The Daily Vanilla

With the release of the official remake of Forest Gump, Laal Singh Chadda round the corner, Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan is facing a lot of backlash on social media for the statements he and his ex-wife Kiran Rao had made in the past. One of the trending hashtags #boycottlaalsinghchadda has put the makers of the film in a tight spot as it could adversely affect the performance of the film.Aamir Khan’s reaction came after some Twitter users dug up Aamir’s controversial 2015 “India’s growing intolerance” statement and made it viral. Back in 2015, Aamir Khan had said that he and his wife Kiran Rao (now ex-wife) were feeling petrified of the rising intolerance in the country and were seriously considering migrating to some other country.It may also be recalled that while speaking at an award function in 2015, Aamir Khan said, “When I chat with Kiran at home, she says ‘Should we move out of India?’ That’s a disastrous and big statement for Kiran to make. She fears for her child (son Azad). She fears what the atmosphere around us will be. She feels scared to open the newspapers every day.”The Bollywood megastar further said, “That does indicate that there is this sense of growing disquiet, there is growing despondency apart from alarm. You feel why this is happening, you feel low. That sense does exist in me.”These statements that are being circulated after almost 7 years were initially made after the BJP and Narendra Modi came to power in India. Although Aamir Khan seemed to have made peace with the new government and was even seen being cordial with the Prime Minister, these ghosts from the past have seriously affected the movie’s promotions which also stars Kareena Kapoor Khan, Mona Singh and Naga Chaitanya.Past statements by the female lead Kareena Kapoor who asked audiences not to watch her films if they think she is a product of nepotism have also added fuel to the fire. However, if reports are to be believed, Aamir Khan seems to have found a way to make things right.Read full article at https://thedailyvanilla.com/2022/08/02/aamir-khan-announces-biopic-on-arnab-goswami/

Self-Driving cars are slowly gaining prominence on our roads with many people opting for the AI-controlled journey experience than having to physically drive a car and brave the traffic and other drivers on the roads. This new-age luxury is currently being tested in various parts of the world and many governments have taken it upon themselves to draft legislation around it. Until they come into effect there is nothing to prevent these autonomous cars from taking passengers to their destination.Various non-traditional car manufacturers have entered the race to perfect the self-driving car and are exploring all possible avenues to be the first one to make the perfect zero error truly automated vehicle. This includes tech companies like Google and Apple apart from other car manufacturers like BMW, Tesla and Audi. The technology being used varies between them and only time will tell which route will be the one that is later replicated at mass.Elon Musk of Tesla has been making unfulfilled promises to develop self-driving Teslas since 2015 when he predicted that the technology would hit the roads in three years. Tesla already has an "Autopilot" feature that allows its cars to automatically adjust their speeds and steer within their lanes, though the function still requires driver supervision. This is a far cry from the truly autonomous function that we are all sold on.He recently created a stir when he claimed that the true test of the longevity of the Tesla company would be reliant on how soon they can crack the autonomous code. This is because car manufacturers will realise that going forward, the margins on the sale of the car will be minimal compared to the cost of the high-end spare parts and after-sales service.Google has been experimenting with cars with cameras loaded on top of them to somehow manage a way to integrate the data from the cars with the Google Maps function making it one of the front runners in this category. Apple has kept its project tightly under wraps as usual but we expect them to come up with something nothing less than mind-blowing.Read full article at https://thedailyvanilla.com/2022/07/06/self-driving-car-takes-man-to-girlfriends-house/

The internet accessibility of the average Indian has prompted a major shift in not only the spending habits in the country but also opened up multiple avenues for knowledge creation and consumption like the Google-owned platform YouTube. With over 500 million internet users in India, it is only second to China in the world in how many people use the internet. This itself has led to the ushering in of technology from OTT platforms for entertainment to UPI-linked payment portals. Almost every Indian Kirana store and roadside vendor has some mode of digital payment.This ease of access to the internet was further spurred on by the telecom giant Reliance Jio who practically gave away internet for free to allow users to experience the power of the internet on their phones. The rapid upgrading of technology within the mobile phone industry just propelled this phenomenon even quicker. In 3-4 years, the Indian population of all ages have now accepted the mobile phone and the internet as an essential part of their lives. The pandemic and the resulting lockdown further established the need and importance of these technologies even more by becoming the only viable option in many cases.The Internet and mobile phones have not only made us better consumers, but they have also made us self-reliant by giving creators multiple platforms like YouTube to create content and showcase their skills. Many of these platforms provide an opportunity to reach out to the world and reward them financially for their work. This has carved out a new section in society whose primary source of income is from creating content that others consume.There are multiple platforms available today including YouTube, Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook and many homegrown ones like Moj and Taka Tak as well. Content creators usually pick one platform and create the content that works best on it and slowly get more popularity as they expand over multiple platforms and genres. Some of the biggest names in the Indian scene like Carryminati and Bhuvan Bam have gained international acceptance for their content.Read the full article at https://thedailyvanilla.com/2022/07/05/youtuber-says-she-never-paid-for-food-since-2021/

India has been divided on the recent bulldozer activity that has been carried out in the aftermath of the stone-pelting events across the country before the official visit of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Although the Supreme Court of India has issued a stay order on the demolition of unauthorised structures in various parts of the country, some reports say that this could be violated due to technicalities in the Supreme Court ruling.The demolition of illegal structures in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and some other parts of the country has been branded as a retaliatory activity by the BJP governments in these states after Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanthi processions were pelted with stones by the Muslim community in these states. Although investigations on these incidents are still in progress, the local authorities have taken it upon themselves to dish out justice by using bulldozers to bring down so-called illegal structures to prevent miscreants from using them as a cover for such activities in the future. Politician Brinda Karat was in the news recently as she tried to stop this activity by standing in front of a bulldozer until the SC stay order was implemented. Regarded as an opportunity to score a few political brownie points for the almost irrelevant Communist Party of India, she was the only politician from the opposition parties to hit the streets against the order. With the Supreme Court stay order putting a stop to the activity, various other groups both religious and political have come out and started taking sides in this conflict that is set to be another one to give more fuel to the ongoing minority vs majority debate that has plagued the nation in recent times. Any activity that happens in the country is first analysed through this lens before looking into any other aspect or future potential.Read full article at https://thedailyvanilla.com/2022/04/22/boris-johnson-disappointed-by-sc-stay-on-demolition-drive/

Street food in India has been a mainstay of tourism for a very long time. Almost all visitors to the country will at some point or the other indulge in the amazing variety of street food that is on offer. Not just international tourists, domestic travellers also ensure that no trip to a new city is completed without a food tour along the busy streets.This phenomenon is not just confined to tourists. Street food vendors have their regular clientele who form part of the city’s workforce for whom this cheap, wholesome food is a blessing in their otherwise hectic lives. Whether it is a quick bite in the form of a vada pav or a treat in the form of a nice warm gulab jamun, the streets of India cater to one and all.Many cities in India have dedicated areas for street food like Indore, Delhi and Bengaluru while others like Mumbai have a street food counter at every corner. While chaats are the most prevalent form of street food, this has now evolved into dosa counters, sandwich shops, ice cream stands and many many more. The choice for a person is endless and some budding entrepreneurs have built successful businesses around the street food phenomenon.Another reason for the explosion in the consumption and proliferation of street food is social media. Almost every other person on Instagram is a food blogger now and they keep searching out new and unique vendors to showcase on their channels. They focus on the store, provide publicity and essentially do the marketing for the otherwise clueless vendor. In return, most of these bloggers do not take money but satisfy themselves with a free meal and a ton of likes and shares.Read the full article at - https://thedailyvanilla.com/2022/04/20/street-food-2-times-a-month-will-lead-to-insurance-trouble/

In a surprising turn of events, the Indian Olympic Association or the IOA has requested the Delhi Police to provide them with all the information they have gathered about the perpetrators of the stone pelting incident that happened in New Delhi during Hanuman Jayanthi. The Delhi Police has been trying their best to frame a case without upsetting either of the communities involved, unlike the UP and MP governments which decided to destroy the illegal settlements of the accused.The Indian Olympic Association has been under pressure from the sports ministry to find new talent like Nikhil Chopra to win medals for them at the Olympics. Every medal that India wins at the Olympics will be an indicator of how the whole sports infrastructure in the country has improved under the NDA. The IOA has always had trouble finding world-class talent as even with the 2nd largest population in the world, the focus has never been sports. Read the full article at https://thedailyvanilla.com/2022/04/19/outstanding-stone-pelting-performers-to-be-groomed-by-ioa/

In a startling revelation, our sources have claimed that the frequent clashes and issues that keep arising out of the JNU or Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi are not something new or in fact out of the ordinary.  The problem stems from the fact that the JNU is not a University of Learning and the teaching element is just a sham to attract a certain type of student to the campus. The latest issue of clashes between 2 student unions over non-veg being served and a havan being conducted on the occasion of Ram Navami is just one of the many flashpoints on campus recently.Our highly placed source within the management of JNU told us the details on the strict promise of anonymity. She claims that from the mid-1970 the purpose of the university was clearly defined and it was markedly different from the original intention when JNU was established in 1969. The JNU was established to keep noble ideas in mind and provide accessibility to students from weaker sections of society. Most of the students who study at the JNU are on scholarships and discounted fees which have further aggravated the section of society who believes that the students are wasting taxpayer money.Despite having highly accomplished alumni, the university is facing an existential crisis where nothing noteworthy has come out of the campus for a very long time. Once an epicentre of thought and ideas, the whole campus is now just a breeding ground for unchecked political ideologies claim noted academics and teachers."See, when the JNU was established in 1969, the biggest internal issue that the country was facing was the growth of the militant left or what was known as Naxalites or Maoists. The influence they had on the youth at that time was uncanny. We as a nation are required to somehow contain this threat without resorting to detention centres or jails as this would put us on the same footing as Nazi Germany. The central government under Indira Gandhi who also held the Home Ministry portfolio took an important decision that changed JNU forever," said our source.We asked her if she had proof for all this but she denied having any evidence for her statements. "These are all passed on from one office bearer to another and nothing can ever be written down or shared with an outsider. However, I am breaking this decades-old rule for the sake of my country."Read the full article at https://thedailyvanilla.com/2022/04/12/jnu-surveillance-centre-for-youth/

R Ashwin continues to baffle not only the batsmen on the field but also cricket lovers and experts around the world. After being in the limelight of sorts for the famous “Mankading” incident from a few IPLs back, he is once again in the spotlight for the new “Retired Out” action that he took in yesterday’s match against the Lucknow Super Giants.The IPL has had its share of drama this season but the one that will take the centre stage for the next couple of days will be this decision of R Ashwin. Although it is not unusual for a batsman to retire hurt and come back to bat, later on, being retired out means that the player is no longer available to bat for the rest of the match. Commentators, experts and former players have expressed their views on this incident and surprisingly most of them were in support of the action, terming it a new strategic move that could change the way T20 cricket is played. This move allowed an in-form batsman to come in and help add runs that Ashwin might not have been able to do.This was the first time that this tactic was used in the IPL and it left many viewers confused initially as to what was going on. Knowing that Ashwin probably has a good grasp on what he was doing, it was the turn of the commentators to then figure out what was being done and explain to the viewers how this concept of retired out works. With this now being finally done at the IPL, it is quite certain that the other leagues and players will soon adopt this as well. Read the full article at https://thedailyvanilla.com/2022/04/11/ashwin-phd-in-cricket-from-iipm/

The Arnab Zelenskyy interview that was broadcast on Republic TV the other day was a coup of sorts as no other Indian media outlet has been able to get Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to appear on Indian television let alone agree to be part of a full-fledged one on one interview. He has appeared on various other international channels and poured his heart out on the condition of his people after the Russian invasion and military attack on the country.Arnab Goswami, the Editor in Chief of Republic TV, had a 45-minute exclusive interview with the Ukrainian President and put forward questions in his style to get to the crux of the matter. He ended the interview wishing for President Zelenskyy's safety and demanded that the war would come to an end. Arnab took a different style during the Arnab Zelenskyy interview and appeared to be more receptive to what was being said. President Zelenskyy speaking via a translator said that he understood India's position but needed more concrete action.This interview could be another turning point in Indian television after Rajdeep Sardesai was considered for the Bafta's last year. The Arnab Zelenskyy interview took all the other channels by surprise and everyone is waiting with bated breath to see what the TRP numbers looked like. Read the full article at - https://thedailyvanilla.com/2022/04/08/arnab-zelenskyy-interview/

Launching a pet day care was the last thing on the mind of 29-year-old Chennai resident Parthiban Suryakumar. When finally he could not take the frustration and stress associated with his tech support job at one of the largest IT firms in the city, he quit and decided that he will no longer continue with his society and family-approved “IT job”.More and more employees today are demanding a better work-life balance over salary and perks as the quality of life in India has steadily gone down in recent years. Employees’ salaries and hikes have been on the rise but this has blurred the lines between professional life and personal life. The increased compensation has also increased the expectation that employees are now at the beck and call of the company and the client. While this has always been the case, the older or more experienced workers also admit that they had it much easier when they were younger. The current generation has more options to enhance their lives but ends up frustrated when it is not possible to do so. Now managers are being told to be extra sensitive to the employee’s needs which results in an additional load on the middle management.With the raging pandemic in the past couple of years, it has become difficult for the HR department of companies to try and arrange any activities that would help elevate the mood or give employees a glimmer of hope that things will get better.In the case of Parthiban Suryakumar, things took a nasty turn when he was asked to come to the office or quit after the company ended the work from home option. He chose to quit as he was already frustrated with the amount of work, lack of social life and most importantly the inability to find a pet day care centre for his Shi Tzu, Peppa.Read the full article at https://thedailyvanilla.com/2022/04/07/pet-day-care-business-makes-frustrated-techie-a-millionaire/

Work is stressful and often not very rewarding in a creative agency where clients expect you to deliver the world within a non-existent budget. The ones who face the wrath of these scenarios are the junior designers who not only have to go through a trial by fire internally but also at times have to face the music by interacting with clients directly.Junior designers are generally freshers or graduates with limited experience who join an agency to gain experience so that they can then move up the ladder and become designers, conceptualisers, artists or even creative heads. It is usually considered to be a right of passage that has been earned as they put in the time in that role and showed the world that they can handle it. Interns in creative agencies have it much easier than junior designers as they are dispensable and are paid a pittance when compared to a junior designer who also earns a minuscule amount when compared to a lead designer. Another factor that makes life for an intern much easier is that they are not expected to do anything and usually are made to work as personal assistants or lackeys to the senior staff who consider it an employee perk. Creative agencies are notorious for being as big a killer of creative ideas as well as being their birthplace. Every single day some ideas are generated, conceptualised and then crumpled and thrown away never to see the light of day again. The rejections are not only made by the paying client but hundreds of ideas are discussed and thrown out before the selected few make it to the client meeting with the hope that at least one is approved. Many experts have claimed that the environment within a creative agency in India is highly toxic and should undergo radical changes if the new generation of designers, copywriters or strategists are to sustain themselves. The easily offended and “woke” are at the greatest risk of missing out on the career of their dreams because they cannot adapt to the work environment.All this changed for Sivananda Mhatre, a 23-year-old junior designer working for one of the most acclaimed boutique creative agencies in Bengaluru on Monday when he had to be hospitalised after collapsing in the middle of a creative meeting.Read the full article at - https://thedailyvanilla.com/2022/04/06/junior-designer-collapses-during-creative-meeting/

Gautam Adani has recently overtaken Mukesh Ambani to gain access to the title of Richest Man in India which was previously held by Mukesh Ambani for many many years. The closest he came to relinquishing the title before was when Sunil Mittal had a surge of fortune in the early 2000s. This development has not gone unnoticed and the layman has realised that The Adani Group is also a serious player in the sphere dominated by Reliance, Tata, Mahindra and others.One of the factors that put Gautam Adani apart from the other people on the rich list is that he has gone all the way to the top in the least amount of time. Others inherited thriving family businesses and took them to the next level and are what some people call "family money". Adani on the other hand, started the business himself and the growth of the company in the past 20 years has been nothing less than phenomenal. Focussing mainly on infrastructure and power, the latest acquisition by the Adani Group was buying 72% of the second busiest airport in India, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai. This fits nicely with the whole business as they already own multiple ports and highway projects. The Mukesh Ambani led Reliance on the other hand is a juggernaut with business interests in every possible industry in India.Business experts and financial gurus believe that the sudden growth of Adani is mainly due to the growth in share prices of the group's business interests and this would not be sustainable. They feel that the multi-faceted Reliance group will fare better in the long run as even if one industry collapses, the other will hold up the overall performance of the group.There is another school of thought among these experts who believe that the industries that Adani is involved in are a clear indicator that he is here to stay for the long haul. The various ports, airports, highways and power projects are industries that are essential to the growth of a developing country like India. They also believe that the Reliance Group is involved in too many things to make them a serious monopoly in any industry.Read the full article at https://thedailyvanilla.com/2022/04/05/dream-11-to-launch-a-new-section-for-adani-vs-ambani-match/

The past few weeks have been one of extreme turmoil at the international level with the Ukraine war hogging the headlines. Xi Jinping, the Chinese Prime Minister and leader of the Communist Party have however used the issues that were plaguing the international community to silently continue with his work of fuelling China's imperialist aspirations in Asia. This has been extremely subtle to keep international sanctions and focus away until the whole operation is complete.Russian President Vladimir Putin on the other hand has been at the receiving end of things with his incursion into Ukraine inviting condemnation and pressure from almost the entire world and the UN. Ukraine has fought back valiantly and the whole saga of the war continues to go on despite everyone predicting that it could be over in a matter of days with Russia steamrolling Ukraine into submission.Many countries have imperialistic aspirations built into their psyche but have to downplay them due to international pressure and the cost of repercussions might not be worth it in the end. There are currently very few countries today that do not have border disputes that have emerged from either them being the victim or the aggressor. The history of the world also shows us that this want of acquiring another country and exploiting it for resources has been going on for years.Countries like the United Kingdom, France, Portugal, Germany, Japan and Spain have been replaced with a new set of countries like the United States of America, China and Russia who have taken up the mantle of being modern imperialistic powers.While Russia adopts a more frontal and direct route to getting what they want, the USA moves into countries with the proclaimed intent of bringing democracy or discovering weapons of mass suicide. Xi Jinping however seems to have adopted a more indirect and effective approach to the whole issue. While China has border disputes with over 15 countries like India, the Philippines, Vietnam, Japan, Singapore and others, it also has cordial ties with other countries to whom Xi Jinping's government is an economic lifesaver/timebomb.Read the full article at https://thedailyvanilla.com/2022/04/04/xi-jinping-shows-putin-how-to-takeover-2-countries-without-bloodshed/

Ashneer Grover had become a household name after becoming the most talked-about judge on the entrepreneurial show Shark Tank which was based on the same concept as its American and Australian versions. He had become popular for his witty one-liners and his frank feedback to the participants which was a welcome relief from the otherwise one-dimensional personalities showcased by the other judges.However, Shark Tank is not the only claim to fame that Ashneer Grover has. A former IIT and IIM pass out, he is the founder of one of the largest Fintech products to come out of India. He co-founded Bharat Pe, a payment solution for small merchants and Kirana stores which ushered in the digital revolution for the Indian consumer. Subsequent products after this put the company firmly in the centre of the Indian financial life cycle and paved the way for many other products to enter the market. Despite success with the TV series Shark Tank and Bharat Pe being valued at USD 2.8 billion, the year 2022 has not been great personally for Ashneer Grover. With one controversy after the other, he was finally ousted from the very company he founded in a non-Steve Jobsesque way. Way too many things were written about him and his wife, accusations were flung on all sides and the end was bitter, to say the least. This is not the first time he has been in the news. From his merciless trolling of participants in Shark Tank to the self-promotion of his lavish lifestyle, he has invited the wrath of both internet trolls and other entrepreneurs. His no-nonsense blunt style of communication did not sit well with the majority of the public who were quietly waiting for him to fail, and fail big. This happened when an audio clip of him abusing an employee of Kotak Mahindra Bank over the failed attempt to finance a round of IPO financing for Nykaa IPO. Although Ashneer Grover maintains that this audio clip is fake, Kotak Mahindra has decided to press charges. People who have seen his demeanour on TV and who follow him on social media are however convinced this is real as the idiosyncrasies of a person’s style of communication tend to be unique. This just added to the hate that he had started getting over his condescending style on Shark tank. While the whole of India was obsessing over the shark and the show, there was trouble brewing around the corner.An expletive riddled email surfaced which was written by Ashneer and forced him to go on voluntary leave at the beginning of the year. That is when things started heating up with multiple enquiries, audits and investigations being set up to cover his financial decisions and even personal finances. This led to a flurry of activity against him and his wife culminating in the unceremonious removal from the company.Read the full article at https://thedailyvanilla.com/2022/03/31/ashneer-grover-autobiography-road-pe/

In a startling turn of events, the Taliban government in Afghanistan overturned its decision to allow female Afghani students to attend high school. This decision meant that girl Afghani students will not be able to attend school after 6th grade leaving many students teary-eyed. The Taliban government in Afghanistan has been under scrutiny from all countries around the world to determine the kind of system they would follow, post the hostile takeover of the nation by the Islamic fundamentalist group. The existing democratically elected government was overthrown even before the US troops had left the country. A comparatively less hostile takeover with minimal bloodshed also meant that the other countries around the world did not intervene in the process choosing to adopt a “wait and watch” approach. The Taliban demanded that other countries recognise them as the legitimate government of the war-torn country and promised to have a different approach from the earlier one. The Taliban had initially adopted a very staunch version of Islam and Sharia law which was considered to be very hard-line and backward by even other Islamic countries.The Taliban had promised reform with the new government by allowing women to work in government and private organisations, opening up the school system to allow women to have access to education and a whole plethora of options that were not possible under the previous Taliban regime. The whole manifesto was looked at with suspicion by the world from day one with everyone welcoming the reforms but opting to see them in practice before making an official sign of support.Very few nations openly recognised the government that replaced the one led by Ashraf Ghani, who has since fled the country fearing persecution. Along with him, the Taliban has lost most of the supporters of the previous government and those who openly opposed the designated terrorist organisation as well. This has led to a serious erosion of local talent and skilled workers from the country. The rebuilding exercise in Afghanistan has to start at the grass-root level as all the hard work of the previous governments have been razed to the ground or uprooted completely.Following the strict rules of the Sharia, the system is considered to be very primitive by senior Islamic scholars who have called for a more nuanced approach to the interpretation of the laws in relation to modern times. However, many Islamic groups like the Taliban, ISIS and many terrorist groups in the region opt for a more literal implementation of these archaic laws. Even the epicentre of Islam, Saudi Arabia has softened their stand and is adopting a more liberal outlook that conforms with modern times.The main issue being highlighted is the treatment of female Afghani students who now have no access to education pushing the whole nation back to the dark times of the initial rule. The official reason being touted by the Taliban officials is that there is a shortage of teachers to conduct classes prompting them to shut down classes for girls within hours of its opening last week.Read the full article at https://thedailyvanilla.com/2022/03/30/afghani-students-see-some-relief-with-new-student-exchange-program-with-india/

The whole world and especially Hollywood was left stunned by the series of events that unfolded yesterday during the much-awaited Oscars 2022. Hollywood star Will Smith walked up on stage and slapped comedian Chris Rock for a joke he cracked about Will Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. This was the first time in the history of the awards that such an incident had ever occurred and has left the whole industry shaken.Chris Rock has refused to press charges against Will Smith after the incident where he made a joke about Jada’s shaved head and compared it to the movie G I Jane which also featured the lead character in a buzz cut. Jada is suffering from alopecia which causes hair fall and has forced her to shave her head. Will Smith did not take too kindly to the joke and walked up on stage and slapped Chris Rock.He then walked back to his place and yelled, “Keep my wife’s name out of your f***ing mouth.” This was not the first time Chris Rock had taken a dig at Jada Pinkett Smith. The last time he hosted the Oscars he had joked about the fact that Jada boycotting the Oscars was inconsequential. He said that she wasn’t invited anyways and in that case, it was similar to him not being invited into Rihanna’s panties. The joke wasn’t appreciated the last time around as well but this time things took an ugly turn.Although Will Smith has issued a formal apology now to Chris Rock via social media, this incident has invoked sharp reactions from the Hollywood community. They have been supporters of both parties and many have expressed concerns over what this could mean for the future of awards, comedians, jokes etc. The biggest fear is that “Cancel Culture” would catch up and call for a complete stop to any kind of roasts or insult comedy in general. The woke audience has previously tried to cancel many things including Thanksgiving.

A nationwide strike or Bharat Bandh has been called from 6 am on Monday for 48 hours to protest against the economic policies of the government. The trade unions that have called the strike are the ones that are affiliated with the opposition parties in India like the Congress and the Left. This 48-hour bandh is not expected to harm the daily life of the citizens of the country and will only focus on establishments that are sympathetic to the trade unions that they are members of.Banks in India have also extended their support to the strike and will remain closed for 48 hours against the move by the central government to privatise banks and for amendments to the Banking Laws Amendment Bill 2021. The other unions who have extended support to the Bharat Bandh include unions in the sectors such as coal, steel, oil, telecom, postal, income tax, copper and insurance. This is expected to spill over to the general merchants and retail establishments. While there are states in India that tend to wholeheartedly participate in any nationwide bandh or strike like Kerala, some other states have an official policy against these disruptions to public life like West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. The Mamata Banerjee led government in West Bengal has issued a memo to all government employees barring them from participating or even taking a casual leave during these days. An official announcement states that employees who defy this order will be issued a show-cause notice. Union representatives have often called the policies of the NDA government in the centre to be “anti-worker, anti-farmer and anti-poor”. The recent hike in petrol, diesel and LPG have triggered this protest with the unions extending invitations to all trade unions in the country with most of them joining hands. Hospitals and Transport unions have refused to be part of the strike. The final list of participants will be known today once the bandh comes into practice.For the unversed, a bandh is a form of civil disobedience where the community or political party declaring a bandh expects the general public to stay at home and not report for work. Shopkeepers are expected to keep their shops closed, and public transport operators are expected to stay off the road. The Supreme Court of India had banned this practice in 1998 but it continues to date. A Bharat Bandh means that it applies to the whole country.While the general public in India who have no or limited political affiliations find this as a complete inconvenience, the politically inclined tend to either support by staying at home or defy it by stepping out for the silliest reasons. The Bharat Bandh has received surprise support and thanks from across the border where the Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan has thanked the trade unions for supporting him and announcing the Bharat Bandh against the no-confidence motion being filed against him.Read the full article at https://thedailyvanilla.com/2022/03/28/48-hour-bharat-bandh-gives-hope-claims-imran-khan/

The K-Rail project proposed by the Pinarayi Vijayan led LDF government in Kerala has been going through some major opposition from various corners of Kerala. The Congress-led UDF coalition has been at the forefront of these protests and claims that such a project is not only unnecessary but also will render thousands of families homeless. Despite the opposition, the government has not stepped back and is trying to get all the stakeholders on the same page to implement this ambitious project.K-Rail or Kerala Rail is a landmark project envisioned by the Kerala government to make travelling from the North of Kerala to the South a quick and painless affair. Also known as the Silverline project, this will reduce the total travel time from Kasarkode to Tiruvanathanpuram to only 4 hours when compared to the 14 hours it takes right now. The main argument that the protesters have put forward is that this project is not only impractical but also that it will have severe adverse effects on the ecological balance of the state.The government has clarified that this project is being carefully studied by the relevant experts and has made claims that this project would eventually reduce carbon emissions every year by around 2.8 lakh tonnes. Expected to cost the state around INR 6000 crore, the project is said to have a deadline of 2025 for completion. However, many experts including “Metroman” E Sreedharan, is sceptical of the whole project in general. The project will get implemented only on final approval by Indian Railways after it studies the final project plan including the environmental impact study that will need to be presented. Many experts believe that approval from Indian Railways will be difficult as the railway track is not interoperable. This means that only the Silverline or K-Rail trains will be able to use the tracks laid out.While the political tug of war continues in the state between the ruling LDF and the opposition, many private groups have also started to take sides in the debate. They range from environmental groups and NGOs to privately funded support/protest groups and media channels. What caught our eye was that a new group has come out and openly pledged support for the project.Our sources tell us that a group known as the KKFA or the Kerala K-Pop Fans Association has decided to voraciously support the proposed K-Rail project. The group consisting of females between the ages of 12 and 25 has members from all parts of the state and is looking to launch campaigns that will support the project on social media and digital platforms.Read more at https://thedailyvanilla.com/2022/03/24/k-pop-fans-come-out-in-support-of-k-rail/

The central government announced one of the steepest hikes in petrol and diesel in recent times resulting in retailers from around the country raising their prices to unprecedented highs. The rise in petrol of around INR 0.80 will have a rippling effect with the retail prices crossing INR 106 in some states in the country.The move to increase prices did not come as a surprise with the Ukraine crisis in the world with the danger of sanctions looming right around the corner due to India’s non-commitment to openly blame Russia for the invasion of Ukraine. However, Russia has been offering crude oil to buyers at heavily discounted prices to ensure support at the UN. India, whose Russian crude oil imports are below 1% of its total imports have slowly increased its purchase considering the reduced costs.An interesting take on the rising fuel costs came from a company in Chennai that did not wish to be named fearing that its HR department will be bombarded with CVs. The company has decided to pay for the petrol costs if its employees decide to stop WFH and come back to the office.The Managing Director of the IT firm said, “We have been requesting our employees to come back to the office for quite some time now. They refuse by claiming that they are more productive and happy working from home. This has created a huge issue for us as we are not able to do any office politics. There are so many aspects of work life that are getting affected.”We had earlier reported that some companies were offering incentives to employees to come back to work but this seems to be an earnest attempt to maintain office culture.“Our HR team is unable to organise pointless training and seminars making it difficult for them to socialise and show off as to how much better their work-life balance is. Our admin team is unable to point out errors and insist on mindless paperwork. Our finance team is unable to refuse payment of expense bills and our IT team has no one to talk to as no employee complains about the WiFi. This is affecting our office culture and we have decided to pay for a full tank of petrol every week for employees who will come to the office.” Read more at https://thedailyvanilla.com/2022/03/23/employer-offers-to-pay-for-petrol-to-stop-wfh/

The current Pakistan – Australia test series which is taking place after over 20 years is a landmark achievement for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and a welcome relief to the cricket crazy nation. The Pakistani cricket fans have been deprived of watching their favourite stars live in action and were restricted to enjoying the game on television. With the other ICC nations slowly lifting their apprehensions of visiting Pakistan, the future looks good for the fans.Almost all test playing nations had decided against touring Pakistan after the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in 2009 which killed one player and injured several others. The Pakistani cricket team were forced to use the UAE as their home ground and have test matches and bilateral series being played out on the pitches of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. This ensured that the players in the Pakistani team had to adapt to the new home conditions quickly and hone their skills.With the introduction of the PSL or Pakistan Super League, the number of international players visiting Pakistan has increased. Although the initial tournaments were once again held in the UAE, the last couple of tournaments has been moved back to Pakistan much to the delight of the fans, players and officials. The myth that the Pakistani terrain was unsafe was finally burst when successive tournaments were held in Pakistan without incident.Things seemed to have moved back to the earlier times when New Zealand and England teams pulled out of their scheduled series at the last minute citing security concerns. New Zealand was already in Pakistan and had completed one practice match before backing out just before the official start to the series.This is when Australia confirmed that they will be going ahead with their tour with a full-strength squad. The two tests that have been played so far has incited criticism from various quarters especially former cricketers and commentators who were following the test matches with great interest. From Pakistan’s defensive mentality, negative bowling lines, poor fielding and unimaginative captaincy to Australia’s shocking dropped catches, lack of urgency to push for a win, team selection and bizarre captaincy… everything was a talking point. The one factor that united the cricketing world was the quality of the pitches in both tests.The pitches that were provided in both test matches were extremely flat and low on bounce, movement and spin. It had nothing for the fast or spin bowlers. The Rawalpindi pitch was finally declared poor by the ICC and the Karachi test match pitch looks to be headed in the same direction. The pitches in Pakistan were never a green top but it had plenty in it for everyone. A bit of bounce for the fast bowlers, spin during the middle days and reverse swing for the quickies as well. The batsmen too had their sessions and it was always a good contest between bat and ball.After all the criticisms received, the PCB has decided to take action to ensure that the final test match to be held in Lahore will not face the same issues.Read more at https://thedailyvanilla.com/2022/03/18/pcb-to-invite-cpec-engineers-to-curate-the-pitch-for-3rd-test/