With almost every Indian wine brand opening up their properties for a 360-degree experience, Indians can experience how wine is made, consumed and celebrated.
Thanks to booming wine tourism in India, you don’t have to plan a fullfledged international tour everytime you need a wine-dedicated holiday. Wine tourism involves tasting, consumption or purchase of wine, visits to wineries and vineyards, organized wine tours, wine festivals and other special winerelated events. Although relatively new, it is gaining popularity by competing with other beverages and other tourism themes. Sula was awarded by The Drinks Business for ‘Best contribution to Wine and Spirits Tourism’. This award recognizes global wine and spirits companies' efforts to draw customers to a unique tourism experience. It goes without saying that Sula is the first Indian winery to be so recognized.
The experience of visiting vineyards is so enchanting that it will surely turn you into a wine lover, if you are not one yet. Check out these vineyards.
Situated in the Western Ghats, at an altitude of 600 metres above sea level, Nashik's soil is of volcanic origin, ranging from weathered basalt to red laterite to heavy clay. The heavier soils are closer to the Godavari river beds while the lighter crumbly weathered red soils are closer to the northern hilly part of the region. Vineyards in proximity to hills or rivers have markedly different microclimates- the best example being Dindori, which further reflect in the quality of the wine produced here. The cool nights of Nashik ensure high level of acid in the grapes, while warm days ensure optimum ripeness of the grapes, resulting in perfect growing conditions and terroirs for premium wine grapes.
This picturesque sub-district of Nashik features gentle hills of red laterite and basalt rock. Well-drained soils on the slopes give way to heavier, clay soils on the valley floors. Clean air, plenty of monsoon rain and a cool climate all contribute to Dindori's suitability for quality vineyards. Dindori is one of the best regions for the cultivation of red wine grapes since they require relatively lighter soils. This region is most known for producing Sula's premium red grapes like the Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Zinfandel, Malbec and Tempranillo.
Sham Chougule and his Indage companies are important for having been central to developing the current era of wine production in India. The first Indage vineyard was established in 1979 at Narayangaon in the Sahyadri valley with French varietals. In 1982 Champagne Indage was formed to produce sparkling wine for export, utilising technical assistance from Piper-Heidsieck. Their first wine – Omar Khayyam – was launched in 1986 to generally positive critical acclaim, and won several international awards in competition. By 1988 Indage was able to sell in the Indian domestic market and soon established a range of red and white table wines.
Step into the world of Four Seasons wines where we pride ourselves on being India’s finest, with luxury and sophistication distilled into each bottle. Taste the freshness of Spring, the seductiveness of Summer, the crispness of Fall, and the zest of Winter in our international award-winning wines. Made from carefully selected grapes from the lush valley of the Sahyadri in Maharashtra, every bottle of our Classics, Blended and Reserve wines are crafted with care and passion in the state of the art winery in Baramati. Modeled on a French château and surrounded by sprawling vineyards, the winery is the ideal setting for the art of winemaking. Join us in celebrating life. Taste Four Seasons, the perfect complement for all occasions.
Fratelli that translates to brothers, is a partnership run by seven men who came together to give India its own premium wine label. While the vineyards are spread across 240 acres of land with 12 varieties of grapes from Italy and France, the accommodation is restricted to just four guestrooms with a common living area as of now. Nonetheless, the hospitality is warm. After a hearty Indian lunch paired with a glass of Sangiovese Bianco, we set out to see the vineyard and learn a thing or two about winemaking. Motewadi Vineyard which is spread across 60 acres of land is right outside. The staff member accompanying us explained how Fratelli grows its grapes in a vertical shoot position where the shoots stay in a standing position with the grape bunches getting maximum sun exposure that is required for better quality.
The following is an excerpt from Insider/Outsider, an anthology of writings on the issue of belonging in Northeast India. This is part of an account on the Miyah experience in Assam, by Shalim M Hussain.
When I ran away from my boarding school in Barpeta Road in 1993, there were no telephones in my village. The village police outpost was sent a telegram instead. The distance between my village Sontoli and Barpeta Road is a little less than fifty kilometers and can ideally be covered in an hour and a half. However, the river Brahmaputra passes between Sontoli and Bahari the nearest bus stop and it takes a motor boat more than an hour to complete a one-way trip. Today autorickshaws and electric rickshaws ply between Sontoli bazaar and Sontoli ghat but two and a half decades ago one had to cycle or walk to the ghat and wait for one of the two ‘line’ boats or country motor boats to carry them to the other side. When the telegram with my missing report reached home one January evening in 1993, my father hired a motorboat and immediately left for Bahari. He had booked an entire motorboat only thrice in his life, once when he brought my mother home in 1986, then when my maternal grandfather passed away on 21st March 1991 (on the same day prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated) and in 1983, almost exactly ten years before I went missing, on a fact-finding mission after the Nellie massacre.
The day the telegram was sent, my friend Rose and I decided that we had had enough of boarding school. We were both a little over five years old and had been at school for only a month. His parents and my grandmother lived in Kalgachia, a village 27 kms south of Barpeta Road, and their families knew each other quite well. I don’t remember now who suggested the idea but we decided to run away one Saturday afternoon. The National Highway 27 connects Barpeta Road to Sorbhog. From Sorbhog a narrower, almost perennially potholed, road leads south to Kalgachia. I had very little knowledge of the roads then but my companion was street smart and said that he could easily lead me to my grandmother. We dressed in our ‘outing dress’- shorts, shirt and sweater vest, socks and black school shoes- and waited for the school gate to open. At around 12 in the afternoon which was time for our nap, the washerman came with the laundry. He usually bundled the clothes in a large bed sheet and pushed it to the school gate on a handcart. He then opened the gate, carried the bundle on his head and walked into the school building. It took him about an hour to sort out the clothes and this was our window of opportunity. Rose and I waited until the dhobi was in the hall and then casually walked out of the gate. We walked hand in hand through the market and from Simlaguri took the right turn. We were now on the National Highway and on our way to Sorbhog. I have very vague memories of what happened next but I remember a lot of rain and lightning. The first showers of the year were upon us and we were not properly clothed for a walk, much less a daring escape.
Rose was smart. He suggested that we walk slowly if there was a flash of lightning or if there were cars on the street. When the road was empty we could run. We stopped to let vehicles pass and because of the heavy downpour our clothes were wet and our shoes had started making squishy noises. The streets in Sorbhog didn’t have streetlights, so there were long stretches of dark nothingness when our imagination took over. I am not sure if it’s a fake memory but at one point I might have seen lightning hit a cow. I vaguely remember the cow jumping in the air and falling on its back and a large red spot forming on its belly. When I was back in school in 1994, someone noticed the white birth mark on my right arm and asked what had caused it. I told him that on a dark evening in February 1993 a lightning bolt had grazed my arm. That was also why I had straight stiff hair, I said. Anyway we got as far as Sorbhog, close to where the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya now stands. There we suddenly felt strong hands on our shoulders and turned around to see a man standing behind us.
Apparently he had been following us for some time and our lack of an older companion and our clothes, particularly our shoes, made him suspect that we were runaways. He held us firmly by the shoulders (at this point we were too tired to run any more) and asked where we were from and where we were going. We told him about our relatives in Kalgachia and then because we were so cold and scared, we gave him the name of our school. The gentleman, Mr. Sadananda Das put two and two together and took us home. He lit a fire in the cowshed and made us take off our wet clothes. His wife gave us blankets and served rice and boiled eggs while Mr. Das cracked jokes to make us feel more comfortable and hung our clothes on a string over the fire. We had walked almost 12 kilometers and it was almost eight at night. Our legs were swollen and we were running high temperature. At night when I woke up to pee, Mr. Das was awake. He remained awake all night so that we couldn’t attempt another escape. In the morning he took us to the police station. Already the telegram to my parents had been sent from the Barpeta Road police station and as we were walking to Mr. Das’s house from Sorbhog, we saw a car stop on the highway. My grandmother, great-aunt and aunt and Rose’s parents came running out of the doors. Our great escape was over.
I remember February 1993 with great fondness (though my memory of the actual events gets foggier every year) to remind myself that there is good in the world. The night Sadananda Das took Rose and me into his home, there was a small commotion in his locality. His prudent neighbours said that it would be better if we were taken to the police station immediately. Some of them said that it might not be a good idea to let two Miyah boys (our accented Assamese was a dead giveaway) stay in his house for the night. Communal tensions were on an all time high in India then. The fear and distrust caused by the Babri Masjid demolition and the Bombay riots had travelled to Assam too. The Assam Agitation had ended only eight years ago but the wounds still remained exposed. Besides, there was another practical fear. The neighbours were scared that if Rose and I took seriously ill at night or worse, Mr. Das would be in trouble. The good gentleman, however, stood his ground. He would take us to the police station in the morning after we had had dinner and a good night’s sleep, he said. Had Mr. Das not rescued us from the street, had he not shown us basic human decency, Rose and I would have had to walk the remaining 15 kilometers to Kalgachia. I don’t know if we would have survived the long walk.
My parents kept me home for a few months and then, after repeated requests, the school decided to take me back. Rose’s parents admitted him to a school in Kalgachia. We haven’t met since. In 1993 the fragile peace in Assam began to unravel. In October around 50 people were killed in ethnic violence between the Bodos and the Muslims in the nearby district of Bongaigaon. In July 1994 violence erupted between the Muslims and Bodos in Barpeta. Around 100 people were killed, including many Muslims who had been sheltering in a relief camp in Bansbari, just twelve kilometers north of Barpeta Road. As school children in the sheltered atmosphere of boarding school we didn’t get wind of the violence that was happening almost literally outside the school campus. Our minds were occupied with more quotidian concerns: the school was being moved out of its temporary premises to a new location close by. Every Sunday after mass at the colonial-era St Joseph’s Church we walked in line to the construction site of the new school building. We ran around the halfcompleted corridors, carried bricks and established a close friendship with Hazrat and Shabkhatun, two of the labourers. Since we were not allowed to go outside the school campus or interact with the people of Barpeta Road (except during the annual sports week or during festivals when we were chaperoned by the warden), the only Bengalorigin people I met during the early years of my schooling were these friendly labourers. Hazrat worked off and on as the school was slowly built storey by storey over the next five years but Shabkhatun became a permanent fixture. When she was not doing manual labour, she was appointed as a cleaner. My brother who joined me at school in 1995 developed a very familial relationship with Shabkhatun and she would share her lunch with him. It was very plain stuff, usually rice and mashed brinjals but it tasted like home he said.
It was during my final year in school that I understood the seriousness of the 1994 violence. Ten years had passed and many of the children who had memories of that turbulent year were, like me, appearing for the Classs 10th board exams. Some of them had lived ‘beyond the railway lines’. The railway tracks cut Barpeta Road into two parts- the town and the rural suburbs. On one side was our school and on the opposite side, hidden behind a thick row of betel nut trees was the great beyond. All we knew about the village beyond the railway tracks was that terrible things had happened there. During my final years at school I had started quizzing and it was for a Quiz competition that I crossed the railway lines and realized for the first time that civilization didn’t end at the railway station. After this initial visit I kept visiting the village, especially because my best friend in school lived there in the staff quarters of the Gram Sabha. In August and September 2017 I was travelling in Barpeta Road after a gap of almost a decade. I was meeting poets from the Bengal-origin Muslim community who had decided to call themselves ‘Miyah Poets’ and were writing remarkable poems on their lived experiences of poverty, exclusion and disillusionment. These were intensely political poems, guided by a deep feeling of angst and desire for self-expression. One of the first poets I met and interviewed was Abdur Rahim, a young school teacher who lived beyond the railway lines.
Rahim asked me to meet him at a printing press his friend and fellow Miyah poet Shahjahan ran in Barpeta Road. I wanted to get their poems on tape, so we travelled to his house deep in the village. The monsoon was receding but the earth was still soggy. The road that led to Rahim’s hamlet was unmetalled and it was a little difficult for Rahim to guide his motorcycle through the mud. The house was built on a raised plinth, almost one and a half meters high and looked new. There, seated on his front yard Rahim told me of October 1994. He was six years old when many houses in his village, including his, were set on fire. All the members of his family abandoned the burning house and took shelter in the tall grass. They couldn’t salvage much, except some valuables and their ‘documents’. These documents- land revenue receipts, identity cards and land deeds were the only proof that they were genuine citizens of India and like all Bengal-origin Muslims who live under the constant ignominy of being called illegal migrants in their own country, they valued these strips of paper as much as their lives. They remained hidden in the grass without food and water while their world burnt around them and it was only after the violence had subsided that they returned home and started work on rebuilding their homes and futures. When crowds of arsonists walked by the tall grass, Rahim’s parents stuffed his mouth with a gamcha to stop him from crying. At one point Rahim’s father went to their neighbours begging for food. Most of the neighbours, Bodos, were scared of taking them in but one family offered them a plate of soaked leftover rice.
Rahim said that it was necessary to talk about witnessing mob violence at such a young age and growing up with a constant feeling of dread and uncertainty, even if only through the medium of poetry. Rahim writes his poems almost exclusively in Assamese, though a few of his Miyah poems are written in the dialect he speaks at home.
“To globalize for the sake of globalizing-as a matter of ego-is perilous. Expanding internationally is hard, risky work. Globalization is not just about putting up a plant. It's not about making an acquisition. It's much, much more.” It is not easy being the fourth generation head of the storied $44.3 billion Aditya Birla Group. Yes we are talking about commodities king Kumar Mangalam Birla. An Indian billionaire industrialist, and the chairman of the Aditya Birla Group, one of the largest conglomerates in India, he chairs the Boards of all of the Group’s major companies in India and globally.
The key to success is not destiny and coincidence but a wellrounded strategy, managerial excellence and most importantly, clear and precise thoughts. These traits helped Kumar Mangalam Birla, expand the business in just about fifteen years to one of India’s game-changing and most profitable brands. That is why we this industry giant on our cover, this issue.
As India embarks on the journey to be a USD 5 trillion economy by 2024 we need to think through how we drive the double-digit growth that this will require. It is not just about the growth rate, but also the quality of the growth that will be important. And this economic agenda will be the biggest challenge for Modi 2.0. The business models that India needs must promote employment, reduce waste and encourage recycling waste. Though India has successfully launched the Chandrayaan-2 mission recently, hopefully Modi 2.0 will bring in a breeze of freshness with his ethical leadership and provide a platform for crucial perspectives and ideas. We will read this in the Platform section.
In Environment, we discuss a growing concern. A heat wave that shattered records in Europe recently could melt billions of tons of ice in Greenland. The heat waves were particularly impactful because they arrived after mild, dry winter and spring seasons that primed the ice sheet for melt. That's bad news for all of us and a warning sign for the planet.
This autumn, let's travel to Japan where modern life is fused with ancient traditions. Incredibly easy to get around in Japan you can just stand and admire its immaculate, efficient public transport. In the recent Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report ranked Japan 4th out of 141 countries overall, which was the highest in Asia.
When we talk of blood and sweat, MBD group is easily the story of unending grit and passion. For, after all, beginning from a small book depot and becoming a name to reckon with, in the field of hospitality can’t have been a cakewalk. Today the MBD Group is one of the leading education companies in India with over six decades of experience. What fuelled its success was a dream that had no boundaries. Under the futuristic vision of the founder of the Group, Shri Ashok Kumar Malhotra, MBD has diversified into various industries, including e-Learning, m-Learning, hospitality, real estate, mall development and management, CT infrastructure, skill development, stationery, and magazine and paper manufacturing. MBD Group celebrated its 9th Founder’s Day with full vigor. Every year, The Founder’s Day celebration has a theme associated to it and this year’s theme was “Touching Lives” as Shri Ashok Kumar Malhotra always believed in people-centric growth and upliftment of the less privileged.
We hope you will enjoy reading this edition and find it interesting and insightful. We look forward to your continued support.
Jai Hind!
The Parliament of India has passed laws which break up the state of Jammu & Kashmir into two Union Territories (UTs) and removed two laws that gave special rights to the state and its permanent residents.
The state of J&K has also been reorganized into two UTs of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. As UTs, the two regions will be directly overseen by Modi’s government in Delhi. While the UT of J&K will have an assembly of elected members, Ladakh will be run by an official selected by Modi.
The government’s surprising move comes after days of panic in the Kashmir valley-a religious pilgrimage called the Amarnath Yatra was cancelled, tourists were flown out of the state and massive numbers of soldiers of the Indian Army brought in. More disturbingly, on Sunday night, leaders of political parties in Kashmir were placed under house arrest, which means they cannot move out of the homes and are under guard all the time. Some have since been moved to a government guest house.
Article 370 gave Jammu & Kashmir state its own constitution and decision-making rights for all matters other than defence, communications and foreign affairs.Article 370 also made it necessary for the central government to get the state’s approval for introducing new rules/laws in the state.
It was under this condition that the state, then ruled by Maharaja Hari Singh, became a part of India in 1947. Since then J&K has enjoyed much more independence than other states.
Story since then
Since the 1980s, Kashmir has been a troubled region. Some of its people, who never felt comfortable with being part of India, started demanding full independence. They were supported by Pakistan which has been eyeing Kashmir for itself. As a result, for over 30 years, Kashmir’s beautiful countryside has been scarred by fights and battles and even a war-the Kargil conflict of 1999 fought by India and Pakistan.
The reaction
Kashmir’s leaders are furious over the government’s move. Omar Abdullah, a former Chief Minister of the state, said that the government's decisions on Jammu and Kashmir are "a total betrayal of the trust" of the people of the state. Mehbooba Mufti, who was the CM until recently, warned of terrible consequences for India following this decision. On the other hand, the government says that it will be able to implement all its welfare and developmental schemes in the state.
The people of Ladakh celebrated the news. Until now Ladakh was a part of J&K state. For some years, the people of Ladakh have been demanding greater independence from the J&K government. Srinagar has been accused of ignoring the development of the Ladakh region. Now, under the new structure, Ladakh will be run as a UT directly controlled by the central government in Delhi. It will not have any elected representatives.
The people of Ladakh hope that with Article 370 and its restrictions being lifted, it will help the tourism industry which is a big source of revenue for the people of Ladakh. They also expect that New Delhi will give the Himalayan region more attention and build new facilities such as roads, hospitals, schools in Ladakh.
Western India has been pounded with heavy rain this past week but the scenes in Baroda were the most unusual and scary. Flood waters that have taken over the streets have brought with them a bunch of crocodiles that have frightened the city’s citizens and canines. Flood waters have swollen the Vishamitri river that flows through the city. The river is home to crocodiles and over 260 of them were counted a few years ago. When the river rose due to heavy rain, the crocodiles found their way into the streets which resembled canals after the downpour. Videos of them swimming through streets and attacking a stray dog have been shared on the internet. The government is trying to rescue the crocs but the best bet may be prayers for the water to drain out.
The Kaziranga National Park in Assam was covered with flood water last week as rains brought the waters of the mighty Brahamaputra into the sanctuary. At its peak, the flood swamped 90% of Kaziranga’s area, forcing animals to move to higher and safer ground.
But floods are important to Kaziranga. Environment writer Ananda Banerjee writing in ‘The Print’ points out, “Floods are usually associated with loss of life and business, yet they are also part of a natural process that creates fertile lands for agriculture, replenishes wetlands and riverine grassland ecosystem. Floodwaters of the river Brahmaputra are key to the ecology of Kaziranga. Annual flooding revitalises the famed grasslands, which shelter keystone species such as rhinos, tigers and elephants.”
The real problem is the difficulty that animals face in getting to higher ground. Usually Kaziranga’s wildlife moves from the grasslands of the sanctuary to the nearby Karbi-Anglong hills. But their passage is obstructed by national highway 37 which is seeing more and more traffic and is being widened as well to permit more vehicles to travel. Hotels along the road and illegal mines in the hills aren’t helping either.
The issue, say experts, is that the government has been slow to create safe passages for the annual migration of wild animals during the floods. Kaziranga’s wildlife can deal with the floods. It is the humans that they have issues with.
It’s the toughest event in the game with four world class players capable of moving the shuttle at supersonic speed on a court that seems to be on fastforward mode all the time. So, it was indeed special when the Indian pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty defeated the Chinese pair of Li Jun Hui and Liu Yu Chen to lift the doubles trophy of the Thailand Open Super 500 tournament recently in Bangkok. What made it more special was that the Chinese pair are the reigning world champions. It was also the biggest win so far for the Indian players, who are first from the country to win a Super 500 doubles title. Super 500s are highly ranked international badminton tournaments organized by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) in which top ranked players compete. Satwiksairaj and Chirag took the Chinese world champions by surprise with their approach and won the final 21-19, 18-21, 21-18 in an hour and two minutes. The 16th-ranked Indian men's doubles pair had beaten former world champions Ko Sung Hyun and Shin Baek Cheol in the semi-final on Saturday.With the win, Satwiksairaj and Chirag will enter the top 10 of BWF men's doubles rankings for the first time in their careers.
The southern city of Chennai is facing a water crisis so bad that a ‘water train’ now brings 2.5 million litres of the precious liquid all the way from Jolarpet, 215 kilometres away every single day.
It is quite a long journey for the water. Cauvery river water is pumped from Mettur Dam through a pipeline to Jolarpet which is around 150 kilometres away. At Jolarpet, the water is pumped into the tanks on the train, a process which takes four hours. Then it’s a four journey to Chennai where it is pumped to the local water works. It takes 12 hours for the water to travel from Jolarpet to Chennai, plus the additional time taken to transport the water by pipeline from Mettur.
That is a fairly long process to bring water to Chennai but the city needs it. Poor rains over the past few years have seen the city’s own water sources dry up. Buildings have come up over wetlands and lakes, which means that what little rain that falls runs off as waste water instead of collecting in lakes or as ground water for future use.
The water trains are bringing 10 million litres of water each day to Chennai but that is a small part of what the city needs. Until the north-east monsoon, which starts in October, brings rain to the city, and fills up its water reservoirs (large tanks for storing water), Chennai may have to keep those trains running.
Over the past few weeks, thousands of Hong Kong residents have taken to the streets to protest a law that would allow those accused of crimes to be sent to China for judgment and punishment. Hong Kongers see this law as one that curtails (cuts) their freedom. Thanks to the massive protests, the law has now been dropped. Hong Kong was a British colony until 1997 when it was returned to the Chinese. However as part of the transfer deal, HongKongers enjoy special freedoms including the right to free speech. The live a life quite different from China where no one dares speak up against the all-powerful government. Given the difference in personal freedom available in Hong Kong and China, one can understand why the Hong Kongers don’t believe in the Chinese legal system.
The move by the Hong Kong government, (which is controlled by Beijing) to bring in the law brought many citizens of Hong Kong out into the streets to protest and defend their freedom. At least for now their voice has been heard and the law has been dropped.
The first budget presented by the Narendra Modi government after it was re-elected this summer, promises to build new roads and railway lines as well as deliver new jobs for the millions of young Indians who are unemployed. Money to do all this will come from taxes on oil, selling companies owned by the government, and bigger taxes to be paid by rich people.
The budget was presented by Nirmala Sitharaman, India’s first full time female finance minister. In addition to improving the country’s infrastructure (a broad word that covers road, rail and phone networks), the budget also promised to spend more money on improving the life of the less wealthy. Farmers will get direct payments of `6000 a year from the government. Targeting 2022, India's 75th year of independence, Sitharaman announced that all houses would have electricity and cooking gas. She also said that all rural households would have clean water supply by 2024.
Doing all this is going to cost a great deal of money. That is why petrol and diesel will cost `2 more per litre. And that is why people earning over `2 crore a year will pay 3% per cent more tax overall. More taxes on certain goods also means that things like gold and split air conditioners are going to cost more. On the other hand, mobile phone chargers and set-top boxes could get cheaper.
Delhi’s longest serving Chief Minister, Sheila Dixit died last Sunday due to an illness. She was CM of Delhi for three terms continuously between 1998 and 2013 and belonged to the Indian National Congress political party. As CM, Dixit helped expand the metro, build new roads and flyovers, as well as create a transport network based on the more environmentally friendly CNG fuel. She also organized the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, although the poor management of the event got her more criticism than praise.
In what was the closest ever finish in a World Cup final, England won the World Cup but questions remain over the nature of the victory. England may have lifted the Cup but the fans were rooting for the New Zealand team that was graceful in defeat, shocking as it was.
The match ended in a tie but that was because umpire Kumar Dharmsena wrongly allowed six runs to be awarded to England during a freak overthrow during which the fielder’s ball bounced off the gloves of English batsman Joe Root and reached the boundary. The umpire awarded four runs plus the two runs that the batsmen at the crease had run. He later admitted it should have been four plus one as the second run between the wickets had not been completed when the overthrow ball was thrown. Cricket rules state that batsmen are awarded one run extra only if they have crossed when the fielder releases the ball. English batsmen Ben Stokes and Adil Rashid had not crossed when New Zealand’s Martin Guptill threw the ball and hence should have only been awarded five runs, including four overthrows.
This happened in the last over. By the time the final over was completed, the teams were tied at 241. A Super Over was played which again ended in a tie and the match was finally awarded to England because they had scored more boundaries.
Grace in the face of defeat
It was New Zealand’s match to win but after the shock defeat the Kiwis showed the stuff they were made of. No anger, no blaming of the umpire, just acceptance of what happened in the true spirit of sportsmanship. Bravo Kiwis!
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has shared the first photos taken by the Chandrayaan II spacecraft that is on its way to the Moon. These were taken using the craft’s on-board camera.
Since it was launched on July 22, Chandrayaan II has been in orbit around Earth. Its orbit height (the height at which it is circling Earth) has been raised five times. 15 such orbit raising manoeuvres will be performed by ISRO to bring the space craft close to the Moon. Moon landing is scheduled for September 7.
India now has 2987 tigers in the wild, the government’s latest tiger population count released last week, says. More than half of them live in Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. The population has jumped by 33% from 2226 tigers counted in 2014. The exercise was carried out by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NCTA). Madhya Pradesh showed the highest increase of 218 tigers, reaching an estimated 526, followed by Karnataka with 524.The two states have the highest population of the predator. The numbers have also increased in Uttarakhand (442), Maharashtra (312) and Tamil Nadu (264).
Survival of the tiger globally depends on India. That is because India contains 80% of the world’s tigers. Fortunately, the population has been growing for more than ten years now, giving us a reason to celebrate.
The not so good news
However not all the news is good. The count has dropped sharply from 46 to 19 in Chhattisgarh while in Odisha, it stands at just 28. No tigers were found in Buxa (West Bengal), Dampa (Mizoram) and Palamau (Jharkhand), reserves that had very low numbers in earlier assessments. In another piece of bad news, tigers in the north-east have overall reduced by half.
Problems of poaching remain and this is one of the biggest causes of tiger deaths. “We have 50 tiger reserves. Not all are doing well. We admit that poaching is a concern. There is a lack of protection and management measures in some areas," Anup Kumar Naik, NTCA chief told journalists. Plus, as cities, towns and villages expand and forests shrink, humans and tigers come up against each other and the result is not very good sometimes for the animal.
Counting it right
Tiger populations may be on the rise, but experts have questioned the way in which the big cat was counted. India uses a dual method which involves both surveys of the habitat (how big the forest is, the amount of prey available etc.) as well as camera trap images (photos of tigers taken by cameras installed within a forest) to work out tiger population for a reserve. Experts say that the count may be over-estimating the population, meaning that there actually may be fewer tigers.
The other issue is that new count fails to mention how many of the big cats are living outside protected areas and tiger reserves. In 2014, one-fourth of India’s tigers lived outside reserves. This data is crucial to understand if tigers are still able to move in areas between reserves through linking forests. The health of these links is important to preserve tiger numbers in the future.
KUMAR MANGALAM BIRLA IS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE ADITYA BIRLA GROUP, ONE OF THE LARGEST CONGLOMERATES IN INDIA. HE CHAIRS THE BOARDS OF ALL OF THE GROUP’S MAJOR COMPANIES IN INDIA AND GLOBALLY.
A Commerce Graduate from the University of Mumbai, Mr. Birla is a Chartered Accountant who earned an MBA from the London Business School.
He chairs the Boards of all of the Group’s major companies in India and globally. Among its clutch of companies globally feature Novelis, Columbian Chemicals, Aditya Birla Minerals, Aditya Birla Chemicals, Thai Carbon Black, Alexandria Carbon Black, Domsjö Fabriker and Terrace Bay Pulp Mill. In India, he chairs the Boards of Hindalco, Grasim, UltraTech, Idea and Aditya Birla Capital Limited.
The Group’s businesses are spread across a swath of industries. These include aluminium, copper, cement, textiles, carbon black, insulators, natural resources, solar power, agribusiness, telecommunications, financial services, retail and trading.
Business record
Mr. Birla took over as Chairman of the Group in 1995, at the age of 28, after the untimely demise of his father. As Chairman, Mr. Birla has taken the Aditya Birla Group to an altogether higher growth trajectory. In the 22 years that he has been at the helm of the Group, he has accelerated growth, built a meritocracy and enhanced stakeholder value.
Mr Birla has raised the Group’s turnover from US$ 2 billion in 1995, to US$ 48.3 billion in the recent time. He has restructured the businesses to emerge as a global/national leader in the sectors in which the Group operates. He has made 36 acquisitions in 20 years in India and globally, the highest by an Indian multinational in India.
Over the years Mr. Birla has acquired manufacturing plants in Canada, China, Indonesia and mines in Australia, set up new plants in Egypt, Thailand and China. Alongside, he has also expanded capacities in all of the Group’s manufacturing units.
In India as well, he has made major acquisitions, among which feature Jaypee Cement plants, Binani Cement, Cement division of Larsen & Toubro, Indal from Alcan, Madura Garments from Coats Viyella, the Chlor Alkali division of Kanoria Chemicals and Solaris Chemtech Industries.
The most recent merger of Vodafone and Idea engineered by Mr. Birla has created the largest telecom operator in India and the world’s second largest player.
Under his stewardship, the Aditya Birla Group enjoys a position of leadership in all the major sectors in which it operates. He has also built a highly successful meritocratic organization, anchored by an extraordinary force of 120,000 employees belonging to 42 different nationalities. The Group won the coveted recognition of ‘The Best Employers to work for in India’ by AON – Hewitt in 2018.
In key responsible positions on various regulatory bodies
Mr. Birla holds several key positions on various regulatory and professional Boards. He was a Director on the Central Board of Directors of the Reserve Bank of India. He was Chairman of the Advisory Committee constituted by the Ministry of Company Affairs and also served on The Prime Minister of India’s Advisory Council on Trade and Industry.
As the Chairman of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Committee on Corporate Governance, he authored the First Report on Corporate Governance titled ‘‘Report of the Kumar Mangalam Birla Committee on Corporate Governance’’. Its recommendations were path breaking and became the basis of corporate governance norms. Furthermore, as the Convener of the Prime Minister’s Task Force on Administrative and Legal Simplifications, the extensive recommendations made by him in his report, have been implemented in totality. Mr. Birla also served as Chairman of SEBI’s committee on Insider Trading, which formulated Corporate Governance principles for Indian corporates.
He is on the National Council of the Confederation of Indian Industry and the Apex Advisory Council of the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India.
On the Board of Educational Institutions
Mr. Birla is deeply engaged with Educational Institutions. He is the Chancellor, of the renowned Birla Institute of Technology & Science (BITS), with campuses in Pilani, Goa, Hyderabad and Dubai.
Mr. Birla is the Chairman of IIM, Ahmedabad.
He is a Director of the G. D. Birla Medical Research & Education Foundation.
He serves on the London Business School’s Asia Pacific Advisory Board and is a Honorary Fellow of the London Business School.
Mr. Birla is the Chairman of Rhodes India Scholarship Committee.
Beyond business: Reaching out to the marginalized sections of society
A firm practitioner of the trusteeship concept, Mr. Birla has institutionalized the concept of caring and giving at the Aditya Birla Group. With his mandate, the Group is involved in meaningful welfare driven activities that distinctively impact the quality of life of the weaker sections of society, surrounding hundreds of villages that are among the poorest in India, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines and Egypt.
Under Mr. Birla’s stewardship, the Group’s CSR investment is around Rs.250 crore.
In India, the Group is engaged in 5,000 villages, reaching out to 7.5 million people annually and making a difference to their lives through meticulously conceived projects focusing on health care, education, sustainable livelihood, infrastructure and social causes. For instance, the Group runs 56 schools which provide quality education to 45,000 children. Of these, over 18,000 children are from underprivileged communities. Additionally, over a 100,000 youngsters benefit from bridge educational programmes and vocational training. Its 22 hospitals tend to more than a million villagers. In line with its commitment to sustainable development, has partnered with the Columbia University in establishing the Columbia Global Centre’s Earth Institute in Mumbai. To embed CSR as a way of life in organizations, has set up the FICCI – Aditya Birla CSR Centre for Excellence, in Delhi.
Born in a reputed Marwari family, his father Aditya Vikram Birla was a well-known entrepreneur and his mother Rajashri Birla was a philanthropist. He has spent most of his childhood in Kolkata and Mumbai, his wife Neerja Birla supported him in pursuing his MBA abroad, after their marriage. Ms Neerja has been supervising the Aditya Birla World Academy, a schoool in Mumbai. At the age of 28, he took over the Aditya Birla Group after his father's demise and proved himself as a successful businessman in the later years. He changed business strategies, professionalised the entire working system and thus accelerated the growth of the organisation over the years. He has also been involved in welfare activities to transform the lives of the weaker sections of the society across the world.
Kumar Mangalam Birla was also conferred the Priyadarshini Academy Award to honour his remarkable contributions towards student welfare. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath recently announced that Kumar Mangalam Birla has agreed to build 100 high-tech gaushalas in the state from the group’s CSR fund in the next 18 months. The CM made the announcement after a meeting with the industrialist in Mumbai, where he had gone to attract investments.
Mr. Birla has won recognition for his exemplary contribution to leadership processes and institution/systems building. A selective list:
Amity University, Haryana – ‘Doctor of Philosophy (D.Phil.) Honoris Causa’, 2019
CNBC-TV18 – IBLA ‘Outstanding Businessman of the Year 2017’
Frost & Sullivan’s ‘The GIL Visionary Leadership Award’ (Global Innovation Leader) 2017
International Advertising Association’s (IAA) ‘CEO of the Year Award 2016’
Inducted as an Honorary Member – Rotary Club of Mumbai (November 2014)
Hello Hall of Fame – Business Leader of the Year 2014 (November 2014)
US India Business Council (USIBC) ‘2014 Global Leadership Award’
‘Business Leader of the Year’, the Economic Times Awards for Corporate Excellence, 2012-13
‘Ranked the 4th Most Powerful CEO (2013)’ in the Economic Times’ Corporate India’s Definitive Power listing of 100 CEOs
Indore Management Association’s Award ‘National Indian Business Icon’, 2013
Forbes India Leadership Award – Flagship Award ‘Entrepreneur of the Year, 2012’
NDTV Profit Business Leadership Awards 2012 – ‘Most Inspiring Leader’
The Degree of Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) in recognition of his role in ‘Pioneering great engineering products involving multi-disciplinary engineering thought processes in the country’ by the Visvesvaraya Technological University, Karnataka, 2012
NASSCOM’s ‘Global Business Leader Award’ 2012.
CNBC-TV18 India Business Leader Award 2012 for ‘Taking India Abroad’
‘GQ Business Leader of the Year Award - 2011’ from Condé Nast India Pvt. Ltd., an affiliate of Condé Nast Global
‘CNN-IBN Indian of the Year 2010 – Business’, ‘for being the most outstanding business person and making a success out of most businesses including the sunrise sector’, 2010
The All India Management Association’s (AIMA), Managing India Awards 2010 ‘Business Leader of the Year’, 2010
The AIMA – ‘RD Tata Corporate Leadership Award’, 2008
The Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science (Honoris causa) in ‘’recognition of his invaluable contribution in the field of business administration’’ by the G. D. Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, 2008
‘For the development of technology and also for the involvement in the field of Industries in bringing the country at par with other countries in the field of Industries’, the SRM University in Tamil Nadu conferred the Degree of Doctor of Literature, 2008
The Asia Pacific Global HR Excellence – ‘Exemplary Leader’ Award, 2007
‘The Global Indian Leader of the Year’ by NDTV Profit in their Business Leader Awards category, 2007
The Lakshmipat Singhania – IIM, Lucknow ‘National Leadership Award, Business Leader’, 2006
Represented India at the Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur Award in Monte Carlo, Monaco in June 2006, where he was inducted as a ‘Member of the Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur of the Year Academy’
‘The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year’ Award, 2005
‘Young Super Performer in the CEO Category’ by Business Today, 2005
Chosen by the World Economic Forum (Davos) as one of the ‘Young Global Leaders’, 2004
‘The D. Litt (honoris Causa) Degree’ by The Banaras Hindu University, 2004
‘Honorary Fellowship’ by the All India Management Association, 2004
‘The Business Leader of the Year’, The Economic Times Awards for Corporate Excellence 2002-2003
‘Business Man of the Year-2003’ by Business India
The Rajiv Gandhi Award for ‘Business Excellence and his contribution to the country’ by the Mumbai Pradesh Youth Congress, 2001
HE HAS RAISED THE GROUP’S TURNOVER FROM US$ 2 BILLION IN 1995, TO US$ 48.3 BILLION TODAY. MR. BIRLA HAS RESTRUCTURED THE BUSINESSES TO EMERGE AS A GLOBAL/NATIONAL LEADER IN THE SECTORS IN WHICH THE GROUP OPERATES. HE HAS MADE 36 ACQUISITIONS IN 20 YEARS IN INDIA AND GLOBALLY, THE HIGHEST BY AN INDIAN MULTINATIONAL IN INDIA.
MR. BIRLA IS DEEPLY ENGAGED WITH EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS. HE IS THE CHANCELLOR, OF THE RENOWNED BIRLA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY & SCIENCE (BITS), WITH CAMPUSES IN PILANI, GOA, HYDERABAD AND DUBAI.
As India embarks on the journey to be a USD 5 trillion economy by 2024 (from USD 2.8 trillion in 2018), we need to think through how we drive the double-digit growth that this will require. It is not just about the growth rate, but also the quality of the growth that will be important. Let us examine a few basic issues:
As part of the economic policy, the focus must be on identifying the problems we intend to solve. While the West is focused on solving problems for convenience/cost, given their small population base, India needs to focus on creating employment and managing scarce resources such as land, water and energy needs. Primarily the focus must be on employment generation and creating a large manufacturing base.
In the West the “use and throw” business models for most goods, such as plastics, furniture, clothing, packaging material works because of low population densities and because the developed countries have an ecosystem in place for collection and reuse of the thrown away products. In India, we moved from recyclable bags (jute, cloth, paper) to plastics w/o the ecosystem to collect and reprocess the plastics. Many of these “use & throw” products we are adopting fast due to discounted pricing by players funded well (and hence selling below cost) are creating ecosystems that are generating waste which is harmful, both to the society and to the environment.
The business models that India needs must promote employment, reduce waste and encourage recycling waste/products. India has the 2nd largest population in the working age (15-64 years) in the world and will soon overtake China to have the largest working population in the next 10 years. 25 million Indians every year are getting to working age and we will need at least 15 million new jobs every year to accommodate this number (after moving the voluntary non-participants which is about 40% of the population).
The Indian start-ups ecosystem is generally inspired by the developed world where such start ups have created huge valuations. We need to consider whether the problems the start ups in India are trying to solve pertain to the burning issues that India is facing. For example, Uber/Ola, no doubt have eased travel, especially in cities where our taxi/auto systems were not efficient. However, the real need for Indian cities is the investment in large scale and efficient public transport like the metro rails.
The West is focussed on automation because of high manpower costs. In India, manpower costs are comparatively lower and the unemployment rate is very high. Hence, automation does not have the same salience in India as it does in the West and India must hence look into “people based services” which can be very economical. For example, the local ‘kirana’ did household delivery w/o charge well before the e-Grocers came! As the Indian economy gets increasingly digitalised, the focus of the same needs to be on improving productivity and efficiency, and not necessary to replace humans from the workforce. No large economy, especially with a large population, can grow without a large industrial/manufacturing sector. For example, in China, industry contributes to 40% of the nations GDP. In India, industries contribution to GDP is below 30%. In the developed world, US, Germany and Japan continue to lead as they still have a very large share of manufacturing unlike France/UK/Italy that systematically moved to services and slowly killed their manufacturing base. India thus needs to increase its manufacturing base.
We need business models that inherently lead to higher employment, to ensure equitable distribution of wealth in the long run. It is in this context that the debate for self-driven cars vs. human-driven cars must be viewed. We need policies and interventions that are suited for the needs of the Indian people. The challenges are indeed immense, but only if we look at the situation in its totality, will we be able to move in the right direction. This is not to decry automation or advancements in technology which too is essential and must move alongside in certain specified spheres. But we must not lose sight of what sort of society we wish to be. Some aspects which need consideration are:
• How do we make handicrafts competitive versus industrialised plastics/synthetics?
• How do we systematically encourage businesses and models that create more jobs even as we push for productivity within those jobs?
• Do we import business models (as start-up ideas) that solve for problems of the West and that are valued highly in West, or do we encourage business models that solve for the problems we face, solve them in a manner that plays to our strengths and see how some of these can be exported to the West (as with our scale we can make them economical)? As an example, for health, is yoga & herbal ingredient based industry more economical and efficient to create than the Western high-end gyms & Pharma industry based industry? Or is a recyclable clothing/furniture industry better than the “use and throw” western model? Or, for interaction/engagement (receptionists, hotel staff, etc), is a human based model more suited for India or “Alexa/Siri” based digital model?
Ultimately, for the Indian condition, we need Indian solutions. Let us look at what we need, rather than ape the West in our search for solutions.
AS PART OF THE ECONOMIC POLICY, THE FOCUS MUST BE ON IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEMS WE INTEND TO SOLVE. WHILE THE WEST IS FOCUSED ON SOLVING PROBLEMS FOR CONVENIENCE/ COST, GIVEN THEIR SMALL POPULATION BASE, INDIA NEEDS TO FOCUS ON CREATING EMPLOYMENT AND MANAGING SCARCE RESOURCES SUCH AS LAND, WATER AND ENERGY NEEDS.
THE WEST IS FOCUSSED ON AUTOMATION BECAUSE OF HIGH MANPOWER COSTS. IN INDIA, MANPOWER COSTS ARE COMPARATIVELY LOWER AND THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IS VERY HIGH. HENCE, AUTOMATION DOES NOT HAVE THE SAME SALIENCE IN INDIA AS IT DOES IN THE WEST AND INDIA MUST HENCE LOOK INTO “PEOPLE BASED SERVICES” WHICH CAN BE VERY ECONOMICAL.
INDIA IS ON ITS WAY TO THE MOON AGAIN — THIS TIME, TO THE LUNAR SURFACE
India’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle GSLV MkIII-M1, successfully launched the 3840 kg Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft into an earth orbit on July 22, 2019. The spacecraft is now revolving round the earth with a perigee of 169.7 km and an apogee of 45,475 km. Today’s flight marks the first operational flight of the GSLV Mk III.
After a smooth countdown lasting 20 hours, GSLV MkIII-M1 vehicle majestically lifted off from the Second Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR (SDSC SHAR), Sriharikota at the scheduled launch time of 1443Hrs (2:43 pm) Indian Standard Time (IST) with the ignition of its two S200 solid strap-on motors. All the subsequent flight events occurred as scheduled.
About 16 minutes 14 seconds after lift off, the vehicle injected Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft into an elliptical earth orbit. Immediately after spacecraft separation from the vehicle, the solar array of the spacecraft automatically got deployed and ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC), Bengaluru successfully took control of the spacecraft.
ISRO Chairman Dr K Sivan congratulated the launch vehicle and satellite teams involved in this challenging mission. “Today is a historical day for Space Science and Technology in India. I am extremely happy to announce that GSLV MkIII-M1 successfully injected Chandrayaan-2 into an orbit of 6000 Km more than the intended orbit and is better.”
“Today is the beginning of the historical journey of India towards Moon and to land at a place near south pole to carry out scientific experiments to explore the unexplored. On July 15, 2019 ISRO intelligently observed a technical snag, Team ISRO worked out, fixed and corrected the snag within 24 hours. For the next one and a half day, the required tests were conducted to ensure that corrections made were proper and in right direction. Today ISRO bounced back with flying colours.” Dr. Sivan said.
In the coming days, a series of orbit manoeuvres will be carried out using Chandrayaan-2’s onboard propulsion system. This will raise the spacecraft orbit in steps and then place it in the Lunar Transfer Trajectory to enable the spacecraft to travel to the vicinity of the Moon.
GSLV Mk III is a three-stage launch vehicle developed by ISRO. The vehicle has two solid strap-ons, a core liquid booster and a cryogenic upper stage. The vehicle is designed to carry 4 ton class of satellites into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) or about 10 tons to Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
Chandrayaan-2 is India’s second mission to the moon. It comprises a fully indigenous Orbiter, Lander (Vikram) and Rover (Pragyan). The Rover Pragyan is housed inside Vikram lander.
The mission objective of Chandrayaan-2 is to develop and demonstrate the key technologies for end-to-end lunar mission capability, including soft-landing and roving on the lunar surface. On the science front, this mission aims to further expand our knowledge about the Moon through a detailed study of its topography, mineralogy, surface chemical composition, thermophysical characteristics and atmosphere leading to a better understanding of the origin and evolution of the Moon.
After leaving earth orbit and on entering Moon's sphere of influence, the on-board propulsion system of Chandrayaan-2 will be fired to slow down the spacecraft. This will enable it to be captured into a preliminary orbit around the Moon. Later, through a set of manoeuvres, the orbit of Chandrayaan-2 around the moon will be circularised at 100 km height from the lunar surface.
Subsequently, the lander will separate from the Orbiter and enters into a 100 km X 30 km orbit around the Moon. Then, it will perform a series of complex braking maneuvers to soft land in the South polar region of the Moon on September 7, 2019.
Following this, the Rover will roll out from the lander and carries out experiments on the lunar surface for a period of 1 lunar day, which is equal to 14 Earth days. The mission life of the lander is also 1 lunar day.The Orbiter will continue its mission for a duration of one year.
The orbiter had a lift-off weight of about 2,369 kg, while the lander and rover weighed 1,477 kg and 26 kg respectively. The rover can travel up to 500 m (half a kilometre) and relies on electric power generated by its solar panel for functioning.
Chandrayaan-2 has several science payloads to facilitate a more detailed understanding of the origin and evolution of the Moon. The Orbiter carries eight payloads, the lander carries three, and the rover carries two. Besides, a passive experiment is included on the lander.The Orbiter payloads will conduct remote-sensing observations from a 100 km orbit while the Lander and Rover payloads will perform in-situ measurements near the landing site.
The ground facilities constitute the third vital element of Chandrayaan-2mission. They perform the important task of receiving the health information as well as the scientific data from the spacecraft. They also transmit the radio commands to the spacecraft. The Ground Segment of Chandrayaan-2 consists of Indian Deep Space Network, Spacecraft Control Centre and Indian Space Science Data Centre.
The successful launch of Chandrayaan-2 was a significant milestone in this challenging mission. A total number of 7500 visitors witnessed the launch live from the Viewer’s Gallery at Sriharikota.
Hanami
cherry blossom viewing — is an extremely popular activity in Japan that both locals and tourists enjoy during cherry blossom season every year. For a short week or two every year, sakura trees blossom and Japan is transformed into a visually arresting sea of pink. You can be a part of this wonderful activity in one of Japan’s many parks. A stroll in the parks, or a picnic under one of the many sakura trees promises a wonderful time. It is worth the travel to Japan just to experience this annual event. Here is the Cherry Blossom Forecast for 2018 and where you can view them at a few of the most popular cities and spots in Japan.
KANAZAWA
Best known for their arts and heritage with many art museums and regional handicrafts all around, Kanazawa is the capital of Ishikawa Prefecture, on Japan’s central Honshu Island.
Best places in Kanazawa to view cherry blossom:
1. Kenrokuen Garden – This garden is a must-visit spot if you are ever in Kanazawa. This landscape garden is popular with both tourists and locals due to the abundance of sakura trees.
2. Kanazawa Castle – When in Kanazawa, you have to see the amazing Kanazawa Castle. During cherry blossom season, the area “springs” to life.
FUKUSHIMA
Fukushima might not be the top destination choice for travellers when they visit Japan but Fukushima is more stunning than you know. Hot springs, volcanic landscapes, and hiking trails are aplenty.
Best places in Fukushima to view cherry blossom:
1. Hanamiyama Park – There is probably only one spot in Fukushima worth visiting during cherry blossom and it is Hanamiyama Park. Rated as one of the best Hanami destinations in Japan, be greeted by a stunning display of trees with different hues of pale and dark pinks.
Come Spring, the Cherry Blossom or the Sakura (considered Japan's unofficial national flower) season sweeps along the length and breadth of Japan every year. It is regarded as a symbol of renewal, vitality, and beauty. At this time of the year, all the parks are packed with tourist from across the globe who attend cherry blossom festivals or simply enjoy Hanami, the tradition of viewing and enjoying the beauty of the cherry blossom. Japan truly turns Pink at this time of the year.
Dates
The cherry blossom usually begins to bloom in Okinawa in around January/February, passes through the middle of Japan in March and April, and finishes with a late bloom in northern Hokkaido in May. In areas of high altitude, the blossom also arrives rather later than in low-altitude regions.
Tokyo usually sees its first blossoms in the dying days of March, with full bloom falling around April 5. Kyoto follows a day or two later, while the mountainous areas around Takayama and Matsumoto bloom about two weeks later - beginning in mid-April.
HOKKAIDO
As one of Japan’s most popular islands, Hokkaido sits on the north with a cooler climate. Hokkaido is famed for the ski resorts, onsen and exceptionally fresh seafood.
Best places in Hokkaido to view cherry blossom:
1. Maruyama Park/Hokkaido Shrine – The park is filled with endless cherry blossom trees. However, the path towards the Hokkaido Shrine in the park is probably the most scenic spot for photography and hanami for many trees line the walkway.
2. Moerenuma Park – This is not just any other park. Moerenuma Park was designed by the artist Isamu Noguchi and it is a masterpiece in its own rights. Cherry blossom trees bloom all around the park.
FUKUOKA
One of Japan’s most populated cities and a popular tourist destination, Fukuoka sits on one of the most scenic islands of Japan, Kyushu. Every year, Hanami greets Fukuoka with beautiful pink blossoms.
Best places in Fukuoka to view cherry blossom:
1. Fukuoka Castle/Maizuru Park – Over a thousand trees line the ruins of Fukuokoa castle. This is the ideal place to go for a romantic stroll while viewing these gorgeous blossoms.
2. Uminonakamichi Seaside Park – An estimated two thousand cherry blossom trees are planted at the Uminonakamichi Seaside Park.
3. Atago Shrine – Hanami with a view. The shrine sits atop a hill overlooking Hakata Bay.
HIROSHIMA
Hiroshima is one of the most-visited cities in all of Japan.
Best places in Hiroshima to view cherry blossom:
1. Hiroshima Peace Park – Built in memoriam of those who passed on during the atomic bombing in the war, Hiroshima Peace Park is probably the most visited park in the prefecture. Cherry blossom trees are aplenty and they are scattered all around the park.
2. Hiroshima Castle – Japan is known for their historical castles. The castles are at their most beautiful during Hanami as the cherry blossom trees surround it.
10 July is a milestone for the MBD family each year. On this day MBD Group reaffirms its faith in the principles of Shri Ashok Kumar Malhotra, who taught us the value of good work and good deeds. This July 10 marked the 9th Founder’s Day for the Group and the 74th birth anniversary of the revered father and founder Shri Ashok Kumar Malhotra, whose vision and thought laid a strong foundation of the company’s bright and prosperous future and has resulted in the shining edifice that MBD Group is today.
His donation to society and to all of the MBD family speaks of a man who remains larger than life. His expansive vision and downto-earth pragmatism were the foundations on which his edifice stands today. He has been inspired and moved by great men and great thoughts which he internalised and made it his own.
Shri Ashok Kumar Malhotra’s journey was an amazing story in itself, a life lived on innovative thinking and optimal outcomes. A grand event on the day was organized where the who’s who from across the country attended and lent support to the good work that the group has been doing.
Shri Ashok Malhotra has always been an exemplar for business and society and the Group’s success can be attributed to his undying spirit of hard-work & innovation. Each year on 10th July, the MBDians re-instate the promise to pursue his vision and values and celebrate the Founder’s Day with full enthusiasm & grandeur.
This year, The Founder’s Day celebration theme was “Touching Lives” as the Founder always believed in people-centric growth and upliftment of the less privileged. He was a visionary who always strived to build a better society and making difference in the lives of the people by bringing positive changes in their lives.
On this occasion, the family and members of the MBD Group paid rich tribute to Shri Ashok Malhotra and remembered his contribution in making MBD Group a grand success. The occasion was graced by the presence of the Chief Guest Shri. C.P. Singh Cabinet Minister- Urban Development, Housing and TransportGovt. of Jharkhand and along with other dignitaries such as Shri B.N. Singh District Magistrate — Gautam Budha Nagar, RSS, Guest of Honor, Congo First Secretary, Russia First Secretary, Nigeria Deputy Head of Mission, Shri BK Gupta, Ex Commissioner Delhi Police, Ms. Amanpreet Kaur DC IT Delhi , Shri SN Agarwal Retd -Judge - Punjab Haryana High Court.
The Chairperson, Mrs. Satish Bala Malhotra, paid an emotional tribute to Malhotra Ji and addressed the house with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp. The event was celebrated with full vigor and witnessed the gala cultural event featuring dance performances, scholarships and awards distribution.
Mrs. Satish Bala Malhotra said, “Shri Ashok Malhotra Ji was an exceptional leader whose foresightedness and determination will continue to aspire us. He always believed in making a strong and meaningful contribution in the lives of the people through his efforts and philanthropy. We will continuously strive to pursue his vision and follow the core philosophy of business which he laid down and would take forward his philanthropic endeavors in future as well”
Ms. Monica Malhotra Kandhari, MD, MBD Group, said, “My father always believed in the philosophy of giving back to the society and all his initiatives in business & his personal life were aimed at helping the needy in all possible way. And, carrying forward his vision, we under “Touching Lives” theme undertook the initiative of extending the help to our people who were not able to sustain their families either due to some physical or financial challenges. We will continue to extend our helping hand to the needy and undertake initiatives which are aimed at the betterment of the society and the environment”.
She took the occasion to remind everyone that, “He was a true visionary and his courage, brilliance and dynamism have always motivated us in all our endeavors. We will strive to retain the multitude and take MBD Group to newer heights in the years to come”.
Ms. Sonica Malhotra, JMD, MBD Group, said, “My father always had a strong emotional connect with society and helping the needy was his natural duty. He believed in making difference in the lives of the people by taking initiatives and being the change. As per his belief, we at MBD Group look beyond business endeavors and comprehend our responsibility towards environment & the society at large. This year’s theme “Touching lives” is a testament to the fact that we aspire to touch upon the lives of those who need us and will continue to embrace the social causes with fervor.
About ‘Touching Lives’
Embarked by Ashok Malhotra Charitable Trust, ‘Touching Lives’ is an initiative that focuses on quality education, merit scholarships, training and skill development, pan India basis and revolves around his philosophy of giving back to the society and help the needy in all possible way. On this occasion, MBDians formed a tapestry featuring stories of nine people that is moving beyond dreams with the strong lineage of “Touching Lives” as the Group strongly believes that its their moral duty to help those that have been less fortunate and smallest good deed can ignite and positively impact the lives of their valuable employees by providing a renewed sense of hope.
MBD Group has thrived for over six decades and has always stayed true to its core value of providing education to all with its mission “for every literate person, there must be an MBD Book.” The group has ventured into the Middle East, South Africa and Sri Lanka markets with its huge basket of education services. MBD group is not only the pioneer of AR in Education in India but also the first publisher to launch a VR in this field. In the hospitality sector, the group owns and operates Radisson Blu MBD Hotel in Noida and Ludhiana and many more are under development. The group has also recently signed a Joint Venture with Steigenberger, Europe’s leading hotel company last year. Under this JV, the group will focus on key cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Hyderabad as they plan to come up with 20 luxury hotels over the next 15 years. The group has also ventured into the premium and luxury mixed use developments.
The 2019 heatwave got its start in late June, when warm air masses from the Sahara first hit Spain and then spread to Central Europe. A pair of high-pressure systems was responsible for drawing in the warm air and suppressing cloud cover. The exceptional heat lasted through the month, and it could melt billions of tons of ice in Greenland.
Europe massive heat wave was on its way out - and left a slew of broken temperature records in its wake recently. Many countries were gripped by temperatures above 104 Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius) between June 26 and June 30. According to the World Meteorological Organization, June 2019 is now the hottest month on record for the continent as a whole.
NASA's Ecosystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS) measures Earth's surface temperature from the International Space Station at different times of day. Although its primary objective is to monitor the health of plants, ECOSTRESS can also detect heat events such as the one much of Europe just experienced.
ECOSTRESS mapped the surface, or ground temperature, of four European cities - Rome, Paris, Madrid and Milan during the mornings of June 27 and June 28.In the images, hotter temperatures appear in red and cooler temperatures appear in blue. They show how the central core of each city is much hotter than the surrounding natural landscape due to the urban heat island effect - a result of urban surfaces storing and re-radiating heat throughout the day.
The fact that surface temperatures were as high as 77-86 degrees Fahrenheit (25-30 degrees Celsius) in the early morning indicates that much of the heat from previous days was stored by surfaces with high heat capacity (such as asphalt, concrete and water bodies) and unable to dissipate before the next day. The trapped heat resulted in even higher midday temperatures, in the high 40s (Celsius) in some places, as the heat wave continued.
ECOSTRESS launched to the space station last summer and began collecting its first heat data just days after installation. The instrument measures variations of ground temperatures to within a few tenths of a degree, and it does so with unprecedented detail: It's able to detect temperature changes at various times of day over areas the size of a football field. These measurements help scientists assess plant health and response to water shortages, which can be an indicator of future drought. They can also be used in observing heat trends, spotting wildfires and detecting volcanic activity.
ECOSTRESS provides a wide range of image products for studying the land surface and recently made all these products publicly available through the NASA Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (LPDAAC).
JPL built and manages the ECOSTRESS mission for NASA's Earth Science Division in the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. ECOSTRESS is an Earth Venture Instrument mission; the program is managed by NASA's Earth System Science Pathfinder program at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.
The map above shows air temperatures across Europe on July 25, 2019. The map was derived from the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) model and depicts air temperatures at 2 meters (about 6.5 feet) above the ground. The darkest red areas are where the model shows temperatures surpassing 40°C (104°F). Temperatures have since fallen, and rain is in the forecast for some of the countries. The GEOS model, like all weather and climate models, uses mathematical equations that represent physical processes (such as precipitation and cloud processes) to calculate what the atmosphere will do. Actual measurements of physical properties, like temperature, moisture, and winds, are routinely folded into the model to keep the simulation as close to observed reality as possible.
These record-breaking temperatures come just one month after another record-breaking heatwave. However, July temperatures soared much higher than June—about 15°C higher in some regions. The map below, created with data from the GEOS model, shows the temperature difference between June 26 and July 25, 2019. Satellites also show the ground becoming browner from June to July.
This July heatwave was caused by a massive area of high pressure positioned over the region, sometimes called a heat dome. The air mass acts as a roadblock in the sky, forcing the jet stream to travel around it in a wavy pattern that looks like the uppercase Greek letter omega. This omega block drew hot air north from the Sahara Desert.
Past research has linked rising global temperatures to more frequent and intense regional heatwaves, with researchers showing parts of Europe and North America could experience an extra 10 to 15 heatwave days for each degree of global warming. Projections from the UK Met Office also show that intense heatwaves could occur on average as regularly as every other year by the middle of the century.