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Cinema’s Fading Charm

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Book Fair crosses demonetisation hurdle

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Book Fair crosses demonetisation hurdleWorld Book Fair unaffected by demonetisation

By Karan Kaushik

Delhi is one city which is known for its love for reading and what could have been a better option to spend the much-awaited Sunday holiday for Dilliwallahs than being in the company of books. The World Book Fair is on at Pragati Maidan and people are flocking in large numbers to buy their favourite books and explore new authors and their works. At a time when demonetisation has badly affected the purchasing power of people, the book fair seemed hardly impacted.

In fact, this is the first time at the book fair that publishers and stall owners are encouraging their customers to use digital payment methods. While point-of-sale machines are being used in significant numbers at the fair, it is mobile wallet Paytm which is helping most customers and sellers. One could see Paytm boards at every other bookstall and sellers still dependent on cash payment are planning to transition soon.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]”The fair is a big hit after the note ban and we are witnessing a bumper sale, we have not received a single complaint about cash hassle so far,” informed Kumar Samresh, Deputy Director, Publicity, Establishment and Training, of the National Book Trust, the organiser of the event. Kumar added: “This year, we are celebrating 60 years of NBT and the theme for this year is Manushi, which is writing on women by women, which is getting a good response from visitors.”

img_20170108_165635Kumar also said that children’s books and fiction are the best-selling genres and that NBT has seen the best crowd this year because of the theme of Manushi and also because schools are closed and children are coming with their parents in huge numbers. “We expect a footfall of one lakh on Sunday,” he said.

Speaking about digital payments, Beyaz Hashmi of the Indira Gandhi National Centrefor the Arts said: “Yesterday, we did the first sale of Rs 5,000 through digital payment and this is the first time we are using POS machine at our stall because we did not have one at the Cochin Book Fair and we suffered losses. So this time we rushed to our bank and got the machine issued so that our sales don’t dip.”[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]But not every stall is using digital payments. Mudasir Ahmed of the Kashmir Book Trust said that they are still making do with cash payments and plan on switching to Paytm soon. Talking about the response of visitors, Ahmed said: “We are getting a good response and books mainly about conflict are the best-sellers. People want to know about the real picture of Kashmir and we want to spread knowledge through our books. Lost in Terror by NayeemaMahjoor is the best-seller this time.”

The stalls which are witnessing the largest rush are the ones selling novels and books at prices as low as Rs99. You can buy classics—Charles Dickens, Emily Bronte, Shakespeare—at Rs99.

The fair also has educational books to offer with topics as varied as criminal courts,the cuisine of Punjaband mechanical vibrations and engine failure analysis to human rights, gender issues and the environment.

img_20170108_173531Then there are those amazing coffee table books that book lovers are always attracted to. Some impressive ones are Memorials of Jaypore Exhibition of 1883, Raja Ravi Varma– Painter of Colonial India, The Drawings of Adimoolam and Kalighat Painting.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Rashmi Gupta, a student who is preparing for the civil service exams, seemed interested in reading about issues of international importance. “I am buying books on military strategies, mass mediated terrorism, nuclear diplomacy and insurgency and counter insurgency. I love reading about all these issues,” Gupta said.

The Theme Pavilion at the book fair is displaying some of the finest works on and by women over centuries. The Pavilion will also host talksas well as cultural programmes throughout the duration of the fair.

The fair will continue until January 15. Entry tickets cost Rs 30.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Bihar news

BPSC 70th prelims result 2024 out: Here’s direct link to check

The BPSC has also released the cutoff marks for the CCE, providing candidates with valuable insight into the performance benchmarks. The cut-off scores vary across different categories, reflecting the commission’s commitment to inclusivity and equal opportunity. 

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The Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) released the results for the 70th Preliminary Examination on January 23, 2025. Candidates can view their results on the official BPSC website, bpsc.bih.nic.in. The results include those for the Combined Competitive Examination (CCE), Finance Administrative Officer, and Child Development Project Officer positions.

This year’s examination covered a wide range of posts, including those under the Combined Competitive Examination (CCE), Finance Administrative Officer (FAO), and Child Development Project Officer (CDPO). The release of these results marks a significant step forward for thousands of candidates pursuing careers in public service within Bihar.

The BPSC 70th Preliminary Examination, conducted on December 13th and January 4th, 2025, witnessed a massive turnout of 328,990 candidates. This substantial number underscores the immense competition and the high stakes involved in securing a government position in Bihar. The results, however, reveal a more selective outcome.

A total of 21,581 candidates successfully cleared the preliminary round for the CCE, demonstrating their competence and readiness to progress to the subsequent stages of the recruitment process. For the specialized roles of FAO and CDPO, a considerably smaller, yet still significant number of candidates qualified. 61 individuals successfully passed the preliminary examination for FAO positions, while 144 candidates qualified for CDPO posts.

The BPSC has also released the cutoff marks for the CCE, providing candidates with valuable insight into the performance benchmarks. The cut-off scores vary across different categories, reflecting the commission’s commitment to inclusivity and equal opportunity. 

Cut-off Marks:

  • Unreserved: 91
  • Unreserved Female: 81
  • EWS: 83
  • EWS Female: 73
  • SC: 70
  • SC Female: 55
  • ST/ST Female: 65

How to Check Your Results:

  1. Go to bpsc.bih.nic.in.
  2. Locate and click the “BPSC 70th Prelims Result 2024” link.
  3. A PDF containing the results will open. Download and save a copy for your records.

Examination Results: The Bihar prelims exam, held on December 13th and January 4th, 2025, saw 328,990 candidates. The following number passed:

  • Combined Competitive Examination: 21,581
  • Finance Administrative Officer: 61
  • Child Development Project Officer: 144

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India News

Har Jarurat Hogi Puri: Congress releases campaign song ahead of Delhi elections

Congress leaders, including Delhi Chief Devendra Yadav and national spokesperson Pawan Khera, expressed confidence in the anthem’s impact, emphasising its ability to capture the public mood and convey the party’s commitment to resolving Delhi’s pressing issues.

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The Congress party launched its campaign anthem, “Har Jarurat Hogi Puri, Dilli Mein Congress Hai Jaruri” (“Every Need Will Be Fulfilled, Congress is Essential in Delhi”), on Thursday, marking a significant step in its strategy for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections.

The 2-minute 48-second song serves as a potent weapon in the party’s arsenal, aiming to capture the attention of Delhi’s electorate and sway their votes in its favour.

The anthem’s lyrics directly confront the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), highlighting the prevalent disillusionment among Delhi’s residents regarding the current governance.

It boldly addresses critical local issues, painting a vivid picture of the city’s shortcomings under AAP’s rule. The polluted Yamuna River and the subpar quality of drinking water serve as central themes, with the powerful line “Yamuna Saaf Nahi, Pani Na Saaf Hai” (The Yamuna is not clean, the water is not clean) encapsulating the public’s growing discontent.

Beyond highlighting the existing problems, the Congress anthem meticulously outlines its own vision for Delhi, presenting a compelling alternative to the incumbent AAP government. The party pledges free electricity for households consuming up to 300 units, a promise designed to resonate with the city’s residents struggling with rising energy costs.

The ambitious “Pyari Didi Yojana,” promising a monthly allowance of Rs 2,500 to women from low-income families, aims to further strengthen the Congress’ appeal among the electorate.

Addressing the widespread concern about women’s safety in the city, the anthem criticizes the AAP government’s perceived lack of focus on this crucial issue, arguing that despite promises, women continue to feel unsafe. This pointed critique underscores the Congress’ commitment to addressing this critical aspect of governance, distinguishing its approach from its rivals.

The release of the anthem is strategically timed, closely following the BJP’s launch of its campaign song, “Jo Ram Ko Lekar Aaye Unka Raj Hoga Dilli Mein” (“Those who carry Ram will rule Delhi”). The timing underscores the intensity of the upcoming electoral battle, with both the Congress and BJP vying for the support of Delhi’s voters.

Congress leaders, including Delhi Chief Devendra Yadav and national spokesperson Pawan Khera, expressed confidence in the anthem’s impact, emphasising its ability to capture the public mood and convey the party’s commitment to resolving Delhi’s pressing issues.

The anthem’s release signifies the Congress party’s full-fledged entry into the electoral fray, setting the stage for a closely contested election on February 5th, with results due on February 8th. Over 1.5 crore voters will play a crucial role in deciding the fate of the 70-member Delhi Assembly.

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India News

ChatGPT outage affects thousands of users globally, OpenAI reacts

OpenAI swiftly acknowledged the outage, publishing updates on their dedicated status page. This transparency, while offering little in the way of immediate solutions, served to reassure users that the company was actively addressing the situation.

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On January 23, OpenAI’s popular AI chatbot, ChatGPT, suffered a significant global outage, leaving millions of users unable to access the service. The disruption affected multiple access points, including the web interface, the mobile application, and even integrations on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter). This widespread failure quickly drew significant attention, with reports flooding in from users worldwide.

The outage tracking website, Downdetector, registered a surge in user reports, exceeding a thousand complaints within a short period. This volume underscored the scale of the disruption and the significant impact on ChatGPT’s user base.

The majority of these reports indicated a complete inability to use the chatbot, highlighting the severity of the problem. A smaller percentage of users reported encountering difficulties with the website or API, suggesting a less comprehensive but still noticeable impact.

OpenAI swiftly acknowledged the outage, publishing updates on their dedicated status page. This transparency, while offering little in the way of immediate solutions, served to reassure users that the company was actively addressing the situation.

The official statements consistently described the problem as “degraded performance” and “elevated error rates” within the API, hinting at underlying technical issues that required investigation. However, specific details regarding the root cause remained undisclosed, pending a more thorough examination.

According to reports, the outage commenced around 5 PM IST and persisted for several hours. The lack of a definitive timeline and the ongoing nature of the disruption underlined the complexity of the problem and the challenges faced by OpenAI’s engineering teams in resolving the issue.

As of the latest updates, the exact cause of the outage remains under investigation by OpenAI. The company is actively working to restore full functionality and provide a more comprehensive explanation once the underlying problem has been identified and rectified.

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