ANTI-MODI MOOD
YOGENDRA YADAV, the election expert, has predicted an undercurrent mood in the country against the BJP. Yadav believes that the India group partners of the BJP in Maharashtra and Bihar will lose heavily. In Maharashtra there is a sympathy wave in favour of Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray whose NCP and Shiv Sena were stolen by rebel politicians.
In Bihar, there is strong opposition to Nitish Kumar who joined the BJP on the eve of the election. Even in UP Yadav believes that the BJP will not get more than 50 of the 80 seats.
Yogendra Yadav’s prediction is that the BJP will not get even a simple majority. Which means that BJP will be restricted to 250 seats in the next parliamentary house.
PRASHANT KISHORE PREDICTS
PRASHANT KISHORE, the much respected as maligned political consultant, who brought BJP to power, has moved on to other places (although some say he will always be a BJP mole). On record these days though Prashant believes that the BJP will find it difficult to win the 2024 elections. He is very upset over Nitish Kumar joining the BJP. Prashant is from Bihar and is waiting for the Bihar assembly election results. Prashant refused an assignment with the BJP for the 2024 elections. He was approached by the Congress but the Congress refused to entertain his condition that Rahul Gandhi may not be projected as prime minister material.
PUNE TEEN KILLER
THE father of the killer teen in a fancy Porsche car has been arrested. In addition the owner of the Pune pub frequented by the teenager driver has also been arrested. The Pune police chief has disclosed that the teenager spent Rs18,000 on enjoying drinks for himself and his friends for 40 minutes. It was a Sunday, May 19, 2024 when the teenager ran his car into an IT couple also in the vicinity, Anish Awadhia and Ashwini Kosta, both aged 24, both died on the spot. The police have approached the HC to treat the 17-year-old as an adult during the trial of the case.
ESCALATOR IN BAMBOLIM
EVEN after the disastrous overbridge at Miramar beach near the Sharada Mandir School, the State government is planning to build an over-bridge with a lift at Bambolim. This over-bridge too will have an escalator. The escalator installed at the Miramar over bridge broke down after a short time for want of maintenance. However, the new over bridge will come out at the Bambolim Church for the benefit of elderly pilgrims. This is where the Fulancho Khuris is located at Bambolim, it is revered as the belief is that it saves people from accidents on the highway. The historical experience is that Goans don’t like to climb bridges. Even the bridges at Karmali, Margao and Konkan railway stations are not used by passengers and visitors. They prefer crossing railway tracks despite the dangers entailed.
EGGS/CHICKENS COSTLIER
CHICKEN and egg prices have shot up because of an increase in the price of their feed. The price has risen to Rs196 per kg chicken. Vendors attribute the rise in prices to the hot weather. Fast food outlets have also increased prices of their food snacks. Naturally, transportation costs too have swung up again and amongst the worst affected are the outlets selling ros-omelette, a much loved snack in Goa.
`MANTHAN’ AT CANNES
THE Hindi film classic `Manthan’ has been restored and it was screened at the ongoing Cannes film festival. The film made by Shyam Benegal was based on the Kheda milk producer’s society which owns the Amul brand of milk chocolate and ice-creams. The co-operative society was organised by Dr Kurian, a nuclear scientist who was sent to Gujarat under science scheme introduced by the first prime minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru.
I had the privilege of being present at the film shooting of “Manthan” in Jamnagar, Gujarat. It was my first experience of a flight in an ancient Dakota plane and it was a one very bumpy ride in the air along with film crew.
(Contributed by Rajan Narayan)
NEP FOR CLASS III TO VI
CLASS 3rd and class 6th will be covered by the new educational policy in 2025-2026. All classes are proposed to be brought under the NEP by 1927-1928. The question papers will be set by the Education department. The answer books will however be corrected by the schools themselves. Students will have to learn only one foreign language. It is likely that the French and Portuguese languages will be dropped. Students will study only one foreign language and a system of semesters and credits will be introduced.
NOW GOA HERITAGE FESTIVAL
A GOA Heritage Festival has been organized by the Department of Tourism (government of Goa) from May 24 to May 26, 2024. The three-day festival promises an immersive experience at the Saligao Football Ground from 6pm onwards. The festival will showcase the diverse cultural heritage of Goa, offering attendees a unique opportunity to experience the essence Goan traditions through varied artistic expression.
Suneel Anchipaka (IAS, Director Tourism & Managing Director, GTDC) told media persons that “The Goa Heritage Festival represents a beautiful fusion of tradition and creativity, where every performance echoes the lively essence of our state. We honour this heritage by showcasing it in all its forms, from graceful traditional dancing to tantalizing cuisine, each experience celebrates customs and practices handed down through the generations. It’s a chance to reconnect with our roots, to reflect on the values that have shaped our identity and to share our rich cultural heritage with the world.”
The festivals inaugural day will see captivating performances by acclaimed bands Sky High and Pure Magic. Locals and tourists will witness a traditional fashion show. A highlight will also be the traditional dances of the renowned Kanta Gaude group, in Goa’s distinctive ethnic attire. The cultural extravaganza will see some mesmerizing traditional dance performances.
Day 2 promises enthralling live music highlighted by “Goa’s Pride” Hema Sardessai, performances by LYNX and Tidal Wave and contemporary and Goan music will blend harmoniously. Day 3 will showcase performances by 24K India, Truly Yours, and Archies. There will be a range of cultural activities, mimicry and comedy acts, book stalls and a photo gallery. Food enthusiasts may rejoice in the flavours of Goan food. Altogether celebrate the feeling of belonging to a community – residents and tourists alike.
“PROCESS REFORMS ARE NUTS AND BOLTS REFORMS, CRITICAL TO ECONOMIC GROWTH…”- — Says Sanjeev Sanyal
SANJEEV SANYAL, a member of the prime minister’s economic advisory council, said that process reforms (PR) are nuts and bolts reforms critical for the rapid economic growth of our country. He was speaking on the topic titled “Process Reforms as Public Policy: How to Deliver Change Within Government” at the International Centre Goa (ICG) on Wednesday evening, May 22, 2024 as a part of ICG’s public lecture series which attract many of Goa’s business community and crème de la crème of society. Amongst the eminent citizens in the audience was Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte who had also come to listen to Sanyal, considered to be one of the blue-eyed boys of the PM’s advisory council.
Sanyal said, “If the Indian economy is growing at an annual rate of 8% consistently, it is because of the series of process reforms initiated by the incumbent government.” Sanyal, who worked as economic advisor to the Union Finance Minister between 2017-22, cited a series of areas in his audio-visual presentation to show where process reforms helped tighten up systems to create increased efficiency and economy.
Citing a case of administrative streamlining using process reforms, Sanyal said it was now possible to shut down a company in just 90 days, where it used to take 499 days in the past. Similarly, the shutting down of old laws in the regulation sector had helped people “work from home” without any legal pressures since 2021.
According to Sanyal, changes in the Metrology Act of 2009 had helped shut out the excessive criminal implications in the field of weights and measures. He also cited how increased staffing in the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) department had resulted in a record 100,000 patents being issued in the year 2023-24.
Sanyal also stated that several redundant or non-working government departments had been shut down leading to increased efficiency. To drive home this point he cited the example of how multiple departments related to film making like the Films Division of India, Directorate of Film Festivals, National Film Archives of India, etc, are now merged into one single entity, the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC).