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Taking on
black money Lowering
age of juveniles |
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Iraq
challenge to Modi govt
Concord
or agreement for harmony in language
CINEMA: NEW
Releases Nonika Singh In the beginning of the film pretty and perky Tamannaah Bhatia tells Saif Ali Khan — You are witty. He says, “You are Churchgate”. She not only laughs but also explains the joke (in case you didn’t know both VT and Churchgate are names of Mumbai’s railway stations). He rebuts, “Oh she understands me.” The
perfect recipe
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Lowering age of juveniles In
July 2013, the Supreme Court had turned down a plea to reduce the age of a juvenile from 18 to 16 years. Substantive debate on the adequacy of the Juvenile Justice
(JJ) Act to deal with heinous crimes was triggered after the Nirbhaya gang-rape case in which the 16-year-old culprit, the most odious of the six rapists, got away with just three years of imprisonment. The juvenile justice system is once again set for transformation with the new government proposing the reduction in the juvenile age from 18 to 16 for the heinous offences of murder, rape and gang-rape. The Ministry of Women and Child Development has proposed an end to the blanket legal protection which juveniles enjoy under the Juvenile Justice Act 2000, even when they commit crimes like murder, rape or kidnapping. India’s crime figures show a massive spurt in instances of rape by juveniles. This makes an amendment to the JJ Act imperative. At the same time, the government should pay attention to the rehabilitation and counselling facilities in poorly run remand homes which turn juvenile delinquents into hardcore criminals. For some 1.7 million juvenile accused India has only 815 remand homes with a capacity of 35,000, managed almost like jails. That juvenile delinquents, given their background, are usually unaware of things like child rights, love and care, and education should also be kept in mind. Then there are technicalities involved. According to the law, the age to attain the status of a major is 18 in India, having been a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. If it is lowered to 16, it would have repercussions in other areas too. The same will be reflected in the Commission for Protection of Child Rights and areas of child jurisprudence. For child
labour, the age is 14 years. The law requires uniformity in the definition of a child. Juveniles need legal protection; so do the vulnerable sections of society.
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I am certain there is too much certainty in the world.
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Sir P.C. Chatterji
THE appointment of the Honourable Sir P.C. Chatterji, M.A., B.L., LL.D., as Chief Minister of the Nabha State from 1st August, is one on which both His Highness the Maharaja Sahib and Sir P.C. Chatterji deserve to be heartily congratulated. In the latter the Maharaja Sahib has secured a Dewan of unquestioned ability, rare acumen and mature judgment, a gentleman who, throughout his long and distinguished career, has shown capacity and resourcefulness of a very high order and has won and retained the implicit confidence of the Government and the people. As a lawyer, as a Judge for nearly fourteen years of the Punjab Chief Court, of unique distinction, as Vice-Chancellor of the Punjab University, as President of the Industrial and Agricultural Exhibition of the Punjab, as President of the Punjab Hindu Sabha and the Hindu Conference and in numerous other capacities, Sir P.C. Chatterji has played a leading part in the Province, and has received the highest honours and distinctions from the Government. Friday's public meeting at Simla
ONCE again in its history Simla has justified its title of the summer capital of India by truly and faithfully voicing public opinion on the question of the day, viz, the necessity of Lord Hardinge being given an extension of the tenure of his exalted office as the Viceroy and Governor-General of India. The last occasion when Simla rose to the height of its position was when it arranged to give a farewell banquet to Sir Gny Fleetwood Wilson, the late Finance Minister, who did yeoman service to this country by his judicious reforms in the realms of accounts and finance and by bringing to bear on the administration his sympathy, influence of position and knowledge of the world.
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Iraq challenge to Modi govt
The
Middle East is back and back with a bang. For some time now, the West, the US in particular, has lulled itself into believing that if only it would ignore the region, its problems would go away. After all, at a time of diminishing economic resources in the West, the Indo-Pacific with a rising China at the centre of its changing strategic landscape was the region that deserved greater attention. The strategically diffident Obama Administration embraced this thinking with great enthusiasm partly for sound economic reasons and partly because it saw no need for the US to get bogged down in the millennium-old Shia-Sunni feuds. America needed nation-building at home first, argued Obama, before it could turn to Yemen, Somalis or even Afghanistan. If at all, the Islamist extremists had to be fought, they could be fought from a distance using drones with help from local forces. It was in this wider context that Obama was quick to accept total withdrawal from Iraq. Behind the façade of the US not getting legal immunity from the Iraqi government, the Obama Administration was quite happy to get out of Iraq and be publicly sanguine about Iraq's future prospects as a stable state. And now the same Iraqi government is asking the US for intervention - at the moment only air strikes have been mentioned. The Obama Administration is clutching the straws. There is confusion all around as to how Washington should respond to the growing crisis in Iraq. After indicating that air strikes would be undertaken by the US the Obama Administration quickly backed off, preferring instead to pursue strategies such as providing intelligence to the Iraqi military, addressing the country's political divisions and seeking support from regional allies. A hands-off approach is preferred by many in Washington as it is viewed as the Iraqi government’s job to fix it. The Maliki government is being pressed to take steps to make Shia-dominated government more inclusive and if it fails to do that, there are reports that Washington is working towards removing Maliki from office. Washington is also reaching out to Iran, trying to use Tehran's leverage over the Maliki government to make a political resolution of the Iraqi conflict more tenable. But contradictions abound in the larger policy and it remains to be seen if Obama's confused and rather late move to douse the Iraqi fire will have any real impact on the situation on the ground. The entire Middle East is sitting on a powder keg with a burgeoning civil war in Libya, a once-in-a-generation humanitarian catastrophe in Syria and a ruthless Islamist group on the verge of gaining control over Iraq. Formed in 2013 and led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) has as its proclaimed aim the establishment of an Islamic emirate that straddles Syria and Iraq. The ISIS is a highly organised, motivated, resourceful and powerful group that wields violence without any compunction. It has been gaining ground steadily over the last few months — starting from the Syrian city of Raqqa, moving on to take control of the predominantly Sunni city of Fallujah by capitalising on the growing tensions between Iraq's Sunni minority and the Shia-led government of Nouri al-Maliki, and finally seizing control of Mosul earlier this month. Ungoverned territories are dangerous and if the ISIS succeeds in controlling territory from Syria to Iraq, it would draw Islamist extremists who could threaten Western interests much like what happened before September 11, 2001. If Iraq collapses, there could be a knock-on effect on the rest of the Middle East as well, given the artificiality of the entire region. The UK government has ruled out military intervention in support of the government of Nouri al-Maliki but has underscored that ignoring the threat from Islamist extremism in the Middle East will “come back to haunt the UK.” It has been estimated that around 400 British nationals are fighting alongside militant groups in Syria and the UK intelligence is now increasingly focused on the threat from jihadists returning from Syria and Iraq. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has also warned that the new extremists in Iraq include many home-grown radicals who will return to the UK once they are done in the Middle East. India too finds itself embroiled in this crisis with the kidnapping of 40 Indian construction workers who remain “uncontactable” in Mosul. The workers, mostly from Punjab and other parts of northern India, were working on a construction project in Mosul in northern Iraq which has been captured by the ISIS. There are also concerns about the 46 Indian nurses stranded in the city of Tikrit. The Red Crescent has contacted the nurses and is providing assistance. They have agreed to continue to work there after fighters from the militant group, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), assured them they would be paid their salaries and dues. More than 10,000 Indians are estimated to be living in Iraq and if the state authority collapses completely in the country, it would be very difficult to protect them. India has sent a senior diplomat, Suresh Reddy, who was the Indian Ambassador to Iraq from 2011 till three months back, to manage the Indian mission in Baghdad amidst rapidly deteriorating ground realities. The Iraqi Foreign Ministry has informed Delhi that they have been able to determine the location of where the abducted Indian nationals are being held captive with workers of a few other nationalities. But it remains far from clear what can be done to help them to get evacuated as has been requested by their family members unless the militants are on board. At a broader level, there will be an impact on oil prices. Oil prices immediately rose to a nine-month high after the jihadists seized Mosul, raising the prospect of a disruption in supply from the world's sixth-largest oil producer. As India is the world's fourth biggest importer of oil, it has been estimated that a rise of $10 per barrel in crude oil price would reduce India's growth rate by 0.5 percentage points. And if the oil price rally continues, then it would inevitably hit India's already serious fiscal and current account deficits. The Modi government is facing its first major foreign policy challenge in Iraq. Even if can get Indian nationals back from Iraq safely, it will have to reformulate India's Middle East policy in light of far-reaching changes taking place in the region.
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Concord or agreement for harmony in language "Like everything metaphysical the harmony between thought and reality is to be found in the grammar of the language." — Ludwig Wittgenstein
1. Sangeeta's credentials are largely in place except that athletics is not her forte. The two nouns "credentials" and "athletics", which end with an "s" are two separate single subjects and follow different rules of agreement between subject and verb: "credentials are" and "athletics is". They are governed by the formal agreement which considers "credentials" a plural thing, therefore the verb "are" and "athletics" a single thing, therefore the verb "is". Determining the singularity/plurality of the subject can be important. 2. "Kolkata Knight Riders win by three wickets." The subject "Kolkata Knight Riders" is a collective noun and as per the rules of formal agreement, collective nouns take singular verbs, which could have been "wins" here. But in this context, the writer lays emphasis on the individual cricketers and not the team as a single unit. Therefore, as per the notional agreement, which depends on the meaning, not the form, the verb "win" is used. 3. "Everybody has a book inside them," observed the speaker at the book release. Indefinite pronouns like everybody, anybody, somebody and nobody take singular verbs, as per formal agreement, as in "Everybody has". But in situations such as these, when an indefinite pronoun like "everybody" is followed by a pronoun, the pronoun may observe the notional agreement and take in the plural, as is "them" here. With the gender-free reference "them", the user also escapes from the ‘his/ her’ debate. 4. Maya along with Irfaan is here to attend the meeting. When a subject has two or more nouns or noun phrases, they take the verb in the plural. But in cases such as the one above, where the second noun phrase is much longer than the first one, it excludes the first one to establish a separate identity and takes in a singular verb under the proximity agreement. Nouns attached to phrases like "together with", "as well as" and "in addition to" also follow the same rule. Concord or agreement continues to be a somewhat controversial area of usage. During language use surveys, more British than Americans reported on going beyond the formal or grammatical agreement rule and following the notional and proximity agreement. Acquaintance with developments in areas like concord makes our speech and writing easy to read and understand and better connected with popular language but students must always conform to the prescribed norms of examination bodies.
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CINEMA: NEW Releases Nonika Singh So, if you are on the same wavelength as this moron joke exemplifies, go ahead and watch this film that promises nine times the fun and turns out to be nine times a damp squib. Sure we all know Sajid Khan doesn’t make films for critics. And with all sincerity, we lower our critical blinkers and watch this film without letting analytical abilities interfere in the least. So we keep mum when this billionaire Ashok (Saif Ali Khan) tries to crack sad jokes at a pub in his bid to be counted as a stand-up comedian. We don’t raise eyebrows when two crazy men are locked in a facility meant for the criminally insane. Actually we let most howlers pass over in anticipation of some good laughs. And that sadly is the weakest part of the film… we see none (laughs baba) coming. Not when the billionaire is made to drink water laced with mind altering drug and acquires dog-like characteristics. Nor when humshakals change places and certainly not when the three men (Saif, Riteish Deshmukh and Ram Kapoor) cross-dress as women. In fact, despite our mind-altering state ready to swallow nonsense as entertainment, fun remains a distant memory. Of other films and to be honest some of Sajid’s too. Comedy of errors and mistaken identities can be perfect grist for laughter mills. Many a delightful film has proved that. Alas, here, no such luck. In all fairness Sajid’s humor can be both wicked and wacky if not intelligent. And even ludicrous films like Housefull have tickled one’s funny bone. But here he seems to have forgotten what makes a slapstick comedy. Clearly, dear Sajid it isn’t slapping people around in a circle (as one joke in the film suggests), even though we know you are only mocking. We get it but you can’t make us laugh. For unlike your skewed character who repeats ad nauseam hum pagal nahi hai na hamara dimaag kharaab hai, we haven’t lost our mind yet. Though one must say you tried hard. Yes, Sajid is bold and audacious enough to take a dig at his own films and reminds how watching his previous disaster Himmatwala tantamounts to torture even for the mentally deranged. Well, Sajid, pat yourself on the back as you have set a new benchmark for yourself. Even by the least common denominator, this one touches the nadir. As for those of you who believe laughter is the best medicine, never mind the joke, better watch the repeat telecast of Comedy Nights with Kapil where Sajid and his team had come hopping as guests. For in the show they seemed to have more fun and created considerable mirth. In the film they all fall flat. If Ram Kapoor cozying up to Ram Kapoor is not bad enough, there is worse in store, some of it so crass, it doesn’t bear repetition. As for the rationale of triple roles… only Sajid knows what the provocation was for the triple confusion does little to up the humour ante. Not surprising, the bong beauty Bipasha Basu has already distanced herself from the film. Pardon us for not remembering that in a film where men romance men we had forgotten there is a sprinkling of beauties (Tamannaah Bhatia, Esha Gupta and Bipasha) too! Anyway, their presence or absence makes no difference to the banality of the film…the only quotient in which the film scores high.
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The perfect recipe Favreau casts himself as the lead character, a gruff, roly-poly high-end Los Angeles restaurant chef, Carl Casper, whose job goes on the line when a popular blogger, food critic Ramsey Michel (Oliver Platt), decides to come and try out his restaurant fare. Casper's boss (Dustin Hoffman) wants him to stick with the regular menu while Casper himself wants to set out an all-new one for the critic to savour. The boss wins the first round, but fails the critical test. The critic's views go viral and Casper becomes a laughing stalk. Casper requests his young son's help for tweeting a response and in the process throws down the gauntlet for a second round confrontation. But with his Boss still sticking to his guns, Casper has no recourse but to leave and depend on the ex-husband (Robert Downey Jr) of his ex-wife Inez (Sofia Vergara) to bankroll him for a run-down second-hand food truck. Casper then takes us on a road trip that begins in Los Angeles, relocates to Miami and returns to the West Coast after tasty stopovers in New Orleans as well as Austin. Close on the heels of a sell-out tour, Casper's astounding culinary talent wins vindication and his career sees a new high. It's a typical American story in the age of social networking sites where anyone can rise, fall and rise again, given the opportunity and with some concerted efforts. A sentimental subplot involves Carl's relationship with his partly estranged 10-year-old son, Percy (Emjay Anthony), who becomes his social media tutor. Casper is unable to connect with his son at first and then when forced to take him along, finds a meeting ground in his own abilities and work ethic. From therein develops a bond that strengthens as the narrative moves along. Favreau's treatment harkens back to his earlier 'indie' creations such as Swingers and Made, even though this one (unlike his earlier creations) is stuffed to the gills with ingredients like Dustin Hoffman, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johanssen, Sofia Vergara and John Leguizamo. Add to that a sparkling moderately funny screenplay, likeable characters, witty dialogues and good performances; spiced-up soundtrack that mixes Salsa, soul music and country blues with Carribean flavour…just the perfect recipe! Director of photography, Kramer Morgenthau, makes the food and scenery look delicious, the editing by Robert Leighton keeps the tempo and momentum brisk while the production design by Denise Pizzini adds richness to the servings. The overall experience is much like a light-weight soufflé, not exactly deep enough to cater to your hunger pangs, yet delicious enough to whet your appetite. Bon Appétit, this one's a must see!
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TV movies Home Alone 2: Lost in New York is a Christmas family comedy film written and produced by John Hughes and directed by Chris Columbus. It is the second film in the Home Alone series and the sequel to Home Alone. The film stars Macaulay Culkin in the lead role. ZEE CINEMA 11:30AM Salaakhen ZEE STUDIO 11:10AM Dinner for Schmucks ZEE ACTION 10:30AM Janata Ki Adalat ZEE CLASSIC 10:22AM Woh 7 Din STAR MOVIES 11:00AM Oblivion SAHARA ONE 12:00PM Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya STAR MOVIES HD 10:52AM Oblivion FILMY 12:00PM Chori Chori Chupke Chupke INDIA TALKIES 1:00PM Purana Mandir Aflatoon is a romance action film directed by Guddu Dhanoa. The film stars Akshay Kumar in a double role opposite Urmila Matondkar. Raja (Akshay Kumar) impersonates Parimal Chaturvedi, a school professor.
ZEE CINEMA 8:55AM Aflatoon ZEE ACTION 10:30AM Ek Aur Vinashak ZEE CLASSIC 10:20AM Johny Mera Naam ZEE STUDIO 9:20AM Wild Target STAR MOVIES 9:30AM The Adventures of Tintin STAR MOVIES HD 11:30AM The Scorpion King INDIA TALKIES 1:00PM Dharam Ki Jung STAR GOLD 11:55AM Yaariyan
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