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SC pulls up ASI for failing to take a appropriate steps to protect Taj Mahal

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The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday came down heavily on the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for its failure to take steps to protect and preserve of the iconic Taj Mahal.

The apex court also expressed concern over Taj Mahal being infected by insects and asked the authorities, including the ASI, what steps they have taken to prevent this.

“This situation would not have arisen if the ASI would have done its job. We are surprised with the way the ASI is defending itself. You (Centre) please consider if the ASI is needed there or not,” a bench of Justices M B Lokur and Deepak Gupta told Additional Solicitor General ANS Nadkarni, who was appearing for the Centre.

Meanwhile, Nadkarni told the bench that the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) was considering the apex court’s suggestion to appoint international experts to look into the issue of protection and preservation of Taj Mahal.

In March this year, the apex court had asked Uttar Pradesh government to place before it a draft of vision document on protection and preservation of the Taj and the environment in the Taj Trapezium Zone, which is an area of about 10,400 sq km spread over the districts of Agra, Firozabad, Mathura, Hathras and Etah in Uttar Pradesh and Bharatpur in Rajasthan.

The top court has been monitoring developments in the area to protect the monument, built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal in 1631. The mausoleum is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Bangalore Buzz

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KNOLSKAPE & NHRD – Bangalore To Launch Highly Digital HR Certificate Program

KNOLSKAPE, the leading providers of end-to-end learning & assessment solutions & NHRD -Bangalore recently announced the launch of the Highly Digital HR Certificate Program.

With the onset of digitalization, organizations face newer challenges to manage the changing workforce dynamics. HR teams are uniquely placed to support business transformation by realigning processes, teams & even organizational structures. This requires HR professionals to up skill and helps reimagine core HR function.

The Highly Digital HR (HDHR™) Certificate Program from KNOLSKAPE & NHRD – Bangalore aims to help HR professionals be aware of digital trends and the impact of digital on HR function. The certificate program will empower HR professionals to incubate a design mindset, and become change agents in an organization’s digital transformation process.

Key highlights of the program:-
Understand the latest technological, social & industry trends such as AI, Robotics, Machine Learning, Cloud computing & IOT, and their impact on business.
Use the Business Model Tool to understand organizational structures & environment, and anticipate the role of HR in reimaging business models in the digital age.
Apply design thinking to new age HR challenges, and add value to organization’s bigger picture.
Work on an individual business impact project.
Expert evaluation & hands-on discussion.
Rajiv Jayaraman, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, KNOLSKAPE averred, “We are very excited to partner with NHRD – Bangalore & present HR fraternity with an opportunity to equip themselves with digital competencies and rise to challenges posed by digital disruption to businesses across the globe. The HR function of future will be drastically different from what it is now. Hence, being a part of the digital transformation is crucial for HR teams.”

Commenting on the NHRD – Bangalore partnership with KNOLSKAPE Krish Shankar, CHRO at Infosys & Honorary President at NHRD – Bangalore Chapter averred, “Digital Transformation is imperative for organizations’ continued growth, and HR function is key driver of this transformation. NHRD – Bangalore’s focus has always been on grooming HR leaders, and we are very excited to partner with KNOLSKAPE on this initiative. KNOLSKAPE’s innovative approach for accelerated learning & inculcating digital mindset will ensure that HR professionals are equipped to manage digital disruptions and be change ready.”

KNOLSKAPE is an end-to-end learning & assessment platform for “accelerated employee development”. By leveraging experiential technologies, industry & business contextualization, and rich talent analytics, KNOLSKAPE can accelerate learning & development in an engaging manner to help improve business performance.
More than 300 clients in 20 countries have benefited from KNOLSKAPE’s award-winning experiential solutions. Using artificial intelligence, business simulations, gamification, machines learning, mobile, videos & virtual reality, KNOLSKAPE delivers transformative experiences for modern learner & modern workplace.
KNOLSKAPE is a 110+ strong team with offices in Singapore, India, Malaysia & USA serving a rapidly growing global client base across industries such as banking & finance, consulting, IT, FMCG, retail, manufacturing, infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, engineering, auto, government & academia.
KNOLSKAPE is a global Top 20 gamification company, recipient of Brandon Hall awards, and has been recognized as a company to watch out for in Talent Management Space, by Frost & Sullivan, and as a disruptor in the learning space, by Bersin by Deloitte.
National HRD Network is an association of professionals committed to promoting the HRD movement in the country. It is a non-profit organization registered under Registration of Society Act, 1860, and Bombay Public Trust Act, 1950; and is dedicated to developing human resources through education, training, research & experience sharing.

The National HRD Network believes in co-existence and it always strives to bring together varied management associations in the country to avoid duplication of work in the field, and provide a variety of activities to professionals, irrespective of their membership.

Tinsel Town Round Up

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Sandeep Marwah Honored With Dada Saheb Phalke Award

Renowned film & television personality Sandeep Marwah with 5 world records to his credit, was recently honored with the most prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Film Foundation Award for his untiring contribution to Cinema at Chitrakoot Grounds in Mumbai.

Sandeep Marwah has been the founder of Noida Film City, the fastest growing film city in the World. It is a 100 acres complex with 75 acres outdoor 25 acres indoor, 16 studios, 350 Channels are being broadcast to 162 countries 24×7, 17000 media professionals are working in film city and cascading effect is that 150,000 people are earning their bread because of this film city.

Sandeep Marwah is the founder of the 1st ever professional film studios of North India-Marwah Studios and has churned out more than 4500 television program for more than 50 channels, 150 feature films, 5000 training films and also a birth place for most of channels in India from the year 1991.

Sandeep Marwah also happens to be the founder director of Asian Academy Of Film & Television the 1st ever private film school of this country and has trained 12000 media professionals hailing from 120 countries since the year 1993. Now Asian Academy Of Film & Television (AAFT) ranks as the 1st ever 10 best film schools of the World.
Besides Sandeep Marwah is the producer of the largest number of short films in the World. He has provided a wonderful opportunity to more than 10,000 film aspirants hailing from more than 100 countries to shoot 2300 short films. Most of the films are based on social issues, documentaries & theme-based fictions.
Sandeep Marwah has designed and given 10 best festivals to the entertainment industry including Global Film Festival, Global Festival of Journalism, Global Literary Festival, Global Fashion Week, AAFT Festival of Short Digital Films et al. He has given the term Film Tourism to the dictionary and attracted 2 Million people to Noida Film City so far.
Sandeep Marwah aver, “I am feeling elevated & charged with new energy after this prestigious award. An award after the name of the Father of Cinema in India means a lot to me,” Sandeep Marwah President of Marwah Studios had stated while receiving the award in a grand function.
A large number of filmmakers, television personalities and people from media and other strata of life congratulated Sandeep Marwah who is also President of International Chamber of Media & Entertainment Industry.

Bollywood Round Up

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Ranbir Kapoor All Set To Star In & As ‘Shamshera’ In Yash Raj Film’s (YRF) Action Adventure

Ranbir Kapoor had delivered his 1st ever hit with Yash Raj Films (YRF) Bachna Ae Haseeno and then he had garnered outstanding critical acclaim for his fantastic performance in Rocket Singh: Salesman Of The Year.

And now after 9 long years, Yash Raj Films (YRF) & Ranbir Kapoor are all set to collaborate again for a desi, mega-action, masala entertainer titled Shamshera.

The film is part of Yash Raj Films (YRF) 3 movie deal with Karan Malhotra, who directed the blockbuster Agneepath and then the action spectacle Brothers.

Talking about the movie, Ranbir Kapoor avers, Shamshera is exactly the film I was looking for. While growing up watching Hindi commercial cinema, I had an image of what a film hero should be doing. Shamshera allows me to do everything that I had imagined and it’s a very exciting project for me. Karan Malhotra is going to take me completely out of my comfort zone and I’m looking forward to this challenge.”

This high-octane adventure is set in the heartland of India and will have jaw-dropping action sequences and a never seen before Ranbir Kapoor.

Yash Raj Films’ (YRF) Shamshera is all set to go on the floors by the end of this year and the shooting will wrap by mid 2019.

BJP Govt is selling Kashmir for electoral gains: Swami Agnivesh

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Hindu religious scholar and renowned civil society member, Swami Agnivesh has said that BJP government at the Centre is ‘selling’ Kashmir for electoral benefits across India.
“Kashmir is a cash crop for BJP government. It is selling Kashmir to get votes in different states of India. It knows that Kashmir and Pakistan bashing will fetch votes and it has succeeded in its plans so far,” Agnivesh told Hindusthan Samachar in response to a question why New Delhi is reluctant to hold a dialogue with all stake-holders of Jammu and Kashmir.
Agnivesh alleged that BJP led Central Government will never encourage dialogue with Pakistan as it wants to keep the pot boiling.
“It was a welcome development that Pakistani Army General himself advocated dialogue with India, but as expected present Indian dispensation showed a cold response. Once BJP will start dialogue with Pakistan, it can’t attack Pakistan and mention Kashmir during election rallies and it can’t befool people and exploit them in the name of Kashmir and it even can’t sell soldiers services to nation,” Agnivesh told HS in a telephonic conversation from New Delhi.
Expressing deep anguish over unabated civilian killings in Kashmir, Agnivesh said that if Mehbooba feels that BJP is ditching her and is not interested in dialogue over Kashmir issue, then she should resign.
“Mehbooba should not keep people in dark. If she is honest and feels the pain of people of Kashmir, then at this juncture she should support and stand for them,” he said adding that BJP knows it well that anti-Muslim and anti-Kashmir agenda suits their party.
Demanding stringent punishment for those responsible for civilian killings, Swami Agnivesh said that it is unfortunate that probes are being conducted just to hoodwink the people.
“It was a good move when Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman assured full support to Mehbooba Mufti against those soldiers who killed two youth in Shopian in January this year, but nothing later happened and everything turned out to be lip service.”
Swami Agnivesh said that civilian killings can’t be tolerated. “The violence that has escalated in Kashmir can stop only through a sustained and meaningful dialogue process,” he added.
Hindusthan Samachar/ Saleem/ Shri Ram Shaw\

Mumbai’s Literary Round Up

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“Kama: The Story Of The Kama Sutra” Book Launched


Om Books International along with JLWA, Mumbai hosted the launch of the lates novella namely “Kama: The story Of The Kama Sutra” written by renowned TV & Web Series writer & documentary director, Jaya Misra today, 7th May 2018. The book was launched by Bollywood stalwarts like actor Arshad Warsi, film producer Ekta Kapoor & film director Kabir Khan.

The event was hosted by Mini Mathur and the event was graced by Bollywood celebrities like Sandya Mridul, Mandira Bedi, Gul Panag, Roshan Abbas, Maria Goretti and award winning writer Manu Joseph.

“Kama: The Story Of The Kama Sutra” is the 1st ever fictionalized biography of Vatsayana, the compiler of Kama. A contemporary novella depicting the life & the times of a man who lived 2000 years ago, who compiled ancient erotic texts with his witty aphorisms to create the sensational Kama Sutra.

On the face of it Kama Sutra, is a manual for the hedonist, but within the story, lays another, written with blood. A tale of broken hearts, lyrical violence, ageless love & pure lust!

Set in 273 AD in a land fraught with war & unrest, Kama is the story of a catastrophic day in a writer & artist’s life that sets him off on a journey unto himself, beyond the boundaries of love, family & betrayal.

This fast-paced story of tragedy & triumph beguiles & captivates as it flits seamlessly between an agonizing past, an erotic present & also a cataclysmic future. The book marks Jaya Misra’s debut as an author.


Commenting on the book launch the debutante novelist Jaya Misra averred, “Kama Sutra as a concept is presumed to be or depicted as a synonym for creative sexual positions; in reality, only part of the Kama Sutra is about sexual positions. My book “Kama: The story Of The Kama Sutra has a very different take on the entire concept; it is about the philosophy & theory of love. It’s about what motivated Vatsyayana to write this grand treatise! I actually feel that Vatsyayana was possibly India’s 1st ever feminist, with his pulse on female desire. Kama is erotic, its contemporary & it’s exciting. I’m so overwhelmed by the response of the early readers! They have not been able to put down the book and have finished it over night! My friend Roshan Abbas finished it in 7 hours straight! I’m very happy about my book getting published and also very anxious to know the response from the readers”.

Ajay Mago, Publisher, Om Books International avers, “While the Kama Sutra remains an unparalleled treatise on love-making, the life of its compiler, Vatsyayana, shrouded in mystery, has always been heatedly debated by scholars. Kama is a very credible yet fictionalised biography of Vatsyayana, based on an amalgamation of intense research & great imagination. The book is so evocative that I felt I was watching everything unfold right in front of me. Simply mersmerising in its erotic & tragic charge.”

Priyank Sukhija-Owner-JLWA avers, “We at JLWA are thrilled to host the launch of Jaya Misra’s book that throws further light on the chronicles of Vatsyayana. JLWA is known to host such unique genres of events and we look forward to celebrating contemporary literature in future too.”

The book is published by Om Books International which is one of the largest English language trade publishers in the Indian subcontinent; Om Books International has been a name to reckon with for over 5 decades in the Indian publishing & retail industry.”

Mumbai’s Cultural Round up

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Megh Mandal Sansthan Felicitates The Indian Painters

Megh Mandal Sansthan, an NGO based in Rajasthan, is recently felicitated selected albeit talented painters in Mumbai at the NGO’s 4th edition of their annual event “Chaitranjali” at Iskcon Auditorium, Juhu.

Led by the dynamic Vimlesh Brijwall, the NGO has been committed towards the noble cause of the betterment of the society & promoting the concept of sustainable development in varied sectors.

Megh Mandal Sansthan has been working towards bringing positive changes in the lives of the underprivileged children, their families & communities too. Apart from contributing towards the betterment of the less fortunate, the Sansthan has also been taking up the cause of preserving Indian art, culture as well as traditions.

Raja Ravi Varma is one of the greatest painters in the history of Indian art. His works of art have received profound acceptance across the length & the breadth of the country. His portrayal of Hindu deities & episodes from the epics & the Puranas are used as objects of worship all over India.

The event witnessed the honorable presence of Prof. Shri Kaptan Singh Solanki, Governor of Haryana as the Chief Guest. Additionally, apart from Vimlesh Brijwall who works in the capacity of Secretary of Megh Mandal Sansthan, the other Special Guests of Honor included – General (Dr.) Shri V.K. Singh, Honorable Union Minister of State for External Affairs Government of India, Arvind Savant, Member of Parliament (Shiv Sena) & above all Bollywood director Anurag Basu.

Speaking on the event, Ms. Vimlesh Brijwall, Secretary of Megh Mandal Sansthan averred, “We Indians are blessed with a rich history, culture & tradition that make us unique. Together we look forward to encouraging the talented artists of this generation by providing them with the recognition that they really deserve.

Bollywood Buzz

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‘T For Taj Mahal’ Trailer To Be Unveiled At Cannes

Sony Pictures Networks Productions (SPNP) is all set to launch the trailer of their next film T For Taj Mahal on an international platform.

The trailer of the film will be unveiled at the India Pavilion in Cannes Film Festival on 9th May, 2018.

Directed by 6 time president’s National Award winner Kireet Khurana, T for Taj Mahal is a relevant & timely story exploring a subject that is a big challenge in the country – the namely that of lack of education.
The film stars Subrat Dutta, US actress Ali Faulkner of The Twilight Saga – Breaking Dawn fame, Bidita Bag & Manoj Pahwa.

T For Taj Mahal is produced by Sony Pictures Networks Productions & Abis Rizvi Films. Post Cannes the film will be presented at London Indian Film Festival in the month of Jun, 2018.

The film will release theatrically in India later on this year.

Sneha Rajani, Deputy President & Head, Sony Pictures Networks Productions averrerd, “T For Taj Mahal is a story that deserves to be seen by the global audiences and a platform like the India Pavilion at Cannes Film Festival allows for the film fraternity across the world to sample it and help us take it as far & wide as possible. I truly hope everyone loves the film and will embrace the intent in its full glory.”
Kireet Khurana, Director averred, “I am grateful that Sony Pictures Networks Productions (SPNP) is so committed to the film and is going the extra mile for something they believe in. A platform like Cannes allows the film to be presented to a wider audience, especially given the relevant subject. I am looking forward to the reactions post the trailer launch”

One of the youngest film studios in India, Sony Pictures Networks Productions (SPNP) is the film production arm of Sony Pictures Networks India Pvt. Ltd, a subsidiary of the Sony Corporation which owns & operates the Sony Entertainment Network of television Channels. The division was set up in 2013 with a mandate to produce engaging, entertaining & high-quality cinema for Indian diaspora audiences worldwide. SPN Productions also produced the critically acclaimed film Piku in the year 2015, which went on to become one of the biggest breakout hits of the year – amassing innumerable awards including 3 National Awards. The studio released 2 films in the year 2017 year namely, Mubarakan & Poster Boys, and both got a lot of love from the audiences. This year the studio is all set for the release of Soorma.

Districts vie for the top spot in SSLC results

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SSLC (class 10) students shines in primary and secondary education minister Tanveer Sait’s home district – Mysuru in the final board exams, the results were out on Monday, Yashas MC, of city-based school – Sadvidya High School secures out of out, that is he has secured 625 out of 625 and from the same school two other students – Aditihi Rao and Keerthana R have secured 624.

Three students from the city have managed to score 624 marks, another student Shivani M Bhat from Marimallappa’s High School has secured 624 marks. Two other students – Spandana Dev from Saint Thomas High School and Srinandini KR from VVS Pandit Nehru High School have scored 623.

The overall performance of students in SSLC exams in Mysuru, which is also the home district of chief minister Siddaramaiah has improved drastically this year compared to last year. In 2016-17, with a passing percentage of 72.29 Mysuru stood at 21st position, this year (in 2017-18) with a passing percentage of 82.9 it scaled up to 11th position. Compare to last year the pass percentage has increased by 10.61%

But since 2011, Mysuru has failed to secure a position in a scale of one to five. From 2011-12 to present year, the district has managed to be in the top ten position only twice, in 2014-15 with 89.13 pass percentage it stood at 10th position and in the subsequent academic year it stood at 8th position with 85.56 pass percentage.

Thanks to the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) of Mysuru district for its new efforts to improve the SSLC results, From November 2017, DPI started providing workbooks for each subjects to all the schools (government, private and aided) across the district. A senior officer in DPI told TNIE that said it seems students thoroughly learnt the questions and answers of these books. “This is one of the main reason, why students have done well in SSLC from the district, we are sure that next year we will be among the top five position,” said officer.

The department started the process of identifying students with low level learning ability at Government schools from July 2017 and it has been completed few months ago, these students were exposed to the special classes for one hour everyday before and after the schools hours.

Apart from this initiative quiz competitions on different subjects on every Saturdays were organized and unique programs like drawing science diagrams and writing maths formulas using Rangoli powder on the floor were made to practice by the students.

The ignored, inconvenient truth about the Islamic State

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Title: The Way of the Strangers – Encounters with the Islamic State; Author: Graeme Wood; Publisher: Penguin Random House; Pages: 352; Price: Rs 499

It is very easy to dismiss terrorists, especially those of a fundamentalist religious persuasion, as a group of savages in unstable or failed states distorting their faith for their own purposes. But can this approach be applicable to the Islamic State (IS), or suggest how we can tackle its growing global threat?

The approach is totally wrong, argues journalist and academician Graeme Wood — and not only for the IS. As we have known from the “Global War on Terrorism”, America and its allies ignored the fact that ideologies cannot be fought militarily, but by proving they are wrong or that better ideas are available.

However, in the case of the Islamic State, says Wood, it is not that its adherents’ view of Islam is wrong, for all its usual activities — slavery, mutilation and extreme violence against non-Muslims and “apostate” Muslims (Shias, Sunnis, Sufis, secular, “insufficiently Islamic”, etc) who oppose them — are based on Islamic scripture and practice (in the faith’s initial days though).

Though a minority, uncompromising and apocalyptic view, it is Islamic — though a mindset not shared by the vast mainstream of Muslims, who seek to describe it as a travesty of their religion, he shows.

Then, given the number of educated professionals the IS has been recruiting from affluent and modern Western societies and elsewhere, it definitely strikes a chord among some in the Muslim community at large, he says.

“The breadth of the appeal of the Islamic State was shocking as its depth. Three generations of conservative Muslims from outside London, a skirt-chasing bachelor from South Australia, and tens of thousands of others had drunk their inspiration from the same fountains. In addition to the physical caliphate, with its territory and war and economy to run, there was a caliphate of the imaginations to which all these people had already emigrated long before they slipped across the Turkish border…”

And all these had been “persuaded by the same propaganda, and, in many cases, the same people”, argues Wood.

It is accounts of interactions with some of these people — spread over Egypt, Japan, Australia, the Philippines’ Mindanao, Britain, the US, including in Dallas (a short distance from the author’s own childhood home), and spanning an Egyptian tailor, who once worked in New York and stitched a suit for Paul Newman, an Italian-origin Australian who is now the top Islamist firebrand Down Under, a mild Japanese academician, a British IS apologist — though with no intention of travelling to its territory, among others, he uses in his bid to explain the IS phenomenon.

Woven in are the theology and theologians of the Islamic State, the role of former Baathists, its difference from its jihadi forebear, Al Qaeda and other Islamist parties, and a concise but incisive narration of Islam’s rifts and challenges that helped give birth to such ideologies.

Furnishing his accounts of interactions with these characters, the “visible surface of a cause that was stirring emotions and convictions of tens of millions of others, and that would continue them for decades to come, even if it lost its core territory in Syria and Iraq”, Wood also provides insights into IS’ influencing and recruiting techniques — e.g., focussing on the most incongruous, not pious possibilities, and others.

While he wonders at the jarring prospect of smart, even gentle and well-mannered, intelligent people with the most wicked beliefs”, he however tells us that “when someone says something too evil to believe, one response is not to doubt their sincerity but to expand one’s capacity to imagine what otherwise decent people can desire”.

That, he holds, is the “proper response” to the Islamic State, but while stressing understanding what primes it rather than advocating steps to combat it, Wood also admits that “the tragedy is that even those inverted visionaries who live to realise their error will never be able to undo the misery they have inflicted on so many others”.

However, despite Wood’s thesis of how the Islamic State has its roots in Islam, this is no anti-Muslim rant, but rather a warning — for other Semitic as well as other faiths — on how an uncompromising attitude on reprising past practice of a religion, even in different contemporary circumstances, is a definite recipe for bloodshed and strife.

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