Issuu

Vol 9 Issue No.117 June - July 2021 USD 0.70`50AED 5BD 0.500

Digital Learning:

How the Pandemic Became a Catalyst for Change Shri V.P. Nandakumar MD & CEO Manappuram Finance Ltd.

The communist

superstar

Director & CEO Jebitha Ajit Editor Jebitha Ajit Legal Advisor Latha Anand B.S.Krishnan Associates bskrishnanassociates@gmail.com Sub-Editor Anusha Varghese Consulting Editor Sujit Chandra Kumar Associate Editor Ravi Saini Rajeev Kumar Director and special editor kollur Correspondents Dr. Thomas Nechupadam Vivek Venugopal- Quarter Mile Amrutha V Kumar Creative Design PEGASUS Cover Photographer PEGASUS Marketing USA 725, burning tree lane, punta gorda Florida-33982 Mob: +1 (863) 558-5234 UAE Phygicart.com P.O. Box: 92546, Al Karama Dubai Mr. Anish K Joy Mob: +971528946999 info@phygicart.com Plot No 19A, 9th Floor, Green Building, Film City, Sector - 16A, Noida - 201301 Shaji N Palakkal 415, Building 23, Al Khail Gate, Al Quoz-2, Dubai, UAE Tel: +9714 4511075 Maharashtra Jayasankar M, a/101, New Prathamesh Niwas, OPP. Laxmi Park, Thakurli East, Dombivli post, Thane District, 421201 Mob: 9820708662 Tamil Nadu Hariharan Unique Times, No.6/31, Arunachalam main road, Saligramam, Chennai – 600093 Mob: 9840018929 Karnataka, Telangana, Andhrapradesh PEGASUS Ph: 09288800999 Sunilkumar NN Your wing Vineeth Nair Director Ambalika Saikia, Ambalika_saikia@yahoo.com Published at Pegasus Global Pvt. Ltd. L5-106, Changampuzha Nagar Kalamassery, Ernakulam-682 033 e-mail: editor@uniquetimes.org uniquetimesindia@gmail.com Ph:0484 2532040, 2532080, Mob:9288800999

Editorial “W

hen obstacles arise, you change your direction to reach your goal, you do not change your decision to get there” – Zig Ziglar The familiar face of the powerful Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, graces our cover this time. Inside, we analyse how he crafted a historic win in the recent election on the back of his image as a strong and reliable personality with a never-say-die attitude. In this edition, Manappuram Finance Limited MD and CEO V P Nandakumar expresses his thoughts on ‘Digital Learning: How the Pandemic Became a Catalyst for Change’. This time, our customary travel article will teleport you to a new world, an Island in French Polynesia called Bora Bora, which is known for the adventure sport, scuba diving. In the auto section, our expert explores the smooth and reliable Mercedes E350d. The expert explains every minute detail of this amazing car. Along with the aforesaid articles, the edition has all our regular articles from beauty, movie review and book review to motivation and business articles. On offer this time is also a new, light column called Easy & Breezy. Besides our usual menu, we also have content related to Covid-19, black fungus and the reason why the second Covid wave is greatly affecting the youth. “There are many little ways to enlarge your world. Love of books is the best of all.” – Jacqueline Kennedy Hope you create a new world! Enjoy Reading! Thank You Sd/Jebitha Ajit

Cover Photograph Sri. Pinarayi Vijayan Chief Minister of Kerala

Printer & publisher Pegasus Global Pvt. Ltd. Cochin (682033) on behalf of Ajit Ravi. Printed at S.T.Reddiar & Sons, P.B. No: 3627, Veekshanam Road, Cochin-18.

CONTENTS

The Communist Superstar

Digital Learning: How the Pandemic Became a Catalyst for Change

Professional in the Post - Pandemic World

Early Detection is Very Crucial for Successful Treatment of Brain Tumours

‘I can’t breathe’- a curious case of an oxygen concentrator

48 50 52 58

Gadgets Natural Ways to Cure Blackheads An Epitome of Natural Beauty and Iconic Views: Bora Bora Mercedes E350d A younger look and feel

UNIQUE DIARY

Companies Extending Aid to Families of Covid victims

s India continues to battle the second wave of Covid-19, many organisations are extending monetary and non-monetary benefits to families of employees affected by the coronavirus. So far, India has recorded more than 2.4 lakh Covid deaths, according to the latest Union health ministry data. To ease the pain of the families of deceased employees, several organisations are offering benefits like a onetime compassionate payment, financial sponsorship for children’s education, and an employment opportunity to the spouse. Many companies like Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and HCL Technologies have expanded their group term insurance policy to include Covid protection for their employees.

CoviSelf: India’s First Self-Testing Kit to be Available Soon

“The secret of change is to focus all your energy not on fighting the old but on building the new.” Socrates, father of Western philosophy

June - July 2021

oviSelf, which is the first self-testing home kit for Covid testing, will be available in the market very soon, according to the director of Pune’s MyLab Discovery Solutions Sujjet Jain. This becomes the first home kit that has got the approval of the Indian Council of Medical Research for home testing in the country. The kit will be available in more than 7 lakh pharmacies across India and will be also available for online purchases as well. The concept of self-testing is not new as it has been already allowed by several countries. The kit is priced at Rs 250 including taxes and will be coming with a detailed manual on how to conduct the test at home.

UNIQUE DIARY

Covid-19 Pandemic: Maruti Suzuki’s Production Falls by 7 Percent in April

ndia’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki said its total production in April 2021 stood at 1,59,955 units, down by 7 percent from March this year. Its Chairman R.C Bhargava stated it was difficult to provide a sales outlook due to the uncertainties related to Covid-19 as well as production constraints. He also stated that the problem was not due to lack of demand, but due to the shortage of vehicles, adding that the firm currently had pending customer bookings of more than two lakh vehicles. The country’s largest carmaker was also keeping a close watch on the impact of rising steel prices and government orders limiting the use of oxygen by industries, as well as the continuing shortage of semiconductors.

Small Businesses, MSMEs to Get Relief from RBI

“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” Bill Gates

ith India’s economic recovery threatened by the Covid-19 second wave, the Reserve Bank of India has stepped forward with measures aimed at providing relief for healthcare infrastructure and services, as well as small borrowers. RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das in an unscheduled address announced a Term Liquidity Facility of INR 50,000 crore with the tenure of up to three years, at the repo rate, to ease access to credit for providers of emergency health services. Under this scheme, banks will be providing fresh lending support to a wide range of entities.

June - July 2021

Swiggy begins Vaccination Drive for Delivery Partners

s part of its commitment to cover vaccination for its delivery fleet, Swiggy has begun the Covid-19 vaccination drive in Bangalore for its delivery partners and frontline staff. COO of Swiggy, Vivek Sunder, stated that “Our delivery partners and frontline staff continue to assist consumers, especially through the recent movement restrictions. Swiggy has been advocating the need for them to get priority access to the vaccination. The vaccination drive is a proactive step in ensuring their safety and also that of our consumers. Thousands of partners have already received their first dose and we are confident that a large portion of our fleet will participate and get themselves vaccinated in the coming weeks.”

Covid-19: IRCTC Offers Work from Hotel Package in Kerala

“Don’t worry about being successful but work toward being significant and the success will naturally follow.” Oprah Winfrey

RCTC has launched a special “work from hotel” package wherein it offers professionals a refreshing and soothing ambiance in hotel rooms in Kerala as an alternative to the ‘work from home setup. The IRCTC stated that this is part of the Railways catering and tourism arm’s effort to rekindle the confidence among guests to step out for availing hospitality services in the post-Covid world. The package per person on triple occupancy for a fivenight stay starts from Rs 10,126 and includes disinfected rooms, all three meals, twice tea/coffee, complimentary wi-fi, secured parking place for a vehicle, and travel insurance.Professionals can choose among Munnar, Thekkady, Kumarakom, Marari, Kovalam, Wayanad, and Cochin, wherein the duration can be for a minimum of five nights which can also be extended on prorate basis.

June - July 2021

Eurovision’s Noisy Fans are Back Despite Dutch Pandemic

urope’s most popular cultural event Eurovision had been cancelled last year due to the pandemic. Reports state that it is to go ahead this year in Rotterdam even though the Netherlands is battling a third wave of the pandemic. Organisers have been insisting that Eurovision 2021 can be conducted safely. They say it can bring hope and signal the start of Europe’s long-anticipated revival of live events. Performers and their delegations will take part along with a maximum of 3,500 viewers. Tickets are only available to those who bought them for the 2020 cancelled show, and there will be none to the wider public. All visitors will have to show negative test results, no more than 24 hours old, to enter the arena.

Italy Appoints First Female Spy Chief: Elisabetta Belloni

taly’s Prime Minister Mario Draghi has appointed diplomat Elisabetta Belloni as the head of Italy’s spy agency, who will be the first woman to lead the Department of Information Security (DIS). Ms Belloni, 63, has since 2016 been secretary-general of the foreign ministry – the top job in the diplomatic services. She gained prominence after helping out the release of Italians kidnapped by militants in Iraq and Afghanistan and leading operations in bringing home Italian tourists hit by the 2004 Asian tsunami. Ms Belloni rose up within the ranks to become the first woman in the role of secretary-general of the foreign ministry, a position she has held ever since.

June - July 2021

Austrian Prince Blamed for Shooting One of Europe’s Biggest Bears

nvironmental campaigners believe that Prince Emanuel von und zu Liechtenstein had shot dead probably the biggest bear alive in the EU on a hunting expedition in Romania during March. The Prince had been granted a permit to shoot a female bear that had caused damage to certain farms. But instead of shooting that female bear, he targeted Arthur, a 17-year-old male, brown bear. Trophy hunting had been barred in Romania since 2016 as the brown bear is protected by an EU directive. But hunting is allowed for problematic bears that cause damages. Gabriel Paun, the president of Agent Green, said: “I wonder how the prince could confuse a female with the largest male that existed in the depths of the forest. “We are dealing with a game of poaching since they shot the wrong bear.”

French Champion Jockey Pierre-Charles Boudot Charged with Rape

ierre-Charles Boudot, 28, French Champion jockey has been accused of assaulting a woman at a party in February. However, he denies any wrongdoing. Mr Boudot who had won the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in 2019, had been released on a 50,000 euros bail. Another jockey, Pierre Bazire is also being investigated for failing to report the crime. The governing body of the sport in France, France Galop, said that while both the men were presumed to be innocent, it had decided to suspend them for two days due to the seriousness of the charges. Mr Boudot had also been named as a witness in another rape investigation dating back to 2015.

For more info: europetimes.co

June - July 2021

COVER STORY COVERSTORY

STEADFAST, PROGRESSIVE, GUTSY, INCLUSIVE KERALA HAS SHOWN THE WORLD WHAT KIND OF LEADERSHIP it WANTs BY REELECTING

PINARAYI VIJAYAN THE MAVERICK COMMUNIST

June - July 2021

COVER STORY COVERSTORY

Full Name Pinarayi Vijayan Date of Birth 21 March, 1944 Place of Birth Kannur Education BA (Economics) Father's Name Maroli Koran

Mother's Name Kalyani Spouse's Name Kamala Vijayan Spouse's Profession Retired teacher Children 1 Son, 1 Daughter

June - July 2021

The communist

superstar The confident, hard-edged leader is easily the most powerful communist politician in the country, at a time when the party’s footprints have been diminishing in the nation. Pinarayi Vijayan’s progressive approach and resolute stance in the event of a chain of natural calamities and pandemic that the state faced in the last five years is a textbook example of strong governance that transformed the governance style of Kerala by adopting the best of the west and yet standing strong on the ideals of socialism.

Vineeth Nair director@uniquetimes.org

n May 2, the state of Kerala witnessed an unparalleled and historic mandate for the Left Democratic Fund led by Pinarayi Vijayan. The son of a toddy tapper, Vijayan’s meteoric rise in the most politically educated state of India made heads turn towards the South Indian state and the results surprised most of the political pundits who predicted that Kerala will continue with its pendulum political pattern of alternatively choosing the government - the LDF was able to buck the trend that has been etched in the state of Kerala since 1977. The political maverick who rose to the echelons of power from the nerve centre of the ‘red’ district of Kannur by winning in 1970 at Koothuparamba with 743 votes to sweeping Dharmadom in 2021 with a margin of 50,123 votes the Chief Minister of Kerala has created history when he swam over a series of crisis situations and criticism for decades with nonchalant poise. Vijayan who helmed the role of the party secretary for a decade and a half came to power as the leader of the state in the last elections held in 2016. The confident, hard-edged leader is easily the most powerful communist poli-

tician in the country, at a time when the party’s footprints have been diminishing in the nation. Pinarayi Vijayan’s progressive approach and resolute stance in the event of a chain of natural calamities and pandemic that the state faced in the last five years is a textbook example of strong governance that transformed the governance style of Kerala by adopting the best of the west and yet standing strong on the ideals of socialism. Bagging 99 seats for the Left front at such a tumultuous time makes this victory even sweeter for the stalwart, for he has achieved it using his image as a strong leader to seek votes. Critics of Pinarayi Vijayan - including the old-time communists - had often commented that the last win of his government in 2016 was the result of the ‘good image’ his one-time mentor V S Achuthanandan had garnered for the party. These political pundits had to bite their tongue when the results were announced. Pinarayi Vijayan was the face of the LDF campaign. Posters didn’t find group photos of the 11 allies of the Left standing in line, holding hands. Unlike before, Vijayan was the mascot. The 2021 elections arrived at one of the most turbulent times in the history

June - July 2021

Did you know?

MAY 20 seems like a lucky day for him. It was on this day that CPI(M) leadership picked him as the new Chief Minister of Kerala back in 2016. In the second term, he was sworn in as Chief Minister on the same day in 2021 Family members claim he never speaks politics at home

Positions held by him

State president and secretary of Kerala Students Federation and president of Kerala State Youth Federation President of Kerala State Co-operative Bank Elected to Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1970, 1977, 1991, 1996, 2016 and 2021 Minister in Kerala government between 1996 and 1998 Secretary of the Kerala state committee of the CPI(M) between 1998 and 2015 Has been a member of the CPI(M) politburo since 2002 Chief Minister of Kerala since May 25, 2016

Youth power

Timeline

1962: Joined the Government Brennen College in Thalassery for pre-university studies 1964: He joined Communist Party of India (Marxist) 1968: Elected to the Kannur district committee of CPI(M) 1970: First victory in Assembly elections from the Koothuparamba constituency in Kannur by 700+ votes at the age of 26 1977: Won the election from Koothuparamba for the second time, defeating Abdul Khadar of the RSP by 4401 votes 1978: Elected to the CPI(M) Kerala state committee 1986: Elected as the CPI(M) Kannur district secretary 1988: He became a member of the CPI(M) state secretariat 1991: Won the election from Koothuparamba for the third time, defeating P Ramakrishnan of Congress 1996: Served as the Minister of Electricity and Minister of Cooperatives in Kerala 1996: Won the Assembly elections from Payyannur seat defeating KN Kannoth of Congress 1998: He was elected the state secretary of the CPI(M) 2002: Became a member of the CPI(M) politburo 2016: Elected Chief Minister of Kerala after getting elected from Dharmadom, defeating Mambaram Divakaran of Congress 2021: Breaks four-decade-long pattern of rotational government. Under his leadership, LDF gets second term.

of Kerala. The state is still reeling under its after-effects with a shocking level of unemployment. Naturally, it was assumed that the disgruntled youth would strengthen the anti-incumbency mood. However, the leadership of Pinarayi Vijayan and the clout he created among various demographics in the state steered his government to victory for a second term. His message was simple: Feed the hungry, fill the bank accounts of pensioners, show guts in the face of adversities and create a sub-nationalism using the identity of Kerala. Coupled with a concerted effort to build a base in the grassroots, using the cadre party’s strength, socialist approach and progressive messaging, Pinarayi Vijayan is now the undisputed brand of communist politics in the country, and his reputation, strength, and popularity have edged past even the senior-most leaders in the politbureau. In the prepoll phase, while the Opposition was looking towards the Congress High Command in Delhi, often causing delay and confusion, for the Left, at least the public perception was that the buck stopped with Vijayan. He called the shots and no political masters were hiding far away to make decisions for the party. Vijayan had the final say in the affairs of the state.

June - July 2021

Another big support base that brand Pinarayi Vijayan secured was the trust of the youth of the state. He was able to address them in the right manner in a vocabulary they understood. Taking an undiluted stance against communalism and using the same to attack the politics of the BJP, he often put the message out that his UDF opponents led by the Congress won’t be able to take on the juggernaut of the BJP, nationally. He placed before them the Opposition’s track record in other states and suggested that the Left is the only true credible force to stop the saffron party’s rise in the state. Coupled with it, the soft support base for the Left from the actors and singers from the entertainment industry crafted an emotional unity among the people in favour of the Left. And who can forget the move of making the 21-year-old Arya Rajendran the Mayor of Thiruvananthapuram. It is no surprise that in the capital district, LDF was able to bag 13 out of the 14 constituencies. Malayalam playback singer Sithara’s rendition of the official anthem of the LDF, Keralam Orappanu Keralam, struck the right emotional chords among the youth. The imagery of the agrarian revolutions helmed by the communist movement and its contribution to restoring the land rights of the marginalised were all amplified in the anthem video that went viral. In the northern part of Kerala, the anthem kept playing in the campaign vehicles. “That song still gives me goosebumps. It evokes such strength,” says Akhil Nandakishore, a 27-year-old corporate executive in Kozhikode. As for the Opposition, the power siblings Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi’s whirlwind campaign didn’t transform into votes. They dined with the locals, cooked local cuisine, dived into the sea with the fishermen, rode a tractor in Wayanad— none of these worked in their

favour. The 76-year-old Pinarayi Vijayan was able to win the hearts of the youth which the 50-year-old Congress scion couldn’t achieve.

Trust of Minorities

The Left party's rise to power was always because of the backing of the Ezhava community among the Hindus. Traditionally, the Christians never voted for the red party. The Muslims in the state traditionally preferred the Indian Union Muslim League. But Pinarayi Vijayan’s welfare schemes changed the minds of minorities. His strong stance against the Union government's vindictiveness against minorities in the backdrop of implementing the CAA amendment gave more power to the leader. Vijayan kept repeating a simple message. “CAA won't be implemented in the state of Kerala.” The strategy worked for him as the Left, under his leadership, was able to breach even the citadels of the Muslim League. The League lost in 12 seats where Muslims are in the majority. The ruling government's no-nonsense messaging against CAA and NRC did attract the minority votes in large numbers to the Left. Inexplicably, the traditional voters of the Congress placed their trust in the leadership of Pinarayi Vijayan. The swing is clear by the results as the Indian National Congress was able to win only in 21 seats out of the total 95 which they contested. The strategic tie-up with the Kerala Congress Mani group, helped the LDF win 5 seats from the Christian stronghold as well.

Some interesting facts After completing his schooling, Pinarayi Vijayan worked as a loom weaver for a year. It is also said he has worked in a bakery in Karnataka Young Vijayan is rumoured to have been a fan of Tamil superstar Rajinikanth He became the CPI(M) state secretary in 1998 and remained in that position for 17 years During the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi, he was arrested and allegedly tortured by the police Pinarayi Vijayan’s speech, holding aloft his blood-stained shirt, in the Assembly, after his release is considered an iconic moment in Kerala’s legislative history Pinarayi Vijayan has authored at least seven books in Malayalam. 'Matham, Madhyamam, Marxism', 'Nava Keralathilekku', 'India vs RSS' are the noted ones

Development

Vijayan introduced new reforms within the orthodox communist ideology. Unlike his predecessors, he kept a global vision for the state and was open to ushering in private players to the market. When he took charge in 2016, he appointed Indian-American economist Gita Gopinath as his economic adviser. Gopinath, who is currently the chief economist of the International Monetary Fund is a staunch propounder of neo-liberal policies. It certainly raised eyebrows within the communist ranks. But, the approach paid dividends for the party. Under his

June - July 2021

COVER STORY COVERSTORY

leadership, Kerala has become the 8th state to complete ease of doing business reforms. Vijayan, even as he projected a deep animosity with the Union government’s policies of governance, left no stone unturned to work closely with the Ministry of Road and Highways under Nitin Gadkari and was able to attract a large chunk of investment for the development of roadways in Kerala. Vijayan’s first government ensured that the state proactively helped in securing the land for the construction of highways without delay. The defunct Palarivattom bridge which was a symbol of the previous Congress government's corruption was repaired in record time. The completion of the GAIL pipeline as well as the speed of completion of power projects despite a slew of natural calamities shifted people’s votes towards the Left. The expansion of Kochi Metro, the ambitious Silverline project that would connect both ends of Kerala with a high-speed train, the water metro project, the K-Fon project that envisions providing free Internet to millions and the visible improvement in the quality of state highways and national highways helped Vijayan to be the symbol of development as well.

Education

When his first government set up the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board, it helped the government bring in out-of-budget revenues for infrastructure projects. The only difference Vijayan brought

June - July 2021

about, keeping in line with the ethos of the Left, was to invest in education infrastructure, whose investment clearly wouldn’t yield any revenue for the cashstrapped state immediately. But, in order to create a strong human capital in decades, the government modernised government schools. The shoddylooking government schools got a complete makeover. Last October, Kerala became the first state in India to digitalise more than 16,000 schools. As many as 3,74,274 digital classrooms were set up across the state. More than 11,275 schools were equipped with hi-tech labs.

Keeping pensioners and homemakers happy

When Pinarayi Vijayan’s first government announced a hike in pension from Rs 600 to Rs 1,600, the senior citizens, who constitute a sizeable chunk of Kerala’s population, surely have lent their blessing to the Left. As per 2019 statistics, 19.95 percent of the total revenue expenditure of the state goes as pension, using up Rs 19,938.41 crore. Hiking the welfare pension to Rs 1,600 certainly reaped rewards in terms of votes. The previous Congress government led by Oomen Chandy was unable to provide such a relief to the pensioners. Additionally, as part of the manifesto, the LDF promised to hike it to Rs 2,500 within five years. It also announced that they would bring homemakers and domestic maids under the ambit of its social welfare pension scheme.

“This election was fought from the kitchens in Kerala,” said a prominent pollical analyst in the state. Vijayan was able to give solace to homemakers during the first five years of his rule through a slew of packages for them. The elaborate food kit caught the fancy and trust of women in the state. The food kit included more than 18 items of provisions and it was distributed through ration shops with no confusion.

Crisis Management

It is said that the true mettle of a leader emerges during a crisis. Since 2018, the first Pinarayi Vijayan government has been facing myriad crises. When two subsequent floods followed by Covid ravaged the lives of the people, the Chief Minister changed his tack. From a persona who was not very 'mediafriendly', began a new level of discourse with the media. His media interactions became an every-day activity. Through the media, Vijayan gave minute updates about the steps taken by the state in combating the crisis. Beaming live across a dozen news channels, almost an hourlong update by Vijayan changed the course for the communist government. He did his homework and was not shy of fielding questions from the media. In a state which is always hungry for the latest updates, Vijayan’s evening wrap-up solidified the perception of him being a strong leader who was unmoved or confused by the tide of unfortunate events

June - July 2021

BUSINESS

In life, no matter how difficult the situation we find ourselves in, we should always retain our presence of mind and try to think of a solution to get things done within the constraints, rather than bemoaning over fate. Challenges pave the way for opportunities. Those who are exposed to challenges tend to utilize the best of opportunities.

Shri V.P.Nandakumar MD & CEO Manappuram Finance Ltd.

Digital Learning: How the Pandemic Became a Catalyst for Change

ompanies engaged in the services sector depend a lot on their frontline employees. After all, they deal directly with customers and the image of the company depends entirely on the quality of their interaction with customers. As a leading player in the financial services business, this applies to Manappuram Finance too. And that is why we strongly believe in providing ample training and learning opportunities to our employees. Some time ago, in this magazine’s November 2020 issue, I had written at length about how digital learning had taken off at Manappuram in the aftermath of the pandemic-induced lockdowns (refer the article titled “The new normal at Manappuram”). As a matter of fact, we had em-

June - July 2021

barked on the digitalisation drive well before the first wave of Covid-19 last year. However, what changed is that after the onset of the pandemic, the speed at which we adopted these transformative changes became almost breath-taking. Within a few days of the lockdown announcement, we succeeded in extending work from home facilities to all our employees. It was a herculean task to remotely connect our 22,000 employees as two-thirds hail from remote locations all over the country. It was, therefore, necessary to provide all required facilities to our employees to enable them to work remotely, and we did this on a war-footing. It could be done only because of all the investments in technology that we have been making over the previous four to five years.

For example, we have been active in the digitalization of our learning and development endeavours, and we had made a good start by implementing a Learning Management System (LMS) in the year 2017. That gave us an early impetus and took us to a point where we were more than ready to embrace the transformative changes happening in the learning and development (L&D) sector today. LMS was the beginning of a paradigm shift in the way our employees were trained. We acquired the ability to make available to our employees the various modules of learning in the form of split micro segments, on a 24X7 basis. It was an achievement to train our employees virtually, without resort to any of the conventional modalities hitherto prevalent in the sector.

By the middle of 2020, we had conceptualised a broader canvas of an ideal digital learning platform that finally came into being with the ideas and efforts of a team of dedicated employees at the Manappuram School of Training. And that was how, in the 21st year of the 21st century, we have now erected another milestone in our history with the implementation of our own in-house Learning Experience Platform called MADU. The term MADU has a philosophical significance to it. In ancient India it was customary for children to take their first step into the realm of knowledge by tasting a drop of honey that symbolized the fruit of knowledge. ‘Madu’ is the word for honey, and we hope MADU will uplift the learner into the higher di-

mensions of learning and encourage them to explore the intricacies of the subject and taste the sweet nectar of knowledge. With this platform, we aim to evolve a learning strategy focused on increasing knowledge retention and providing an intuitive user experience. As a highly customizable and interactive platform, there is potential for MADU to be further extended to the subsidiaries and group companies of Manappuram. The possibility of adoption by other companies, not necessarily part of the Manappuram stable, is also real. Importantly, I believe this will create a profound impact on Manappuram’s employees as they acquire access to a platform that enables continuous learning and self-improvement, much needed in a period of uncertainty such as

today. In life, no matter how difficult the situation we find ourselves in, we should always retain our presence of mind and try to think of a solution to get things done within the constraints, rather than bemoaning over fate. Challenges pave the way for opportunities. Those who are exposed to challenges tend to utilize the best of opportunities. Look at Japan… look at Israel. The people in these regions are always exposed to challenges. They are always alert and innovative. Those countries flattened by the World Wars have made incredible progress since then. Certainly, situations like a pandemic, a war, or other such threats, cause a lot of pain but they also create opportunities. The pandemic, in this sense, acted as a catalyst for the

June - July 2021

faster adoption of digitalization and virtualization process that made us more resilient during a period of challenge and widespread adversity. With the use of this digital learning tool, we could successfully revitalize our human resources by training and upgrading their skills and making these resources available to them 24X7. We combined technol-

June - July 2021

ogy and information resources to allow remote access to educational content, breaking down the physical barriers and presenting our employees with an ‘out-of-the-box learning experience’. We have created a Digital Library combining the concepts of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality. The Digital Library comprises a wide selection of books and study material, online video tutorials and interactive sessions. This leads to the concept of ‘Think & Learn’ which enhances the cognitive skills of employees. With the debut of MADU, the Manappuram Group has begun a journey that will be transformational, and I strongly believe that we shall become a pacesetter in technology enabled education, and in creating a virtual infrastructure to conduct our operations remotely.

MADU, as a fount of knowledge, has already begun to create waves in the L&D sector. It has been recognised with a Certificate of Functional Competency by IIM Indore who carried out a comprehensive scrutiny of its functionalities. MADU has also become the world’s first platform to publish the digital version of a novel by Johan Brown. Over the coming days, this cutting-edge learning solution will continue to improve its usability and keep adding to the depth and breadth of its content. For now, I am happy to announce that with its 1,000+ intuitive features, MADU stands head and shoulders above any other digital learning solutions available in the industry today (Shri V.P. Nandakumar is MD & CEO of Manappuram Finance Ltd. Views are personal.)

BUSINESS

Rajesh Nair Associate Partner, Ernst & Young LLP

June - July 2021

One of the most important tasks of professionals is to take decisions. Management is often called ‘decision-making without bias!’. Some of these decisions are taken with deep analysis and some with the ‘gut feel’. But even this ‘gut feel’ is actually the commutation of life experiences and the unconscious ‘decision algorithm’ we build in our minds.

Professional in the PostPandemic World

ne of the best definitions on a professional I have read has been from Mr Subroto Bagchi, the erstwhile head of the immensely successful and popular IT firm, Mindtree. He says in his seminal book, ‘The professional’, that a professional is someone who ‘will work unsupervised and certify the completion of his or her work’. The principle of self-accountability is important and vital. The younger professionals often remain task-oriented and need guidelines and advice to figure out the completion of their work. This is also perhaps, during the initial years, when we see our jobs as completion of directed tasks and lack the exposure to see where it connects to the bigger picture. So the professional is someone who will take responsibility for the completion of tasks and will not rest till he/ she delivers high-quality work. One of the most important tasks of professionals is to take decisions. Management is often called ‘decision-making without bias!’. Some of these decisions are taken with deep analysis and some with the ‘gut feel’. But even this ‘gut feel’ is actually the commutation of life experiences and the unconscious ‘decision algorithm’ we build in our minds. So these decisions which we arrive at from our ‘feeling’ are not totally devoid of structure and not emerging out of

June - July 2021

BUSINESS

some esoteric magic cauldron. They are from a mental framework tessellated from deep experience. Integrity and value systems are important for a professional. They say that we are in an age where virtue is in very short supply. It is increasingly important to do what we think is right – always. In a world that keeps throwing nasty surprises at us, it is imperative to display professional integrity; the willingness to face facts even if they’re at odds with one’s preconceptions. Integrity is simply elucidated as “doing the right thing when no one else is looking!” What has changed in this thought process is that intuition and experience are under heavy stress these days. What we often find logical from our ‘experience’ is becoming a stretch. This is because more and more things are changing around us. The pandemic changes the way we look at work, meetings, data, and ultimately how we make decisions.

June - July 2021

Our work modalities have changed tremendously with the advent of technology. Even without the devices, laptops, and smartphones, work habits themselves have changed.

So, at a macroeconomic level, we need not be all that pessimistic. The cautionary aspects are that we are at the inflection point of exponential technological progress. To think about it in the linear scale of yesterday is just not viable and is equally detrimental. Our mindset as consumers has also drastically changed for the better. We are now driving immediacy and enhanced connectivity in all our transactions. With technology making forays into every sector, every company today can also be classified as a technology company be it a bank, an educational institution, or a public service delivery entity. Combinatorial innovation is also the theme of the day. While we

have opportunities disguised as problems in and around us, the solutions are often the combination of technologies and thought processes and not always straightforward. Data is the most fundamental unit of most of the modern economy and we have more of it than we ever had since the beginning of civilization. As they say – Data is the new oil and intelligence is the new petrol! It is the same data that fundamentally rewrites successes. In 2006, the market capitalization report had Exxon Mobil, General Electric, Microsoft, Citigroup, BP, and Roya Dutch Shell as the most valuable companies in the world. The list in 2016, has Microsoft and Exxon Mobil but a whole set of the digital giants – Apple, Alphabet (Google), Amazon, and Facebook – and today we hear new names and newer technologies, and each of these companies are different too! Our work modalities have changed tremendously with the advent of technology. Even without

the devices, laptops, and smartphones, work habits themselves have changed. This has created changes in the workplace which warrants new management behaviours. The profession must hence not only have the ability to learn the new ways but also show the alacrity to unlearn obsolete methods and work processes. The increasing need to do this has made management experts list ‘change management’ as one of the vital competencies that professionals need in their repertoire. We live in an age of immense competition. As a concept, it sounds ‘cutthroat’ and evil and there is a host of anecdotes, management literature, which derides it and warns us of the ills. The notion or essence of competition is not what is wrong. In several cases, the element of someone competing does encourage

us to focus more sharply and tighten our screws. The important tenet is to respect the competition. A value perhaps a professional needs to pick up in school is to ‘appreciate someone who is better than you’. When we appreciate others genuinely and not thinking of it as some strategy or the right thing to do but of genuine admiration for what someone has done, we will start viewing competition differently. The time pressures on professionals are increasing, and most of them are exasperated by the difficulty of responding effectively. While executives cannot easily combat the external forces at work, they can treat time as a precious and increasingly scarce resource and tackle the institutional barriers to managing it well. In my experience, professionals who are serious about address-

ing this challenge must stop thinking about time management as primarily an individual or personal problem and start tackling it institutionally. Time management isn’t just a personal-productivity issue over which organisations have no control; it has increasingly become an organisational issue whose root causes are deeply embedded in corporate structures and cultures. As a professional, you will work alongside teams in different functions and industries. The scope of what you can do will vary considerably and, you will have the opportunity to address challenging issues, whether analyzing data, providing expertise, or discussing your results directly with teams. Your ability to work in teams will differentiate you and will add value to you. For the professional, it is of importance that she always works on this tenet that success and growth will come to those who can work with others, build on ideas and create environments to bring the best out of everyone around.

In a nutshell, a professional needs to

• Educate herself and work hard • Needs to be responsible and accountable • Make analysed decisions • Work with honesty and integ rity • Learn and Unlearn • Learn to appreciate others who are better than them selves • Manage time and resources • Work in teams • Respect failures and see them as learning opportunities So, should we prepare our children with all these inputs, when they are being homeschooled mostly? Perhaps not! You can tell them about virtues and values through stories and by demonstrating them ourselves. They may require some direction, time and again. But they need to have their own journeys and their own learnings

June - July 2021

HEALTH

Dr Arun Oommen

MBBS, MS (Gen Surg), MCh (Neurosurgery), MRCSEd,MBA Senior Consultant Neurosurgeon VPS Lakeshore Hospital NH-47, Bypass, Maradu, Nettoor PO, Kochi 682040, India.

Radiotherapy is the most commonly used treatment for brain tumours. Radiosurgery is a treatment method that uses computerised calculations to focus radiation at the site of the tumour while minimising the radiation dose to the surrounding brain.

Early Detection is Very Crucial for Successful Treatment of Brain Tumours

rain tumour refers to the formation of abnormal cells within the brain. There are two main types of brain tumors: cancerous (malignant) tumours and indolent (benign) tumours. The presentation may include headaches, seizures, a problem with vision, vomiting, decreasing sensorium, and mental changes. The headache is classically worst in the morning and relieved with vomiting. More specific problems may include difficulty in walking or speaking. Tumours like meningiomas, certain gliomas, pituitary adenomas, nerve sheath tumours, germ cell tumours, haemangioblastomas, cavernomas and certain lymphomas are curable. Survival rates in brain tumours depend on the • Type of tumour, size, area involved, and early detection

June - July 2021

• Age and health of the patient • The extent of surgical tumour removal

Warning signals

Tumours produce symptoms either due to compression or irritation of the brain. 1. Headache occurring at a later period of life and gradually increasing in intensity. There can be a constant aching pain without any painfree period in between. Usually, the headache will be maximum in the morning where the victim wakes up with a severe headache. 2. P rojectile vomiting mostly on waking up in the morning. Here the vomiting will not be preceded by nausea. Vomiting offers temporary relief to the headache. 3. New-onset seizures can be focal seizures (more significant) involving only part of the body or it can be generalised seizures.

4. Weakness or numbness which progressively increases and can involve only one limb or one side of the body. 5. Visual problems especially when it involves the optic nerve (nerve of vision) or pituitary gland. 6. Cognitive problems occurring suddenly in the form of memory problems, behavioural changes, language problems, confusions, etc. 7. Difficulty in speech, sudden gait disturbances, imbalance, incoordination, or weakness of facial muscles.

Risk factors for brain tumours

Most brain tumours are not linked with any known risk factors and have no obvious cause. But there are a few factors that can raise the risk of brain tumors.

Radiation exposure

The best known environmental

risk factor for brain tumours is radiation exposure, most often from radiation therapy to treat some other condition like leukemia. These brain tumours usually develop around 10 to 15 years after the radiation. Radiation-induced tumours are still fairly rare. The possible risk from exposure to imaging tests, such as X-rays or CT scans, is not known for sure. However, the risk is negligibly small.

Those with weak immune system at risk

People with impaired immune systems have an increased risk of developing lymphomas (cancers of lymphocytes) of the brain or spinal cord. Administering the cancer drug methotrexate into the fluid around the spinal cord (intrathecal methotrexate) for the treatment of leukaemia has been shown to increase the risk of brain tumours.

Post-menopausal women who are taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or oral contraceptives may have a slightly increased risk of developing meningioma but more research is needed to confirm this.

substitute) and infection with certain viruses (EB virus, human CMV, polyomavirus) have been suggested as possible risk factors. Factors with uncertain, controversial, or unproven effects on brain tumor risk:

Family history

Cell phone use

In rare cases (5%), brain cancers run in families and usually occur first when patients are young. Some of these conditions include neurofibromatosis, tuberous sclerosis, von hippel-lindau disease, etc.

Other factors

Environmental factors such as exposure to solvents, pesticides, oil products, rubber or vinyl chloride (a chemical used to manufacture plastics), petroleum products, and certain other chemicals have been linked with an increased risk of brain tumours. Exposure to aspartame (a sugar

Cell phones give off radio frequency (RF) rays, a form of energy on the electromagnetic spectrum between FM radio waves and those used in microwave ovens, radar, and satellite stations. Cell phones do not give off ionizing radiation, the type that can cause cancer by damaging the DNA. In 2011, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified mobile phone radiation as Group 2B -- possibly carcinogenic. That means that there "could be some risk" of carcinogenicity, so additional research needs to be conducted.

June - July 2021

HEALTH

Diet, smoking and alcohol

Dietary N-nitroso compounds may raise the risk of both childhood and adult brain tumours. Dietary N-nitroso compounds are formed in the body from nitrites or nitrates found in some cured meats, cigarette smoke and cosmetics. Drinking alcohol doesn't seem to affect risk.

Treatment of brain tumours

The primary and most desired course of action is surgical removal (resection) via craniotomy. Minimally invasive techniques are the trend in neurosurgery. Endoscopic surgeries are also being done. With the availability of ultramodern operating microscopes, neuronavigation systems, Cavitron ultrasonic aspirator,

June - July 2021

endoscopes, and other sophisticated instruments along with a better understanding of surgical techniques, the safety and success rate for brain tumour surgery has dramatically improved. Radiotherapy is the most commonly used treatment for brain tumours. Radiosurgery is a treatment method that uses computerised calculations to focus radiation at the site of the tumour while minimising the radiation dose to the surrounding brain. Types of stereotactic radiosurgery, include gamma knife, linear accelerator and cyberknife. Chemotherapy is a treatment option for cancer, and can improve chances of survival in 20% of brain

cancers. The role of pharmacological therapy is limited except for antiepileptics (controlling fits) and steroids (reduce brain oedema). Extensive research and studies are going on for a better understanding of the behaviour of different brain tumours and more and more treatment modalities are being tried to fight this dreaded disease. Immunotherapy/biological response modifier (BRM) therapy, oncolytic virus therapy, targeted therapy of faulty genes or proteins, gene therapy, hormonal therapy, photodynamic therapy and electric field therapy are some of the treatment modalities that may bring hope in the future

FINANCE

Adv Sherry Samuel Oommen This article is authored by Adv Sherry Samuel Oommen. Adv Oommen, who specializes in constitution, tax and corporate laws has also cleared the final exams of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, the Institute of Cost Accountants of India and the Institute of Company Secretaries of India. He has also completed his Masters Degree in Commerce, apart from obtaining a Post Graduate Diploma in Business and Corporate Laws from Symbiosis Pune. The views expressly are personal and should not be construed as a legal opinion.sherryoommen@nashcp.com.

With the prevalence of lockdown in most parts of the country, the Petitioner submitted that the beneficiaries of imported oxygen concentrators would perhaps be senior citizens who would not have the necessary wherewithal, to cough up money to pay either the custom house clearing agents or even to find funds to pay IGST.

ani Palkhivala wrote, “An independent judiciary is at the very heart of a republic. The foundation of democracy, the source of its perennial vitality, the condition for its growth and the hope for its welfare – all lie in that great institution, an independent judiciary.” The faith of the citizenry lies in this independence of the judiciary, which stands for the rule of law that “cares for people”. It is saddening that the constitutional ethos that our founding fathers dreamt of has been steadily eroding away while Courts have remained a mute spectator. A peculiar case of an oxygen concentrator came up recently for consideration before the Hon’ble High Court of Delhi in Gurcharan Singh Vs Ministry of Finance (Department of Revenue), Government of India [2021] 127 Taxmann.com 375. The refrain of the George Floyd moment, “I can't breathe”, has now found an Indian connection with scores of the citizenry being mercilessly chased and destroyed by the merciless novel Coronavirus, coupled with the shameless failure of the Government in ensuring the protection of one’s fundamental right to live under Article 21 of the Constitution of India.

Issue of Law before the Hon’ble High Court

The Ministry of Finance vide

June - July 2021

Order No 4/2021 dated 03.05.2021 exempted the levy of Integrated Goods & Services Tax (IGST) on certain goods (for instance, oxygen concentrators) when imported by the Government or any relief agency. However, in Notification No 30/2021 dated 01.05.2021, the Government reduced the rate of IGST from 28 percent to 12 percent in the case of import of oxygen concentrators for personal use. The Petitioner, an 85-year old individual, approached the Hon’ble High Court of Delhi against the imposition of IGST on the import of the oxygen concentrator which was gifted to him by his nephew. The Petitioner, in the writ petition, asserted that the imposition of IGST vide Notification No 30/2021 (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Notification’) dated 01.05.2021 is discriminatory, unfair, and unreasonable and that it impinges upon his right to life and health. The clearance of the oxygen concentrator from the customs barrier required payment of IGST at the rate of 12 percent considering the Notification. It is relevant to note that before 01.05.2021, an individual importer would have had to pay IGST at the rate of 28 percent for an oxygen concentrator gifted to him for personal use. This stood in contrast to oxygen concentrators which were imported for commercial use. Interestingly,

‘I CAN’T BREATHE’A CURIOUS CASE OF AN OXYGEN CONCENTRATOR

the IGST on an oxygen concentrator, which was imported for commercial use, was and continues to be leviable at the rate of 12%.

Key issues of law raised in the petition:

i. The Petitioner argued that while there is no right in law to claim exemption from taxes, once

the State invokes the provisions of Section 25 of the Customs Act, such delegated legislation can be judicially reviewed. ii. The Notification is manifestly arbitrary, and hence, is violative of Article 14 of the Constitution. Further, the Notification was clearly irrational as there is no intelligible differentia in classify-

ing the import of oxygen concentrators into two categories. One, by the State and its agencies; and the other, by the individual, for personal use, by way of gift. iii. The right to life encompasses within it, the right to health. The right to health includes within it, the right to affordable treatment. The State has not only a duty but

June - July 2021

FINANCE

also a positive obligation to ensure that the health of its citizens is duly protected. The fact that the right to health and healthcare are intrinsic aspects of Article 21 of the Constitution of India has recently been upheld in the celebrated judgment in the case of Navtej SinghJohar Vs Union of India (2018) 10 SCC 1. iv. The principle of there being “distinct and noticeable burdensomeness” was clearly visible considering the advent of the pandemic. With the prevalence of lockdown in most parts of the country, the Petitioner submitted that the beneficiaries of imported oxygen concentrators would perhaps be senior citizens who would not have the necessary wherewithal, to cough up money to pay either the custom house clearing agents or even to find funds to pay IGST. This would result in depriving the beneficiaries of a life-saving device that is not available, domestically, in sufficient quantities. The oxygen generators that are available in the domestic market are of poor quality. Thus, the impact of the unreasonable actions of the State has led to insurmountable pressure being put on hospitals. Therefore, the levy of IGST on oxygen concentrators has a direct and immediate impact on the right to health of a citizen. Consequently, the Notification apart from being openly confiscatory, was beyond doubt a palpable display of noticeable burdensomeness, which was clearly and directly attributable to the tax, as upheld by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Private Limited (1985) 1 SCC 641.

June - July 2021

v The validity of both the Notification and the action of a State is required to be examined not by the stated objective of the Notification or its action or even its form but by the direct impact it has on the citizens’ rights, as upheld by the Constitution Bench of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in RC Cooper (1970) 1 SCC 248. In the present case, the right to health also includes in its scope the right to affordable treatment, which is diametrically opposed to the spirit of the Notification. vi. The right to life not only encompasses the right to health but also includes within its compass the right to human dignity which is interwoven in Article 21 of the Constitution of India. The right to human dignity has been recognised as a constitutional value and a constitutional goal in Jeeja Ghosh Vs Union of India (2016) 7 SCC 761.

What the Court held – A snapshot

The Hon’ble Court analysed in detail the Notification whereby IGST on such goods was completely exempted when imported by the Government or relief agencies. After a detailed analysis, it held that the distinction was manifestly arbitrary and unreasonable between two identically circumstanced users depending on how the oxygen concentrator has been imported. The Court held that exclusion of individuals, such as the Petitioner, from the benefits of such ad hoc exemption order only because they chose to receive the oxygen concentrators as a gift directly, without going through a canalizing agency is, violative of Article 14

of the Constitution and there was no justification for such exclusion. The Court further held that while it is permissible for the State to identify a class of persons, to whom tax exemption would be extended, it is not permissible for the State to exclude a set of persons who would ordinarily fall within the exempted class by creating an artificial, unreasonable, and substantially unsustainable distinction. An interesting extract from the judgment is reproduced below: “The State should relent, or at least lessen the burden of exactions which take the form of taxes, duties, rates, and cess, in the very least, in times of war, famine, floods, epidemics, and pandemics since such an approach allows a person to live a life of dignity which is, a facet of Article 21 of the Constitution”. I am once again reminded of the words of one of the country’s leading jurists, (Late) Nani Palkhivala: “When people feel that they have been fairly treated by the Government, they respond in a manner which it is impossible to expect when they are writhing under a crushing burden of taxation. An honest nation, a buoyant economy, increased productivity and a mood of zest and confidence - these are all the fruits of a moderate level of taxation. What you need in the country today is the attitude of Dr Erhard, who slashed taxes overnight, (to the vast consternation of his bureaucrats) and paved the way for Germany's economic miracle. I have no doubt whatever in my mind that with the right leadership and with the right type of fiscal and other economic policies, India can achieve undreamt-of economic growth. We are inferior to no nation in skills, innate intelligence, and the spirit of enterprise.” I do hope that the Government would realise that its policies should be nutritive enough to breed lilacs out of the dead land and stir dull roots with spring rain. For truly, the need of the hour is economic growth with social justice

MOTIVATION

Dolly Neena Dolly Neena is founder of THE IGNIST, a training company born out of a noble cause and spirit. She holds a decade long experience being a passionate mentor and entrepreneur.

You don’t have to be always perfect to make things happen. Unless you attempt something, keep on with the efforts, and sustain it, you’ll never know whether you will succeed on it or not. Rather, nothing is impossible if you put your heart and soul into it.

Build a Door When You See None!

e have seen, felt, and experienced some people who radiate positivity. For some souls, it comes easy to stay optimistic, whereas for some others it takes continuous practice to achieve that state of mind. It is a known truth all over the world that practising positivity can bring about miracles in your life. It helps one’s mental well-being and confidence; also helps to help other fellow beings out of their troubles. Staying positive during tough times can be a really challenging task, es-

June - July 2021

pecially when you are bombarded with a succession of troubles. Your positive attitude speaks volumes about how you feel about yourself. There is indeed a grave energy shift across the globe in the past one year. From stressors about physical health, emotional upheavals to financial difficulty, the year has taken us on a solid hard ride. There is an alarming increase in people experiencing mental health issues and staying positive in such times can be extremely difficult. The pandemic has definitely affected our collective

consciousness and has hit optimism at a severe level. While going through turbulence, people tend to fall into this disheartened pit of negativity, which in turn brings more destruction. Do not let the ‘knock-on effect’ take over you. You must have heard the quote, “Your attitude determines your altitude.” It is indeed what you believe to happen, happens. Positive thinking has immense benefits associated with it – from lower rates of depression, confidence, coping skills, psychological well being, immunity, physical wellness, to increased life

span. Self-assessment is important. Are you a positive thinker or a negative thinker? You need to know this. When things go wrong, do you jump into the chasm of pessimism, have recurring negative self-talk,and pull everyone and everything around you along with you? Or do you try to calm down and try to look at the half-filled glass? The foremost thing to have is faith. It is not about your religion or spirituality, it is about the sheer blind faith that things always have some brighter side to them. It is to understand the existing situations and knowing that there will always be a solution or turnaround for problems in life. Things are never going to be the same forever. Tables always turn. Like day and night – when you see darkness for long, there is a light to it which you should always be optimistic about. Keeping your frequency high is important. What you let out into the world is what boomerangs to you – what goes around, comes around! Another way to overcome the obstacles in life smoothly is to stop negative self-talk. The negative discouraging dialogues in your mind can go like, “No one loves me, I should do this later or I am too tired/lazy for this, I don’t think I can do this, I don’t think anything good is going to happen, I don’t have resources or tools for this. This is too tough/complicated for me”…. The list goes on. Polarising doesn’t help either – extremes are not the solution. Sometimes or most of the time, you may find a solution in the middle ground. You don’t have to be always perfect to make things happen. Unless you attempt something, keep on with the efforts, and sustain it, you’ll never know whether you will succeed on it or not. Rather, nothing is impossible if you put your heart and soul into it. Your self-esteem will skyrocket when you shift the way you think about yourself and life positively. Positive thinking will definitely help you act on everything better than negative thinking ever will. That brings us to the next point – Put efforts into it. Whatever it may be. The first step is to Step Up. If you are not used to it, it doesn’t really come to you overnight. Do

June - July 2021

MOTIVATION

Not only your psychological well-being, positive thinking determines your physiological well-being too. Your health is altered incrementally when you have good thoughts

June - July 2021

it daily, slowly bring the frequency up, add up the level little by little – that’s how you master anything – one day at a time. Setbacks and failures are normal in life. It doesn’t mean that you should accept that you are a failure. You need to keep trying, find alternatives to it, challenge the challenges – those are what make you stronger in your stride ahead. It might take more than one or ten or more attempts to solve a problem. However, perseverance is the key. Keep trying. Positive thinking is also the same – It is to monitor the thoughts first, regularly be at it and then slowly eliminate the negative ones; adhere to and reinforce positive ones and stick to it. Not only your psychological well-being, positive thinking determines your physiological well-being too. Your health is altered incrementally when you have good thoughts. There is a study that researchers call, ‘dispositional optimism’, where they have proven that a positive outlook has a direct link to your overall health. It lessens your mental ailments, depression, and builds resilience to hardships in life. Small revisions to your life can make a big difference. Adding some positive vibes and related activities to daily routine can help largely to a collective future. Taking a class, planting a seed, learning something at work, a combined family activity, or relaxing to calming music – all of these helps relax your mind and thus encourage thinking with more clarity. Understanding that this is not the end of the world is important. If you are still alive, you still have the hope to make it happen. When you find yourself in a weaker condition, don’t feel embarrassed to ask for help. When you build yourself up, you may return the favour. Holding on in the trial for some period and surviving that, is most important. Have wholesome food, exercise, meditate, self-hypnosis helps, take me-time, calm yourself and unwind, surround yourself with positive people, reflect on the positive things in life, be grateful for the current blessings, follow your passions and hobbies, always speak and think positively, be present and mindful, build the positive energy around you, fuel yourself and set goals for the times ahead, skill yourself up and learn new things, and always know that you are not alone in this – the whole world is with you!

June - July 2021

Dr. Danish Salim Specialist: Sheikh Khalifa, UAE HOD PRS Emergency Trivandrum Dr. Danish Salim is currently working as the academic director and head of emergency department at PRS Hospital, Kerala. He has over 10-year experience in emergency and critical care. He was active in the field of emergency medicine and have contributed in bringing in multiple innovations for which Dr. Danish was awarded nationally as Best Innovator in Emergency Medicine and Young Achiever, as well as Best Emergency Physician of State award. Among multiple innovations like app for accident alerts and jump kits for common emergency management, Dr Danish brought into being the state’s first bike ambulance and a single state wide-app to control and coordinate private and public ambulances under one platform. This network was appreciated and is successfully running with the support of the government currently. Besides the technology field, Dr. Danish was enthusiastic in conducting more than 2000 structured emergency training classes for common men, residents, doctors and healthcare professionals over the span of 5 years. Currently 1. Kerala State Secretary, Society for Emergency Medicine India 2. National Innovation Head, Society for Emergency Medicine India 3. Vice President, Indian Medical Association, Kovalam 4. HOD, Academic Director PRS Hospital, Trivandrum 5. Senior Specialist, Abudhabi Health Authority

June - July 2021

This disease is completely treatable if detected very early with antifungal medication like Liposomal Amphotericin B. However, if the infection is detected late, then the mortality rate is extremely high.

COVID -19 and the Black Fungus Infection Mucormycosis are on the Rise: Why the New Covid Wave is Targeting More Young Adults

ou may have heard the news about Black Fungus Infection causing blindness and in some cases even death in patients who have recovered from Covid-19. Such cases were quite rare and reported in Gujarat about 4 months ago, and I had shared information about this in a video. However, off-late – there have been more cases reported in other cities like Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, and Pune; causing a lot of fear and alarm in people.

So, What is Black fungus? Why does it affect patients recovering from Covid-19? And How do we prevent this? Black fungus or Mucormycosis is a rare, but serious fungal infection caused by a group of molds called mucoromycetes. These molds live throughout the environment – especially in water, soil, and unhygienic places. This infection usually affects people with pre-existing health issues and lower immunity. This is precisely one of the rea-

sons why people recovering from covid are at higher risk for getting infected by black fungus. Because when your body is already weak from fighting covid, it may not have the ability to fight this infection if exposed to the fungus. Latest studies suggest that the rise in such cases in covid patients could also be because of the presence of black fungus in water used in Oxygen humidifier bottles while giving oxygen supply to the patients and in the water used for steam inhalation (mainly in vaporizer apparatus). Although this is a dangerous condition with a high mortality rate; the fact that this infection is caused by an unhygienic environment – makes this infection preventable through awareness and precaution.

Covid patients with other conditions like:

• Uncontrolled diabetes • Patients who have undergone an organ transplant • Patients who were on steroids or immunosuppressants, • Cancer patients, HIV Patients, etc, - Those who have even lower immunity are at higher risk for getting Infected with Mucormycosis. The infection can enter one’s body through either breathing or through open cuts and wounds.

The symptoms caused by Black Fungus can be pretty severe. Some of the most common symptoms include: • Reddish inflammation around the eyes • Severe pain in eyes, nose and excruciating headache • Blood mixed with mucus or black color mixed with mucus, etc. • Some of the other symptoms also include seeing the presence of black fungus inside the nostrils or the mouth. Typically fungus is white colour. But, if you see black-colored fungus, please take the patient to the hospital right away. This disease is completely treatable if detected very early with antifungal medication like Liposomal Amphotericin B. However, if the infection is detected late, then the mortality rate is extremely high. In a normal patient, the mortality rate could range anywhere from 50 to 80%. And in high-risk patients like HIV patients, this goes up to above 95% mortality rate – which is why it’s very important to detect early and treat early. Now let’s talk about how we can prevent the Black Fungus Infection. Like I already said, the black fungus infection can enter one’s body especially a weakened less

immune body through either inhalation or through open cuts and wounds. Let’s talk about Inhalation first. What could be the possible sources of inhaling black fungus? It could even be through if you are using not good quality water for whatever fungus for Steam Inhalation. It could also be through The Oxygen humidifier used in hospitals while giving oxygen to a patient. Or it could be because of the environmental factors and places that are near factories and construction sites are more likely to have black fungus in the environment. So how do we address each of these? In hospitals when oxygen is given typically distilled water is used in oxygen humidifiers. However, with the current situation where there is a shortage of Oxygen supplies, we cannot rule out the possibility that once in a while, the hospital might be forced to use regular water in Oxygen Humidifier Bottles. Next, let’s discuss– why the new covid wave is killing more young adults. This topic is something that needs your utmost attention to know the facts from the myths What u need to know is that

June - July 2021

majority of these deaths are due to these 3 reasons. Let’s try to understand these 3 reasons so that we can save thousands of precious lives. The first reason is not monitoring or not being aware of covid warning symptoms. Just to recall the 5 important warning symptoms of covid are 1. Lie down and count how many times your stomach rises which is your respiratory rate and if this is above 30 immediately seek medical help, 2. Count your heart rate by pressing over the area of your wrist right before your thumb, if the rate is more than 125 per min, this is a critical sign, 3. If any bluish color change in tips of fingers or toes, 4. Press on your nails and count

June - July 2021

how long it takes for the blood tinge to refill, if the time lag to refill is more than 2 secs this is another warning signal and the last one 5th is to watch for breathing difficulty and monitor your oxygen level with a pulse oximeter and immediately seek help if the oxygen level is below 94%. These 5 criteria must be checked every day for at least 21 days of being infected with covid. Now coming to the second reason why covid is costing young lives is that this population takes covid lightly and believes that if 1 test is negative they are out of covid and don’t need to care anymore. This attitude must change. Further, anyone who is covid pos-

itive should stop thinking of just a negative report rather they should strictly take care and monitor themselves from the first day up to 1 month of infection because your next swab is sometimes falsely negative as at the time of test no covid antigens where present in the nose cavity but still very much present in your body. The last reason is that during covid infection the youth tend to rest completely and not give the body any form of exercise. This is a critical mistake in covid, as in this infection you have to be active and do mild exercise at home even during your ill days to keep the blood flow in pace

BMC’s Chahal – Beacon of Light in a Crisis

Sasi Nair K.P., kpsasinair@gmail.com

are is it for a Municipal Chief to become the toast of a country fighting a national crisis. The position ranks relatively mid-level in the National power hierarchy and is a distant outpost of governance framework from the central authority. So much so Iqbal Singh Chahal’s success in tackling the Covid surge in Mumbai, one of the world’s most densely populated cities, offers a textbook case of leadership that must be made compulsory reading for lawmakers and people in positions of authority.

June - July 2021

Chahal’s clear-headed leadership, quick and timely decisions, and motivating an army of dedicated workers to follow through on policies paved the way for his standout performance and helped regain finesse for the authorities. He owes his success to the freehand given to him by Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray who believed in the saying, the proof of the pudding is in eating it. Freed from having to constantly look over the shoulder at his political masters, Chahal made the best

use of processes and institutions to deliver results for the community – Mumbai, home to more than 20 million people, he served. Little surprise, the Supreme Court, snowed under complaints of administrative failures at central and state levels, noted the Mumbai model should be emulated elsewhere. The paeans of praise that poured in for Chahal underscored one truism. “Chahal has shown that given the freedom to perform, our bureaucracy is capable of rising to the occasion to overcome the worst of

Effective and efficient administration relies upon delegation of power by the political masters to competent authorities and avoids interference while maintaining oversight.

emergencies,” said T.K.A. Nair, former Principal Secretary, and later Advisor to then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. “The political leadership also deserves kudos to trust and empower him to organise and lead his team of Covid warriors from the front.” When the powerful second wave of the deadly virus swept the nation in early April, policy-makers in New Delhi and elsewhere in state capitals were caught unawares. Complacency gave way to panic and chaos across much of the country as severe symptoms such as low oxygen levels brought hordes of sick to already packed hospitals. Poignant scenes of patients dying on sidewalks outside healthcare centres and large numbers of burning pyres on random landscapes shocked the world. True to the biblical saying, cometh the hour, cometh the man, Chahal, who had taken over as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner during the pandemic in 2020, swung into action. A bureaucrat with an engineering and defence background, he chalked out three fundamental themes: Clarity in decision-making and communication, delegating

power down the line, and ensuring the policies are implemented to the dot. Chahal, whose father-in-law is former Punjab Chief Secretary Ajit Singh Chatha, used all the skills gained from working at Central and State ministries with youthful vigour. He organised war rooms in each of the 24 civic wards, all having a control centre with adequate staff to handle telephone calls. Doctors and medical support staff were on standby round the clock, ably backed by ambulances and other workers. Laboratories were mandatorily required to pass on positive test results to the BMC. Using real-time digital technology, dashboards in each ward displayed vital information such as the availability of beds and equipment. Made available in the public domain, the critical data was constantly updated by each hospital, both government and private-run, and by jumbo facilities. The decentralised approach enabled optimal use of resources, helped direct and manage beds without overwhelming headquarters with panic calls. While many states and hospitals elsewhere struggled to cope with the

rush of critical patients as well as the lack of oxygen, ventilators, and beds, the vibrant system put in place in Mumbai helped the city manage the crisis better. Proactive measures such as restrictions on free movement and stepped-up vaccination drives helped contain the spread. Effective and efficient administration relies upon delegation of power by the political masters to competent authorities and avoids interference while maintaining oversight. “Mumbai’s fight against Covid is a saga of success for the muchmaligned Indian bureaucracy,” said Nair. “A brilliant case study in governance and crisis management not only for civil servants and management gurus but our political leaders too.” Amongst the youngest to crack the Indian Administrative Service in 1989 when he was not yet 22 years, Chahal’s next goal is to vaccinate the entire city in 60 days and ward off a dreaded third wave. The success of this plan, however, depends upon how quickly he can gain access to vaccines from the global tenders BMC has launched and local supplies

June - July 2021

GADGETS

OPPO A53s 5G

Rs 14,990 (Approximately) Android v11 6.52 inches (16.56 cm) Display 13 MP + 2 MP + 2 MP Primary Cameras 8 MP Front Camera 6 GB RAM 128 GB Internal Memory 5000 mAh Battery Capacity

Vivo X60 Pro

Rs 49,990 (Approximately) Android v11 6.56 inches (16.66 cm) Display 48 MP + 13 MP + 13 MP Primary Cameras 32 MP Front Camera 12 GB RAM 256 GB Internal Memory 4200 mAh Battery

June - July 2021

Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold

Rs 1,11,790 (Approximately) Android v10 (Q) 8 inches (20.32 cm) Display 108 MP + 8 MP + 13 MP Primary Camera 20 MP Front Camera 12 GB RAM 256 GB Internal Memory 5020 mAh Battery

Realme X7 Max

Rs 24,990 (Approximately) Android v11 6.43 inches (16.33 cm) Display 64 MP + 8 MP + 2 MP Primary Cameras 32 MP Front Camera 8 GB RAM 128 GB Internal Memory 4500 mAh Battery Capacity

June - July 2021

BEAUTY

Natural Ways to Cure Blackheads

aring for our skin is like taking care of a baby, as our skin is sensitive and over usage of chemical products can damage the skin. Our skin can easily gather all kinds of grime like dirt, sebum, oil, and dead skin cells every day. This can eventually lead to clogged pores and hair follicles, leading to skinrelated problems like blackheads, whiteheads, acne, etc. Blackheads look like tiny, raised bumps on the surface of the skin, mostly in black colour. They are caused when oil and sebum block the pores on your skin. This happens due to lack of cleanliness and the oil settles in the pores over time and when it’s exposed to air, it oxidizes and turns black, forming blackheads. Blackheads are mostly seen on the nose, corner of the nose, cheeks, forehead, and chin area. But these can appear on other parts of the body as well. In this edition, certain highly effective home remedies to cure blackheads

are discussed.

head removal.

Baking Soda

Lemon, Salt, and Honey

Create a paste using baking soda and water and apply it to the blackhead affected area. Gently scrub the skin for a few minutes and then wash it off with water. This should be done twice a week as it is a natural exfoliator.

Tomato

Cut a few round slices from a tomato. Rub a slice on your skin, focusing on the blackhead-infested areas or you can apply tomato pulp on your skin and wash it off with water once it dries. This is especially good for people with oily skin as tomato pulp effectively clears out the extra grease without being harsh as it is rich in vitamin C and A, and has skin brightening, oil-absorbing, and pore shrinking properties.

Egg White Mask

When the egg white is applied directly on the skin or as a mask, it shrinks the pores, hence forcing blackheads out. Egg whites make an effective ingredient for black-

Dr. Elizabath Chacko, MD-Kalpana International

Mob: 9388618112

June - July 2021

Make a paste of lemon, salt, and honey and apply it to the blackheads. After five minutes, gently scrub in circular motions for a minute and let it stay for another five minutes. Wash away with warm water. Do this thrice a week. The astringent quality of lemon will cut grease while the fine granules of salt will act as a non-abrasive scrub for your skin. Honey will leave your skin moisturised and help keep the germs away.

Steaming

Steaming the face makes the skin sweat, which in turn helps clear out toxins from it. Steaming is an effective way to soften the stubborn blackheads and then eventually clear them away. By maintaining good cleansing habits and using natural remedies can help a person clear blackheads.

Stay Healthy! Stay Beautiful!

June - July 2021

TRAVELOGUE

The native languages spoken in Bora Bora island are French and Tahitian. But the people on the island can also interact with the visitors in English. Tahitian is relatively an easy language to learn with only 16 letters and 1,000 words.

June - July 2021

An Epitome of Natural Beauty and Iconic Views:

Bora Bora

rom amazing lagoon and water excursions to fun and adventurous land activities, Bora Bora is the perfect place to be outdoors and witness the captivating beauty of the island. This French Polynesia’s leading lady is undoubtedly the most celebrated island in the South Pacific Ocean. This island lies northwest of Tahiti, less than an hour away by

plane from Papeete. Its airport is located on a small, separate part of the island known as Motu Mete. During ancient times, the island was referred to as “poraporamaitepora” which meant “created by the gods” in Tahitian. This was then abbreviated to PoraPora meaning firstborn, referring to the son of King Hiro of Raiatea who had first ruled this island. In

the Tahitian language, there is neither letter “B” nor is there a sound equivalent to the “B” sound, so when initially foreign people came to the place they misheard the word and started calling it “Bora Bora” which eventually led the rest of the world to refer it to as Bora Bora. The native languages spoken in Bora Bora island are French and Tahitian. But the

June - July 2021

TRAVELOGUE people on the island can also interact with the visitors in English. Tahitian is relatively an easy language to learn with only 16 letters and 1,000 words. Some most common Tahitian words along with the pronunciation in brackets that may be useful for you are: Hello- la Ora na (yo-rahnah), thank you- Mauruuru (mahruh-ru), Yes- E(ay), No- Aita(eyetah),etc. The official currency of the island is the French Pacific Franc (CFP). One USD is equivalent to approximately 110 CFP. You can use credit cards and US dollars are also

June - July 2021

widely accepted here. The main religion of Bora Bora is Christianity. During the 19th century, Christianity was initially brought to the island by the Protestant missionaries. This has widely influenced the region and continues to play a role in the island’s culture and its people till date. Each village has its own churches where the majority of people are either Protestants or Catholics. The climate of Bora Bora and its surrounding islands is considered to be tropical. Like with most places, here also the seasons can be

divided into two seasons – the wet season and the dry season. The wet season which is the Polynesian summer runs from November till April which is often hot and humid. The dry season runs from May till October, this is when tourism is at its peak on the island. During this time, the temperature is a few degrees low and rain will be very rare. Bora Bora is world-famous for its iconic volcanic views, incredible turquoise lagoon, pristine white sandy beaches, and luxurious overwater resorts that are sure to provide mesmerising views of its beautiful sur-

roundings. This is considered to be one of the most secluded islands on Earth. It is a tiny island consisting of three villages – Anau, Faanui, and Vaitape; with the latter being the capital and administrative centre. Vaitape has a population of around 5,000 people and runs essential businesses such as supermarkets, banks, post offices, churches, pharmacies, medical centres, etc. Sunday is the peak time when this village comes to life selling everything from food to clothes and jewelry. This island is actually the remains of the caldera of an extinct volcano which had erupted 3 to 4 million years ago. As the crust cooled down, the volcano began to sink and now consists of a ring of small islands along what used to be the rim of the volcano. The Bora Bora lagoon consists of sparkling, translucent waters along with some of the most mesmerising coloured water which can be found anywhere in the world. The centre of the main island consists of the remnants of this extinct volcano rising into two twin peaks – Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu. Since this area is mountainous, it makes it tough to access. Without any doubt, Bora Bora is French Polynesia’s most popular island. It is considered to be the best escape for those looking for a tropical island gateway as well as for those honeymoon lovers; no wonder it is also known as the “Romantic Island”. Tourism is the main economic activity on this island, wherein the majority of visitors are Americans, Japanese, as well as Europeans.

June - July 2021

TRAVELOGUE

The products of the island are mainly limited to what can be obtained from land and the surrounding sea. So the main produces are coconut, copra, vanilla, and mother-of-pearl with deep-sea commercial fishing being secondary activity.

June - July 2021

The island offers an array of things to do as well as to see. You can snorkel in the pristine lagoon, or even swim with the dolphins and turtles. For those looking to get a bit more adventurous, choose kiteboarding, kayaking, paddle boarding, jet skiing, aqua biking, or sailing. The most popular activities on this island include snorkeling, scuba diving, and other water activities. While being in Bora Bora, don’t forget to dine at the famous Bloody Mary’s. Built of bamboo with a sandy floor, the whole place will look like a tiki bar straight out of a movie. Being the celebrities’ favourite place, this restaurant is best known for its fresh food, signature cocktails, and great ambiance. One of the most famous traditional Tahitian dishes in Bora Bora is the Taste Poisson Cru which is basically marinated raw fish seasoned with fresh coconut milk and lime. Two major festivals take place each year on the Bora Bora island, so plan your trip accordingly to experience these spectacular events. The annual Heiva festival is the island’s premier event which takes place in July. It is held in Vaitape, on a huge stage near the quay, featuring top music and dance performances and beauty pageants. The other event is the Hawaiki Nui Canoe Race which takes place every year in July. The products of the island are mainly limited to what can be obtained from land and the surrounding sea. So the main produces are coconut, copra, vanilla, and mother-of-pearl with deep-sea commercial fishing being secondary activity. Apart from these, coconut plantations are an important industry in the place. Coconuts are found almost all over and are involved in every activity on the island. It is so ubiquitous and you might even hear legends associated with the coconuts palms on the island. Dreaming about spending your next trip in the bungalows floating above the blue waters? Then Bora Bora island is the best destination and tour the island by seaplane!!

June - July 2021

AUTO REVIEW

Vivek Venugopal is one of India’s top automotivewriterswithover a decade’s experience in road-testing and reviewing cars. He is currently the Editor of Quarter Mile magazine and a columnist in several leading magazines and newspapers. He is also a highly sought after consulting engineer and market analyst for many automobile manufacturers.

June - July 2021

The first thing you notice is the denim-like blue material on the upper half of the doors and dash. It may not be to everyone’s taste and may not work with most exterior colours.

Mercedes E350d

A younger look and feel

ercedes has been at the top of the luxury game in India and their success has a lot to do with the E-class. It is the first model they officially sold here in 1995 and has been their most successful. Today, they have over 15 models on sale in India, but the E-class still accounts for one-third of their total sales, which goes on to show how important this brand is to their manufacturer. The E-class received a major update recently and that takes a few years off its age. As before, the Eclass sold in India is the extended wheelbase V213 model that was originally developed for Asian markets. The clever move from Mercedes to distance this gen of E-class from its rivals like the Audi A6 and BMW5 series by offering it in the more

luxurious long-wheelbase format, is an inspired one. The emphasis is on the rear seat and buyers of the car immediately know what they want. The facelift introduces the new Merc family styling with the inverted trapezoidal grille with sleeker, narrower headlamps, and more aggressive bumpers. While it brings a hint of sportiness to the front end, we feel this has too much of the styling influence of the lower entry-level models like the A-class and GLA. The side profile is as before, the extra length and separate rear quarter glass on the C pillar giving it a Maybach limo-like look. The new E-class gets sporty-looking AMG line wheels on the E350d. The rear has slimmer tail lamps that angle upwards at the bottom for a younger look much like their coupe models of yesteryear. The interiors also get some up-

dates. The first thing you notice is the denim-like blue material on the upper half of the doors and dash. It may not be to everyone’s taste and may not work with most exterior colours. The three-spoke steering wheel is new and has various touch areas for scrolling through the infotainment menus. The wheel, like the rest of the interiors, is finished in cream leather and you will have a hard time keeping it clean. The driver gets an additional 12.3-inch screen that’s similar in size to the infotainment display. You also get connected car tech, a 360-degree camera, a panoramic sunroof, softclose rear doors, and a tablet for the rear passengers to control various functions. While the front seats are near-perfect, it is the rear seats that are the talking point here. Easily the best in the class, these have massive

June - July 2021

AUTO REVIEW

The E350d gets the new inline six-cylinder diesel engine with 286bhp and 600Nm. This was our Engine of the Year winner at Quarter Mile magazine when it debuted in the S-class last year.

legroom, a soft pillow to sink your head into, and a 37-degree recline function which allows for a perfectly relaxed comfortable experience while your chauffeur deals with all the traffic and gets you home. The E350d gets the new inline six-cylinder diesel engine with 286bhp and 600Nm. This was our Engine of the Year winner at Quarter Mile magazine when it debuted in the S-class last year. The power on tap is as good as the refinement it offers. There is a muted coarse

June - July 2021

base note as you accelerate hard to serious speeds. The acceleration is seamless, thanks to the 9-speed automatic which always has the right gear for the job. The E-class does 0-100kmph in 6.2 seconds and you’d want the driver to occasionally go on leave so you can get behind the wheel. Performance is addictive and the handling on the air suspension isn’t so bad either. Yes, it is a bit too big for the city and you may not have the same fun as driving a 5 series in the corners, but on an open highway,

this is the most relaxing way to get to your destination quickly. The updated E-class takes all the strengths of the older car and brings it to 2021. It has the best rear seat of its class and now with the updated interiors and the smooth inline-six diesel, it feels even better than before. The new styling may not be to everyone’s taste, but it is a good attempt to take some years off a design that’s half a decade old and bringing it in line with the rest of the new Mercedes range

MOVIE REVIEW

Aarkariyam (Who Knows)

arkkariyam is a 2021 Malayalam mystery drama film directed and co-written by Sanu John Varghese. The film stars Biju Menon, Parvathy Thiruvothu, and Sharafudheen in pivotal roles. The movie is set against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic situation, making it more relatable to the audience. It is not the regular captivating crime mystery but it will slowly allow you to absorb the secret element in the story. One of the impressive things about the movies is how it holds back certain information, revealing just a bit of it at every point, keeping the rest of it later. The director has created a smartly-paced family drama that is relatable and thrilling.

Oxygen

xygen is a 2021 French-language science fiction thriller film directed and produced by Alexandre Aja. It stars Mélanie Laurent, Mathieu Amalric, and Malik Zidi in pivotal roles, and the film was released by Netflix. The story revolves around a woman who wakes up in a cryogenic unit with no memory. Quickly running out of oxygen, she must find a way to remember who she is in order to survive. The entire movie features a single character's struggle to survive and everything happens inside the pod with regular flashbacks that gradually reveal the back story. This is a thrilling watch, as much for its concept and the questions it raises about what it means to be conscious, as for its exploration of what humans are willing to do to survive.

June - July 2021

Those Who Wish Me Dead

hose Who Wish Me Dead is a 2021 American neo-Western action thriller film directed by Taylor Sheridan based on Koryta's novel of the same name. The film follows a boy who witnesses the murder of his father and goes on the run with a smokejumper in the Montana wilderness to escape a pair of assassins hired to silence him. It stars Angelina Jolie, Finn Little, Nicholas Hoult, and Aidan Gillen in vital roles. If you are looking for a fast-paced action thriller then this movie is a mustwatch. It never lets up in its intensity and will keep you on the edge of your seat until the end.

Kala

ala is a 2021 Malayalam Language Action Thriller film, directed by Rohith V. S. This psychological thriller revolves around Shaji who faces an intriguing conflict with the many-layered shades of human behavior. It stars Tovino Thomas and Sumesh Moor in the lead roles and features Lal and Divya Pillai in supporting roles. Kala is such a movie that may give you something worthwhile to think about. Though there are a lot of extreme actions in the film, it ends on a different note offering the audiences an intriguing message. It's a realistic portrayal of how violent humans can get and how selfish they can become. It is not just a comment on masculinity, instead, it is much more than that.

June - July 2021

BOOK REVIEW

Club You To Death Author Price

: Anuja Chauhan : Rs.399 (Paperback)

lub You To Death is a mystery thriller novel penned by Anuja Chauhan. This is a classic mystery, reminiscent of an Agatha Christie cozy mystery, that is peppered with Delhi’s elite. A brilliant amalgamation of her patented mix of laugh-out-loud and toe-tingling romance, but this time it comes along with spine-chilling suspenses. The story is about a hunky personal trainer who is found asphyxiated to death under an overloaded barbell at the posh Delhi Turf Club and the unexpected revelations. The book delivers a chortling slap on the cheek of social affections and snobbery with her impeccable comic timing.

The Wife Upstairs Author Price

: Rachel Hawkins : Rs 1,592 (Hardcover)

he Wife Upstairs written by Rachel Hawkins is a domestic thriller that is inspired by the popular Gothic classic, Jane Eyre. With delicious suspense, incisive wit, and a fresh, feminist sensibility, The Wife Upstairs flips the script on a timeless tale of forbidden romance, ill-advised attraction, and a wife who just won’t stay buried. Even though this book has many delicious parallels to the classic Jane Eyre, but it has its own twists and turns too. Hawkins has said that “Twisting Jane Eyre’s famous love triangle into a domestic thriller set in the contemporary South is easily the most fun I’ve ever had a writer”. So would have been great fun for her to write will surely be greater fun for the readers to read as well.

June - July 2021

Siri, Who Am I? Author Price

: Sam Tschida : Rs 1,157 (Paperback)

iri, Who Am I? is a humorous fiction penned by Sam Tschida which tells the story of Mia who just overcame a coma with short-term amnesia. Mia, with the help of her boyfriend Max works backward through her Instagram and across Los Angeles to learn more about her, wherein they discover an ugly truth behind her perfect Instagram feed, and evidence that her head wound was no accident. Did Mia have it coming? And if so, is it too late for her to rewrite her story? Siri, Who Am I? would make a great quarantine read, as it offers a chance to escape into the problems of someone else. In an era, especially where people rely on smartphones as an extension of themselves and ask Siri questions like “ Where am I?”, Mia’s journey of self-discovery via apps doesn’t seem so far-stretched either.

Of Women and Salt Author Price

: Gabriela Garcia : Rs. 1,556 (Hardcover)

f Women and Salt is a literary fiction authored by debut writer Gabriela Garcia. The story is about the daughter of a Cuban immigrant who is haunted by the desire to learn more about her history. It is a story of America’s most tangled, honest, human roots. It is a kaleidoscopic portrait of betrayals, personal and political, self-inflicted, and those done by others that have shaped the lives of these extraordinary women. The debut author has a lot to say about immigration, deportation, illegal aliens, motherhood, mother-daughter relationships, etc.

June - July 2021

EASY & BREEZY

‘Welcome to the ClassZoom’ Sujit Chandra Kumar

is an independent journalist who has earlier worked with leading publications for three decades

“D

o you have nallenna?” The girl (wo)manning the provision store, in our sleepy and semi-urban neighbourhood, looked amused. “Nalla enna? You mean good oil? We have good-quality coconut and sunflower oil.” I was at pains to explain that I was looking for the yellowish liquid that is sometimes preferred in the kitchen, especially for your dosas and pickles, to the more viscous and strong-flavoured coconut oil but was not sure if it was called sesame oil or gingelly. Looking perplexed, the girl said, “Mom knows all that but she has gone to the market.” I asked her if she was a student and she pointed to the smart phone that was lying on the table like an orphan. “My online class is on actually.” While the brightest kids may have reservations about the effectiveness of online classes, most children are enjoying the digital learning experience, thrust upon them by Covid-19. While they do miss the company of their friends, they are enjoying their new-found freedom to listen or switch off with the help of that umbilical cord called headphones. In Chennai, one of my nephews was spotted following an NBA game on his phone even as he was listening to a science lecture on the lap. The cameras are mostly off to save on precious data. The ‘reliance’ on the daily 2GB quota means that even the teacher switches off the camera after a few minutes while the students mute the sound

June - July 2021

as soon as the class begins. Closer home, my own teenager insists on slamming the door shut so one doesn’t have much clue about what is going on. His mom insists that he should take a bath before the session starts at 9 am but he is not sure of the relevance. At least apply some hair cream, I suggest helpfully. His friends, he tells us, change into something nice when it comes to the upper body but don’t care much about the bottom. Most teachers also seem to be enjoying the breaks and non-formal nature of online education. When the Kerala government’s education department kicked off online classes for government schools via live streaming, a few of the teachers turned into stars and landed modelling assignments and film roles. As the novelty faded, so did the sheen of the teacher-celebs. While visiting a friend, his wife took time out of her online lecture to make tea for us, by giving a surprise 15-minute test for the students. While the kettle was boiling, one could hear a student desperately trying to catch the attention of the teacher. Talking of online exams, towards the beginning of the lockdown, invigilators were be glued

to the camera to see if anyone was using a hidden mobile or tab or even a human to help them out with the answers. Even one shake of a head or involuntary self-talk would invite suspicion. Later, they became relaxed and were resigned to the fact that heavens would not fall down if a student gained a bit of unfair advantage over the others. Open book exam became the mantra as that would allow them to check their texts without the need to break the law. Parents were the most confused lot. Those who were paying through their nose by way of fine for lack of attendance suddenly saw their children landing cent per cent attendance, for the first time in their academic careers. Cooped up in homes instead of PGs and hostels, students were completing assignments and complying with the requirements. But what about real education? Practicals went for a toss, whether the student was in the science or arts stream. “What is the point of simply going through the motions and earning a certificate that means nothing,” asked the parent of a student specialising in fine arts at a premier institute. “They should actually extend the course by a year and provide some real training.”

Printed On 09/ 06/ 2021

RNI Reg No. KERENG/2011/42633