THE SHILLONG TIMES, SHILLONG, TUESDAY, APRIL 11, 2017 (EIGHT) ‘Half Girlfriend might start debate on knowing one’s language’ B Ryan Phillippe rubbishes Katy Perry dating rumours A ctor Ryan Phillippe has refuted reports of him romancing pop star Katy Perry by tweeting that he is "not dating" her. His tweet came after a few tabloid reports claimed that the actor and pop star were spotted getting cozy at Elton John's birthday bash. Phillippe slammed the reports, saying that he "barely knows" the songstress. "I AM NOT DATING KATY PERRY. BARELY KNOW HER. PLEASE STOP FLYING HELICOPTERS OVER MY HOUSE. SHE IS NOT HERE," he tweeted in all caps. (PTI) Bradley Cooper, Irina Shayk welcome their first child A ctor Bradley Cooper and his girlfriend Iri na Shayk have welcomed their first baby. The 31-year-old Russian supermodel, who has been dating Cooper, 42, since spring 2015, gave birth two weeks ago, reported a magazine. However, no other details were made available. Shayk's pregnancy news came out in November after she showcased a baby bump while walking the runway at the 2016 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.(PTI) Mariah Carey, Bryan Tanaka part ways S inger Mariah Carey has reportedly split from her boyfriend Bryan Tanaka, who earlier worked as a backup dancer for her. According to sources, Carey and Tanaka have parted ways over his "insane jealousy" and her "shutting the cash register drawer" on Tanaka's fingers, reported a website. The website claimed that Tanaka was in "unbridled fury" over Carey's relationship with her former husband Nick Cannon. "She's been chummy with him for sure, mostly for the benefit of their twins. They vacation as a family and go to dinner and parties together, sometimes without the kids," the source said. As per sources, Tanaka felt "disrespected" when Carey and Cannon came together to the Kids' Choice Awards last month. (IANS) Kylie Jenner attends high school prom as student’s date R eality TV personality Kylie Jenner sur prised students at Rio Americano High School in Sacramento when she unexpectedly arrived at their prom. The 19-year-old reality star accompanied junior Albert Ochoa to the school prom, bringing along her longtime pal Jordyn Woods for the festivities, reported a magazine. Kylie took to Snapchat to post a photo of the two in their dresses, sitting inside a private jet. (PTI) ollywood actor Arjun Kapoor says after his upcoming film Half Girlfriend, based on an eponymous novel, people might start debating on the importance of knowing one's native language over English. The actor who was present here on Monday at the trailer launch of the film with director Mohit Suri, writer Chetan Bhagat and co-star Shraddha Kapoor, said: "Since the character goes through the trouble of speaking in English language, I think after watching the film, people will start talking about the importance of knowing one's native lan- guage over English." "In our country, no matter how intelligent you are, if your English language is not fluent, people look down upon you. It is a shame." He added: "Knowing English is good, but why do we feel embarrassed to speak in our native language? Why do people start judging you based on that?" The novel divulges the sentiments and linguistic struggles of a backward rural Bhojpuri-laced Hindispeaking boy from Bihar as Rihanna to design a jewellery collection Salman Khan shares poster of Sairat actor’s next project R B ollywood superstar Salman Khan has shared a poster of Sairat actor Aakash Thosar's next film FU. The movie has been directed by Salman's friend, actor-filmmaker Mahesh Manjrekar. "Sairat throb #AakashThosar is back with @manjrekarmahesh's #FU," Salman posted on Twitter, alongside the poster which reads "He Is Back." "FU" will release on June 2. This is Aakash's second film. The actor's debut Marathi film Sairat, directed by Nagraj Manjule, was a superhit. (PTI) Brooklyn Beckham gets second tattoo B rooklyn Beckham is clearly following in the footsteps of his father David Beckham, especially in the art of body tattoo. After debuting his first tattoo last weekend, the 18year-old aspiring photographer has already got his second inking as he has taken to social media to show it off. In the snap, which was shared on Instagram, Brooklyn can be seen pulling back the sleeve of his Tshirt to reveal the tattoo of a Fujitsu camera inked on his left bicep. This time, the oldest son of David and Victoria went to famed tattoo artist Dr. Woo. He was apparently satisfied with the result as he captioned the shot, "Great second tattoo by @_dr_woo_." Previously, Brooklyn got a Native American tattoo on his forearm which was inspired by his former soccer player father. (PTI) he enrolls himself at an English-medium college and falls in love with a "high class English-speaking rich Delhi girl". Sharing his experience on this, Bhagat said: "During the launch of the book ‘Half Girlfriend' I did a survey and while I asked a girl if she would make a boy her boyfriend if he does not know English, she replied, ‘No way, never'. In a country like India, I felt very strange and at times guilty, as an English language writer." Directed by Mohit Suri, produced by Ekta Kapoor, the film Half Girlfriend will release on May 19. (IANS) Actress Shilpa Shetty during a promotional event in Mumbai on Monday. (PTI) &B star Rihanna is all set to debut as a jew ellery designer this May. The music diva will be launching a fine jewellery collection with hi-end brand Chopard, which will premiere at this year's Cannes Film Festival, reported a magazine. The collection is titled "Rihanna Loves Chopard", which draws its inspiration from the landscape and Carnival celebrations of the songstress' native island Barbados. Rihanna has codesigned nine pieces with Chopard creative director Caroline Scheufele. "With her unique style, she redefines the way people see and wear jewellery," Scheufele said in a statement. (PTI) People don’t want to marry these days, says Shraddha B ollywood actress Shraddha Kapoor, who is playing the lead role in Mohit Suris upcoming film "Half Girlfriend", says these days while parents are quite open about the idea of love marriages and live-in relationships, there are many youngsters who are commitment-phobic. Half Girlfriend is a film based on an eponymous novel by writer Chetan Bhagat, who had once explained that the term is for a phenomenon where boys and girls are not clear about their relationship status with each other. Asked about her opinion on becoming a 'half girlfriend', Shraddha said here on Monday: "Well, there are relationships in all our lives that you cannot name. Like in this film, I also believe there are relationships we have sometimes in life, where you have someone who is more than just a By Pandit Ajai Bhambi 'Birthday Forecast' Full Moon on your solar return chart ensures an excellent year ahead. This is a year of sociability. It is a friendly time, when it is easy to enjoy life and other people. Focus is on personal freedom, reaching out to others, making new friends, and exploration. You are more enthusiastic and ready for adventure. It is likely to be a rather lighthearted year, when opportunities for "play" time are greater than usual. It's also a good year for expressing your creativity. There will be less struggles and more success. 'Forecast for Today' Aries : (March 21 - April 20) A new energy will now begin to work in your life. You will suddenly find that balancing family and career issues have now become extremely easy. All your hesitations will disappear and your actions are marked by an unprecedented level of confidence. You will also be able to resolve any ambivalent feeling towards those near to you both in workplace and in the family. Taurus : (April 21 - May 21) Sudden increase of stress at your workplace may lead to health related complications like migraine, tension headache and hypertension. In order to prepare for this, you should start the day with meditation, breathing exercise and other relaxation techniques. Be sure to drink plenty of water and stay away from the junk foods as they only add to your stress. Gemini : (May 22 - June 21) Both you and your partner have been super busy lately. So, today, make sure to spend time in each other's company. Plan a romantic dinner and spoil your partner with your attention. This gesture of appreciation will go a long way. Single persons are likely to have a great date which may inspire them to take the relationship to the next level. Cancer : (June 22 - July 22) There may be a difference of opinion today at the office. It may occur with a colleague, a subordinate or with your boss. No matter with whom it happens, the stress is going to affect your health. So, you need to keep a cool head today and avoid all possible confrontations. You will be able to significantly reduce the level of stress if you start the day with some physically testing activities like running. Leo : (July 23 - August 23) It is a great day for you! There will be loads of people offering hands to bring you out of the pitiful situation you are stuck up currently! You have landed there due to somebody else's fault; just avoid such dangerous people next time! Right now you must celebrate your victory like never before. The day is favorable for outdoor activities and exercises. Virgo : (August 24 - September 22) All the stress will be draining away today and you will end up feeling amazingly energetic and refreshed. This will bring a flood of optimism and you will be able to tackle any task even those which you have been putting off. Your enthusiasm is likely to infect others in your family or friend circle and you can all end up organizing an impromptu outdoor game or picnic. Libra : (September 23 - October 23) Today you may meet someone whom you have been dreaming of. The person will be interesting and adventurous like you. You have been hoping to meet someone like this for quite some time. Sparks will flow today and you may find yourself thinking about that person. Do not forget to subtly give a hint about your liking for that person. Scorpio : (October 24 - November 22) You have spent somewhat more than what you are accustomed to in the last few days. Today, a mood of caution will descend upon you. You will tighten up your budget and emphasize savings a marked shift in approach of the last few days. However, you need to actively work at getting rid of the groundless fear that all your money will run out. Sagittarius : (November 23 - December 21) This is an ideal time to get back to your creative dreams. There can be new developments in romantic relationships. Full moons are all about sensitive feelings, so, you may get into certain situations where you see everything in a heightened emotional perspective. You will rethink about your hobbies and creative ventures. You will think about your perspective about children and youth group settings. Capricorn : (December 22 - January 20) There are possibilities of collaboration and team work to finish an important assignment. You will find many opportunities to be in a new group. It can be a new friend as well. You may try to start a new long term project. There can be activities with children and youth group too. You may need to take long distance travels for spirituality and charity. Aquarius : (January 21 - February 18) Today you may realize the need of being in a fun-filled environment. You can have concerns about children and youth group settings. You will try to start a new venture with your creative skills. This is a good time to plan for a speculative venture as well. You will try to finish a creative project. You will have a lot of memories, but you have to be very careful in dealing with the matters of finances. Pisces : (February 19 - March 20) This may not be the right time to take new decisions or execute them, especially related to your love life. You have to only analyze your decisions and research on how to make them great in the future. You have to be very calculative in your moves. Otherwise, you can have issues in your relationships. You may get opportunities to create new agreements and contracts. SUDOKU ISLAMABAD: In a provocative move, Pakistan's powerful army chief on Monday approved Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav's execution after a military court sentenced him to death in a secret trial for alleged involvement in "espionage and sabotage activities" in restive Balochistan and Karachi. The death sentence to Jadhav, 46, was confirmed by army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa after the Field General Court Martial (FGCM) found him guilty of "all the charges", said the military's media wing InterServices Public Relations (ISPR). "The spy was tried through Field General Court Martial (FGCM) under the Pakistan Army Act (PAA) and awarded the death sentence. Today Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa confirmed his death sentence awarded by FGCM," it said. The development could further strain the India-Pakistan ties which were hit after attacks in Pathankot and Uri by Pakistan-based terrorists last year. According to the army statement, Jadhav, a commander in the Indian Navy, "confessed" before a Magistrate and the court that he was "tasked by RAW to plan, coordinate and organise espionage/sabotage activities aiming to destabilise and wage war against Pakistan by impeding the efforts of Law Enforcement Agencies for restoring peace in Balochistan and Karachi." National Nuggets Mamata bats for use of ballot paper in upcoming polls NEW DELHI: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today called for the replacement of EVMs with ballot paper, saying "old is always gold". "EVMs can be tampered with, so let's go back to the old system," Mamata said here in an informal interaction with media. The TMC is part of the 13-party delegation meeting the Election Commission to demand that upcoming polls be held with 50 per cent use of paper trail of EVM voting and ballot paper. "If there is any doubt (on EVMs) then let's opt for ballot paper," the TMC supremo said. Opposition parties are unitedly taking up with the EC the issue of alleged EVM tampering in the recently held elections. She said in a democracy the EC cannot be immune to the demand of the majority of political parties. "The EC has to abide by the democratic process...when so many political parties are raising it. The EC has to increase its staff strength for counting," she said. (PTI) UP minister asks officials to come out of holiday hangover LUCKNOW: UP minister Surya Pratap Shahi today rapped the govt officials over low punctuality and poor attendance and asked them to come out of the "holiday hangover" of the previous government. While conducting a surprise inspection at Krishi Bhawan, Shahi said: "The quantum of laxity in the office is very high. It is absolutely unjustified. The attendance in the office was very low. Those who have been marked absent on Monday would face a pay cut of one day." He said warnings have been issued to the officials who were found absent. "The ground reality is indeed disturbing, and we will take stringent action against the habitual offenders. There should be no pendency of work, and all works must be completed within the stipulated deadline," he added. (PTI) Pakistan claims its security forces had arrested Jadhav from the restive Balochistan province on March 3 last year after he reportedly entered from Iran. It also claimed that he was "a serving officer in the Indian Navy." The Pakistan Army had also released a "confessional video" of Jadhav. India had acknowledged that Jadhav had served with the navy but denied that he has any connection with the government. "The individual has no link with government since his premature retirement from Indian Navy," the External Affairs Ministry had said in a statement in March last year. India had demanded Consular access to Jadhav, young professionals from Kerala, with the support of state Tourism Department, is all set to explore live streaming as a major campaign tool for the upcoming second edition of International Conference on Tourism Technology (ICTT) in Kochi. Association of Tourism Trade Organisation (ATTOI), with the support of Kerala Tourism, will organise the three-day event at the Le Meridien Hotel here from June 8 to 10. "Technology has become an essential part of tourism industry. Unlike other social media tools, we have noticed that the live feeds are getting more traction. "It is intimate, engaging, bespoke and authentic than any other form of tourism destination promotions," ATTOI President Anish Kumar P K, who is a winner of the Kerala State Tourism Award for best use of IT in tourism, said. (PTI) CROSSWORD 1 2 3 7 4 5 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 Two held for robbing tourist MATHURA: Two persons have been arrested for allegedly robbing a Greek national on board the Mangala Lakshadweep Express a fortnight back, police said here on Monday. On March 27, Angelica Elene was travelling to Delhi when the two accused, Faizan and Vinod Gupta, both residents of Ghaziabad, looted her purse after the train crossed Kosi Kalan station, Government Railway Police (GRP) inspector Vijay Singh said. The duo escaped after pulling an alarm chain of the train, the officer said. Upon reaching Nizamuddin railway station in Delhi, the woman lodged a complaint there and mentioned that the purse contained Rs 10,000 in cash, two mobile phones and her passport.The case was later transferred to Mathura GRP, he said. The two accused were arrested on Sunday from Mathura railway station (PTI) 19 21 YESTERDAY'S SOLUTIONS L E T O F F S T E A M CR A C KO F A O U X P L O I T I L F DD S D I V N T AMOU S Z A I L UNGS T E N S A S V I A N S T O C E ONC EOR T D E P R I V E D B R O W AWN A D E S T O P W S I ON S T P H Y R O S P E D A D A NGE I N I C E A fleet of ‘Pink Hoyasala’ police cars, especially for women safety in Bengaluru on Monday. (PTI) but Pakistan repeatedly denied it. The ISPR statement, however, said Jadhav alias Hussein Mubarak Patel was "provided with defending officer as per legal provisions". Pakistan army's decision on Monday is expected to further strain the ties between India and Pakistan. The two countries have been at loggerheads over several issues, including on Pakistan's support to terrorism, since the terror attack on an Indian army base in Uri in Kashmir in September last year by Pakistan-based militants killed 18 Indian soldiers. Ten days later, India launched "surgical strikes" against militant "launchpads" in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The two sides were also engaged in a war of words last year over Pakistan's provocative statements on the turmoil in Kashmir following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in July last year. Leading Pakistani experts viewed the announcement about Jadhav's death sentence as an unprecedented move, saying it will send a strong message to foreign countries engaging in spying activities in the country. "Pakistan has sent a message that if somebody does such activities here, it will hand them severe punishment. Those operating against the state will face a similar fate," Defence analyst Ikram Sehgal told Dawn newspaper. (PTI) If Pakistan executes Jadhav, it’ll be a premeditated murder: India NEW DELHI: Reacting strongly, India on Monday said it will regard as "premeditated murder" if Pakistan carries out the death sentence, awarded to its national Kulbhushan Jadhav "without observing basic norms of law and justice". Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar summoned Pakistan High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit and gave a strongly-worded demarche, which said the proceedings that have led to the sentence against Jadhav were "farcical" as there were no "credible evidence" against him. Reacting to a press re- lease by Pakistan military's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Jadhav, India said he was kidnapped last year from Iran and his subsequent presence in Pakistan has never been explained credibly. India, through its High Commission in Islamabad, has repeatedly sought consular access to him, as provided for by international law and 13 such requests were formally made between 25 March 2016 and 31 March 2017, the demarche said. "This was not permitted by the Pakistani authorities," it said. The proceedings that have led to the sentence against Jadhav are "farcical in the absence of any credible evidence" against him, it said, adding it is significant that Indian High Commission was not even informed that Jadhav was being brought to trial. Senior Pakistani figures have themselves cast doubt about the adequacy of evidence. The claim in the ISPR release that Jadhav was provided with a defending officer during the so-called trial is clearly absurd in the circumstances. Jadhav was "arrested" on March 3 last year by Pakistani security forces in the restive Balochistan province. (PTI) India, Australia ink six pacts; to boost counter-terror cooperation NEW DELHI: A pact to significantly expand counterterror cooperation was among six agreements India and Australia inked today as the two countries called for strong action against those financing and providing sanctuary to terror groups. However, no breakthrough was achieved on a comprehensive economic cooperation agreement (CECA) during talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull who merely decided to direct their respective officials to hold an early round of negotiations for the free trade deal. During their talks, the two leaders decided to significantly expand their ties in several key areas including defence, trade, energy and education. While Modi thanked Turnbull for passage of a legislation by the Australian parliament with bi-partisan support paving way for the Kerala govt to use live streaming Bill introduced tech for tourism promotion in Lok Sabha KOCHI: The Kerala government is planning to use its own live streaming technology to tap tourists’ experiento amend tial accounts of the destinations they visit. Considering RTE Act its potential for tourism promotion in India, a group of CLUES Down 1 Pole for use in walking (5) 2 Submissive (8) 3 Allay (6) 4 Successfully and effortlessly (4,1,5) 5 Horse’s moderate pace (4) 6 Brief account (7) 9 Dispose of curtly (5,5) 11 Shared (2,6) 12 Hitherto (2,2,3) 14 Manually (2,4) 16 Closely fought (5) 17 Divert (4) (FIVE) Pak army court sentences Indian spy to death STAR GAZING friend but not exactly a boyfriend... It's somewhere in the middle." "I have seen many of my friends who do not want to fully commit in a relationship. At times do not want to settle down... As in, marry the person. On the other hand, our earlier generation -- our parents -- are becoming more accepting towards respecting our choice, even if it is a live-in relation, keeping our happiness in mind. I talk to my parents about it openly," she added. Shraddha spoke at the trailer launch of the film, which also features Arjun Kapoor and is directed by Mohit Suri. The film is releasing on May 19. (IANS) Across 1 Remainder (7) 4 A water lily (5) 7 In addition (4) 8 Very keen reader (8) 10 Merely nominal leader (10) 12 Apprehensive (6) 13 A distilled alcoholic spirit (6) 15 Soft option (4,3,3) 18 Maritime (8) 19 Self-satisfied (4) 20 Shrink back in pain (5) 21 No longer existing (7) THE SHILLONG TIMES, SHILLONG, TUESDAY, APRIL 11, 2017 NEW DELHI: The government on Monday introduced in the Lok Sabha a bill seeking to amend the Right to Education Act to allow elementary teachers time till 2019 to get acquire minimum qualifications as mandated under the 2010 law. As per the existing Act which came into effect from April 1, 2010, these teachers were to acquire minimum qualifications within five years by March 31, 2015. To bring in the required changes, HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar introduced the 'The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Bill, 2017'. The new bill has been brought as the state governments were not able to continue the training process for in-service untrained teachers. (PTI) country to export uranium to India, Turnbull said he was looking forward to starting the supply "as soon as possible". Both the prime ministers felt that commercial export of Australian uranium could begin soon, opening up a new avenue for Australia to support India's energy requirement. The entire expanse of bilateral ties was reviewed at the talks including issues relating to Indian students studying in Australia and ways to deepen maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region. "We took a number of forward-looking decisions to further strengthen our partnership, including the decision to soon hold the next round of negotiations on a CECA," Modi said at a joint media event with Turnbull. Referring to martime issues, the joint statement said both leaders recognised the importance of freedom of navigation and overflight, unimpeded law- Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hands with his Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull after their joint statement at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Monday. (PTI) ful commerce, as well as re- and deepened" trilateral cosolving maritime disputes operation and dialogue by peaceful means, in ac- among Australia, India and cordance with the interna- Japan. In the talks. tional law. It is seen as a Turnbull noted Australreference to China's grow- ia's strong support for Ining assertiveness in South dia's membership of the NuChina. Modi and Turnbull clear Suppliers Group. also welcomed "continued He also said Australia supports India's entry into the Australia Group and the Wassenaar Arrangement, the two key export control groups. On CECA, Turnbull did not give a timeline for the deal but said, "I think it's fair to say that progress has not been as fast as either of us would have liked." The two prime ministers have now asked negotiators on both sides to find a way out and list their priorities soon so that talks on it can move forward. T here were indications that sticking points on the pact included issues relating to agriculture. On the threat of terrorism, the two leaders asserted that the fight against terrorists, terror organisations and networks should also identify, hold accountable and take strong measures against those who encourage, support and finance terror, provide sanctuary to terrorists and terror groups, and falsely extol their virtues. "They emphasised the need for urgent measures to counter and prevent the spread of terrorism and violent extremism and radicalisation and expressed their determination to take concrete measures to step up cooperation and coordination among the law enforcement, intelligence and security organisations," a joint statement said. The MoUs signed provided for deeper cooperation in areas of health and medicine, sports, environment, climate and wildlife, civil aviation security and cooperation in space technology. Noting that both the countries have been victims of terrorism, Modi and Turnbull said the signing of the MoU on cooperation in combating international terrorism and transnational organised crime will help both countries to address global and regional security threats. Turnbull said ties between the two countries "are strong and will be stronger" because of this visit. (PTI) Opp parties to meet EC over issue of EVM tampering NEW DELHI: Various opposition parties on Monday decided to take up unitedly with the EC the issue of alleged EVM tampering in the recentlyheld elections and put forth the demand that upcoming polls be held with 50 per cent use of VVPAT and ballot paper. Leaders of various opposition parties today met in Parliament and decided to jointly meet the Election Commission, demanding that their concerns on the issue be addressed. The opposition leaders decided to put forth their demand before the EC for simultaneous use of VVPAT (paper trail of voting) and ballot paper in 50 per cent constituencies each for elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh slated later this year. "This will help check the voting system and dispel all doubts about their use in elections," said a leader. Opposition leaders have been demanding that VVPAT be introduced in all future elections. The Congress has also been pushing for use of ballot papers instead of EVMs in upcoming elections in view of the alleged tampering. The parties are demanding that the EC dispel the apprehensions they have and reassure the people of the country and voters on the serious issue. The opposition parties observed that free and fair elections are the basic founding blocks on which the entire edifice of country has been maintained. (PTI) A rescue worker inspects the site after LPG cylinder leak started a fire at Police Quarter (residence) in Allahabad on Monday. (PTI) Installation decodes India’s past, present and future NEW DELHI: India's cultural heritage and ancient mythological stories have been strung together with the country's modern design innovations, in a unique installation here. "Chakraview", conceptualised by India Design Forum (IDF), uses chakras as a metaphor to represent several utopian settings while drawing a connection between the "past", "present" and "future" of India. Delhi-based scenographer Sumant Jayakrishnan who was taken on board by IDF to create the installation says, the work represents "Utopia in Design" while portraying "India's multiple visions of lived consciousness". "The installation uses Chakras as a metaphor to represent myriad utopias through form, colour, structure, sound and film which weaves together India's cultural heritage, using traditional textiles," says Jayakrishnan. The multi-media project showcases a mirrored floor along with Delhi-based graphic designer Hanif Kureshi's printed text on different fabrics mounted on walls that seek to conserve and digitise the vernacular ‘The installation uses Chakras as a metaphor to represent myriad utopias through form, colour, structure, sound and film which weaves together India's cultural heritage, using traditional textiles’ street typography of India. The installation is a unique collaboration between curators, designers, artists and thinkers, promoting creativity and innovation in design. Rajshree Pathy, founder of IDF and curator of 'Chakraview', says the installation forms a mod- ern day collaboration between India's traditional heritage and evolving technology. "Our vision at IDF is to form a modern day collaboration between India's traditional heritage and it's emerging contemporary design through innovation and technology," she says. Pathy has worked with designer Rutva Trivedi and design strategist Avinash Kumar to create a mix of audio-visuals and designs that collate significant figures from Indian history. "Avinash created audio visuals for the piece, in which video footage of significant figures throughout Indian history is collated while Rutva created designs for the project that portrays multiple utopias that India emulates. "Each in their own way draw upon the rich cultural heritage of the country and effectively place it within the context of modern technology," says Pathy. The installation which is being showcased at the ongoing Serendipity Arts Festival here, tends to represent the socio-political fabric that characterises the country. "The work represents a unique blend of the social, political and religious climates that will always characterise the country. We hope the audience will pause for a while at the abundance of India that is conveyed through this work," she says. The installation has also been showcased at the London Design Biennale previously. (PTI)
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