Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Postponing Ayodhya verdict – right or wrong?' that was published in Newsband

Postponing Ayodhya verdict – right or wrong?

The Supreme Court has declined to fix until January 2019 a date for hearing the Ayodhya case and thus judiciously diminished the possibility of a final verdict before the next Lok Sabha election. It is important that religious sentiments are not stoked and exploited during election season. The decision to put off even the exercise of fixing a date for the final hearing is quite pragmatic.

Given the divisive effect the Ram temple movement has had on the country’s politics and history, it would be unwise to equate this with any other judicial matter that can come up for disposal in due course. The judiciary must be vigilant and resourceful in ensuring that the dispute remains within its jurisdiction. A solution, unless judicially driven, is unlikely to command constitutional legitimacy.

Some people feel that by delaying the date of hearing of Ayodhya which is only a title suit the court has indeed given an opportunity to the hardliners to exploit the situation. The verdict either if it was delivered the confusion of the title suit would have come to an end and it would be the responsibility of the government to ensure the verdict in letter and spirit. By delaying, the court has shed its responsibility

Why should a court decision be deferred or delayed only from an election point of view? Why should the judiciary be concerned about electoral prospects of political parties? When it involved criminal cases pertaining to politicians and film stars, it worked overtime to give them relief, but on a national issue, it is looking for an opportune moment to sit on judgment. They worked overtime to deliver a series of judgments on the eve of retirement of CJ.

It is the Congress which wanted the SC to postpone verdict till next Lok Sabha election and Lok Sabha election will come every five years. They commend the decision of the Supreme Court of India since, according to them, it restores the faith of vulnerable population of India that they may continue to live in harmony with the majority despite a determined effort to instil a sense of fear and deprivation among them in a democratic country.

Anyway, this is hiding behind a curtain. The verdict in anyway will go one way or the other. So this perspective about elections does not stand. The country needs to see this issue being addressed as it has run for decades.

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Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'The Centre-RBI face-off' that was published in Newsband

The Centre-RBI face-off

There has been tensions over the last few months between the Reserve Bank of India and the Centre. There are three issues on which the Centre seems to have irked the RBI. It has refused to accept Governor Urjit Patel’s point that the RBI is hobbled by lack of adequate powers in regulating public sector banks. The second is the tussle over the RBI’s burgeoning reserves. The last is the attempt by the Centre to set up an independent payments regulator.

A certain amount of creative tension is systemically in-built given their different perspectives: one is short-term and political; the other is long-term and technical. Such tension is good for the economy.

The current row is definitely worrying given the backdrop of economic turmoil, globally and domestically. The Centre and the central bank must talk behind closed doors and resolve their differences as mature entities.

RBI has autonomy on fiscal policy. Government should not interfere in this policy sphere. Demonetisation in 2016 was such an interference. The country is paying heavily for that wrong step. The RBI should have prevented such a measure coming out boldly against it. RBI should act as a subordinate body of the Central Government. The government, on its part, should desist from using the RBI as a scapegoat.

Central government should consider that the RBI Members and representatives are not people elected; they are well qualified for their work but incursion by government on RBIs policy may affect the economy and it will be government itself which will raise the questions on its working; like whatever happening with HAL is the best example. So the government should decide their limit and work in the area where it can do better.

RBI, Deputy Governor speaking on a sensitive issue of policy, publicly is not a healthy sign for the nation and economy. Let the Governor and FM talk on any differences in a meeting.

Isn't this just another institution which the present regime is trying its best to bring it to its knees? We have seen the discontent in the Supreme Court, the meddling in the CBI, the Censor Board, the Universities .... and the list goes on and on. What next?

RBI is also setting up many rules and regulations of Banks including SBI. The honest and middle class account holders face irksome procedures and rules even though they put their money and want to withdraw them when they need. RBI should allow full Independence in such cases where there are Loans or repayments. The number of documents needed to open small trust accounts are ridiculous though we are told that RBI rules are like that.

Coming back to the point: "One is short-term and political; the other is long-term and technical": this distinction is known to both. But the political one with its agenda to do whatever it desires to do in the short window of five years is not always happy with rational decisions that seem to it to be a ' a spanner thrown in its spokes'. It tries to weaken the institution itself to get its fancies fulfilled. This is what we are seeing every day now. Let the technical one that has to accommodate the present one to the extent possible without affecting the nation in the long-term has the grace to withstand the onslaught!

The tussle between the Reserve Bank of India and the Union Government does not auger well for the economy. The autonomy of the apex Bank should not be curtailed and it should not work as pawn in the hands of the Finance Ministry. There should be healthy debate and discussions between the Reserve Bank and the Finance Ministry to sort out the vexed and contentious issues in the greater interest of the nation. The Deputy Governor's warning is timely and should be taken cognizance of at this juncture.

Dinesh Kamath's news ''Chippa' to be screened at Jio MAMI 20th Mumbai Film Festival on 1st November 2018' that was published in Newsband

'Chippa' to be screened at Jio MAMI 20th Mumbai Film Festival on 1^st November 2018

By Dinesh Kamath

‘Chippa’ – A coming of age tale / film of a 10 year old boy narrated across a single night will be screened in the “Discovering India Section” at the prestigious Jio MAMI 20th Mumbai Film Festival on 29th October & 1st November 2018

Written and directed by Safdar Rahman the film features 10 year old Sunny Pawar as the main protagonist. His debut film “Lion” was nominated in 6 categories at the 89th Academy Awards in 2017 & has won him International accolades & awards.

The film has a supporting cast of Chandan Roy Sanyal, Masood Akhtar, Sumeet Thakur & Mala Mukherjee in pivotal roles & is produced by Ultra Media, Travelling Light & Victory Media.

After its debut in MAMI, Chippa will be screened within various International film festivals before its global, theatrical release in early 2019.

Chippa is a story about the aspirations of a child who lives on the streets, told through a journey he takes into an enchanting world that he creates himself on one wintry night in Kolkata. The film is an endearing & universal homage to the spirit and the timeless stories of children growing up everywhere.

Sunny Pawar played the child version of Dev Patel in the film “Lion”. “Lion” won Sunny Pawar nominations for the Critics Choice Awards in the “Best Young Performer” Category, “Best Actor” by AACTA Awards, “Special Mention Grand Jury Prize” at Asia Pacific Screen Awards and a nomination for the “Young Artist Award”.

Chippa is a heartwarming story of a boy, who on the eve of his tenth birthday receives a letter from his long-absent father. He then decides to leave his pavement abode to find out more. The film spans the length of the single night which tracks the fantastical & eventful journey which Chippa takes to discover the connections to his father.

The DOP of the film is Ramanuj Dutta and edited by Manas Mittal. The music is composed by Cyrille de Haes & sound designed by Sukanta Majumdar

Screening Details:

Was screened on 29th October, PVR Juhu: at 2:45 PM

Will be screened on 1st November, PVR Icon: 2:00 PM

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'SC shows promise of solving the CBI crisis' that was published in Newsband

SC shows promise of solving the CBI crisis

The Supreme Court has ordered a time-bound and supervised inquiry into the charges against the sidelined CBI Director, Alok Verma. The government had earlier asked Verma and Special Director Rakesh Asthana to go on leave, and appointed M. Nageswara Rao as its interim chief. After that the Central Vigilance Commission, accused Verma of non-cooperation and divested him of his powers and functions. SC has asked the CVC for a quick probe within two weeks into allegations against him. Former Supreme Court judge A.K. Patnaik is to supervise the CVC probe.

The court’s interim order thus goes beyond calming the air; it works as a safeguard against any further damage to the institution’s reputation and credibility. Judicial intervention often serves to quieten the mood in a surcharged atmosphere. This is of particular importance here. The Government and the Supreme Court have done the right action as of now. The inquiry will reveal the interference of the Congress.

The government's assertion that the Supreme Court's curtailing the powers of Nageshwara Rao is not a setback, is indeed true - the new interim director or anybody for that matter can't initiate the process of investigating the Rafale deal. This is indeed a victory for the Modi Sarkar.

CBI is making the enquiry against Asthana in corruption cases. It Is well known that both Verma and Asthana are at loggerheads with each other. Under such circumstances the presence of Verma in the Director's chair is likely to cause some embarrassment. That is why CVC recommended to the government that he may go on leave. The recommendation is absolutely in order. Autonomy does not mean that one can function without any accountability. India is a country where honest people are harassed and dishonest left unpunished.

The judgment by the Supreme Court is timely and very appropriate considering the morass that has been created by vested interests. Governments of all hue have been guilty of pushing 'their' men into positions of power with no regard for the damage that such moves cause to the integrity of vital organisations. It is interesting that the Director, the Deputy Director of the CBI, the head of CVC and the temporary Director of CBI have all been accused of misdeeds in the past. Given this it is a sign of the times that these warnings were deliberately ignored in appointing them such positions.

The pendulum is slowly swinging. Did anyone notice that two of the three judges Mr Gogoi and George who are looking into this case are made of a different mettle and tolerate no-nonsense. There is still hope.

SC has clearly acknowledged existence of a prima facie proof on the charges against Alok Verma. It only wants it to be corroborated further beyond doubt so that the person can be even recommended for immediate dismissal by PMO. Government actions stand completely vindicated as even the petitions challenging legality of its action would be torn into pieces after the probe results are available in 10 days. CVC being a professional institution, one can trust them to assemble all evidences within the time frame enough to support the action asking the accused to abstain from duties. It is shocking to know that so much of cancer was residing inside the CBI & Government; particularly PMO was careless about it for so long despite strong indications of the malaise coming from CBI's predecessors AP Singh & Ranjit Singh who were admonished earlier for their suspicious behavior. It would be a great relief if at least now the Govt takes up the cleaning process to its completion & investigations are done properly.

The matter of CBI needs to be settled as soon as possible because this institution is of prime importance of government. Furthermore it will leave a bad name to the investigative agencies.

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Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Indo-Japan relations' that was published in Newsband

Indo-Japan relations

India and Japan have held a closely aligned world-view. Prime Minister Narendra Modi now heads to Japan for meetings with his Japanese counterpart, Shinzo Abe. President Donald Trump’s recent actions are impacting both countries in different ways. For India, the impact is more direct.

India and Japan must closely cooperate on how to manage these challenges from the U.S. while maintaining their growing security ties with Washington, as members of the trilateral and quadrilateral formations in the Indo-Pacific. The other common concern is managing an increasingly influential China. Abe will meet Modi a day after he returns from a visit to Beijing, the first by a Japanese Prime Minister in seven years.

On the bilateral front, there are several loose ends that Modi and Abe will work to tie up. The Shinkansen bullet train project is an example. India and Japan have stepped up military exchanges. However, there has been little movement on the pending purchase of ShinMaywa US-2 amphibian aircraft.

Japanese investment has grown several-fold in India. Japan and India are good trading partners. While both countries share a common heritage of Buddhism, the peoples of both countries have cordial relationship. Both countries are in good terms with Korea and Russia, two major power bases in the world. PM of Japan Shinzo Abe visited India recently and is in administration of India by Modi. There are common concerns for both countries in light of Trump's action of banning Iranian goods, export excise, as well as the U.S.’s exit from several multilateral and security regimes are impacting both countries in different ways. Shinzo Abe has returned from trip to China, a major super power in the world. Shinzo Abe and President Xi Jinping of China were engaged in conversations to improve relations between the two countries. China has increased its import of Japanese tools of manufacturing. This has major impact on the neighbouring countries like India. Modi might request Shinzo Abe for more Japanese investment in India by Japan.

The world order keeps changing from time to time. Geopolitics does depend upon the attitude of the political leaders. New policies and new strategies need to be formulated to minimize the U.S's recent actions. The effected nations should be strong enough. Regional blocks can bridge the gap to some extent as the world order does depend upon several factors.

Japan is a friendly nation without changing that stand for a long time and India can share its concern with US and China to Japan a strategic partner.US tariff war and economic sanction on Iran oil to India are high headwinds affecting the nations twin deficits. China on the other side wants India's participation in belt and road initiatives. The emerging North Korea with unregulated nuclear tests is a common headache to the global peace. Hence both countries could take stock of the situations on their roles in geo political affairs and bilateral dealings in specific.

Japan no longer considers itself tied to the USA as India continues to be. India's relation to the USA is best compared to that of Saudi Arabia, and is best illustrated by the fact that Saudi Arabia is the largest and India the second largest importer of US arms, both countries playing the vital role of keeping hundreds of thousands of US defence sector jobs alive. But Japan, more grown up in its approach, has recognised that China has the lead over it in many ways and is willing to take Chinese declarations of friendship at face value. India, on the contrary, though it now has a BJP and not a Nehru Congress government, refuses to forget the 1962 Indo-China war, lost by Nehru. It refuses therefore to believe that China does not want India as a second enemy in its trade or armed conflicts with the USA.

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Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Save water, environment and nature' that was published in Newsband

Save water, environment and nature

Decentralised sludge management systems can help achieve clean water goals. Bad sanitation is India’s worst-kept secret. India should take seriously the 2030 goal to achieve clean water and sanitation for all under the UN Sustainable Development Agenda.  

At the national scale, a United Nations report of 2015 estimates that 65,000 tonnes of untreated faeces is introduced into the environment in India annually. The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan promised a major shift, but it has focussed more on the basic requirement of household and community toilets in rural and urban areas.

Immediate investments in decentralised sludge management systems would bring twin benefits: of improving the environment and reducing the disease burden imposed by insanitary conditions. Also needed is the creation of an inter-departmental task force to identify land to build small treatment systems for sludge, and to provide easily accessible solutions to houses that are currently discharging waste into open drains. The business of emptying faecal material using tanker trucks needs to be professionalised and de-stigmatised. It is untenable that manual scavengers continue to be employed. All aspects of the business of sanitation need reform in India.

Waste generation is inevitable in the process of economic and social development. It has been a major challenge to the civilisation. There are several laws and policies but their implementation is not satisfactory. Everybody is responsible to manage the environment. Governments alone cannot achieve the goals of clean environment.

Now take the case of Bengaluru. People living around Bengaluru’s Bellandur Lake wake up to the sight of froth rising up from the highly polluted waterbody every day. This has something to do with the soaps, shampoos and detergents the residents around use. Hence several residents are switching to eco-friendly, biodegradable, or fully natural alternatives to mass-produced chemicals.

It is a shame that the civic body of Bengaluru are not able to clean the Bellandur Lake. With so many scientists and engineers and a prime research Institute like IISc in Bangalore, why are they not able to solve the problem? May be the authorities are not serious on cleaning the lake. They do not seem to understand the value of natural resources. Citizens should bring more pressure on the governmentt through the local representative. They can and should also approach the right people in IISc to solve the problem.

However, the efforts of responsible citizens and environmental committees for taking steps to save the lake should be lauded.

Save water save environment and nature. It is good that people are making efforts to save the lake. But it is not good that it happened only after the lake gets polluted. People should realise before the consequences. It is good that they are using home made products to save the lake. It is duty of people living there to maintain the nqtural things there. They should try their best not to harm them. Using shampoo and detergents are important to keep ourselves clean and healthy but at the same time they are making the lake dirty. This is not good. So a good step taken by people.

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Is government adopting strong-arm tactics?' that was published in Newsband

Is government adopting strong-arm tactics?

The Centre has also been dragged into the CBI mess. Alok Verma has been replaced as Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation. It is clear that there is a full-blown conflict between the Centre and Verma.

It is one thing if Mr. Verma had merely challenged the legality of his dismissal. But he more than hinted at interference in his functioning. The Centre’s action could be meant to protect certain people. The Centre divestED both Verma and Asthana of their powers. The new acting director is M. Nageswara Rao — he has transferred many officers investigating cases against Asthana. The government appears to be adopting strong-arm tactics against Verma. It was the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), which gave the order divesting him of his office.

But Section 4B of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act assures the Director of a two-year tenure and makes it clear that he cannot be transferred except by the high-power committee — comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and the Chief Justice of India — that appointed him. The Supreme Court will address the question. It will also examine whether the CVC’s power of superintendence has been rightly invoked in the present case. The question is how to repair the image of a CBI?

The government’s decision to remove feuding CBI Director Alok Verma and Special Director Rakesh Asthana is based on the CVC’s recommendations, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said on October 24, asserting that it is absolutely essential to restore the agency’s institutional integrity and credibility. A Special Investigation Team will look into the charges and both officers will “sit out” the duration of the probe, he said, adding that they have been sent on leave as an interim measure. He also dismissed as “rubbish” allegations by the Opposition parties, including the Congress, that Verma was removed because he was to look into the Rafale fighter jet deal.

The government’s order sending the two officers on leave and giving the director’s charge to a joint director, he said, is only to give effect to the recommendation of the CVC. The government is committed to ensure that the CBI does not become a “mockery” as some officers have attempted to do, he asserted. Responding to a question that the government wanted to defend Asthana as he is a “blue-eyed boy” of the Prime Minister’s Office, Jaitley said what matters is the quality of evidence, not who is “blue-eyed or red-eyed”.

Dinesh Kamath’s column ‘New movies released in Navi Mumbai’ (Baazaar, 5 Weddings, Marudhar Express, My Clients Wife, Chal Jaa Bapu, Dussehra, and The Journey Of Karma) that was published in Newsband

New movies released in Navi Mumbai

By Dinesh Kamath

Baazaar

Baazaar (transl. Market) is a business crime drama film directed by Gauravv K. Chawla, written by Nikkhil Advani, Aseem Arora and Parveez Sheikh. Starring Saif Ali Khan, debutant Rohan Mehra, Chitrangada Singh and Radhika Apte. The film is set in the backdrop of money, power and business, largely based on the Stock market.

Baazaar is a film with a plot revolving around stock-trading. The film is about making it in the big bad world of Mumbai. Baazaar showcases the story of Mumbai's city life and its dangerous world of stock trading. Shakun Kothari (Saif Ali Khan) is a ruthless businessman in Mumbai. He makes money by buying and selling shares and is called a 'fraud' by his business community, media, and society at large. He is uninhibited and all he cares about is profit. Rizwan Ahmed (Rohan Mehra) is an ambitious boy from Allahabad. He idolises Shakun and makes working with him his ultimate goal in life. Paths cross and he meets Radhika Apte, a competitive stock-broker in the firm he begins his flight with. The takes us to the greedy world of a stockbroking firm, where brokers are under tremendous pressure and resort to unethical means to make an extra commission. The ultimate goal for the different corrupt characters in Baazaar is to make money, be it the top businessman, broker, politician or a political agent. Debutant Rohan Mehra is impressive as the small-town youngster with a hunger to achieve bigger things in life. Although he sometimes lacked the range required for his character of Rizwan, he might get better with films. Radhika Apte belongs to the Dalal Street. She is charismatic and ready to 'cross the line' to take the extra risk to make money. But movie-goers could foresee where her character was leading to, as they could with Chitrangada Singh's (Mandira) who is the wife of Shakun Kothari. They both perform well and help build the momentum for the two men.

The film has Saif Ali Khan as Shakun Kothari aka Nawab, Rohan Mehra as Rizwan Ahmed, Radhika Apte as Priya Rai, Chitrangda Singh as Mandira Kothari, Denzil Smith as Nawab's Foe, Saurabh Shukla as Mota, Anupriya Goenka as Nawab's sister and Elli Avram (special appearance in song "Billionaire")

The music of the film is composed by Tanishk Bagchi, Yo Yo Honey Singh, Kanika Kapoor, Sohail Sen and Bilal Saeed while the lyrics are penned by Shabbir Ahmed, Yo Yo Honey Singh, Ikka, Jamil Ahmed, Singhsta, Hommie Dilliwala and Bilal Saeed. The movie has songs like "Kem Cho", "Billionaire", "Adhura Lafz", "La La La", "Chhod Diya"           and "Chhod Diya" (Unplugged).

5 Weddings

5 Weddings is a 2018 Indian film set in the United States and India. Directed by Namrata Singh Gujral, the film features Nargis Fakhri, Rajkummar Rao, Bo Derek, Candy Clark, Anneliese Van der Pol and Suvinder Vicky (The Fourth Direction).Bolo Ta Ra Ra is sung by Mika Singh & written by Daler Mehndi. Song is composed by Mika Singh, Daler Mehndi, Vishal Mishra. The Director of Photography is Christo Bakalov, BAC.

An American journalist travels to India for a magazine feature on the multiple Indian wedding ceremonies. Film deals with weddings but also the community of transgender people called a Hijra (South Asia) who dance at these Indian weddings. In the film, Nargis Fakri's reporter character turns her focus towards a transgender community in India.

The film has Rajkummar Rao as Officer Harbhajan Singh, Nargis Fakhri as Shania Dhaliwal, Bo Derek as Mandy Singh Dhaliwal, Soha Ali Khan as Police Sanjana Kishore Ghosh, Anneliese van der Pol as Whitney Simmons, Shiwani Saini as Devika, Suvinder Vicky as Commissioner Gill, Saru Maini as Bhavna, Mariana Vicente as Alexa DuPont, Dawn Richard as Lydia Duniyer, Diljott as Harleen and Robert Palmer Watkins as Mark Cottell.

Soundtrack album is by Daler Mehndi, Vibhas, Vishal Mishra and Viplove Rajdeo. The film has songs like "Na Chah Ke Bhi", "American Beauty", "Baaki Hai", "Taareef", "Laung Gawacha" and "U U Yeah".

Marudhar Express

The film Marudhar Express is directed by Vishal Mishra with cast consisting of Kunaal Roy Kapur, Tara Alisha Berry and Rajesh Sharma.

Marudhar is the son of his tyrant father, Ashok Pandey. Straight as an arrow and boring as an oyster, Marudhar trudges along in his life, one hopeless day after the other. But Ashok has marriage plans for him and he won't have no for an answer. What follows is a comedy of ridiculous proportions as Marudhar marries the sweet and pretty Chitra from Lucknow. With no experience in dealing with women, let alone a wife, Marudhar embarks on an emotional and equally hilarious journey as he tries to find his feet amidst love, life and family.

My Clients Wife

The film ‘My Clients Wife’ is directed by Prabhakar Meena Bhaskar Pant with cast consisting of Anjali Patil and Sharib Hashmi.

Manas Verma, a lawyer, is defending a man who is accused of assaulting his wife. However, the man claims that he is being framed. To get to the bottom of the matter, Verma starts investigating the case further and finds that not everything is the way that it looks. Thus a defending lawyer uncovers the hideous truth about his client's wife.

The film has Anjali Patil as Sindoora Singh, Sharib Hashmi   ...Manas Verma, Vishal Om Prakash  ...Watchman and Abhimanyu Singh...Raghuram Singh.

Chal Jaa Bapu

The film Chal Jaa Bapu is directed by Dedipya Joshi and has cast consisting of Ashutosh Kaushik and Hrishita Bhatt.

This movie is about a phony, irresponsible and idle man who finds a 500 rupee note which teaches him how to work hard and live a dignified life with self-respect.

The film has Hrishitaa Bhatt as Pallavi, Radha Bhatt... Geeta, Dev Chauhan...Police Inspector, Monika Chowdhury...Manora, Manish Garg...Bank Manager, Lokesh Gupta     ...Pooran, Harish Hariaudh...Jamshed, Zakir Hussain...Baba MoolMantra, Shivam Jagdish...Young Brij, Vipin Katyal...Sitaram(chela), Ashutosh Kaushik...Ashu, Raju Kher...DhaniRam, Chetan Sharma...Ashu (Teen), Himani Shivpuri           ...Sushila, Jagat Singh...Abhay and Aryan Vaid...Brij.

Dassehra

Dassehra is a Bollywood thriller film directed by Manish Vatsalya and produced by Aparna Hoshing. It stars Neil Nitin Mukesh and Manish Vatsalya, with a screenplay by Saurabh Choudhary.

Dussehra is the story of an honest police officer who is trapped under adverse circumstances. It's is a political thriller driven by crime and politics. The film revolves around the background of a politically volatile state, which shows a politician mafia network, a place of serious crimes, cunning politicians, miserable criminals.

The film has Neil Nitin Mukesh as Rudra Pratap Singh, Manish Vatsalya as Shankar Yadav and Swati Bakshi as Sarika Kashyap.

Soundtrack album is composed by Vijay Verma and Siddhant Madhav while the lyrics penned by Rajesh Mànthan. The film has songs like "Hua Shankhnaad", "Ae Ri Mai Re", "Silent Mode", "Maee Re" and "Joganiya".

The Journey Of Karma

The Journey of Karma is the film directed by Jagbir Dahiya, written by Rupesh Paul and starring Shakti Kapoor and Poonam Pandey.

Its a story of a slum girl who is brilliant in studies and tries to chase her dreams to work in America. She travels through her journey full of twist n turns, surprises, lust with a mysterious old man. The slum girl aspires to work aboard. To chase her dreams, she gets on a journey full of twists and surprises. Will she be able to live her dreams?

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'A battle of egos' that was published in Newsband

A battle of egos

What is going on in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). There is a battle of egos between two individuals at the helm involving Director Alok Verma and Special Director Rakesh Asthana. Now only one of them will be proved right; the Director has made bribery charges against Asthana.

Asthana’s appointment as Special Director was made despite Verma’s vehement objections about his suitability, something the CVC chose to overrule. In such circumstances, it is up to the CVC and the Centre to address the present crisis.

The director of CBI filing an FIR against the number 2 itself shows that the director was more keen to keep the number 2 out of CBI. The speed with which the CBI director acted itself proves that the director was in a hurry. The CBI can no longer be trusted to be above corruption earlier it was not so open but the present feud has made it crystal clear

Why such a person rejected by selective panel objected to the selection of candidates by the Director himself has to be proved now beyond all doubts. Unless the clouds are vanished by a superior agency, the needle of suspicion hangs in balance. Why our Prime Minister has chosen him for this post? All persons who believe in natural justice requires answers for this episode. Impartial, deep and honest enquiry can only find out the truth. Let us hope the Supreme Court has to find way or good remedy for such a ugly affair in a topmost respected agency. Do not damage the respect and prestige of this nation. Government should exercise extra care while selecting the candidates to such high positions, at least in future.

It is interesting to note that Verma has only two months tenure left and he has in his hand a complaint about the alleged corruption complaint on Rafale deal which has not been given its due process of registering an FIR within a week as per the norms. Now that may not find the light of the day. Well, there is still a battle brewing up in the Supreme Court. Hope with a new CJI things will be fair.

What is the purpose of existing of an investigating agency which always remains in bad news either due to corruption within itself or being politically motivated. If two people at the top cannot coordinate themselves and are alleged of corruption, what about petty investigators within the institution. A better thing will be to have a new investigating agency under the jurisdiction of Parliament and Supreme Court.

CBI has always been pampered organisation and powerful tool in the hands of union government to keep disgruntled elements in check. Appointments of top echelons of investigative agency are of political in nature. Merits and integrity no longer are deciding factor in the selection process. What matters most is the loyalty of the incumbent. That is why high profile cases generates more friction than heat.

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Why is Chidambaram lying?' that was published in Newsband

Why is Chidambaram lying?

Congress leader and former Union Minister P. Chidambaram claims that the Congress has never said “officially” that its president Rahul Gandhi should be the prime minister if an Opposition alliance formed the next government. “An alliance should take shape, that alliance should win, and the alliance parties will decide who will be the prime minister,” he said. Chidambaram insisted that the Congress’s focus was on dislodging the BJP government

Is Chidambaram the President of Congress? The current President is Gandhi. And he has said many times over recently, without anyone from Congress complaining, that he is the PM candidate from the Congress. So either Chidambaram is simply lying or playing his game twisting words out of shaoe to suit his purpose.

The senior Congress leader might be fully aware that the bargaining capacity would be more in the event of his party acquitting itself creditably, in the event of an alliance of opposition parties materializing and facing the polls as a united front and hence this may be considered as a ruse to foster unity to keep the flock together which might get scattered if pressed further.

Lying has become a contagious disease in the Congress Party and the source of the contagion is none other than its President, Rahul Gandhi. Chidambaram knows fully well about the declarations of Rahul Gandhi to be PM candidate in 2019 in India as well as abroad while addressing students at Berkeley University. He also knows fully well the rebuke of PM Modi that the naamdar, who did not have confidence in his alliance partners, who did not even care for Congress's internal democracy, and whose arrogance reached cloud seven, declared himself that he would be the Prime Minister in 2019 as he felt that the PM's chair was his ancestral right and was reserved for one family and no one else could sit on it. Clearly, Chidambaram is lying when he says, "Congress has never said ‘officially’ that its president Rahul Gandhi should be the prime minister if an Opposition alliance formed the next government." Or, he dismisses the words of his boss are not worth a hill of beans.

Chidambaram was a finance minister when Deve Gowda was the PM of India. We all thought that Indian finance was in good hands to govern. After Gowda's departure we saw the real character of Chidambaram. First his involvement in fake currency scandal, later the involvement in cricket scandals, etc.

Chidambaram is saying that the Congress’s focus was on dislodging the BJP government and bringing in a “progressive” alternative.If Congress intention is to topple BJP in elections - that is understandable. But the politics Congress played in Karnataka elections makes you wonder if Congress is fit to govern India.

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Horrible train tragedy' that was published in Newsband

Horrible train tragedy

Amritsar train tragedy has shocked many. People throng railway tracks where the train mishap took place at Joda Phatak area, in Amritsar on October 20 2018. People demand action against Dasara organisers. They want train driver booked. 59 Dasara revellers who had spilled on to the railway tracks while watching the burning of a Ravan effigy were mowed down by a Jalandhar-Amritsar train. The Government Railway Police have registered an FIR against ‘unidentified persons.’

Why the LCD/LED screen was allowed to be erected on the ground wall facing the tracks. It was an open invitation to tragedy. It is surprising that no organization comes forward to find faults with the way the event was organised. People think holding a religious ceremony at any place and time is unquestionable, no matter what disaster it may bring. In the name of religion the pilgrims break traffic rules, and on some occasions meet with tragic accidents. It is time Government took strong action to stop certain traditions in the greater interest of public safety and order in the society.

The accident in Punjab in which more than 50 people have died and more than 60 have got injured is shocking. People are demanding action against the train driver. How can the driver be responsible? He did not know about the crowd in the tracks. It was night with no lights. He was driving a high speed train. He did not pass any red lights. Do not make him a scapegoat.

First of all why was there a celebration on the railway track? Why didn't the authorities inform people that it is risky to celebrate there? People and local administration are only responsible.

However, it was an avoidable tragedy. The magisterial inquiry ordered by the Punjab government should examine the actions of the revenue authorities and the police in organising the event, and whether rules were ignored to favour the organisers who claimed proximity to some politicians.

Major religious festivals in India are often overshadowed by deadly incidents such as stampedes and fires, ranging from the terrible toll of 249 deaths at the Chamunda Devi temple stampede in Jodhpur in 2008, to the railway station stampede during the Kumbh Mela at Allahabad five years later in which 36 people died. The National Disaster Management Authority has responded to these horrors by creating a guide for State governments and local bodies, laying down a clear protocol to be followed for mass gatherings and festivals. Why this was not followed by the Amritsar authorities?

A campaign to educate the public that railway tracks cannot be treated as commons, and vigorous enforcement, will reduce the probability of such incidents. The Railways should prevent trespass in heavily built-up areas by barricading them.  

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Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Our IITs should learn from Chinese' that was published in Newsband

Our IITs should learn from Chinese

China has come up with a perigee moon also known as a supermoon. Chengdu is developing “illumination satellites” that will shine in tandem with the real moon, but are eight times brighter. China is planning to launch its own ‘artificial moon’ by 2020 to replace streetlamps and lower electricity costs in urban areas.

Chengdu is a city in southwestern Sichuan province. The first man-made moon will launch from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan, with three more to follow in 2022 if the first test goes well. Though the first launch will be experimental, the 2022 satellites will be the real deal with great civic and commercial potential.

By reflecting light from the sun, the satellites could replace streetlamps in urban areas, saving electricity costs for Chengdu. The man-made moons illuminate an area of 50 square kilometers.

China’s space programme is also racing to catch up with that of the United States and Russia.

China is not the first country to try beaming sunlight back to Earth. In the 1990s, Russian scientists reportedly used giant mirrors to reflect light from space in an experimental project called Znamya or Banner.

In addition to Tian Fu New Area Science Society, other universities and institutes, including the Harbin Institute of Technology and China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, are involved in developing Chengdu’s illumination satellites. But will it hamper natural and animal sleep cycles? Is it a good move considering that we need light, but we also need darkness? Technology is developing - it's a good news. But can these types of artificial things become the cause of various natural disaster? Humans are still very much helpless in front of nature’s certain incidents – this is clear from some recent occurrences in the world.

At last we (human) are waiting to see Artificial Sun. But can there be negative effects of these bright artificial (sun reflected) lights on flora & fauna whose lives & existence are in tune with the sun & phases of the moon?

Anything which is energy saving should be given priority. Our IIT's should also come out with similar innovations and the governments should give utmost priority to new innovations.

China-built world’s largest amphibious plane completes maiden flight test – another achievement of China in technological field. Designed to be the world’s largest amphibious aircraft, AG600 is powered by four domestically-built turboprop engines and has a range of 12 hours. China’s indigenously designed and built amphibious aircraft AG600, touted as the world’s largest, successfully carried out its first take-off and landing tests. The aircraft, developed and built by the state-owned aircraft firm Aviation Industry Corporation of China, took off and later landed on the water in Hubei province’s Jingmen. The seaplane took off from the Zhanghe Reservoir at 8:51 am (local time) and stayed airborne for about 15 minutes. The aircraft code-named Kunlong was piloted by four crew members. It completed its first water taxiing trials at a high speed of 145 kilometres.

Designed to be the world’s largest amphibious aircraft, AG600 is powered by four domestically-built turboprop engines and has a range of 12 hours. It will be mainly used for maritime rescue, fighting forest fires and marine monitoring, The aircraft has passed a series of tests since its maiden flight last December. It successfully finished eight taxiing tests on water at a speed of 80-kilometre per hour and 120-kilometre per hour.

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'India’s economic fortunes depend on oil prices' that was published in Newsband

India’s economic fortunes depend on oil prices

India’s economic fortunes depends on the sharply fluctuating price of oil. Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged oil-producing countries to reduce the cost of energy in order to aid the global economy in its path towards recovery. Modi demanded the partial use of the rupee instead of the U.S. dollar to pay for oil. Well over 80% of its oil demand is being met through imports by India. Oil prices have risen by as much as 70% in rupee terms in the last one year.

There is an absence of significant rival suppliers in the global oil market willing to help out India. India’s policymakers now face the difficult task of safely steering the economy in the midst of multiple external headwinds. The rupee, which is down about 16% since the beginning of the year, doesn’t seem to be showing any signs of recovery either. All this will likely weigh negatively on the prospects of the Indian economy, the world’s fastest-growing, in the coming quarters.

Another long-term solution to the oil problem will be to increasingly tap into domestic sources of energy supply while simultaneously encouraging consumers to switch to green alternatives. This will require a stronger policy framework and implementation.

Policymakers should also be willing to think beyond just the next election if India’s over-reliance on oil is to come to an end for good.

The scientific community does need to solve the energy crisis issue urgently. All the economies have been facing energy crisis. There is an urgent need to discover cheaper and efficient alternate renewable sources of energy. If this issue is resolved the economies can prosper further.

Oil producing countries must reduce the price of the oil in order to aid the Global Economy.  OPEC will set oil price if it is in their interest. Diversification of energy sources is the only way to rein in oil prices. Aid comes out of another pocket.

Yes, a catch 22 situation for the developing countries like India: Our attempts to empower the poor and backward primarily through freebies and crutches of one kind or the other - and the state governments adding to the worries in similar ways - may be politically smart but must fail the test on economic principles. You cannot 'rob Peter to pay Paul' and find untenable justification. Poor quality governance, lack of courage to confront realities are beginning to show up.

Energy consumption in the form of petroleum for personal and public transport has been increasing; this is in addition to international anxieties--petroleum exporting countries ever in need/desire for more dollars/prices for their ware. India has in effect equated Development with increased production, sale and use of cars, scooters and trucks; and possibly trains and airplanes. Petroleum consumption and concomitant Economy distress problems including CAD is a part of cost escalation trends; failure to pursue regional self-sufficiency goals, fulfilling basic needs through reliance on local production and consumption. Instead reliance on long haul transport, dependence on Andhra rice and chillies in Karnataka, for example. Public transport has to be emphasised in city planning and road development; this should include decentralisation and relocation of industries. Indeed a reorientation in Capital deployment and Urbanisation; retention of capital in rural areas of India.

The constraint created on oil price is unsolvable at this juncture of increasing demand for oil both for industrial and transport purpose. OPEC are restricting production and refuse to work for free supply and will not concede for reducing prices and rupee acceptance. The way is to increase the domestic production and reduce the demand. The feasible way is to stop selling auto vehicles on hire purchase selling which are flooding the number of auto vehicles both for four wheeler and two wheelers and to reduce rationalised use of them will reduce the demand for oil. Otherwise petrol and diesel will be available through rationed supply.

Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Competition between Private and Public Sectors' that was published in Newsband

Competition between Private and Public Sectors

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley admitted that ‘chaining of the public sector to the legal regime’ affects their performance. It was clear that he was referring to Hindustan Aeronautics not being selected as partner in the multi-crore Rafale fighter-jet deal. In place of Central Public Sector Enterprise HAL, a company from private sector Reliance Defence was selected as partner in the offset deal by the French Aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation which triggered a huge political controversy. Jaitley was hopeful that with accelerating pace of reforms, things would change and that would benefit public sector companies.

What happens if the political funding by private companies is completely stopped? The real solution is to stop bribing in the name of donation to political party. Then we will be able to see how efficiently private sector works.

Public sector can compete with private sector when they increase their operational flexibilities for maintaining their liquidity and profitability and strict chaining of them indeed to be removed and autonomy granted to the required level. In spite of the stiff competition from giant Tele operators like gio airtel, Vodafone etc, BSNL the Central Government corporation still exists and it shows that even public sector could compete.

It is true that there is a vicious circle. Certain activities should be reserved for public sector and other activities should be reserved for private sector. There should be no overlap. If accountability is enforced, any public sector firm will give the private sector a run for its money.

Time for Public Sector was over by 1960s. Freedom struggle, nationalist spirit - all forgotten and given a burial once Gandhis took over the country and the Congress was reduced to a tool in the family's hands to implement the only agenda...keep them in power. Nepotism, lethargy, unionism, politicization, rampant corruption, low or no work ethics.... all these characterizes PSUs today. They are given birth to by politicians and bureaucrats.