India News
Cinema’s Fading Charm
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]World 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.”
Kumar 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.
Then 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]
Education
Farmer’s son Nilkrishna Gajare Nirmalkumar from Maharashtra scores 100 NTA score in IIT-JEE Mains 2024
Nilkrishna Gajare’s father is a farmer and had to discontinue his own education after Class 12 as he faced financial difficulties. Gajare faced financial challenges growing up. However, his unwavering dedication and strategic approach to preparation set him apart from the crowd.
Nilkrishna Gajare, who hails from Maharashtra’s Washim, achieved an extraordinary feat by securing a perfect score of 100 in the JEE Main 2024 examination. His journey from humble beginnings to the pinnacle of success is a source of inspiration for many people.
Nilkrishna Gajare’s father is a farmer and had to discontinue his own education after Class 12 as he faced financial difficulties. Gajare faced financial challenges growing up. However, his unwavering dedication and strategic approach to preparation set him apart from the crowd, which resulted in his remarkable achievement of emerging as topper of one of India’s toughest Engineering entrance exams.
Nilkrishna Gajare had a strategic plan that helped him succeed in IIT-JEE 2024. According to Nilkrishna persistence is important and one should never stop trying until they understand a topic. He said being curious and asking questions are important traits of a good student. He said one should not be ashamed of asking questions.
Nilkrishna spent around 10-15 hours every day studying on his own for the JEE Main exam. He mentioned that he used his class notes for Physics and Physical Chemistry. For organic chemistry and inorganic chemistry, he relied on both notes and practice questions.
As for Mathematics, he believed that practicing regularly was the most important thing for him. Other interests of Nilkrishna include archery. He has participated at both state and national levels, and he finds joy in the sport. He said archery helps him understand the importance of focusing his attention on his goals. Nilkrishna likes watching movies and said they are a great source of enjoyment and relaxation.
He likes to watch a movie after exams and occasionally treats himself to one each week too. Gajare aims to keep up the pace for the JEE-Advanced exam and hopes to get into the IITs. He said he wants to secure admission in IIT-Bombay in the computer science branch.
2024 Lok Sabha Elections
Lok Sabha elections: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav files nomination from Kannauj
The Samajwadi Party has announced Akhilesh Yadav as its official candidate for the Kannauj Lok Sabha seat today
Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, submitted his nomination for the Kannauj Lok Sabha constituency ahead of tomorrow’s second round of voting. In front of Ram Gopal Yadav and other party leaders, the chief of the SP, who had previously contested the seat in 2000, 2004 and 2009, submitted the nomination.
Speaking with media, Ram Gopal Yadav said that SP would win the seat by a huge margin. The BJP candidate might lose his deposit in the seat, he said.
The Samajwadi Party has completely reversed its earlier plan to field former Mainpuri MP Tej Pratap Singh Yadav as their candidate, which is a significant political development.
Earlier, Akhilesh Yadav told reporters, people will find out when the nomination takes place, in reference to the speculations that he will contest for the seat. The historic victory of Kannauj is the subject of inquiry.
The former chief minister continued, the people have decided that the India bloc is coming as the future and the BJP will be history in this election.
Notably, elections for the Kannauj seat are scheduled for May 13, which would intensify the political drama that is now playing out in Uttar Pradesh. Previously regarded as the Samajwadi Party’s stronghold, the seat was lost by the party in the 2019 election when Subrat Pathak of the BJP won with a resounding victory.
The candidates competing for the following Uttar Pradesh seats will find out their destiny in the second round of voting, which is scheduled for tomorrow, Amroha, Meerut, Mathura, Baghpat, Aligarh, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddh Nagar, and Bulandshahar.
Notably, two Bollywood celebrities running as BJP candidates in the second round are Hema Malini from Mathura and Arun Govil from Meerut. There are 91 contestants from UP competing in the second phase.
The seats in Gautam Buddha Nagar and Mathura are up for grabs, with a maximum of 15 applicants per seat. In Bulandshahr, six candidates are vying for the presidency. There are twelve contenders running in Amroha, eight in Meerut, seven in Baghpat, and fourteen in Ghaziabad and Aligarh.
1,67,77,198 votes will decide these candidates’ fates.
2024 Lok Sabha Elections
Bihar: Election Commission extends voting timings for 4 Lok Sabha seats due to heatwave
The voting period has been extended by two hours for a total of 299 polling stations
In accordance to the rising temperatures in Bihar, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has extended the voting hours for the upcoming three phases of the parliamentary polls at 1,700 polling places spread across four parliamentary seats, Banka, Madhepura, Khagaria, and Munger. The extension of the voting hours was announced by poll officials on Wednesday.
Polling generally takes place from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. in most parts of the country, however, in certain isolated locations and in constituencies impacted by left-wing extremism, polls close two hours early to allow polling parties to move around easily.
The ECI gazette notification said the dates for the parliamentary constituencies of Banka (Katoria and Belhar assembly segments), which will hold elections on April 26, Madhepura (Mahishi assembly segment), Khagaria (Simri Bakhtiyarpur, Alauli, and Beldaur assembly segments), where voting will take place on May 7, and Munger (Suryagarha assembly segment), which will hold final phase elections on May 13, have been extended.
The voting period has been extended by two hours for a total of 299 polling stations in Simri Bakhtiarpur, 191 polling stations in Belhar AC of Banka, 172 polling stations in Katoria Assembly Constituency (AC) and 191 polling stations in Belhar AC of Banka, 207 booths in Mahishi AC of Madhepura seat, and 230 polling stations in Suryagarha AC of Munger.
In an effort to boost voter turnout, which fell to 49.26% in the first phase of polling on April 19 in Aurangabad, Gaya, Nawada, and Jamui from 53.47% in 2019 by 4.21%, the timing has also been extended.
Meanwhile, during the course of the next several days, temperatures in the southern states, namely Kerala and Karnataka, are predicted to rise by 2-3°C. In Southern Karnataka, where up to 14 constituencies are scheduled to vote in Phase 2, a heatwave warning has been issued. It is predicted to affect the districts of Tumkur, Davangere, Vijayapura, Yadgir, Koppal, Bagalkote, Kalaburgi, Raichur, Ballari, Chitradurga, Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Gadag, and Davangere.
The EC stated that a likely factor influencing voter turnout is the increase in temperature.
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