (EVs) to win over mainstream car owners.

But as e-commerce begins to dominate the retail sector and cities clamp down on pollution, more vehicle makers see opportunities for faster take-up of EVs as delivery vehicles, taxis and other business uses in dense, urban areas.

At the Tokyo Motor Show which opened to the public on Friday, Nissan, an early embracer of EV technology and maker of the Leaf, the worlds top-selling electric car, unveiled a concept model of its e-NV200 electric van with refrigeration capabilities, designed to transport chilled food to restaurants and homes.

"Imagine if you have city access challenges, how will you get food delivered to restaurants, and goods to customers?" said Ashwani Gupta, head of the light commercial business at the automaking alliance of Nissan and Frances Renault. "Theres no other option but to go electric."

Nissan plans to launch the refrigeration model in Japan next year, Gupta said. Both Nissan and Renault already market electric vans in Europe.

Nissan is also looking to introduce the e-NV200 series in China in the near term as it expects demand will "explode" as big cities in the country effectively ban gasoline and diesel trucks and vans in an effort to crack down on emissions.

At the moment, the countrys electric light commercial vehicle market has yet to be tapped by major foreign automakers, although Ford wants to drive its truck-making China partner Jiangling Motors (JMC) more towards electric commercial vans.

Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation, majority owned by Germanys Daimler, has also begun selling its eCanter electric light-duty truck in the United States, Europe and Japan.

As increases demand for e-commerce creates more work for delivery services, Toyota Auto Body, a wholly owned subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corp, was thinking about the harried delivery van driver when it designed its LCV D-Cargo concept model.

"We set out to make the delivery truck more comfortable for drivers," said Ichiro Mukai, who worked on the models design.

The models futuristic design is based on Toyotas gasoline-hybrid minivan models marketed in Japan, and can be adapted to operate as an all-battery electric.

Removing the passenger seat entirely, the drivers seat configuration is designed to enable drivers to get in and out of the vehicle more quickly and easily.

A removable tablet device in the centre of the steering wheel enables drivers to easily locate parcels in the hold, where track shelving units and a wider door opening allows for easy access to parcels from outside the vehicle.

Navigating Notices to Upgrade Windows

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Q:I see theres yet another Windows 10 update out now. I get notifications about patches all the time, so how do I know when this notice is for a system upgrade? Can I tell if it already installed itself?

Microsoft began rolling out its Windows 10 Fall Creators Update Oct. 17 using the Windows Update utility on compatible computers and devices. When you are checking the available updates, look for the one labeled "Feature update to Windows 10, version 1709" in the list of security patches and other listed software fixes in Windows Update.

You can manually check to see if the software is ready for you. Just click or tap the Start button on the Windows 10 desktop, and select Settings; as a keyboard shortcut to the Settings box, you can also press the Windows and I keys. In the Settings window, select the Update & Security icon, and on the next screen choose Windows Update on the left side of the window. Next, click or tap the "Check for updates" button on the right side of the window. You should see a list of available updates for your computer or tablet.

To see if the update has been installed already - especially if other people use the computer and may have taken care of it - open the Windows 10 Settings box and choose System and then About. Look to see if "Windows 10, version 1709" is listed there.

Microsoft has a list of new features included with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update on its site. A blog post on the company site also has a 30-minute video tour and a highlighted list of changes to the system, like the ability to annotate PDF files and e-books in Microsoft Edge, use new voice commands with Cortana and protect your PC against ransomware.

Q:Is there an easy way to tell if the cable television service is out for everybody or just at my house because of equipment problems? I hate calling.

If you have a working internet connection (or access to one on a cellular device or work computer) and an online account from your cable company, you might be able to check specifically about the status of your own equipment. To do that, log into your account on your TV providers site and find the technical support area.

What you find there will vary depending on your cable company, but many providers have problem-solving tools available to help lighten the load on the phone lines. Spectrum, for example, lets you select the problematic service (like TV or internet) from a menu to see the status of your service and check for notice of a possible problem in your area.

If there is no systemwide disruption, you can use the available guides and tools to troubleshoot your cable converter box and other equipment. Spectrum has a nationwide page that customers can use to check on storm-related problems, and Comcast has its own Status Center page for Xfinity cable customers. Many companies have their own mobile apps for account management. too.

Even if you do not have an online account to see your home setup, your cable providers site might have live chat, general support tips and a service-disruption map. (While it may seem like just another password to remember, signing up for an account lets you check your bill, pay online, sign up for service alerts, control your DVR or even watch live television on a mobile device - depending on what your provider offers.)

Your cable companys customer-service account on Twitter can be another good source of news. Websites that monitor the status of communications services may also be useful. Down Detector, Outage Report and Is the Service Down? are a few to consider.

Has MCLR failed as an internal benchmark in monetary transmission?

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The Internal Study Group constituted by the RBI to study and review the various aspects of the marginal cost of funds-based lending rate (MCLR) system submitted its report recently.

The RBI has in recent times expressed its displeasure to banks many times that they have not been passing on the reduction in rates to borrowers and was disappointed that monetary transmission has not been entirely satisfactory. And so from the perspective of improving the monetary transmission and exploring linking of the bank lending rates directly to market-determined benchmarks, the internal study group under the chairmanship of Janak Raj was constituted. The study group was asked to look into the following aspects:

To study whether the MCLR has achieved the objective for which it was introduced

To look into the practices followed by banks for fixing the spread over the
MCLR

To suggest appropriate modification in the MCLR system with a view to strengthening the monetary transmission; and

To make any other recommendation with regard to the setting of interest rates by banks for improving the monetary transmission.

The study group was of the opinion that monetary transmission has been impeded by four main factors:

Maturity mismatch and interest rate risk in the fixed rate deposits, but floating rate loan profile of banks;

Rigidity in saving deposit interest rates;

Competition from other financial saving instruments; and

Deterioration in the health of the banking sector

A major factor that impeded transmission was the maturity profile of bank deposits. Deposits with the maturity of one year and above constituted 53% of banks total deposits.

The asymmetry in the interest rate setting (fixed for deposits and largely floating for loans) combined with a substantial part of deposits in longer appeared to have constrained banks from quickly transmitting the policy rate cuts to their lending rates, especially on past loans.

The other key finding was that the methodology used for calculating the base rate and the MCLR were different for different banks. The methodologies used were opaque and ad hoc and the spreads charged by banks over the MCLR were arbitrary, too large and excessive to be explained, based on bank-level business strategy and borrower-level credit risk. The group also felt that in the absence of any sunset clause on the base rate, banks have been quite slow in migrating their existing customers to the MCLR regime. Incidentally, most of the base rate customers are retail/SME borrowers.

Based on the findings that MCLR was not helping in monetary transmission, the group has recommended that it is desirable to adopt an external benchmark for setting interest rates by April 2018, after taking into account views of the public and other stakeholders.

It also recommends that banks may be advised to migrate all existing benchmark prime lending rate (BPLR)/base rate/MCLR borrowers to the new benchmark, without any conversion fee or any other charges for the switch over on mutually agreed terms within one year from the introduction of the external benchmark, i.e. by March-end 2019.

Need for an external benchmark?

The study group analysed the pros and cons of 13 possible candidates for the benchmark and narrowed down its choice to three rates, viz. a risk-free curve involving T-Bill rates, the CD rates and the Reserve Banks policy repo rate.

Within the three, the group felt that RBIs policy repo rate is best suited to serve as an external benchmark since it is robust, reliable, transparent and easy to understand.

Has the RBI succeeded in nudging banks to pass on the benefits of interest rate cuts to borrowers?

It can be seen from the table that while the repo rate has been cut by 75 bps (basis points) since April 2016, banks have cut the MCLR rate with one-year reset by 95 bps - more than the cut in repo rate, contrary to what RBI has been claiming that banks have not been passing on the benefits of repo rate cuts to borrowers. The success of monetary transmission was more pronounced during post demonetisation - 80 bps cut in the MCLR, compared to 25 bps cut in repo rate. While the WALR was higher at 96 bps in respect of fresh rupee loans, it was 50 bps in case of outstanding rupee loans also reflecting the fact that banks were reluctant to pass on the full benefits to outstanding loans vis-a-vis fresh loans.

However, analysis of data published by RBI also reveals that the share of the low-cost CASA deposits in total bank deposits increased from 35.2% in October 2016, to 40.6% in March 2017, due to demonetisation when banks were flush with funds. So did banks pass on the benefits of repo rate cuts to borrowers because of their lower cost of funds? Or was it because RBI was successful in nudging banks?

(The writer is CFA and ex-banker, and is currently with Manipal Academy of Banking, Bangalore)

Two cases & a sunrise sector

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The government nurtured and shaped the broadcasting industry through its nascent years; now is the time to unleash its potential and reap the benefits.

On March 22 this year, the Finance Bill 2017, became law, and paved the way for the enactment of the Tribunal, Appellate Tribunal and other Authorities (Qualifications, Experience and other Conditions of Service of Members) Rules. The two laws merged some tribunals, abolished others and pigeon-holed all into one set of Rules. The functions of the Copyright Board were transferred to the Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB), including the administration of rights related to the broadcasting sector.

In the past few months, the Act and Rules have attained a reputation akin to infamy. It has attracted scathing criticism from a sundry group that includes environmentalists and the intellectual property industry, for being "(p)rima facie…in contravention of the directives of the Honble Supreme Court" â€" as observed by the Madras High Court. Since then, four other High Courts (including Bombay and Delhi) and the Supreme Court have issued notice to the government to justify the constitutionality of the laws.

While there has been no further movement on the judicial front, the government has selected Justice Manmohan Singh to chair the, hitherto headless, IPAB. The much-awaited appointment may provide some relief to the underattended IP sector. It is certainly hoped that the industry will be steered with a forward-looking agenda. However, the multi-pronged litigation extends the conundrum as the validity of
the laws and consequent actions remain subject to the Madras High Courts final judgment â€" and any other interim order from the five Courts.

To be fair, the abolished tribunals, such as the Copyright Board, were consistently languishing or had become defunct. The incessant vacancies at the Copyright Board and consequent litigations must have, in some part, prompted the government to strike it off the lawbooks and replace with the IPAB.

Perhaps this move was intended to ease business by improving adjudication. It has accelerated the appointment of IPABs chairperson â€" what would be the point of merging one headless tribunal with another?

In truth, however, formulaic one-size-fits-all government interventions are becoming a worrying go-to fix for complex sectoral issues. The FDI framework saw similar sweeping reforms starting 2016 â€" allowing 100% infusion of FDI in certain facets of the broadcasting sector such as for cable and teleports; easing permission requirements for licensed industries such as broadcasting and telecommunications; and abolishing the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) earlier this year.

Undoubtedly, it is beneficial to conduct generic reforms and shape the overall economic direction. However, it can only bring about meaningful change if fortified by bottom-up, sector-specific solutions.

Indeed, many of the widespread sectors impacted by the sweeping reforms need far more than well-intentioned legislations to flourish, foremost among which is the copyright industry. The Indian content industry has shown steep growth, and the broadcasting sector is rising fast among the myriad creators, earning the reputation of being a sunrise industry.

At the same time, a closer look at the sector highlights a negative trend. Illustratively, the governments concerted effort to streamline FDI is yet to provide sectoral relief, as the broadcasting industry continues to see large foreign corporates exit the country more persistently than new entrances that invigorate competition and enrich media and
entertainment.

Notably, Walt Disney closed its Indian production unit despite the resounding success of
one of its last movies, Dangal. After all, despite showing higher growth rates (28% in 2016 according to the Motion Picture Association of America), the Indian box office is much smaller at $1.9 billion ($7.3 billion when adjusted for PPP) compared to the North American figure of $11.4 billion in 2016.

More worryingly, not only is the broadcasting industry the primary benefactor of television and film content but is also bootstrapping Indias nascent but promising cluster of over-the-top video services, such as Star supporting Hotstar, and Zees venture Ditto TV. However, to sustain this two-partite growth story, the broadcasting sector needs the regulatory space to race alongside its online counterparts, many of which compete at the global level â€" such as Netflix, Disneys Hulu and Amazon Prime.

To compete with its global contemporaries in a highly disruptive era, legacy Indian broadcasters must diversify their content and meet the changing demands of a digital populace. For this to happen the lawmakers must adapt to the new, expanded market that has injected competition in media and entertainment far more effectively than any regulation or artificial stimuli.

The desired systemic reform is exemplified by another matter before the Madras High Court, where Star India and Vijay TV have challenged regulatory jurisdiction and the long-existing practice of imposing economic regulations on broadcasting organisations. Although the matter is currently awaiting final judgment, irrespective of the courts decision, the government is perfectly within constitutional vires to ease or erase economic regulation imposed on the market-based content industry that has so recently
been infused with competitiveness.

The persistence of an archaic system, wherein market players are preemptively regulated on the basis of little empirical evidence, is going to bog down the broadcasting industry even further as media and entertainment moves online and remains open to further disruption. Regulatory practice must also be disrupted to respond to the novel opportunities offered by new forms of media and entertainment.

Unlike more controversial reforms such as the tribunal rejig, not only will reduced regulation lessen litigation, but also aid ease of doing business and facilitate investor confidence. It will allow the Indian media and entertainment sector, already popular among the domestic audience, to grow and compete at a global stage.

(The writer is head of legal research at Koan Advisory Group. Previously, she was an advocate at the High Court of Delhi and the Supreme Court of India.)


What's cooking in the Prestige Kitchen?

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The name Prestige instantly takes one to the kitchen of innovation, safety and trust. Enter the kitchen of any home, and one can see at least a product of the Bengaluru-based brand that has been retaining the No. 1 position for years now.

Who can forget the catchy line Jo Biwi Se Kare Pyaar, Woh Prestige Se Kaise Kare Inkaar (One who loves his wife, cannot refuse Prestige), a phrase that has become inseparable from the minds of people.

The journey of TTK Group was started in 1928 as an indenting agency. T T Krishnamachari pioneered organised distribution in India, and he set up distribution for a wide range of products such as foods, personal care products, writing instruments and ethical products.

Immediately after the war, from 1950 to 1959, the company was importing and distributing Prestige pressure cookers. "We asked Prestige for collaboration, but they were not interested. But we convinced them to provide us its technology. They never had any joint venture or investment with us. It was only technology. But now, we are providing them our technology," says T T Jagannathan, Executive Chairman, TTK Prestige Limited.

"We decided to set up a factory in Chennai, but there was no power. Karnataka had surplus power in those days, and the state was inviting people to set up factories, and we started building our factory in 1957. It got completed in a couple of years," informs Jagannathan.

House-to-house campaign

It was not easy to sell pressure cookers in the 50s, as the concept was very new to people. While a pot took more than half an hour to cook rice, there was a pressure cooker that could do the same work in 10 minutes. "There were no ladies clubs or apartments, we visited house-to-house and demonstrated them," said Jagannathan.

The group started off by selling 65 pressure cookers a year across the country, and slowly the volumes started going up. Jagannathan joined the group in 1974 and that time, the cost of a 5-litre pressure cooker was Rs 99, and a 10-litre one was Rs 190. "In those years, the cost of aluminium was Rs 6 a kg, and today, it is Rs 218," says the executive chairman.

ln 1979, the company suddenly begun losing market share to competitor Hawkins. "I was in Lucknow at a dealers shop, and I was shocked when he showed me 60 burst Prestige cookers," he recalls.

After investigating the reason behind the burst, Prestige came out with a cooker equipped with GRS (Gasket Release System). It ran an iconic campaign Jo Biwi Se Kare Pyaar, Woh Prestige Se Kaise Kare Inkaar to regain market share and trust among people.

"Once it gets registered in peoples mind that the pressure cooker is not safe, it takes years to change the perception of people regarding the brand. And thats when we ran the campaign," he says.

The campaign turned the tide of business, and Prestige continued its pressure cooker journey till 2000 when it decided to launch Prestige Smart.

"In 2000, when we launched Prestige Smart, it bombed. Unfortunately, in a hurry, fundamental mistakes were made at that time and it set us back again. We had to take back three lakh pressure cookers and it was a big loss for us. We made changes and we stared exporting Smart, and till now, we are only exporting the product, and it is not for the domestic market," he informs.

Beyond pressure cookers

Also, during that period, both the Centre and state governments increased taxes of pressure cookers.

"Tax levied was 50% and the unorganised sector started growing. All other organised players including Hawkins had to face huge losses. We were thinking what to do now and started analysing why were we making losses. We realised that we were more dependent only on pressure cookers. So we thought of diversifying, and something in the kitchen would be the best bet," recalls the 70-year-old Jagannathan.

The market share of Prestige was 35% in 2003. Some of the first products it launched in 2003 were mixers and gas stoves. "Dealers refused to take our products. They asked, why do we need to take your products when there are brands like Butterfly and Sunflame in gas stoves and Preethi and Sumeet in mixers? Then we decided to start our own stores - Prestige Smart Kitchen - and when we were selling them, dealers said, we will lose, if we dont sell Prestige products and then they started selling our mixers and gas stoves," he says.

Currently, the organised pressure cooker market in India is around Rs 1,750 crore and Prestige enjoys a market share of over 28% in volumes, and over 30% in value terms.

In April 2016, TTK Prestige forayed into a new line of business by launching Prestige Clean Home. With this, the company is expanding its offerings from kitchen solutions to the home cleaning space.

Prestige Clean Home comprises electric and non-electric range of innovative floor, air and water care products. While the response has been "too good", it looks at aggressive growth in the cleaning space in the coming years.

It has five manufacturing units. The company came out with a public issue in 1994, and as of Friday, the companys shares were trading at Rs 6,424.35 on the BSE.

Foray into European market

TTK Prestige acquired UK based Horwood Homewares for an undisclosed sum. It supplies over 2,000 table and cookware products across key European markets. "Its unfortunate that our acquisition happened a day before the Brexit vote, and instead of growing, we are flat right now," Jagannathan says.

It recently launched UK brand Judge kitchen appliances in India. The new brand is part of Horwood Homewares, and it would cater to Tier-III, IV and V markets at lower price points. Prestige, which lost this segment to unorganised players, wants to recapture it through Judge.

"Over the longer term, its Horwood acquisition would also provide synergy benefits, which would enable it to boost revenue growth and improve margins," an analyst from ICICI Direct said.

"The key to the strong financial performance of TTK has been its ability to successfully transform itself from a company manufacturing pressure cookers to one of the countrys largest branded kitchen appliances company. It has built a strong brand patronage and offers customers a bouquet of products in the kitchen appliances and cooking segment," the analyst said.

GST blow

Talking about GST, Jagannathan said in the GST quarter (Q2FY18), TTK Prestige grew 4%, whereas, Hawkins and Bajaj dropped by 15% and 29%, respectively.

"While it is 12% GST for pressure cookers, it is 28% for cookware and electrical appliances. For mixies and wet grinders, GST is fixed at 28%, which is unfair. While wet grinders are taxed 28%, which is used in South India for making idly and dosa, atta chakki used in North, is only 5%. We are making representations to the government and the Centre is saying that they will look into it," says Jagannathan.

From just manufacturing pressure cookers, Prestige has grown into selling more than 1,000 products and it bets big in the kitchen space. The group has set a target of Rs 5,000 crore revenue by 2022, and it aims to close the current fiscal with Rs 2,000 crore.

Why women need health insurance

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"Communities and countries and ultimately the world are only as strong as the health of their women," said Michelle Obama, former First Lady of USA.

While Indian women are reaching out and grabbing opportunities in every field, in the process, they may unknowingly make their health take a backseat. October, being the Breast Cancer Awareness Month, may be an appropriate time to educate women on the subject of health insurance, especially those which pertain to them. Typically, most women depend on their male family members to make financial decisions for them. This may make them unaware of certain factors that should be kept in mind when opting for health insurance.

A survey of household savings by market regulator Sebi revealed that, of 67.25 million people with savings in a bank account, only 7.16% were women. More and more women are becoming working professionals but parity of pay is still a concern. The average life span for women in India is 69 years which means they do need adequate savings to fund their medical expenses at the later stages of their lives. Hence, it is important for them to be adequately covered by an apt health insurance policy.

A host of policies are designed to cater to women, depending on their stage of life. While childbirth signals a welcome change in a lot of families lives, the joy of bringing a new life into the world should not be dampened by a financial drainage. Depending on the hospital, charges for childbirth can prove to be expensive, more so, if the child is delivered via Caesarian-section.

General hospitalisation insurance do not cover maternity charges, but there are women-centric plans which offer various benefits that women can avail. Some policies also provide cover for maternal mortality, which refers to death during or due to childbirth.

A number of studies reveal that women are more likely to develop certain forms of cancer. For example, breast and cervical cancer are two of the most threatening diseases for women, which is why it is essential for women to have a cover for critical illness including cancer. This stands especially true if they have a history of cancer in their family.

Planning an insurance policy early on is the best way to ensure that your health is looked after for most part of your life. As women grow older, they are more vulnerable to a number of diseases.

Going into menopause, they are no longer protected from certain diseases by their hormones, which makes them more susceptible to illness, as well as increases their chances of developing cardio vascular diseases. For some women, menopause can be a tough time. It takes a toll on the womans body which naturally affects her emotionally as well. There are some insurance policies that are exclusive to women which provide cover for psychotherapy and counselling which is a great help for women at such a trying time. Since insurance policies tend to get more expensive at that age; it is wiser to opt for such a policy as early as possible.

Only a handful of insurance policies will be able to provide cover for women quite like a policy designed just for them. Most such women-centric policies provide cover for almost all possible health complications a woman may encounter in her life.

These policies serve as a reliable cover. Although women tend to start investing early in life, this usually fizzles out after marriage and they often seek financial support from family. A comprehensive health insurance policy ensures that women policy holders are financially covered for any latter medical emergencies without affecting the household budget.

Investing in a good healthcare plan will be beneficial for women in the long run wherein they can take charge of their own health independently and be sure that their health is looked after.

Women are the driving forces of the family and are growing to be the driving forces of the country. With all the weight on their shoulders, they often tend to overlook their own health and well-being. Women should drive towards a successful and healthy future.

(The writer is Head- Product Development at SBI General Insurance)

Music and Dance Review- Successful conference

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Successful conference

The Bangalore Gayana Samaja conducted the annual music conference last week, successfully.

R N Tyagarajan and R N Tharanathan (Rudrapattana Brothers) presided over the 48th music conference and received the prestigious title "Sangeetha Kalarathna" in the Vidwath Sadas. Apart from the concerts by the seasoned musicians, six young musicians also performed and academic sessions were held with Saint Tyagaraja as the conference theme. Five eminent artistes - M G Venkataraghavan (vocal), B Raghuram (violin), N G Ravi (percussion), Dr K Varadarangan (musicology) and Gangamma Keshavamurthy (Gamaka) were felicitated with the title "Sri Kala Jyothi," on the occasion.

The vocal duet of Ranjani and Gayathri gave a grand opening to the concert series of the conference. The familiar varna in Hamsadhwani and the devaranama "Sakala Grahabala Neene" - gave them a bright start.

Alapana of Mayamalavagowla for Annamachar Kruthi was brief but brought a serene atmosphere. Devagandhari was another good selection. Hemavathi, the grand raga, came into its own with a fine alap it was a good experience with 'Grahabheda.'

They chose a gem from the treasure chest of Dikshitar in the composition "Sri Kantimathi". "Niravadi Sakhada" with chitteswara was a popular composition of yesteryears, which was also pleasing. The duo capped their efforts with a sparkling exposition of the Hamsadhwani raga and a pallavi in Khanda Triputa further enhancing the impact with "Grahabhheda" and ragamalikaswara.

Young violinist H M Smitha gave an enthusiastic response throughout, while the percussionists Delhi Sairam and Narayana Murthy accompanied with good understanding.

Soulful Veena

D Balakrishna who gave a Veena concert last week is a reputed vainika of "Mysore Baani". Known for his vast repertoire, Balakrishna is also one of our able Gurus (teacher).

In his concert, he justified the reputation he has built for himself in a distinguished career. Bilahari and Shahana were the two ragas to receive sustained attention, the famed krithies acquiring a special delight. Though Bhairavi is one of the most commonly heard ragas, it attained a depth and flavour of its own, when played by a seasoned veena player like D Balakrishna. Varali was rendered with a good feeling and we rarely hear these days raga Chenchu Kambodhi.

Madhyamavati, an 'audava' raga which belongs to Kharaharapriya varga, - is one of the popular ragas of Karnatic music. Balakrishna gave a spacious alap with an enlivening thana, leaving a lingering effect. Vamshidhar on flute gave a good account of himself. The way they handled the Pallavi between them was as impactful as it was refreshing. They concluded with two popular compositions - a devaranama (Krishna Nee Begane Baro) and a thillana in Behag raga. Senior percussionist K V Prasad gave a lively support throughout and young Narayana Murthy also supported on Ghata.

Making a dramatic comeback

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The Burmese star tortoise was almost history. By the early 2000s, the natives of central Myanmar's deserts had dwindled to such low counts in the wild that ecologists declared them functionally extinct.

About the size of a football when mature, the animals sported yellow polygon patterns across their shells that helped them camouflage in dry grasses but also made them attractive as exotic pets, smuggled for thousands of dollars to the United States, Europe and other parts of Asia.

Now, it appears that an eleventh-hour effort has pulled the species from the edge of extinction, according to a recent paper in the journal Herpetological Review.

Steven Platt, a herpetologist for the Wildlife Conservation Society, and his collaborators outlined how setting up captive-bred assurance colonies in Myanmar has boosted the tortoise's prospects. Starting with fewer than 200 tortoises in 2004, the assurance colonies now number about 14,000 captive tortoises, and around 1,000 animals have already been reintroduced into the wild, according to Steven.

Earlier this century, the species was expected to vanish. In 2003, it took a survey team nearly 1,000 man-hours and 300 dog-hours to find a single tortoise on protected land. Hoping to follow the success of other captive breeding programmes, which have led to reintroductions of bison, wolves and condors in the United States, the Wildlife Conservation Society, the Myanmar government and a global conservation network called the Turtle Survival Alliance created captive breeding sites at three wildlife sanctuaries in Myanmar.

The programme began with an estimated 175 founding tortoises, a large enough population to avoid inbreeding. Most of the animals had been confiscated from illegal wildlife traders. There were some hurdles. During the project's early years, thieves often broke into the makeshift enclosures to snatch tortoises. In response, the staff built 10-foot concrete walls topped with concertina wire, and made sure the enclosures were guarded round-the-clock.

By 2016, the assurance colonies were producing more than 2,000 hatchlings a year. "We've gone from crisis mode into something a bit more relaxed," Steven said. Since 2013, the team has reintroduced tortoises into protected land around two of the assurance colonies. But with release comes new concerns. There's still a lucrative market for Burmese stars, which means people will continue poaching them.

Of 1,000 tortoises released from the assurance colonies so far, about 200 have been stolen. In 2015, Steven cancelled his Christmas plans to help Thai authorities identify smuggled tortoises that had been taken from an acclimatisation pen in Myanmar. Though two smugglers were apprehended in that case, such thefts often go unchecked. Tackling this problem is tricky, and requires "several things in parallel," including educating potential buyers and enforcing existing legislation that bans trade of the tortoises, said Peter Paul van Dijk, a conservationist with the Turtle Conservancy and Global Wildlife Conservation.

Community buy-in is another crucial component, Steven said. Most of the captive breeding programme's day-to-day operations are run by Burmese leaders, including Steven's wife and fellow conservationist, Kalyar Platt. This has allowed the team to build trust with and employ people living near the wildlife sanctuaries, many of whom become enthusiastic tortoise stewards and keep an eye out for illegal activity.

Today, with thousands of tortoises being born annually, the conservationists are trying to determine the best way to get the animals back into nature as quickly as possible. They want to try burying eggs in the wild and letting the tortoises hatch there. With a smooth captive breeding system in place, there's room to experiment now. "We'll see how it goes," Steven said. "If it doesn't work, we can always go back."

Threats to our forests

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Does it ever surprise you that large forest patches still exist in India alongside our growing populations and ever-increasing expansions? India is host to one of the richest forest habitats in the world. But like all natural ecosystems today, our forests are extremely vulnerable. They are under stress from a host of human-made problems — from encroachment and degradation to climate change.

We cannot lose our forests. Even though India has 77.18 million hectares of forests, it is only about 21% of India's total land area, and our forests are rapidly shrinking. The forests are home to a variety of flora and fauna, and indispensable ecological services like clean air and water. Many people directly depend on them for their livelihood and survival even today. It has become paramount that we understand how vulnerable our forests are to be able to implement effective policies in order to protect them.

Measuring vulnerability

In a recent study, scientists from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, and Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun have assessed the vulnerability of forests at the national scale, using a measure that tells us how well (or how poorly) the forest can resist disturbances or adapt to harmful changes. Their findings were published in the journal Environmental Management.

The researchers studied the forests' inherent vulnerabilities as well as vulnerability due to climate change. To gauge the inherent vulnerability of the forest, they looked at four indicators — biodiversity richness, canopy cover, slope and the disturbance index. These factors take into account the very nature of the forest which makes them resilient or susceptible to degradation. For instance, if a forest has a high disturbance index due to deforestation, it increasingly loses its capacity to cope with stresses. The study mentions that an extremely high proportion of our forests are inherently vulnerable. Almost 73% of the forest area experiences light to heavy grazing, including grazing by domestic cattle, and 54% of total forest area is prone to fire.

Climate change is a reality. Earlier studies have shown that warmer temperatures have been disrupting the forests' seasonal patterns, which may result in vital processes like flowering and pollination to fall out of sync, compromising the well-being of the entire ecosystem. Furthermore, extreme weather events like droughts and floods have become deadlier and more frequent, which will undermine the forest systems even further. This study looks at the effects of present and future consequences of climate change, as well as the inherent factors that are affecting forests.

The results of this study revealed that a whopping 40% of our forests shows high or very high vulnerability. When current and future climate change impact predictions are considered, 46% of forests may show vulnerability that is high, very high or extremely high by the year 2035.

The assessment of forests on such a large, nation-wide scale can be extremely challenging. In order to effectively measure vulnerability, the entire forested area of the country was divided into smaller grid-points, which made it easier to determine which sections had low, medium or high vulnerability. The study found that plantation forests, which have less flora and fauna, are more vulnerable than natural forests.

Natural forests, like those in the Western Ghats, have such a rich biodiversity that the organisms form interconnected networks, increasing the forest's capacity to bounce back after a disturbance. On the other hand, in a less diverse ecosystem, the loss of even a single species can be catastrophic. The study also shows that Himalayan temperate and alpine forests, and tropical evergreen forests, show less vulnerability. Forests which received more rainfall were also shown to be less vulnerable than drier forests.

Throughout the world, studies have considered only a few stress factors like fire, drought or a contagious or infectious epidemic disease to measure the forests' vulnerability, and very few have taken climate change into account. This is a first-of-its-kind study which has looked at both inherent vulnerability and vulnerability caused by climate change, for forest ecosystems. Such a holistic approach is necessary to identify the most 'at-risk' forest areas and take action to reduce their vulnerability.

Understanding the inherent vulnerability of the forest can go a long way in reducing mismanagement of the forest and direct restoration efforts to boost its resilience. While future vulnerability predictions enable us to be prepared to take care of our forests in a changing climate, it also prepares us to deal with any uncertainty associated with the climate change projections. This study demonstrates that both non-climatic and climatic stressors are important factors to consider while studying ecosystem vulnerability.

Making forests more resilient

Dr Jagmohan Sharma, one of the researchers from IISc, recommends that we need to reduce vulnerability of all natural forests as well as plantation forests to be better prepared to deal with an uncertain future under climate change. He says, "A practical approach to better secure the future of forests under climate change is to minimise all kinds of disturbance to forests. Human disturbances including cattle grazing, fire hazard, mining, road construction, etc. should all be minimised inside forests."

Reduced disturbance will lead to rejuvenation of forests and an increase in animal and plant populations, which will result in an overall reduction in vulnerability. Such recommendation should be translated into policy level changes to ensure good management practices.

Jagmohan comments that there are still gaps in our understanding about how forests will respond to different climatic and non-climatic stresses. Additionally, we need to monitor ecosystems on a long-term scale to manage our forests for the future, he adds. "To reduce the risk or vulnerability, the perception of the community is very important. Realising the seriousness of the vulnerability can enable one to get a good vulnerability assessment and successful implementation of vulnerability reduction measures," he says, highlighting that is a 'now or never' opportunity to save the forests.

(The author is with Gubbi Labs, a Bengaluru-based research collective)

Chasing signals of gravitational waves

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A cottage industry of small observatories is springing up around the globe to take advantage of astronomers' new ability to capture the gravitational waves from major cosmic events. These new facilities will enable researchers to match up those gravitational waves with electromagnetic signals and perhaps one day even particles of matter from some of the cataclysms that send measurable ripples through space-time.

The main goal is to look for flares of light originating from the same spot as any gravitational waves detected by the US-based Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, or LIGO, or the Virgo observatory near Pisa, Italy. These smaller telescopes, often built on a shoestring budget, will serve as first-line responders, filling the gap between gravitational wave detectors and the major facilities of conventional astronomy.

"Once you know where to look, you can swing the whole world's telescopes at it," says Danny Steeghs, an astronomer at the University of Warwick in England.

Moving quickly is key. It's tricky to pinpoint the source of gravitational waves — astronomers can typically narrow it down to a region of the universe that could contain thousands of galaxies — and observatories may have only a few days before any promising flares of light dissipate. "You need to look at a lot of sky," says Danny, "and you don't have a lot of time for it."

Robots of the sky

Danny leads a small UK-Australian collaboration that built the Gravitational-Wave Optical Transient Observer, or GOTO, in La Palma, Spain. It is an array of four small robotic telescopes that will eventually grow to eight telescopes, and perhaps 16. So far, it has cost only about $1 million.

Alan Watson of the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Mexico City, Mexico, and his collaborators spent even less. They built the Deca-Degree Optical Transient Imager, or DDOTI, currently consisting of a pair of robotic telescopes at Sierra San Pedro Martir, Mexico, for a mere $3,50,000, largely by using off-the-shelf components, he says.

They plan eventually to have six telescopes, perhaps followed by more facilities in France and Australia. Some of the facilities, including GOTO, are being designed and built specifically to follow up on gravitational wave signals. Most of these will be robotic, using machine learning algorithms to alert each other to point at particular regions of the sky and search for interesting flares without the need for human intervention.

Other projects have grown out of existing collaborations that are familiar with looking for visible light counterparts to the gamma ray bursts spotted by space observatories, or tracking other transient phenomena, such as supernova explosions or asteroids that are potentially Earth-bound. And some venerable telescopes, including one that Edwin Hubble once used in Palomar, California, have been retrofitted. The 1.2-metre telescope is now part of the network Global Relay of Observatories Watching Transients Happen, or GROWTH, which comprises 17 facilities around the globe that can track an object seamlessly as the Earth spins. "The idea is, basically, to beat sunrise," says Mansi Kasliwal, an astronomer at the California Institute of Technology, USA, who is part of GROWTH.

Astrophysicist Paul Groot of Radboud University in Nijmegen, Netherlands, whose group is part of the Virgo collaboration itself, is leading a Dutch-funded project called BlackGEM. It will initially consist of three telescopes in La Silla, Chile, costing about $7.1 million (€6 million), that will continuously map the southern sky to build up a database of archived images. If news of a gravitational wave detection arrives, BlackGEM will scan the relevant patch of sky within hours, and automatically compare that to its archived images to search for anything new.

Neutrino chasers

Similar efforts are already following up on detections of notable particles from space, such as unusually energetic neutrinos or cosmic rays. The Astrophysical Multimessenger Observatory Network, or AMON, started in 2016, got its first interesting hint on September 22, when it responded to a high-energy neutrino detected by IceCube, the world's largest neutrino observatory, at the South Pole.

When AMON researchers looked towards the source of the neutrino, they saw that a known quasar — an entity consisting of heated matter orbiting a supermassive black hole at the centre of a distant galaxy — was flaring up. This is the type of heightened activity that theorists think could produce an excess of neutrinos, but so far, no high-energy neutrinos have been traced conclusively back to their sources.

In the future, researchers hope that they might detect all three types of emission together: electromagnetic radiation, gravitational waves and particles of matter. Some compare that to seeing, hearing and tasting an astrophysical event at once.

Capturing biomolecules in the middle of their movements

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Jacques Dubochet, Joachim Frank (both of whom are biophysicists) and Richard Henderson's (a molecular biologist) work on cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) is an intriguing breakthrough in the field of chemistry. This is a new, better and simpler way of imaging tiny frozen molecules. This novel 'cool method' is now routinely used to produce 3D biomolecular structures. In this method, electron beams are employed to photograph the smallest cell structures.

As a result, biomolecules can now be captured in the middle of their movements. This enables scientists to observe previously unseen processes and capture minute details of the mechanisms involved inside cells, proteins and viruses. These were earlier inaccessible even with the usual electron microscopes, where the beams could even damage the samples observed.

It is to be noted that earlier, even with electron microscopes, complex biomolecules — including proteins, DNA and RNA — were terra incognita in biochemical maps, since the powerful electron beam (used in such microscopes, the higher the electron energy the better the resolution) had a tendency to destroy the biological material. This resulted in long-held perception that electron microscopes unveil the images of only dead biological matter. Richard Henderson, however used an electron microscope in 1990 to unravel a 3D image of a protein at individual atomic resolution, considered an epoch making discovery. Joachim Frank, while developing methods for processing details in the electron microscopes usual 2D fuzzy images was able to achieve a clear 3D structure. Later, Richard Henderson succeeded in presenting the structure of a bacterial molecule at atomic resolution. Jacques Dubochet's contribution was the use of water! He developed a technique more than 30 years ago to rapidly supercool water so that it solidifies (as a liquid) around biological samples. This enables the molecules to preserve their shape even in vacuum.

Flash-frozen molecules

A recent application of cryo-EM was to the Zika virus. When it was suspected that the Zika virus was causing the epidemic damaging brains of newborns, cryo-EM was used to visualise the virus. The ultra-sensitive cryo-EM imaging enables molecules to be literally flash-frozen and studied in their pristine natural form without the necessity of using dyes or fixatives.

Several crucial disease causing entities have been studied in this way. Thus the practical uses for the technique are vast. The American Chemical Society president commented that, "This discovery is like the Google Earth for molecules, in that it takes us down to the fine details of atoms within proteins." The understanding of proteins is important in bioscience as they are ubiquitous in all living entities.

Now that we can actually see the intricate details of the biomolecules in every type of cell, there are no more secrets left! It can now be understood how the entities involved work in tandem with large cell communities. Apart from being used to unravel the Zika virus, cryo-EM has also been used to capture images of Salmonella's 'injection needle' for attacking cells.

It has also been used to study the proteins involved in the antibiotic resistance and molecular structures governing the circadian rhythm. As far as the Zika virus is concerned, 3D images of the virus at atomic resolution were generated over a few months to enable doctors to start searching for crucial potential targets for drugs. This groundbreaking research won the trio the 2017 Nobel prize in Chemistry.

(The author is with Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru)


Language, the binding factor

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Kannada Rajyotsava is celebrated with pride on November 1 every year. It marks the formation of Karnataka State. In 1956, the Kannada-speaking regions were merged to form the state of Mysore. In 1973, the State was renamed Karnataka. With the integration, "Udayavagali Namma Cheluva Kannada Nadu" (Let our charming Kannada Nadu arise), the song composed by Huilgol Narayan Rao, came to be realised. In other words, the unification realised the historical, political, emotional and cultural aspirations of Kannada-speaking people, living in different regions.

Unification movement

The genesis of the movement can be traced through the historical developments during the second half of the 19th century. The Kannada-speaking regions had been under the political control of different rulers. To unify them into one dominion was the goal of many individuals and associations. Karnataka Vidyavardhaka Sangha, formed in 1890 in Dharwad, played a key role in motivating people through various activities.

Interestingly, the unification movement went hand in hand with that of the freedom movement. Gradually, the movement became strong in the erstwhile Bombay Presidency and Nizam's Hyderabad. Soon, Karnataka Vidyavardhaka Sangha became a major centre for campaigns, meetings and protests related to the unification movement.

In the history of the unification movement, Dharwad is considered as the place from where it all began. The All Karnataka Writers Conference was held here in 1908. It was in favour of the integration of Kannada-speaking regions. The demand became more vocal and political with the convening of the Karnataka State Political Conference in 1920 in Dharwad. The Kannada Sahitya Parishat, founded in Bangalore in 1915, carried the mantle further. With this, both political and literary dimensions of the movement emerged.

The prominent leaders involved in the unification movement were Aluru Venkata Rao, Gangadhar Rao Deshpande, Gudleppa Hallikeri, R H Deshpande and others. Leaders like U Rama Rao, A N Krishna Rao, Jayadevi Tayi Ligade, Srinivasa Rao Mangalavedhe and a host of others contributed their might. Initially, the concept of a linguistic state was conceived by litterateurs. They were later joined by those linked to the media and other sections.

Soon, it was realised that without political conviction, the unification would remain a dream. Leaders used the Indian National Congress (INC) session held at Nagpur in 1920 as a platform for this. If Nagpur session strengthened the movement, the INC session held at Belgaum in 1924 paved way for further activities. Mahatma Gandhi presided over this session. It became historic in its conduct and influence. It was here that the song composed by Huilgol Narayan Rao was sung. In the same venue, Karnataka Unification Conference was held, and the Karnataka Ekikarana Sabha was formed. This later became popular as Karnataka Ekikarana Sangha.

Political dimension

While the unification movement gradually became more political, it also turned itself into a literary movement, giving it a cultural dimension. An awareness about the historicity of Kannada, both as a language and a tool to bridge Kannadigas living in different regions, was created. The activists used prose and poetry effectively to motivate people to join the movement. The language, in its form and content, came to be refined. The historicity of Kannada language and culture was revived.

The print media played a leading role in bridging the cultural gap. The contributions of various dynasties to Kannada language, literature and art forms were reinterpreted. The glorification of cultural elements was carried out consciously, by many litterateurs and associations.

A new spirit of nationalism based on language and literature fuelled the unification movement. Concepts like 'Karnatakatwa' began to have their influence on the movement.


During early 1940s, the cry for carving a new, separate state exclusively for Kannada-speaking people increased. Karnataka Ekikarana Parishat, an organisation established for integration of Kannada-speaking regions, began to emerge as an important platform in this direction. It was also the peak of national struggle. Places like Bellary, Kasargod, and Mangalore emerged as new centres of the movement. In 1947, Karnataka Ekikarana Mahasamithi was established. With this, the popular sentiments for linguistic mobilisation took a new turn. The movement became stronger after India became independent in 1947.

Particularly, during the time of first general elections in 1951. The INC, in its manifesto had assured the creation of linguistic provinces. This assurance came handy to the associations and organisations like Karnataka Ekikarana Sangha and Kannada Sahitya Parishat. In 1953, Akhanda Karnataka Rajya Nirmana Parishat was formed. Its actions were more political in nature. Leaders of other political parties supported the cause. In fact, it was an association which consisted of leaders from different political parties.

The sole objective was the formation of a separate state for Kannada-speaking people. The appointment of States Reorganisation Commission in 1953 and its recommendations for the creation of linguistic provinces came as a blessing to the unification movement.

The commission also recommended the unification of all Kannada-speaking regions into an integrated state. Accordingly, the new state of Mysore was formed on November 1, 1956, and in 1973, it was renamed as Karnataka.

Into the world of Yakshagana

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Two Yakshagana characters, Devendra and Mairavana, about 12 feet high, welcome the visitors at the entrance of Yaksha Mangala museum. The museum is a part of Dr P Dayananda Pai and Sri P Sathish Pai Yakshagana Study Centre at Mangalore University. To disseminate, document and research on Yakshagana, Mangalore University established the Yakshagana Study Centre through a trust in 2009. The museum, with life-size models of characters and other eye-catching exhibits, gives us an insight into the world of Yakshagana.

Folk theatre

Yakshagana is a popular folk theatre form of Karnataka with a history of several centuries. It is a unique blend of traditional music, colourful costumes, dance and drama. The two major styles of Yakshagana are tenkutittu and badagutittu. In the museum, the models of main characters like hasya vesha, hanumantha, punduvesha, rajavesha, rakshasa, kiratha and sthree vesha are displayed in both styles. These models with elaborate costume are made of fibre.

The museum has mukhavadas (facial masks) that depict the colours used for the facial painting of Yakshagana characters. Different types of wooden kiritas (headgears) are displayed at the museum. The headgear is commensurate with the role of the character. A grand crown is worn by kings, while the demonic characters wear a different crown with a coloured disc in front. Among the ornaments, kavacha (decorates the chest), bhuja keerthi (armlets) and dabu (belts) are on display. It also features various ayudhas (weapons) used by Yakshagana characters.

Further, the models of himmela (background music) instruments such as chende, maddale, jagate, chakratala and harmonium provide an understanding of Yakshagana. A scene of the chowki (green room) explains the variety of costumes and different aspects of make-up, while also giving importance to the minute details of seating arrangements. A stage set-up has been made to showcase the characters moving from the chowki to the stage for performance. The melodious himmela reverberates in the museum, giving the visitors a feel of Yakshagana. The lighting in the rooms adds to the experience.

The legacy

Apart from this, there are photographs of bayalata (open-air drama), tent mela and iconic gestures of some popular characters. We can also see rare photographs of popular Yakshagana artistes in the museum. It has a collection of over 200 photographs including that of Chittani Ramachandra Hegde, Bannada Mahalinga and Keremane Shambhu Hegde. The library in the museum has a collection of over 3,000 books, research volumes and journals on Yakshagana. It also has rare manuscripts on prasangas and performance texts, received as donations by various scholars.

Dhananjaya, director of the Yakshagana Study Centre, says, "To highlight the folk art form of the coastal region, the Yaksha Mangala Museum was established in 2011 with various models of Yakshagana characters. The photographs of Yakshagana artistes are being updated as and when the centre receives them. Further, the centre is also planning to bring out a book furnishing details of all Yakshagana artistes. There is also a plan to digitise the Yakshagana manuscripts available in the library."

The number of visitors to the museum has increased over the years. Postgraduate students are trained in Yakshagana under the aegis of Yakshagana Study Centre and the team is named Yaksha Mangala troupe. Artist Jeevanram Sullia has designed the museum.

The models of tenkutittu style of Yakshagana were prepared by Mahabala Kalmadka, and the models of badagutittu style were designed by Shivakumar Ujire. The two models at the entrance were made by M G K Acharya. Museum is open on all working days. One can contact the museum on 0824-2284537.

Of Leadership and Encounters

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Manu Joseph's Miss Laila Armed and Dangerous is a novel that focuses on the society of today as the author perceives it to be. There's a look at politics and the meteoric rise of a prime minister, there's a shorts-clad group calling itself the Sangh. And in the middle of it all there's a building collapse and threats of an impending terror attack. Miss Laila Armed and Dangerous is a satire, and at the centre of the action is an intrepid young woman, Akhila Iyer.

Akhila is, right at the start, rather brazen as she marches into the offices of the Sangh. A move that invariably gets her into trouble, but she was expecting that. The beating that followed, maybe not so much. And then, she's right in the middle of a building collapse in Mumbai, crawling through a passageway in an attempt to reach a survivor. The survivor, in turn, starts talking about what sounds like a terror attack in real time. He tracks movements, names individuals, describes them, and creates an alarming picture of something about to happen.

There are many real-life parallels to the characters and events in Miss Laila Armed and Dangerous — and they're thinly disguised and easily recognisable. The Sangh in the book is a motley crew of khaki-shorts-clad bachelors who are often and frequently disparagingly described as 'patriots'. They are not particularly intelligent and they follow the prime minister in the book, Damodarbhai. Who is charismatic and vicious and constantly using his position to preach violence against every other community during his radio broadcasts and speeches. Despite that, the Sangh, and a great number of Hindus, follow him because of their bruised pride and lack of intellect. Or so the book repeatedly tells us in different ways.

As for Akhila Iyer, she's in the business of creating videos that sting prominent individuals. Pseudo-intellectuals and activists who thrive on exploiting the poor and marginalised. Those who live in swanky, expensive houses and decry others for doing the same. Akhila has 'Aryan' features (because, what, she's an Iyer, and Iyers are Aryans?) and her mother was a revolutionary, and she's been in trouble more times than she can count, mostly because of her videos. And the Sangh is her latest target. There are references to the Nazis influencing the Sangh, and the supremacy of the Hindu religion, and all kinds of imagined bigotry squeezed into an incredibly small space. Akhila, despite her outspokenness and lack of fear, comes across as something of a lunatic as she sallies into residences and pretends to be part of a Nobel-prize committee, among other things. She enjoys recording the discomfort of her interviewees when they discover they've been conned. She declares to the Sangh on page 7, "I kind of like being an Indian Nazi." Which makes her, apparently, very popular. Or not.

Then there is Laila, a young Muslim girl, the sole breadwinner in her family, mature and caring. Her sister, Aisha, adores her, and at 19, Laila has the compassion and understanding of someone much older. But then, she and her acquaintance, Jamal, come under the Sangh's radar. More characters are introduced. Mukundan, a slightly befuddled intelligence officer struggling with his own ideology and conscience, and AK, who keeps the leader of the Sangh informed. All intelligence runs on the Sangh's whims and fancies, and encounters are framed, faked or otherwise engineered to, eventually, make Damodarbhai look good to the confused, but apparently very jingoistic and foolish voter. Being a 'patriot' is unwelcome in the larger scheme of things is what the book suggests.

Nearly all of the other characters appear to be a little off in the head.

There's a plethora of witticisms in Miss Laila Armed and Dangerous that are supposed to reflect the society the story is located in. Some of them are perceptive; others not so much. Humour is a little forced as the plot moves on, jumping from character to character and event to event in a jumble of suppositions and observations. The Marxists are mocked, activists driven by agendas are criticised — but the majority of the book's ire is directed at the Sangh and its leaders, and Damodarbhai. Who, incidentally, was chief minister of Gujarat before he became prime minister.

Miss Laila Armed and Dangerous is less of a satire and more of a disagreement with… just about everything, really. Whatever thin plot lies between that criticism appears to be incidental. There is far too much crammed into the novel's 210 pages — ranging from nationalism to caste and religion and the pride of the majority community, the 2002 riots, a certain encounter involving a young woman, and pseudo-intellectuals. Weaving all of this together is bound to be a daunting task.


Miss Laila Armed and Dangerous

Manu Joseph

Harper Collins

2017, pp 210

Rs 499

Rest, perturbed spirit...

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They may be shadows of our own demons, shades of our own grief and guilt, unlit cobwebbed spaces of our own minds. But we need to talk about them in periodic rituals of exorcism. And we have told their stories down the centuries in sacred circles, around the fire, huddled in groups — those tales of terror, revenge and cruelty, of sorrow, love and loss — unheeded in this life but singing through many afterlives, as only souls can.

Here they are gathered once again from the Indian soil in a smart little anthology, cockily titled Boo, enticing the reader into that circle of sacred fear and magic beyond our ken. Published by Penguin, with a predictable cover which could have been more in sync with the sophisticated lair of narratives waiting within, this anthology offers a tantalising glimpse into the pathways of the uncanny through which the contemporary Indian mind travels.

Edited by Shinie Antony, the platter offers a varied fare, ranging from a slight fidgeting uneasiness to utter astonishment. These short stories redefine the genre and the form, by using the conventional gothic devices and pushing their limits with a sustained energy and ease. The collection promises to send the proverbial "chill down your spine" and I take up the book with a delicious thrill of anticipation, hoping to let waves of fear and excitement wash over me, leaving me delirious, at the edge of a darkness from whose bourn we 'think' no traveller returns. But we 'feel', they occasionally do.

In these stories, they return through subtle signs, scrambled messages, bewildering screams, rustling curtains, yellow-eyed tomcats, apparitions, figures and shapes transmitted through generations of spookiness. The book is tellingly dedicated "to the invisible fingers that brush against ours" and the editor's introduction oozes with love for the beloved spirits and spectres haunting us through whispering winds. Through the long pauses between raindrops down the deserted road, draped in pale moonlight beneath that lone tree by the denuded hill.

All the authors are reasonable familiar to the Indian English readership excepting perhaps K R Meera from Malayalam and Manabendra Bandyopadhyay from Bengali. It is heartening to see translations from other Indian languages here, although it leaves you wondering why there are no selections from others as well. As the very first story, K R Meera's provocatively titled He-Ghoul (competently translated by J Devika) sets the tenor for the rest of the stories with pungent resonances of gender animosity recurring with an unnerving persistence in the stories penned by Durjoy Datta (Claws) and Kiran Manral (Birth Night). Both are soaked in maternal blood and monstrous babies laying bare the hideous manipulation of an otherwise valorised motherhood.

Ipsita Roy Chakraborthy's The Daayan's Curse is, as one expected, anchored in the milieu of gendered violence in the practice of witch-hunts. Sometimes, these narratives do get a little bogged down by explicit campaign against sexism and misogyny, which could have been woven in a little more artistically without losing out on the elements of suspense and wonder vital to the aesthetics of horror narratives.

Manabendra Bandyopadhyay's The Face, translated by Arunava Sinha, plays upon the vague boundaries of sanity along with Usha K R's Elixir. Kanishk Thakur's Monkeys in the Onion Fields is a foray into the enchanted lives of rural India, its onion- scented fields and the simple longings of a farmer couple. It stands out from the rest as it imagines an encounter between the perceptual worlds of monkeys and the world of 'human' ghosts.

Shashi Deshpande's piece of mythofiction, The Last Tryst, revisits the Mahabharata through the eyes of a forlorn Krishna who is haunted by a female apparition from his past. Who could it be? Jerry Pinto's In a Small Room, Somewhere is a searing read as he turns the pages of reality as the best horror book ever written by we, the ordinary people, with our simple fears and simpler hatred.Horror is no longer fiction; it is all too real and near. Nothing could beat the reams of horror you gulp down with your regular morning cuppa.

Jahnavi Barua's Falling reminds you of the good old ghost story with its soft emotional touches of love, loss and remembered tenderness. She brings alive a picturesque village in Shillong on a rainy evening, with a little corner tea shop and the suggestion of an eerie rendezvous, as a rainbow arcs 'across the late afternoon sky.' The Howling by Jaishree Misra follows a rather familiar route through which many a ghost story has travelled.

Shinie Antony's Ghost No.1 is shot through with wit and irony as in her postlapsarian world, Eve becomes the first woman of dissent and the first ever female ghost to haunt the womankind with her rage and power for ever. What hooked me completely was Madhavi Mahadevan's The Tigerwoman of Kabul, which expands the span of ghostly practices through centuries of conflict, war and espionage. The setting and narrative pace are compelling and relentlessly drive you on to an unsettling end.

These stories nudge us on to the possibilities of more menacing forces around us, invisible fields of energy and desire which are here to stay on and make us echo the Bard's lines, 'Rest, Rest, Perturbed Spirit'.


Boo

Many authors, edited by Shinie Antony

Penguin

2017, Rs 299, pp 224

Book rack...

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The Girl Who Couldn't Love

Shinie Antony

Speaking Tiger, 2017, Rs 299, pp 165

A middle-aged spinster, Roo, lives with her mother and teaches English at a local school. Roo is an introvert, cultivates an aloof manner to distance herself from relationships to escape from her childhood memories. She begins an affair with Kumar, a man much younger to her.

The Rohingyas

Azeem Ibrahim

Speaking Tiger, 2017, Rs 599, pp 235

This is a comprehensive book tracing the historicity of the Rohingya community in Myanmar. In the wake of their ethinic cleansing and refugee crisis, it documents the genocide of the Rohingyas and exposes the culpability of the religious groups and the government.

Stuck Like Lint

Shefali Tripathi Mehta

Niyogi Books, 2017, Rs 295, pp 153

Debika is left distressed when her writer Trisha disappears, complaining of writer's block. Debika is resentful after she finds Trisha's award-winning collection of stories published. A secret unravels itself in a mysterious way during the course of her reading.
Zanskar to Ziro

Sohini Sen

Niyogi Books, 2017, Rs 995, pp 433

A travel through the female gaze, it is laced with self-deprecating humour and allusions to literature. This is an insight into the coping mechanisms of the women while travelling and being women. A narration on the journey and exploration of cultures.
Polymorphism

Indira Chandrasekhar

Harper Collins, 2017, Rs 350, pp 176

This is a collection of 19 short stories about shifting realities, twisted perceptions and live on-the-edge of speculative fiction. These are tales of vulnerabilities and visceral anxieties of the characters.

Chase Your Dreams

Sachin Tendulkar

Hachette, 2017, Rs 299, pp 299

This is a young readers' edition of Tendulkar's autobiography Playing it My Way. Coming from a middle-class family, from being a mischievous boy to turning into a cricket legend, this book is insightful, inspiring, and comes with bonus pages in a comic form.


Eight Hours

Upendra Namburi

Westland, 2017, Rs 350, pp 282

Aratrika has eight hours to save her company from bankruptcy. With rivals attempting a hostile takeover, time is running out for her. Weaving her way through a litany of lawyers, politicians, bureaucrats, investors, her dreaded family, and an old flame, Peter, will she win the battle?

The Art of The Good Life

Rolf Dobelli

Sceptre, 2017, Rs 399, pp 260

This book has 52 intellectual shortcuts for wiser thinking and taking better decisions at home and work, on how to live, on what makes one happy, and how one spends their time. The book may not guarantee you a good life, but will give you a better chance at it.
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