Many, many leagues under the sea

B.S. Warrier

 

The sea remains an enigma, despite its wide uses in transport, fishing, and even exploration of energy. Its mysteries can be unravelled through research, as also expeditions and experiments.

About 70 per cent of the Earth's surface is covered by the ocean and it has held immense fascination for man. The National Institute of Oceanography is a premier research organisation studying land-sea interaction and the benefits the waters hide in their depths.

We have serious concern about the depletion of natural resources available on land. The day may not be far off when our eyes will focus more seriously on the treasures in the oceans. Even today our lives are intertwined with the oceans. The studies on oceans gain more and more importance, as we go forward.

Oceanography is the science of the sea. It deals with the physical, chemical, biological, and geological aspects of oceans. Exploration and exploitation of resources are a part of oceanography. In certain contexts, the terms oceanology or marine science are used synonymously.

Since we get food from the ocean, we are interested in the sea, just as the farmer is interested in the field. We use the oceans for transport. The merchant navy has a vital part to play in national and international trade. We use the ocean for recreation, such as swimming, diving, and boating.

We are concerned about the waves, winds, ocean currents, and temperature changes. The weather, wind, and rainfall on land are dependent on the oceans. We know how the coastal climate differs from the continental climate. Storms, hurricanes, typhoons, tsunami, and even droughts depend on the influence of the oceans. The study of the oceans is a great voyage of discovery.

For the sake of convenience, oceanography is usually divided into different segments.

Physical oceanography: Study of the motions of seawater, particularly waves, currents, and tides. Some of the topics studied are the following. Temperature, salinity and density; influence of the physical state of the oceans on the Earth's climate; ocean warming slowing of ocean circulation; Anthropogenic and biologically active tracers; air-Sea interaction; turbulent and radiative heat {fllig}uxes through the sea surface; phase changes of water; wind-driven circulation in the upper ocean; conservation equations; and transport processes of ocean circulation.

Chemical oceanography (marine chemistry): It is concerned with the study of the dissolved elements in seawater and the chemical and biochemical cycles in the sea. Topics of study include the chemistry of seawater; reactions between the atmosphere and hydrosphere; the origin and evolution of seawater; the origin of the sediment that covers the seafloor; water and sediment sampling; relationships among chemical constituents of seawater; and the influence of changes in geology; and biological activity.

Man-made pollution in the form of dumping of sewage, oil, fuel, agricultural chemicals, and industrial exhaust into the oceans decreases sea-water quality, particularly along the coast. Problems such as the toxic effect of human consumption of mercury-laden fish come under the domain of chemical oceanography. We have to analyse the influence of changes in seawater temperature on global weather. El Nino is a case in point. It is a shift in ocean temperatures and atmospheric conditions in the tropical Pacific that disrupts weather around the world.

Chemical oceanography may have to be subdivided for the sake of convenient study. For instance, marine chemistry is concerned with the composition of seawater. Marine geochemistry is the chemistry of the precipitated rocks and sediment found on the ocean floor. Marine biogeochemistry studies the role of organisms, especially microorganisms in the alteration or formation of geological features in the oceans.

Biological oceanography (marine biology): Study of life in the oceans, includes marine biology and ecology. It deals with the study of the plants and animals of the oceans and their ecological interaction.

Geological Oceanography: Study of the shape and geologic features of the ocean floor.

NIO

The premier research institution in the field of oceanography in India is the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Dona Paula, Goa - 403 004; Web: www.nio.org.

NIO, a constituent of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, was established in January 1966. It has regional centres in Mumbai, Kochi, and Vishakhapatnam. It has rich infrastructure in terms of a large oceanographic laboratory of international repute and human resource of 200 scientists, with a fine contribution of nearly 5,000 research articles. It operates a coastal research vessel CRV Sagar Sukti, equipped for multidisciplinary oceanographic observations. The institute makes use of the services of the research vessel ORV Sagar Kanya, operated by the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

The major research areas include the four traditional branches of oceanography indicated above. Further, it conducts research and some other areas such as marine instrumentation and archaeology. Several universities use the institute for carrying out doctoral research, guided by NIO scientists. The research studies carried out are not in the form of academic exercises, but they focus on practical applications. Research sponsored by industry is an integral part of the activities in NIO. Oceanographic data collection, environmental impact assessment, modelling for the prediction of environmental impact, marine environmental protection, and coastal zone regulations are being handled.

NIO gives opportunities for nearly 60 Ph.D. research fellows at a time. Also, it offers facilities for project research work for hundreds of graduate and postgraduate students. In other words, the institute is a research hub in several areas of oceanography.

Thrust areas

Some of the areas of focus are indicated below.

Application of geological and geophysical methods in marine archaeology and underwater explorations.

Applications of marine geo-scientific methods to study seabed and sub-seabed geological features.

Biogeochemical and ecosystem responses to global climate change and anthropogenic perturbations, and transfers across interfaces in the north Indian Ocean.

Biominerals from the continental margins and conditions for their formation.

Bioprospecting and biotechnology of marine microorganisms.

Coastal upwelling (upward movement of water along a coast).

Eco-bio-geography of the estuarine and coastal waters.

Engineering analysis of coastal processes for marine structures and technology development.

Environmental impact analyses of mining of marine minerals.

Equatorial Indian Ocean processes on the climate variability.

Evaluation, mechanism and control of biofilm (a thin film of bacteria that adheres to a surface) and biofouling (impairment of something, such as a ship's hull, as a result of the growth of living organisms).

Genesis and occurrence of deep-sea mineral deposits.

Habitat ecology and aquaculture of marine organisms for food and medicine and chemical synthesis of novel compounds.

Impact of natural and anthropogenic pressures on the coastal zone.

Indian climate and phytoplankton variability.

Interaction between ocean, atmosphere and coastal seas.

Marine environmental studies for sustainable development in coastal zones.

Marine pollution assessment and eco-toxicology.

Physical and biogeochemical dynamics of estuarine and coastal ecosystems.

Media Matters : Learning to converse

Sevanti Ninan

When information and events get reported by ordinary people, traditional news organisations have to redefine their roles.

As 2011 comes to a close, the year's biggest events have mainstream media newsrooms pondering what these mean for their future. When revolutions and nuclear disasters are reported by ordinary people on mobile phones, what price conventional newsroom technology or the editorial skills honed over several years?

 At an editors' summit in Hong Kong which drew media biggies from across continents,   a few discoveries were being made. One, that leading media companies are now employing digital strategists to help them figure out how to go forward. Two, the hierarchy in the business is changing — the audience is no longer composed of passive recipients of what you choose to put out. Be nice to them — they threaten your future.

 The head of digital strategy at ZDF, Germany, was there to point gently to a need for a change in the journalists' attitude: "We have to go from being oracle to guide. The lecture is becoming a conversation.  As the audience gets more active, they receive and alter our content. Sources go direct, we lose control. Reverse your angle — the 20{+t}{+h} century info flow is changing. Don't look down at audience. Look across the table.  Make the prime time newscast a conversation with the newscaster."

 There is even a new word in the vocabulary of the media business — pro-sumption, where the producer and consumer are becoming the same.

Changing roles

Three, the description of what newsroom editors do is changing. They need to think of themselves as curators.  Someone who will decide what to take from a variety of sources for the news package he is putting out. The director for new media at Al Jazeera put it succinctly: "Monitoring, curating and then pushing it out again." In Egypt, he reminded people, the first images were both produced and distributed outside the mainstream media — the video of a youth before a water canon.

 The editor's job then becomes one of verifying local news sources. How do you do that? You look for landmarks in the video which will verify the authenticity of the location, you gauge the weather, you try to call the guy you see in the video. Get the real name and ID of every citizen journalist. Speed versus accuracy is the challenge.

 Open source was a term to describe software; now it is being used to describe sources in journalism. The managing editor of CNN Digital said that when Egypt, Japan and Libya happened in turn, they had to figure out a format to integrate citizen journalism into their reporting. Now they have a section called Open Story where they marry their own reports with those of citizen journalists.  

 Joi Ito, who is now the director of the Media Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was asked whether the tsunami in Japan had changed the perception of the media. He replied that it had changed the perception of the establishment in Japan, including the media. There was a loss of confidence in the media. Post Fukushima a new online project called safecast.org was launched, showcasing data which could help you measure nuclear radiation.  

 The role of the journalist is changing when there are many sites and sources for data, and you no longer need a journalist to find information. Instead, it becomes their job to take  different sources of information and compare. So, number four, the skill sets needed in the newsroom are changing. The future lies increasingly in what is being called data journalism. You now need people in the newsroom who understand computer programming, who understand data analysis, who understand statistics.

Curating data

In 2012, the push will be for data journalism, as field reports come in partly from citizens on the ground. As governments increasingly put data online, journalists will have to learn ways to plumb it. The editor of La Nacion in Costa Rica described how for a huge project which examined the criminal records of 1,500 electoral candidates, her paper  procured a software which the FBI uses to throw up names of people under various categories. But then because this is journalism and you have to give the right to reply no matter how many hundreds are being investigated together in a computerised operation, they had to set up a call centre to call every one of the candidates and ask them what they had to say!

 There was also a note of caution about where not to follow social media blindly. Ignore the trending on Twitter, said Ito.  To follow that could lead you down a hysterical path.

 Much of the meeting of this new formation of editors — the Global Editors Network — was about the rise of the mobile.  Have you redesigned your website for viewing on the mobile? And in a country like India, were newsrooms using them enough to get news from places where you did not have correspondents? 

 2012 can be much the same or more frenetic than 2011  depending on how much you are inclined to keep up with the Joneses in the new four-screen news ecology — TV, computer, tablet, mobile.  The anxious question being asked at the end was, what will the fifth screen be and how soon will it emerge?

--



Amar P. Puranik,
Sub-Editor,
Tarun Bharat,
Solapur - 413005
Hindusthan Samachar,
New Delhi - 110055

Resi. Address
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Solapur - 413003
Cell Ph. No : 09370405062
E-Mail : aamarpuranik@rediffmail.com
             aamarpuranik@gmail.com
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अमर पुराणिक
उपसंपादक,
दैनिक तरुण भारत, सोलापूर.
हिंदुस्थान समाचार, नवी दिल्ली.
फोन नं : ०९३७०४०५०६२

CD on Bal Thackeray released

CD on Bal Thackeray released

Mumbai: Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray and party's executive president Uddhav Thackeray released a CD — a compilation of Bal Thackeray's speeches, interviews, articles and photographs — here on Sunday on the occasion of the senior Thackeray's 84th birthday. According to a press release issued by the party, the CD titled “Hinduhridaysamrat — Vicharanche Sone and Bindhast Bole” is an edited compilation of his Dasara rally speeches, his interviews and articles written by famous personalities on him in the past 20 years.
Record of struggle
“This CD is a record of the historic struggle of the Shiv Sena. It will be an inspiration for the future generations,” Mr. Uddhav Thackeray said. The ‘Hinduhridaysamrat' section has articles by persons like George Fernandes, Rajnikanth, Amitabh Bachchan, Nana Patekar, Nitin Gadkari, Khushwant Singh, Durga Bhagwat, Muzaffar Hussein, Javed Miandad, among others.
‘Vicharanche Sone' (gold of thoughts) is a compilation of information of the Sena's annual Dasara rallies since 1989. It captures the crowds, the environment of the rally in photographs. It also contains his speeches ‘Bindhast Bol' (Talk carefree) has his interviews on varied topics, including one taken by Shashi Bhalekar on ‘Hindutva.' It also consists of various interviews taken during 1995 election rallies and the interviews by Sanjay Raut for Sena mouthpiece Saamna.

Cartoonist Thackeray calls on Common Man

 Cartoonist Thackeray calls on Common Man

Shiv Sena Chief Bal Thackeray meets veteran cartoonist R.K. Laxman at his residence in Pune on Thursday evening. Two friends, who have known each other for more than 50 years, met, reliving old times and shedding a tear or two on the memories. Nothing unusual except that the two are legendary cartoonists R.K. Laxman and Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray. Mr. Thackeray (85) visited Mr. Laxman (90) in his Pune residence on Thursday evening to enquire about his health.
“When he saw me, the poor chap started crying,” Mr. Thackeray, who is a cartoonist himself, told journalists. First meeting The two first met in 1945 when Mr. Laxman joined The Free Press Journal, where Mr. Thackeray was already working as cartoonist. “We worked together till 1950 after which he joined The Times of India,” he said. He was accompanied by his son Uddhav Thackeray and grandson Aditya.
“Today, only I was speaking, as Laxman cannot talk. The very hand that sketched politicians is shaking today,” Mr Thackeray said. Mr. Laxman, who suffered a stroke in 2010, cannot talk, and uses his hands much.
In spite of that, he drew his favourite character, the Common Man, for his old friend, which Mr. Thackeray proudly displayed to reporters. “The standard of caricaturists has gone down today. In our times, one cartoon was equal to a hundred editorials. Today's cartoons lack that fun element,” Mr Thackeray said. Speaking to The Hindu earlier in the day, Mr. Laxman's wife Kamala said, “We have known him for very long. Laxman is very fond of him. He is visiting us in Pune for the first time.”

Musical interpretation

Musical interpretation 

Shobana brings Krishna to town. The danseuse tells Sravasti Datta the performance is a representation of Krishna's many roles

Award-winning actor and Bharatnatya exponent, Shobana brings her latest musical “Krishna” to Bangalore next month. “We performed the premiere show in Chennai, which sold out immediately. In Dubai too it was a success,” informs Shobana.

“Krishna” is an amalgamation of classical and film dance. It has 23 performers, some as young as six, with Shabana Azmi, Konkona Sen Sharma, Nandita Das, Radhika and Surya doing voice-overs for the main characters in the production. “The show is not only for the critics but also for anyone who wants to be part of an experience. The script was worthy enough to have top actors to give their voice-over for the main characters.”

The creative process did not start in a day. “It happened over a course of five years,” says Shobana. It was a calling for her. “I realised that I didn't know much about Krishna. I wondered how he became an icon. So I met archaeologists and read up more on him. The script took me 15 days to write, but three years to reflect on.”

Condensing Krishna's 80 to 90 years into a two-and-a-half hour performance presented its challenges, but it was fun too. “The difficult part was to get the cast to perform. To deliver what I had envisaged.” After writing the script, incorporating the music and other aspects were Shobana's other challenges. However, Oscar winner Resul Pookutty, despite his other commitments, worked for it with enthusiasm.

Of the parts she found appealing, Shobana says: “His growing up years were interesting, but I can't quite relate to him as a philosopher. The musical is an attempt to convey the moral values propagated by Krishna to the people. Some of the lesser known stories are also touched upon including his role in Mahabharata. Besides Carnatic music, the show will also have songs from Tamil, Hindi and Malayalam movies.”

Shobana speaks of the “nuisance notion” that classical dance is boring. She contends that Bharatnatya is meant for a niche audience. “That's why it is called classical. It is for people who can empathise with and have a flair for it. But there are also those who are attracted to the movements or music. I've seen my audience grow over the years, which is good.”

As for which medium, the stage or film, she is comfortable with, Shobana says the two are different, but classical dance excites her.

The 30-piece ensemble piece “Krishna” will be performed on January 28 at Chowdiah Memorial Hall.

Ooh la la 'n'loving it

Ooh la la 'n'loving it

Every heroine plays sexy in Hindi cinema today — if it is equated with being skimpily clad, being rebel teen or happy infidel, doing your standard issue jhatka-matkas or item number (not much difference there!). But doing an in-the-face act in a film that rides on the subject of a film actor's sexuality — now that is really plucky. Vidya Balan deserves a place in the history of our cinema for making that audacious attempt.

If you haven't heard of “The Dirty Picture” yet, you're obviously living on some other planet. The Ekta Kapoor-produced Milan Luthria-directed film set for release on December 2 is scorching people's minds with heavy-duty promos of heavy-duty bosom heaving and slithering with hero amidst oranges on hill slopes — reprising the gaudy 80s Hindi cinema. The film's song “Ooh la la…tu hai meri fantasy” scoops out the spirit of the film in generous dollops. There's been enough controversy kicked up about the film being based on iconic cabaret queen Silk Smitha's life, about Vidya Balan never being able to match up to Smitha's sensuality, about Smitha's brother challenging the film in court etc etc. As is the case with any speculation, it's only added to the publicity blitzkrieg.

Vidya knows she's stepped out of her comfort zone; she herself says “I've unleashed myself,” with a bold and becoming pink-lipsticked grin. She was in Bangalore in association with Radio One to promote the film. Vidya's been living her filmi look during the promos, underlining retro chic with wedge heels, huge plastic frame glasses, hoop earrings, pink floral print shirt dress, purple nail enamel et al.

“I don't adhere to any image trap…I don't want to be repeating a Vidya Balan,” emphasises Vidya, who, after her critically acclaimed 2005 Hindi debut “Parineeta” has actually managed not to fall into the un-rescuable typecasting well by doing films as diverse as “Lage Raho Munna Bhai”, “Heyy Baby”, “Paa”, “Ishqiya”, “No One Killed Jessica”. Vidya agrees: “I've had ample opportunities to play completely different characters on screen. That's why I came into films. Directors too are investing full faith in me and many have been telling me I'm brave to do this role.”

Vidya is quick to stress that her role of Silk in “The Dirty Picture” is of a “dancing star in the 80s who wears her heart and sexuality on her sleeve. She is brazen about it and it is that attitude that has made her a star. This is not based on the life of Silk Smitha… but she is synonymous with dancing stars of that era.” But anyone who's seen the promos can't miss the umpteen references.

Vidya admits it's her toughest role till date. “On the one hand she's volatile and brazen, and on the other, she's childlike; to translate that on screen was tough. My roles so far hadn't given me an opportunity to explore that side of me.” She watched some films of the time, especially songs that had suggestive gestures and over-the-top movements. “Added to that we all have an imagination of them in their personal lives, and of course, there were inputs from the director,” she says of her preparation.

When she had switched from her sari-clad “Parineeta” image to a more hipper younger role in “Kismat Konnection”, critics went all out to pan her. “I completely understand them. My heart wasn't in it; I had no conviction and it showed. But with my role in ‘The Dirty Picture' people have been embracing me with open arms!” she says exhilarated. But there's nothing voyeuristic about the film, insists Vidya, despite the titillating title of the flick. “It's just that when you're talking of a woman so unapologetic about her sexuality, it's easy to label her dirty.”

To accentuate the “wholesome woman” she had to play on screen, Vidya was asked to put on weight, which she easily did. “I have a weakness for cream biscuits and I indulged in a lot of them. In the last 15 years I haven't eaten the kind of desserts I did in the run up to this film!” she laughs heartily. Another weakness of hers is the sari, which she indulged in again for the film. “I love saris and it's the sexiest garment that looks great on any body type. I celebrate my curves and the sari does complete justice to that. I always wear cottons or Kanjivarams, but for the film we went in for somejhataksaris,” she laughs.

The harmony bond

The harmony bond

       They have been trained by the same guru – Pandit Kumar Gandharva — and have shared stage with him. The duo has strived through the years to keep the legendary guru's memory and hoary musical past alive.

Vasundhara Komkali and daughter Kalapini Komkali's ‘Saha Gaan' (singing together) signifies stree shakti, the mother-daughter dynamic, the Indian classical music's enduring appeal, the reach of a resonant voice and the exploration of tradition in a contemporary setting.

Vasundhara was in her early teens, when she met Kumar Gandharva in Calcutta, who asked the talented youngster to come to Bombay for further training. World War II broke out and Vasundhara couldn't set-out on her dream journey. Meanwhile, she established herself as a fine musician and performed regularly on All India Radio. But going to Bombay was uppermost in her mind and she finally ... GO TO THIS SITE managed to reach her destination. But to her dismay, Kumar Gandharva had no time for imparting lessons and advised her to go to Professor Deodhar, a doyen of the Gwalior gharana. So Vasundhara trained under Prof. Deodhar for some time but later convinced Kumar Gandharva to take her on as his sishya. She also later became his life-long companion by marrying him. As a supporting vocalist to her guru and husband, she imbibed the intricate nuances and aesthetics of the genre. Together they came up with several thematic concerts such as Geet-Varsha, Geet-Hemant, Geet-Vasant, Rituraj Mehfil, Triveni and Tulsidas Darshan.

Kalapini, who trained under her illustrious parents, has established herself in the classical music firmament with her command over the genre. An active trustee of the Kumar Gandharva Sangeet Academy, Kalapini has quite a few recordings to her credit.

Q & A

Kalapini Komkali on training under her parents, taking her father's legacy forward and coming up with her own vision of the art.

What does it mean to be the legendary Pandit Kumar Gandharva's daughter? Are you weighed down by the responsibility to keep up the family name?

It's great to have a music legend for a father but there's hardly much time to cherish it as you are constantly trying to do justice to the inheritance. Since childhood I have only seen musicians as visitors at home and discussions centered around ragas, swaras and talas. As I gain a foothold in the music world, I realise that my identity as Kumar Gandharva's daughter will be integral to my artistic personality.

Your mother, Vasundhara Komkali, is also a well-known name in the field of Hindustani classical music and both of you often perform together. Does art define your relationship?

Art is a great comforting factor in our relationship. Our discussion rarely drifts to mundane things. It's lovely to have someone as close as a mother to share your creative understanding, vision and aspirations. It's equally wonderful to have a mother as a guru. But it was not always this way. During my growing-up years I felt that unlike other children I didn't get enough of my parents' attention and affection. It would irk me that they spent all their time pursuing their passion.

From Dewas, a small town in Madhya Pradesh to international recognition; from being true to tradition to experimenting with various styles within the classical format, from sharp criticism to reverence for his refreshing approach — your father's musical journey strikes a high note.

Yes, indeed. Though he is the pride of Dewas, the town never really understood his commitment and his approach to the art. He never really got the recognition he deserved during his lifetime. I am happy that at least now there is more awareness, which gives me the strength to take the legacy forward.

Why is your concert at the Friday Review November Fest titled ‘Saha Gaan'?

It cannot be a jugalbandhi with your mother and guru. ‘Saha Gaan' when translated loosely means ‘conversation with the master'.

Sameera loses seven kgs for Tezz item song

Sameera loses seven kgs for Tezz item song

Thanks to Munni and Sheila, item songs have become a big deal in Bollywood. So it’s not surprising that Sameera Reddy is putting her best foot forward for an item number in Priyadarshan’s upcoming film, Tezz. The actor, who plays a club dancer in the film, lost about seven kilos for the part.

The actor followed the strict GM (General Motors) diet to achieve the desired result. “Her close friend Neeta Lulla told her to go on the GM diet, which was extremely difficult, but it worked wonders. She followed it for a week. Besides, she also swam and worked out religiously everyday,” informs a member of her management team.

Besides shaking a leg, Sameera will be seen as a speed-junkie in Tezz, who loves the thrills of riding a bike. She also learnt whitewater rafting and did a few bike stunts for the action film. In fact, Sameera had to start training for her action scenes three months prior to the shoot.

Priyadarshan’s Tezz stars Anil Kapoor, Ajay Devgn, Kangna Ranaut, Zayed Khan and Mohanlal.

The GM Diet

The seven-day long diet should ideally be followed only once in a month or once in two months. It involves eating only one kind of food (fruits, chicken etc) for one entire day. It is known to be highly effective. However, it has received a lot of criticism among fitness experts for its extreme treatment, which also does not keep the weight off permanently.

When asked about the song, Sameera refused to reveal any details, but she says with a smile, “I am excited to dance on the peppy track. And I’ve lost oodles of weight for it, so I’m confident that it will be another hit like Sheila and Munni!” The song has been composed by Sajid-Wajid.

Scottish giants Rangers interested in Chhetri, Jeje

NEW DELHI: Scottish Premier League champions Rangers have confirmed that I-League stars Sunil Chhetri and Jeje Lalpekhlua will train in Glasgow with the first team in the hope of impressing boss Ally McCoist. While Chhetri did not entertain any calls, Jeje told TOI from Guwahati that he "would only get to know about it a few days later".

The Indian team had assembled in the north-eastern city for a friendly against Malaysia. "I am not sure so I cannot talk about it," the 20-year-old Pune FC striker said, before betraying an excited laugh and agreeing that it would be an excellent opportunity.

However, there could be a few hurdles in the way. KB Chhetri, Sunil's father, had his doubts whether a deal could be done. "In his earlier contracts, he always had a paragraph saying that the clubs would release him if overseas clubs were interested. But with Mohun Bagan, there is no such clause," he said.

Another problem would be acquiring a UK work permit. In 2009, the 27-year-old Chhetri had signed a three-year contract with Queen's Park Rangers, who were promoted to the English Premiership this season, but he was denied a work permit and his dream of playing in England was dashed. He eventually joined Major League Soccer (MLS) team Kansas City Wizards, but he failed to make the final 11.

Scottish newspaper Daily Record reported on Friday that the club was weighing up the move to extend its reach in the Indian market, and the visit has been set up by Rangers director of football, Gordon Smith.

"Sunil and Jeje are looking forward to coming to Scotland for trial later this month. Both players are well aware that Rangers have a far higher standard than they are used to and they will need to raise their game to impress but they will give their all during their trial period at Murray Park," the players' agent Yogesh Joshee told the Rangers' official website.

Beauty of the bloom

Beauty of the bloom

The Hindu Friday Review November Fest opens with Lotus, a concert in which Mandolin U. Shrinivas will perform with yangqin player Liu Yuening from China. The artistes will be accompanied by Vijay Ghate on the tabla and V. Selvaganesh on the kanjira. Shrinivas and Liu performed together for the first time in Singapore, where they alternated between leading and improvisational following. This concert, only their second time together, will feature solos as well as compositions created by them exclusively for the fest.

Shrinivas is a musical genius who has, over the past three decades performed across the world in prestigious festivals in Mexico, Barcelona, Asia, the United States and Canada. He has collaborated with artistes such as John McLaughlin and Michael Brook in the West and legends such as Hariprasad Chaurasia and Zakir Hussain in the East. He has been awarded the Padma Shri, Sangeeta Ratna, Mysore T. Chowdiah Memorial National Award, National Citizen's Award and Best Artist Award by the Music Academy.

Liu Yuening is professor of the Central Conservatory of Music. She serves as director of the International Research Center of Yangqin Art of CCOM, vice-president of the Chinese Yangqin Association, member of the executive committee of the Chinese Folk Instrument Association and member of the International Society for Music Education. In 2008, she founded the first Yangqin ensemble in China called JASMINE and has released more than 10 albums in China and overseas.

Pandit Vijay Ghate, who has been playing the table from the age of three, is among the rare percussionists renowned for the ability to embellish vocal, instrumental as well as dance performances. He has accompanied luminaries such as Pandit Birju Maharaj, Pandit Jasraj, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia. He has also ventured into fusion music, playing with artistes from around the world. He trained under Pandit Suresh Talwalkar.

V. Selvaganesh is a leading kanjira player whose skill in percussion was practically preordained. His father is the Grammy-winning ghatam player, Vikku Vinayakaram. Selvaganesh has toured with Remember Shakti, where he played along with John McLaughlin, Zakir Hussain, U. Shrinivas and Shankar Mahadevan. He has composed albums such as Soukha, and music for the Tamil films “Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu” and “Kola Kolaya Mundhirika”.

Q & A

Mandolin U. Shrinivas the Padma Shri-winning musical genius, talks about his plans for the concert with Liu Yuening, which will bridge the ancient musical cultures of two of the fastest growing and quickest modernising countries, India and China.

How did you meet Liu Yuening? How did the decision to collaborate come about?

Akila Iyengar from Singapore Arte Compass approached me for a performance with Prof. Liu. I agreed immediately because it sounded interesting. Besides, I had not worked with a Chinese instrumentalist. So the concert was held this year in Singapore in Esplanade, which is one of the prestigious halls in the world, and was well received. We had rehearsals and we played mostly my compositions.

What is the most significant difference and similarity in the music that you both play?

The Chinese and Indian music styles are entirely different.  Chinese music, I feel has more folk elements that sound quite similar to our ragas such as ragaMohanam, Suddhadhanyasi, Hindolam and Madhyamavathi.  Prof. Liu is a brilliant artiste and it was easy to establish a musical rapport with her.

How would you describe the evening you have in store for this edition of November Fest?

I'm very excited about this show and I have composed new pieces that would suit Chinese music too.

Lifestyle modifications will keep diabetes at bay

November 14 once used to be, in India, at least, Children's Day. No longer so. Diabetologists have usurped the day now known globally as World Diabetes Day. And perhaps, rightly so, as projections emerging with regard to the growing number of diabetics in the nation are enough to stop you in your tracks.

As World Diabetes Day is nigh upon us, here is yet another study to underline the enormity of the problem. The results of the research indicate that about 19 per cent of the study population in the State suffers from the twin conditions of diabetes and hypertension; while about 40 per cent surveyed had diabetes, and another 40 per cent suffered from hypertension only.

It was conducted by Sanofi, provider of health care therapeutics, including pharmaceutics.

The SITE (Screening India's Twin Epidemic) study was conducted in eight States – Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, New Delhi, West Bengal, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. In Tamil Nadu, close to 2000 patients from Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai were studied.

One of SITE's co-ordinators for the State, Vijay Viswanathan, says, “The data reveals that diabetes and hypertension are indeed becoming a twin epidemic in the State. Furthermore, 9 per cent were newly diagnosed cases of diabetes. Shockingly, even amongst the diabetics undergoing treatment, 71 per cent were ‘uncontrolled' thereby emphasising the need not only for regular testing but also for greater awareness about the correct treatment regime.”

Talking about the hypertension aspect, another SITE co-ordinator N. Sivakadaksham adds, “The Sanofi SITE Tamil Nadu study shows that of the patients who were hypertensive, 84 per cent did not have their hypertension under control. The data further reveals that 32 per cent of the hypertensive patients have albumin in the urine. 23 per cent were newly diagnosed.”

Diabetologists once again emphasise the concept of bringing in lifestyle modifications to prevent non-communicable diseases and/or complications. V. Mohan, chairman, Dr. Mohan's Diabetes Specialties Centre, said Diabetes Prevention

Studies in the US and Finland have shown that with lifestyle moderations, about 58 per cent of persons with pre-diabetes stop their progression into diabetes. The Indian equivalent is about 30 per cent.

There is no doubt that this intervention is most effective. A minimum of 30 minutes exercise per day, preferably going up to one hour, cutting down on high calorific white rice (for the majority of the South Indian population), substituting it with brown rice or adding a lot of pulses and legumes, avoiding fatty foods, and cutting down on at least 5 per cent of body weight have shown significant results, he says.

R.Karunanidhi, diabetologist, Jain Diabetes Centre, Mylapore, says that diabetes should also be made ‘notifiable', as it is as much a social and economic problem as it is a medical issue.

One key way to bring in awareness is to make calorie notification mandatory on all food stuffs sold.

This strategy introduced by New York Mayor Bloomberg had a great impact on weight reduction in the specific population group in the US, he says. “All our scientific research must be translated into community action, for unless the community steps in, this situation is not likely to be controlled.”

A mantra worth marketing?

A mantra worth marketing?
A first-ever status report on Indian medicine and folk healing suggests a high-level commission to globalise Ayurveda

It is common knowledge that Ayurveda has been in practice in India for the last 3000 years. Yet, the popular mode of diagnosis in this country is generally allopathic. However, with growing awareness about the benefits of alternative medicine and possible side effects of allopathic drugs in more and more people, one sees a renewed interest in our traditional methods of treatment and healing. It is then at an opportune time that the Government has commissioned a first-ever status report on Indian medicine and folk healing. The report, funded by the Department of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has recently been submitted to the Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, strongly suggesting the establishment of a high-level commission to propagate and globalise Ayurveda. The report, over 300 pages long gives the example of China suggesting our Government “study and document” how China has succeeded in doing so with their traditional medicine.

To drive home the point, the report compiler, Shailaja Chandra, former Secretary, Department of AYUSH, and former Chief Secretary of Delhi Government, has called for “establishing a high-level Commission like the L.M. Singhvi Commission, which addressed issues related to NRI/PIOs.” The mandate should be to follow a promotional plan for our traditional medicines akin to that of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), charted out by China since 1972, primarily for Acupuncture and herbal medicine.

“The website of the U.S. National Institute of Health (NIH) and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) indicate that TCM is widely used in the United States. According to the 2007 National Health Interview Survey, which included questions on the use of various Complementary and Alternative (CAM) therapies, an estimated 3.1 million U.S. adults had used Acupuncture in the previous year,” says the report, a copy of which is with The Hindu Metro Plus. Chandra, in the report, also mentions that the U.S. Government-recognised Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM) accredits schools that teach Acupuncture and TCM. “About a third of the U.S. states that license acupuncture require graduation from an ACAOM-accredited school.”

Panchakarma

The status report has particularly called for positioning Panchakarma like Acupuncture. “There is a need to reposition Panchkarma as a recognised therapy for muskulo-skeletal and neurological problems including rheumatoid arthritis, Parkinsonianism and in Behavioural Science. A beginning could be made by demonstrating Panchakarma procedures on veterans suffering from post-trauma stress disorder to be observed by Veteran Affairs Department of U.S. Defence. Were a high-level policy decision to be announced — for example if Indian Railways as the biggest employer in the public sector recognised Ayurvedic treatment for insuring accident cases, it would instil confidence,” it says.

“Our missions abroad stock few CDs and leaflets here and there but efforts to market Indian medicine have been lack-lustre and unconvincing.”

Among other suggestions, the report, compiled after an exhaustive research spanning close to a year, puts the thrust on research in Ayurveda. “Only clinical outcomes published in international journals would lead to recognition of Ayurveda. The ground reality is that there is no legal scope to practice Ayurveda in most countries, primarily because of a lack of credible research.” This has necessitated the need to study and document the policies and strategies that China adopted over the years for globalisation of TCM.

Significantly, the report calls for the need to offer postgraduate interdisciplinary training to modern scientists to increase the dialogue between Ayurveda and modern science. While lauding the efforts of the Kerala Government in promoting Ayurvedic Tourism, Chandra also highlights the fact that the influential American Medical Association is “hugely exercised about heavy metal content in Ayurvedic formulations.”

“The issue alone is enough to distort the globalisation discourse for a very long time. It already occupies centre-stage on the NCCAM's website on Ayurveda. The situation demands that massive attention be paid to GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) and testing for heavy metals and impurities, without which few will take us seriously.”

The report, made with “a focus on benefits that the systems have given to the public”, ends with the submission, “The 12th Five year Plan is on the anvil. The time is to act now.”

भारत की सुरक्षा के लिए चुनौती पैदा कर रहा है चीन: मुरली मनोहर जोशी

भारत की सुरक्षा के लिए चुनौती पैदा कर रहा है चीन: मुरली मनोहर जोशी
गुवाहाटी, नवंबर १०: भाजपा नेता मुरली मनोहर जोशी ने आगाह किया कि चीन-भारत सीमा के करीब परमाणु मिसाइल तैनात करके चीन भारत की सुरक्षा के लिए खतरा पैदा कर रहा है। उन्होंने सीमा क्षेत्र में मजबूत साजो-सामान नहीं जुटा पाने पर केंद्र सरकार को आड़े हाथों लिया।

जोशी ने यहां संवाददाताओं से कहा, ‘‘चीन भारत के लिए चुनौती है। सीमा के दूसरी ओर चीन की तैयारियां भारत की सीमा में उसके विकास संबंधी प्रयासों के लिए चुनौती खड़ी करती हैं।’’ पूर्व केंद्रीय मंत्री ने कहा, ‘‘चीन ने तीन ओर से भारत को घेर रखा है। उत्तरी सीमा पर चीनी वायु और थल सेना संसाधनों तथा परमाणु मिसाइल प्रक्षेपण तक करने की क्षमता से परिपूर्ण हैं।’’ उन्होंने कहा कि उत्तरी और उत्तर-पूर्वी ओर के हिस्से विशेष रूप से असुरक्षित हैं। पूर्वोत्तर में रक्षा कार्यक्रम व बुनियादी सुविधाएं आवश्यकतानुसार नहीं हैं।

जोशी ने कहा, ‘‘मैंने देखा है कि पूर्वोत्तर क्षेत्र को रक्षा के नजरिये से जोड़ रहे राष्ट्रीय राजमार्ग अच्छे नहीं हैं।’’ उन्होंने कहा, ‘‘उत्तरी सीमा पर चीन ने सियाचीन के बड़े हिस्से को घेर रखा है। चीनी बल आते हैं और लद्दाख में और अब पाक अधिकृत कश्मीर (पीओके) में अपनी मौजूदगी दर्ज कराते हैं।’’ जोशी ने कहा कि उनकी सेना पीओके में आती हैं। यह उत्तरी सीमा के लिए गंभीर खतरा है। उन्होंने कहा कि केंद्र देश की सुरक्षा व हिफाजत के लिए मजबूत साजो-सामान नहीं मुहैया करा सका।

भाजपा नेता ने कहा, ‘‘मैं सरकार से सीमाओं पर तैयारियों के स्तर के बारे में संसद के समक्ष जानकारी देने की मांग करता हूं। सरकार को जनता को सुनिश्चित करना चाहिए कि वह देश की सुरक्षा के लिए पर्याप्त कदम उठा रही है।’’ भाजपा सांसद ने कहा, ‘‘चीन ने श्रीलंका के दक्षिणी कोने में समुद्री बंदरगाह के लिए बड़ी धनराशि का निवेश किया है और इस तरह से हिंदी महासागर में मौजूदगी दर्ज कराई है।’’ जोशी ने कहा, ‘‘चीन ने हाल ही में वियतनाम के बंदरगाह पर भारतीय मौजूदगी का विरोध किया था और वे नहीं चाहते कि हम वहां तेल खोजने के काम में हिस्सा लें। उन्होंने भारतीय जहाजों को वहां पहुंचने से भी रोका है।

उन्होंने कहा कि देश को इन इलाकों में चीन की डिजाइनों के बारे में पहले के अनुभवों से सीख लेनी चाहिए। विकास और सुरक्षा के लिए कोई कोर.कसर नहीं छोड़नी चाहिए। जोशी ने कहा कि अरुणाचल प्रदेश, असम और अन्य उत्तर.पूर्वी राज्यों में युद्धस्तर पर विकास कार्यों के लिए कदम उठाना जरूरी है। जब उनसे पूछा गया कि क्या देश का रक्षा बजट सुरक्षा के लिहाज से पर्याप्त है तो उन्होंने कहा कि सरकार को पता लगाना चाहिए कि क्या यह एक अच्छी नौसेना, तटरक्षक, प्रभावशाली व सशस्त्र वायु सेना के लिए पर्याप्त है।

Ministry taps social media to tone up image abroad

Ministry taps social media to tone up image abroad

The Public Diplomacy Division of the Ministry of External Affairs is tapping the ever-buzzing world of online social networks for improving the image of the nation worldwide.

Its ongoing short video challenge, ‘India is,' has received more than 50 entries from across the world since October 1. The competition's official page on Facebook has a following of more than 20,000 users, and Twitter is abuzz with mentions.

“One of our key objectives is to engage with diverse audiences around the world,” Navdeep Suri, Joint Secretary and head of the Division, said in an email interview with The Hindu. “Social media is emerging as one of the key instruments that helps us in achieving this objective.”

The video challenge that calls for users to submit entries running to a maximum of three minutes on one of the three themes — ‘India is colourful,' ‘India is creative' and ‘India is wherever you are' — has received interesting user-generating content not just from India but also from video enthusiasts abroad, including the U.S. and even a college student from Romania.

The idea is similar to the hugely successful ‘Democracy is' campaign the United States government's Bureau of International Information Programs ran in association with YouTube in 2008. More than 6,000 people from 132 countries had participated.

The competition has already received diverse entries. Some look very professional, while a few others, despite looking amateurish, score in terms of content.

One of the neater looking videos is ‘The Beach,' made by 24-year-old Atmika Didawania from Mumbai. A film school graduate from the University of South California, she shot the video on the Chowpatty beach using a DSLR camera and edited it within a day. “The concept of the competition sounded very innovative. What immediately struck me was to show the colours and the chaos of the beach, which is very unique to our country,” she said in a telephone interview.

A more surprising entry is from a Romanian student Varga Hilda Hedwig, who narrates in near chaste Hindi what she finds captivating about the Indian culture. The competition has so far drawn entries from eight countries.

The Ministry's Facebook account has close to 20,000 fans, says Mr. Suri. The demographics of the Facebook fans makes for interesting reading: persons from South Asian countries, Indonesia and Egypt are some of the largest groupings. And nearly 52 per cent of them are in the 18-24 age group. “We are trying to deploy Facebook to engage with the younger generation and build a community of ‘Friends of India' who are interested in diverse facets of Indian culture and, perhaps, in Indian foreign policy too,” he adds