Shri Ashok Kumar Malhotra, Founder of the MBD Group — a first-generation entrepreneur and a pioneer of the publishing industry in India — has been honoured as a “Publishing Icon” by the International Publishers Congress. The International Publishers Congress 2018 was hosted by the International Publishers Association (IPA) with its Indian member, Federation of Indian Publishers (FIP), in New Delhi after 26 years. The IPC is a biennial Congress and the principal theme of the Congress is ‘Shaping the Future: Innovation meets Experience’.
Shri Ashok Kumar Malhotra, perhaps the youngest publisher ever who published a selfauthored book when he was just 13, was a true visionary; he dreamt of creating an MBD product for every literate person. He was a force in shaping the publishing sector in India and elsewhere; not only did he understand the significance of creative learning, but he was also instrumental in modernising the publishing business and introducing contemporary learning practices among other things. He was a man with a mission to transform a book-selling business unit into a financial giant and one of the successful brands of all times.
Today, MBD Group is one of the leading education companies in India with over six decades of domain experience. It is the only company which has complete backward and forward integration with ten printing units, fully equipped with state-of-the-art pre-press, press and post-press facilities, producing about 5,00,000 books per day. The Group has 34 branch offices, a large number of employees and a wide network of distributors and booksellers across the country.
The International Publishers Association (IPA) is the foremost global representative of the full range of publishers’ interests, from copyright to freedom to publish. Since the first IPA Congress held in 1896 in Paris, the event has continued to attract the world’s leading publishers and is a vital platform for publishers to discuss the industry’s most important challenges, network and learn.
Under the futuristic vision of the Founder of the Group, Shri Ashok Kumar Malhotra, the Group has diversified into a vast portfolio comprising E-Learning, Capacity Building, Stationery, MLearning, Skill Development, Eco-Friendly Notebooks, Paper Manufacturing and ICT Infrastructure. An entrepreneur par excellence, Shri Malhotra had also envisioned the Group’s diversification into Hospitality, Real Estate and Mall Development and Management. His enduring vision and laudable legacy have been ably realised and cultivated by his two daughters, Monica Malhotra Kandhari and Sonica Malhotra.
“I am overwhelmed by this recognition accorded to my father whose vision and legacy laid the solid foundation upon which the MBD Group stands today. As a father, he is the perfect role model and whatever we have achieved today is solely because of his guidance and life lessons we learned from him,” his daughter Monica Malhotra Kandhari and Managing Director of MBD Group said in tribute to the great publisher.
Motivation, Belief and Determination were the key strengths that Shri Ashok Kumar Malhotra had built the MBD Empire on. At MBD, he dreamt to offer a platform where all voices were equal. He wished to put a spotlight on everything! Every profession, sector, issue and person was important to him. He often said, “It’s when things seem the worst that you mustn’t allow yourself to quit.” He always had the vision of a guru but the free mind of a spiritual leader. A first-generation entrepreneur, he embarked on his journey of books at the tender age of 13 when he published his first selfauthored book, ‘General Education’, with an initial seed capital of Rs One lakh, and that marked the birth of the MBD Group.
Hailing from Jalandhar in Punjab, the beginnings of his journey were humble but he had the quiet conviction to make his vision of, “For every literate person, there should be an MBD Book” come true. Initially, he had to outsource the printing. He bought his first press ‘Dhanpat Rai’ where the composition of books was done by hand using lead type as offset printing had not arrived yet. It would take up to two months to publish a single book by hand.
Today, MBD group publishes the largest number of titles, including textbooks, workbooks, teacher manuals, readers for all classes and subjects, in all major boards and regional languages of India. It also publishes books in programming language and mathematics curriculum. The e-learning programme caters to millions of learners across the globe via its e-content in the form of Academy (Digital Classroom), Self-Learning Material for Students in CDs/ DVDs, and online resources. We have made inroads into M-Learning and have successfully launched the first augmented reality app Nytra, for learners in the Asia Pacific region, which is integrated with our textbooks.
Shri Ashok Kumar Malhotra firmly believed that the best things in life find their own place in course of time; all you need to make this happen is motivation backed by belief and determination. His dynamism made him an extremely successful businessman, one who shouldered multi-business responsibilities with ease and huge success.
As a father, he always ensured that his daughters, Monica and Sonica, were brought up to be strong individuals who were independent and yet grounded. The dynamic young duo is trained to handle the publishing, hotel and real estate divisions of the company and is following their father’s footsteps as the company forges ahead.
They have had their fair share of challenges and losing their father was tough on them. “After my father passed away, we not only had our own personal grief to deal with but also had a larger responsibility of MBD Group, as well as the need to protect what out father had given his life to build. It was a very critical time for us, but, we did not let this discourage us. We were successful in directing our multiple business verticals and converted adversities into opportunities and opportunities to success,” Sonica recalls.
But the greatest challenge they faced was to bring innovation into the Group without compromising the MBD legacy. They have retained a lot of the key employees and talent in the company, and are proud that some of their employees have been with the company for more than 40 years.
Born in Jalandhar and brought up in Delhi, the sisters graduated from Jesus and Mary College in New Delhi.
Monica’s own style of working has emerged from her father’s style, “My dad was a Karma Yogi and I idolise him. He taught me to learn from my mistakes, to be humble, to never stop learning. While he taught me to aim for the sky he also told me that creating job opportunities is the greatest social work. Do not learn tricks of the trade instead learn the trade. He also taught me ‘either be the best or the biggest in business. My father gave me total freedom – no supervision, no policing. It was his trust that kept me on my toes and helped me to work hard and not let him down. He explained that we all are born in an orbit. We can either choose to stay there and waste our potential or strive to push ourselves ahead to the next level that not only benefits us but also benefits the people walking along with us,’ Monica remembers.”
Their mother has been a major influence in their life too. “My mother has always ensured that her daughters are brought up to be strong individuals with independent thinking and yet be grounded. It is because of her that we both are qualified (postgraduate diploma) Kathak dancers from Kathak Kendra, New Delhi, under Pandit Birju Maharaj Ji. This truly helped us in personal development, attaining emotional maturity and meeting artists from all walks of life,” says Sonica.
The diversification into hospitality was Shri Malhotra’s vision too, which has been taken forward by his daughters. Today, MBD owns and manages two 5 star hotels – Radisson Blu MBD Hotel Noida and Radisson Blu Hotel MBD Ludhiana. The MBD Group has also ventured into premium and luxury Mixed Use Developments primarily entailing hotel, retail and entertainment.
A people’s man, Shri Malhotra treated his team as his extended family. As a true leader, he believed in creating more leaders and today the Group draws inspiration and is guided by his values and ethics. He is the perfect role model and whatever MBD Group has achieved today is solely because of his guidance and life lessons to the MBD Family. In order to keep his vision alive, the birth anniversary of Shri Ashok Kumar Malhotra is celebrated as Founder’s Day. The special occasion provides the MBD Family a perfect opportunity to commemorate his legacy, his vision and augment the understanding of his teaching and rejuvenate everyone’s inspiration.
The flagship CSR programme ‘My Best Deeds’ under the Shri Ashok Kumar Malhotra charitable trust plays a pivotal role in carrying forward his legacy and his philosophy of giving back to society and helping the needy.
To salute the entrepreneurial excellence and exemplary contribution of Shri Ashok Kumar Malhotra to the publishing industry, the FIP (an apex organisation setting high standards of printing and publishing in India) and FEPI (India’s most acknowledged publishing organisation) have conferred several awards on him. Shri Malhotra always believed that “One could be the biggest or be the best but there would be no accomplishment if the biggest wasn’t the best... so one must strive to be the best.”
AS PART OF ITS ‘Four Modernisations’, the modernisation of the Chinese Military has made China a force to reckon with. With its ever growing strength, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has resorted to flexing its muscles throughout Asia, in the South China Sea and also in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). In the High Himalayas, when the Doklam crisis took place in June last year, it was the Chinese media led by the state owned Global Times which went ballistic and continuously used threatening language to browbeat India to submission. The Chinese Ambassador to India also echoed the Global Times as did some in the Chinese foreign ministry. But the Indians held firm, forcing the Chinese to change tack till eventually the stand off was eased with the Chinese backing off on the construction of a road inside Bhutanese territory — the cause célèbre that led to the face off.
Why did the Chinese back off? This question has yet not been answered with any degree of certainty, but the fact that China did not pursue the military option to settle its claim over Bhutanese territory points to the fact that its ability to project conventional military power beyond its periphery remains limited.
What China appears to have mastered is the ability to wage psychological warfare. As propounded in Chinese writings, the ‘Three Warfares’ form an important constituent of conflict and can occur at the tactical, operational, or strategic level. Waged against an enemy population as also against its political and military leadership, it also targets third party leaders and populations, in order to encourage support for one’s own side, while simultaneously discouraging or dissuading them from supporting an opponent. Along with psychological warfare, the Chinese advocate public opinion and legal warfare. The former (yulunzhan) refers to the use of various mass information channels, including the Internet, television, radio, newspapers, movies, and other forms of media, to generate public support both at home and abroad for one’s own position and create opposition to one’s enemy. The latter (faluzhan) is the use of domestic law, the laws of armed conflict, and international law to seek a legal basis for one’s actions. A combination of the“three warfares” constitutes a form of defence-in-depth — one that is executed temporally (in order to delay an opponent) and politically (by fomenting public disagreement and doubt), rather than physically. This is what China attempted in Doklam — a strategy it continues to use in its disputes with all its neighbours, where force is not applied ab initio.
This off course, does not mean that China will not use the military option to enforce its claims. It simply means that China’s use of force will be contingent on its ability to achieve a favourable outcome without disproportionate cost. In the Indian context, it remains highly probable that China will exercise the military option to enforce its territorial claims, once the Chinese military has the confidence that it can win a military conflict with India. It also means that an India-China conflict can be averted if India remains strong enough militarily to defend its territorial interests.
China’s defence budget of 2017 at USD 151 billion stood at three times that of India’s defence budget of USD 51 billion. In terms of manpower, both nations are similarly placed, but in terms of self propelled artillery, armoured fighting vehicles, attack helicopters, fighter aircraft and missiles, the Chinese military has a distinct advantage over India. But numbers by themselves do not tell the whole picture. China has multiple challenges along its vast land borders as also on its sea coast. Of criticality to India is Chinese combat capability over the Tibetan Plateau and on its borders with India in Ladakh. Chinese air capability is being discussed in another article in this issue of SALUTE magazine so it will not be expanded upon here. In terms of ground forces, India as of now, is in a reasonable position to ward off any Chinese military threat at least up to 2025 or so. In the immediate future therefore, the prospects of an India-China war appear less likely.
But the worrying concerns for any Indian military analyst is the consistent increase in Chinese military spending over the last few decades. Since the early 1990s, China has steadily increased resources for the defence sector. Its defence budget for 2005, at approx. 30 billion dollars stood at double the figure for 2000. Since then, in real terms, the official defence budget has increased in double digits. The published military budget for 2011 was USD 91.5 billion, but this did not include foreign weapons procurement, expenses for the paramilitary People’s Armed Police, funding to support nuclear weapon stockpiles and the Second Artillery, now called PLARF (People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force), since the reorganisation of the PLA on 31 December 2015. The latest defence budget now stands at a whopping USD 151 billion. When compared with India’s defence budget which has remained stagnant for many years in real terms, we are fast approaching a situation where the Chinese will have not only a quantitative edge over India but a qualitative edge as well. They may then resort to the use of force to take the areas they claim as their own.
Chinese military capability is reflected in its growing nuclear arsenal. In its 90th anniversary parade in 2017, the PLA unveiled the PLARF’s new DF-31AG intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which featured improved launchers and greater mobility. The PLARF’s DF-26 intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) has nuclear and conventional precision strike capabilities and is also available in a conventional anti-ship version. China is now developing the DF-41, a road-mobile ICBM capable of carrying multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs), and hypersonic glide vehicles (HGVs) for strategic deterrence and regional strike missions. The elevation of PLARF to the level of a full service is likely to further strengthen the position of the Rocket Forces as the cornerstone of China’s nuclear deterrent and the leading edge of its regional conventional strike capabilities.
Besides nuclear capability, PLARF is also focused on enhancing its conventional missiles capability to achieve better and quicker response to emerging situations, longer ranges, enhanced accuracy and ability to defeat hostile missile defence systems. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, PLARF deploys DF-16 missiles with a range of about 800–1,000 km, conventional DF-21 MRBMs, and the DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile. In addition, the Rocket Force has about 1,200 short-range ballistic missiles and a number of CJ-10 ground-launched cruise missiles with a range of about 1,500 km. Improvements in PLARF capabilities include an improved C4ISR structure and command automation capabilities. This has been achieved through laying of thousands of kilometres of fibre optic cable, the deployment of mobile command systems and the “integrated command platform,” all designed to yield improvements in joint campaign command and control and operations.
The Chinese have also advanced in leaps and bounds in their space warfare capability, which allows China to effect space deterrence. Such deterrence would not take place in a vacuum but would form part of a holistic offensive package that would inter alia include besides the full range of the PLA, all assets in the economic, diplomatic, political and cyber domain, available to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). In all probability, China would apply its space warfare capabilities months or at times even years ahead of actual conflict, with an attempt to influence an opponent’s decisionmaking and reduce its advantage in space.Chinese writings on the subject view space domination as a full range of measures, involving both hard and soft-kill options aimed at the satellites, the terrestrial infrastructure of launch sites; tracking, telemetry, and control facilities; and the data links that bind the system together. They also view space operations as integrated operations, by which is meant the integration ofcivil and military assets and integration of space capabilities with those of land, sea, and air forces, with the goal of generating synergies that will lead to space dominance.
As far as the Chinese Navy is concerned, the PLAN (People’s Liberation Army - Navy) is expanding the geographic reach of its military operations, in alignment with their 1982 maritime strategic plan to assume control of the Pacific and Indian Oceans by 2040.Increased PLAN capabilities are reflected in their advanced submarines, integrated air defence systems, and the development of the DF-21D, land-based antiship ballistic missile.
While the focus of China’s military modernisation in the near term appears to be preparing for potential conflict in the Taiwan Strait, analysis of Chinese military acquisitions also suggests the PLA is generating military capabilities that go beyond a Taiwan scenario. How can this impact on India? A possible conflict with India could unfold as under:
• China would set the strategic stage of the conflict through the ‘three warfares,’ well before onset of hostilities.
• This would be followed by a series of sequential actions aimed at conflict resolution on Chinese terms with inbuilt conflict control mechanisms. These could include cyber attacks to hit at Indian financial and economic institutions, exploiting the full range of space warfare capabilities to achieve space dominance, concentrated SRBM attack at key command and communication nodes and Integrated Network Electronic Warfare operations along with limited kinetic strikes against key C4 nodes to disrupt Indian battlefield network information systems.
• Build up of troops in the Tibetan Plateau would take place simultaneously for ground action if the objectives have not been met by the means employed earlier.
Thereafter, we could expect a conventional military conflict.
From the Indian viewpoint, the conduct of a successful defensive battle would require negating Chinese actions at each stage. We would require very high capability in NCW, EW and space warfare. It is also essential that the IAF has dominance over the Tibetan Plateau if a successful defensive battle is to be fought. Artillery voids need to be made up at the earliest and logistics capability enhanced to defeat any Chinese designs on our Northern and Eastern borders. The real threat is not from the number of divisions which the Chinese can amass but from enhanced technological capabilities which we need to match and surpass.
India needs time to develop its indigenous capability to thwart any designs on our land borders. Post Doklam, which resulted in a distinct cooling of relations between the two countries, the recent visit of India’s premier to Wuhan to meet Chinese President Xi Jin Ping was designed to set the stage for a new starting point in the relationship. Such a relationship is however fraught with multiple challenges. For one, China’s forays into the Indian Ocean is viewed with suspicion by India, forcing India to look at alternatives to Chinese led economic integration. The idea of the ‘Quad’ thus finds resonance, with India, the US, Australia and Japan looking at ways to counter a potential Chinese threat to the ‘rules based order’ in the Indo-Pacific. India has also inked logistics pacts with Singapore, the United States, and France towards that end. As India’s interests in what it considers as its strategic backyard, overlap with what the Chinese view as their strategic periphery, concerns naturally arise of increased friction which could lead to conflict, unless managed. China remains concerned about Delhi’s rise as a major power in Asia. It is uncomfortable with the thought that the Indo-U.S. strategic convergence could allow India to overcome its technological limitations and attain capabilities on par with China’s. For long, China has tried to hyphenate India with Pakistan and has used the latter to keep India confined to the backwaters of South Asia. India assuming parity with China is thus anathema to the latter.
Writing on the issue, Aparna Pande, in an article published in the American Interest, titled “India and China: The risks of a reset,” posits that a reset in the relationship at this stage is likely to benefit China far more than India. As per Pande, India should be wary of China’s charm offensive, as it is designed to obscure its fundamentally hostile actions. The strategy that Beijing adopts is to instigate a minor conflict (Doklam), then, display aggression, summoning traditional and social media platforms to create a major stir (Three Warfares?), and then, after enough time has elapsed, offer talks or back off, playing the role of the conciliatory peacemaker. This allows the Chinese to play peacemakers to something which they themselves have initiated, which will enhance Chinese prestige without having conceded even an inch of territory. India needs to be wary of the trap, as what China is attempting is getting a foothold in the IOR, which has been traditionally India’s backyard. Delhi’s willingness to accommodate Beijing, thus can only hurt Indian interests.
Evidently, larger games are being played out in the region, reminiscent of the Great Game that was played out a couple of centuries earlier between Czarist Russia and Imperial Britain. China sees India as a rival which has the resources to manage China’s increasing presence in the IOR though dissuasion, deterrence or through strategic alliances. A land based conflict however would be harder for India to manage, as India would have to depend exclusively on its own military capability. So long as India has the potential to make an adventure over the high Himalayas a very costly proposition for China, the possibility of a land conflict will remain at the lower end of the probability curve. The answer for India hence lies in being military strong to thwart any Chinese misadventure on land and to have strong alliances to thwart Chinese hegemony in the Indian Ocean. For that India needs time to build its indigenous capability. So does China. We can thus an interesting variants of the Great Game in the coming decade.
RAPID AND UNPRECEDENTED growth of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and media with its speedy and all-pervasive penetration has ushered in the digital age. Not only has it brought the world together through globalisation, it has become the driver for economic growth. Technology and Information are the new normal of this digital transformation. This transition from an industrial to an information era has also ushered in a new security paradigm with new threats to both national and human security. With large scale automation, technology and connectivity, the developed nations are enjoying a much better quality of life. There exists a definite digital divide amongst the developed, developing and poor nations. This digital divide, coupled with the rising aspirations of the people accentuated by religious beliefs and cultural issues and technology denial have created serious security issues wherein new threats by way of cyber-crimes, cyber terrorism, cyber espionage and even cyber war have emerged making cyber security a strategic imperative at the national, regional and international levels.
Cyber Espionage
Internet has become a very powerful source for intelligence collection in support of national, diplomatic, military, technology or economic objectives. It is estimated that more than 90 percent of “open source intelligence” is being obtained from the cyber world. It is economical and safe. Cyber espionage is also being used for technology theft and for launching probing missions on the critical infrastructure for possible exploitation later. The fact that attack vectors for cyber espionage and cyber war are the same makes cyber espionage a major threat in being.
Cyber Terrorism
Targeted attacks on a nation’s critical infrastructure like military installations, power plants, air traffic control, surface transport traffic control, telecommunication networks would be considered as part of cyber terrorism. These are low level, “short of war” attacks which would cripple part of a critical infrastructure or adversely affect the functioning of a business. These attacks are not large enough to warrant a military response but have the potential to inflict enough damage that numerous attacks over a long period of time could harm economy, complicating a policymaker’s calculus for determining an appropriate response.
Social Media
Social Media like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn has emerged as powerful tools for perception management, social engineering, cyber-crimes and intelligence. It has also emerged as a major instrument of waging “Asymmetric Warfare” through exploitation of the aspirations of people, differential development, varying religious beliefs and cultural leanings.
Cyber Warfare
Nations across the world have pronounced their doctrines of cyber warfare, have raised organisations to conduct cyber warfare and are busy in the making and testing of cyber weapons. USA is reported to have used “logic bombs” in Afghanistan and Syria to effectively neutralise their communication networks.
The Indian Scene
India is very vulnerable to cyber interventions due to certain strategic deficiencies, inadequate appreciation of the threat and rather tardy and disjointed implementation of policies.
India’s cyber security chief Gulshan Rai told Parliament’s finance standing committee in July 2017, that cyber threats had evolved swiftly from viruses and “nuisance” attacks in the early 2000s to sophisticated malware and advanced denial of service, and could pose the risk of severely destructive attacks by 2020. India will face increasingly sophisticated “destructive” cyber threats as compared to the “disruptive” attacks in the Indian cyberspace that are currently adding up to 200 million malware-related and 190,000 “unique” intrusions in any given week.
Other sectors high on the priority list of cyber criminals are banking, energy, telecom and defence, which along with the government, account for three-fourths of all cyber-attacks. The emergence of new services and apps, cloud and cognitive technologies, has made cyber security more challenging even as the value of data and its applications in commerce grows by the day, making cyber security a major task. India is setting up its own ‘cyber security architecture’ that will comprise the National Cyber Coordination Centre (NCCC) for threat assessment and information sharing among stakeholders, the Cyber Operation Centre that will be jointly run by the NTRO and the armed forces for threat management and mitigation for identified critical sectors and defence, and the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) under the NTRO for providing cover to ‘critical information infrastructure’. Concurrently, the government is also coming up with a legal framework to deal with cyber security; has launched a drive for creating greater awareness to this threat and is creating necessary human resource with requisite skills. Major cyber security projects under implementation are given in the succeeding paragraphs.
Botnet Cleaning and Malware Analysis Centre
India has the largest number of Botnets in the world. To obviate and limit the threat due to botnets, the Government has recently set up a Botnet Cleaning and Malware Analysis Centre. The project is a part of Digital India programme and aims to create safe and secure cyberspace. It will automatically detect botnets that trigger various cybercrimes and suggest the device owner to remove them from their device with their help.
Central Monitoring System (CMS)
Central Monitoring System, the Union Government’s ambitious electronic intelligence monitoring system, is likely to start functioning fully by this year-end. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs officials, the hi-tech unit which will provide unhindered access to phone calls, text messages, and social media conversations to law enforcement agencies in real-time will have two units in the inaugural phase in Delhi and Bangalore. National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC).
Grid Security Expert System (GSES)
The objective of the GSES is implementation of the Automatic Defence Mechanism to facilitate reliable and secure grid operation.
Crisis Management Plan
India has prepared a Crisis Management Plan for countering cyber-attacks and cyber terrorism for preventing the large scale disruption in the functioning of critical information systems of Government, public and private sector resources and services. The CMP for countering cyber attacks and cyber terrorism outlines a framework for dealing with cyber related incidents for rapid identification, swift response and remedial actions to mitigate and recover from cyber related incidents impacting critical national processes.
Network Traffic Analysis System
A monitoring and electronic surveillance project being executed by the DRDO. It appears to be Indian government’s first attempt of mass surveillance rather than individual targets. It will scan the activities over the social networking websites like twitter and would scan the mails and chat transcript and even the voices in the internet traffic. The above efforts are aligned towards developing a cyber defence capability. There is no information in the open domain regarding development of cyber offensive capabilities and their integration.
Imperatives
India needs national scale effort supported by political will, adequate funding, contemporary technology and skilled people to realise necessary cyber security capability. These imperatives would require synergy amongst various ministries and agencies through appropriate policy framework and organisation and must be executed concurrently. Some of the essential imperatives are given in the succeeding paragraphs.
Establish National Cyber Security Commission (NCSC) — a fully empowered body with its own department, on the lines of Space Commission and Atomic Energy Commission. The country needs to build thought leadership and weave together India’s potential in cyber security under one organisation. NCSC will have the onerous tasks of creating synergy amongst various stake holders through an enabling policy framework; developing technology, manpower, industry clusters, education standards and certification, intelligence and counter intelligence mechanisms, cyber forensics, security standards, and policy research. It will also coordinate with all ministries for National Critical Information Infrastructure (NCII) in their areas. It will play a catalytic role for the requirements of military in cyber warfare.
The National Cyber Security Policy 2013 needs to be revisited urgently in the light of rapid pace of technology development and very dynamic threat scenario. This policy should be translated to a time bound action plan in consonance with the national cyber security doctrine and specify clearly the responsibility for its execution and accountability. The policy, action plan, organisation and assured budgetary support must be discussed and approved by the Parliament.
Develop Cyber War Capability:
India urgently needs to develop policies and capabilities in this ‘Fifth’ domain of war. These cannot wait and must be taken up on top most priority in a “Mission Mode” by the Services. The situation and threats to India are unique and hence there is the necessity of developing an indigenous solution in consonance with the doctrine to include organisation, technology, skill sets, training infrastructure and R&D. Immediate raising of an Indian Cyber Command is a national strategic imperative.
Cyber Policy Research Centre:
There is no think tank that is studying policies and documents being produced by groupings of governments, industry, civil society, academia, interested organisations and international policy making organisations. Thousands of pages are being churned out, which require deeper understanding through analysis and discussions to decide on what is in India’s interest. We are unable to address policy as well as operational issues due to the lack of focused studies. Numerous NGOs created at the behest of foreign governments, are obfuscating policy discussions to derail national positions. Also as technology evolves, a large amount of cyber security research and policies require timely revision.
Cyber Threat Intelligence Centre:
India needs to have cyber analysis centres which collects attack data on various infrastructures, financial systems, web sites and services; correlate “big data” generated from government with financial and commercial data to create patterns and suggest anomalies, for advance preventive actions.
Cyber Workforce Development:
There is an urgent requirement to have a national plan to develop cyber security workforce and an associated cadre. NCSP 2013 has set up a target of five lakhs skilled cyber resource in the non-formal sector for cyber security and also to exploit the business opportunity of providing services to global customers by 2018. India also must lay emphasis on developing “Science of Cyber Security”.
R&D for Product Development:
India needs focused R&D in the development of safe products; discovery and analysis of vulnerabilities, fixing attribution and design of cyber weapons. Manufacturing and export of cyber security products presents a very attractive opportunity for India.
Security Standards and Frameworks, Audit:
India needs to develop and promulgate the cyber security standards and frameworks for development, and audit processes for assurance of protection of our NCII. Enabling Policy measures are required to encourage establishment of testing labs for managing ICT Supply Chain Risks.
Cyber-crime investigations:
There is an urgent need for development and continual upgradation of cyber forensics capabilities and investigating skills with our law enforcement agencies (LEAs), to handle cyber-crimes in the ever expanding proliferation of devices, platforms, big data, Internet of Things, mobility and social media.
Build Thought Leadership, Executive/ Political Sponsors:
Build cyber security savvy leadership, subject matter experts, solution architects and system engineers so as to address the inadequate comprehension of lack of cyber security capability and its bearing on national security including the military dimension.
Leveraging Diaspora:
Indian diaspora is at the forefront of building security technologies, platforms and solutions across world class institutions and industry in USA and Europe. They can be the biggest catalyst in building cyber security capability. Proactive and aggressive steps should be taken to leverage the diaspora.
Outreach Programme to Attract Industry:
Government needs to make it attractive for the private sector to invest in capability building through innovative mechanisms, such as funding development of new technologies, committing to buy from partner companies etc. Both the government and the industry must recognise multibillion dollar opportunity in cyber security related products and services and cash on this through a focused and proactive approach as was done for IT.
INDIA HAS BEEN ranked at a low 177 position in the Global Environmental Performance Index (EPI), that places countries on how well they perform on high-priority environmental issues. The 2018 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) finds that air quality is the leading environmental threat to public health. The tenth EPI report ranks 180 countries on 24 performance indicators across 10 issue categories covering environmental health and ecosystem vitality. Switzerland leads the world in sustainability, followed by France, Denmark, Malta, and Sweden.
Air quality remains the leading environmental threat to public health. In 2016 the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation estimated that diseases related to airborne pollutants contributed to two-thirds of all lifeyears lost to environmentally related deaths and disabilities. Air pollution issues are especially acute in rapidly urbanizing and industrializing nations such as India and China.
The world has made great strides in protecting marine and terrestrial habitats, exceeding the international goal for marine protection in 2014. Additional indicators measuring terrestrial protected areas suggest, however, that more work needs to be done to ensure the presence of high-quality habitat free from human pressures. Most countries improved GHG emissions intensity over the past ten years. Three-fifths of countries in the EPI have declining CO2 intensities, while 85–90% of countries have declining intensities for methane, nitrous oxide, and black carbon. These trends are promising yet must be accelerated to meet the ambitious targets of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement.
With 20 years of experience, the EPI reveals a tension between two fundamental dimensions of sustainable development: (1) environmental health, which rises with economic growth and prosperity, and (2) ecosystem vitality, which comes under strain from industrialization and urbanization. Good governance emerges as the critical factor required to balance these distinct dimensions of sustainability.
Centre for Science and Environment in its lates release ‘The State of India’s Environment’ (SoE) figures also explained about other several important environmental factors including Water, Air, Sanitation, Energy and Forest. India scored 5.75 out of 100 in air quality. India’s disappointing performance and the gravity of the situation is further highlighted when compared with countries such as Switzerland and Japan which have scored over 90.
According to the SoE report, Lucknow fared much worse in the winter months, where very poor air quality was recorded on over 70 per cent of the monitored days and severe levels of air pollution witnessed on around 24 per cent of the days. Thiruvananthapuram, Bengaluru and Chennai, on the other hand, experienced comparatively better air quality.
The SoE in Figures find a lack of data on air quality in several Indian cities. Even in places where pollution levels are being monitored, gaps in data pose a serious challenge to successful implementation of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).
The dependency on groundwater has increased between 2004 and 2013. As per SoE in Figures, 70,736 rural habitats with a combined population of 47.4 million live on contaminated groundwater. Traces of new contaminants are now being reported in the country, suggesting a steady decline in the quality of groundwater.
In sanitation, under the Swachchh Bharat scheme, 72.1 million individual household toilets have been constructed. In energy, the SoE’s report highlighted that after missing its targets for two consecutive years, the Centre, it appears, is fast losing interest in meeting its ambitious target of installing 175 gigawatt (GW) of renewable energy by 2022.
The poor performance will also hit the job-creation potential of the scheme which was estimated to be over 300,000. Only 9 per cent of the roof-top solar target has been met so far, the report mentioned.
In forest cover, India's total forest cover has registered a 0.2 per cent increase between 2015 and 2017. The SoE also released data on environmental crimes.
Considering the database derived by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the CSE said that the number of environment-related police cases seem to be gradually decreasing after NGT came. “However, the number of court cases has drastically gone up,” CSE mentioned.
Leaders in Air Quality Australia, Barbados, Jordan, Canada, Denmark
Laggards in Air Quality Nepal, Bangladesh, India, China, Pakistan
What Does High Ranking Demonstrate? Long standing commitments to:
WHEN IT COMES to cricket, Sourav Ganguly was one of the finest captains of the Indian Cricket Team because of his sheer aggression, passion, and intensity. Ganguly holds several records in the world of cricket. The man who changed the face of Indian cricket forever is remembered for his batting style, his on-field persona, and his bowling tactics. He has inspired players from across the world.
Ganguly took over as the captain of India in the year 2000. This was the time when the world had a bitter outlook on India post a series of match-fixing scandals. Ganguly was the vice-captain and took over as the captain, once Sachin stepped down from his captaincy. Thus the golden era of the Indian Cricket begun.
Immediately after being in charge of the team, India achieved various unique feats and scaled new heights in cricket under his leadership. Soon India became a force to reckon with and team India climbed to number 2 position, from number 8 when he left his captaincy.
Ganguly had the eye to spot raw talent. He was in favour of giving young budding players an opportunity to perform. Several players like L. Balaji, Gautam Gambhir, MS Dhoni, Irfan Pathan, Zaheer Khan, Dinesh Karthik and several others made their debut under his captaincy, who had later gone on to bring laurels for the country and become champions of the game. Had it not been for Sourav, these players might not have become the legends that they are today. Under his captaincy, team India conquer the undefeated streak of Australia, that is considered to be one of the greatest achievements till date. Australia won 16 consecutive Tests on the trot and was scheduled to face India next in a three-match series. India under Sourav Ganguly’s captaincy won the Test series 2-1 and thus showed to the world that even Australia can be conquered.
Ganguly backed his players when they needed him the most. From promoting a hesitant Virender Sehwag to open the innings for the team to fighting his way out to get Anil Kumble included in the team during the 2003-04 Australian tour for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Sehwag became one of the greatest opening batsmen ever in the game of cricket and Kumble picked the maximum number of wickets in the series against Australia and had an outstanding calendar year. Thanks to Sourav Ganguly and the trust he reposed upon his players.
Ganguly’s attitude was second to none. In 2003, he refused to resort to the tactic of preparing dustbowls for a home series vs New Zealand even though the Kiwis had presented India with excessively green tracks when they hosted the Indian side. This showed that Ganguly confidence on not relying on conditions for success and he boldly declared that his team could beat New Zealand on good pitches.
Ganguly was a champion in managing his bunch of players and bringing the best out of them. Ganguly provided Harbhajan Singh with the necessary support that led to his great performances. He made sure that he dealt with different players according to their temperament and was able to bring the best out of them. The flourishing of young players like Yuvraj, Harbhajan and Sehwag while the prospering of seniors like Kumble and Laxman are prime examples of that.
Ganguly was also brave in his decisions like promoting Laxman to No. 3 in the famous Kolkata Test of 2001 was based on proper analysis. He had later explained his logic while commentating in recent cricket matches. He was a sharp analyser of the game with a great tactical and strategic mind.
Ganguly was not only known for his gusty drives on the off-side and lofted sixes but also for his aggression as a captain that changed the face of Indian cricket.
His unparalleled leadership, talent and hunger for victory earned him several titles like the ‘Dada’, ‘God of Offside Cricket’, ‘The Bengal Tiger’ and the ‘Prince of Kolkata’. Here’s the compilation of the 16 best quotes on Sourav Ganguly that show he is the Dada of cricket.
With all the glitz and glamour at the iconic French film festival with its glamorous yachts, countless celebrities, and couture looks at the Cannes Film Festival, it was truly the most wonderful time of the year!
This year, the festival kicked off in a major way with Julianne Moore blowing everyone else out of the water in a Givenchy Haute Couture red cape gown. Day two brought us Lupita Nyong’o in a ruched Miu Miu look and Carey Mulligan in a stunning minimalist Christian Dior Haute Couture gown. Cate Blanchett was seen in a custom Mary Katrantzou, Bella Hadid’s return in Dior Haute Couture, Lupita Nyong’o in a flow-y pink Prada gown, and Isabelle Huppert stunning in Saint Laurent. And if that weren’t enough, Jane Fonda blessed us with her presence twice.
Neymar, 26, Brazil
This is the redemption tour for the young Brazilian star. Neymar has opined that Brazil are the team to beat. Asked which players, excluding The Best FIFA Men's Player finalists – himself, Lionel Messi and winner Cristiano Ronaldo – would shine at the 21st edition of the tournament, the 26year-old responded: “There are lots of quality players. It’s the World Cup we’re talking about – only the best players in the whole world. But Coutinho and Jesus are players that, for me, can have a big impact. I hope they do.
Harry Kane, 24, England
There's a good chance Russian citizens will experience a HurriKane warning this summer. The Tottenham Hotspur striker and captain of the Three Lions will be shouldering expectations of a national team that failed to make it out of the group stage back in 2014. Kane was not part of that team, and in fact, had not even made a Premier League start until April of that year. Since then, he has risen into stardom as one of the most prolific goalscorers on the planet. Kane is a great poacher but he can find the back of the net from long distance too.
Kevin De Bruyne, 26, Belgium
Nicknamed “The Prince”, the distinctive red-haired De Bruyne is the brains of the operation of the Belgium national team. Four years ago De Bruyne tore the hearts of U.S. national team by scoring in extra time to help Belgium advance to the quarterfinals where the Red Devils were eliminated by Argentina. He finished Brazil 2014 with one goal and two assists. KDB’s game is all about his vision and the way he sets up his teammates with world-class passes. There are not many players that can read the field the way he can.
Edinson Cavani, 31, Uruguay
Edinson Cavani brings hopes of winning a third FIFA World Cup title for Uruguay. Cavani, might be one of the most underrated strikers on the planet. He’s been the author of back-to-back 40-plus-goal seasons for his club, all while leading South American qualifiers in goals scored with 10. The long-haired, headband-wearing forward is very valuable to the team just based on his ability to retreat and help out the midfield and defence from time to time.
Thomas Muller, 28, Germany
Thomas Muller will be representing Germany in the World Cup for the third time in his career, and he is only 28. Muller already sits eighth on the all-time World Cup goalscoring list, the highest among any active player, and only six behind his former teammate Miroslav Klose, who set the record in 2014. The lanky Muller is the type of player that seems to always be at the right place at the right time being able to play a variety of positions up front, depending on the formation. He only scored 15 goals in 45 appearances last season for Bayern Munich. Since winning the World Cup in 2014, Muller has scored 12 times in 28 international appearances.
Lonavala – Maharashtra
With the onset of monsoon, the Sahyadri mountain ranges and the ghats revive with alluring greenery, breath taking waterfalls and pleasant climate. For a quick escape from the bustling city, plan a trip to the quaint hill town of lonavala which is ideal for nature lovers.
Things to do: Trekking, sightseeing, camping, horse ride
How to reach: It’s 1 hour 45 minutes (83.6 km) from Mumbai & 1 hour 26 minutes (67.1 km) from Pune by road. Lonavala has its own railway station & almost all the trains running on this route, halt here. Attractions: Enjoy the extensive view of a stream flowing by at the cliff top called The Tiger point and relish in the tranquillity of Karla caves built by the Buddhist monks around 3rd to 2nd century BC. There’s a famous waterfall near Bushi dam which is a very popular spot for all the monsoon lovers.
Munnar – Kerala
Munnar is truly a paradise in God’s own country. With silvery mist, incredibly vast tea gardens, lush green hills, romantic atmosphere and pleasant climate, this hill station is truly one of the favourite tourist places in India during monsoons which is ideal for honeymooners.
Things to do: Trekking, plantation tours, sightseeing, birdwatching
How to reach: 3 hours 40 minutes (130.1 km) via road from Cochin on the NH49. The nearest railway station are Aluva and Ernakulam which are the major cities in Kerala. The nearest airport are Cochin at 110 km and Madurai international airport which is 140 km away.
Attractions: Spot some exquisite wildlife at Anamudi which is also the highest peak in the western ghats, enjoy some nature walk at beautiful lakes in Devikulam and visit the Attukal waterfalls.
Spiti Valley – Himachal Pradesh
Also known as “little Tibet” this place is untouched by man and hence retains its mystical and mesmerising beauty. There’s truly magic in the air of Spiti that is sure to make you fall in love with this place. Spiti is one of the best offbeat places to visit in monsoon in India which is ideal for adventure enthusiasts.
Things to do: Camping, wildlife viewing
How to reach: The nearest railway station is in Shimla. The nearest airport is the Kullu airport at Kullu.
Attractions: Spot exquisite flora and wildlife at Pin valley national park, and appreciate the calmness and peaceful atmosphere of the Lhalung monastery.
Shillong – Meghalaya
Surrounded by picturesque valleys of Khasi and Jayanti hills, adorned by numerous waterfalls, Shillong offers a panoramic view of green natural scenery which is ideal for nature lovers.
Things to do: Wildlife viewing, trekking, boating
How to reach: The closest railway station to Shillong is Guwahati which is about 100 kilometres away and can be accessed by cabs. The Guwahati railway station is connected to New Delhi and other major cities across the country.
Attractions: David Scott Trail is an old trekking route that is counted amongst the most famous ones in Meghalaya.
Goa
Goa is one of the best places to visit in rainy season in India. The land of beaches is surely worth a visit during monsoons to enjoy sand, drizzle and picturesque sceneries. It’s the perfect place to get soaked in the rains and enjoy some truly delicious Goan delicacies which is ideal for beach lovers, party animals.
Things to do: Jet skii, scuba, trekking, heritage tour, shopping, birdwatching
How to reach: Goa is well connected by roads and a Mumbai to Goa road trip is worth everything in monsoons. Goa is well connected to other cities with Madgaon & Vasco-da-gama stations and Goa international airport in Dabolim.
Attractions: Go trekking or hiking at Dudhsagar waterfalls, visit Aguada fort for a scintillating view, Dolphin show, Cruize amid the beautiful sea bordered by the beaches, feel rich as a gambler at the Casino and get the thrilling experience of water sports in Baga beach.
In November 1988, an attempted coup in the Maldives nearly succeeded. The ramifications of such an eventuality would have been staggering. It was carried out by mercenaries from the PLOTE (People’s Liberation Army of Tamil Eelam), an armed outfit fighting for an independent homeland for the Tamil people in Sri Lanka but it never became clear what the new government would have given to the PLOTE leadership if the coup had been successful. At the very minimum, the outfit would most certainly have got the use of one or more of the Maldivian Islands as a quid pro quo which they could have used as safe bases from where to launch attacks against the Sri Lankan armed forces. This would have vitiated the security atmosphere in the region, the impact of which we would probably still be feeling today.
It was fortunate that President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom went into hiding and evaded capture by the plotters. He sent an urgent message to India for help, which resulted in one of the most daring rescue missions ever launched, code named Operation Cactus. In a lightning operation, the likes of which have rarely been seen in history, Indian para commandos were landed by the Indian Air Force in pitch darkness over a runway that no one had secured. And then the troops got into action and quickly seizing control, neutralised the opposition.
All these details have been well sketched out in this amazing book. However, things were not as simple as that. It is apparent that like many instances in the past, the force carrying out the operation had to make do without maps, without intelligence and most glaringly, without adequate equipment. The troops had also not been prepared or trained for such a contingency. Yet they delivered, which simply points to the brilliant leadership of the Commander, 50 (I) Para Brigade, Brig F. F. C. Bulsara and the grit and courage of the officers and men from the Army and Air Force who took part in the operation.
Why is the Indian military so often short changed that it has to go into operations in such a manner? Perhaps it has something to do with the higher structural organisation of the Ministry of Defence, wherein the babus have power without accountability and the military is left holding the baby. That remains our weakness till date.
An important aspect of Operation Cactus was the role of leadership. Brig Bulsara was given a plan by the VCOAS, which he thought was unworkable. He had the courage of his convictions to oppose the plan which would have been an unmitigated disaster had it been implemented. The Vice Chief was abusive and crass when he spoke to Bulsara over the telephone, but the Commander held firm. It is generally not well known that on completion of operations, Brig. Bulsara, while waiting at the airport for the flight back home, wrote a hand written note to Gen. Rodrigues. In this note, Brig Bulsara informed the Vice Chief that the operation had been successfully completed. He then expressed his anguish at the crude and abusive language used by the VCOAS in the run up to the operation, stating “While issuing instructions for the Operation, you did not speak to a formation commander appropriately. May I request you to refrain from speaking to Formation commanders the way you did,”or words to that effect. And lastly,he stated that should he ever be asked to go into battle again, he would not like to do so under Rodrigues.
The VCOAS replied in a hand written note stating that he said things under the heat of the moment, and that he harboured no ill will towards Bulsara. Be that as it may, it is tragic that the man who gave India victory at Maldives, did not get his next rank. The Vice Chief however rose to become the Chief!
This is a book that should be read by all officers of the Armed Forces. The Maldives operation should also be a compulsory subject for promotion examination in India’s Armed Forces and should be studied to understand the role that leadership plays in war.
There could be no better advertisement for the Indian Army, and indeed for the Indian Armed Forces than this book by General Baljit Singh. A melange of 101 short stories, written with consummate passion and skill, takes the reader to places very few have been privileged to see and brings forth vivid experiences of life in uniform, in all its resplendent multi-coloured hues. Only a person as erudite as the General, with his love for nature, his passion for the uniform and his literary skills could have put forth his experiences in such a unique manner.
The very first story, “Two Voices from Kargil Battlefield”, gets the reader hooked to the book. Told with charming simplicity, the first of the ‘voices’ was a telephone call from his erstwhile sevadaar in 198284, who had by 1999, risen to the rank of Havildar. Over the telephone, he proudly related how he had led his team of soldiers from 3/3 GR to capture the feature assigned to them in the Dras Sector, during the Kargil conflict in 1999. The second voice was another telephone call, this time from a young captain, who had directed artillery fire on to the enemy positions, while perched at a height of 15,000 feet atop an exposed mountain top! “You fire a round at him and sure enough, you can expect him on your location in precisely one minute”, said the young Captain with disarming candour. Somewhere in the middle of the book is an equally gripping story titled, The Long Road to Siachen, which gives out a vivid account of the race to the Siachen Glacier, which culminated in the capture of the Qaid post by Sub Bana Singh, who was awarded the Param Vir Chakra for this feat, the Qaid post thereafter being renamed as ‘Bana Post’.
Equally compelling are the stories penned of famous personalities. The authors meeting with General Jameel Mehmood, when the latter visited him in his retirement home in the pristine forests of the Adivasis, making the locals wonder what the strange bird was that had landed in their midst, throwing up a cloud of dust! Or of his account of the life and times of Brigadier Sir John Smyth, which gives the reader a peep into history and of life in the Army a century ago. The short story of Adela Florence Nicholson (1865-1904) also makes for fascinating reading. Adela was the first woman, admittedly not a native but Indian domiciled, who published poetry in english, long before Sarojini Naidu!
The personalities covered in the book are diverse. Subedar Major Umrao Singh, a Victoria Cross winner, the indomitable Air Commodore Mehar Singh, DSO, MVC, who flew the first Dakota in to Ladakh, landing at Leh on an unprepared surface, along with General Thimaya, to “ prevent the fall of Leh”, are but two heroes written about in this book. Also cov-ered is the life of General EF Norton (18841954), a great soldier and an iconic mountaineer, a story on Queen Elizabeth, another on General Jacob and a most captivating story of India’s beloved President, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.
But the book is not just about famous personalities. It is also replete with stories which bring out the authors love affair with nature and wild life. His abiding commitment to the promotion of nature conservation in general, but more so both within and by the Armed Forces found recognition, when he was invited to serve on the Board of Trustees, of the World Wildlife Fund for Nature’s India Chapter. Anecdotes of the authors travels are interspersed in the book, which make for delightful reading. These include visits to the Kanha National park and stories of a variety of birds and animals, butterflies and other tales of wildlife. Being in the Army gives a soldier a myriad number of opportunities to interact with nature, but one does need a discerning eye and a passion to truly revel in its beauty.
There are also stories of a general nature, interspersed in the book. The topics are diverse - from talking about ‘Siachen Allowance to Soldiers’, the author shifts to ‘India’s Vanishing Birds’, and then on to ‘Earliest Dalliances with Everest’ followed by ‘Vignettes from the Swat Valley’. This is what makes the book endearing. It is a collection of stories written by the author over a period of time, some of which have now found their way into this book. A most interesting potpourri, which the reader can flavour from whichever page she or he chooses to open.
Priced at Rs 2995 in hard cover, the book is perhaps out of reach for the young reader and would most likely find a place only in libraries. This is a book which will be enjoyed by the veterans and those in uniform, and also by India’s youth, which will enable them to see the personnel of their Armed Forces in a different light.
She blazed across the tinsel sky for decades and then as if in a moment she froze like a star in the open sky. Yes, she was the star and she will always remain a star in the galaxy of cinema. That twinkling star was our beloved Sridevi, a rare woman actor who shouldered a film with the male actor as prop. She blazed the screen from a young age and was gone just like a candle in the wind. The Hawa Hawai girl lit up the screen for 50 of her 54 years of life, rode many a storm as she ruled Bollywood for years with her magic on screen. We celebrate the real Sridevi and her iconic screen presence.
There was a time when the Army was beyond reproach or review and it occupied a position of awe and admiration. But ever since the Army started being used for political positioning and the yardstick for nouveau nationalism, its exalted status seems to be under threat. In Platform, we take a look at this dangerous phenomenon.
With actor Akshay Kumar having hit the big screen with his film Padman based on the real-life story of Arunachalam Muruganantham who invented and revolutionized the use of low-cost sanitary napkins for women, we bring you the story of Deepanjali who has developed an organic and biodegradable version.
In our International coverage, we explore the mystery that shrouds North Korea. North Korea much like Cuba has been thumbing its nose at America with gay abandon. Its enigmatic ruler Kim Jong Un has caught the world’s attention not only because of his repeated threats to the US but because much of this 34-year-old dictator is shrouded in mystery. An attempt to unravel the young leader who has managed to get US President Donald Trump to engage with North Korea.
Every year, for 12 days in May, the small city of Cannes in southern France turns into a meeting place for cinema's players, would-be players and the people who report on them. In the world of film, the Festival de Cannes — known to many of us as the Cannes Film Festival — is the largest international showcase of cinematic art. In the world of the yet-to-be-discovered filmmaker, the Cannes Film Festival is a godsend. A curtain raiser.
In our Travel section, we undertake an unusual journey — Travel for a Cause. Empowerment tourism differs from ‘voluntourism’. Travellers in developing countries are often faced with the reality of people living in poverty and lacking the kinds of opportunity most travellers take for granted. Most can’t help feeling sorry, but don’t know what they can do personally to help. Established in 2015, Hands on Journeys gives you that opportunity. Based in Australia it currently runs empowerment tourism tours to Cambodia, Vietnam and India. We travel Hands-on with them.
In our backend section, our Book listing and an unusual First Lady of Fashion is sure to up your curiosity. So with summer knocking hard on our doors, its time to keep and cool and keep reading. Cheers!