Pakistani troops violate ceasefire in Uri, one civilian injured in firing

Indian Army has responded to the Pakistani firing inadequate measure.

One civilian was injured Friday in a ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops along the LoC in Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked firing towards Indian posts and villages in Kamalkote area of Uri in Baramulla district on Thursday evening, the officials said.

ALSO READ:Indian military signals de-escalation, warns Pakistan against 'provocation'

They said the intermittent firing continued throughout the night. One civilian has been injured in the firing.

Indian Army has responded to the Pakistani firing inadequate measure, the officials said.

The ceasefire violation by the Pakistani troops comes as tensions between India and Pakistan rose following the February 14 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district in which 40 CRPF soldiers were killed.

Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group claimed responsibility for the attack.

Business Standard

India-Pak conflict: Senators urge Trump to pursue peaceful resolution

They also urged Trump to ensure that Pakistan does more against the terrorist groups.

Business Standard : Two influential American Senators Thursday urged the US President Donald Trump to pursue a peaceful resolution to the India-Pak conflict including working with regional actors to apply pressure on New Delhi and Islamabad to address the underlying causes of the dispute.

In a letter, Senators Jerry Moran from Kansas and Jeanne Shaheen from New Hampshire said that there is a urgency surrounding the dangerous situation between India and Pakistan in the Kashmir region.

They also urged Donald Trump to ensure that Pakistan does more against the terrorist groups.

We affirm India's right to self-defense in response to attacks planned and executed by Pakistani-based terrorist groups designated by the United States and United Nations and welcome Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's recent decision to release a captured Air Force officer from India, the two Senators wrote.

Tensions between India and Pakistan rose following the February 14 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district in which 40 CRPF soldiers were killed. Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group claimed responsibility for the attack.

Following the attack, India bombed and destroyed JeM's biggest training camp in Balakot in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, about 80-km from the Line of Control (LoC) early Tuesday, killing a "very large number" of terrorists, trainers and senior commanders.

ALSO READ: LIVE: Pakistan to return IAF pilot today; Amarinder wants to receive him

Pakistan detained Indian Air Force Pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, Wednesday following a fierce engagement between air forces of the two sides along the Line of Control when his MiG 21 fighter jet was downed.

However, in a surprise announcement during a joint session of Parliament, Prime Minister Imran Khan said Thursday that the captured IAF pilot Varthaman will be released on Friday as a gesture of peace.

The two American Senators said that they have ongoing concerns that this crisis may scale into an all-out war given the thousands of troops amassed along the countries' border, heavy artillery barrages and gunfire recorded in the area and tank columns taking formation.

India's diesel consumption to hit record high ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha polls

Diesel consumption also faces increasing competition from electric vehicles.

India's diesel consumption may rise to a record this year on increasing infrastructure spending by the current government as it tries to hold off challengers in general elections that will be held over April and May.

Surging diesel consumption in India, the world's third-largest oil user, underscores the country's importance as a driver of global oil demand. Amid increasing concerns that crude demand growth may slip in 2019 because of slowing economic growth, India's burgeoning fuel consumption may help underpin oil and fuel prices.

Analysts at Fitch Solutions and consultants Wood Mackenzie forecast India's diesel demand to rise in 2019 by 5.7 percent and 6.4 percent, respectively, from 2018. The country consumed a record 6.9 million tonnes of diesel a month in 2018, or about 1.7 million barrels per day (bpd), data from the Ministry of Petroleum showed.

"There is strong energy demand which is bound to happen because of different sectors... We are a diesel driven economy," said Sanjiv Singh, chairman of Indian Oil Corp, the country's top refiner.

"The bottom-line remains that energy demand is bound to grow. We're seeing GDP at more than 7 percent, (and) ... a lot of urbanization," Singh added.

ALSO READ: 38 more cities to get diesel at doorstep as 3 OMCs plan to extend service

India's economy is expected to grow by 7.2 percent in the 2018/2019 financial year, which runs from April to March, versus 6.7 percent the previous year, according to government data.

"Tied to a constructive GDP outlook - and alongside the country's positive demographics, low vehicle penetration and loose monetary policy - is our forecast for rapid growth in vehicle sales, which again will be positive for diesel," said Peter Lee, an analyst at Fitch Solutions, adding that diesel cars account for nearly a quarter of new vehicles in India.

According to 2015 data, the latest available, from the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers, India held 22 cars per 1,000 people versus 821 cars per 1,000 people in the United States.

Business Standard

Banks ask Naresh Goyal, Etihad to contribute to Jet Airways bailout

Goyal agrees to step down from the board, cut his stake to 22%.

Business Standard : The consortium of lenders in Jet Airways has made it clear to the promoter and chairman of the cash-strapped airline, Naresh Goyal, and partner Etihad Airways that there cannot be only a bank-driven bailout of the Indian carrier and the two will have to play an equal role in getting it out of financial woes.

Also, Goyal, according to banking sources, is open to the suggestion of him stepping down from Jet Airways’ board and having no role in managing the airline. He, according to the sources, has also agreed to reduce his equity stake from 51 per cent to around 22 per cent and pledge his shares in Jet Privilege Pvt Ltd (JPPL) as securities.

These developments took place during an urgent meeting on Wednesday to find a solution to the gridlock over the resolution plan after Etihad put in various conditions before it accepted the plan.

A top banking source privy to the discussion said: “We have made it clear that Etihad and Naresh Goyal should take equal responsibilities for the resolution plan to go through, and that it cannot be just a bank-led bailout. ” Bankers say they have stressed that the cash needed to run the airline, so that it could bridge its interim cash flow mismatch, needs to come not only from banks but also from the promoters and Etihad.

The sources said the resolution plan could finally be approved of only in April as several clearances, including those from the civil aviation ministry and oversight panel for vetting resolution proposals, would be needed, besides endorsement of the final proposal from the boards of the banks.

Though Goyal appeared to make some compromises, the sources noted that talks between the Jet lenders and Etihad were still taking on various issues. For instance, Etihad is not willing to pledge its shares in either Jet Airways, in which it has a 24 per cent stake, or in JPPL, where it is a joint venture partner. The Abu Dhabi-based airline has also said that it was not in favour of providing a bridge funding of Rs 750 crore against the proposed rights issue, which it has pegged to Rs 5,000 crore -- higher than the resolution plan that had envisaged a rights issue of Rs 4,000 crore. On the other hand, the lenders are not willing to give in to its demand for the right to the first refusal.

E-mail queries to both Etihad Airways and Jet Airways did not elicit any response.

That everything was not hunky-dory was clearly reflected in the fact that Etihad abstained from voting in the extraordinary general meeting held on February 21, where Jet’s shareholders approved of five enabling resolutions to convert its debt into equity, appoint lenders’ nominees on the board, and increase the authorised share capital of the company.

India-Pakistan tensions: Getting arrested IAF pilot back may not be easy

P D T Acharya, a constitutional expert and a former secretary-general of the Lok Sabha, said it was unlikely the pilot would be repatriated soon.

Bringing back the Indian Air Force pilot captured by Pakistani forces on Wednesday will not be easy and depend on formal and back-channel negotiations between the two nations and international intervention, experts say.

Thee Indian government on Wednesday said IAF had shot down a PAF F-16 in engagements over the Line of Control, and added that India had lost a MiG-21 Bison and a pilot was missing in action.

Pakistan officially said the pilot was in its custody. Pakistani media and social media was circulating videos of him being questioned. In the absence of formal declaration of hostilities, the Geneva Convention governing the treatment and repatriation of prisoners of war (PoWs) do not apply. “The Geneva Convention is applicable to a war or a war-like situation. And, there is no declaration of war yet,” said retired Air Vice Marshal Kapil Kak of the Center of Air Power Studies.

(Business Standard)

The convention clearly states PoWs must be treated humanely, cannot be prosecuted for taking part in hostilities, and should be released and repatriated without delay after the end of hostilities. None of these apply to the IAF pilot.

“There are always channels of communication for such situations. Since this time an Indian pilot has been captured, we should initiate talks to get him back,” said Kak, putting the onus on the Indian government to begin the process.

P D T Acharya, a constitutional expert and a former secretary-general of Lok Sabha, said it is unlikely the pilot will be repatriated soon, and a lot will depend on intervention by other global powers.

“They will keep him there for quite some time. There are no easy options. It won’t be unusual for a foreign power to intervene and get him released after some time, but not immediately,” said Acharya. “Once the temperature between the nations comes down, we can see some movement. Pakistani PM (Imran Khan) has already talked about dialogue. He seems to be in a conciliatory mood. That only shows there has been intervention by foreign countries.”

Retired Wing Commander Praful Bakshi, a security expert, said: “If we escalate, you can forget about this boy. There can be talks between the two high commissions and foreign ministries, the two directors general of military operations, even the Prime Minister’s Offices.”

All three analysts agreed on one thing, though: That the IAF pilot won’t be mistreated or tortured. He was declared by the Pakistani channels and establishment as being in their custody -- his videos were being circulated -- and that showed Pakistan was responsible for him now and that gave him some kind of protection from any mistreatment, they said

Happy to be back in Indian team: 'Humbled' Rahul on chat show controversy

Rahul said the India A stint under coach Rahul Dravid helped him immensely.

The harrowing time that he faced in the wake of a chat show controversy has "humbled him a little bit", feels opener KL Rahul, who now values his India cap more than ever before.

Both Rahul and Hardik Pandya were provisionally suspended for their loose comments on women during a popular chat show. Their bans were later revoked pending inquiry.

The off-field controversy erupted after Rahul endured a dismal run in the four-Test series in Australia but he is back in the national team after finding his feet with the India A side.

"It was a hard time no doubt. I mean, as a player, as a person, everyone has to go through difficult times and it was my time to go through that and I like I said it gave me time to reflect on my game, on myself. I have always been someone who takes things as it comes," said Rahul after the second T20 International.

India lost the short series 0-2 but Rahul made a successful comeback with scores of 47 and 50. After he was sent back from Australia, Rahul was given the opportunity to regain form in the India A home series against England Lions and he made it count.

Asked if the entire controversy has changed him as a person, the 26-year-old said:"It has humbled me a little bit and you know. I respect the opportunity that I have gotten to play for the country. The dream of every kid is to play for the country and I am no different.

"Just to value where I am, just to keep making opportunities count and put my head down and keep working on my cricket," said the man from Karnataka.

Rahul said the India A stint under coach Rahul Dravid helped him immensely.

"I got some time off from international cricket, so I could come back to India and reflect on what was not going right for me. Fortunately, I got to play some India A games where the pressure is a bit less and where I could focus on my skill and my technique," said Rahul.

"I got to spend a lot of time with Rahul Dravid, working on my game and chatting about cricket. He helped a lot in the five games I played for India A. The time I have spent in the middle has helped. It is nice to be back with the boys and back in blue," the relief was palpable as he spoke.

Rahul hopes that it is a blessing in disguise that he courted controversy early in his international career.

Business Standard

Family planning can boost India's per capita GDP 13% by 2031: Study

If the existing set of policies are implemented to their fullest, India can see a definitive and sustained improvement in metrics such as reduced infant and maternal deaths, according to the study.

India’s per capita gross domestic product (GDP) can rise an additional 13% by 2031 if family planning policies are actively prioritised, according to a new study.

This can also prevent 2.9 million infant deaths and 1.2 million maternal deaths and save households Rs 77,600 crore (20%) of out-of-pocket health expenditure on childbirth and child hospitalisation, it added.

Currently, family planning gets barely 4% of India’s National Health Mission allocations and this share has been stagnant for several years.

‘Cost of Inaction in Family Planning in India: An Analysis of Health and Economic Implications’ a study by Population Foundation of India, assessed the cost benefit analysis of family planning interventions at the national level and in four populous states--Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. These together make for 37% of the country’s population.

(Business Standard)

The study showed that India needs to implement the following reproductive health strategies to ensure economic gains:

Target adolescents and youth;

Ensure a greater resource envelope for family planning in the health budgets of the Centre and states;

Adopt a multi-sectoral and community engagement;

Ensure availability and access to quality reproductive health services;

Invest in women’s education and job opportunities.

The gains that come through these strategies will be more pronounced in the four populous states, the study estimated.

A push for family planning can also result in cumulative savings of up to Rs 27,000 crore for the National Health Mission budget.

Why family planning is integral for health of women and children

If the existing set of policies are implemented to their fullest, India can see a definitive and sustained improvement in metrics such as reduced infant and maternal deaths, safer abortions, and overall reduction in unplanned pregnancies, according to the study. These will, in turn, result in benefits of magnitude higher than their immediate financial impact.

Globally, access to safe, voluntary family planning is a considered a human right and is central to concepts of gender equality and women’s empowerment. It is also the most effective pathway to unleashing the socio-economic potential of a healthy youth, as proved in this study by Harvard economists David Bloom and David Canning.

Hyundai Mobis' latest plan brings to mind one image: A damp squib, again

Even if Mobis's latest resolutions get passed in March, investors shouldn't get too excited.

The South Korean chaebol’s auto-parts unit released an outline Tuesday evening to “maximize” shareholder value. It’ll do anything but that.

The company also formally proposed family heir Euisun Chung as CEO of the unit, which has been under fire by Paul Singer’s Elliott Management Corp. So Chung had to put something on the table to appease investors. After all, he did promise increased engagement months ago, after moving closer to succeeding his father. The stock has plummeted almost 20 per cent since April, when the activist investment fund started rattling at its door. It rose as much as 4.2 per cent Wednesday. In response, Elliott on Wednesday urged shareholders to vote on its own set of shareholder resolutions.

Let’s take a look at Mobis’s latest plan, which addresses some of the issues Elliott raised in its initial “Accelerate Hyundai” proposal. To build “firm trust with shareholders,” the company said it will return 2.6 trillion won ($2.33 billion) over the course of three years. Of this, 1.1 trillion won will come in the form of dividends; 1 trillion from a share buyback; and another 500 billion from the cancellation of treasury shares.

The plan boosts the buyback amount from 188 billion won a year. Those shares won’t be canceled but used for various other things (it’s unclear precisely what). The treasury-share cancellation amount, meanwhile, is the same as previously announced. Basically, the unit is returning 1.1 trillion won of cash dividends over three years, which doesn't equate to much more than it hands out right now – 380 billion won annually. All in all, the returns are incremental at best.

That still leaves a stash of cash on the table: The company had net cash of 7.4 trillion won at the end of 2018. Over the next three years, it plans to hold a “contingency cash reserve” of 3.5 trillion won and spend 4 trillion won on futuristic growth plans including 200 billion to 400 billion won of equity investments in new tech startups (read: 5G, sensors, biometrics, hydrogen fuel cell, etc.) and 3 trillion to 4 trillion won of M&A.

The capex plans are aggressive, too, especially in the auto industry’s current cost environment, as we’ve written. Mobis spent around 2.5 trillion won over the last three years, meaning the company is now planning to shell out almost 60 per cent more to expand operations.

Then there’s the board structure. The company said it plans to appoint two new independent directors. Granted, both nominees bring international experience to the table: Karl-Thomas Neumann in autos and car parts, and Brian D. Jones in finance. But the remaining seven are all Korean with limited diversity in experience, and four are already company executives. The board’s ratio of independent directors, and its size, is below global peers’.

Business Standard

Honor Watch Magic review: Fancy smart wearable that excels as fitness band

Honor Watch Magic is a basic smart wearable that's more of a fitness band than a smartwatch. If you want a fancy fitness band that can double up as a watch, this is a good option.

After launching the Honor Band 4 fitness band, Chinese smartphone manufacturer Huawei’s sub-brand Honor introduced in India the Honor Watch Magic – a smart wearable that functions both as a watch and a fitness band. The watch is made of steel and comes in black and silver colour options, priced at Rs 13,999 and Rs 14,999, respectively.

Design

The Watch Magic has a solid build with a CNC-processed bezel on the top, and laser-engraved markings on the lower side. These engraved markings, along with an accentuated red colour marking on the bezel and menu button, go well with the dual colour textured strap that the watch comes with. However, the sweat-proof strap has a silicone rubber on the bottom that might not suite suit everyone, especially those with skin sensitive to allergies. Thankfully, the watch is water resistant (5ATM/50 meters) and is designed so that it does not accumulate water for a long time.

Display

The watch has a 1.2-inch AMOLED touchscreen, which is big enough to show relevant information available on various watch faces, but not so large as to reflect smartphone notifications properly. Being an AMOLED unit, the screen has good contrast and vivid colours, which makes the icons on screen pop out. The display has ample brightness to stay legible in bright outdoor conditions. Though the screen is set to show information when the arm is raised, it can be set to remain on from display settings in app. However, turning the display on permanently depletes the on-battery time.

Features and performance

Apart from functioning as a standalone device, the Honor Watch Magic also works with smartphones via Huawei Health app – available on both iOS and Android platforms. The app allows the phone and watch to sync data and shows the data readings in interactive graphic form within the app home screen. The app also helps update the watch’s firmware, which sometimes comes bundled with new watch faces.

Being a smart wearable, the watch is capable of monitoring various activities, fitness, heart rate and sleep. The watch’s built-in GPS module helps it track movement, though not precisely. It is also capable of monitoring sleep patterns using the bottom-mounted heart rate sensor. Unfortunately, the watch has no storage for songs, something you would expect from a lifestyle product.

Business Standard

By bombing Balakot, India has struck ideological heart of Pak-based terror

Balakot is where a 19th century leader who waged jihad against Maharaja Ranjit Singh's Sikh kingdom was killed in battle, and has come to be revered by Pakistan-based terrorists.

When Indian Air Force (IAF) jets on Tuesday bombed a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) camp in Pakistan’s Balakot, a pre-dawn strike, they might also have struck at the ideological root of Maulana Masood Azhar's terrorist organisation.

While Pakistan claims ‘payload’ was dropped in Balakote, a place with a similar name within Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, IAF’s Mirage 2000 aircraft are said to have crossed the Line of Control (LoC) and struck a JeM camp on the banks of the Kunhar river in Balakot, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), one of the four administrative provinces of Pakistan.

Addressing the media on Tuesday, Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said: "In an intelligence-led operation in the early hours of today, India struck the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot... This facility at Balakot was headed by Maulana Yousuf Azhar (alias Ustad Ghouri), the brother-in-law of JeM chief Masood Azhar."

Rohan Gunaratna and Khuram Iqbal’s 2011 book Pakistan: Terrorism Ground Zero, seems to confirm that JeM operated a "large training camp for between 800 and 1,000 recruits at Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa". According to the book, the camp was administered by "Yousuf, a Christian convert to Islam from Sindh who is married to Azhar's sister". The JeM facility at Balakot was called the ‘Syed Ahmad Shaeed’ training camp, Gunaratna and Iqbal wrote, adding that Indian sources said the camp was still functional in early 2003, even after the group was banned in January 2002.

If the name of the camp is anything to go by, JeM's “biggest training camp” that India struck, and the town that it is associated with, might have had an ideological and symbolic significance for many Pakistan-based terrorist organisations. That seems to be borne by the association of Sayyid Ahmad of Rae Bareli, or Syed Ahmad Shaheed Barelvi as he is also known, with Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

ALSO READ: IAF air strike LIVE: Pak jets violate Indian air space in J&K, says report

Sayyid Ahmad famously waged a war — a ‘jihad’, in fact — against Ranjit Singh's Sikh kingdom in the early years of the 19th century. In her book Partisans of Allah: Jihad in South Asia, historian Ayesha Jalal wrote: "The historical significance of the war (Sayyid Ahmad's jihad) lies in the indelible imprint it has left on the subcontinental Muslim psyche."

Sayyid Ahmad's "revival of the ideology of jihad became the prototype for subsequent Islamic militant movements in South and Central Asia," writes Husain Haqqani, the former ambassador of Pakistan to the US, in The Ideologies of South Asian Jihadi Groups.

Business Standard

Samsung to launch Galaxy M30 with three rear cameras, 5000mAh battery today

Though the Galaxy M10 and the Galaxy M20 sport a TFT LCD screen, the Galaxy M30 would feature an AMOLED display of fullHD resolution with a 6.4-inch screen estate.

Technology News : South Korean hardware major Samsung is adapting to dispatch the Galaxy M30 on February 27 at 6 PM. The India-first cell phone will be the third gadget in the M-arrangement. The other two Galaxy M20 (survey) and the Galaxy M10 (audit) were propelled in January 2019.

A portion of the key highlights incorporate a triple back camera module, Infinity-U molded indent screen, 5,000mAh battery, and the Exynos 7904 processor, as per Samsung. The ongoing Instagram post by the organization likewise affirms that the telephone will accompany a 6GB RAM and 128GB inward capacity variation. The post likewise affirmed that the telephone will have a microSD card space for capacity development, supporting up to 512 capacity chip.

In spite of the fact that the Galaxy M10 and the Galaxy M20 sport a TFT LCD screen, the Galaxy M30 would include an AMOLED show of fullHD goals with a 6.4-inch screen home. Like other M-arrangement telephones, the M30 will likewise have the capacity to stream video content from Netflix and Amazon Prime Videos in top quality, because of Widevine L1 accreditation. The telephone is required to be fueled by Android Oreo-based Experience 9.5 working framework. It would be controlled by 5,000 mAh battery.

In spite of the fact that the Galaxy M30 cost isn't yet affirmed, it is required to be estimated underneath Rs 20,000.

Business Standard

Lok Sabha Elections: Chidambaram slams PM-Kisan scheme as cash for votes

Chidambaram said the scheme showed that the BJP was living by the 'truth that desperate times require desperate measures.

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram Monday termed the PM-KISAN scheme as "cash for votes" and said it was BJP's "desperate attempt" to placate debt-ridden farmers with "crumbs" of Rs 17 per day per family.

The former finance minister also said the scheme showed that the BJP was living by the "truth that desperate times require desperate measures".

The Rs 75,000 crore scheme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Gorakhpur on Sunday by transferring the first instalment of Rs 2,000 each to over one crore farmers.

The scheme was announced in this year's Interim budget whereby the central government announced that it will provide Rs 6,000 per year in three instalments to 12 crore small and marginal farmers holding cultivable land up to up to two hectares.

"PM launches 'Cash for Votes' scheme. After driving farmers into debt and acute distress, the BJP is desperately trying to placate them with crumbs of Rs 17 per day per family," he said on Twitter.

Chidambaram also hit out at the government over the reduction in GST rates for the housing and real estate sector, asking where was this wisdom when the Congress told the government to reduce these rates. He alleged that the BJP government has made a mockery of the GST.

"GST rates cut for construction sector. Where was this wisdom when we had told the government that, with multiple and high rates, they were making a mockery of GST," he said.

The senior Congress leader on Sunday dubbed the PM-KISAN scheme as a bribe for votes and said the greater shame is that the Election Commission is unable to stop it.

Today is the 'Cash for Vote' day. The BJP government will officially give a bribe of Rs 2000 per agricultural family to get their votes, he had tweeted.

Nothing can be more shameful in a democracy than 'Bribe for Votes'. The greater shame is that the Election Commission is unable to stop the 'Bribe for Votes', he had said.

Business Standard

Huawei Mate X and Samsung Galaxy Fold: Are foldable phones next big thing?

Smartphone makers are expected to foray into this new mobile category of foldable device.

Business Standard : Chinese smartphone manufacturer Huawei on February 24 introduced a foldable mobile device called the Huawei Mate X at the Mobile World Congress 2019. The device was introduced soon after South Korean electronics major Samsung showcased its foldable mobile device, the Galaxy Fold. Though other smartphone makers are also expected to foray in to this new category of foldable device, it makes one wonder if this is going to be the next big thing in the smartphone domain? Let’s find out:

What are foldable mobile devices

There is a long history of clamshell form factor devices. For example the Moto Razr phone was once a fad but the new form of foldable devices are nothing like previous generation phones. Unlike the conventional clamshell design where the screen is on one side and most of the hardware on another, the new category of mobile devices have a foldable screen, giving them a distinct identity.

Why foldable design

As seen at the unveiling event of the Samsung Galaxy Fold and Huawei Mate X, the foldable mobile design primarily aims at providing more screen space. Therefore, the foldable phones have a dual identity of a smartphone (folded) and a tablet (unfolded). One of the benefits of this design language is that it provides a new user experience with enhanced multitasking support.

Whatever way you look at it, the flexible FullView OLED Display gives you an unparalleled view. #HUAWEIMateX #ConnectingTheFuture #MWC2019 pic.twitter.com/6ktzyivsWg

— Huawei Mobile (@HuaweiMobile) February 24, 2019

Whatever way you look at it, the flexible FullView OLED Display gives you an unparalleled view.

Even though the Galaxy Fold and Mate X are the first to feature a foldable design, the two are not ready for a commercial roll out yet. These device designs may be final, but the operating system (Google Android) and apps ecosystem are still not optimised for a foldable design.

Ten years after the first Galaxy, we didn’t just change the shape of the phone, we changed the shape of tomorrow. #GalaxyFold

Learn more: https://t.co/gYYGF4ZvdJ pic.twitter.com/C8s0Jxdhkz

— Samsung Mobile (@SamsungMobile) February 20, 2019

Gully Boy's Safina, a breath of fresh air in portrayal of Muslim women

Even with her limited screen time, Safina shows us several nuances to her character and subsequently, normalises Muslim women in metropolitan India.

Within a week of its release, Gully Boy has already established its cult status as the first of many in Bollywood.

Inspired by the underground rap movement of Dharavi and the rags-to-riches stories of rappers Naezy and Divine, Gully Boy follows the highs and lows of aspiring artist, Ranveer Singh as Murad Ahmed. As powerful as Murad’s character is, Alia Bhatt as Safina Firdausi, who plays Murad’s love interest, comes as a breath of fresh air in Bollywood’s portrayal of Muslim women.

(Business Standard )

Given Bollywood’s hit-and-miss approach to representing Muslims and Muslim women, I am excited to see a strong, bold and multidimensional character whose Muslim identity is not – as a rare instance – used to evoke emotions, to prod the storyline or to add a cultural element to the story. Neither is it exaggerated. Safina’s portrayal departs from the one-dimensional (and often negative) stereotype of Muslim women that Bollywood cannot seem to shake off, even in contemporary movies as recent as 2018.

Using a tried-and-tested formula of evoking patriotic emotions, Sehmat from Raazi – despite being a fictionalised story that is based on real-life events – feels too familiar. She reminds me of Zooni Ali Beg from the 2006 release Fanaa. The same chest-thumping jingoism enforced by song and dance in the first half of the movie, and a confrontation between the protagonist and terrorist husband in the climax. I find the scene in which Sehmat visits a dargah right before poisoning her brother-in-law particularly disconcerting and unwarranted.

The other extreme is an anti-national and malicious character. Again, inspired by real-life events, Haseena Parkar’s role as Dawood Ibrahim’s sister, in the film Haseena Parkar, is one-dimensional. Apart from her overnight transformation from a naïve housewife to an immoral accomplice, we know nothing about the character or motivations of Haseena Parkar. A mere burkha and a few menacing looks are enough to tell us that this woman had once terrorised Nagpada.

Even though Safina can be called “terrorising” of a different kind – sending meek boys into hysterics and beating up girls who get too close to Murad – she does so with a conviction that surpasses Haseena Parkar’s opening scene that was meant to elicit fear.

Neither is Safina’s hijab used as a symbol of oppression or as a prop for the story, like in Secret Superstar. Sure, she wears a hijab, but with the same ease as her headphones and jeans. When Safina marches to the tune of ‘Azadi’, when she takes the situation in her control after breaking up with Murad, when she tells Murad that he can dream and do whatever his heart desires, as she is by his side – all these show a Muslim woman (or irrespective of religion, a woman) whose empowerment and confidence speaks to me in a way that Secret Superstar and Lipstick Under My Burkha don’t.

Baba Ramdev is likely to head India's first Vedic Education Board

Modi government proposed the Bharatiya Shiksha Board to ensure standardisation of 'Indian traditional knowledge.

Yoga guru Ramdev is gearing up to spearhead India's first government-recognised board for Vedic education. A selection committee on Saturday adjudged his Trust's bid for setting up the proposed Bharatiya Shiksha Board (BSB) as the best. Later this week, a five-member panel’s recommendation will be considered by the governing council of the Maharshi Sandipani Rashtriya Vedavidya Pratishthan (MSRVP), headed by HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar. The MSRVP, a fully-funded autonomous body under the HRD Ministry working on promotion of “Ved Vidya”, has been entrusted with the responsibility of appointing a private sponsoring body for putting the BSB in place.

Other contenders included: The Ritnand Balved Education Foundation, which runs the Amity group of institutions, and Pune-based Maharashtra Institute of Technology were the other contenders.

How the wind blew in Patanjali and Ramdev's favour

Rs 21 crore investment;

infrastructure;

and location

The three contenders had earlier made a presentation to the five-member selection committee. According to Indian Express, Acharya Balkrishna, who represented Patanjali Yogpeeth offered to invest Rs 21 crore for the development of the Board. He said that the Patanjali wanted to house BSB's headquarters in Haridwar and that the Trust had the required infrastucture for the Board. Balkrishna also informed the panel that the Trust would want Ramdev appointed as the chairperson.

Interestingly, three years ago, the HRD Ministry under Smriti Irani had rejected Ramdev’s proposal for establishing a Vedic education board. Irani had expressed reservations about the government recognising a private school board.

(Business Standard )

What you must know about the proposed Bharatiya Shiksha Board

Modi government proposed the Bharatiya Shiksha Board to ensure standardisation of “Indian traditional knowledge”, such as Vedic education, Sanskrit education, Shastras and Darsanas, etc.

Purpose of BSB

The Board will draft syllabus, conduct exams, issue certificates and recognise Gurukulas, pathshalas and schools that offer a blend of Vedic and modern education. The Board will charge an affiliation fee and examination fee from schools, just like CBSE does.