Outlook TruePDF 25 march 2019

DELHI SCHOOL REFORMS PASS OR FAIL? A REPORT CARD www.outlookindia.com March 25, 2019 Rs 60 Afghan Cricketers AT HOME, IN INDIA HOT SPOTS 2019 Ground reports on how India will vote R N I N O 7044/1961 904150 800010 11 www.outlookindia.com navigator Volume LIX, No 11 EDITOR Ruben Banerjee MANAGING EDITOR Sunil Menon EXECUTIVE EDITOR Satish Padmanabhan FOREIGN EDITOR Pranay Sharma POLITICAL EDITOR Bhavna Vij-Aurora BUSINESS EDITOR Arindam Mukherjee SENIOR EDITOR Giridhar Jha CHIEF ART DIRECTOR Deepak Sharma WRITERS Lola Nayar, Qaiser Mohammad Ali (Senior Associate Editors), G.C Shekhar (Associate Editor), Jeevan Prakash Sharma (Senior Assistant Editor), Prachi PinglayPlumber, Ajay Sukumaran, Probir Pramanik (Assistant Editors), Naseer Ganai (Senior Special Correspondent), Preetha Nair, Neel Shah (Special Correspondents), Salik Ahmad, Siddhartha Mishra (Senior Correspondents), Arshia Dhar (Correspondent) COPY DESK Rituparna Kakoty (Senior Associate Editor), Anupam Bordoloi, Saikat Niyogi, Satyadeep (Associate Editors), Martand Badoni (Assistant Editor) PHOTOGRAPHERS S Rakshit (Chief Photo Coordinator), Jitender Gupta (Photo Editor), Tribhuvan Tiwari (Deputy Photo Editor), Sandipan Chatterjee, Apoorva Salkade (Sr Photographers), Suresh Kumar Pandey (Staff Photographer) J.S Adhikari (Sr Photo Researcher), U Suresh Kumar (Digital Library) DESIGN Saji C.S (Chief Designer), Ashish Rozario (Design-consultant), Leela (Senior Designer), Devi Prasad, Padam Gupta (Sr DTP Operators) DIGITAL Neha Mahajan (Assistant Editor), Soumitra Mishra (Digital Consultant), Ranjana Narayan (Editorial Consultant), Jayanta Oinam, Lachmi Deb Roy (Special Correspondents), Ipsita Pati (Senior Correspondent), Satata Karmakar (Correspondent), Adil Rashid, Mahima Monga, Ritika Dubey (Trainee Journalists), Suraj Wadhwa (Chief Graphic Designer), Rupesh Malviya (Video Editor) EDITORIAL MANAGER & CHIEF LIBRARIAN Alka Gupta BUSINESS OFFICE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Indranil Roy PUBLISHER Sandip Kumar Ghosh SR VICE PRESIDENT Meenakshi Akash VICE PRESIDENTS Bindu Dhawan, Shrutika Dewan SR GENERAL MANAGER Kabir Khattar (Corp) GENERAL MANAGERS Debabani Tagore, Sasidharan Kollery, Shashank Dixit, Shailender Vohra ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER Diwan Singh Bisht CHIEF MANAGER Shekhar Kumar Pandey MANAGERS Shekhar Suvarana, Sudha Sharma CIRCULATION & SUBSCRIPTION Raj Kumar Mitra, Anindya Banerjee, G Ramesh (South), Vinod Kumar (North), Arun Kumar Jha (East) DIGITAL Amit Mishra HEAD OFFICE AB-10, S.J Enclave, New Delhi - 110 029 Tel: 011-33505500; Fax: 26191420 Customer care helpline: 011-33505533, 33505500 e-mail: outlook@outlookindia.com For editorial queries: edit@outlookindia.com For subscription helpline: yourhelpline@outlookindia.com OTHER OFFICES MUMBAI Tel: 022-33545000; Fax: 33545100 CALCUTTA Tel: 033 46004506; Fax: 033 46004506 CHENNAI Tel: 42615224, 42615225; Fax: 42615095 BANGALORE Tel: 080-43715021 Printed and published by Indranil Roy on behalf of Outlook Publishing (India) Pvt Ltd Editor: Ruben Banerjee Printed at International Print-O-Pac Ltd, C 4-C 11, Phase-II, Noida and published from AB-10, S.J Enclave, New Delhi-110 029 Published for the week of March 19-25, 2019 OPPOVISION The Tricolour at a Congress rally in Gandhinagar, Gujarat Poliglot Debut’s Introducing this week, our five-page special feature for the April-May general elections The focus this time is on political Facebook adverts, Modi saris, Sheila Dixit on AAP and the break up of Gujarat’s young triumvirate, among other things 16 Calamities Whizz Past News of an airborne tragedy can make us think about how safe the planes we fly in are Relax, they’re quite safe It’s just that the ‘near-collision’ data makes us feel uneasy 36 Inside Vote-Vault For this exclusive package, Outlook starts from Gujarat and moves to other electoral hotspots across the country, measuring the mood of the individual voter, and the issues 52 Grading The Schools How much transformation has really taken place in Delhi’s education system post AAP? 62 Doon Hosts Kabul Eleven Kabul is still a precarious place for international cricket, so the growing talent of the Afghanistan cricket team finds a home ground, and new fans, in Dehradun LETTERS 80 GLITTERATI 82 DIARY Cover Design: Deepak Sharma and Ashish Rozario; Photographs: Suresh K Pandey Released on March 16, 2019 Total no of pages 84, Including Covers Make The Most Of Home Loans Vighnesh shahane Powered by POINT AND SHARE Now, open Outlook magazine on your smartphone instantly Point your phone’s scanner on the code and align it in the frame You will be guided instantly to our website, www.outlookindia.com This is useful to share our stories on social media or email them Managing Director & CEO, IDBI Federal Life Insurance Turn to page 70 “The Earlier You Take A Large Life Cover, The Better It Is” 25 March 2019 OUTLOOK letters The War Charmers MYSORE J Akshobhya: The Pulwama attack by a youth brainwashed by Pakistan-based terrorist group Jaishe-Mohammed proves beyond reasonable doubt that Pakistan is run by a deep State that uses terror in the way a rogue dentist might use a drill: to deliberately and precisely hit a nerve and cause agony (From All Out War To Controlled War, March 11) Terror for Pakistan’s military-jihadi complex is a technology fashioned over the decades Only now does the ‘front’—the faux State leadership under former-cricketer Imran Khan talk of a dialogue This is because Pakistan’s terror groups have now gone out of hand, bringing the country to the brink of war with India In the meantime, Kashmir, caught between two nuclear-armed nations, is in a ruinous state A policy overhaul regarding Kashmir is necessary, even if that proves an embarrassment to Raisina Hill Call them ‘martyrs’ or traitors, they are all victims of New Delhi’s sustained, callous, ineptitude ON E-MAIL Vikram Dogra: We have to remember that Pakistan has been abetting and promoting terrorism in India for the past 20 years before we launch into any discussion about India’s IAF strikes conducted by violating international airspace Pakistan has tried to fan the fire of secessionism in India in the cases of both Kashmir and Punjab Therefore, we can’t be lax about any border-related issue We must completely secure our borders with Pakistan in Kashmir to stop mercenaries of a Jaishe-Mohammed or a Lashkar-e-Taiba from crossing the border to abet local militants Also, we need to have special courts and laws to deal with terrorists PERTH, AUSTRALIA Sanjiv Gupta: The news of the successful destruction of terror camps in Balakot was March 11, 2019 noteworthy But, winning a war against terrorism is going to be extremely difficult, particularly when there are many militant organisations operative in Pakistan under military and government support Military and air supremacy over Pakistan is essential while keeping it under fear by other measures like the recent air strikes Lastly, the safe return of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman is India’s diplomatic victory MUMBAI Ram Avadheesh: The weeks after Pulwama have been extremely tough for the armed forces, Kashmiris and the people living along the border But for the rest of us—living room Indians (I don’t mean it condescendingly), it has been an entertaining time The news on TV is full of gunpowder: war masala The newsrooms are setup as battlegrounds—the CGI department of the news channels are working overtime to get the whole fire and brimstone feel The news anchors have been shouting at the top of their voices and also encouraging panellists to scream out loud It’s as if the war is happening on TV It’s also a great time to go all-out ‘anti-national’ hunting, where anyone is licensed to ask any other citizens questions apparently related to their nationalistic credentials And if they don’t give you a satisfactory answer, then you can try your hand at a little bullying It’s like a festival of sorts On the streets, any group of men can get together and shout “Pakistan murdabad” among other things What’s wrong with that, one would ask Well, patriotism gives you a whole lot of entitlement to make anyone within sight anti-national Also, thanks to TV, Masood Azhar and Hafiz Saeed have become household names Hell, war and terror is the new saas-bahu for the time being BANGALORE J Akshay: There are two ways to look at India’s airstrike across the LoC—as a vote-winning move by the BJP-led government, or as a signal that India is no ‘soft state’ After days of anxious speculation during which, true to his style, PM Narendra Modi kept everyone guessing how India would respond to the Pulwama attack on the CRPF, the country finally did what so many of us had advocated When Donald Trump said India was planning “something very strong”, most of us had a hunch Obviously, India could not mount a major offensive without taking the major international powers into confidence SECUNDERABAD K.R Srinivasan: The suicide bombing of the CRPF convoy on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway in Pulwama by Jaish-e-Mohammed, the true face of Pakistan PM Imran Khan has been exposed Indians are seething with anger and none of the patriots among them can forget the tragic deaths of our heroes, nor the mis- one-liner PUNE Anil S Controlled war is such a nice fuse: it can go off anytime the criticism load becomes unbearable OUTLOOK 25 March 2019 letters ery inflicted by Pakistan and Kashmiri separatists India had no option but to strike back and teach our neighbour a befitting lesson It is abundantly clear that Pakistan lacks vision and cannot be trusted Their state mechanisms have been compromised long ago Grievous Trial VARANASI Jaideep Mittra: This is about the story of a former IPS officer driven to his death by the alleged cussedness of the West Bengal government (Heads Change, Cops Roll, Mar 11) Police officers in general and IPS officers in particular are supposed to compulsorily toe the line of the ruling dispensation Professional qualities of honesty, sincerity and uprightness matter so long as it suits the interests of the ruling party and local politicians It’s relevant here to recall the tragic case in which a SHO INBOXED The Tea Protocol NEW DELHI Aalok Giri: This refers to Cheating The Reaper, your story on ejection— the last resort of fighter pilots (March 4) It can be said that Wing commander Abhinandan Varthaman managed to cheat death twice in a span of minutes First, he ejected successfully from his aircraft that was shot down by the Pakistani air force Second, he got out alive after landing in the khajoor— a mob of villagers The Pakistan army graciously aided the wing Commander in his second escape, a commendable action, even though it seems it is international protocol They served him a goodwill cup of tea too That’s surely not international protocol, although in several homes in India as well as Pakistan it probably is Now, the tea-sipping Abhinandan with the robust moustache has become a symbol—he has featured in a tea adverstisement I couldn’t help thinking how a Pakistani pilot would have fared had he fell in Indian territory Given our reluctance to stop lynchings happening in broad daylight since the past few years, I wouldn’t have had high hopes for a Pakistani flyer But how very much like a mirror is the LoC between India and Pakistan Lynchings in broad daylight happen there too I think the Indian army would have given a Pak pilot equal respect maiden of the government of the day is being ignored by all political parties, possibly because they all have a lot to gain from this noxious system Dastan-e-Decade ON E-MAIL Sandeep Krishna: Refer NO MORE Retired IPS Gaurav Dutt posted in Bulandshahr district in UP was shot dead It’s an example how servility has grown in the force and emasculated it thoroughly It’s no secret that top officers are favourites of some politician or the other, so that a chief minister to a state, after assuming office, chooses his nominees for the offices of chief secretary and DGP, men in whom he has full confidence The IPS leadership has also become ineffectual through its being organised along party lines The bitter truth is that only officers with a pliable spine can survive in service beyond a point, with upright officers consigned to a life of shameless victimisation Ultimately, these men, like Gaurav Dutt, have to opt out by taking VRS Unfortunately, Dutt had to face harassment even after he had retired, forcing him to take his own life The grave consequences of the police being a hand- to A Telegram From 009 (March 11) Ten year challenges are fun Ten years back, we wouldn’t even be doing a challenge like this Facebook was limited to college kids and middle-aged nostalgics, WhatsApp wasn’t known of and chirps were still sounds of birds and not rabble rousing 140 sorry, 280 characters Listener’s Delight BANGALORE Nandini Paul: This refers to All You Need Is Radio Ga Ga, your story on podcasts (March 11) The podcast is a thoughtful cozy thing, holding its own in the age of crazy visual excess It’s comforting to just listen to long conversations and one can end up learning a lot as listening is a very focussed activity I also feel that several people are more relaxed while having their voices recorded rather than having a video taken, which makes many super conscious Once upon a time, I found similar comfort in listening to the radio, but these days, the stations are so full of ads and frenzied RJs that it all ends up sounding very intrusive, unless all hope is lost in a traffic jam Only the government radio channels, the original podcasts, seem to be holding their own Surgical Doves Needed GOA M.N Bhartiya: Refer to the inter- view of P Chidambaram ‘Confident That NSA For MP Cow Slaughter Will Be Lifted’ (March 4) In it, his views on the issues relating to Kashmir, the opposition alliances, the Rafale deal and cow-vigilantes are commendable Indian and Pakistani leaders have never been sincere in finding a peaceful solution for Kashmir because politicians on either side have found enough fodder in the Kashmir issue to manipulate their respective publics The definitions of nationalism and patriotism have been blurred to produce an emotional, deadly mix of jingoism from the common populace I expect the Congress manifesto being prepared by Chidambaram to focus on saving the constitutional values of India and the autonomous institutions, which are under threat Waging Peace AHMEDABAD Vinod C Dixit: This refers to your cover story Kashmir Periscope (March 4) The Valley has over the years witnessed huge demonstrations led by students and other young Kashmiris, including women, against the Indian government—proof enough that where there is a political will, there is always a way Both India and Pakistan must initiate a meaningful dialogue on Kashmir and with Kashmiri people, especially the young Their aspirations must be listened to and addressed 25 March 2019 OUTLOOK POLIGLOT E L E C T I O N S > SNAPSHOT Dravidian Druids CHHATTISGARH by G.C Shekhar Murasoli, the DMK’s offcial organ, shocked its readers when it carried an article on March titled ‘Ammavin Aavi Ungalai Vidaadhu’ (Amma’s spirit will not spare you) EPS and OPS, it says, won’t be spared the wrath of Jaya’s spirit for joining hands with the BJP to escape the many corruption charges and I-T cases against them The piece adds how OPS— who had meditated at Jaya’s samadhi—had “complained to her spirit” about the injustice meted to him by the Sasikala family and initially revolted against EPS, but then hastily made peace just to be deputy CM The DMK proclaims to be rationalist, and Stalin has faced flak from right-wing groups for being critical of things Hindu No wonder, the Murasoli article, premised as it was on spirits and their wrath, stunned DMK supporters Insiders say it was aimed at earning the sympathy of genuine Jaya admirers who feel let down by the AIADMK’s alliance with the BJP, which Amma did not accept in 2014 The counter: the DMK is nervous about that burgeoning alliance, with the PMK et al “Maybe it’s time Stalin got reassured by Karunanidhi’s spirit,” said a wag O TAMIL NADU Our Man in Bastar by Ankit Mishra T HREE days before the poll dates were announced, the Chhattisgarh unit of BJP got a new chief— Vikram Usendi, a tribal face from Bastar Will that help reverse the fortunes of a party whose washout in the recent assembly polls was also marked by a complete rejection in the two major tribal-dominated regions of Surguja and Bastar? (Of the 20 assembly seats they together constitute, it managed to win only one seat.) Lok Sabha poll dynamics can of course be different—it’s a blend of local and national trends Chhattisgarh is a state where both streams collide often There is the Maoist problem, at one end, and vital livelihood issues relating to forest produce at the other Not to speak of the Forest Rights Act and the recent Supreme Court order on tribal evictions— merely stayed as of now Chhattisgarh has seen a massive amount of claims to forest lands being denied—over half of individual claims and a third of community rights claims, according to a Scroll report So that will inevitably play out OUTLOOK 25 March 2019 In the November assembly polls, the BJP had suffered a massive defeat against the Congress, which won 67 of 90 seats Usendi, though, is optimistic “It’s true, we lost, but that was mainly due to anti-incumbency and a few other factors,” he tells Outlook “And our last government had worked wholeheartedly for the people and I strongly feel the public has not forgotten our work.” Usendi says people are not happy with the initial three months of Congress rule because it has failed to deliver on its promises—for example, no action on a liquor ban As for tribal disaffection, he says, “When we were in power, there were three ministers from Bastar, this government has appointed only one.” Also, this is a vote for the Modi government which, he says, is perceived as corruption-free He echoed BJP chief Amit Shah, who on a recent visit said Maoists had thrived during Congress rule “If the Congress had taken decisive action in the early days of Maoism here, things would have been different,” he adds And the BJP is seeking votes not only “on the basis of the Centre's development works,” but its security policies Currently the MP for Kanker, he was first elected to the undivided Madhya Pradesh assembly in 1993 from Narayanpur In Chhattisgarh, he was MLA thrice from Antagarh between 2003-14 and also served as a cabinet minister O Illustrations by MANJUL POLIGLOT OUT-OF-THE-BOX PARTY! P E O P L E S R E P R E S E N T A T I O Three (Ex-) Musketeers? by Bhavna Vij-Aurora Three young activists— Hardik Patel, Alpesh Thakor and Jignesh Mevani—had grabbed a fair bit of spotlight before, during and after the Gujarat assembly polls over a year ago, with their oppositional politics creating ripples even beyond the boundaries of their state Thakor’s appeal may have been restricted to the large OBC segment in Gujarat But Hardik, as the young spearhead of the Patel agitation, was seen as an iconic face for restive middle castes all over And Mevani, as an articulate Dalit voice, was creating a kind of national imprint for himself But a lot of those swept up by their rhetoric are a disillusioned lot now— with perhaps the exception of Mevani Both Hardik and Thakor, 43, are seen as deserters to the cause they once espoused Owing to their mass appeal, they were all wooed by parties Thakor, who had founded the OBC-SC- ST Ekta Manch, joined the Congress before the GUJARAT QUOTE “Have we ever had a Gujarat Regiment? Since our Prime Minister has great love and pride in the Indian army of late, I would urge him to raise a Gujarat Regiment so the swayamsevaks from the region can join the army.” JAVED AKHTAR SCRIPTWRITER-POET 2017 Gujarat polls and won from Radhanpur But recently, the maverick leader kept the Congress on tenterhooks and openly negotiated with the BJP, admitting he wants to be a minister The bigger eclipse in popularity may belong to Hardik, who is 25 now Too young to contest in 2017, he had kept up a thin veneer of being independent, only consorting discreetly with the Congress But he has now fallen to the lure of a GOP ticket, and has signed on, trotting out the usual lines about abiding by the party’s decision if “it decides to field me in electoral politics.” Hardik had taken up cudgels on behalf of the Patidar community in 2015, demanding its inclusion in the OBC list, drawing huge crowds with his forceful oratory The Patidars now say he has abandoned them in favour of a luxurious lifestyle, and moves around in a big car while their lot stays unchanged Mevani, 36, rose into prominence as he led the post-Una agitation in 2016 He successfully contested the assembly polls from Vadgam as an independent supported by Congress and AAP The young Ambedkarite has desisted from joining a political party but the CPI’s national headquarters Ajoy Bhavan is his preferred address when he visits the Capital O TELANGANA Jaipal ‘Roars’ Again I T'S not just greying cricketers who slip back into spanking shape to draw the attention of selectors before the World Cup Come election time, even those who had wandered off into a semi-retired state suddenly look to recharge their batteries Take senior Congress leader S Jaipal Reddy’s decision to join the ‘Rafale scam’ chorus After keeping himself aloof from party activities, is it the pros- 10 OUTLOOK 25 March 2019 pect of a ticket from his native Mahabubnagar that has revivifed him? Ahead of the recent assembly polls too, the 77-yearold Jaipal had claimed to have proof of a multi-crore irrigation scam against KCR and family After a one-off press conference, nothing more was heard of that Why? Perhaps because all the talk of him being projected as a possible CM candidate against KCR died a quiet by M.S Shanker death (despite him sharing the dais with Rahul Gandhi once)? Well, his latest sally has left younger party leaders, nursing their own ambitions, tetchy “Where was he all the time when Rahul was spearheading the Rafale campaign? Who is he trying to impress? He’s a dead horse and his return will only deny place to a youngster,” says a ticket aspirant, who preferred anonymity O Powered by Vighnesh shahane, Managing Director & CEO, IDBI Federal Life Insurance “The Earlier You Take A Large Life Cover, The Better It Is” Vighnesh Shahane, Managing Director & CEO, IDBI Federal Life Insurance tells MoneySense the role of life insurance in wealth creation MoneySense the role life insurance plays in financial protection as well as wealth creation What would be your response to people who argue that they can let life insurance cover wait and they need to get started with investment first? Both should not wait as money needs time to grow We are living in a time of uncertainty and hence, purchasing a life insurance cover at an early age helps to secure you and your family financially Moreover, purchasing life insurance at an early age is more cost effective as one is generally healthier and it is possible to get a larger life insurance cover while paying lower premiums Also, life insurance can come with investment, as in the case of ULIPs, which offer both life cover and long-term investment Hence, it is possible to kill two birds with one stone Does one need to review financial protection through life insurance and other cover during a life time of wealth creation? Yes, it is important and necessary to review one’s life insurance cover periodically An individual chooses his life cover based on his calculated Human Life Value (HLV) Hence, as his income grows, his life cover would also grow proportionately It is therefore important for him to review his life cover periodically, and purchase additional cover if necessary For this reason, the earlier you take a large life cover, the better it is Are there some thumb rules to guide people on the right amount of life insurance cover? An individual should plan his life insurance strategy by considering various scenarios To protect his loved ones in case of his unfortunate demise at an early age, an individual needs to select the ideal life cover, based on his Human Life Value (HLV) This is the amount that the individual sets aside for his family’s consumption after deducting the cost of his own needs, financial liabilities such as loans and tax, from his gross salary By calculating his economic value to the family, an individual will be able to decide on the appropriate life cover for himself It is important for individual to consider a child plan with waiver of premium option once he starts a family Such a plan would help to secure his child’s dreams even in the absence of To accurately arrive at the life insurance cover required, an individual needs to make a studied decision, and consult a financial advisor for the correct advice 70 OutlOOk 25 March 2019 the family bread winner An individual also needs to consider his financial situation post retirement Purchasing a long-term investment-linked life insurance plan at an early age, would help to secure his and his family’s lifestyle even post retirement and also help with medical costs which would spiral at this stage of life What role does provision of financial protection play in wealth creation? For an individual, at every stage of life, one has different financial needs like buying a home, children’s higher education or retirement planning As these needs require substantial amounts of money, it is necessary to plan for them and accumulate wealth to meet the milestones Also, while planning for financial security, it is important to factor in unforeseen circumstances like death or disability of the breadwinner Investing in life insurance helps to financially safeguard one’s family against these uncertainties by providing coverage, so that in a crisis situation, the family does not need to sacrifice funds meant for future financial needs in order to meet daily expenses 25 March 2019 OutlOOk 71 The amount of life insurance cover required varies from person to person, depending on their age, marital status, income level and amount of financial liabilities How does one accurately find out the amount of life insurance required, especially in case of double income households? The amount of life insurance cover required varies from person to person, depending on their age, marital status, income level and amount of financial liabilities As an individual’s income is ever-growing, he or she needs to review the life insurance cover periodically in order to protect his or her economic value To accurately arrive at the life insurance cover required, an individual needs to make a studied decision, and consult a financial advisor for the correct financial advice How does one figure out the right length of insurance coverage term and the premium paying term and frequency? The longer the cover, the better Hence, investing at an early age is advisable as premiums are less expensive Also, in India, professional careers are lengthening with many people opting for consultancy roles post retirement A life insurance plan with a longer cover is beneficial in such cases How does one combat inflation while creating wealth? Can you provide some practical suggestions? Combating inflation while investing largely depends on the risk appetite of the individual If an individual is risk-averse, he might choose to invest in safe avenues which might not be inflation-friendly Individuals who are riskfriendly have a greater chance of their high-risk investments beating inflation In general, the best suggestion would be to diversify your investment portfolio The amount required for your child’s education should be invested in a secure instrument, while you could consider a highrisk instrument to invest the amount required for your retirement as you would have time on your side Invest in medical insurance separately, so that your investments are Investing at an early age is advisable as premiums are less expensive 72 OutlOOk 25 March 2019 not eaten into in case of any unfortunate event and look at investing any surplus amount in high-risk high-return instruments over the long-term Is there a merit in covering other risks through riders such as those for accident and critical illness or one should cover them through general insurance policies? In the unfortunate event of a serious illness, while the cost of treatment is largely covered through mediclaim plans, in today’s times, the lifestyle changes and cost of recovery have become expensive which can dig into one’s life savings By investing in a life insurance plan with accident and critical illness riders, individuals and their families will be able to cope with the recovery period peacefully as these covers would provide lump sum benefits which can be used for the recovery expenses How does one ensure tax efficiency while making investments to create wealth? One must understand the tax liabilities when investing in any instrument Under Section 80C, one can invest in tax saving instruments such as life insurance, PPF, ELSS, tax-saving fixed deposits, Home loans, NPS, NSC etc, upto a limit of Rs 1.5 lakh Additionally, the benefits received from life insurance are exempted from income tax under Section 10(10D) of the Income Tax Act, 1961 In fact, investing in life insurance is beneficial as this instrument is EEE (Exempt, Exempt, Exempt) which means that it is tax exempt at the time of investment, accumulation and withdrawal How does one stay away from the common pitfalls of delayed start, premature exit and withdrawals and disruptions in regular investments? Just as it takes time for a seed to flourish into a plant, similarly, one needs to have time, discipline and patience for an investment to grow Markets and interest rate scenarios are cyclical in nature, hence it is important for an individual not to panic during downswings, and hold on to the investment over the long-term in order to witness success Make The Most Of Home Loans A brief primer on how to take a home loan and smartly manage it Udayan Ray M ost of us dream of unlocking the door of our new home and hosting a housewarming party But home buying typically takes some doing “Buying a house is a once in a lifetime decision and requires meticulous planning as for most of us it is the single largest financial commitment we make in our life time,” says Renu Sud Karnad, managing director, HDFC She is right There are so many things to be taken care of from location of the property, choosing a builder with a good track record to a property suiting the buyer’s needs and with necessary permissions, and so on Then, there are different aspects related to home loans Experts believe that getting the home loan piece right can go a long way in having a smooth home buying experience Here’s a brief primer on how to that 74 OutlOOk 25 March 2019 Home loan rates and more “The most important thing one needs to ensure before taking a home loan is the affordability or financial stability of the individual,” says Anil Kaul, managing director, Tata Capital RenU SUd KaRnad Managing Director, HDFC “Customers should also look out for facilities whereby the home loan company approves the loan even before the property is selected or finalised” Housing Finance “Ideally, monthly loan instalments should not constitute more than 40-50% of an individual’s take home income Factors like current liabilities, credit scores, current lifestyle expenses and after purchase overhead costs should also be considered,” he adds Of course, there are other things to be considered too “Homebuyers should look for lender’s expertise, loan procedure, quality of services offered, ability to advise on the track record of developers across the country, safe storage and retrieval of the title deed and other important documents of the property,” says Sud Karnad “Customers should also look out for facilities whereby the home loan company approves the loan even before the property is selected or finalised This helps a customer since he is aware of the funds available to him and can buy a property matching his budget,” says Karnad “Further the Home Loan Essential Checklist anil KaUl lender should be one which offers wide range of customised products It needs to be present across the country and have the ability to tie up with leading developers to bring special offers for customers from time to time,” she adds Home loan and financial planning When taking a home loan consider how it will impact your world of personal finances Vishal Dhawan, founder and chief financial planner, Plan Ahead Wealth Advisors, a pre-eminent financial planner lists out four important aspects First, the ability of the person to service the home loan during the loan’s tenure using conservative assumptions such as lower than expected pay hikes and transition from a double income household to single income household, and so on Second, involves the impact on other financial goals such as children’s higher education since all financial goals are equally important Care needs to be taken so that home loan repayment doesn’t impact the repayment of other loans like car Can you handle the interest rate fluctuations in a variable rate home loan? Are you comfortable paying a higher home loan rate for a fixed rate home loan? Is it aligned to your overall financial planning? Will its repayment impact other financial goals? After taking the home loan, will all your EMIs remain below 40-50% of take home pay? Will you be able to organise funds for milestone payments for a project under construction? Does your home loan tenure balance your regular cashflow Will taking a pre-approved home loan and using home search services of a home loan provider help your cause? Managing Director, Tata Capital Housing Finance “EMI payments should not constitute more than 4050% of an individual’s take home income Therefore, home loans should be structured in a way where this ratio is maintained so that an individual’s current lifestyle and financial goals are not compromised” needs and your overall interest payments? and personal loans Here, the thumb rule of monthly loan repayments not exceeding 40-50% of take home pay comes in handy “One can choose a home loan with a lower EMI option in the beginning and can gradually increase the EMI This is apt for individuals who are at the early stages Smartly Manage Your Home Loan of their career,” suggests Kaul Finally, the home loan borrower needs to be confident that the home loan can be repaid by the family in case of a sudden demise of the borrower This can be ensured with a loan term insurance that provides life insurance coverage equivalent to outstanding amount of the loan In case of a home loan for a project under construction, you need to be confident of organsing the money for milestone payments Getting on top of essential loan features  Prepay higher cost loans like personal loans and car loans before home loans since home loans also provide tax deductions  Prepay home loan during early part of the term since the interest component of the EMI is typically higher then  Account for fees like processing fee, mortgage fee and document fee before you decide on a balance transfer for your home loan  Consider balance transfer in the earlier part of the home loan term Besides interest rates, there are few other aspects of home loans that need to be considered The first is the period of the loan You need to strike a balance between ensuring that your EMIs are not too high to impact your regular cash flows by opting for a certain length of the loan’s term Yet, the term shouldn’t be too long that will make the overall interest outgo too high There’s also the choice between a fixed rate and variable rate home loan “It largely depends on the risk appetite of the Individual,” says Sud Karnad So, if one does not want to take any risk of interest rate movement and the rate differential between the fixed and variable rate is not very high, one can go in for 25 March 2019 OutlOOk 75 fixed rate loan “However, the interest rate for a fixed rate loan will always be relatively higher as in this case the lender takes the risk of interest rate volatility,” adds Sud Karnad Negotiating for the best home loan deal When you are negotiating for the best home loan deal, there are some things you will need to First, account for other charges and fees such as processing fees besides loan processing time and reputation of customer service After all, the advantage of a lower loan rate gets nullified if these factors go against you “Understand your credit score and build a good credit history so that lenders are very keen to lend to you Also, identify the property first, so that the lender knows that you wish to close as soon as possible,” suggests Dhawan “Try to get the loan disbursed by month end as providers have targets that they wish to meet,” he adds The other way to get a sweetened home loan deal is to look for projects approved by home loan providers which suit your needs and budget You are likely to find favourable rates and waiver or discount in fees Tips To Negotiate The Best Home Loan Deal 76 OutlOOk 25 March 2019 Scout for approved projects Look around for projects where the properties fit your budget and lenders offering discounts for them Take advantage of month-end pressure Leverage your credit score Punctual repayments of previous loans builds a good credit history Use your high credit score during home loan rate negotiations Zero down on the property This indicates to the lender that you want Smartly manage your home loan To make the most of your home loan, you also need to manage your home loan well So, while you ensure that you pay your home loan EMIs on time, you can claim annual tax deduction of up to Rs 1.5 lakh for home loan principal repayment under Section 80C and up to Rs lakh for interest payment under Section 24, you take the right decisions on two major issues of part or full prepayment and balance transfer “It is better to prepay high interestbearing and tax inefficient loans before you think of repaying a housing loan,” suggests Sud Karnad This includes loans like personal loans and car loans “Borrowers must keep in mind that housing loan is one product which provides great tax benefits,” points out Sud Karnad Anil Kaul adds to this perspective to close the home loan deal quickly Vishal Dhawan Founder and Chief Financial Planner, Plan Ahead Wealth Advisors “Try to prepay your home loan early in the loan term since the interest component in the repayment tends to be higher in the early stages” further “Home loan interest rates are amongst the lowest When current investments fetch a higher rate of return that can create savings for retirement and education, one can revaluate the prepayment option,” says Kaul Timing of the prepayment is also important “Try to prepay your home loan early in the loan term since the interest component in the Lenders try to achieve monthly targets Negotiations made in the second half of the month may just help you get a sweetened deal Look beyond home loan rate Apart from the home loan rate, consider factors like speed of loan processing and disbursement, other charges, besides customer service reputation repayment tends to be higher in the early stages,” advises Dhawan During the tenure of the loan, you might dissatisfied with the customer service or find other lenders offering substantially lower interest rates It is natural to consider shifting the loan to another lender through balance transfer “Some lenders offer conversion of existing higher interest rate to a lower rate but the conversion fee is high,” points out Sud Karnad Here, you need to an analysis of a balance transfer’s benefits and the costs, including processing fee and mortgage fee, besides possible legal and technical charges Being a long term financial commitment, home loans require planning and thought before you opt for one But as long as you get the home loan basics right, your home can be your venue for regular celebrations years after the house warming party is over The author is a personal finance expert and founder of FundooMoney Media, an e-learning company ICFAI: Making teaching interesting “It’s enthusiasm”, points out Dr S C Sharma, Director ICFAI Business School (IBS), Gurgaon, hinting at the absolute requirement for a future MBA student or an aspiring graduate wanting to get into business management With 1500 students sifted through the day in a week-long selection process, it is now the annual ritual at IBS Hyderabad, the primary choice of most students and the fulcrum of ICFAi’s campuses Dr Sharma, in his wide repertoire, worked with the National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie during the ‘70s, ‘80s and later as the economic advisor to Steel Authority of India, he also worked for 17 years as execmutive director of Housing & Urban Development Corporation Also, he worked as the secretary to late LK Jha, who was the advisor to four PMs With this body of experience and IBS’ insistence on experiential learning, Dr Sharma has initiated ‘leadership talks’ at IBS Gurgaon campus Of course, there are the usual Friday talks by guest speakers and practicing managers, but he has an enviable list of speakers in the leadership series which includes the likes of NITI Ayog Chairman, Editor of Economic Times TK Arun, Managing Editor of Indian Express, who is also an alumnus among others He also proudly talks of Kiran Bedi spending nearly four hours interacting with the students It is these talks that are close to his heart as leadership talks help the students in understanding and imbibing from the celebrity The core idea says Dr Sharma is to help the student to learn to face failure “We want students to understand life is transient and one must be equipped to handle various situations,” elaborates Dr Sharma Interactions with successful people will ensure that the students get to learn from the examples of such people, which in turn will help them during real-time interactions later in life, he says Also, since the industry wants leaders at various levels, these special lectures are an ideal platform to kick-start their interactions, he adds A veteran in the industry, Dr Sharma believes instead of finding fault with today’s generation, it is important to indulge them to make teaching exciting and interesting to them “The only way to keep tech-savvy and low attention span students interested, is to keep them busy in their style That’s what classroom interactions are all about Merely giving lectures is now passé,” confesses Dr Sharma Reflecting similar thoughts is Dr Ajay Pathak, Director, ICFAI Business School, Kolkata Heading a campus which mostly has students from north-east, W Bengal, Jharkand, Dr Pathak says that apart from regular curriculum, it is important to squeeze in special modules as per industry requirement He quotes the example of carrying out a 20-hour course for US tax, which helped increase conversions or Advanced Excel from IDCL, Singapore These special courses help the students have a strong CV by the time they face the industry “Since IBS is system-driven, each process goes on smoothly, on time And due to the linkage between academics and placements, the placements have been about 95% this year,” shares Dr Pathak “We encourage faculty to update regularly and students to have adaptive thinking From GD, the format is now shifting to case studies and few others are shifting from GD to video interviews Some other companies are opting for AI assessment, wherein the body language of students, their nervousness, etc are recorded,” explains Dr Pathak “Given that the students too are open to new developments, we have had international recruitments, like in Kenya, countries in east Africa, Dubai, etc,” informs Dr Pathak Here, Dr Pathak takes a couple of minutes to explain how he took special time to groom a student to place him, to use it as an example to explain how the faculty takes special time off and is always there for their student Little wonder that students and parents who came along for the recruitment drive appeared confident of their choice Most students gave either IBSAT or NMAT and had Hyderabad as their first choice One Mudit Mathur, who worked as a lecturer, came in for induction from Rajasthan “I wanted a good mix of technical and managerial format A good MBA is about good internship It shows if you can work with others or how you can work with people around the world,” says he Another MNC employee Sukriti Suman from Patna feels an MBA will equip her with the skills required to go up the corporate ladder Once she decided to an MBA, she says she Googled for best MBA colleges and that’s how IBS happened to her Sagari Khanna from Lucknow was clear she wants to be in a better place than she was before, Sonali Pandey from Haldwani was rather particular about exploring the creative side of MBA and Yashasvini from Bangalore was confident that the course will help her become a good entrepreneur On the other hand, parents Sumer Singh More, Pune, LND Chowdhary from Shillong resembled other parents who accompanied their kids to Hyderabad who picked IBS, after they found it on the top 20 business schools list on Google By keeping the entire process in tandem with inducting students who will be future leaders, IBS sticks to the industry requirements High placement rates are yet another reflection of industry-ready students In all, a student and an organisation hiring from ICFAI Business School, can get their penny’s worth 25 March 2019 OutlOOk 77 books Kim A Wagner Jallianwala Bagh:An Empire of Fear & the Making of a Massacre | Penguin RandomHouse | 325 pages | Rs 599 Myth Under A Microscope A new history of Jallianwala Bagh gives due emphasis on the suffocatingly hostile nationalist backcloth and the lack of pre-meditation on both sides by Zareer Masani A century on, after several popular and scholarly books, it’s hard to say something entirely original about the Jallianwala massacre But Wagner succeeds in pulling together the threads and presenting all the evidence He even presents evidence counter to his own ideological craze for deeming the massacre symptomatic of British oppression, rather than exceptional To his credit, Wagner eschews any squ­ eamishness in describing anti­European rioting in the Punjab and elsewhere dur­ ing the days leading up to Jallianwala Although Mahatma Gandhi had iss­ ued a call for peaceful satyagraha, the response was anything but non­vio­ lent A poster on the clock tower next to the Golden Temple called on people to be prepared to ‘die and kill’ There are graphic descriptions of Indian crowds pelting security forces with brickbats and frightening police horses The British in Amritsar found themselves fending off ‘a determined attempt to rush the Civil Lines’, where most of them lived Wagner doesn’t shrink from detailing how three British bank clerks and two railwaymen were unlucky enough to get bludgeoned to death by the mob Worst of all, Miss Sherwood, a mission­ ary schoolteacher, was knocked off her bike, severely beaten and left for dead Gen Reginald Dyer, later dubbed “the Butcher of Amritsar”, was incensed by all these, most of all by the sight of Miss Sherwood, and by the dormitories of British women and children herded into the old fort What is missing from Wagner’s account is much clue to Dyer’s psychology, seen as a loner with a chip on his shoulder by his British peers, coun­ try­born and bred and popular with his Indian troops It’s a shock to hear that he was felicitated by the Sikh mahants of the Golden Temple just days after he had 78 OUTLOOK 25 March 2019 ordered the massacre next door The mystery at the heart of the massa­ cre remains whether Dyer massively over­reacted on the spur of the moment or whether his was a premeditated plan Wagner is rightly sceptical about pre­ meditation on either the colonial or nati­ onalist side The latter, he argues, gathered mostly ignorant of Dyer’s ban on public meetings and with no plan of action Dyer, for his part unfamiliar with the city and with the layout of the Bagh and its tiny exits, might well have seen the meeting as a direct challenge The horrific result was six to ten minutes incessant firing directly at a crowd of several thou­ sand, resulting in Wagner’s estimate of Wagner doesn’t give much clue about Dyer’s psychology Shockingly, he was felicitated by the mahants of the Golden Temple days after he ordered the massacre 500­700 dead and many more wounded This book rightly explodes several nat­ ionalist myths around the event There were hardly any women present and few Muslims (only one­sixth of the crowd), despite Amritsar then being a Muslim­ majority city Wagner is convinced that it was memories of the Mutiny of 1857 that shaped the British response in 1919, and he accuses the Raj of paranoia and “racial­ ised violence” But he pays scant atten­ tion to the good intentions of people like Edwin Montagu, secretary of state for India in Britain’s then Liberal govern­ ment, introducing constitutional ref­ orms designed to take a federal India to responsible and representative govern­ ment, as in the white dominions of Australia and Canada Instead, we are told the reforms were designed to per­ petuate British power Contrary to Wagner’s own assertions of inherent colonial violence, this book supplies plentiful evidence of wide­ spread British revulsion at and condem­ nation of Dyer’s massacre The most dramatic examples come from the House of Commons where the massacre was condemned as “un­British” by none other than Dyer’s boss, Winston Churchill, then secretary for war Poor Montagu was described by Dyer’s Tory supporters as “a Jew rounding on an Englishman and throwing him to the wolves” Wagner describes how the debate divided not only Parliament but the British press and public, seeing Dyer ejected from the army but receiving a handsome public purse from admirers who saw him as the saviour of the empire In India, Gandhi called off his civil disobedience, calling it a “Himalayan miscalculation” The government set up the Hunter judicial enquiry, with three Indian members who submitted a minority report roundly condemning Dyer’s “inhuman and un­British” met­ hods One positive note that emerges from this book is that Miss Sherwood returned to the Punjab, aged 70, to help with relief work among Partition refu­ gees The Bagh itself has become a fam­ ily picnic park “The names of the 379 people known to have been killed are nowhere to be found,” Wagner compl­ ains, “and, a hundred years after Dyer walked down the narrow passage with his 50 troops, Jallianwala Bagh is no longer a place for mourning the dead, as Gandhi originally envisaged, but a celebration of a nationalist myth O Fatima Bhutto The Runaways | Viking | 422 pages | Rs 599 ON THE RACKS Misfits Before Mosul Three damaged youths are seduced by a jehadi future, and reflect upon a cold desert by Bindu Menon A S Monty and Sunny, two of the three main characters in The Runaways, wait endlessly in the middle of the blistering Iraqi desert after days of a long march, a sense of uncertainty grips the two young jehadi recruits “This whole exercise felt like a waste What were they doing? No one from the Ummah Movement had bothered to check on them, no one debriefed them, no one even seemed to know they were out here.” It is this bumpy journey towards radicalism that Fatima Bhutto attempts to explore in her new novel, through the intersecting lives of Sunny aka Salman Jamil, son of a Lucknowi immigrant in Britain, Monty (aka Mustafa), the scion of an affluent Pakistani family who is une­ namoured by his legacy, and Anita Rose, the Christian girl from a Karachi slum who wants to soar high above the shackles of her gender, religion and poverty Along the way, Bhutto tackles the millennial insecurities of the Muslim youth, primarily through Sunny, the lonely boy growing up in Portsmouth Embarrassed by his father's attempts to blend in with the Brits, frustrated by those mocking Taliban jokes lobbed at him and battling questions of identity and sexuality, Sunny finds himself clamped down in his insular The insecurities of Muslim youth are tackled through Sunny— embarrassed by attempts to blend in with Brits, frustrated by Taliban jokes hurled at him world Trying to deal with the unre­ markability of his life and surfing for answers in YouTube sermons, the wall around him seems unscalable until the meeting with his Syria­ returned cousin Oz, who seems to have all the right and ready answers The search for a purpose in life is what takes the three young charac­ ters to the dusty nowhere in Iraq but it’s not certain if this is the new world order they were seeking For Monty, it’s the search for Layla, the love of his life, that brings him to Mosul For Anita, her new avatar as preacher of violence and redemp­ tion is the ultimate fightback for all the crosses that she has had to bear It’s also a promise that she must keep for Osama, the avuncular neighbour who had fired her intel­ lect and hunger for freedom As for Sunny, it’s the journey itself that completes his descent, or ascent as he’d like to believe, into manhood “Yesterday, he cut a man's throat, and now he gazes upon the dying stars and sings to his Kalashnikov.” The walk into the novel is much like the long haul across Mosul’s arid landscape Bhutto takes a back­and­ forth narrative spanning four years, dwelling rather inordinately long on her characters, and hopping from Portsmouth to London to the ghettos of Gulshan and posh enclaves of Clifton in Karachi Halfway into the novel, the terrain shifts to Mosul and then Nineveh, the setting for the dra­ matic finale This is perhaps unfamil­ iar ground, as Bhutto has revealed in interviews, where she has had to mine information from books, Live­ Leak videos, and other online sources But perhaps paradoxically, that’s where the narrative gets taut, starker and more pulsating That’s when the characters too get denser and less pixellated And it’s in these passages that Bhutto triumphs as a writer O Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar My Father’s Garden | Speaking Tiger Through gripping, taut prose that glints like a knife in moonlight, Shekhar follows his narrator from medical school in Jamshedpur, a lengthy sojourn in Pakur to a disillusioned return to his adivasi politician­father’s place in Ghatsila A record of three consuming rela­ tionships, Shekhar is also very good at writing about sex (a rare quality, as ever), with Ray’s Memory Game put to a startling use Rajiv Dogra Second Night | Rupa The hop from a cliché romance set in Delhi University to quick sketches of characters in Mussoorie happens quickly enough to get any sceptical reader interested in the material Our protagonist is pining lover, jolly drinker, day­dreamer all at the same time Nestled in between somewhere are those two honeymoon nights in Mussoorie, around which the tale is spun Vivaan Shah Living Hell | Penguin A film historian, actor and thespian parades the old Holywood plot and parcels it into a novel: the disgrun­ tled owner of a vapid, sadsack life stumbles into murder and sinister conspiracy and runs for his life and sanity “Mr Makhija sat on the commode, his mouth agape, his eyes looking on in the distance and his neck greatly swollen and disfig­ ured.” Pure Hitchcock manqué 25 March 2019 OUTLOOK 79 glitterati Dowry In Diamonds The past year will be marked in the ann­ als of Bollywood as the year of the big­ ticket wedding The biggest of them arr­ ived just now—filmy not in genesis, but in spirit As TV chan­ nels breathlessly shopped for celebri­ ties at Akash Ambani’s wedding with Shloka (her dad’s a diamantaire), we take note of the grand event with a soberly happy snap: the newlyweds at a ritual, encouraged by Akash’s (recently married) sister Isha AP Beats From The South PTI THIS TOO HAPPENED There are the various film industry awards which, to remain relevant, dole out statu­ ettes by the armful Then, a step up, the national film awards—conferrer of recog­ nition to the best films But film/music personalities get the highest national nod for a lifetime’s work at the Padma awards Some of this year’s winners: Prabhudeva, the great Mohanlal, percussionist Siva­ mani and musician Shankar Mahadevan Mohanlal was the recipient of the Padma Bhushan, the rest got the Padma Shri Seungri, the K-Pop star called the ‘Great Gatsby’ by the South Korean media, has been charged with procuring prostitutes for businessmen in Seoul’s high-profile nightclubs The 28-year-old, in the midst of a scandal that has shaken up the country, has said he will retire to contest the charges 80 OUTLOOK 25 March 2019 Waiting For Confetti Nights Swatted aside by rivals Barca in two El Classicos, and kicked out from the Champions League by Ajax, a whimpering Real Madrid—their rhythm hitting serious notes of the blues, had to sack manager Santiago Soleri Enter Zinedine Zidane, the magic man who delivered nine trophies before resigning last May Can Zizou it without Ronaldo? Let’s see GETTY IMAGES Selfie’s People Since baseball great Alex Rodriguez (A­Rod) was dating Jennifer Lopez anyway, a news of their engagement cannot, by that reason alone, guar­ antee our unqualified excitement Seems the lovebirds were in Bah­ amas, where the natural surround­ ings (sun, sand, beach you know it), working on JLo’s ample charms, wrenched the ‘big question’ out of Alex She, of course, said yes Ana­ lysis: all happy stories are the same; the rest are fodder for art To All Bilge Swastika Mukherjee: one of Tollywood’s genuinely talented actresses, whose emotionally charged, stripped­ down­to­essentials perfor­ mances are but a foil to her unadulterated, heat­radiating glamour In response to a recent, ghastly attempt to body­shame her (read it on the net, if you will), Swastika pulverised the offenders, then took note of her changing body with pride Bravo! “Given how much the web has changed in the past 30 years If we give up on building a better web now, then the web will not have failed us We will have failed the web.” TIM BERNERS-LEE, founder of the World Wide Web on its 30th anniversary 25 March 2019 OUTLOOK 81 NEPAL diary eigners, they also attract domestic tourists Dust In The Sunken Bowl As connectivity improves, more Nepalis are A former Indian ambassador to Nepal used to looking to explore their own country say in jest, “I can take all the brickbats from One sees this trend in Kathmandu too Old their media only because of the Kathmandu Thamel—once a hippie paradise—has lost weather.” With the overlooking Himalayas so its appeal The action has now moved to the up-close, Kathmandu could be freezing But, south of the city in Jhamsikhel, Patan: an it is like a sunken bowl surrounded by hills area rechristened as ‘Jhamel’ The clientele that protect it from the mountain blast Thus, SANDIP GHOSE comprises up-market tourists and expatrieven winters in Kathmandu are delectable ates but also the affluent global Nepali sans a biting wind chill (The author is a writer, blogger and marketing executive) Unlike Western or other Asian tourists, Down To Worth Indians seldom check the weather After Nepal’s transition to a republic, there are some visible before travelling—one of the habits of living in a largely social changes There is a sense of empowerment among the tropical country As a result, they come either over- or middle class A ‘non-elite’ millennial and post-millennial under-equipped for the cold The latter calls for a rushed trip generation is emerging And they have a refreshing global to New Road or a Bhatbhateni supermarket for woollens The outlook Take Shrinkhala Khatiwada—Miss Nepal World 2018 trip can be tricky though, as Kathmandu’s focussed variety in Coming from the small town of Hetauda, she is a qualified mountaineering gear can drive compulsive Indian bargain architect Sumnima Udas, a former CNN journalist came seekers investing in gear good to climb the Everest But finally, back to Nepal after the earthquake to set up the museum of our now well-prepared yatris end up in Pokhara, which is Buddhism and Sacred places in Lumbini Sixit Bhatta is the several degrees warmer than the Kathmandu valley co-founder of a ride sharing platform called Toodle These Unfortunately, Kathmandu’s breezy sunken bowl has gathyoungsters are idealistic in a practical way They see their role ered a lot of dust due to rampant construction after the 2015 in making Nepal a more inclusive society and creating jobs As earthquake Everyone wears masks—locals and visitors alike, an influencer, Shrinkhala feels she can infuse more positive but Indians don’t bother Makes sense, we now have seven of energy among the youth But, as an architect she wishes to the top ten most polluted cities in the world work on the restoration of heritage structures For that she dreams of bringing back skilled Nepalis working overseas Those Evolved Jhamelas Another sober positive is that Nepal has cracked down on Any haze clears up in about six hours, to Pokhara, the lake drunk driving, with “zero tolerance to alcohol” Also, only town and the starting point of the Annapurna Trek It is also in Kathmandu can a woman traffic police officer take on an the gateway for Mustang and Muktinath (believed to have inebriated driver late at night That is true woman power been the last stop of the Pandavas) by flight Pokhara was a favourite of Indian tourists once, when their idea of advenCoffee And Diplomatic Levitation ture was boating on a lake But, over the years the tourist A few years back, Nepal turned to serious tea cultivation profile has changed Nepal is no longer a land of backpackers The plantations in the eastern parts bordering Darjeeling alone There is visible surge of Chinese, Japanese, Korean produce some excellent teas But, Nepali coffee, starting much and Southeast Asians, mostly pilgrims on the Buddhist circuit, later, has stolen the march Single origin Nepal coffee now who tuck Pokhara in the itinerary commands a premium in European markets Kathmandu Pokhara has evolved along with the tourists The lake is and Pokhara are dotted with chic coffee shops clean And the best part is that a strip has come There’s a contingent of noveau coffee snobs up along the lake-front A mix of continental, and there are stores selling fancy, imported and oriental eateries, trendy bars and coffee devices cafes gives it an international feel Fruit After the IC 814 hijack in 2001, there vendors with juice machines fitted on was a long diplomatic stand-off bicycles add to the touristic ambience between Nepal and India The Many value-for-money boutique Indian government insisted on properties have come up in the lake putting its own security personnel area, giving competition to the few at boarding gates It took months high-profile hotels of the past to reach a compromise solution, by This development is not confined which Indian carriers could use a to Pokhara After the Maoist insurcabin on wheels raised three feet gency ended, areas that had become above the ground—so not on “Nepali out of bounds have opened up Rural soil”—for frisking passengers It has tourism is gaining traction in Nepal been eighteen years since the mishap, and a number of lodges have sprouted but the odd practice still continues in remote areas Apart from intrepid forMANJUL 82 OUTLOOK 25 March 2019 ... This #Elections2019 Wear Your Pride and Shout Out #AbkiBaarFirModiSarkar uniformsarees.in/products/ saffron-and-green-bharatiya-janata-party-uniform-sarees … NAMO SAREES 25 March 2019 OUTLOOK 11... varies between 125 to 400, the number of lives at risk would be anywhere between 15,000 and 20,000,” says a DGCA source The figures sound alarming, more so 16 OUTLOOK 25 March 2019 because of... on elections does not seem to 22 OUTLOOK 25 March 2019 War has not been a big factor influencing election outcomes in the past But that is changing fast for the 2019 polls be particularly significant