Friday, 7 June 2019
Keep the air clean, it's what we breathe
We will also help the government, private sector and civil society groups to curb air pollution," he said.Aaranyak has requested the state government and citizens to consider air pollution as one of the most serious environmental and health problems and take immediate steps for its mitigation in an emergency mode. He said according to the Assam Pollution Control Board, the number of deaths that are caused due to Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI) has increased considerably. The National Health Profile, 2018, released recently by the Central Bureau of Health Intelligence (CBHI) reported that Assam alone had 20,667 cases of ARI and 200 deaths caused in 2016."The high Air Quality Index (AQI) for Assam, which indicates low air quality, is likely to increase as most cities and townships are undergoing significant construction and infrastructure development, rapid expansion-cum-urbanisation and other development activities," he said."Monitoring of air quality by the Assam Pollution Control Board in Guwahati has revealed the presence of respirable suspended particulate matter and suspended particulate matter well above the prescribed limit since 2008. Guwahati's air is found to have very high content of black carbon," he said. DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The Telegraphhttp://wiznotes.com/UserProfile/tabid/84/userId/187665/Default.aspx
Rafael Nadal expects Roger Federer onslaught in French Open semi-final
Nadal, bidding for a record-extending 12 titles, believes the Swiss will be coming at him with all guns blazing after a comfortable passage to the last four. 'There are no two matches the same,' Nadal told reporters as he looked ahead to tennis's El Clasico. 'We always try things. Let's see. Let's see what's going on. I really expect that he's gonna play aggressive, changing rhythms, going to the net. That's my feeling. 'He's playing well and he has the tennis to make that happen. I have to be solid. I have to hit the ball enough strong to don't allow him to do the things from good positions.' Federer, bidding to win the title for the second time, 10 years after he beat Robin Soderling to claim his sole French Open crown, has only dropped one set on his return to Roland Garros, having missed the last three French Opens. Nadal has been equally dominant and obliterated Kei Nishikori with an awesome show of force in the quarter-finals. With only two wins from their previous 15 claycourt meeting Federer knows he must bring something different to the party and says he will adopt a 'fearless' approach to try to get the better of his Roland Garros nemesis. Should he manage it, it would be arguably one of the greatest feats of his sensational career. 'For me to even get to Rafa was not simple,' Federer, at nearly 38 the oldest men's Grand Slam semi-finalist for 28 years, said after defeating countryman Stan Wawrinka on Tuesday. 'It took five me five matches to get here. That's why I'm very happy to play Rafa, because if you want to do or achieve something on the clay, inevitably, at some stage, you will go through Rafa, because he's that strong. 'I knew that when I signed up for the clay that hopefully that's gonna happen.' DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: Hindustan Timeshttp://ctendodontists.org/UserProfile/tabid/84/userId/714091/Default.aspx
India's bowling performance was incredible: Sachin
The way they started was something special. "I would like to single out Bumrah here, for the start that he gave was incredible. He generated that pace and the bounce he got off the pitch was something special. He created that pressure on the batsmen, who were not able to rotate the strike," the icon and former India captain said during the break after the first session.Sachin also had a mention for Kohli's "proactive" captaincy. "If you look at the field placement, it was proactive captaincy and not reactive. So, all in all, a great start followed by a special bowling by Chahal," Sachin said.Sachin was also a tad surprised with South Africa's decision to bat first despite conditions being favourable for seamers. According to Sachin, the Proteas' decision was due to the "excess baggage" they carried from the defeats in their previous two matches, against England and Bangladesh."The decision to bat first had a big question mark. I felt there was some excess baggage being carried from their past defeats in this World Cup. "In a tournament like the World Cup, you play different opponents at different venues and you have to assess the conditions accordingly. If I was the captain, I would've been tempted to bowl first and try and put pressure on the Indian batting line-up because there were clouds around and conditions were slightly heavy. "So, as I said, had I been the captain, I would have been tempted to bowl first and not carry any excess baggage from the past two games," Sachin said.Talking about how a team should approach 220-plus totals in overcast conditions, Sachin said the focus should be on looking to play risk-free cricket and avoid losing early wickets. "Teams have got to approach it like a Test match. Nobody likes to lose early wickets. So, I think openers should approach it without a rush, when they are not chasing a big total."If I were in the openers' position, I'd assess how much movement is there off the pitch, and what kind of bounce (rival) bowlers generate in the first two overs." DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The Telegraphhttps://able2know.org/account/profile/
In a first, Israel PM Netanyahu appoints first gay minister
Netanyahu opted for parliament to dissolve itself and approve new elections, preventing Israeli President Reuven Rivlin from selecting someone else to form a government. Shaked and Bennett had left the Likud years earlier, but their New Right party failed to win enough votes in April's poll to clear the threshold to join Israel's parliament. Israeli ministers remain in their posts immediately after elections, until the formation of the next administration. But Netanyahu's office confirmed their sackings at the weekend. Justice ministry hopeful Betzalel Smotrich, of the religious far-right alliance United Right, said on Monday the country should be run according to biblical laws, sparking outrage among secular Israelis. Netanyahu responded by saying "the state of Israel will not be a halakha state", referring to Jewish law. Thousands of people are expected to converge on Jerusalem on Thursday for its "march of pride and tolerance" to support the rights the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) community, amid tight security. In 2015, a 16-year-old demonstrator at the march was stabbed to death by an ultra-orthodox Jew. Israel has presented itself as a pioneer in LGBT rights in the region, but homosexuality is deeply rejected by conservative religious parties whose support Netanyahu is likely to need in order to form his next government. It has also been accused of "pinkwashing", or pushing its reputation for tolerance, in an effort to restore a liberal image tarnished by its occupation of Palestinian territories. Netanyahu's failure to form a coalition was due to strongly secular right-wing former defence minister Avigdor Lieberman's refusal to back down on demands for legislation to force religious Jews to serve in the army along with other Israelis. ... DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: Deccan Chroniclehttp://actionangler.net/ActivityFeed/tabid/61/userId/173018/Default.aspx
In a first, Israel PM Netanyahu appoints first gay minister
Netanyahu opted for parliament to dissolve itself and approve new elections, preventing Israeli President Reuven Rivlin from selecting someone else to form a government. Shaked and Bennett had left the Likud years earlier, but their New Right party failed to win enough votes in April's poll to clear the threshold to join Israel's parliament. Israeli ministers remain in their posts immediately after elections, until the formation of the next administration. But Netanyahu's office confirmed their sackings at the weekend. Justice ministry hopeful Betzalel Smotrich, of the religious far-right alliance United Right, said on Monday the country should be run according to biblical laws, sparking outrage among secular Israelis. Netanyahu responded by saying "the state of Israel will not be a halakha state", referring to Jewish law. Thousands of people are expected to converge on Jerusalem on Thursday for its "march of pride and tolerance" to support the rights the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) community, amid tight security. In 2015, a 16-year-old demonstrator at the march was stabbed to death by an ultra-orthodox Jew. Israel has presented itself as a pioneer in LGBT rights in the region, but homosexuality is deeply rejected by conservative religious parties whose support Netanyahu is likely to need in order to form his next government. It has also been accused of "pinkwashing", or pushing its reputation for tolerance, in an effort to restore a liberal image tarnished by its occupation of Palestinian territories. Netanyahu's failure to form a coalition was due to strongly secular right-wing former defence minister Avigdor Lieberman's refusal to back down on demands for legislation to force religious Jews to serve in the army along with other Israelis. ... DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: Deccan Chroniclehttp://actionangler.net/ActivityFeed/tabid/61/userId/173018/Default.aspx
Sunday, 26 May 2019
Things didn't go as per plans: Kohli
rent Boult grabbed four wickets earlier on with some incisive swing bowling as India were shot out inside 40 overs. The left-arm pacer grabbed four for 33 in 6.2 overs before Ravindra Jadeja's counter-attacking half-century helped India to cross the 150-mark from a horribly placed 115 for eight at one stage. The famed Indian top order accumulated only 22 and the middle order too could resist only for a while. Jadeja's 62-run ninth-wicket stand with Kuldeep Yadav (19) was the only saving grace for India in an otherwise disappointing batting performance."Things didn't go as per plans. It was a good challenge upfront, though, as we can expect that in some places in England when conditions are overcast," Kohli said during the post-match interview. "We saw that in the latter half of the innings, when the lower order got stuck in, it was easier to score. From 50 for four, to get closer to 180 was a good effort. And of course, there wasn't much in the pitch when we came out to bowl," Kohli added. Apart from praising Jadeja for his fightback, Kohli also patted Hardik Pandya and Mahendra Singh Dhoni for their attempts of a resistance after India were reeling at 39 for four."In a tournament like the World Cup, the top order can misfire sometimes, so Hardik getting runs, MS absorbing pressure and Jadeja's half-century were certainly positives. "We bowled well, I think. They (New Zealand) were going at four, 4.5 per over. And looking at that in isolation, we did well. "Fielders are going to play a crucial role, while half chances will be massive. In other words, we'll have to be precise in all three aspects," Kohli stressed.His teammate Jadeja, too, didn't sound very worried because of this defeat. "Whenever you play in England, it's always difficult. "You have low bounce in India, then you come here and find that the wicket can have a little bit in it. We still have a little bit of time to work on it. We don't have to worry, we just need to keep playing good cricket," the all-rounder said.The batting unit has to focus more on its skills, Jadeja added. "We focused on momentum. If we got that, then we could play according to the situation. "Batting in England can be tough, so as a batting unit, we'll have to focus more on our skills. But I'm sure it will come through as everyone has a lot of experience. "This was just our first game here, so there isn't anything to worry about as a batting unit. We have a lot of experience and it's just one game (where things didn't go well). You can't really judge after just one bad innings."Apart from Jasprit Bumrah, who took a wicket and gave away just two runs off the four overs he bowled, Jadeja was the only other performer for India. With his hard work at nets paying off, Jadeja looks to keep up his good work in the matches ahead. DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The Telegraphhttps://growthhackers.com/members/reetasignaas
After the tsunami: There are no full stops in politics
Sometimes the wave begins from below, small ripples of anger or hope, that slowly gather strength. At other times, it is imposed from above, a manufactured narrative that takes a life of its own. Either way, it begins to resemble a force of nature - and the final outcome inspires the same shock and awe of a freak thunderstorm.The trouble with such analogy, though, is that it tends to see political processes in cataclysmic terms, reducing complex electoral verdicts into neat binaries, and exaggerating both victories and defeats. The ebb and flow of history is forgotten and there is a rush to jump to conclusions that are instant and sweeping.This is all too evident over the past few days in social media comments and on our television screens. Narendra Modi, no doubt, has led the Bharatiya Janata Party and the National Democratic Alliance to a remarkable victory. But the May 23 verdict is being imbued with an end-of-history momentousness that does not stand up to scrutiny.Among the rash of knee-jerk reactions, three stand out. Both supporters and critics of Narendra Modi have concluded that the results of India's 17th general elections are a ringing endorsement of a Hindu rashtra; a decisive indictment of dynastic politics; and a final blow to the Congress, which is doomed to extinction if it remains under the leadership of the Nehru-Gandhi family.There is some truth in these assessments but the reality is nowhere near so definitive. The BJP's core constituency comprising old Hindutva zealots and new Modi bhakts are, naturally, exultant at the magnitude of the party's victory and see it as a result of Modi's muscular Hindutva-laced nationalism. Ironically, the BJP's most vociferous critics have also reached the same conclusion. Till the morning of May 23, those belonging to the secular-liberal universe, convinced themselves that Modi was on his way out. Devastated by the result, they immediately concluded that all was lost - that the people had betrayed the foundational values of the republic and become thoroughly communalized.While Hindutva played a significant role in the making of the Modi narrative, and was used subliminally in some places and overtly in others, there were many other reasons that contributed to the mandate. The targeted welfare schemes helped, as did the idea of national pride. But the desire for a stable government that Modi was in a better place to provide than a post-poll coalition of squabbling parties was probably an even bigger factor that went into the making of the pro-incumbency wave.A wave, by definition, encompasses large numbers of "uncommitted" voters who wait till the last minute to switch to what is perceived as the stronger side. It does not necessarily mean that every Indian who voted for Modi is ideologically committed to everything the RSS and the BJP espouse. Those who rarely speak to actual voters, tend to see election verdicts only in terms of numbers - and get overly enthused or inordinately depressed by the metanarrative. But on the ground, things are often different. Multiple factors are at work and it is unfair to see voters as an ideological monolith. For instance, the same young shopkeeper in a small town in Rajasthan or the farmer in a village in Madhya Pradesh who voted Congress six months ago in the assembly election was voting for Modi in the Lok Sabha election. It would be facile to conclude that they were 'secular' then and had turned 'communal' now. Or that they would not vote differently again tomorrow.It is equally facile to attribute extraordinary powers to Modi for riding a "wave" two times in a row and overlooking the fact that the electorate, increasingly, prefers delivering decisive verdicts rather than fragmented ones. If Modi was the beneficiary of this trend nationally, the DMK-led front in Tamil Nadu and the YSRCP in Andhra Pradesh were equally successful in securing a "winner takes all" sweep.With the BJP's ability to hype up every achievement as "unprecedented" (and despondent liberals echoing the view), it is easy to forget that "pro-incumbency" is not the black swan event it is being made out to be. Forget the era of Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, when the Congress won bigger mandates than the BJP's current 303 seats on a routine basis. Even the UPA, led by a "weak" prime minister returned to power for a second term - and Manmohan Singh increased the Congress's tally by over 60 seats. Of course, Modi has won a single party majority both times, but the point is that the Indian voter tends to give the incumbent a second chance - unless there is widespread disenchantment or a particularly robust alternative. Given Modi's complete dominance over the nation's psyche for the past five years and total control over every lever of power, his return is not exactly an astounding feat.The second conclusion that the May 23 verdict was a resounding rejection of dynasty is also overstated. True, there is an increasing impatience with inherited legacies and the sense of entitlement it brings. But if one strikes the right political chord and works hard on the ground, it pays whether one is a dynast or not. That explains the victory of M.K. Stalin in Tamil Nadu and Jagan Mohan Reddy in Andhra Pradesh - both dynasts who campaigned long and hard. That Nakul Nath was the sole Congress victor in Madhya Pradesh because his father has nursed Chhindwara for decades also refutes the anti-dynast theory.As for the third, and most vociferous conclusion, the best thing that can be said for it is that it has been reached umpteen times before. Every time the Congress loses an election, there is a chorus among the intelligentsia seeking the exit of the Gandhis. The Congress party, they insist, can reinvent itself once it is rid of the 'Family' grip.Congressmen and women resist such calls for a good reason. They know that the Nehru-Gandhis have provided the glue that keeps an amorphous party together. The shambolic nature of the Congress - a loose coalition representing every region, religion and caste of India - is both its strength and its weakness. It belongs to no one (in particular) and to everyone (in general). Such a party can easily disintegrate without a governing principle, an emblem. The 'Family' provides that unifying essence.Every time the Congress has jettisoned the Gandhis (or vice versa), it has lost its moorings. The breakaway groups - Congress(O), Congress(S), Congress(T), Congress for Democracy - withered away and could not take on the mantle of being the "real" Congress minus the Gandhis. Some Congress leaders who left the parent party - Mamata Banerjee, Sharad Pawar, Jagan Reddy - have been more successful. But their parties are confined to specific states and not a replacement for the Congress on a national scale.Perhaps the centrality of the Gandhis to the Congress can be best understood from the vicious attacks launched against them by Narendra Modi. He knows that the exit of the Gandhis is the easiest way to dismantle the Congress as an edifice - and achieve the dream of a "Congress-mukt" Bharat.Whether or not Rahul Gandhi steps down as president of the party, he will remain the Congress's pre-eminent leader. The challenge before the Congress is not leadership but getting its message and messaging right. Just as the BJP, under Modi, has been unequivocal in its espousal of religious majoritarianism, the Congress has to be equally unambiguous in its championing of secularism, diversity, pluralism, compassion and equality. And not fall into the trap set by the BJP to become more 'Hindu" or jingoistic.The verdict last week may have had the force of a tsunami. But elections come and elections go - there are no full stops in politics...manini.chatterjee@abp.in DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The Telegraphhttps://www.intensedebate.com/people/ameetasri
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