“And there you go… NAATU NAATU!! Crossing all boundaries!! Congratulations to @mmkeeravaani garu, @boselyricist and the entire team of #RRR on their phenomenal win at the Oscars!! A jubilant moment for Indian cinema,” stated Tollywood star Mahesh Babu. He also praised ‘The Elephant Whisperers‘ team. “Congratulations to the entire team of #TheElephantWhisperers on winning the Best Documentary Short…a fantastic film and another phenomenal win,” Mahesh Babu noted.

“We’ve created history. An unforgettable day for Indians,” stated Tollywood’s Mass Maharaja, Ravi Teja. Star and politician, Pawan Kalyan, who also happens to be Ram Charan’s uncle, also complimented the ‘RRR’ team on Monday. Similarly, NTR Jr’s uncle and star Balakrishna also expressed happiness over ‘Naatu Naatu’ earning global recognition.

During the acceptance speech, ‘Naatu Naatu’ composer M.M Keeravani said, “I grew up listening to the Carpenters and now here I am with the Oscars,” he began, and then began singing the melody of the ’70s pop smash ‘Top of the World’: “There was only one wish on my mind. … ‘RRR’ has to win, pride of every Indian, and must put me on the top of the world.”

Meanwhile, accepting the award for The Elephant Whisperers, Producer Guneet Monga along with director Kartiki Gonsalves took centre stage to accept the honour. Gonsalves gave thanks to “my motherland, India,” as she accepted the award.

“I stand here today to speak for the sacred bond between us and our natural world for the respect of Indigenous communities and empathy towards other living beings we share our space with, and finally, for coexistence,” she said.

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With the Government of India announcing vaccination for adolescents aged 12-14, a BJP youth leader in Delhi is taking up the mantle and providing the children with the required dose without financially burdening the parents with the cost of the vaccination.

With an aim to reach out one and all, Umang Bajaj, Secretary – BJP Youth Wing, Delhi Pradesh with the support from District Magistrate Office and Udaan NGO, took up the initiative to vaccinate the children aged 12 – 14 and bear the cost through private financing and community participation.  This initiative was rolled out under the guidance of, Delhi BJP President Adesh Gupta.

In Delhi’s Naraina’s Mata Mandir and adjoining areas, Umang assisted over 250 children to get the vaccinated recently.  And he is not stopping at that. “More drives are planned in the future as well,” says Umang.

The vaccination was administered to the children of Naraina for the first time in the presence of Rajesh Geol, President, Karol Bagh Distt. BJP, Ashok Goel Devra, Vice President BJP Delhi, Jai Prakash, Ex-Mayor North MCD, Suresh Sharma, Ex-President New Delhi distt, Deepali Kapoor, General Secretary and others.

“This is a small step towards accomplishing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision that every person in India is fully vaccinated”, expresses Umang.

“There is talk about the fourth wave of Covid which is expected by the middle of the year.  I thought it was the right time to reach out to the children whose parents are from economically weaker sections and provide them with vaccine dose”, he added.

A labours son, Gaurav, who goes to a Delhi Government school in the area was all smiles after getting the vaccine though was a little scared initially. “It was a very nice gesture. Who cares for the poor? But Umang helped us and I feel that other children also take the benefit,” says Gaurav’s father.

Children were also given juice, snacks and water at the venue.

The vaccination for adolescents was started by the government in March and is costing Rs 380. So far approximately 190 crore vaccinations have been administered throughout the country.

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The Yogi Adityanath-government is running a ‘Gau Sanrakshan Abhiyan’ (Cow protection campaign) in the state, under which 5.21 lakh cows out of around 11.84 lakh stray cows have been given shelter. The government is running a total of 4,500 temporary stray cows shelters.

Some 187 large cow conservation centres have been built in the rural areas. In the urban areas, 400 cow protection centres have been established in the name of Kanha Goshala and Kanha Upavan. Under this scheme, the BioVed Agricultural Technology and Science Research Institute, Shringverpur in Prayagraj district, is imparting training to prepare cow dung products.

Apart from UP, people from other states have got training at the institute to prepare cow dung products. They are also trained in making wood out of dung which is called ‘Gokashth’. This especially prepared wood burns longer. Currently, ‘Gokashth’ is being used in Agra Jail for various purposes on a large scale.

Similarly, in Firozabad’s cremation centre — ‘Swarg Ashram’ — the ‘Gokashth’ has emerged as a better substitute for wood that costs much more than it. People have also appreciated the use of ‘Gokashth’ in cremations as it reduces cutting of trees. ‘Gokashth’ is made of saw dust, waste straw and cow dung.

Ramakant Dubey, a farmer and environmental activist from Kalyani Mohalla of Unnao district, has also taken this initiative. Dubey’s plant prepares two quintals of ‘Gokashth’ everyday. This plant can be established by spending Rs 75,000 to Rs 1 lakh.

During his visit to Rajasthan, Ramakant saw people using this especially prepared wood. He got inspired and decided to establish a plant in this district. He applied under the Pradhan Mantri Rojgar Yojana to install four machines and put his ‘Gokashth’ plan before the administration which approved it.

Wood smoke emits carbon dioxide gas which is harmful to the environment and humans, while burning cow-wood produces 40 per cent oxygen which will help in environmental protection. Also, using ‘Gokashth’ in cremations is five times cheaper than conventional ways, which usually consume around four quintals of wood.

The BioVed Research Institute is providing employment and additional income to many families by training them to manufacture a variety of value-added items. Many such items are being made using animal dung, lac in urine. Dung pots, Lakshmi-Ganesh idols, pen-holders, dustbins, mosquito repellent incense sticks, candles are being manufactured.

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Ex-minister, Odisha Hotelier cum politician is a ‘resourceful’ man. Minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government Dilip Ray got a three-year jail term in the Coal scam but in the same vein, he got bail. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court October 26 granted bail to Ray and other individuals, convicted in a Jharkhand coal scam case, on a bail bond of Rs 1 lakh each.

Ray was Minister of State (coal) in the NDA government was granted them time till November 25 to appeal in the High Court. The CBI court sentenced Ray to three years imprisonment in a coal scam case pertaining to the alleged irregularities in the allocation of a Jharkhand coal block in 1999. 

Known as a “low-profile but highly resourceful man” in his inner circles, Dilip Ray’s rise in Odisha’s political scene had been steep and fast, backed to a certain extent by the late Biju Patnaik. His transition from hospitality to politics was smooth, largely because of his family links.

From Janata Dal in the 1990s to the BJD, Congress and BJP , he had friends across the political spectrum, based largely on mutual interests, Ray is a “low-profile but highly resourceful man”.

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The authority has issued a notice to Empire Realtech Pvt Ltd to blacklist the builder along with associated firm CHD Developers and debar them from further registration for new projects till the ongoing projects are completed.

A notice was also issued to complete the project and hand over possession to the allottees or face cancellation of registration.

According to the orders, Empire Realtech had launched a project in 106 Golf Avenue, Sector 106, Gurugram, in 2011 and possession of the apartments was to be given by December 2016. But even after four years of delay, the buyers are running from pillar to post for to get possession of their apartments.

The promoter intimated the buyers about the revised date for completion of the project to as June 30, 2021 but the project has still not been completed.

The HRERA bench headed by K.K. Khandelwal in the presence of its members Samir Kumar and Subhash Chand Kush has issued notice to the erring construction firm, asking the reasons for the delay.

“There are 642 units in the project out of which 600 units have been sold. Nearly Rs 500 crore have been collected from the allottees by 2016. The promoter has also taken loan of around Rs 150 crore out of which Rs 36 crore are still outstanding. Despite availability of funds, both from allottees as well as lenders, the project is far from complete,” read the order.

There are nine towers in the project and in only three towers around 80 per cent work has been completed. The construction is stuck up from October 2018 and the allottees have paid 90 per cent of the cost of the apartments.

“It seems that the funds have been siphoned off by the promoter as even after receiving more than Rs 600 crore from the allottees and lending institutions, only Rs 168 crore have been incurred on the construction,” the bench said.

The authority has now decided to order a forensic audit of the project account.

“The promoter has not even opened a separate RERA account for the project. Allottees’ instalments were received in another account of the bank and all the money deposited by the buyers were taken away by the lender, whereas 70 per cent amount should have been deposited in a separate RERA account to be used only for construction work,” the beach added.

The promoter has been asked to submit a mitigation plan for completion of the project within a month in consultation with the association of allottees. The authority has also given an option to the association of buyers to take over the project for its completion.

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The “Originals Keep Moving” campaign starring Ananya Panday begins with a television commercial exclusive to the India market with a message that aims to inspire the youth of today to come forward while emphasising on the power of never giving up.

The product at the focus of the commercial is one the brand’s flagship fashion lifestyle collections, Skechers D’Lites, which features a design based on the iconic 90s sneakers that Skechers originated. In the campaign, Ananya Panday is seen dancing in the colourful sneakers with the brand logo in the midsole adding a signature element to the shoes.

The energetic video is geared to appeal to the clubbing crowd, to the dancers, to the trendsetters, and everyone else who is facing challenges and just needs a little push to keep moving and go beyond their boundaries.
David Weinberg, Chief Operating Officer of Skechers, said: “After recently announcing a campaign with Siddhant Chaturvedi, we’re continuing to make investments in India as illustrated by this new partnership with Bollywood star Ananya Panday and our first television campaign created specifically for the India market.

“As great potential for growth exists here, we will seek new unique ways to target consumers of all ages to help the millions of consumers in this country discover and fall in love with the comfort, innovation, style and quality offered by Skechers.”

Speaking about the launch and on Ananya Panday, Rahul Vira, CEO, Skechers South Asia Pvt Ltd said, “We are thrilled to launch our first campaign with Ananya Panday. As Skechers was born as a youth-focused brand, it’s our aim to strengthen our connection through communication with the youth of India and ignite a shift in the Indian mind-set at large.
“With this announcement, we have also launched the newest collection in our flagship lifestyle range-Skechers D’Lites-and welcome Ananya to the Skechers family where she will be a perfect ambassador thanks to her role as an influencer to her fans of all ages.”

Commenting on the brand association, Ananya said, “My love for comfortable, stylish shoes is unceasing, and being a 90s kid myself, I have always loved fashion trends from that era, especially the chunky sneakers. Being associated with Skechers has absolutely been an exciting journey as the brand is synonymous with comfort which is a big part of why I love Skechers so much.

“I love the chic and relaxed style of footwear they offer, and I am all set to be a part of it. What ‘Originals Keep Moving’ means for me is that despite all of life’s problems, you don’t let anything or anyone stop you, and you just keep on moving. You’re original, you’re a creator, you’re a go-getter, a hustler in every sense of the word and I absolutely believe in that 100 percent.”

As a brand, Skechers stands for a combination of innovation, style, and technology and offers consumers comfort and the chance to stay on par with all the current trends. In addition to offering ideal footwear for all facets of life, Skechers has launched a wide range of apparels and accessories.

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In a tweet, Minister for Railways and Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal  said: “Empowering farmers and increasing their income, the government permits export of Bangalore Rose and Krishnapuram onions of up to 10,000 MT each.”

Accordingly, ‘Bangalore Rose’ and ‘Krishnapuram’ varieties up to 10,000 MT each can now be exported, subject to certain conditions.

“The export shipment of ‘Bangalore Rose’ onions shall be allowed only through the Chennai port and export to be completed by March 31, 2021,” the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a notification.

“An exporter shall have to get a certificate from the Horticulture Commissioner, government of Karnataka, certifying the item and the quantity of ‘Bangalore Rose’ onions to be exported.

On ‘Krishnapuram’ variety, the DGFT mandated that exporters need to get certificates from the Assistant Director, Horticulture, Kadapa, government of Andhra Pradesh, certifying the quantity of onions for export purposes.

“The Customs Authorities at the Chennai port will allow export of ‘Krishnapuram’ onions on the basis of certificate from Assistant Director, Horticulture, Kadapa, and registration certificate from the office of Additional DGFT, Chennai, submitted by the exporter.”

Last month, the Centre had prohibited export of onions with immediate effect .

In the revised policy issued in September, export of all varieties, including ‘Bangalore Rose’ and ‘Krishnapuram’ onions, excluding cut, sliced or broken in powder form, were prohibited.

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NIFR, a congregation of key retail industry players, is facilitated by GS1 India, a standards organisation working closely with the Indian retail industry.

The forum is aimed at collaboratively addressing challenges faced by brand owners, retailers and e-tailers in their supply and demand chain processes, enhancing operational efficiencies, and consumer trust by ensuring availability of the right product and seamless consumer experience, said the statement.

Pavel Mehta, Head Customer facing Supply Chain and Customer Service at Nestle said: “National Industry Forum for Retail is the only congregation, where brand owners, retailers and e-tailers deliberate to address common issues faced by all of us and meet growing consumer expectations.”

He noted that it plays a critical role in bringing alignment among different organisations and sharing their best supply chain practices to bring in more efficiency and cost optimisation, especially in the new normal.

Praveen Posina, Head of Content at BigBasket noted that the forum has brought together industry stakeholders to develop uniform rules on several key alignments, including product code validation, product descriptions, images among others.

Commenting on the role that GS1 India is playing in the forum, S. Swaminathan, COO, GS1 India said: “GS1 India is facilitating the NIFR collaboration between industry leaders and helping organisations in resolving common supply chain issues by making the system coherent through adoption of global best practices and standards.”

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Talking about the state of the economy post the unlock phase, Kotak said there was now a big departure from the depressed mood that had gripped the industry during the early stages of lockdown.

“The industry now sees their sectors seeing a better pick up and capacity utilisation than what they had projected in March 2020. While in the first few weeks post the lockdown, the pickup was attributed to pent up demand, the sustenance of demand particularly in some non-essential sectors have lifted hopes of a faster recovery,” he said.

The CII president said that the determination by the government to meet the challenges by pushing through some long pending reforms like the labour reforms and those for the farm sector apart from the call for an Atma Nirbhar Bharat have helped improve the confidence of the industry.

With the further easing of restrictions and successive unlocking of the economy initiated from June, most of the high frequency data points have shown a continued normalisation in activity levels, as compared to the multi-year lows seen in April.

“The robust performance of merchandise exports can be largely ascribed to the industrial units being able to function with greater capacity in September, as restrictions on mobility were eased and local lockdowns were fewer. Slowly improving global trade is also helping on the margin,” said Kotak.

The turning around of outbound shipments after a gap of six months with merchandise exports expanding by 5.27 per cent in September is amongst the many indicators which have recorded an impressive recovery.

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