Dangerous liaisons: ‘Mum’s’ not the word anymore!

By Ila Garg

In Indian society, mothers are always seen as epitomes of sacrifices. They are a daughter’s best friend, a confidante, and a counsellor. It is said a mother goes through enormous pain during her child’s birth but what if this friend turns into a foe? What if this person who brought you in this world decides to end your life too? Sounds unthinkable, right? But the traditional Indian mother is no longer traditional and the modern version seems to be nowhere near to the old one. So what is making these mothers so dangerous?

In the country that claims to preserve its age-long traditions, the crime rate has increased like a tornado. People have suddenly stopped thinking rationally and let alone brotherhood, mother-child relation also has lost its sanctity. Cases of honour killing have suddenly stormed up too. With the daughters being raped by their own family members and mothers telling them to suffer in silence, it is evident that an accusation on the mother killing her own daughter is no surprise at all. 

NewsGram brings to you, some of these cases where mothers were accused of being the murderers, after all ‘Hell is right here’:

24-year-old Sheena Bora was murdered by her mother Indrani Mukherjee. This controversial case recently got the attention of media when some evidences were found. The case is apparently laced with several murky twists and turns with Indrani Mukherjee being the prime suspect. The most shocking issue is that she never fully accepted Sheena Bora to be her daughter. On the contrary, they were both referred as ‘sisters’ till it was finally revealed that Sheena Bora was Indrani Mukherjee’s daughter. Though the exact reason for the murder is still under wraps.

21-year-old Bhawna Yadav was killed by her parents too. Two love birds got secretly married. They were happily leading their life. And then the girl’s parents took her away, promising a grand wedding. What happened then? The girl was murdered. Why? Well, this is a clear case of honour killing, a very sad one indeed. Bhawna Yadav was murdered in 2014 for marrying a Punjabi. No, there was no khap panchayat involved here. 24-year-old Abhishek Seth when he married Bhawna Yadav was deeply shattered and demanded a death sentence for her parents.

14-year-old Aarushi Talwar was murdered by her parents. In 2008, at a tender age she left the world only to let her murder be a mystery. Her parents were convicted of murdering her and the case was dubbed as honour killing when the domestic help Hemraj came into the picture. The media didn’t let this case die down so easily but yet no headway could be made. Her parents continued to deny the charges and CBI did investigate the case but still many questions were left unanswered. So Aarushi’s murder continues to be a mystery.

26-year-old Deepti Chhikara was strangled to death by mother. This is another case of honour killing that came in records. Deepti Chhikara was a primary school teacher, who belonged to an orthodox family. They were against her wish to marry a man from another caste and thus forcefully married her to a man of their choice. She had returned home from her in-laws’ place a few weeks ago. It was then that her mother, brother and uncle strangled her to death and later dumped her body.

23-year-old Kiran Kohli was killed by her mother. This comes across as a shocking case. Kiran’s mother killed her only because of her outrageous lifestyle. Kiran apparently was addicted to smoking and drinking. She also loved to party till late hours. Her mother made a few attempts to kill her and she tried to poison her food and smother her with a pillow. It was then that she hired her brother to get rid of her daughter; and this is not all.

Every year, the number of these incidents is increasing. Some come to light while others are still shrouded in mystery. Instances like these are countless. The apathy is apparently rampant and shockingly mothers are the culprits this time.

This article first appeared on NewsGram.

From Sania to Saina: Rise of Indian women in sports

By Ila Garg

Since ancient times, sports has been an integral part of Indian history. We have some legendary sportsmen like Milkha Singh, Kapil Dev, Dhyanchand, etc. ruling the charts. Today, women are also becoming the face of Indian sports. Women sportsperson these days are taking Indian sports to a new height. Sania Mirza and Saina Nehwal have gradually emerged as popular youth icons and are creating ripples in the stagnant ocean! NewsGram takes a look at their journey:

Sania Mirza took Tennis to the global level. In the days when the patriarchal society of India was revering in the notion that women cannot excel in sports, a determined Mirza changed the course of Tennis. Born on 15th November 1986, she started playing tennis at an early age of six. She found her first coach in her father Imran who diligently took her talent forward and carved it well so that she could be an inspiration for others like her.
She started taking part in international tournaments from the year 1999 and soon became a pro at the game. Her strength became evident from her very first game. In 2003, she managed to enter the list of world’s top 100 tennis players. She is the first youngest Indian player to win the Grand Slam title too, thus creating a stir amongst the masses.

The ace player Sania is currently ranked world number one in the women’s doubles (she retired from singles recently). Now, she is all set to receive Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, the highest honour in the field of sports. It is indeed a big achievement for the star tennis player as she is the second tennis player after Leander Paes to be recommended for this award. NewsGram congratulates her for being an inspiration to many people around the world and opening new doors for the tennis aspirants.

Saina Nehwal has proved her mettle as a promising Indian female Badminton player and continues to reach heights. Like Sania Mirza aroused the interest of the youths to pursue the game of tennis, she is opening a whole new arena for them to follow.
She was born on 17th March 1990 with the game instilled in her genes as both her parents, Dr. Harvir Singh and Usha Rani were former State Badminton Champions. Her training started at the age of eight and since then the badminton racket has been her companion. In the year 2003, she made her presence felt when she won the Junior Czech Open Tournament.

Subsequently in 2004, she became the National Junior Champion and in 2005, she won the title again. This shows her dedication towards the game. In 2006, she won the bronze medal at the Commonwealth games thus creating a benchmark for herself.  From small steps, she soon took leaps as she won the Superseries Title in 2009.

She has been decorated with awards like Arjuna Award (2009), Padma Shri Award (2010) and Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award (2010). Her zeal has motivated many others to follow her path.

 

From Sania Mania to Saina Style, Indian women have been rising in the field of sports and overcoming all hurdles. NewsGram feels that more and more women should come forward and take sports as career. Only required tools are diligence, hard work, and passion.

This article first appeared on NewsGram.

Airtel 4G - The Fastest Network Ever on Your Handset

So you are one of those who spends a more waking hours waiting for the page to load or are you struggling for past half an hour to watch a few minutes video? Do you keep waiting for days at a stretch for a movie to download? Has the slow internet speed ever marred your internet experience? Do you wish you had a faster internet at an affordable price? If yes, then Airtel 4G is the answer to your prayers! If you are one of those who wish for speed and don’t want to compromise with your entertainment, Airtel 4G is for you.

Image Source: telecomtalk.info

It not only claims to be the fastest internet but in reality, it is the fastest. Yes, with this internet speed you can easily consider the long and tedious days of overnight movie downloads a thing of past. You can stream the videos in HD resolution without the worry of buffering. So you think it is unbelievable? Well, try it and then judge it as Airtel is so confident about the 4G speed that under its campaign, the company has openly challenged the other internet speeds. Airtel has said that if you find a faster speed than they are offering, they will provide lifetime mobile bills free. This is a big move, indeed!

Airtel 4G is the first telecom operator to roll out 4G services and it has acted in its favour. Airtel has taken a great initiative by introducing 4G network in India. In addition, the company is offering this unbelievable speed for an unbelievable price. Airtel is giving this 4G speed at the price of 3G. The network has reached nationwide roll out across 296 cities.

All you need is a 4G/LTE enabled handset and you are good to go. Getting a 4G SIM is also a very simple process. All you have to do is open your twitter account and tweet with the hashtag - #GetAirtel4G

Airtel will ensure that the 4G SIM card reaches at your door steps free of cost. Yes, Airtel is offering an absolutely free home delivery. SIM can be activated by dropping a message on 121 and you will be all set to enjoy the fastest speed in India within a couple of hours.

With Airtel, you can now enjoy an uninterrupted internet and don’t have to cringe every few minutes or curse your internet provider. This move has encouraged people to switch to Airtel network, thus, Airtel is gaining new happy customers while retaining the old ones. Airtel has indeed paved way to a revolution and this is a win-win situation for both Airtel and the customers.

I have recently got the 4G SIM delivered too and now I am all set to activate it and be proud to have the fastest internet on my phone. What are you waiting for?

Lost in the crowd: Are Hindi poets treading the path of oblivion?

By Ila Garg

Prosperous at one time, the Hindi language is now slowly meeting its downfall. And so are the Hindi poets…

Today, with teenagers running after western trends and blindly imitating them, Hindi literature is left in a downtrodden state. The youngsters are constantly moving away from older traditions.

Hindi as a language has lost its essence. No longer are we able to regularly recall the names of Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, Dharmveer Bharti, Sumitranandan Pant, Sahir Ludhianvi, Suryakant Tripathi Nirala, and many more such legends.

Hindi poets are no longer read and respected. Many of us lack even basic knowledge about these poets, let alone their struggles and the poetic pearls that they weaved over the years.

Hindi poets and their journey

• Ramdhari Singh Dinkar – For a poet born before Independence, he had the required rebellious tone in his poetry. His patriotic compositions were looked up to. During the Emergency, Dinkar’s famous poem: ‘Singhasan Khaali Karo Ke Janata Aaati Hai’ was widely recited. His contribution to the freedom struggle and to the Hindi literature is exemplary and yet his glory is fading in the light of English poetry.

सदियों की ठंढी-बुझी राख सुगबुगा उठी,
मिट्टी सोने का ताज पहन इठलाती है;
दो राह, समय के रथ का घर्घर-नाद सुनो,
सिंहासन खाली करो कि जनता आती है।

• Dharmveer Bharti – A poet and a social thinker, Bharti wrote till his last breath. His plays brought him to the limelight. Engaging in social commentary through his plays was his expertise. He wanted to reflect upon the society and contribute towards directing it to the path of reformation.

‘Andha Yug’ is the most famous of his plays. The masterpiece is structured on the events of Mahabharata, covering the events of last day of the war.

• Sumitranandan Pant – He was a progressive poet and had a philosophical bend of mind. He started writing as a child. Panth was a humanist and wrote with a realistic approach towards life. His love for nature often found its mention in his creations. Memories too, played a very important role in his journey as a poet.

बिदा हो गई साँझ, विनत मुख पर झीना आँचल धर,
मेरे एकाकी आँगन में मौन मधुर स्मृतियाँ भर!
वह केसरी दुकूल अभी भी फहरा रहा क्षितिज पर,
नव असाढ़ के मेघों से घिर रहा बराबर अंबर!

• Sahir Ludhianvi – A popular Bollywood lyricist of his time, he was always a poet at heart. His reputation as a poet came handy in shaping his career as a lyricist. His creations had a flavour of binaries. He never talked about life in isolation with the concept of death. This was because he felt that death was an integral part of life, it is something that gives life its meaning. He saw things in their entirety, and that gave him an edge over the other writers of his time. His poetry was thus, well appreciated by critics.

Teri duniya mei jeene se toh behtar hai ke mar jaaye,
Wohi aansuu wohi aahen wohi gham hai jidhar jaaye,
Koi toh aisa ghar hota jahan se pyaar mil jaata,
Wohi begaane chehre hai jahaan jaaye jidhar jaaye,
Arey o aasmaan waale bata iss mei bura kya hai,
Khushi ke chaar jhonke gar idhar se bhi guzar jaaye.

• Suryakant Tripathi Nirala – Nirala was a poet who emerged out of a life of misfortunes and tragedies. He suffered a great deal and yet he had the courage to make a path for himself. He was a regular participant in Hindi Kavi Sammelans. He was a rebel, both in form and content, that’s why he wasn’t easily accepted as a poet at first, and was even ridiculed at times. He was strongly against social exploitation and injustice and his writings conveyed his emotions.

दलित जन पर करो करुणा।
दीनता पर उतर आये
प्रभु, तुम्हारी शक्ति वरुणा।

Why is Hindi losing its grip?

The answer to this is very simple. Everywhere we go, we are required to converse in English. Our national language Hindi is considered unsubstantial during interviews. Almost all tests require proficiency in English.

In schools, children are encouraged to learn English and speak the language fluently. Today, we feel proud when we say that we are weak in Hindi or act like we have no connection with the Hindi language. With the young generation who are the guardians of old customs and traditions being so disheveled, we can only imagine the future of our cultural roots. This is indeed alarming!

Harivansh Rai Bachchan has rightly traced the fast paced life of the modern world:

जीवन की आपाधापी में कब वक़्त मिला
कुछ देर कहीं पर बैठ कभी यह सोच सकूँ
जो किया, कहा, माना उसमें क्या बुरा भला।

Today, no one wants to read in the first place, and even if they are forced to read something, they will never choose a Hindi poem. This is an evidence of how Hindi has been made to be synonymous with disgrace. Moreover, English texts are believed to be ‘easy reads’.

Who is to be blamed for this situation of the Hindi poets?

Present status of Hindi language and poets

The language which represents India is now conveniently pushed to the back lanes, alleys, and gutters. The young generation cannot seem to accommodate it to their changing lifestyle. Our custodians are disillusioned by the charm of West while Hindi poets are now trapped in their incompetence.

The readership plays a significant role in the triumph of a language but here, Hindi is failing. Its inability to attract enough readers is leading to a decrease in the number of writers and poets who pen their feelings in Hindi.

The future of Hindi poets therefore lies in the hands of masses. Till the time readers don’t show enough compassion towards Hindi poetry, the Hindi poets will remain clutched in shackles, unable to take the magnificent Indian culture ahead.

Hindi poets can no longer retrieve their lost place in people’s heart. They hold no significance in a world where the past glory of Indian culture is forgotten. Culture and language walk hand in hand. If one is weakened, the other can never tread the path of progress.

Hindi language and Indian culture have together become stagnant and soon losing their splendour.

Scope of revival

Yes, we can still get back our past glory. But like always it is easy to destroy a thing, what is difficult is to recreate it. Will we be able to do it? Are we willing to do it?

If we believe in the importance of Hindi poets and if we have faith in our old traditions, we must go back to the roots unless it’s too late. We can make the curriculum more interesting, implement interactive means of poetry recitation in classes, encourage students to talk about the lost demeanor of Hindi poets, and also address the good points of the language.

If the ancient tradition of Yoga can be made international, Hindi can achieve heights too. All we have to do is BELIEVE

This article first appeared on NewsGram.

Penning the pain: Tracing the history of partition through Indian literature

By Ila Garg

 

They say history is for the Kings and Royals, and for common people, there is literature. Partition of 1947 has always been recorded in history from a patriarchal perception. However, literature has tried to approach the mayhem event of partition through a holistic view. This is my attempt to focus on a few writers who gave voices to the hushed up history.

We have writers like Manto and Faiz who have written extensively about the suffering of people and the bloodshed that accompanied the Partition.
Manto’s short story, ‘Khol Do’ (Open It) had a huge impact on readers and it continues to speak through silences as the contemporary readers try to interpret it in their own way. His story can be read to get a glimpse of the violence and the horrendous crimes that partition resulted in. Women were the main targets to these atrocities and yet they were not given freedom of expression for a long time. Original version of this story is in Urdu but its translated version is more widely read.
A short excerpt from the story:

That evening there was sudden activity in the camp. He saw four men carrying the body of a young girl found unconscious near the railway tracks. They were taking her to the camp hospital. He began to follow them.

He stood outside the hospital for some time, and then went in. In one of the rooms, he found a stretcher with someone lying on it.

A light was switched on. It was a young woman with a mole on her left cheek. “Sakina!” Sirajuddin screamed.

The doctor, who had switched on the light, stared at Sirajuddin.

“I am her father,” he stammered. The doctor looked at the prostrate body and felt for the pulse. Then he said to the old man, “Open the window.”

The young woman on the stretcher moved slightly. Her hands groped for the cord which kept her salwar tied around her waist. With painful slowness, she unfastened it, pulled the garment down and opened her thighs.

“She is alive. My daughter is alive,” Sirajuddin shouted with joy. The doctor broke into a cold sweat.

While Manto expressed more through his short stories, Faiz Ahmed Faiz did the same through his poems. His ‘Subah-e-Azaadi’ is the most talked about poem in Urdu Literature. It has a touch of revolution and gives gory details of partition.

“Ye daagh daagh ujaalaa, ye shab-gazida sahar,
Wo intzaar tha jiska, ye vo seher toh nahi,
Ye wo seher toh nahin jiski aarzu lekar,
Chale the yaar ke mil jaegi kahi na kahi,
Falak ke dasht mei taaro ki aakhiri manzil,
Kahi toh hoga shab-e-sust mauj ka sahil,
Kahi toh jaake rukega safina-e-gham-e-dil.”

Hindi poets like Sahir Ludhianvi too contributed to the partition literature by echoing similar emotions. Ludianvi’s ‘Wo Subah Kabhi Toh Aayegi’ is indicative of reviving hope in difficulties. The tone might be a little mellow but it conveys his ideas quite well.

“Inn Kaali Sadiyo Ke Sar Se, Jab Raat Kaa Aanchal Dhalkega
Jab Dukh Ke Badal Pighalenge, Jab Sukh Ka Sagar Chhalkega
Jab Ambar Jhoom Ke Naachega, Jab Dharti Nagame Gaaegi
Woh Subah Kabhi Toh Aayegi, Woh Subah Kabhi Toh Aayegi
Jis Subah Ke Khatir Jug Jug Se, Hum Sab Mar Mar Ke Jite Hai”

Among the various approaches to the misfortunate event, Punjabi poet, Amrita Pritam’s voice emerged out. She stood as a rebel and reasserted her identity as a woman. Through her poetry, she expressed a strong will to liberate herself from the shackles of patriarchy.
Her poem ‘Ajj Aakhan Waris Shah Nu’ is centered on her appeal to Waris Shah to come and listen to the crying daughters of Punjab. Till date, the poem holds significance and doesn’t cease to influence people with its powerful words.
Pritam’s poetry reflects her rebellious nature, though her only limitation was geographical boundary.

Ajj Aakhan Waris Shah Nuu,
Kiton Qabraan Wichon Bol,
Tey Ajj Kitaab-e-Ishq Daa,
Koi Agla Warka Khol
Ikk Royi Sii Dhi Punjab Di,
Tu Likh Likh Maarey Wain,
Ajj Lakhaan Dhiyan Rondiyan,
Tenu Waris Shah Nuu Kain.

This article first appeared on NewsGram.

Tune In: These 5 Radio Shows are the best in Delhi

New Delhi: Music can at times, act as a stress-buster and the Radio Jockeys (RJs) put some icing on the cake by their chirpy talks and make the boring political updates sound interesting. Today, RJs are in vogue as much as the celebrities. People love listening to their voice on the go. The Radio Shows are getting popular with youngsters.

Here are some of the most prominent shows that are trending these days. What makes these shows a hit is of course the RJs hosting them! Here’s a look at five of them:

RJ Naved is crazy, insane, fun, and mad. His attributes are reflected through his voice. One can tune in to his show ‘5 to 9 with Dilli ka Don Naved’ from Monday to Saturday, 5PM to 9PM on Radio Mirchi. This is a time when the office people are returning home, tired from the day’s work and Naved does a good job by giving them a break from all that is serious and mundane. His love for pranks which finds expression through ‘Mirchi Murga’ makes people laugh and de-stress.

A very well-known story teller and RJ Neelesh Misra hosts the radio show ‘Yaadon ka Idiot Box’ for BIG FM 92.7 from Monday to Friday, 9PM to 11PM. At this hour, when people want to relax, Neelesh takes them to a world of nostalgia through his show. He picks up stories from his listeners and narrates them in his soothing voice, transferring the listeners to a different world. His show is much appreciated by listeners all around. Recently, he is also hosting a show called ‘Ramrajya’ for ABP News. His views are clear and inspiring.

RJ Swati brings in a show ‘Drama Queen’ that focuses the ‘Bajaate Raho’ element to the zenith. This show is a latest rage on Red FM. The show airs from Monday to Friday, 1PM to 3PM, a time when all homemakers are generally free to spend few hours for themselves. Her listeners appreciate her skills of revealing spicy details about the superstars. This might be one reason for the popularity of this show. Her perkiness might be another.

A hot shot favorite show ‘Evening Drive’ is hosted by RJ Nitin, more widely known as RJ Khurafati Nitin. The show airs on Fever 104 FM from Monday to Friday, 5PM to 9PM. As his more popular name suggests, Khurafati Nitin is a prankster and gives his listeners a daily dose of laughter. His chirpy jokes let them indulge in peals of laughter, re-energizing them after a busy weekday. He is one crazy guy on the radio who never lets you have a dull moment.

While RJ Neelesh Misra comes to entertain you at night, RJ Naved and RJ Nitin take care of your evenings, RJ Swati keeps you occupied for your afternoons, RJ Raunac accompanies you right from the early hours of morning. His show ‘Morning No. 1’ is favored by masses. He makes your morning a little more pleasant and prepares you for the day. He serves you with all the information that you are seeking and brings in an element of fun while you drive off to your work.

This article first appeared on NewsGram.

True Grit: Meet 5 Indian women who have stood tall against Mt Everest

By Ila Garg (for NewsGram)

Mountaineering has always been popular in India. As much as the activity is thrilling, it has a huge amount of risk involved. What is astonishing is that even after keeping their life at stake, how many of these mountaineers actually get the recognition that they deserve!

In an attempt to bring forth some of them, NewsGram features five Indian female mountaineers befitting to the definition of ‘courage’. These mountaineers include Krushnaa Patil, Malavath Poorna, Santosh Yadav, Arunima Sinha, and Premlata Agarwal. These climbers have displayed extraordinary determination and dauntless valour to turn their dreams into reality.

Krushnaa Patil is one such Indian mountaineer who started climbing at the age of 19. Consequently, she became the pioneer woman from Maharashtra, and also the second youngest Indian woman to successfully scale Mount Everest in 2009. Patil is a go-getter and her ambitions led her to be a part of several other expeditions which included an international expedition as well. Cycling, rafting, rowing, paragliding, and horse riding are some of her interest areas.
In her pursuit for action, she became the youngest mountaineer to attempt the Seven Summits Challenge but it was later abandoned pertaining to several technical errors. In Patil’s opinion, sports in India require self-assertion. You need to create opportunities for yourself in order to progress.

“My mother is the strongest woman I know. She was more enthusiastic about my climbing than probably I was! Her strength gives me confidence.” Patil told NewsGram, recently.

A motivated person can accomplish wonders. Raised in poverty, 13-year-old Malavath Poorna scaled Mt Everest on May 25, 2014. She successfully tackled the challenges posed in front of her by the cold weather, discomfort of the attire, and her young age.

Her accomplishment is now an inspiration for all young girls in the country. Hailing from a small tribal village, she learned to climb at her school. For a daughter of a farmer, reaching the height of 29,029 feet seemed next to impossible but her enthusiasm and zeal for life were her constant companions. It was her determination that made her a record breaker at such a tender age.

The sheer love for mountains gave Santosh Yadav the requisite encouragement to scale the Mount Everest twice in one year, leaving everyone in awe. She has also left a mark as the first woman to successfully reach Mount Everest from Kangshung Face. Being a woman, her journey was not a cakewalk at all. The dreams that she cherished in her heart became her only support against the hostility of her family.

Everest attracts a lot of mountaineers from all across the world. In the quest to reach on top, even the amputees are now keenly participating. Arunima Sinha, a former national-level volleyball player lost her leg when she was thrown from a moving train. She later went on to become the first female amputee to scale the heights. It was her unflinching desire that kept her excelling the Mount Everest even with a disability. This created a great stir among the denizens who started seeing her with respect.

While we have records by the young women, at 48, Premlata Agarwal became the oldest woman to dare to scale the Everest. Trained and mentored by Bechendri Pal, the first Indian woman to successfully scale the Mount Everest in 1984, Premlata despite her age showed unparalleled courage and set an example.

This article first appeared on NewsGram.

Indian ‘Flying Coffins’: After 6 plane crashes in 6 months, it’s time to wake up

It is a matter of grave concern that in a span of just six months, Indian Defense Forces has witnessed over six plane crashes while one Dornier aircraft has been missing. Such accidents are common in other Air force camps across the globe as well; however the rate at which Indian aircraft are crashing, has questioned the credibility of defense services in India.


What is more ignominious is that the officials are not much bothered about such catastrophic incidents and have taken no visible precautionary steps in this direction.

The authorities keep blaming each other till the matter is finally closed. The breaking news is soon subsided and the wounded pilots continue to risk their lives in the name of serving the nation.

Here's a list of some of the ill- fated aircraft which have crashed or have been missing, in the last six months.

A Jaguar fighter plane of the Indian Air Force crashed in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh on 16 June 2015. The officials said that it took off for a routine sortie and crashed just few minutes after. Both the pilots ejected safely, though the plane was destroyed.

Just about a week ago, on 8 June 2015, a Dornier aircraft which took off from Chennai airport for a surveillance sortie went missing on its way back. Its last known location, as per Trichy radar, was off Karaikal in Puducherry, 95 nautical miles south of Chennai.

The probable cause for the disappearance of the aircraft is still being debated, as the citizens are left appalled. The officials have so far been unable to disclose any further details. The safety of the aircraft is indeed getting more hazardous with each day.

The month of June has been a rough month for IAF so far as yet another fighter trainer aircraft, Hawk A-3492 crashed in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district on 3 June 2015. Since it crashed during afternoon hours and fell in a paddy field, away from habitation, no civilian causalities were reported. The two pilots ejected safely too.

But the question looming out of this issue is - will the pilots continue to be lucky, with such incidents of crashes being so frequent?

In yet another reprehensible incident on 27 March 2015 a Dornier aircraft met its ill fate. This was the first Dornier of the Indian Navy to crash, since it was inducted into the Navy in the early 90’s.
It was carrying out a search and rescue exercise at night when it crashed, claiming the lives of two naval officers Lt. Kiran Shekhawat and Lt. Abhinav Nagori.

In the same month, on 5 March 2015, an Indian Air Force Jaguar crashed close to Shahbad town in Haryana’s Kurukshetra district due to some technical issues. The plane had taken off from the Ambala Air base. The pilot reportedly gave a distress call before he ejected safely, though he suffered several injuries.

Such crashes continue to plague Indian Armed Forces and there seems to be no light at the end of this tunnel. On 31 January 2015, an Indian Air Force MiG-21, on a training flight, crashed into a sea near Gujarat’s Jamnagar district.

The pilot was able to safely eject before the plane crashed, though he endured minor injuries.
This particular crash had caused a major stir amongst the denizens and a court inquiry was initiated to determine the cause of the crash though as it happens with all such cases, even the investigation for this case too was soon closed.

Earlier, on 27 January 2015, a MiG-27 fighter jet crashed in Rajasthan’s Barmer. The jet fell on a passing motorcycle, badly injuring the young man who was riding it. He suffered minor burns and his hand fractured while his bike was completely burnt.

The IAF later said that the pilot was safe and had ejected few kilometers before the crash.
India thus, has had an appalling record of aircraft mishaps over recent years, and apparently no effective measures have been taken so far.

These unfortunate accidents have brought indifferent attitude of the government officials to the forefront. They continue to be negligent towards the safety of the pilots and use low quality parts in the aircraft.

With 6 plane crashes and a missing aircraft in 2015, time and again questions are raised over the reliability of Indian Defense Forces.

It’s high time that the authorities should start paying heed to this matter before it’s too late. If these events continue to recur, how can the youngsters be motivated to join Indian Armed Forces? The common faith keeps shattering down and yet the officials seem to remain unperturbed.

Illustration By: Ila Garg

This article first appeared on NewsGram.

Credihealth startup: A step towards betterment in healthcare sector

By Ila Garg (for NewsGram)

Credihealth, as the name suggests aims at bringing credibility to the healthcare sector in India. The firm has a dedicated website, complete with an interactive chat column wherein they invite people to talk and discuss about their health issues free of cost with the experts. Apt to today’s lifestyle, Credihealth is designed to give deeper insights into medical facilities to the patients so that they can understand themselves in a better way.

The patients can go through the profiles of the specialties and this way they can build upon their trust. It aims at bridging gaps between the doctors and patients by bringing them close to each other. The team of founders comprises successful business leaders and career professionals.

Ravi Virmani, alumnus of XLRI Jamshedpur, was the COO of Max Healthcare before founding Credihealth. Gaurav Gaggar is a successful Chartered Accountant, investment banker, and e-venture co-founder. Saurabh Uboweja, alumnus of IIM Calcutta has been running India’s first truly holistic brand consulting and design firm, Brands of Desire. Piush Kumar owns an investment office called Hausela which aims at funding startups in the digital technology space.

NewsGram interacts with Ravi Virmani to know Credihealth closely:

 

Ila Garg: How does credihealth works?
Founder Ravi Virmani: Credihealth helps navigate through the complex healthcare system. It offers an easy-to-use website with the options to search, compare and select doctors, hospitals and treatments providing the relevant solutions. Send your query on the website or request a call back from our team of in-house doctors. Based on your choice of doctor, the team member schedules your appointment. We support you throughout your hospitalization journey, regularly following up after the procedure for post-op care or rehab.

IG: What are the basic aims of this startup?
RV: We aspire to leverage technology to expand the healthcare boundaries, by enabling access to healthcare, which includes –
(i) Information – Hospital and Doctor Credentials, Procedures, Treatments, Feedback, and healthcare content for the common man;
(ii) Ensuring Delivery – Credible partner to support the patient through the entire experience of their hospital journey.
Our overarching goal is to start the Right Cost Movement, bringing transparency to healthcare where the aim is to empower people to make informed healthcare decisions, by way of verified reviews, price comparisons, multiple treatment options and a belief that now there’s a better way!

IG: How is credihealth different?
RV: Credihealth is the first omni-channel player in the hospitalization / inpatient business in India that allows a patient to compare and select doctors, hospitals, treatments and cost options from the comfort of his home.
• People from different parts of the country and abroad can now easily access information on experts and treatment options from thousands of miles away. To give you a real time instance, we currently have 8 liver transplant patients from across the globe who will be getting treatment done in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore through Credihealth. We are broadening the accessibility to healthcare world-wide.
• The Credihealth blog is a first-of-its-kind health blog in India that features over a thousand comprehensive articles explaining symptoms, treatment methods and prevention from several diseases, hundreds of exclusive doctor interviews and patient experiences. CrediHeroes – another initiative, is a platform for cancer patients to share their stories of courage.
• We are the only healthcare website in India to have over 250 exclusive doctor interviews and patient feedback.

IG: How will it benefit the patients?
RV: Credihealth essentially helps patients in the following ways –
• Discovery & Search (Online): Provides extensive information on their website & blog to help users make an informed decision on their treatment
• Quality & Trust (The Personal touch): A user can ask for a call-back to clarify any additional queries / doubts and discuss options with a team of operations executives to decide the best way forward
• Convenience (Offline): Project manage the entire hospitalization process for the user /patient through to post-op care

IG: Is it free to use or you charge a fee?
RV: Credihealth.com is a completely free portal. We do not charge our patients any fee. Since we are a source of patients, our main source of revenue is from ‘market development’ fee from hospitals. After an initial Proof of Concept in 2014, we have been able to earn Credi revenue through this medium.

IG: Are the doctors willing to talk in detail with the patients online?
RV: We have a team of in-house doctors that cater to patient problems via online chats and emails. Occasionally, Credihealth conducts live chat sessions with famous doctors to answer questions via chat and social media. On a similar note, we also have several Facebook communities that welcome doctors to answer intricate health issues on these groups.

IG: What if an immediate help is required? Do you have any means to provide immediate attention?
RV: We do not provide immediate emergency help at the moment. We do, however, connect patients in need of immediate medical help to the emergency department in the concerning hospital.

Apart from the conventional approach, the Credihealth team is creating health awareness on social media giants too. They are active in engaging youth through Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook groups. These groups are created to spread health awareness in addition to cater to people sharing their intricate health issues, doubts, and experiences.

This article first appeared on NewsGram.

Mirosoft Surface Pro 3 : An amazing piece of tech, but can it replace laptop

By Ila Garg (for NewsGram)

Over the past few years, technology has seen many advancements. The latest gadget to hit the market is the Microsoft Surface Pro 3. This tablet doubles as a laptop too. Microsoft claims that their Surface Pro 3 tablet has the power and performance of a laptop. The user can easily install Windows desktop software, including the entire Microsoft Office suite and Adobe Photoshop. But can it really replace your laptop?

Team NewsGram went to the Microsoft Store at the magnificent mile in downtown Chicago for first-hand experience of their latest product. There, the team manually inspected and checked the functionality of Surface Pro 3.

It is sleek and light, making it easy to carry around. It is built to handle even the most intensive of tasks. The user can use up to three apps or desktop programs side by side at any time and switch between them with ease. Its 12” full HD Plus screen display is easy to the eyes. It has a fully functional sleek keyboard, available in many colors. Among the various options, the brick red keyboard looked most appealing to the NewsGram team. The keyboard also has a magnetic strip, thus it can connect to the screen. It is detachable so that the user can use the Surface both as a tablet and a laptop. With the 4th generation Intel Core family of processors (i3, i5, i7), it offers fast speed and seamless graphics, along with between 64 to 512 GB of SSD internal storage and 4 to 8 GB of RAM. It also has a full-size USB 3.0 port, a microSD card reader, and Mini Display Port.

It has stereo speakers with Dolby audio and two 5 megapixel HD cameras situated at the front and back. This makes video conferencing better than ever. The touchscreen is quite responsive, and the tablet includes a pen. Even if the Surface Pro 3 is asleep, with the click of the pen a blank sheet opens up for quick notes, scribblings, and sketches.

Weighing 1.76 pounds and 0.36 inches thin, this is indeed an amazing piece of technology, complete with a kickstand. It has an attractive display and design, and is available at an affordable price range. Also, in the USA, there is a student discount of 10% on the Surface Pro 3. The tablet is also available in India.

Battery life may be an issue, also it tends to run hot at times. While it has an attachable keyboard, it may be hard to use in one’s lap due to the requirement of using the kickstand.

This article first appeared on NewsGram.