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Fashion Interview Lite Blogs

‘Nykaa built on pillars of discovery’

Nykaa Fashion has today become a go-to destination for elevated lifestyle choices and brands for consumers who appreciate and seek a curated offering…speaks Adwaita Nayar, CEO Nykaa Fashion

Celebrating concepts and themes ranging from retro, Gen-Z, quirky and educational, IYKYK — a chic new accessory label by Nykaa Fashion, sparks an emotion, defined by a free-spirited vibe and nonchalant attitude that also reflects in the designs on offer.

IYKYK boasts of its own unique monogram, carefully designed to combine the letters in a circular form, designed to look both sophisticated and fun at the same time. The monogram embodies the brand’s core philosophy — it incorporates the solid form of the logo but at the same time it is open to interpretation, perfectly mirroring the acronym “If You Know You Know”!

The brand is the latest in Nykaa Fashion’s stable of widely loved consumer brands such as Pipa Bella, Nykd by Nykaa, Gajra Gang, and RSVP. We caught up with Adwaita Nayar, CEO Nykaa Fashion, to get more details.

Read Excerpts:

Nykaa Fashion is probably the only Indian fashion e-commerce site to launch its own labels like IYKYK? What is the idea and merit behind this decision?


Nykaa Fashion has been built on the pillars of discovery, convenience and curation, and to that end, all our owned brands aim to fill gaps in the choice available to fashion shoppers. Whether it’s our Indian occasion-wear brand Gajra Gang that offers contemporary silhouettes and separates or NYKD by Nykaa — that offers intimate wear, sleepwear as well as athleisure clothing, consciously focused on size inclusivity, quality and comfort. We have now launched IYKYK — a chic new accessory label that will appeal to those with a sophisticated style sensibility. With each label, we aim to offer unique handwriting for the new-age Indian consumer who is not shy of expressing their personality through their fashion choices.

The accessory label also has vegan options, how important is it to include sustainability in new brand launches?

At Nykaa Fashion, being conscious about the choices we make and promote is a continuous, everyday effort. We want to simplify the idea of sustainability for our consumers by decoding myths surrounding ethical fashion and making it more accessible to them, while also aiding the discovery of new and mindful labels on our platform. On these terms, all the IYKYK bags and accessories are made using PU leather as a conscious decision to offer more environment-friendly options to our consumers as they adopt the rules of eco-responsibility on their own terms.

The IPO had a great response, how did you feel?

The IPO was a big milestone and it further affirmed that we have something unique and have built the right business. Our focus is to continue building a brand that consumers can turn to for all their lifestyle needs.

What is the target audience for the new brand, marketing innovations and product portfolio?

Sophisticated, aspirational and chic, the IYKYK girl possesses a streak of spontaneity, nonchalance and is ‘in with the trends’. She knows what’s trending, but she doesn’t necessarily follow or like every trend. She is the “With-IT” girl who values being privy to trends and styles that stands out.

IYKYK’s product portfolio celebrates free-spiritedness and stylish nonchalance through each design and the bags, and shoes will appeal to anybody wanting to make a fashion-forward statement through their accessories. The distinct designs and neutral shades make these accessories both edgy and timeless. The offering spans from flats, stilettos to bags, which are all completely made from PU leather and available in a range of earthy and neutral palettes. It’s a collection that inspires style and confidence without trying too hard. One can see this reflecting across all the brand’s marketing platforms — from Instagram to our campaign launch to how the product catalog has been shot.

What is your vision for Nykaa Fashion private label?

Nykaa Fashion has today become a go-to destination for elevated lifestyle choices and brands for consumers who appreciate and seek a curated offering. Since our launch, we have focused on expanding our assortment of brands across categories, and today we offer curations for women, men, kids, luxe, tech as well as home. Our efforts continue to be in sync with evolving preferences and trends across fashion and lifestyle, to make every customer’s journey more comprehensive and diverse, from discovery to purchase.

Our biggest focus is on making every Nykaa Fashion shopper’s experience more enriching and engaging and we do this by continuously presenting fresh and innovative content through various digital formats. We recently kicked off a series of successful Watch & Buy sessions on Nykaa Fashion keeping with the growing interest in live commerce. Another innovation is the stylist advice made accessible to shoppers through WhatsApp. Curation and tech innovation will continue taking the lead in shaping customer experience on Nykaa Fashion.

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Interview Lite Blogs Science

Roller coaster ride of Laparoscopy pioneer Tehemton Udwadia with ups and downs

Coming from a middle-class family and seeing my father’s devotion to poor patients rubbed onto me and became a part of my thought process… Tehemton Udwadia speaks with Vishnu Makhijani

His mentor taught that success is not a destination, but the journey. “And with such mentors,” says Dr. Tehemton Erach Udwadia, the pioneer of laparoscopy or minimal invasive surgery in India, “my journey with all its stumbles, all the ridicule I faced when trying to do something different, has been an exciting, joyous roller coaster ride where Ive screamed when going down and laughed when going up.”

His journey over nearly 70 years “has been a rollercoaster ride with ups and downs, stumbles and falls, getting up brushing the abrasions and moving forward. I have been blessed with remarkable good fortune in all the people I have come in contact and worked with over the decades, my mentors, my peers, colleagues, residents, nurses and patients,” Udwadia, a recipient of the Padma Shri, the Padma Bhushan and the OBE, who has penned this heart-warming journey in “More Than Just Surgery — Lessons Beyond The O.T.” (Penguin), told in an interview.

Through the journey, he has learnt that the best professional performance and personal joy “is try and be yourself, do what you feel is right, and not be part of the herd which like sheep is marching to the beat of a distant drum, or follow the dictates of evidence-based medicine or of professors in five-star hospitals. All patients do not go to five-star hospitals and the strength of surgery is to treat all patients.”

“A short-term spent in research trained my mind to think of new avenues of treating old diseases which gave meaning, joy and passion to my work,” he said, adding: “Coming from a middle-class family and seeing my father’s devotion to poor patients rubbed onto me and became a part of my thought process.”

Initially, every surgeon thought that laparoscopy was an exercise in futility, but several physicians started referring their gastrointestinal cases to him. The residents were delighted because they were getting into a totally new field of surgery which possibly had great future significance.

In his book, “Laparoscopic Surgery”, published in 1991, Udwadia wrote that the procedure “may well be the springboard for new endeavours in minimal invasive and minimal access surgeries (MAS) in areas not even dreamt of today”. Today, “far from being a fanciful prediction, time has proved it is a gross understatement. Today, all abdominal surgery can be done laparoscopically,” he says.

At the same time, he writes in the book that MAS is just the beginning: “Surgery will get smaller and safer but the smaller will become incomprehensibly bizarre. Mini-robots, the size of an atom, could engineer intra-corporeal changes in nanos to carry out intra-corporeal manoeuvres like target delivery for drugs to eliminate disease cells like cancer.” When does he see this happening and more importantly, will this filter down the line?

“As I have said in the book, the future could be wilder than the craziest of science fiction stories. Mini-robots operating on nanos is being worked on but this work is in its basic infancy and will take a lot more effort and research to come to the clinical stage (if it ever does). This futuristic surgery would be confined to just the few centres indulging in this effort and would take years to gain some spread,” Udwadia said during the interview.

“Such surgery would only be confined to these few centres and would certainly at no stage trickle down to the total population. This is similar to the liver transplant which is confined to super specialty hospitals and is so complex that it can ever be a part of rural surgery. However, the writing is on the wall that as John Hunter said more than two centuries back that ‘surgery will become both knifeless and bloodless’, with interventional surgery, molecular biology, genetics and similar advances, all nibbling away at surgery as it is done today,” he added.

Q: About a decade-and-a-half ago, when India was the flavour of the month and there were a plethora of international organisations falling over backward to sponsor seminars in the country, a prominent Union minister had proclaimed that 60 per cent of the population lacked access to basic healthcare. What, to your mind, is the situation today and what more can schemes like Ayushman Bharat do to improve the situation?

A: “I’m not too good at statistics, but feel the situation is more or less the same as the percentage who do not have basic healthcare. Health has never been a priority of any government from the time of independence, till for the first time, this government, three years back, uplifted health with a massive financial input starting the Ayushman Bharat scheme. If properly implemented with the planning and vigour of our other infrastructure schemes, this scheme would be a game changer in India’s healthcare.”

“The objective of this scheme must be to move beyond paying for individual poor patients, move to create an infrastructure that takes health to the doorstep with widespread mini-hospitals, well equipped with trained, dedicated, happy manpower. This infrastructure will remain forever a sustainable base to perpetuate healthcare where it is most needed — in rural India. What we need to do is improve statistics, not flaunt them,” Udwadia added.

Another area of concern he lamented, “is the vast divide, which is increasing between the doctor and the patient which has created a rift in doctor-patient relationship. If we are to come back to the old times of trust and acceptance, the doctor has to ensure he treats the patient as his close friend or relative, and the patient has to realise that the surgeon is human and practicing an art which has innumerable variables and inconsistencies, and is merely a human trying to help the patient.”

Q: In this context, how does he see the ‘new normal’ if there ever will be in a post-Covid world?


A: “In the process of evolution, the Homo-Sapiens has encountered and overcome several threats to its very existence. Covid is one such episode in the history of mankind which I’m sure will be overcome in its own time and there will be a post-Covid world. Covid, apart from its traumatic impact has also been a source of information to the human race. We have to learn that no country is an island by itself and when it comes to threats of this magnitude, we all have to stand together and be together.”

“Hopefully it has taught mankind, which was growing more and more self-centred, greedy for more and more materialistic comfort and environment to learn the difference between wealth and materialistic acquisition to simple success and happiness. Hopefully the fast-eroding structure of family, togetherness, community and care for the underprivileged which has rapidly been eroded in the pre-Covid era will again find a place in our lives for the simple joy of life and happiness,” Udwadia added.

Q: How does he see his personal road ahead?

A: “At 87 and with health issues, I look back with gratitude for having a fulfilling career and a good innings. The road ahead will have very limited professional activity (one clinic a week as I have just now), more golf, and much more time with my wife Khorshed and the children and my grandchildren. Sadly, travel which over the years was a great joy of my wife and I is restricted due to Covid, but if Covid leaves us, to travel,” Udwadia concluded.

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India News Interview

‘Tamil Eelam will be a reality soon’

Tamil Eelam will become a reality in not too far future, which aims to realise accountability of crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide committed by Sri Lanka against Tamil minority, said Rudrakumaran Visvanathan, the ‘Prime Minister’ of the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE).

Here are some excerpts of the interview:

The Chinese are having a major presence in Sri Lanka and it seems that the Sri Lankan government is under a debt trap by China. Your comments?

A. As you mentioned, Sri Lanka is under a major debt trap by China. In fact, in 2019, former Vice President of the United States Mike Pence gave an important speech regarding China’s debt trap, and he cited Sri Lanka as the case study. China has the Hambantota Harbour on a 99-year lease. Since the lease agreement is sealed, we do not know the contents of the agreement. It is feared that China will use it for military purposes. There is a clause prohibiting Hambantota for military purposes, but in reality, if China decides to use it for military purposes, tiny Sri Lanka will not be able to resist. Also, China has established a strong presence through its financing of the ‘Port City’ in the capital itself and has control over the Eastern Terminal of the Colombo Port. In essence, southern Sri Lanka is rapidly becoming a Chinese colony. China has also set its sights on the Tamil areas. In this regard, we the Tamils have taken a position that any Chinese presence in the Tamil areas should only be done with the consent of the Tamils. This is consistent with Tamil sovereignty and the Tamil right to self-determination. We are also concerned about the environmental impact of any Chinese investments.

Rudrakumaran Visvanathan, the ‘Prime Minister’ of the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam

Velupillai Prabhakaran was killed on May 18, 2009 by the Sri Lankan armed forces. Has the Tamil nationalist movement lost its steam after this incident?

No. In fact, following the 2009 Mullivaikkal genocide, the movement for an independent and sovereign state of Tamil Eelam, with the motto “Never Again”, has evolved further among Eelam Tamils and Tamils across the globe. Moreover, the second, third, and fourth generation of the Eelam Tamil diaspora, with their tech-savvy political activism, has sharpened the Eelam Tamil nationalist movement. By taking up the struggle through non-violent and political means we have entered a new and even stronger phase of the freedom movement while building on the foundation of the past.

What do you expect from a country like India in the struggle for Tamil Eelam?

The geopolitical map of the Indian Ocean is being rapidly redrawn. Geostrategic, geopolitical, and geo-economic dynamics are dictating intra-regional relations in South Asia and have recently extended to the Indian Ocean. China, which is determined to replace the current world order to one based on its own rules, is expanding its strategic influence in the littoral states of the Indian Ocean. As a result, democratic virtues in these countries are in great peril.

Needless to say, the above constitutes a threat not only to peace in the Indian Ocean, but also the national interests of India. Sri Lanka, an island strategically located in the Indian Ocean, is giving a duplicitous perception that it is neutral between India and China. However, the facts and history have proven otherwise. Also, the fact remains that Sri Lanka’s relationship with China is that of a vassal state, that can be used as a springboard to harm Indian interests.

In the Freedom Charter promulgated by the TGTE in 2013, with the participation of more than 100,000 people, we have explicitly stated that we will maintain close relations with all democratic nations. In the freedom charter under the foreign policy, we also said that we are expressing solidarity with the people of India and Tamil Eelam and would like to have a special relationship with India. Our foreign policy is premised on “principled realism.”

Currently, the Sri Lankan government is engaged in structural genocide against Eelam Tamils, seeking to destroy them as a nation. India should take measures to ensure the viability of the Eelam Tamil Nation in the island of Sri Lanka both for larger reasons of principle and morality as also in its own national interests. In fact, India has a legal obligation to do so. In the Indo-Sri Lankan Accord, India recognized the North-Eastern part of Sri Lanka as a historical habitation of Tamil people. Presently, the Sri Lankan government is changing the demography through colonization and land-grab under the context of archaeological excavation. Thus, India should first ensure that Sri Lanka stop this immediately. Sri Lanka is in economic distress and India gave an unconditional USD 500 million dollars. We applaud India’s generosity. However, we think India missed an opportunity. India should have tied that aid to getting a pledge from the Sri Lankan government to not violate the Indo-Sri Lankan Accord, specifically the clause pertaining to the Tamil homeland.

Is the goal of Tamil Eelam in near sight or is it a distant dream. What are the activities you are carrying out in this regard?

What happened in Mullivaikkal was an act of genocide. The Eelam Tamils with the help of international civil society are in the process of establishing that fact. In fact, the Tamil Nadu legislature has already passed a resolution to that effect and the Canadian parliament has also unanimously passed a resolution calling for the international investigation of genocide. Once this fact is established, we are legally entitled to have an independent state, as remedial justice to ensure non-recurrence. In fact, in 1971 India helped to establish Bangladesh under the premise of remedial justice.

We are also campaigning to demand that the Tamil national political question should be resolved through a referendum. In this context, I would also like to point out that the Tamil Nadu legislature also passed a resolution for a referendum on the Tamil national question. This demand is gaining currency in international civil society too. This is not just a political question; it is a fundamental question of human rights. We have no doubt that, not too far in the future, Tamil Eelam will become a reality – and indeed the TGTE is in the process of building an independent proto-state amidst the diaspora.

What is the current status of the accountability process and the upcoming Human rights council session in March?

The current HRC mandate expires in September, thus we do not expect any dramatic changes in the March session. However, I must also tell you that the current international mechanisms, including HRC are controlled by the states and states act according to their own interests and not necessarily based on justice. Thus, we have launched a campaign called ‘Victims Driven International Justice’ utilizing the forums in the countries where the diaspora live, based on the principle of universal jurisdiction. We are also working on creating exceptions to the Foreign Sovereign Immunity Act in many countries that would enable victims to sue the Sri Lankan state itself for international crimes.

The international civil society has already created a situation whereby not a single Sri Lankan political leader or military leader and their families can openly leave Sri Lanka and go to a foreign country for even a visit. They can only leave in the dark and with the fear of being picked up and prosecuted by the judicial mechanisms in many countries.

What about the proposed new constitution by the present Sri Lankan government?

The Tamils never participated in the 1972 and 1978 Constitutions. Those were imposed on the Tamils. Similarly, if this initiative for a new constitution becomes a reality it will also be imposed on Tamils because the Sri Lankan state, its institutions, and its polity are in the clutches of religious fundamentalism similar to Myanmar and Iran and will never allow any kind of power-sharing with the Tamils or with the Muslims. Racism is entrenched in Sri Lanka and permeates all institutions. Thus, our position is that Tamils can only live with physical security and dignity outside the existing current state structure of Sri Lanka.

There are several rumours of LTTE regrouping and Tamil Nadu police have recently arrested a former LTTE intelligence operative, Satkunam alias Sabesan on charges of smuggling drugs from Pakistan to Sri Lanka and rerouting the money to Tamil Nadu. Your comments?

The LTTE silenced its guns in May 2009. All the countries’ intelligence agencies know that the LTTE is not engaged in any kind of military activity since 2009. If they don’t know this, these intelligence agencies should be revamped.

Arguendo, the allegations mentioned by you are true. It does not mean that the LTTE has regrouped. It is quite possible, one or two individuals might make the claim, but that is not tantamount to the resumption of military struggle. I represented an asylum seeker from Bangladesh who was a member of the BNP and the Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in the US held that unless the leadership condoned the terrorist activity it cannot be attributed to the organization. There is no evidence of any violence or subversive activity to justify the ban on the LTTE, as a political organisation.

The LTTE bogeyman has been created by these governments to destroy the Tamil nationalist movement, which is today entirely non-violent and based on principles of peaceful resistance. It is very unfortunate that even civilized governments are misusing legal measures in their countries to serve the political purpose. These actions are not only violations of fundamental human rights, but they are also corrupting their own legal systems.

A supporter of Gotabaya Rajapaksa cheers along the street in Colombo Sri Lanka.

It is reported that huge money of the LTTE is left unused in some bank accounts in India including a nationalized bank in Fort branch, Mumbai. Is this true?

I have no idea. I wish it is true and I can have access to that money!

You are the PM of TGTE. There are reports that this is not a monolithic organization or rather a government like the Tibetan Government in Exile and that there are fissures. Please explain if there is any truth in this.

We do not claim that the TGTE is a government in exile. The TGTE is a transnational government, not a ‘transitional’ government. It is a new concept, it is based on democracy, transparency, and transnationalism. We held elections in 12 countries amidst the Tamil diaspora. It is based on the principle that the people are the nation even in the temporary absence of their own geographical territory. As one political science professor said that this is the Eelam Tamil movement’s contribution to political science.

Do you feel that the present Indian government will support your cause as the Chinese are inching towards establishing their proxy government in Sri Lanka?

It is important to advocate that the security of India is dependent on the rights and security of Eelam Tamils. If India fails to wake up to this reality, there will be another TIBET in the south for India and in the Indian Ocean region. Another important point is that Sri Lanka is no longer a democratic country and is currently under the control of a corrupt, authoritarian, militaristic reign of the Rajapakse family whose survival is ultimately determined by the Chinese support all the way from Colombo to the Security Council of United Nations. This is the crucial difference between India and China over their reach with the power in Colombo and the only critical element is Tamil Eelam that can keep the Sinhala ruling elites and the Chinese under check. This is what we want India to acknowledge and review its national and geostrategic priorities.

Rudrakumaran currently lives in New York and is a US citizen and has represented LTTE in several mediatory talks with the Sri Lankan Government.

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Films Interview

‘Communication is extremely key and important’

Deepika and Ranveer have set the benchmark of what love is with their constant romance-filled exchanges on social media…writes Durga Chakravarty

As her film ” is all set to release just days before Valentine’s Day, Bollywood superstar Deepika Padukone, who has redefined romance with her actor-husband Ranveer Singh time and again, has shared the key to a good and healthy relationship.

The actress, who in 2018 was named as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by TIME, has also talked about what it feels like to be in love. She says for her love is trust, friendship, companionship and where one can just be themselves.

In a candid chat about what it takes to make a relationship healthy and successful, Deepika said: “Communication.”

She added: “I think honest communication in a relationship is extremely important and it’s not necessary that two people in a relationship are always on the same page. They may not necessarily have to agree with each other on all points but I think to communicate the way you feel about certain things and to be honest about that.”

Deepika says “communication is extremely key and important.”

“Even if there are arguments and disagreements. The fact that you feel a certain way and to communicate is that I think is important. So, I think a key to a good or a healthy relationship is communication,” added the doe-eyed actress.

Deepika and Ranveer have set the benchmark of what love is with their constant romance-filled exchanges on social media.

Asked what it feels like to be in love, Deepika shared: “Well, I think love in itself is a very loaded and complicated word to use like that I think. Also, because love just means so many different things to different people.”

She added: “But as far as I am concerned, for me love is trust, friendship, companionship, love is where you can just be yourself, love is adjustment. I think when you are 19 or 21, the definition of love is very different and when you get older the definition changes.”

Deepika currently awaits the release of her upcoming romantic drama ‘Gehraiyaan’, which talks about love and complex human relationships. The film is all set for a digital release on Prime Video on February 11.

Talking about her character Alisha in the film, Deepika said it was her story that was emotionally draining.

“I don’t think I can say there’s one thing that drained me. I think just the backstory of the character is the baggage that she’s carrying from the past. The emotional and mental turmoil she is going through when you see her in the film and the circumstances around her throughout the film,” she said.

“So, it’s like the character has been layered from the start so the minute you introduced to the character you realise that she is already at quite a juncture in her life in a sense so I think the hardest part was obviously was the conviction with the choices that are being made by this character and the repercussions of the choices,” Deepika added.

“So, emotionally that sort of turmoil of choices and consequences was the most difficult part for me.”

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India News Interview Politics

Azad hopes to be kingmaker in UP

In an exclusive conversation with Mohammad Suaib Khan, Azad Samaj Party chief Chandra Shekhar Aazad spoke on his reasons for contesting from the Gorakhpur Assembly constituency.

Azad Samaj Party President Chandra Shekhar Aazad is contesting against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath from the Goarakhpur Assembly seat. Aazad is confident of his win and his party becoming the kingmaker.

In an exclusive conversation with IANS, Aazad spoke on several issues regarding the state Assembly elections, including his reasons for contesting from the Gorakhpur Assembly constituency. He claims that hundreds of people, including many BJP leaders have asked him to contest the elections as they are upset with the saffron party. Azad promises to pose a formidable political challenge to the BJP.

Here are excerpts from the interview:


Q: What are your expectations while entering the political fray and how many seats are you sure of winning this time?

A: My expectations are democratic, even if a party has won only a single vote, it hopes that it will form the government. My party has been working hard for the last six years. My party has worked for the welfare of the marginalised and deprived sections of the society such as Dalits, backward castes, Muslims, etc. Our party has worked extensively on the issues concerning women, farmers and employment. The common man is angry with all other party leaders except ours as all these parties have been in power in the past. People are disappointed with all other parties as they are not getting employment while inflation across the country is at an all-time high.

My party is contesting in all 403 Assembly constituencies. Only time will tell which party has the people’s support. I don’t want to make tall claims and only believe in working hard. My party knows how to work on the ground, how to fight and has struggled a lot. Today incompetent people are running the country who neither know the constitution nor use parliamentary language. The ruling party only wants to deflect the people’s attention from development and other important issues by doing the politics of religious polarisation.

Q: You are contesting election from the Gorakhpur Assembly constituency, which is a stronghold of the BJP. Are you not committing suicide with such a political decision?

A: “If Gorakhpur is indeed a stronghold of the BJP, then how did it slip away from them during the UP bypolls when the BJP was in the government both in the state and at the Centre. If it is indeed BJP’s stronghold, why then have so many top leaders quit the party in the state? Each and every vote is important which decides who the people choose as an MLA. Yogi ji is also contesting elections for the first time as am I. The people of Uttar Pradesh gave Yogi Ji five years, yet Gorakhpur is in shambles.”

“Murders are frequently happening in Gorakhpur. Hundreds of children are dying due to Japanese Encephalitis while the BJP government is in power. As many as 122 people have been allegedly booked under the stringent National Security Act, 15 such cases have been registered in Gorakhpur alone. Today those party leaders who were supporting Yogi ji are contesting elections against him. There are many cases of corruption against the BJP government. The Election Commission urges other parties not to violate the model code of conduct but while filing their respective nomination, huge political banners have been put on display.”

“If the UP Chief Minister thinks that he will become a tall leader by misusing power, the public will decide soon. I hope that my party will receive people’s support and we will defeat the BJP government.”

Q: Will your party play the role of a kingmaker in the formation of government in Uttar Pradesh?

A: “Yes, my party will play a significant role in the formation of government in the state. Only democracy thrives in our country and arrogant as well as dictatorial regimes will not last long here. Congress was in power in the past for a long time, I have seen them being voted out of power.”

“The situation in Gorakhpur is extremely bad and it is such that when I came here, hundreds of people and several top BJP leaders told me that they want an opposition leader to give the BJP a tough political challenge. If someone challenges the BJP to fight them politically, then the ruling BJP uses the Enforcement Directorate and other central investigating agencies as tools to harass their political opponents. I am the only opposition leader who can politically fight the BJP. So the people will vote for my party and help us win the elections.”

“I belong to Uttar Pradesh and the people of Gorakhpur need me. The BJP government did not work despite the people giving it a chance to govern the state for the last five years, therefore now the people want me to contest elections.”

Q: If your party plays a decisive role in forming the government in the state, then with which party will you form an alliance?

A: “I will reiterate again that the BJP government has been given the chance to govern the state for five years. Now the people should give me a chance to become the state Chief Minister. One significant issue is the implementation of a caste census in the state, why is the BJP government staying silent over it? Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Ji had said that his party stands firmly with leaders from the backward community, why is he not uttering a word on the 52 per cent reservation for the Other Backward Classes (OBCs). So why is the BJP or the SP not making promises on important issues if they want to form the government in the state.

Q: Will you stake claim for the Chief Minister’s chair as the role of a kingmaker?


A: “Of course my party will, if we get a chance because only then will we able to do something for the people.”

Q: In Uttar Pradesh, you are a youth leader. Do national parties face a threat from your party in future. This is why they do not want you to stitch an alliance with your party in the ongoing state Assembly elections?

A: “I believe in doing hard work, I don’t know how long I will live. The identity of a person is known by his/her work. My father was a teacher and I come from a poor family.

I understand that during the last 70 years, if the poor continue to stay poor, then how have we changed as a country? If the government is giving free ration as the elections are near, then it is the responsibility of the government. The people choose a government so that their problems are addressed.

“People in Uttar Pradesh are still deprived of basic facilities, the condition of roads in Muzaffarnagar is quite bad. People have given every party a chance to be in power in the past, I am young and want to do politics of change.

I don’t want to do politics promoting family rule and corruption. If I am part of any government and injustice is done to any person, then I will not remain silent. My party will stand with the people who are in distress and demand accountability from the government in power which is what all other parties fear.”

Q: BSP supremo Mayawati ji is not seen actively during the ongoing state elections, will the people see you as repacing her as a mass Dalit leader?


A: “The socialist ideology means working with certain principles, I do not work only for the Dalit community. Mayawati ji is much older than me and I respect her. Every party has their own political strategy. As elections are approaching, Akhilesh ji and other party leaders are coming forward to garner people’s votes. Leaders from various parties did not interact with people on the ground for the last five years when the people needed their support the most.

“Behenji (Mayawati) is making necessary efforts, since the past many times people have chosen to distance themselves from her. The people are doing so since they feel that leaders like Mayawati are present among the people only during the election season. People are disappointed with the BJP government and people are supporting my party as we work at the ground level. My party fights against any form of injustice and raises pertinent issues. I am contesting state elections for the first time. I have given tickets to more than 100 people from the backward community despite hailing from poor families.”

Elections in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases and voting will take place on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27, March 3 and 7. The results will be declared on March 10. The first phase of polling will start from districts of western Uttar Pradesh and gradually end with eastern Uttar Pradesh districts.

As many as 58 Assembly constituencies will go to polls during the first phase and 64 seats in the final and seventh phase.

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Interview Kerala Science

ISRO prepares to boost space economy with structural reforms

My mission is to continue this work and to follow the footsteps of my seniors who have made yeoman contributions in the development of space science in the country and ISRO has played a stellar role in it… ISRO’s new Chairman S. Somanath speaks with Arun Lakshman

With space sector reforms and growth of India’s space economy his topmost priorities, ISRO’s new Chairman

says that ‘Gaganyaan’, the ambitious project to put a human crew in space, is another key objective and the space agency expects that the mission would help lay the robust foundation for a sustainable human flight programme in the long run.

As the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is undertaking in-depth research and new projects and programmes to take space technology and space to a higher level and for benefits to the common man, it is also for promoting new entrepreneurs and for more and more programmes that would be useful to explore space and for bringing in benefits to mankind, Somanath in an exclusive interview. Following are excerpts:
What are the major programmes in pipeline for ISRO?

The Indian Space Research Organisation is in the process of adapting and adopting to new challenges and opportunities. India will be launching two major space missions in the 75th year of Independence and the ISRO is in an advanced stage of developing the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV). We are also in the process of the first launch of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV).

While Covid has put our plans on the backburner or delayed our launches, we are hopeful of completing the landing trial or testing the landing gear mechanism of RLV soon. RLV is a priority and it will bring down the cost of launch drastically as also we need launch vehicles that need to be used even up to 15 times. The scaling down of costs would reflect on more launches and eventually the benefit is transferred to a large number of people.

The design and development of SSLV are almost done and we will be launching it within months.

Gaganyaan will be a top priority and with the Covid pandemic on, it has been delayed a bit but the ambitious push to put a human crew in space is on and we, at the ISRO, hope that the mission would help lay the foundation for a sustainable human space flight programme in the long run. Chandrayan-3 and Aditya-L1 missions are some of the projects awaiting immediate attention.

Can you explain the proportionate impact that a fleet of satellites will have on communication technology?


We aim to have the capability of transmitting directly to handheld devices without any time lapse. This will revolutionalise the information and the infotainment industry. In a similar manner, the low-cost launch will also help improve space application using remote sensing satellites or other low orbit satellites. With the help of Artificial Intelligence, we hope to bring out more services that bring benefit to more people and more lives. Other than this more eyes in the sky would help fine-tune the existing meteorological models along with other observation needs.

There are reports on emerging commercial opportunities in the Space sector. Your comments

There are a lot of emerging opportunities in the space sector and there is a huge enthusiasm among the country’s young entrepreneurs to explore the emerging commercial opportunities in the space sector. We have opened our doors to these game changers and they can explore the envelope of possibilities in this sunrise sector instead of confining their skills and imagination to a particular area of space science.

I can say that there are many skilled and qualified youngsters who are in discussions with the ISRO for their startups that are entering the field. However, there are risks involved in rocket manufacture and developing other launch vehicles and risk is a great factor in the manufacturing and assembling of satellites.

The maximum interest being envisaged in the commercial side is on the low-risk area of application development based on space-based data and becoming providers of space-based services opens a vista of opportunities to these youngsters who have the entrepreneurial bug and ISRO is fully supporting them.

How are the strides in Indian space research beneficial to common man?

While most of the nations were used space for projecting another dimension of their defence power, we, in India, used it for reaching the scientific benefits to the common man of the country. The giant strides the country has made in telemedicine, weather forecast, agriculture, and distance education are a few examples that we can showcase on the contribution we have made in space research that is directly transferred as benefits to common man.

My mission is to continue this work and to follow the footsteps of my seniors who have made yeoman contributions in the development of space science in the country and ISRO has played a stellar role in it.

We know that there are several departments in the country that need the support of space technology and we will improve interactions with them to develop user-based initiatives in these areas. At present we are in direct contact with some government institutions and we will expand it to a larger number and spread our wings with indirect contact with some government bodies. The idea is to bring them all under one umbrella and develop products that uplift the lives of common people in the country.

There are a lot of discussions on graveyard orbits being in use by major players in space. Please explain

Graveyard orbit is used when the change in velocity required to perform a de-orbit maneuver is too large. For satellites in geostationary orbit and geosynchronous orbits, the graveyard orbit is a few hundred kilometers beyond the operational orbit. The transfer to a graveyard orbit beyond geostationary orbit requires the same amount of fuel as a satellite needs for about three months of stationkeeping.

We are planning to put an old satellite into graveyard orbit in the near future. This is done when a satellite is nearing its life and the remaining life is less than a few months and when the controls are still active.

Could you tell us about your journey to ISRO?

I did my schooling at St. Augustine High School, Aroor which is a government-aided school, and those days the pass percentage in the school was very low – around 30 per cent of those who write the Class 10 board exam. I was the topper in Kerala for physics, chemistry, mathematics, and biology in school and it was a great achievement those days that gave me a morale booster. My father was a Hindi teacher but he was scientifically oriented and he was the one who inculcated or rather kindled the interest in science in me.

Those days we did assemble our own radio and my father was keen that I read good science publications during my school days. I did my pre-university at the prestigious Maharajas College in Ernakulam and did my BTech in Mechanical Engineering from TKM College of Engineering, Kollam. I did my Master’s degree in aerospace engineering from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore with a specialisation in Dynamics and Control and I joined the ISRO in 1985.

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Interview Lite Blogs

Shweta: Embodying pain while not having felt it is really challenging

The romantic thriller series ‘Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein’ also stars Tahir Raj Bhasin and Anchal Singh…reports Asian Lite News

Actress Shweta Tripathi has always portrayed strong characters such as Golu Gupta in ‘Mirzapur’ and Sandhya in ‘Haraamkhor’ to name a few. She says she resonates with such roles because she is a bit of a fiery person herself.

With ‘Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein’, she brings forth softer and warmer character tour screens.

Shweta, while talking about her past characters and the challenges of playing a romantic role in ‘Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein’, said: “I’m someone who has played a lot of strong characters in the past, and I can resonate with them as well because I am a bit of a fiery person.

“But I think the biggest difference between Shikha’s life and mine is that there is a lot of pain in hers and embodying that pain while not having felt it, was a huge challenge.

Shweta said she has done action in the past but “this kind of action is very different.

“I find myself crying while running through gunshots and blasts. I am used to not being afraid. So even if it’s using a gun, I would not be scared, I would pick it up and shoot it, as opposed to here.”

Talking about her character in the Netflix series, she added: “I play a character who’s fearful, yet, driven by love amidst chaos, and isn’t trying to emerge as a hero. I think that has been the biggest challenge.”

The romantic thriller series ‘Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein’ also stars Tahir Raj Bhasin and Anchal Singh.

It released on January 14 on Netflix. ‘Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein’ starring Tahir Raj Bhasin and Shweta Tripathi Sharma, has been garnering positive response from all over.

The show, a romantic thriller, follows the story of a simpleton Vikrant essayed by Tahir, who gets endlessly pursued by the daughter of a powerful politician as he struggles to keep his promise of marriage with the love of his life – Shikha essayed by Shweta.

While the show sees Tahir stepping into a new territory of romance thriller, it also portrays the vulnerabilities and insecurities of Shweta’s character of Shikha as she tries to stay afloat amidst a world of crime and hot pursuit.

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India News Interview Politics

Keshav Prasad Maurya : SP, BSP, Congress will be routed out

The Deputy Chief Minister said that as soon as his party wins the 2022 polls, it will start preparations for the 2024 general elections…writes Vivek Tripathi

The electoral battle for the upcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh has already begun with all parties going all out with their poll preparations. The BJP government in the state has given the responsibility of repeating the 2017 state polls performance to Keshav Prasad Maurya, the Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader, who is working hard especially setting the caste equations right once again for the saffron party.

Keshav Prasad Maurya said that BJP is always ready for any election. He claims that the Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Congress will be routed out when poll results will be declared on March 10. He is confident about the chances of BJP’s victory in the upcoming state Assembly polls. The Deputy Chief Minister said that as soon as his party wins the 2022 polls, it will start preparations for the 2024 general elections.

All opposition parties accuse the BJP of not fighting elections on the issue of development, but playing politics in the name of religion?

The BJP is fighting elections in the name of development. The SP is taking credit for the inauguration and foundation stone of various developmental projects that have been undertaken during the last five years of the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh. Therefore, I challenge SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav to contest elections from the Assembly constituency where maximum development was done during his term as the CM.

“If there has been any Chief Minister who is the biggest obstacle to development in the country, it is Akhilesh Yadav. He has been the most unsuccessful Chief Minister till date. During his tenure, there were a lot of rioting incidents and the condition of Uttar Pradesh was in complete turmoil.”

CM Yogi Adityanath and you are also fighting elections, is the BJP not confident enough ?

Our political opponents are getting nervous because of us (Yogi and I) contesting the upcoming state elections. Yogi ji is fighting election from the Gorakhpur Assembly constituency. The party has given me an opportunity to fight election from my native land. “The way we (BJP) had secured a thumping majority in 2017, we will again come back to power in 2022 with an even bigger mandate.”

The BJP had given a slogan of 60 per cent votes out of 100 is ours. Now the SP has given a new slogan that 85 per cent votes of 100 is ours, there is division on the rest,

This is a clear attempt by the SP to copy the slogan given by the BJP. Those who imitate others must know that imitation requires intelligence. But the people belonging to the SP have mortgaged their intelligence to gangsters and rioters. The SP had already tried contesting election alone and even by forming pre-poll alliances with other parties in 2014, 2017 and 2019. In all the three elections, the people rejected the SP and voted in large numbers for the BJP.

Asked about the discontent among party workers on the ground level due to prominence being given to people joining the BJP from other parties?

Before 2014, the BJP had 50 MLAs and nearly 10 MPs in Uttar Pradesh. But the number of MPs increased from 10 to 73 in 2014. Similarly, in the 2017 state Assembly elections, we (BJP) secured 325 seats. Leaders from other parties want to join the BJP and are being welcomed here. There is no question of giving tickets to all the leaders who have joined the BJP from other parties.

Asked about religious polarisation due to the Muzaffarnagar riots in the upcoming elections,

The BJP always practices the politics of development. Who can forget the 700 riots in Uttar Pradesh? Who can forget those leaders from the SP involved in criminalizing of politics? How can it be forgotten that people had to migrate due to the fear of criminals in Kairana? Who can forget the ban on Kanwar yatra?

The BJP is fighting elections in the name of development and is confident of securing victory. “We will defeat those parties which vitiate the law and order situation in the state.”

The opposition says that the entire vote bank of OBCs is standing firm with them?

The Forward and Backward castes as well as Dalits are standing firmly with the BJP. The party is getting votes from every community. Of the 24 crore people in UP, more than 15 crore prefer to vote for the BJP. The issues raised by our party will become the basis of our victory. The SP and RLD have given tickets to criminals and mafia, that is why both the parties are taking time to announce their second list of candidates after releasing the first.

The BJP is giving tickets to those people you deserve it. Akhilesh Yadav is not able to handle his own family, how will he handle a state like Uttar Pradesh?

The BJP does not work for casteism, instead ours is a nationalist party. The nationalism of opposition parties is a hoax. This will be decided by the mood of the people . Right now this is just a trailer, the entire picture will be clear after 2022 polls when Uttar Pradesh will develop at a much faster pace.

Asked about Akhilesh’s statement to build Ram temple?

If Akhilesh Yadav’s government was in power today, thousands of karsevaks would have been killed by now. BJP’s history as a party has been to relinquish political power for Ram bhakts (devotees of Ram).

In response to another query, Maurya said that the SP, BSP and Congress are visible as a party only during the time of elections.

“They (opposition parties) have only one goal that is to contest elections and attain power by any means. When these parties are in power, they protect criminals, mafias and rioters. Our policy is that after coming to power, our priority is to reach the poor and the deprived sections of society.”

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-Top News Goa Interview

Goa: Incentives for investors

Goa will take a holistic approach to promote key sectors and provide incentives to investors in these sectors. The state has always been open to dialogue about customising an incentives package based on the unique requirements of an investor. Ms. Swetika Sachan, IAS, Director, Directorate of Industries Trade & Commerce and CEO of Goa Investment Promotion and Facilitation Board talks to Asian Lite

Ms. Swetika Sachan, IAS, CEO. Goa Investment Promotion and Facilitation Board: Tourism is the biggest sector in Goa and rightly so. It is something we are proud of and will showcase at the Expo. At the same time, Goa has a lot more to offer and we want to utilise the Expo to display that too. Our focus sectors are: Agro and food processing; IT and IT enabled services; Knowledge-based industry; Light engineering and Niche tourism like medical and luxury tourism

Ms. Swetika Sachan

ASIAN LITE: How do you think Dubai Expo 2020 will help boost Goa’s plans to attract overseas investments to the state across sectors, besides tourism?

SWETIKA SACHAN: Goa is best known as a tourist destination. At the Expo, the state pavilion will showcase various other strengths of Goa alongside its tourist appeal. Sectors such as IT and IT-enabled services, light engineering, agro and food processing are some of the prime areas where the state encourages investment. In our interactions with investors, we would like to highlight the support that the government is willing to provide to give a boost to these industries and other focus sectors of the state.

ASIAN LITE: Would you be looking to have long term trade deals/ agreements with countries in certain focus areas like health, education, SME’s, Aerospace & Defence, Infrastructure?

SWETIKA SACHAN: Absolutely yes. We want to create sustainable growth in the state and such agreements and deals will help the state to work with a long-term vision in mind. With regards to policy making also, it helps to have such agreements in place so that the development can happen on an ongoing basis.

ASIAN LITE: Besides the facilities and incentives, the new Investment Policy of Goa offers to the global investors which every state offers, what different/ unique has Goa got to offer in order to have an edge over others?

SWETIKA SACHAN: Goa is in the process of drafting its new and updated Investment Policy. We will take a holistic approach in this policy to promote our priority sectors and provide incentives to those seeking to invest in these sectors. Besides that, the state has always been open to dialogue about customising an incentives package based on the unique requirements of an investor. This is what we intend to do in Dubai also. We would like to speak with potential investors, understand their needs and challenges and offer solutions that work for them. By extension, we also want the investors to see Goa’s uniqueness and understand the priorities of the state.

ASIAN LITE: Do you have a roadmap to follow-up on the investment interests generated at the EXPO and bring them to ground level? Will you also be making local employment a part of the agreements?

SWETIKA SACHAN: Local employment and preservation of Goa’s beautiful ecosystem are the main objectives of the state when evaluating investment proposals. This will be at the foundation of every discussion we have in Dubai. Goan youth is skilled and talented, and we want to bring the right opportunities in the state for their benefit, such as agro and food processing and technical sectors such as IT, FinTech, to name a few.

The roadmap is very simple, we want to talk to investors and find those who share the same motivations as the government to bring about responsible development in the state. State leadership will helm these discussions and myself and my team will be there along the way to provide necessary support.

ASIAN LITE: Goa is largely known for its tourism worldwide. What plans have you to position the state as an investment destination for other sectors also besides EXPO DUBAI 2020?

SWETIKA SACHAN: Tourism is the biggest sector in Goa and rightly so. It is something we are proud of and will showcase at the Expo. At the same time, Goa has a lot more to offer and we want to utilise the Expo to display that too. Our focus sectors are:

Agro and food processing

IT and IT enabled services

Knowledge based industry

Light engineering

Niche tourism like medical and luxury tourism

ASIAN LITE: India is targeting to become $5 trillion economy by 2025. What do you think will be the pie of Goa in the overall contribution of states?

SWETIKA SACHAN: Goa is a leading contributor in terms of the SGDP and has demonstrated continuous growth rate of the same. As our connectivity with the world and rest of the country increases, tourism is expected to grow too. We have a new international airport underway and an expansive network of highways under construction. Besides this, the state is also encouraging investments in the focus sectors as mentioned earlier.  Altogether, it is safe to say that Goa’s share of the pie will be significant and will continue to grow.

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Interview Lite Blogs Tech Lite

INTERVIEW: Ketan Patel, Managing Director, HP India

Hybrid work is here to stay even if things turn normal … Nishant Arora meets Ketan Patel, Managing Director, HP India market. As countries reopen after navigating a long spell of the Covid-19 pandemic, the world will never be the same again in terms of people going back to offices — even if things come back to normal — and hybrid work is going to stay with us…reports Asian Lite News.

As countries reopen after navigating a long spell of the Covid-19 pandemic, the world will never be the same again in terms of people going back to offices — even if things come back to normal — and hybrid work is going to stay with us, says Ketan Patel, Managing Director, HP India market.

India has millions of flexible workers (and the pandemic has created millions more) who will now be working from home, or from anywhere going forward.

“The world will remain in the hybrid mode, irrespective of the new Omicron strain. I think one thing people have realised — large customers, small customers or educators — that there is a huge productivity opportunity from working from home or working from anywhere which they don’t want to miss,” Patel told.

The global supply chain is currently facing disruption owing to the pandemic and several industries — from automakers to smartphone manufacturers — are bearing the brunt.

According to Patel, the supply chain threat will always loom in the new normal and “we have to be continuously checking how the situation is emerging and setting expectations with our customers.”

“Since a lot of our customers need a lot of our devices for their business continuity plans, we are very mindful that without their devices, their business and their entire productivity can be at risk,” Patel said.

“We are working very closely with our customers to continuously communicate to them, doing advanced planning with them and have a cushion in our supply chain so that their productivity doesn’t get impacted,” he elaborated.

Hybrid workplace is going to fuel growth categories like computing and home printing products.

According to Gartner, the worldwide PC shipments totalled 84.1 million units in the third quarter of 2021, an increase of 1 per cent from the third quarter of 2020.

As Covid-19 vaccines become more widely available, consumer and educational spending began to shift away from PCs to other priorities, slowing momentum in the market, said the market research firm.

The Indian PC market (inclusive of desktops, laptops, and workstations) also reported an all-time high shipment record of 4.5 million units in Q3, according to International Data Corporation (IDC).

HP maintained its lead in the overall PC category in India during the period, with over a million shipments in the domestic market.

According to Patel, the company is expanding its portfolio in manufacturing across multiple products in India, in order to make sure that “we play a meaningful role in building India’s a global manufacturing hub”.

The PC penetration in India among the millions of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is still dismally low.

“A lot of SMEs are trying to join the digital bandwagon to be e-commerce ready, and want to be digitally connected to their customers. Some of the small mom-and-pop shops are also trying to be connected as a seller through a network of e-commerce platforms. Going forward, computing will become a centre-stage of everything that they do,” Patel told IANS.

One of the challenges India always has is that it has a low PC penetration, in the range of 14-15 per cent, as compared to other economies where it is in the range of 40-50 per cent.

“This is that massive opportunity which will take us to a different level,” Patel said.

“Gaming is another category that will see a boost in 2022. I think the gaming market in India has grown more than 100 per cent last year. PC gaming has helped people remain connected with their friends and entertain themselves. That is why gaming has become mainstream and has driven a lot of growth,” Patel noted.

Some people buy gaming products for casual gaming but because of high-processing and high-graphics capabilities, they can also create casual videos.

“So if you are a YouTuber, you use that power of the machine. If you are a photographic enthusiast, you can use that power. If you want to stream content on OTT, the PC machine with high-processing power and graphics capability and great screen gives you that experience too,” the HP India head elaborated.

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