|
|
|
|
|
Take it or leave it
When we talk about one of the most basic rights of women, we obviously mean maternity leave and medical facilities she is entitled to during and post pregnancy. So, six months of maternity leave is granted to women in the public sector. Even daily-wagers are entitled to six months leave. The corporate sector being a little less generous allows only three months. But not before the Delhi High Court made a suggestion on Monday did we realise that there was another section of women entitled to ‘the’ right.
The court admitted the petitions of two law students who were short of attendance due to pregnancy. Nishtha Jaiswal, Dean Student Welfare, Women, Panjab University, welcomes the move: “I remember in a similar case of a pregnant student, teachers unofficially helped her and ensured that her attendance touched the 75 per cent mark.” She believes that in a way the suggestion would help women take up studies after marriage as well. “It’s a privilege to enjoy motherhood, but that should not be at the cost of giving up studies or career. The provision will have a positive effect on the literacy rate of women. The suggestion will motivate women to improve their qualification. This is another step towards empowering them.” In the West, even college-going girls are allowed to take maternity leave. Mangla Dogra, a city-based gynaecologist, also supports the High Court’s suggestion. “In case of medical complications in pregnancy, maternity leave is a must. Since, students are not entitled to it, they have no option but to quit studies.” She also emphasises on the fact that very less percentage of women are advised complete bed rest. “The leverage in attendance should thus be given only after considering the medical reports of the patient. The authorities should ensure that undue advantage of law is not taken.” On the other hand, a few people also expressed their apprehensions regarding the suggestion. Mohanmeet Khosla, Head of the Department, University School of Mass Communications, PU, although is in favour of the suggestion, feels it might have more ramifications. “For professional courses, less attendance would means less practical knowledge as compared to regular students. The girls student will certainly be able to take exams and earn a degree even in case of shortfall in attendance, but professionally she might not be competent enough.” She adds that a better idea would be to make sure that girls get married only after completing their education. “For some people, it might become an excuse to marry off their daughters in between the academic year, since they know she would anyways get attendance.” Dinesh Kumar, assistant professor, department of law, who is pursuing a PhD in Human Rights, opines that the suggestion would definitely benefit women and promote female literacy. “The sole drawback is that students with some other serious problem can also seek long leave. But it’s a win-win deal for women who don’t want pregnancy to impede their education.”
ashima@tribunemail.com |
|
Bang on time
Punjabi singer Jasbir Jassi was in the city to promote his upcoming album ‘Back With A Bang’ A die-hard Punjabi music fan would give us a bang on approval on this. Nine out of 10 Punjabi songs have lyrics that highlight a ‘dunaali’ (gun), ‘kajehri’ (court) and ‘jat da badla’ (Jats’ revenge). Common people, let’s give it a break and move to better themes. How about talking about our rich heritage, folk tales, and how about writing lyrics for a cause? A meeting with Punjabi singer Jasbir Jassi, who was at 92.7 Big FM, a Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd, to promote his upcoming album Back With A Bang leaves us with a hope - singers like him who wouldn’t sing anything for a ‘popularity’ tag, who want to be in the news for right reasons. "Jassi bought a new Land Cruiser. Jassi was seen walking on a beach. Jassi overtook a car on a busy route," laughs the singer. "I want people to talk about me for the right reasons." For instance, his upcoming album. "Singers talking about the hardwork behind their album is a common thing to hear, but trust me I have put my heart and soul into it. Back With A Bang has nine songs and each one is unique and different in its own sense," says Jassi. "In short, this album is my journey from a small village in Punjab to New York. The songs are a good amalgamation of Punjabi and tunes from New York."
The talk of freshness in his album makes us notice, the fresh feel in his look too. Time the singer understood the importance of marketing. "I have always believed in hardwork, but of late I have realised the importance and need to market oneself. 92.7 Big FM has given me a chance to do it today. All the same, I still choose to stick to the policy of hardwork and sincerity that gives a singer a longer life," says Jassi, who would rather diversify in his work than get stuck with a genre or a place like Bollywood. "I am skeptical about singing in Bollywood. Somehow, I don’t see a longer innings for myself in Bollywood. I feel this place doesn’t offer exclusivity. A popular script writer is asked to write for every film, taking away the ‘different’ bit," says Jassi, who has given voice to Akshay Kumar’s upcoming movie Patiala House and for title track of Mel Karadey Rabba. And now, he is playing a lead in upcoming Punjabi movie Khushiyaan. So he is taken the inevitable route that all Punjabi singers take in the course of their singing career? He smiles. "It is indeed a trend and there is no harm in acting as long as one is familiar with the nuances. Acting for sake of popularity is not justified. For me, Shahid Kapoor or Salman are not real actors, instead Nasserudin Shah, Kulbushan Kharbanda are artistes who can slip into character roles with ease, and are evergreen actors," feels the singer who is also planning a devotional album, which will be made keeping world music in mind. jasmine@tribunemail.com
|
|
Well Seated!
Good furniture at the workplace can motivate employees to perform better
To begin with, we like to attend office because it is an inevitable drill (lest you are close to Ratan Tata or Sunil Mittal). Second, nobody tolerates an idle soul lazing around at home the whole day (lest you are a bachelor with no strings attached). Third, working in office is far better than slogging in the kitchen or making rounds of the vegetable market. Fourth, c’mon people, work is worship (no exceptions here). And last but not the least, someone somewhere could be waiting for you. Now, here is one more addition to the whole thing. According to Steelcase, a Chicago-based office furniture manufacturing and solutions company, the Generation Y lays a lot of emphasis on the look of the office as good furniture creates a good ambience, which in turn creates a good working environment. In a way, good furniture in the office peps us the mood of the employees, which increasing productivity. “The survey, which was done over 10 months across India, China and the US, highlights the fact that a good foundation for office space design attracts and retains talent,” says Sudhakar Lahade, product designer and researcher, Steelcase Inc. “We believe when the workplace is better, business results improve and so do workers’ attraction, engagement, satisfaction and retention,” he adds. Furniture sure affects the mood. Imagine if one has to sit on a wooden chair that makes a creeky sound each time you turn back! And what if this is replaced with comfy chairs, that can be adjusted the way you want, a state-of-the art table with drawers where you can keep your important documents and hide snacks too! Says Manipal Dhariwal, CEO, Sebiz Infotech Ltd, Industrial Area, Mohali, “The concept of new spaces, products and designs is not a latest addition in the corporate world. Success of an organisation depends on the good performance of workers, which is only possible if they enjoy their work. This in turn is possible if they are given a comfortable ambience. At Sebiz we ensure the workers are given all kinds of facilities so that they enjoy their time at work.”
Functional efficiency in an office is directionally proportional to the ambience. The average time spent by the employees at the workstation is about 80-85 per cent of the total working hours, which calls in for facilitating and initiating the implementation of ergonomically designed modular workstations. At the state-of-the art Airtel Campus at the Technology Park, the cabins and meeting rooms have been placed in the centre of each floor, rather than adjacent to the façade of the building as is usually the case. By not blocking the windows, natural light from the windows streams into the entire work area, giving it a natural and pleasant feel. “With rounded corners and edges, pastel shades and every item within arms reach, the work stations assist in increasing functional efficiencies, which are further complemented by world-class communication and data navigation facilities,” says an official spokesperson. Adds Sudhakar Lahade, “Steelcase WorkSpace Future consolidated the data and found that most workers look at workplace as a platform not only to perform work, but also for continuous learning, personal growth and social networking. “The multi-functional work environment will transform the workplace design to provide a more user-centric office environment that enhances flexibility and also facilitates easy as well as constant communication among team-mates,” he adds. jasmine@tribunemail.com
|
|
‘Eggs’traordinary
Kandla Nijhowne
An egg is a no brainer for anyone to cook, so why am I talking eggs today? I earnestly feel the need to promote their consumption amongst the less enthusiastic segment. Eggs are called nature’s multivitamin that provides lasting energy. Contrary to a previous scare, research shows that eating eggs every day does not significantly raise LDL (“bad” cholesterol) levels or contribute to the risk of heart disease for most healthy men and women. Eggs improve concentration, aid brain development, weight management and eyesight protection. They are versatile, affordable and quick cooking. Even better, God delivers them to us portion controlled, each one gift wrapped in their own shell. On second thoughts let’s leave God out of this one and give credit for this wondrous spherical saugaat to Mrs Cluck-Cluck herself! Scotch eggs
450 gm mutton mince, or nutri-flakes Method Crème brulee A classic French dessert, which is often enhanced with a topping of fruits and nuts when served in hotels. This is actually out of character with the essential flavour of this famous pudding. 500 ml cream Method Beat the eggs, yolks and sugar together till pale and creamy. Pour the cream into a saucepan and bring to boiling point, with the vanilla. Pre-heat the oven to 140C°(275°F) Beat the sugar and all the eggs together in a large heat-proof bowl until pale and creamy. Pour this over the egg mixture, whisking all the time until thickened (This indicates that the eggs have already begun to cook slightly). The resulting mixture should have a smooth, custard like consistency. Strain through a fine sieve into a jug or any other container, then pour into six individual oven-proof bowls. Do not fill up to the brim. Place the bowls in a roasting tray and pour in enough hot water to come halfway up their sides. Bake for 40 minutes to one hour, or until the custards are just set and still a bit wobbly in the middle. Lift out from the ‘hot-water bath’ and allow them to cool. About 15-20 minutes before serving, evenly sprinkle one level tablespoon of caster sugar over the surface of each crème, then place under a very hot grill. Watch carefully while the sugar starts to bubble, and remove when it turns a dark gold colour. Allow the caramelised sugar to cool slightly by which time it will form a crust on the surface.
|
|
Fantasy world
To create a short flick that matches international sci-fi standards is a task that the young, creative students at Frameboxx Animation & Visual Effects Institute have taken up. And after a look at the teaser of their production, Parallax, they seem to be on the right path! It's the story of a young astrophysicist who is thrown across the boundaries of space and time during a scientific experiment. His journey across multiple locations and imaginary world is the challenge that this team under the supervision of Sachin Bhatnagar, vice president, Frameboxx, is trying to achieve. So a rough, running scene shot at Mirza Pur Dam, Abhipur, translates beautifully into a run in a different world altogether. "Everything except the cast in this 30-minute exciting short film is going to be fictional," says Bhatnagar. With a total budget of as little as Rs 1.5 lakh, the team tried to save expenses by casting local actors, shooting on their own, in and around Chandigarh, and making the most of in-house equipment. "The shooting is complete, and now we are in the post-production stage, which is truly challenging," shares Ankur Kapoor, writer and director. His enthusiasm is matched by Atul Kashyap and Parvinder Singh, animation and production leads, respectively. Equally keen on Hollywood sci-fi films, the team is excited about the project. "If we are able to put our imagination on 3D, this is going to be a project of international standards," chips in Atul. Parallax would be ready by year-end and the team plans to send it to various film festivals as well as release it online. mona@tribunemail.com
|
||
|
Business of religion
For many, religion and business is an either-or choice, a zero-sum game where shrewd become successful, and ethics and achievement don't run parallel.
In the cut-throat competition, rat-race philosophy, where the fittest survive, religion might be the last thing on the mind. This case is a blunt departure. "It's amazing how he converted Guru Nanak's philosophy of Ek Onkar as a business practice in USA and carved an empire for himself," post Sikhs Unlimited, Khushwant Singh, talks of his latest book Mending Souls and the man he penned a biography on — Ratanjit Singh. An educationist, a scientist, a radio and television person, and an author, sometimes the whole is much more than just the sum of parts. Shares Khushwant, "A lot of people ask me why not a biography on a celebrity or something. There are people beyond that have a very fresh thought process and approach to life. It's just like choosing an offbeat holiday destination." More on the man he chose; the motivational speaker, popularly nomenclatured Mr Stress Free, who migrated to the United States in 1968 to study in a varsity; and later set up Poly Carb, a company in road construction material - a multi-million US dollar venture finally taken over by Dow Chemicals. Dedicated in the book is one full chapter containing 25 principles of the theory of oneness. "He used Sikh principles as a successful business model. According to the oneness model we start thinking of one in everything. We'd ultimately have much more resources than we'd have if we considered everything individually." He adds, "Before coming out with the book, we were trying to do something on the Sikh principles in America in business model…once I decided, I was off to the US to spend four months with him," he gives the backgrounder. "I spent four months, 24/7 with him, stayed in his house, met his friends, talked to a string of bureaucrats." Finally we know the man as he his. Laughs Khushwant, "I was like this arrogant Punjabi landlord, but the entire experience of being with him has made me much more humbler…this man's 70, is extremely humble so much so that he even opens the car doors for you." As of now, he's working on the biography of the iconic marathon runner, the octogenarian, the Adidas poster boy — Fauja Singh. "He's amazing, is 99, and we can next year celebrate his 100th birthday with a book." Nothing like it! manpriya@tribunemail.com |
|
Melody man
Born on the Independence Day in 1989, gifted singer Azad Bahot is set to scale greater heights in the world of music. Coming from a humble family background, Azad was earlier into light singing. Later, he learnt classical music from Pandit Subhash Chander Ghosh and under noted music director Kanwar Iqbal. "I am indeed lucky to learn from renowned personalities of music in college, and now at the Punjab University from Neelam Paul, Arvind Sharma and others." says Azad, who is now pursing a Masters in Vocal Music. While recalling his maiden performance at the national level Jhankar Music Fest-2008 at Punjab University, where he won the third place in non-filmy songs category, he says, "In the absence of any godfather, only my hardwork paid in the end. I won the second position in Hindustani Vocal Classical Music category in 2009 and 2010 at the inter-zonal PU festival. I represented Chandigarh at the National Youth Festival at Bhubaneshwar, and also won awards at NZCC and Jalsa festivals." Azad was awarded at PU Rose Festival, Cyanide Idol-2 and many more events. "I also won the first-ever Voice of Chandigarh-2009 title after a nail-biting contest. However, the most memorable award was the one given by the Department of Tourism and Chandigarh Administration on World Music Day," says Azad.
|
||
Hollywood actor Julia Roberts says she piled on the pounds while filming her movie Eat Pray Love in Italy. The Pretty Woman star plays the role of a person who goes on a year-long cultural and spiritual trip to India, Italy and Bali in the film and admits she couldn't resist tucking in to hearty plates of pizza and pasta during the scenes shot in Rome. "I've always been a friend of food. I probably put on about seven pounds in Rome when we were shooting. I ate a lot of pizzas in Naples. It was just great. But it was hard on take 10 on a giant plate of pasta," she said. "It is a challenge and I love a good meal. Someone suggested I had a spit bucket but I can't do that because it makes me gag. It just grosses me out," she added. — IANS
|
Jessica Alba has criticised the Hollywood film industry for its bias against Hispanic actors. "Jennifer Lopez is a huge star, but in Hollywood they still always want her to play the maid. I love her because she opened doors for ethnic girls like me. I want to break down more barriers," she said. Alba, whose father is Mexican American, said she had "a hell of a time" at school because she was bullied for being mixed race. "I'd get beaten up and picked on all the time", she said. "It was about being different. Apart from being mixed race, my parents didn't have money so I never had the cute clothes or the cool backpack." — ANI
|
|
The zooming sales of chillies in Britain show that Britons increasingly prefer hot and spicy food. Chilli farmers have increased their output following demand from foodies. Salvatore Genovese, a farmer, sends out a million Dorset Naga chillies from his farm in Blunham, Beds, every week. Salvatore said the Dorset Naga variety is 20 times hotter than a vindaloo curry and it is becoming a mainstream ingredient. "It's amazing how quickly the UK has developed a chilli culture. It's a far cry from meat and two veggie or when fish and chips was our favourite dish," Daily Express Thursday quoted him as saying. — IANS
|
|
|
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
Quickly, list five reasons as to why you ‘willingly’ feel like going to the office? Now, this is going to take a while to answer, we bet. Allow us to help you on this.
Adds Reet Singh, head, Human Resource, “The entire furniture at Sebiz Infotech Ltd has been bought from abroad. It is comfortable and very stylish, and trust me it immediately elevates the mood of the workers. The office has a separate sports area, cafeteria and lounge, and everything is well-designed. Also, special emphasis is laid on cleanliness.” 
I love eggs! I suspect it’s a serious fixation that probably needs medical attention! If I’m not cooking with eggs, I’m painting them! I’ll even pick up a discarded eggshell, perforate it at the ‘pole’ end, run a wick through it and pour in melted wax from left-over stubs of candles. Later, I peel off the egg shell, so I’m left with my own dome-shaped designer candle! The next step is to spruce it up with beads and sequins! Sound insane, don’t I? But that’s me.
This is the ancestor of the Mughlai ‘Nargisi Kofta’ which is the curried form of scotch eggs. (Originally this dish is made with sausage meat. You can do so if you choose to.)
Hollywood actor Drew Barrymore has denied reports that she is dating TV executive Cort Cass. "Drew and Cort have been out six times or so. They were hanging out... and were very lovey dovey," a source had said. However, Barrymore's spokesperson has played down the rumours, insisting they are "just friends".
— Agency