Stubble burning in Pb responsible for rising pollution: Delhi CM

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November 1, 2018

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said that stubble burning in Punjab was the sole reason behind the rising pollution levels in the national capital as he slammed the Centre for failing to provide straw management machinery to the farmers.

Justifying his claim by showing a satellite picture of stubble burning in Punjab as well as Haryana, Kejriwal rejected the claims that Delhi’s air quality had worsened due to its traffic or industries.

“This is a satellite image… You can see the red spots which indicate stubble burning in several parts of Punjab including Bathinda and Amritsar… There cannot be a more scientific (proof) than this,” Kejriwal said while addressing the media here.

“There is a small portion of Haryana (burning stubble) but its role is quite limited. Otherwise, it (stubble burning) is mostly happening in Punjab, Kejriwal said, adding that Delhi had neither witnessed a sudden rise in vehicles plying on the road nor new industries had opened up overnight.

Blaming the Centre for the mess, Kejriwal said that Union minister Harshvardhan had assured him “a few months ago” that both Punjab and Haryana would get grants to buy machines for managing stubble.

“Why did it not happen? He will have to answer it,” he added.

The Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) national convener further said that the quality of air in Delhi deteriorates every year after October 25, once the farmers begin burning paddy stubble.

96-year-old super granny scores high marks in Kerala literacy exam

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Afternoon Voice

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November 1, 2018

Proving that age was no barrier to learning, a 96-year-old woman has secured high marks in a literacy examination held in Kerala.

Karthyayani Amma, the oldest candidate who appeared for the “Aksharalaksham” programme of the state-run Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority, scored 98 marks out of 100.

And she is not the one to rest on her laurels. She has her eyes set on learning computers now. “Saw children studying and got inspired, never got the opportunity when young otherwise would have become government official. Now want to learn computers,” the 96-year-old told agencies.

A native of Cheppad village of Haripad in Alappuzha district, the nonagenarian Thursday received an “Aksharalaksham certificate” from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan as a token of recognition for her achievement.

Karthyayani Amma scored 38 out of 40 in writing, and full marks of 30 each in Mathematics and reading, Mission Director P S Sreekala said.

The woman has become a role model for thousands of people who wish to be part of the literacy programmes, she said.

“The present phase of the initiative has covered 2000 wards across the state. In the next phase, we are planning to join hands with local bodies and expand the programme,” Sreekala said.

“The aim of the Literacy Mission is to make the state fully literate in four years,” the official said.

Don’t forgive PM Modi in 2019 polls: Yashwant Sinha to farmers

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Afternoon Voice

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November 1, 2018

Former Union minister Yashwant Sinha on Wednesday said people should not “forgive” Prime Minister Narendra Modi and “uproot” his government in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

He was addressing a farmers’ gathering at Vanthali in Gujarat’s Junagadh district, around 300 km from here.

“This government has failed on all fronts. Everyone is suffering, be it farmers, youth, women or Dalits. Only new slogans are being given. The only solution is to uproot this government in the next (Lok Sabha) polls,” Sinha said.

“I want to apologise because I was also part of the BJP when promises were made ahead of 2014 (general) elections. But I do not want you to forgive him (Modi) in the next polls,” he said.

The former finance minister has been a vocal critic of the current Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government and resigned from the party in April this year.

Sinha was invited by Patidar leader Hardik Patel to address the farmers.

Commenting on the unveiling of a 182-metre statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Narmada district earlier on Wednesday, Sinha said Modi should have announced a pro-farmer scheme on the occasion.

“He did not announce any scheme for farmers because he has forgotten them,” he said.

Disgruntled BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha was also present at the gathering.

The actor-turned-politician said he will not complain if the BJP sacked him.

“I did not come into politics for any personal gain. I will not complain if my party sacks me tomorrow. I love the people of this country more than my party,” he said.

Promoting Good Governance – Positive Contribution of Vigilance: Part I

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Vinod Dixit

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November 1, 2018

Vigilance Awareness Week is being celebrated from October 29 to November 3, 2018. Vigilance means to be watchful, to be alert what is happening and what can happen. It is observed that people always have the wrong approach towards vigilance as they perceive vigilance as inquiry, fixing responsibility etc. but vigilance is not an investigation but it is prevention. To punish and not to prevent is like pumping the water through a pump without arresting the leakages which result in wastage of water, energy and time. Thus, Vigilance plays a proactive and positive role in good governance which helps in preventing corruption both in public and private sectors. Vigilance is an Institution that tries to keep the values and valuables of Government carefully in the public interest.

Today corruption is found to be one of the most damaging consequences of the poor governance system. It is characterised by a lack of both transparency and accountability. It is one of the factors responsible for poverty. Corruption has reached such alarming proportions in India that it has undermined the foundations of democratic governance. Corruption undermines good governance, distorts public policy, leads to waste of resources and hampers development.

Moral values

Moral values are extremely important for our overall well-being. Positive moral values are important because they allow us to have an overall feeling of peace and joy. Moral values can give meaning and purpose to our life. When we live our life according to moral values that are based on honesty, compassion, courage, modesty, and forgiveness, then we are able to form positive bonds with other people. Incorporating the moral value of honesty in our life makes us trustworthy. In addition to honesty, we also need to incorporate the moral value of compassion into our life. Compassion allows us to have sympathy for the misfortunes of other people. The moral value of courage gives us the determination to face anything that impedes our progress through life. When courage is one of our moral values, we can bravely face the world. Moral values allow us to live our lives in a manner that we can be proud of. The bonds that we form with others will also be more fulfilling because we live our life according to honesty, compassion, courage, modesty, and forgiveness. Forgiveness allows us to move past hurtful or damaging situations. It allows us to abandon feelings of anger or resentment against others or ourselves.

(This is the first part of the Diary and the latter part will continue tomorrow.)

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

Delhi Bar Council sends legal notice to Big B for donning lawyer’s attire

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Afternoon Voice

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November 1, 2018

The Bar Council of Delhi has issued a legal notice to Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan, Everest Masala, YouTube, and a media house for using a lawyer’s attire in an advertisement.

The notice stated that respondents have failed to take due precautions before using the lawyer’s attire and are liable for legal action for telecasting the advertisement without any authority.

‘You are required to immediately stop all such advertisements and also give an undertaking to the Bar Council of Delhi, Bar Council of India and other states Bar Councils that the lawyers’ attire shall not be used in any advertisement in future,’ read the notice.

The Bar Council also asked the respondents to furnish an undertaking in 10 days, failing which further action will be initiated.

In the commercial, Big B can be seen sitting in his dressing room, wearing a lawyer’s suit, as two junior artists enter and offer him Pav Bhaji. After eating the meal, the actor applauds the food and the spices used in preparation.

The veteran faced a similar situation when a jewellery advertisement featuring him and his daughter Shweta Bachchan had to be withdrawn after legal action was threatened against them for portraying bank employees in a negative light.

Satyajit Ray’s ‘Pather Panchali’ placed at 15 in BBC’s 100 best foreign language films list

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Afternoon Voice

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November 1, 2018

Satyajit Ray’s epic masterpiece “Pather Panchali” has been included by BBC’s 100 best foreign language films but it is the only film from India to feature in the list.

Ray’s film, released in 1955 and the first in his “Apu” trilogy, was placed at number 15 in the list, which has been topped by Akira Kurosawa’s “Seven Samurai”.

The list was culled out from a poll where over 200 critics from 43 countries picked their best foreign language film.

It all narrowed down to 100 films from 67 different directors, from 24 countries, and in 19 languages.

“27 of the highest-rated films were in French, followed by 12 in Mandarin, and 11 each in Italian and Japanese,” according to the BBC.

Some of the notable films that featured in the list are — Kurosawa’s “Rashomon “, Wong Kar-wai’s “In the Mood for Love”, Andrei Tarkovsky’s “The Mirror”, Asghar Farhadi’s “A Separation”, Guillermo del Toro’s “Pan’s Labyrinth”, Ingmar Bergman’s “The Seventh Seal” and Alfonso Cuaron’s “Y Tu Mama Tambien”, among others.

The BBC admitted that only four of the 100 films have been directed by women. However, it said that 45 per cent of the critics who took part in the poll were women.

‘Female-oriented’ films will be a thing till they become a norm: Richa Chadha

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Afternoon Voice

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November 1, 2018

Richa Chadda despises the term “female-oriented” films but the actor says the phrase will continue to be relatively novel till such movies become a norm.

The 31-year-old actor says she started hearing the term when Sridevi’s “English Vinglish” released in 2012 but adds actors like Nutan to Rani Mukerji have been the face of their films from a long time.

“I never buy this ‘women-oriented’ term. I don’t like it. I have been hearing this term since 2012 that ‘English Vinglish’ is coming. I always turn around and say ‘You never call the other things male-oriented’. But I guess it’ll be a thing, till it becomes a norm.

“Be it Nutan, Nargis Sridevi or Rani (Mukerji), these women have done films which they have carried on their shoulders completely. There was an entire alternate cinema movement with Smita Patil, Shabana Azmi, Deepti Naval, Mita Vashisht and Neena Gupta… These are great actresses and they have done some excellent work,” Chadha told a agency in an interview.

The actor is currently in the city shooting for her next, “Shakeela”, the eponymous biopic on the popular Malayalam adult star.

Directed by Indrajit Lankesh, the film narrates the rags-to-riches-to-rags story of Shakeela Khan, who ruled the South Indian cinema of the ’90s. She has acted in several adult films in languages spanning Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada.

Inspired by southern star Silk Smitha’s life, the 2011 film explored the journey of a woman who dreams to be a star, goes on to become a sex symbol and following repeated failures, commits suicide.

The actor says Shakeela, who has been an integral part of the biopic from the outset, is a living example of feminism in practice.

“She knows her career and personal life have suffered because of the courageous decisions she has taken to stand up against oppression of any kind. She knows she’s paying the price for it.

“I could imagine any person in her place as being bitter, angry, suicidal or dependent. Going to school and learning feminism is one thing and living feminism is another. She has done the latter.”

Shakeela will also have a cameo in the movie.

The film also stars Pankaj Tripathi and the makers are eyeing a release date post March 2019.

Hugh Grant to star in Guy Ritchie’s ‘Toff Guys’

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Afternoon Voice

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November 1, 2018

Hugh Grant is all set to feature in Guy Ritchie’s ‘Toff Guys’. He will be joining the already star-studded cast list, which includes Henry Golding, Kate Beckinsale and Matthew McConaughey.

Penned by Ritchie and Marn Davies, the script focuses on the collision between European “old money” and the modern marijuana industry. According to the reports, the film follows an English drug lord, who tries to make some profit by selling his empire to a dynasty of Oklahoma billionaires.

The ‘Notting Hill’ actor will be seen playing the role of a British tabloid reporter. The Production is scheduled to start this fall in England.

Guy Ritchie’s past credits include ‘Sherlock Holmes’, ‘King Arthur: Legend of the Sword’ and ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E.’ He recently earned appreciation for his role in ‘Paddington 2’.

Jennifer Lawrence launches her own production house

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Afternoon Voice

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November 1, 2018

Actor Jennifer Lawrence is ready to go behind the camera as she launched her production house ‘Excellent Cadaver’.

Along with her business partner Justine Polsky, ‘Excellent Cadaver’ inked a deal with Brad Weston’s production house Makeready, reported a news portal.

According to the deal, Makeready will screen the film projects that Lawrence’s Excellent Cadaver develops and produces. Furthermore, the deal also gives Makeready and Excellent Cadaver to produce and finance films both independently and as partners. The deal will take into consideration some of the films Lawrence will star in.

Makeready’s head of film, Pam Abdy, will oversee the projects, Excellent Cadaver plans to acquire in the future.

Weston who was all praises the ‘Hunger Games’ star said that her “versatility and commitment” to work with the top filmmakers highlighted the shared ambition to create out of the box films.

Lawrence and Polsky said that they are thrilled to have partnered with Makeready and that they look forward towards to an “exciting collaboration”.

Lawrence received an Oscar for her performance in 2013 film ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ which also starred Bradley Cooper. She is well known for starring in ‘X-Men’ movie series.

Harvey Weinstein accused of sexually assaulting 16-year-old girl in 2002

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Afternoon Voice

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November 1, 2018

Disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein has been accused of sexually assaulting a Polish model and actor.

According to a leading magazine, the woman, identified as Jane Doe, has filed a lawsuit, claiming that former The Weinstein Company boss subjected her to abuse for over a decade beginning in 2002 when she was 16.

The woman claimed she met Weinstein at an event, and then three days later, went to his apartment in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan for what she believed was a business lunch.

The suit alleged that Weinstein “lured her to his apartment and sexually assaulted her, and he continued to emotionally abuse and sexually harass her for nearly a decade”.

She alleged Weinstein “aggressively and threateningly” demanded sexual relations with her and that he forced her to touch his genitals despite her protests, according to the court documents.

She is the tenth woman to file a class action lawsuit against Weinstein, the Weinstein Company and Miramax, accusing them of assault, battery and racketeering.

In a statement, Weinstein’s attorney Ben Brafman dismissed the new allegations as “preposterous”.

Once one of the biggest power centres in Hollywood for independent cinema, Weinstein had a spectacular fall from grace after a a US based newspaper’s investigation unveiled his history of sexual misconduct. The number increased further in another investigation by Ronan Farrow for the New Yorker.

More than 80 women, including prominent Hollywood celebrities such as Gywneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Ashley Judd, Uma Thurman and Asia Argento, have publicly accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct, including rape with some allegations dating back to decades.