Victims of Bhopal gas tragedy continue to suffer damage in their DNA, a new study has revealed. Methyl isocyanate, which released from the Union Carbide plant in December 1984, is known to damage human DNA by interacting with proteins. Such damage was recorded in studies done by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in years following the gas leak.  

Now a team of scientists from MGM New Bombay Hospital has performed fresh tests on people who were exposed to MIC and found that the damage continues. Researchers used the same categorization that was used by ICMR – people were grouped as severely exposed, moderately exposed or unexposed. Blood samples of 156 persons were collected for this study. Of this, 130 samples gave readable data and anomalies detected were classified, and results compared with ICMR screening performed between 1985- 1988. 

The study has shown two trends. Even though people who were severely exposed to the gas now possess fewer abnormal cells, the frequency of aberrations within such cells has increased with time. Another finding was increase in chromosomal aberrations even in people who were not exposed or moderately exposed to the gas.

The researchers explain it could be due to several reasons. “A number of confounders, including lifestyle, environment, nutritional factors, drinking water, occupational exposures, and inherent genetic conditions interact. Additionally, continuous soil contamination by chemical wastes dumped in the Union Carbide India limited site might have augmented the genetic changes through interaction with other biologic and abiologic factors,” the study says.

Dr Hit Kishore Goswami, former founder chairman of Department of Genetics at Bhopal University (Now Barkatullah University) who was involved in Bhopal studies, commented that “many follow up studies have been performed by individual groups, each differing slightly in their approach. This study also does the same. It manages to expose the complications of chemical contact with better techniques”.

However, Dr V Ramana Dhara, Adjunct Clinical Professor at the Rollins School of Public Health of Emory, commented that “given problems with the study design and a lack of clear exposure-response, it does little to advance the knowledge of methyl isocyanate toxicity.” 

The study was conducted by Bani B Ganguly and Shaouvik Mandal from the MGM Centre for Genetic Research and Diagnosis, MGM New Bombay Hospital. It has been published recently in journal Mutation Research-Genetic Toxicology and Environmental Mutagenesis.  (India Science Wire)

The Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance Bill, 2017 was introduced in Lok Sabha during Monsoon Session 2017.  The Bill is currently being examined by a Joint Committee of the two Houses of Parliament.  It seeks to establish a Resolution Corporation which will monitor the risk faced by financial firms such as banks and insurance companies, and resolve them in case of failure.  

Over the last few days, there has been some discussion around provisions of the Bill which allow for cancellation or writing down of liabilities of a financial firm (known as bail-in). There are concerns that these provisions may put depositors in an unfavourable position in case a bank fails. In this context, we explain the bail-in process below.

What is bail-in?

The Bill specifies various tools to resolve a failing financial firm which include transferring its assets and liabilities, merging it with another firm, or liquidating it.  One of these methods allows for a financial firm on the verge of failure to be rescued by internally restructuring its debt.  This method is known as bail-in.

Bail-in differs from a bail-out which involves funds being infused by external sources to resolve a firm.  This includes a failing firm being rescued by the government.

How does it work?

Under bail-in, the Resolution Corporation can internally restructure the firm’s debt by: (i) cancelling liabilities that the firm owes to its creditors, or (ii) converting its liabilities into any other instrument (e.g., converting debt into equity), among others.

Bail-in may be used in cases where it is necessary to continue the services of the firm, but the option of selling it is not feasible. This method allows for losses to be absorbed and consequently enables the firm to carry on business for a reasonable time period while maintaining market confidence. The Bill allows the Resolution Corporation to either resolve a firm by only using bail-in, or use bail-in as part of a larger resolution scheme in combination with other resolution methods like a merger or acquisition.

Do the current laws in India allow for bail-in? What happens to bank deposits in case of failure?

Current laws governing resolution of financial firms do not contain provisions for a bail in. If a bank fails, it may either be merged with another bank or liquidated.

In case of bank deposits, amounts up to one lakh rupees are insured by the Bail-in differs from a bail-out.  In the absence of the bank having sufficient resources to repay deposits above this amount, depositors will lose their money.  The DICGC Act, 1961 originally insured deposits up to Rs 1,500 and permitted the DICGC to increase this amount with the approval of the central government.  The current insured amount of one lakh rupees was fixed in May 1993. The Bill has a similar provision which allows the Resolution Corporation to set the insured amount in consultation with the RBI.

Does the Bill specify safeguards for creditors, including depositors?

The Bill specifies that the power of the Corporation while using bail-in to resolve a firm will be limited.  There are certain safeguards which seek to protect creditors and ensure continuity of critical functions of the firm. 

When resolving a firm through bail-in, the Corporation will have to ensure that none of the creditors (including bank depositors) receive less than what they would have been entitled to receive if the firm was to be liquidated.

Further, the Bill allows a liability to be cancelled or converted under bail-in only if the creditor has given his consent to do so in the contract governing such debt.  The terms and conditions of bank deposits will determine whether the bail-in clause can be applied to them.

Do other countries contain similar provisions?

After the global financial crisis in 2008, several countries such as the US and those across Europe developed specialised resolution capabilities.  This was aimed at preventing another crisis and sought to strengthen mechanisms for monitoring and resolving sick financial firms.

The Financial Stability Board, an international body comprising G20 countries (including India), recommended that countries should allow resolution of firms by bail-in under their jurisdiction.  The European Union also issued a directive proposing a structure for member countries to follow while framing their respective resolution laws.  This directive suggested that countries should include bail-in among their resolution tools. 

Countries such as UK and Germany have provided for bail-in under their laws.  However, this method has rarely been used.One of the rare instances was in 2013, when bail-in was used to resolve a bank in Cyprus.

The annual ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival announced its second list of speakers at a preview event at the iconic Royal Opera House in Mumbai. Billed as the “greatest literary show on earth”, the 11^th edition of the Festival is slated from January 25 to 29, 2018.

A number of Mumbai-based speakers will feature at the upcoming event, including bestselling novelist Amish who will discuss his reinterpretations of ancient mythology, including the enigmatic Sita and the complex divinity in Ram while Ashwin Sanghi — whose work straddles history, philosophy, fantasy and science– will shed light on his new book `Keepers of the Kalchakra’.

Legendary couple Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi will discuss their poetic heritage through their respective fathers, Jan Nisar Akhtar and Kaifi Azmi, in a session on the  traditions of Urdu literature and author Kiran Nagarkar will speak about the ceaselessness of languages and the art of crisscrossing cultural and linguistic landscapes while actor  Soha Ali Khan will reveal all about her disarmingly frank memoir; and director, writer, producer and actor Anurag Kashyap will speak on his cinematic sensibility and consciousness.

Young readers are set for a treat with the unparalleled Anthony Horowitz, creator of the multi-million selling Alex Rider series, and the refreshing Julia Donaldson whose modern classics, The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo’s Child, have taken countless children on a splendid journey. The brilliant theoretical physicist Lisa Randall will also feature as part of the programming with a fascinating discussion that challenges the stereotypes of gender; historian, Harvard professor and author of The Dawn Watch: Joseph Conrad in a Global World, Maya Jasanoff, discusses the journey of one of the most riveting figures in literary history; writers and journalists such as Peter Bergen, the author of Manhunt, one of the few to have interviewed Osama bin Laden and the first journalist to gain access into Abbottabad as well as Suki Kim, the only writer ever to have lived undercover in North Korea and the author of New York Times bestselling literary nonfiction Without You, There Is No Us: Undercover Among the Sons of North Korea’s Elite.

The list also features a number of names from the world of Indian literature, culture and media. Makarand Paranjape will discuss ritual and identity in a dizzyingly pluralistic world; film-maker Mira Nair will speak of her incredible cross-cultural journey as well as the rigours of adapting the novel into a dynamic screenplay; journalist Rajdeep Sardesai discusses his recent book on cricket; new age archivist Rohan Murty, who with his visionary The Murty Classical Library, attempts to make India’s magnificent literary legacy accessible to the world; poet Tishani Doshi will talk about her latest anthology, Girls are Coming out of the Woods; and Kannada author and playwright Vivek Shanbhag explores the diverse range of regional Indian literature.

For the first time, the ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival kicked off its preview tour in Mumbai, bringing together Festival Co-Directors Namita Gokhale and William Dalrymple and Producer Sanjoy K. Roy as they walked down memory lane and gave the audience a glimpse of the making of the world’s largest free literature festival. It was followed by a reading from Dalrymple’s The White Mughals with renditions by vocalist Vidya Shah.

The Getty Foundation, the British Council, the Aga Khan Foundation and Nordic countries too have come together to support and strengthen the Festival. Harvard University Press, The Murty Classical Library, Westland, Kindle Direct Publishing, Avid Learning and Kingfisher (as Good Times Partner) have also partnered with the Festival.

The BJP faces a big challenge in Gujarat having lost its significant advantage of being ahead of its main rival by at least 10 per cent in terms of votes polled. Their chances of going into minus appears doubtful but cannot be ruled out. That might well be cliffhanger on which there are no wagers.
An analysis of the latest Lokniti-CSDS-ABP poll indicates possible trouble brewing for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Lotus party president Amit Shah in their home state. This gets compounded in the wake of saffron brigade’s poor performance in the recent three-tiered civic elections in the crucial state of Uttar Pradesh. The only saving grace for the BJP pertains to winning 14 of the 16 contests for the post of Mayor. Otherwise it was a dismal performance. The ruling party in Lucknow managed just 18.7 per cent of the seats while the non-BJP opposition secured a mammoth 81.3 per cent. 
The prestige of the two-phase assembly election in Gujarat beginning on December 9 and second scheduled for December 14 with the counting fixed four days later on December 18 cannot be undermined. 
It is understandable why Yogi Adityanath had to keep up the facade of having done well in the civic polls. He was in the forefront of campaigning for the municipal elections after the saffron brigade’s stunning three-fourths victory in the 403-member assembly elections in UP barely eight months back.  
Out of the 12,644 seats contested in all the tiers of the municipal elections, the BJP won only 2,366 with 10,278 seats being garnered by the opposition. This is not only debilitating but shocking and far from the rosy picture painted by the BJP and its supporters. Earlier this year in March, the people had backed the Lotus party in 33 districts in UP but chose not to vote for them in the civic elections this time. 
Of the 60 wards under the Ayodhya-Faizabad municipal corporation, the BJP won 30, SP 18, BSP two and Congress one. Nine went to independents. In the three nagar panchayats in Faizabad district collectively having 34 seats, the Lotus came a cropper. The Samajwadi party which had not evinced any interest in the civic polls this time swept all the 11 seats in Bhadarsa panchayat. The SP did not want to suffer another setback after its humiliating defeat in the assembly elections earlier this year. They preferred biding their time with an eye on the 2019 general elections.   
The BJP won 596 seats of corporators while the opposition and independents bagged 703 seats. In the next tier, the BJP won 70 of the 198 posts of chairpersons of Nagar Palika and the opposition 128. The SP won 45 seats, BSP 29 and Independents 43. The story was no different in the case of councillors of Nagar Palikas. The BJP won 922 seats and the opposition along with the independents bagged a massive 4,338 seats. Again, the SP won 477 seats, the BSP 262 and AAP 17. An overwhelming number of 3,380 Independents also registered a win. 
In the elections for Nagar Panchayat chiefs, the BJP won 100 posts and non-BJP parties and Independents 338. The SP won 83 seats, BSP 45, AAP and Congress two each and AIMIM one. The Independents triumphed in 182 seats. 
The Nagar Panchayat elections saw the BJP win 664 seats and the opposition a whopping 4,769. A majority of 3,875 seats went to Independents. The SP tally was 453 seats, BSP 218, Congress 126, AAP 19, AIMIM six and Janata Dal (Secular) 13. 
The grassroots electorate expressed its firm resentment of the BJP. This is a huge wake up call for the central leadership of the BJP coupled with Yogi Adityanath’s style of functioning particularly as the chief minister.  
Surprisingly, the BJP failed to secure a majority in Modi’s constituency of Varanasi. Expectedly, the Congress was laid low in Rahul Gandhi’s Amethi constituency.
This might well be an indication of the voter mood beginning to sour against Modi and the Lotus party in large parts of UP? 
Interestingly, the BSP has shown signs of revival despite party supremo and former chief minister Mayawati’s marked disinterest in any kind of local elections. This assumes importance especially after the BSP’s rout in the assembly elections in UP earlier this year leading to speculation about the regional party’s survival. 
The state will witness two crucial Lok Sabha elections for the seats vacated by Yogi Adityanath and Deputy Chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya. Will the BJP’s poor performance in the civic elections take a toll on these seats due to the inimical local factors. The discernible dissatisfaction with Yogi Adityanath’s rule in the state is reflected in the poor outcome of the civic elections. BJP strategists are, however, confident of overcoming the challenge posed by the Congress and other non-BJP opposition encompassing the resentment among the Patidars and other backward classes and farmers in Gujarat. 
Impartial observers believe Modi and the BJP will somehow manage to retain power in Gandhinagar ensuring there is no break in BJP’s uninterrupted rule for more than two decades. 
However, there is a big, big ‘if’ about unthinkable happening in the wake of the no holds barred political one-upmanship in Gujarat, it is bound to cast a shadow on the upcoming assembly elections next year in several states including Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan among others and inevitably the 2019 general elections.   
(Ends Ends Ends)

Almost 17 million babies under the age of one live in areas where air pollution is at least six times higher than international limits, causing them to breathe toxic air and potentially putting their brain development at risk, according to a new UNICEF paper released today. More than three-quarters of these young children – 12 million – live in South Asia.

Danger in the Air: How air pollution can affect brain development in young children notes that breathing in particulate air pollution can damage brain tissue and undermine cognitive development – with lifelong implications and setbacks.

“Not only do pollutants harm babies’ developing lungs – they can permanently damage their developing brains – and, thus, their futures,” said UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake.  “Protecting children from air pollution not only benefits children. It is also benefits their societies – realized in reduced health care costs, increased productivity and a safer, cleaner environment for everyone.”

Satellite imagery reveals that South Asia has the largest proportion of babies living in the worst-affected areas, with 12.2 million babies residing where outdoor air pollution exceeds six times international limits set by the World Health Organization. The East Asia and Pacific region is home to some 4.3 million babies living in areas that exceed six times the limit.

The paper shows that air pollution, like inadequate nutrition and stimulation, and exposure to violence during the critical first 1,000 days of life, can impact children’s early childhood development by affecting their growing brains:

·         Ultrafine pollution particles are so small that they can enter the blood stream, travel to the brain, and damage the blood-brain barrier, which can cause neuro-inflammation.

·         Some pollution particles, such as ultrafine magnetite, can enter the body through the olfactory nerve and the gut, and, due to their magnetic charge, create oxidative stress – which is known to cause neurodegenerative diseases.

·         Other types of pollution particles, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, can damage areas in the brain that are critical in helping neurons communicate, the foundation for children’s learning and development.

·         A young child’s brain is especially vulnerable because it can be damaged by a smaller dosage of toxic chemicals, compared to an adult’s brain. Children are also highly vulnerable to air pollution because they breathe more rapidly and also because their physical defences and immunities are not fully developed.

The paper outlines urgent steps to reduce the impact of air pollution on babies’ growing brains, including immediate steps parents can take to reduce children’s exposure in the home to harmful fumes produced by tobacco products, cook stoves and heating fires:

·         Reduce air pollution by investing in cleaner, renewable sources of energy to replace fossil fuel combustion; provide affordable access to public transport; increase green spaces in urban areas; and provide better waste management options to prevent open burning of harmful chemicals.

·         Reduce children’s exposure to pollutants by making it feasible for children to travel during times of the day when air pollution is lower; provide appropriately fitting air filtration masks in extreme cases; and create smart urban planning so that major sources of pollution are not located near schools, clinics or hospitals.

·         Improve children’s overall health to improve their resilience. This includes the prevention and treatment of pneumonia, as well as the promotion of exclusive breastfeeding and good nutrition.

·         Improve knowledge and monitoring of air pollution. Reducing children’s exposure to pollutants and the sources of air pollution begins with understanding the quality of air they are breathing in the first place. 

“No child should have to breathe dangerously polluted air – and no society can afford to ignore air pollution,” said Lake.

On Monday, December 4, the Chairman of Rajya Sabha disqualified two Members of Parliament (MPs) from the House under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution (better known as the anti-defection law) for having defected from their party. These members were elected on a Janata Dal (United) ticket. The Madras High Court is also hearing petitions filed by 18 MLAs who were disqualified by the Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Assembly in September 2017 under the anti-defection law.  Allegations of legislators defecting in violation of the law have been made in several other states including Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Manipur, Nagaland, Telangana and Uttarakhand in recent years. In this context, we explain the anti-defection law.

What is the anti-defection law?

Aaya Ram Gaya Ram was a phrase that became popular in Indian politics after a Haryana MLA Gaya Lal changed his party thrice within the same day in 1967.  The anti-defection law sought to prevent such political defections which may be due to reward of office or other similar considerations.

The Tenth Schedule was inserted in the Constitution in 1985. It lays down the process by which legislators may be disqualified on grounds of defection by the Presiding Officer of a legislature based on a petition by any other member of the House. A legislator is deemed to have defected if he either voluntarily gives up the membership of his party or disobeys the directives of the party leadership on a vote. This implies that a legislator defying (abstaining or voting against) the party whip on any issue can lose his membership of the House.  The law applies to both Parliament and state assemblies.

Are there any exceptions under the law?

Yes, legislators may change their party without the risk of disqualification in certain circumstances. The law allows a party to merge with or into another party provided that at least two-thirds of its legislators are in favour of the merger. In such a scenario, neither the members who decide to merge, nor the ones who stay with the original party will face disqualification.

Various expert committees have recommended that rather than the Presiding Officer, the decision to disqualify a member should be made by the President (in case of MPs) or the Governor (in case of MLAs) on the advice of the Election Commission. This would be similar to the process followed for disqualification in case the person holds an office of profit (i.e. the person holds an office under the central or state government which carries a remuneration, and has not been excluded in a list made by the legislature).

How has the law been interpreted by the Courts while deciding on related matters?

The Supreme Court has interpreted different provisions of the law.  We discuss some of these below.

The phrase ‘Voluntarily gives up his membership’ has a wider connotation than resignation

The law provides for a member to be disqualified if he ‘voluntarily gives up his membership’. However, the Supreme Court has interpreted that in the absence of a formal resignation by the member, the giving up of membership can be inferred by his conduct. In other judgments, members who have publicly expressed opposition to their party or support for another party were deemed to have resigned.

In the case of the two JD(U) MPs who were disqualified from Rajya Sabha on Monday, they were deemed to have ‘voluntarily given up their membership’ by engaging in anti-party activities which included criticizing the party on public forums on multiple occasions, and attending rallies organised by opposition parties in Bihar.

Decision of the Presiding Officer is subject to judicial review 

The law initially stated that the decision of the Presiding Officer is not subject to judicial review. This condition was struck down by the Supreme Court in 1992, thereby allowing appeals against the Presiding Officer’s decision in the High Court and Supreme Court. However, it held that there may not be any judicial intervention until the Presiding Officer gives his order.

In 2015, the Hyderabad High Court, refused to intervene after hearing a petition which alleged that there had been delay by the Telangana Assembly Speaker in acting against a member under the anti-defection law.

Is there a time limit within which the Presiding Officer has to decide?

The law does not specify a time-period for the Presiding Officer to decide on a disqualification plea. Given that courts can intervene only after the Presiding Officer has decided on the matter, the petitioner seeking disqualification has no option but to wait for this decision to be made.

There have been several cases where the Courts have expressed concern about the unnecessary delay in deciding such petitions. In some cases this delay in decision making has resulted in members, who have defected from their parties, continuing to be members of the House. There have also been instances where opposition members have been appointed ministers in the government while still retaining the membership of their original parties in the legislature.

In recent years, opposition MLAs in some states, such as Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, have broken away in small groups gradually to join the ruling party. In some of these cases, more than 2/3^rd of the opposition has defected to the ruling party.

In these scenarios, the MLAs were subject to disqualification while defecting to the ruling party in smaller groups.  However, it is not clear if they will still face disqualification if the Presiding Officer makes a decision after more than 2/3^rd of the opposition has defected to the ruling party. The Telangana Speaker in March 2016 allowed the merger of the TDP Legislature Party in Telangana with the ruling TRS, citing that in total, 80% of the TDP MLAs (12 out of 15) had joined the TRS at the time of taking the decision.

In Andhra Pradesh, legislators of the main opposition party recently boycotted the entire 12-day assembly session.  This boycott was in protest against the delay of over 18 months in action being taken against legislators of their party who have allegedly defected to the ruling party. The Vice President, in his recent order disqualifying two JD(U) members stated that all such petitions should be decided by the Presiding Officers within a period of around three months.

Does the anti-defection law affect the ability of legislators to make decisions?

The anti-defection law seeks to provide a stable government by ensuring the legislators do not switch sides. However, this law also restricts a legislator from voting in line with his conscience, judgement and interests of his electorate. Such a situation impedes the oversight function of the legislature over the government, by ensuring that members vote based on the decisions taken by the party leadership, and not what their constituents would like them to vote for.

Political parties issue a direction to MPs on how to vote on most issues, irrespective of the nature of the issue. Several experts have suggested that the law should be valid only for those votes that determine the stability of the government (passage of the annual budget or no-confidence motions).

(Source – PRS Legislative)

It is often said in the context of lifestyle diseases that “genetics loads the gun, lifestyle pulls the trigger.” This means that unhealthy lifestyle can easily trigger diabetes and heart disease among people who are genetically predisposed to them. Now a study has shown that even if one is genetically prone to diabetes or heart disease, one can reduce the risk with healthy lifestyle.

In recent years, several genomic studies have identified genes that are linked with risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease among different population groups. Such findings make people neglect their lifestyles, as they think that why should they bother if anyway they are genetically predisposed to these diseases. The new Indo-British study debunks this, in the case of Indians.

The study has found that people who are genetically more prone to get diabetes and heart disease can reduce their risk with lifestyle modification – consumption of healthy food and physical activity. 

Participants in the study conducted in Chennai – considered India’s diabetes capital – who followed a low-fat diet reported higher levels of good cholesterol or HDL despite carrying a gene shown to increase risk of diabetes in earlier studies. Researchers looked at two gene variants – MC4R and TCF7L2 – known to increase risk of metabolic disorders among study participants who were part of an ongoing study called Chennai Urban Rural Epidemiology Study (CURES). 

“We examined if the association between MC4R and TCF7L2 genes, and cardio-metabolic traits is modified by dietary factors and physical activity,” explained Dr Vimal S Karani, a member of the research team. “We found that individuals who consumed a low-fat diet had higher levels of good cholesterol despite carrying the risky gene variant. In particular, those who consumed a diet low in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) had higher levels of good cholesterol despite carrying the same TCF7L2 gene variant.”

Besides analyzing genomic data, researchers evaluated dietary habits through a ‘food frequency questionnaire’ consisting of 222 different foods. It included information about portion size and frequency as well. In the same way, physical activity was measured. Individuals were categorized as ‘vigorously active’ when they both exercised and engaged in demanding work activities, while those in ‘moderately active’ group either exercised or carried out heavy physical work. The rest were separated into sedentary group. The study results have been published in journal PLOS One.

The research team included Vimal S Karani, Szilvia Gaal, Israa Shatwan, Shelini Surendran, Julie A. Lovegrove (University of Reading, UK); Viswanathan Mohan, Dhanasekaran Bodhini, Kandaswamy Ramya, Vasudevan Sudha, Mohan R. Anjana  Venkatesan Radha (Madras Diabetes Research Foundation); and Basma Ellahi (University of Chester, UK). (India Science Wire) 

NEW DELHI: “I do not want to look back. My life has changed forever. I want to be an achiever and do some proud to the State and the nation,” says Afshan Ashiq Captain of the `Chief Minister’s XI’ women’s football team.
The `Chief Minister’s XI’ team played the Indian Women’s League Football Championship held in Kolhapur, Maharashtra recently.
Afshan, whose life story might soon hit the silver screen with a renowned Bollywood filmmaker planning to launch a biopic on her life, hails from Srinagar. Her life and career made a remarkable U-turn since the days when her picture splashed in the national media as a stone-pelter.
Her tender hands once hurled stones, but now as the team’s goalkeeper, stand firmly at her goalpost.
Afshan Ashiq, whose team met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, here said the youth (in Kashmir) is talented but there is need for a platform.
In a prompt gesture, the Union Home Minister spoke on the phone instantly with Ms Mehbooba Mufti, the State Chief Minister and conveyed to her the concerns of the young players and that these should be promptly taken up for redressal.
 Â“Met the young and energetic girls of J&K’s first ever Women Football Team. They are highly motivated and driven when it comes to football. Playing the role of new age ‘Gender Benders’, these girls are setting an example for others to follow. I wish them success and a great future,” said Rajnath Singh in a tweet.
The 25 member delegation included three officials who started the team. Of the 22 girls, 11 are from J&K, – five from the Kashmir Valley, four from Jammu region and two from Ladakh. Interacting with the Union Home Minister, the girls drew his attention to the need for creating better sports infrastructure and facilities and providing more opportunities to fulfill the aspirations of the youth from the State.
Rajnath Singh told the team that an additional provision of Rs.100 crore has been specially made for upgradation of sports facilities in the State.
Coach Satpal Singh said the J&K Sports Council has set up State Football Academies in as many as 19 of 22 total districts in the State. The J&K CM’s XI team comprises 11 girls from other parts of the country including six from Haryana, three from Odisha, and one each from Bihar and Jharkhand. The induction of outside talent raises standards to enable the team come up to the national level, said team Manager Tsering Angmo.

NEW DELHI: Legendary actor Shashi Kapoor who was suffering from kidney ailment for the past several years died in a Mumbai hospital on Monday. He was 79. 
Shashi Kapoor, son of illustrious film actor Prithviraj Kapoor and younger brother of actor-director Raj Kapoor, had acted in about 115 movies. He began acting in his father’s plays and began acting as a child artiste in movies like “Aag” and “Awaraa”. Growing to be a handsome young man, Shashi Kapoor is best known for essaying romantic lead roles with ease and flair where he was paired with almost all leading heroines of the day in Mumbai’s filmdom. 
He stood his ground in movies like “Deewar”, “Kabhie Kabhie”, “Namak Halal”, “Trishul” and “Kala Pathar” opposite Amitabh Bacchan who had by then emerged as a superstar and Amitabh-Shashi pair became a hit with everyone, winning instant approval of people. Shashi Kapoor is also known for his role in “Junoon”, “Chor Machaye Shor”, “Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram”, “Fakira”, “Sharmilee” and “Heat and Dust”, a Merchant-Ivory film based on a novel of Ruth Prawer Jhabvala.
His exposure to international cinema was noteworthy and so was his love for theatre where he met Jennifer Kendal whom he married later. He is survived by sons Kunal, Karan and daughter Sanjana who has kept his initiative of Prithvi Theatre alive. 
President Ram Nath Kovind remembered him for his contribution to meaningful cinema and theatre. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several ministers and film personalities also recalled his contribution to the film world and theatre. 
His career in movies and theatre spanned nearly four decades. He made a rare appearance in the Capital in 2015 to receive the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke award where his photograph with the leading heroines of his movies Shabana Azmi, Waheeda Rahman, Zeenat Aman, Rekha and Hema Malini went viral. In 2011, he was bestowed with the Padma Bhushan award. 

Akanksha Sood Singh can never stop making films. Film making is her Plan A to Plan Z in life. 

Having worked on 86 films in the past 15 years in various capacities and directed 7 films, including 3 feature films, Akanksha’s works have won her national and international accolades. 

The films you make are more on subjects which film makers would not normally touch– social issues such as sanitary napkins and social evils — how difficult is it to make films on these subjects?

It is not easy. Not at all! While the issues were drastically different, the problems I faced were common: lack of awareness, no historical research data, blind faith in superstition and lack of empathy.

In the case of the `Pad Piper’ – on sanitary napkins—the story was of Arunachalam Muruganandam. He had no qualms about talking and his sanitary napkins manufacturing machine since the work spoke for itself, but for the women, it was a taboo – the subject and even talking on camera! 

The biggest challenge was to make women talk – not just in India, even in the United States.  Interestingly, I had originally wanted to inter-cut his story with vox pops and also with the phenomenon of the ‘menstruating’ Goddess in Kerala. I was told only a man could film there. 

I worked with a group of women in Coimbatore to reach out to rural women. These ladies roamed the streets and went from house to house trying to educate women about basic hygiene and amenities. Not that they were welcomed with open arms, but at least it was not the camera straight in their face. I spent a lot of time first making ground for a conversation in person. 

`Mrityubhoj—The Death Feast’— started out with a newspaper article on Dr Viresh Raj Sharma and his crusade against this social evil. On reading, it was in the first draft a straight forward film. After Public TV Service commissioned the idea, I traveled through the Chambal belt, filming death feasts thrown by the rich. It was a waste of time – they were like lavish marriages. These feasts are given by the so called ‘upper castes’. 

I was at the 8^th feast when I put my foot down – I told Dr Sharma’s volunteer’s I was not here to make wedding videos! It had come down to that. This is not my story. This does not show the reality.

I remember that evening – they went helter-skelter looking for a not-so-well-to-do family where a death may have happened a few days before. And what came out from their ground-work in just 4 hours was a family that had just lost the patriarch. 

This film is a simple story with the canvas limited to what unfolds with Virender Khushwa over 13 days as he goes about making preparations for his father’s death feast. The landscape is unchanging and there are no dramatic events. What plays out in many rural villages across the Indian heartland, plays out here too.  Through the 13 days, as Virender seemingly follows tradition, little does he realize the socio-economic trap he is walking into. Perhaps, for life.

There is a parallel narrative of Dr. Viresh Raj Sharma, the man battling to curb this social evil. Educated and in the police service, he has been able to put his conditioning and prejudices aside to look at death feasts from an outside perspective. Virender and Dr. Sharma’s path cross in the end of the film – for the former it brought hope, but for the latter, it was a struggle gone in vain.

This is a purely an observational film, with no voice-over. It plays to Virender’s thoughts and sometimes to Dr. Sharma’s.  And this came to me as a mark of respect to Virender for allowing me to be a fly on his walls from the day his father died and to his family for the delicate intimacy with which they swept me into their lives. We never spoke. I was as clueless about what will happen next as he was. But we bonded – our presence brought comfort to each other him at the end of every day, a distraction from the conflicts both of us faced. 

As I filmed Mrityubhoj, each day, I realized the sensitive issues I was touching upon –class, caste, tradition, gender- –a complex matrix. It was easy to get carried away, take a stance, confront but I chose not to. Instead, I chose to bring out reality as it is without prejudicing the audience. 

I did another film recently, Urmi’s Cat, which was co-directed by my partner, Soumadeep Sen. A bit of an experimental film. We wanted to bring up incest. And challenge the way films have shown the perpetrator – always an ‘uncle’. No, sometimes, it could be the father. We put it out on social media – free for everyone to watch and think about. It worked. 

What do you think is the immediate impact of your films– other than instant appreciation– is there any change in the mindset?

I believe in using films as a tool for spreading awareness, influencing mindsets and thus bringing about a change. 

For example:

The Pad Piper is used by the women featured in the as a tool to entertain and start a conversation. And it is working brilliantly.

Manas – Return of the Giants brought back Manas into the limelight, a position it had lost to, living in the shadow of Kaziranga. It is also giving conservation agencies a medium to engage local communities, show them the world they live in and take for granted, from an outside perspective and thus build bridges at the grassroot level for long term conservation measures of landscape, resources, flora and fauna.

For Mrityubhoj – we are about to roll out the campaign. The film is picking up in the festival circuit and as is the press around it.  We are now going to take the film and the press it has got so far to villages and hold screenings. We plan to propose to influencers in these communities to curtail the opulence, and propagate alternatives. This is not something that will happen overnight, but at least plant the seeds now.

What are some ideas which you have in mind for making films in the future?

I am working on developing a wildlife series, co-producing and fund raising for an investigate documentary on illegal wildlife trade, exploring some unconventional customs / rituals prevalent in India and also trying to write a feature film story.

What is your primary objective behind making these films — your passion of course is there?

Wildlife films has become a way of living for us. We get so restless- my husband and I- if we don’t get out to a forest and film regularly. City life chokes us. And the stories that exist in the wild – every person needs to see, know and feel a crucial element of their natural world. I could make a power point presentation, too, and give you the same information, but only a good story will make you sit up and make you empathize.

I have done only two social / human interest documentaries and the response to both has been tremendous. It is a new genre of sorts for me, but I can already see that there is so much to explore, to tell, to change with such films.

What made you go into making films?

I must have been 6 or 7 years old when we got a coloured television. My father was posted in Wellington then. I was glued to it. Television gave way to cinema – especially the wave of parallel films. It had a huge impact on me. 

And, with the coming of cable television, came wildlife programming. It gave me a different perspective altogether. Till then I wanted to ‘make films’, but after cable television, I wanted to be a ‘wildlife filmmaker’. Through graduation and post graduation and early years of working, I did everything else other than making films. It was in 2002, when I met my husband, that I finally got a chance to be a part of a film, and that too one on the human – leopard conflict in India. It was his student film that was commissioned by National Geographic. It won the Student Emmy. 

Which are some of your award-winning films?

Mrityubhoj – The Death Feast is the winner of Best Indian Documentary at the 23rd Kolkata International Film Festival 2017, was official screened at the 5th Woodpecker International Film Festival 2017 and was nominated for Best Documentary at the 4th Asia Rainbow Television Awards, 2017

Urmi’s Cat (Fiction) was nominated for Best Film at the 12th Calcutta International Cult Film Festival, 2017 and is the winner of the Best Short Film Award at Virgin Spring Cine Fest, 2017. 

The Parlour Boys is nominated for the Scroll India People’s Choice Award, 2017

Manas – Return of the Giants is the winner of Best Film on Wildlife at the 9th CMS Vatavaran Film Festival 2017, Woodpecker International Film Festival, 2016; Winner of Best Film on Asian Elephants at the International Elephant Film Festival, held at the UN Headquarters on the UN World Wildlife Day, 2016

The Pad Piper is the winner of the Best Film on Science and Technology at the 61st National Film Awards given by the President of India

India’s Wandering Lions and Tigress Blood have also won several awards and hugely acclaimed.