News Kvartha

Ajay Padnekar (news.kvartha.com 24.09.2020) Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death is still a mystery but this incident enhanced the clarity of Bollywood's connection with the drug mafia. Rhea Chakraborty, who has been sent to 14-day judicial custody by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on 8 September, in connection to the Sushant Singh Rajput death, revealed the names of many prominent Bollywood stars with drug connection. More than 20 top celebrity's names cropped up during this investigation and now it has been hot cake for social media handlers. Confessions and revelations do not end here. Bollywood Queen" Kangana Ranaut made a statement that 90% of Bollywood take drugs and also demanded a drug test. Actor Shekhar Suman said that Bollywood's connection with drugs was a very serious problem for a long time. Vivek Agnihotri stated that drug mafias do exist in Bollywood. A video of an alleged drug party hosted by Karan Johar in 2019 was viral. A complaint ...

Ajay Padnekar (news.kvartha.com 18.09.2020) There is no official confirmation from the government on the second wave also claims that there is no sign that shows that we are at a peak. The number of new coronavirus cases is rising exponentially across the country. The average daily cases have reached nearly one lakh. Since March 2020, India has recorded over 5 million cases. The worst affected states, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Delhi, Andhrapradesh, Kerala, etc.. are facing a massive rise in the number of new cases reported daily. This makes everyone including some experts to doubt whether India witnessing the Second wave. What is Epidemic Wave? A wave by definition is, "A constant rise in the number of new cases of infected people to a peak and then to decline." The above data shows that the first wave has not subsided by the number of new cases. This graph also doesn't show the new cases are declining. It clearly says the number of cases is still rising rampantly. What Med...

Mrs. Jolly Johns, Irinjalakuda Do you think that I am kidding……? No...I will define .Then you could understand why and how this title apt for this message. A teacher, who was too attached to her students, thought of a plan to understand their ambitions.”All of you take a piece of paper and write down your ambition and name overleaf” said the teacher .As she collected one by one .She could see doctors, engineers, teacher as many professions noted down by her students. She too was curious to collect and have a look. By seeing these, she laughed, advised and commended in a manner, which couldn’t hurt the pupil. Writer Finally, she came to the last one, collected from him and noticed “TV/Mobile”!! She called the student and asked him, “Why do you write like this? You don’t have any other ambitions...”??? The boy started crying...…Saying “It’s true; If I were a Mobile /TV, my parents could keep looking at me or will hold me  for whole day .As now am their kid, I couldn’t get...

Mrs. Jolly Johns, Irinjalakuda The tourists, who reached india, were enjoying the natural beauty of ' Gods Own Country', Kerala. As they moved to a village, they noticed a temple which was under maintenance. One of the tourists was astonished by the sculptures and paintings in the temple.  He moved on with his camera, picking out each and every painting into pictures. Suddenly his eyes stuck on an architect who was forming his new statue. The architect was deeply immersed in his work. Moving towards him, tourist noticed, another statue as same as the other, lying down nearest to the architect. In his curiosity, tourist asked: Why are you forming the same statue...Do you need both of them...?? Writer Without facing towards the tourist, the architect replied; I made a mistake at the time of final touch. 'Hearing this, tourist eagerly started to find out the mistake. Finally he surrendered and asked:" I couldn't notice any kind of mistake. Can you trace...

Mrs. Jolly Johns, Irinjalakuda An old, well known and efficient carpenter, who decided to resign from his job, presented his wish to his boss, He wants to spent rest of his life with family members. The boss who loved him requested to be together for the last work of constructing a house, as the carpenter was sincere, efficient and honest too. !!1 As the request was made by the boss, the carpenter decided to be together. But was not able to concentrate in his work as though he decided to resign. He was not at all bothered about the quality of materials and even the perfection also. Somehow, he finished the construction and handed over the key. But the boss surprised him by returning the keys and asked him to receive this as a small gift for his sincerity !!!.... writer The carpenter was shocked and thought "if I were aware of it, I could have concentrated much more. " This is how we people do our duties. We are also building our lives....planning our future....but...

D o you know the government's main charge against Bradley Manning hinges on a case decided in the 1860s? Most people don't. And that's because the trial of Manning, the Army private who has admitted to giving 700,000 government documents to WikiLeaks, is shrouded in secrecy, despite being one of the most important cases involving whistleblower right s in the United States in forty years. The government has charged Manning under the Espionage Act and with "aiding the enemy", under article 104 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which if convicted, could change both whistleblower rights and the First Amendment rights of US military men and women forever. Regardless of one's opinion on Manning's act, it's important to point out he has already taken responsibility for leaking documents and will face a steep punishment. He has already pleaded guilty to ten charges, for which he will reportedly face twenty years in jail, no matter what happens ...

W hile opinions vary on the performance of the first Indian governments in different sectors, higher education is a sector where India’s first steps usually evoke a positive response across the board. One can clearly see the success of secular advanced education that has paid dividends in India in a strong contrast to the other countries of the Indian subcontinent where either higher education was not given enough emphasis or was not secular in its character. Do not get me wrong, higher education in India has clearly not been an all-sunshine story, as India is far from its true potential but what I am trying to emphasize is that it is not a complete failure as yet. You will get to see that ‘as yet’ is the operational word, as we are soon heading down the lane of Pakistan and Afghanistan, courtesy of the dirty politics of New Delhi. Even though initial seeds of education were sowed with a foresight of modern secular thinking, Indian academia has failed to truly blossom. We certai...

By  Arun Prakash  The near-simultaneous emergence of maritime terrorism and the revival of piracy have added a new dimension to the existing hazards that have traditionally confronted those who choose a seafaring life, and innocent fisherfolk have now been added to the list of victims. On the evening of July 16, an Indian fisherman was killed and three Emirati nationals injured when US Navy personnel on board USNS Rappahannock, a replenishment ship of the US 5th Fleet, opened fire on a small motor vessel near Jebel Ali port off Dubai. According to an official statement from the US Navy's Central Command, "An embarked security team aboard a US Navy vessel fired upon a small motor vessel after it disregarded warnings and rapidly approached the US ship." The statement adds, "... the Navy vessel followed its force protection protocol by first attempting to warn away the approaching craft with a series of non-lethal procedures using voice, radio, and lights. "Aft...

By Kul Bhushan  No matter where they live in the world, non-resident Indians, particularly the older generation, will cheer for Indian participants at the London Olympics. Even those born in their countries of residence will follow the medal tally of the Indian teams although they support the teams of their adopted country. "There are a lot of Indians in the US and the UK who will take keen interest in India's performance at the Olympics. There may be a lackluster interest from US or UK-born Indians because they have not been visiting the ancestral country and are not exposed much to India except from what they hear from their parents. I foresee a lot of interest from recent Indian arrivals in the US and the UK - a lot of educated young techies," said Shanti Shah from New Jersey. "Like most of my British compatriots, I will be supporting the UK team. We have now lived in the UK more than in Kenya and have little sentimental value for India," said Karam B...

By M.R. Narayan Swamy  For a political party bruised by corruption scandals, charges of poor governance and electoral defeats, Rahul Gandhi will have to be a miracle man to help restore the health of the Congress, India's oldest political party. Three years ago, the 42-year-old did have stature, largely due to the overall performance of the Congress in the Lok Sabha elections and its remarkable run in Uttar Pradesh. Instead of capitalizing on the goodwill he had earned then, the young Gandhi squandered it away, by repeatedly turning down suggestions that he play a bigger role in the Manmohan Singh government. Had he joined the government at the start of UPA-II, Gandhi would have had three years of administrative experience by now, a vital necessity for one seen as a possible prime minister of the world's second most populous country. Naturally, the announcement now by Gandhi that he was ready to play a proactive role in both the government and the Congress hasn't ...

By Anand Philar  Behind the veneer of "unity" and "team spirit" that was projected to the public, Indian hockey was almost torn apart by petty politics, groupism and ego clashes in the months leading to the 1968 Mexico Olympics where Indian hockey's slide well and truly began. Just four years after regaining the Olympic hockey gold medal, the squad was split vertically as two players, Prithipal Singh and Gurbux Singh openly fought for captaincy that put Indian hockey in poor light. Eventually, a "compromise" was struck and the two were named "joint captain". It was a recipe for disaster. Also, complacency had set in as India had won the Asian Games gold medal in 1966, triggering euphoria and a false sense of well-being. The fact that other international sides were fast catching up was glossed over as was the bickering within the team until the captaincy issue raised its ugly head. The team was provided some high-altitude training in the N...

By C Uday Bhaskar  The manner in which the Pakistan government dealt with an Air India plane en route from Abu Dhabi to Delhi that had to make an emergency landing on Monday in the small town of Nawabshehr in Sind province is to be welcomed but it would be misleading to infer that this marks a radical departure as regards the orientation of the 'deep-state' in Pakistan towards India. The larger context in which Islamabad (seat of the civilian dispensation) and Rawalpindi (GHQ of the military where actual power rests) have made certain security and foreign policy choices is better reflected in the regional events of early July. Two sets of differently troubled bilateral relationships, namely that between India and Pakistan on one hand and the US-Pakistan on the other, were reviewed over the last week - with results that may be described as "more of the same." On July 5, the foreign secretary-level talks between India and Pakistan ended inconclusively in Delhi again...

By Bhaskar Pant  Film: "Kyaa Super Kool Hain Hum"; Music Director: Sachin-Jigar, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Meet Bros Anjjan; Lyricist: Mayur Puri, Kumaar; Singers: Vishal Dadlani, Sonu Nigam, Sukhwinder Singh, Daler Mehndi, Riteish Deshmukh, Neeraj Shreedhar, Kailash Kher, Swaroop, Meet Bros Anjjan, Rating: *** In 2005, "Kyaa Kool Hai Hum" wrote a new chapter in the genre of comedy films and its much awaited sequel promises to tickle our funny bone once again. One gets a feel of it through the soundtrack of "Kyaa Super Kool Hain Hum" -- a peppy and funny album, totally in sync with the essence of the movie. The album starts off with "Dil garden garden ho gaya", which has Vishal Dadlani crooning in his high-pitched voice well supported by modern techno sounds. The track has a very youthful touch and is bound to be noticed. It also has a remixed version, which isn't radically different from the original track. Some electronic beats have been adde...

By Satyen K. Bordoloi  Film: "Supermen of Malegaon"; Cast: Sheikh Nasir, Akram Khan, Shafique and Farogh Jafri; Director: Faiza Ahmad Khan; Rating: 4.5/5 There is global cinema and national cinema. In a country like India, there's also regional cinema. What many don't know is that India is also home to what can be called - 'local cinema' where films are produced and consumed locally. "Supermen of Malegaon" is a hilarious, poignant and well-researched take on one of the dozens of local film industries existing in the country. It is a love poem to cinema, an ode to the spirit of human ingenuity, a passionate tale about making films and it's hilarious to boot. For most of the audience, this might be the funniest documentary ever made. A film crew follows Sheikh Nasir, a resident of Malegaon, as he tries to make a parody of Superman called "Malegaon Ka Superman" with actors, cast, technicians and props sourced from his town. We get a glim...

By Subhash K. Jha  Film: "Gangs Of Wasseypur"; Cast: Manoj Bajpayee, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Richa Chadha, Huma Quershi, Reema Sen, Piyush Mishra and others: Director: Anurag Kashyap; Rating:**** Bleeding brilliance in almost every frame, breathing fire through every available orifice that the characters possess, and whipping up a kind of frenzied, flamboyant bloodshed that was once associated with the Spaghetti Westerns of Sergio Leone and Sam Peckinpah, "Gangs Of Wasseypur" is, briefly, one huge gang-bang. No protection provided. From its bludgeoning opening when merciless marauders ambush a powerful enemy's fortress-like home with army-like meticulousness, "Gangs Of Wasseypur" takes us into a world where compassion is a dinosaur, forgiveness a faux pas, and kindness an unforgivable sin. Welcome to Kashyap's Wasseypur. This is no country for the weak-hearted. Country-made guns go off without warning, bombs are hurled from two-wheelers and abuses f...

By C. Uday Bhaskar A little noticed but major Indian policy initiative was unveiled in distant Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, last week. Indian Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed announced a new policy initiative for the Central Asian Region (CAR) appropriately packaged as 'Connect Central Asia'. He was inaugurating the first India-Central Asia Dialogue under the joint aegis of the Indian Council for World Affairs (ICWA) and the World Diplomatic Academy, Bishkek. Just as India's 'Look East Policy' formulated during Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao's tenure paved the way for a deeper engagement with Southeast Asia and East Asia with attendant strategic implications, it may be averred that the 'Connect Central Asia' policy has the potential to be a game-changer regarding Delhi's profile in the central heartland of Asia. This initiative is commendable and is illustrative of the manner in which India's foreign ministry and a dyna...

By Amulya Ganguli  Even as Pranab Mukherjee basks in the sunshine of an almost certain victory in the presidential election, there are inevitably a number of losers, such as P.A. Sangma, who banked on the perception of the Congress's political weakness and habitual dithering to fish in troubled waters. But, the biggest among them is Mamata Banerjee, who has undoubtedly made the most egregious mistake of her career. Coming on top of her other follies as chief minister - intolerance of dissent, inability to control her unruly cadres, lacking a game plan for the state's development - her latest bungle is bound to haunt her for a long time, especially because she tried to prevent a fellow Bengali from rising to the country's highest constitutional office. What is more, she tried to do so not because of any ideological kink, like the roadblock put up by the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)'s Prakash Karat and his supporters in the politbureau against Jyoti Basu b...

By Subhash K. Jha  Film: "Rowdy Rathore"; Cast: Akshay Kumar, Sonakshi Sinha, Yashpal Sharma; Director: Prabhu Deva; Rating: ***1/2 "Rowdy Rathore" races on the premise that heroes are made by circumstances, not design. That's how the street-smart Shiva ends up in a town run by garish goons, where homes, humans and hopes are burnt in effigies mocking human rights. It is an old-fashioned good-versus-evil comedy-action-drama with paisa-vasool written in every frame. Prabhu Deva, who earlier directed Salman Khan's cop-on-a-rampage saga "Wanted" puts Akshay on the same page. To his credit, Akshay manages to create his own world in that Salman-space. Never letting go of that twinkle in his eye, Akshay sinks his crooked teeth into the meaty double role with the warmth, affection and relish of a dinner guest who knows all the yummy dishes on the table have been cooked only for him. Akshay goes for the sumptuous meal with the hunger of a man who may not ...

By Satyen K. Bordoloi  Film: "Snow White And the Huntsman"; Cast: Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron; Director: Rupert Sanders; Rating: *** Fairytales have a unique ability. Depending on one's perspective, one can see them as either light or heavy, as funny or serious. So, while barely two months back you had "Mirror Mirror", now you have "Snow White And the Huntsman" - both different and unique renderings of the Snow White fairytale. While "Mirror Mirror" was a light, funny reading, this one's mood is dark and mysterious. After killing Snow White's (Kristen Stewart) father, Ravenna (Charlize Theron) becomes queen and imprisons Snow White in the castle. She preys on young women to maintain her own beauty. When she is told by her faithful mirror that the only one who can permanently give her youth or take it away forever is the pure and innocent Snow White, she sends for her. Snow White escapes into the dark woods and ...

By Amulya Ganguli  What is noteworthy about the cartoon row is that neither Jawaharlal Nehru nor B.R. Ambedkar found anything objectionable about it when it was published in 1949. Nor did all the politicians in the intervening decades, among whom were luminaries such as Vallabhbhai Patel, J.B. Kripalani, Ram Manohar Lohia, Indira Gandhi, Morarji Desai, Jagjivan Ram, A.K. Gopalan, Hiren Mukherjee and scores of others whose names are likely to last in textbooks longer than of some of their successors in the political field today. It may be worthwhile, therefore, to mull over the differences in response between an earlier generation of politicians and the latest ones, especially when, by common consent, the calibre of those who graced the hallowed chambers of Parliament House and of public life in the past was of a higher order than of those who came in their wake. There is little doubt that what places them on a higher pedestal in the eyes of their countrymen is their accomplishmen...