With the Railways refusing to comply with Maharashtra's request to help migrants reach their hometowns, the state government is working out its own plans to despatch them. Sources said the government has roped in the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) for help.

An internal plan of just one district — Yavatmal by MSRTC (a copy of which is with mid-day) has revealed that it has lined up 115 buses to 15 state capitals. In an unprecedented gesture, these buses will travel around 1,000 to 1,800 km to drop off over 2,000 migrants and return back to base. Mentioning about the cost element, the letter has sought a sum of R1.35 crore from the district collector to release the buses as per the plan.

Labourers wait in a queue to collect Ifatri food packets at Kidvai Nagar in Wadala on Monday

Sources also said that the state government is negotiating with other states to accept the proposal and two states - Odisha and Uttar Pradesh have displayed readiness. However, a few states have claimed that they do not have enough money to arrange transportation for the migrants and also conduct the COVID-19 testing at the same time. Therefore, they want either Maharashtra or the Union government to spend on transportation which can be a contentious point in the entire deal.
However, MSRTC officials said the plan was still under consideration and nothing has been finalised yet.

Moreover, MSRTC and transport department officials said that meetings have been held at Mantralaya about these issues and discussions have been going on with various stakeholders. But as of now, no final decision has been taken yet.

The delay is because it involves stakeholders from other states and there are issues like streamlining the process and to develop a standard operating procedure to allow Maharashtra state buses into their state borders. A comprehensive plan involving all stakeholders needs to be arrived at so that the transport becomes smooth from end to end. This is besides the decision of who will bear the expenses of the journey.

Buses for students in Raj?
The MSRTC has also proposed to run another 91 buses from six bus depots to get about 1,764 medical students stranded in Rajasthan back home. Sources said since it is a long road journey, the buses will have two drivers. Of the 1,764 students, about 23 are from Mumbai, Thane and Palghar districts. However, MSRTC spokesperson denied this saying that no plan has been finalised yet.

17,000
Total no. of buses with MSRTC

115
Total no. of buses lined up from Yavatmal

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With the rising number of COVID-19 positive patients in Navi Mumbai, the Navi Mumbai municipal commissioner last week asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to accommodate its employees in the city. The Navi Mumbai police commissioner on Monday, however, added to it by saying that if the cases continued to rise in the satellite city due to residents travelling to Mumbai for work, the administration will have to "force employers to accommodate their employees" in the city.

The Corona patient tally in Navi Mumbai jumped massively last week with more than 180 new cases reported in just seven days. The doubling rate of patients slid from 11 days to just six days within a week. This became a major cause of concern for NMMC and the police. According to the NMMC, of the last 180 cases, 90 per cent are related to employees working in essential services and travelling from Navi Mumbai to Mumbai every day.

In a Facebook message on Sunday evening, NMMC Commissioner Annasaheb Misal said, "We have raised this issue in a video conference with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and also conveyed the same to BMC Commissioner Pravin Pardeshi. The BMC has agreed and will be asking hospitals and BEST to convey it to their employees."

The matter, however, escalated on Monday when Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjay Kumar took to Twitter. "All people in essential services are requested to desist from commuting daily to Mumbai and back. Only visit if your job is crucial. Ask your employer to make arrangements nearby. Otherwise, you are exposing your family to COVID-19. One person infected 14 of his family members," he tweeted, adding that if the trend continued, "we have to force the employer to make arrangements at the workplace."

Around 4,000 to 5,000 bankers travel every day from Navi Mumbai to Mumbai with the banks rotating 33 per cent of their staff every day and exposing all employees to the public in a week’s time. "The same goes for doctors and the police. We request all the authorities concerned to look into it," Kumar said.

He also spoke of the infection spreading in Vashi’s APMC market. "Many vendors and merchants travel to Navi Mumbai from nearby towns and villages. We are making a list of such people and will ask them to stay in Navi Mumbai so that there won’t be any further spread."

‘Taking utmost care’
A senior officer of Mumbai Police commented on the tweet saying the police were endangering their lives for more than 12 hours a day. "We are taking utmost care regarding our personnel but if they carry the infection, it will be an unfortunate but inevitable thing. One should not get too picky while saving their jurisdiction,"
he said.

4.5k
No. of bankers who travel daily to city

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Prohibitory orders which ban assembly of four or more people under Section 144 of the CrPC have been extended in Mumbai until May 17 because of the extension of the lockdown, said Pranaya Ashok, DCP Mumbai Police.

Mumbai has been declared as a red zone due to high number of coronavirus cases.

Read the circular

The order read, "We have extended section 144 of CrPC which restricts any public gathering."

All movement of people for all non-essential activities, except for medical reasons is prohibited between 8 pm to 7 am.

It has also been further decided that the social distancing norms (minimum of 6 feet of distance) shall be followed at all times.

The order came into force in the area under the control of the Commissioner of Police with effect from 12:01 am on May 4th and will end at 12 am on May 18th, unless withdrawn earlier.

Violators will be prosecuted under section 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code, he added.

(with inputs from PTI)

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Just a day after the Navi Mumbai police said that they might have to force employers to accommodate those going to Mumbai for work in the city, the Kalyan-Dombivali and Ulhasnagar civic bodies said that travelling to Mumbai would be prohibited from May 8 till further notice. Both corporations have started gathering information about employees who go to the city for work and will share it with the Brihanmumbai Muncipal Corporation (BMC).

With Mumbai becoming the epicentre of the COVID-19 infection, the civic bodies have observed that most positive cases are of people who travel to Mumbai for work, which includes police officers, BMC workers, bank and hospital employees, and their close contacts. The municipal commissioners had raised the issue with the chief minister during a video conference. Civic chief Pravin Pardeshi had assured that the process of accommodating BMC employees in nearby hotels would be initiated and other companies would also be told to do the same.

On Tuesday, the Kalyan-Dombivli and Ulhasnagar municipal corporations released a circular saying that May 8 was the deadline for employers to make arrangements in Mumbai, so that they don't have to travel every day. Both the corporations have issued email ids through which they are collecting details of employees.

Vijay Suryavanshi, KDMC commissioner, said, "This trend is worrisome. During our assessment we found that more than 50 per cent cases in the corporation area are due to such travellers. We understand that they travel to provide essential services in the city but rise in positive cases needs to stop. Till now we have received details of 100 employees. The data will be handed over to the BMC so that they can arrange for accommodation." He said that as far as employees of banks and private companies were concerned, the BMC had clarified that the respective firms would have to arrange for accommodation.

Send in the details

. For Ulhasnagar residents (govt employees) - covid19.umc.gov@gmail.com
. For KDMC residents (govt employees) - kdmc.covid19.gov@gmail.com
. For private company employees - kdmc.covid19.pvt@gmail.com

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Migrant labourers in the city might soon get some respite as the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has now come up with a plan for migrant transport movement, in addition to trains.

The country's second-biggest fleet of 17,000 buses is yet to confirm the development as the plans are under process. Details, however, reveal that about 10,000 buses will be used for the process, with the costs borne by the state government. While Maharashtra Minister of Relief and Rehabilitation Vijay Wadettiwar made a public statement on this seeking expediting the plans, the MSRTC will soon make a formal announcement.

MSRTC had earlier sent about 90 buses to bring back students stranded in Kota, Rajasthan. As per the plans available, the state transport ministry said that they were in the process of building a separate portal for booking of such migrants who were willing to travel back to their home states.

An official said bus depot managers and divisional officers will stay in touch with tehsildars or appointed state administration officials. Buses will be provided for groups of 20-25 people. He added that the buses will only be for those who register themselves with the local district collectors, expressing a desire to go back to their home district or state.

Limited passengers on every bus

"The buses will be following all norms of social distancing which means only a limited number of passengers would be occupied in every bus," an official said. He added that no passengers will be allowed to de-board the bus mid-way as they will be point-to-point buses and in case of long-distance travel, the buses will be given adequate halts for food and drinks and in case of a bus break-down, replacement buses will be provided on priority.

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With the cases of Coronavirus continue to surge in the city, the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) has decided to suspend its operations from May 11 to 17.

The market committee has decided to shut all five markets, that include onion-potato markets, spices, fruits, vegetables and grains. The decision was made as cases among the market participants have been rising in spite of strict guidelines put in place to maintain social distance.

Navi Mumbai mayor Jaywant Sutar had urged the Maharashtra government to shut the APMC Market in a bid to stop the movement of people as many of the customers come from Mumbai to the travel to buy their stock of groceries.

The APMC Market in Vashi is the largest supplier of fruits, vegetables, grains and spices to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

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Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday refuted speculation about the Army being called in in Mumbai which has become a major coronavirus hotspot.

In a live webcast, he said additional manpower may be sought from the Union government if needed so that the state police force gets some respite.

CM Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray addressing the State https://t.co/ZZ65xsR3Oy

— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) May 8, 2020

Asking people not to believe rumours, the chief minister said the government might ask for additional manpowerfrom the Centre, if needed, to enable the police personnel to take rest in a phased manner. "This doesn't mean that Mumbai will be handed over to the Army. Police personnel are tired after working round-the- clock, some have fallen sick and a few of them have succumbed to the virus. They need rest," Thackeray said.

He also admitted that while the spread of the virus has been contained, the state has not succeeded in breaking the chain of infection yet. Whether the lockdown will be extended or not after May 17 will depend on how far people maintain discipline and follow rules, he said.

"We have to come out of the lockdown one day or the other. We can't be living permanently like this. But to come out of this sooner, you need to follow rules and maintain discipline of social distancing and use face mask," Thackeray said

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If you're wondering what to watch next while being bored during Lockdown 3.0, fret not, we've got just the thing for you. Shah Rukh Khan is all geared up to present his next web series as a producer on Netflix India. The show is titled Betaal, and its teaser on Instagram is giving us the creeps!

The OTT platform shared a clip on its Instagram account and wrote, "They look psyched! Almost as psyched as we are. #Betaal coming soon!"

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

They look psyched! Almost as psyched as we are. #Betaal coming soon!

A post shared by Netflix India (@netflix_in) onMay 4, 2020 at 11:03pm PDT

Betaal is an international collaboration between Netflix, Red Chillies entertainment, Blum House (makers of Paranormal Activity, Insidious) and SK Global (behind Crazy Rich Asians and Delhi Crime).

Betaal is a horror-thriller written and co-directed by Patrick Graham, who has previously directed Ghoul starring Radhika Apte, and also co-written Leila starring Huma Qureshi. Both shows were widely accepted by the audience.

Betaal has been shot extensively in India, especially in Mumbai, Lonavala and Khandala. The series, which revolves around traditional Indian folklore, will definitely be outstanding in terms of the horror content with some incredible VFX and prosthetics work.

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How well did you know Rishi Kapoor—the man, through his movies? How much do you wanna know about him? Learn as you go up 10 fun rounds, of 3 questions each, discovering surprising facts and amazing trivia, while cracking the #DesiPopQuiz with Mayank Shekhar: Rishi Kapoor Special. Your time starts now!

Veteran Gujarati actor Arvind Trivedi, who became a household name all over India playing Raavan in Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan, got emotional while watching the re-run of the popular mythological serial.

In a video circulating on social media, Trivedi, who is in his eighties now, is seen watching the 'Sita Apaharan' (Kidnapping of Sita) episode with great attention. The video has gone viral on the internet.

In the video, Trivedi folds his hands in the end. The scene got him very emotional, as per a report by timesofindia.indiatimes.com.

Have a look:

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

So touching. 84 year old veteran #ArvindTrivedi ji watched his #Ravana role after 30 years & seeks forgiveness from others 🙏🙏

A post shared by @ koro_na_hunter onApr 12, 2020 at 7:54am PDT

Amid the ongoing 21-day nationwide lockdown, the popular mythological series is being re-telecast on Doordarshan.

Ramayan aired in 1987-1988 and is created, written, and directed by Ramanand Sagar. The show was a television adaptation of the Indian Hindu epic of the same name.

The show was a game-changer for Indian television, hooking the nation to the show. Sunday mornings were never the same for families in India after the first episode of "Ramayan" aired on television. The impact was such that the actors associated with the show, continue to live under the shadow of their characters, with people remembering them for the roles they played in the show, which narrated the life story of Lord Ram and Sita.

The role of Ram was played by Arun Govil, Sita played by Deepika Chikhalia, Lakshman was played by Sunil Lahiri, and Hanuman by late Dara Singh. It also featured Sanjay Jog, late Vijay Arora, Sameer Rajda, late Mulraj Rajda and late Lalita Pawar.

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The years 1987 and 1988 were nothing less than revolutionary for television. We saw Ramayan on tv, one of the grandest shows in history, and also one of the most spectacular and memorable, and of course, iconic. And since no shootings are happening due to the Coronavirus pandemic, all the episodes have resurfaced on Doordarshan for the viewers' entertainment.

It was reported that the reruns of Ramayan fetched a staggering 1.4 million views within four days and the data is likely to go higher. But given everything that's classic invites memes on social media, how could Ramayan stay away? In case you have not seen them, watch them right here and have a great laugh.

The first one was all about the patience level once can have in today's times, have a look:

The patience i have vs The patience i need.#Ramayana #Ramayan #Laxman pic.twitter.com/UlsGDHkuaQ

— Sameera Khanam (@SameeraKhanam11) April 8, 2020

If you thought Amitabh Bachchan in the 70s and Shahid Kapoor in recent times are the prime examples of the 'Angry Young Man', think again, or rather watch the original Angry Young Man:

Best angry young man in universe#ramayan #Laxman pic.twitter.com/ng5UlCRxb4

— Ankit Singh (@AnkitSi80834082) April 6, 2020

And another user followed up to the same meme and introduced us to the first Angry Young Man:

First angry young man #laxman #Ramayan #DDNational pic.twitter.com/0xwF4R3HKJ

— Sameer Gargey (@gargeys) April 13, 2020

What will you do if you get the opportunity to eat Gol Gappas, Momos, and every possible junk food once the lockdown is over? This video is the answer:

When I get to eat Golgappas, Momos and junk food that are bad for me after this lockdown is over:#RamayanOnDDNational #Ramayanmemes #Ramayana #Laxman pic.twitter.com/qTy8Z83nWN

— AnonymousGirl (@Anonymo99859659) April 13, 2020

And remember a meme that became very famous on social media a few months back that was all about 'The Art' and 'The Artist'? Now Ramayan has the same one too:

#Ramayan #laxman
The Art... The Artist pic.twitter.com/QRaqahYsWW

— Tony AS (ଘରେ ରୁହନ୍ତୁ ସୁରକ୍ଷିତ ରୁହନ୍ତୁ) (@TonyASOnline) April 7, 2020

Last but not the least, how has Doordarshan benefited from Ramayan as far as their TRPs are concerned? All hail Lord Ram!:

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Hum karte hain prabandh, aap chinta mat kijiye

A post shared by Sagar (@sagarcasm) onApr 11, 2020 at 11:54pm PDT

We expect more such memes in the coming days since Ramayan will continue to hook the viewers for a longer period now!

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You all must have seen those tons of memes that came on Ramayan and will continue to flood social media as long as the serial is airing on Doordarshan. These memes have only been made because Ramayan is a classic show that cannot and will never be forgotten! And that's precisely what Sunil Lahri feels, the actor who played the role of Lakshman.

In an interview with Koimoi, he spilled the beans on what he thinks of these memes and his reaction on seeing them. "I have seen many memes that a lot of people have sent. Even my brother's children in the house send me the memes. I am liking it. I am enjoying it. It's said that you are popular and that's why they make these memes. I am honoured. I feel honoured to be a part of the memes."

Talking about his character and why he cannot imagine himself don the role of another one, he said, "Lakshman had a lot of shades to perform, as an actor. If you go to see any other character, it didn't have that kind of performance. Maybe, Raavan but it's a negative character. I am slightly uncomfortable at the moment because my face doesn't permit me to play anything negative. I can play that character but I prefer not to."

He added, "That's why I prefer playing the same character and now I feel I can perform 10 times better because, at that time, I think I didn't have experience. I didn't have an idea of what reaction and action one should do. Now, with experience in the industry for such a long time, I feel, I can perform much better."

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Veteran actor Arvind Trivedi, who is best known for his role of Ravana in Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan, has joined Twitter. His debut on the micro-blogging site comes after his former Ramayan co-stars Arun Govil and Dipika Chikhila made their Twitter accounts.

The actors are back in the limelight after Doordarshan started the re-run of the mythological show amid the Coronavirus lockdown.

With Arvind's Twitter debut, fans got excited and showered him with love and praise. They even started trending #RavanonTwitter.

"Due to my kids and because of your unconditional love, I have joined Twitter. This is my original ID. Whoever retweets my tweet with #RaavanOnTwitter on April 18, I will follow them without second thoughts. Jai Shri Ram. Om Namah Shivaay," Arvind tweeted.

He also tweeted a picture of himself from the show as his character and his picture now, rightly captioning it- Then and now, and wrote- "Finally I Am on twitter." (sic) Have a look right here:

Finally I Am On twitter#RavanOnTwitter pic.twitter.com/3CqPFAUI3X

— Arvind Trivedi (@Arvind_Trivedi_) April 19, 2020

Apart from thanking fans for their love, Arvind also urged people to stay at home.

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A lot of Bollywood filmmakers and actors have said that the legacy of Hindi Cinema will now be split into pre-Corona and post-Corona. And during this lockdown, nobody will forget the fact that it was all also the time when we got the opportunity to see some unseen and amazing throwback pictures of Television and Bollywood celebrities. Joining the bandwagon is Ramayan's Sita aka Dipika Chikhlia.

For all those who grew up in the 90s, this picture will surely put a smile on your face. But here's a genuine question- How many of you knew that Superstar Rajesh Khanna also graced her wedding reception? In case you feel it's not true, here's some proof.

Have a look at the picture right here:

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Rare Rajesh khana attending Dipika Chikhliya Marriage photo #90s #Ramayan #ramayan #dipikachikhlia #sita #bollywoodmovies #rajeshkhanna

A post shared by The90sIndia (@the90sindia) onApr 20, 2020 at 6:02am PDT

Such was the legacy of the TV show that they all got a call from the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and he personally wanted to meet the team and facilitate them. And the actress even took to her Instagram account to share a picture with him, have a look:

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

This is the 1st time we were felicitated ....we realized we were a part of a legacy Ramayan ..we created history ...remember the day vividly when we got a call from delhi to meet the PM ...#rajivgandhi#feliciate#delhji#ramayan#ramayanworld#sagarworld#shivsagar#lockdowndisriessa

A post shared by Dipika (@dipikachikhliatopiwala) onApr 25, 2020 at 8:39pm PDT

Ramayan and Mahabharat were truly historic in their own ways, and the reruns have been phenomenal with never-seen-before TRPs. Well, as they say- Old Is Gold!

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Ramanand Sagars popular TV serial 'Ramayan' which is re-airing on Doordarshan became the world's most-watched show on April 16 with 7.7 crore viewers, DD India posted on its official Twitter handle on late Thursday night. 'Ramayan' is being telecast again since March 28 on public demand. In fact, when it was telecast for the first time, the serial had broken all records of popularity, and the show has repeated its history again. Ramanand Sagar had made a total of 78 episodes of this serial based on Valmiki's Ramayana and Tulsidas' Ramcharitmanas.

For the first time in the country, the serial was originally broadcast from January 25, 1987 to July 31, 1988. Then, every Sunday, at 9.30 a.m. the show was aired on TV. From 1987 to 1988, 'Ramayan' became the most watched serial in the world. Till June 2003, it remained recorded in the Limca Book of Records as "the most watched mythological serial in the world".

Interestingly, when the serial started airing in the country for the first time, people used to remain glued to the TV sets. Since there were less TVs at homes then, most of the people used to gather at some neighbour's place to watch 'Ramayan'.

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This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Ramanand Sagar's epic "Ramayan", a show re-telecast almost three decades later, has become the most-watched entertainment show in the world. Actress Deepika Chikhalia, who gained popularity playing Sita, is ecstatic with the love that the serial has received yet again. She feels the magic created 30 years ago has helped make the re-run very successful.

On Thursday, a tweet from the official account of channel Doordarshan read: "WORLD RECORD!! Rebroadcast of #Ramayana on #Doordarshan smashes viewership records worldwide, the show becomes most-watched entertainment show in the world with 7.7 crore viewers on 16th of April"

According to media reports, the show has overtaken the popular "Game Of Thrones" in terms of viewership.

"I am really overjoyed that it has overtaken 'Game Of Thrones'. I thought it was one show that everyone has viewed and when I looked into it that 'Ramayan' has overtaken 'Game Of Thrones', I was really very happy. I am really very happy about it. It is great news," Deepika told IANS.

What according to Deepika is the reason behind the smashing success? "I have not analysed. I am not the sort of person who sits down and analyses. The only immediate thing I can think of is -- it has always had a story and a background. It always had a legacy and an era. When people started watching I would get messages that 'now, we are also part of that legacy and the magic'."

She added: "I think the word of mouth that people had loved it 30 years ago was the first kick-off. And once they started seeing and watching I think they kind of believed in the magic. I think that is how the circle moved. The series already had a name for itself and I think that the re-telecast rode on the success of original success. That's how I see it."

Deepika credits all the hard work of all departments for the show's success.

"I see it as a genuine labour of good work when it comes to performances, narration, direction. As an actor, when I see my own performances, I am baffled that at the age of 18, I had so much maturity to carry forward the lines, dialogue and there was so much patience in me. I performed with my eyes. Ramanand Sagar said that I want someone who emotes with her eyes because the body language should be that of Sita."

"Today, I see his vision. He had a vision and it's really, really wonderful. It is a genuine piece of work in every department. They all added to the success," she said.

Would she like to be a part of "Ramayan" again, if re-made? "If I am Sita I would like to," she said.

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StarPlus is all set to enthral audiences with the legendary show – Ramayan. Written, produced and directed by Ramanand Sagar, Ramayan, first aired in 1987 and acquired a cult status over the years. The show boasts of a talented ensemble comprising of Arun Govil as Lord Rama, Dipika Chikhlia Topiwala as Goddess Sita and Sunil Lahri as Lakshman.

It also starred veteran actors Lalita Pawar as Manthara, Arvind Trivedi as Ravana and Dara Singh as Hanuman. The popular mythological show has successfully garnered record-breaking viewership even today due to its engaging and simple narrative which has earned a memorable place in the audience's minds.

Dipika Chikhlia who essayed the role of Sita in Ramayan said, "The role of Sita has been one of the most memorable moments in my life. I have received much love and affection over the years from audiences not only in India but also overseas. With the show now being telecast on StarPlus, viewers will once again to get relive the epic mythological tale."

Sunil Lahri who is known for his portrayal of Laxman said, "Ramayan has received adulation from audiences across age groups. This narrative has engaged people all over with its entertaining narrative and life lessons making it one of the best offerings on Indian television. It's a happy moment for all of us as the show will now be telecast on StarPlus for entertaining viewers once again."

Tune in to the epic mythological tale of Ramayan at 7.30 pm everyday only on StarPlus!

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Actor Gurmeet Choudhary became a household name after playing Lord Ram in the 2008 TV show "Ramayan". If given a chance, he would like to revisit the character, but for a film. It's been a while since the audience saw him in a mythology show. Asked if the genre still interests him, Gurmeet told IANS: "I'd definitely like to do (a mythology project) if I like it. The audience saw me as TV's Ram, but I'd really like to do a film called 'Ramayan', and I'd like this film to reach all over the world." Looking back at the show, he shared that he didn't want to copy actor Arun Govil, who originally played the role in Ramanand Sagar's blockbuster mythological series "Ramayan" way back in the eighties.

"When I was very small, I had watched Ramanand Sagar's 'Ramayan'. But I remembered very less about it. As I grew up, my dad would narrate stories of 'Ramayan'. So story-wise I knew it. When finally 'Ramayan' was given to me, I had a thought that before doing another 'Ramayan' if I watch the 80s 'Ramayan' then as an actor...Arunji had acted really well. Had I seen his version of Ram again then there might have been chances of me copying him. Every actor can understand that he needs to do his own style, so I tried to act in my own style," he recalled.

And he gave a lot to playing Ram in his show, which has been brought back on the small screen by Dangal TV. "I had given many auditions and then mock shoot happened. During that duration, I got many ideas on how to play my version of Ram. While shooting for 12 hours, I used to be in that character only," he said. He focussed on his character's walking style and smile.

"Everyone used to tell me to switch on and off (the character) otherwise I'd become a brahmachari (celibate) or quit acting but I have always believed that as an actor, it was one character that very few people got the opportunity to play. I gave my 200 percent," said Gurmeet. "Ramayan" brought him fame but there was also a fear of getting typecast.

"It generally happens that when actors do mythology shows, they get typecast. But I got saved. I didn't get typecast. It didn't happen suddenly though. I had prepared myself," he said. Talking about moving on from the character, he said: "Once 'Ramayan' got over, I did some reality shows. So people saw me and said 'he is young, wears jeans, T-shirt, dances and does action. Then I won 'Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa' and participated in 'Nach Baliye', did 'Punar Vivaah' and then due to God's blessings, I got films. 'Khamoshiyan' was my first film. Mahesh Bhatt had launched me. My film journey started there," said the "Paltan" actor.

In fact, prior to the announcement of the lockdown in March, he was shooting for a film, which he would like to wrap up once work starts again.

"I really like black coffee. So I'll have that in a coffee shop. The shooting of my film 'The Wife' was happening in Jaipur. We had shot 50 per cent of the film. I really liked the film's script. So after coffee, I'd catch a flight and complete its shooting," he said.

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Representational image

New York: Far from giving your sex life a leg-up, watching porn may lead to reduced happiness in relationships -- both sexually and generally, suggests new research.

For the study, Paul Wright from Indiana University in Bloomington and colleagues analysed the findings of 50 studies collectively including more than 50,000 participants from 10 countries.

"Pornography consumption was associated with lower interpersonal satisfaction outcomes," the researchers found.

The study, published in the journal Human Communication Research, however, found that porn viewing hardly affects relationship satisfaction in women.

"Associations between pornography consumption and reduced interpersonal satisfaction outcomes were not moderated by their year of release or their publication status. But analyses by sex indicted significant results for men only," the study said.

Male participants' porn-watching was associated with lesser happiness in their relationships -- both sexually and generally, Vocativ.com reported.

The researchers also reviewed studies looking at porn viewing and sexual self-esteem and body confidence, but they found no link.

The finding could come as a surprise for those who argue that pornography leads to unrealistic and unhealthy beauty standards.

Attention women! It's time for you to make friends in your office as a study has found that strong friendships among women co-workers, especially in male dominated organisations, are less likely to experience conflicts.

Researchers from the Institute For Operations Research And The Management Sciences suggested that when employers foster an office environment that supports positive, social relationships between women coworkers, especially in primarily male dominated organisations, then they are less likely to experience conflict among women employees.

Study author Jenifer Merluzzi from George Washington University conducted the study. The team surveyed 145 management-level employees regarding workplace dynamics at two large U.S. firms that were primarily male-dominated environments, with women representing less than one-third of the workforce.

They found that while men and women are equally likely to cite having a difficult co-worker, compared to men, women are more likely to cite another woman as a difficult co-worker than they are to cite a man, or not cite anyone. However, this tendency is reduced among women who cite having more women coworkers for social support and friendship at work.

Knowing that unique gendered network characteristics such as the gender compositions of an employee's social support at work were associated with negative ties can help organisational leaders anticipate potential trouble spots within their firms where gendered conflict may erupt.

"Understanding the relational side of conflict also bears practical importance as companies increasingly organise using diverse teams, heightening the reliance on informal ties between and within gender to get work accomplished,' Merluzzi noted. The research appears in the journal of Organization Science.

Shehnaaz Gill signed Mujhse Shaadi Karoge immediately after she exited the Bigg Boss 13 house. The idea of the show was to find her a potential groom through various tasks and activities. However, during her last interaction with a portal, Shehnaaz accepted that she was not interested in the show and that she regrets being a part of it. She has always been clear about her feelings for Sidharth Shukla and has confessed them to him.

Mayur Verma, one of the contestants on the show has reacted to her statement. He said that they knew she was not interested in the show from the third day itself. He said that she told them to have fun and enjoy their stay in the house and that it should look like the best boys were shortlisted for her. she further explained to them that she liked Sidharth and he liked her too. The boys would joke with her saying that when she got married, they would push the car for her groom and her.

What do you think of this entire reality show controversy? Be sure to let us know in the comments below.

Also Read: Shehnaaz Gill says she does not care about other people’s opinions, but feels bad when they target her fans

On Wednesday the nation woke up to Ramayan’s favourite Sita, Dipika Chiklia being quoted in a Hindi daily, “अगर मोदी सरकार को लगता है क‍ि 'रामायण' ने संस्‍कृति में योगदान द‍िया है तो हमें पद्म सम्मान से सम्‍मानित करें (if the Modi government feels that Ramayan has contributed to India culture then we should be honoured with the Padma award).”

On hearing this statement, there was a widespread hue and cry among the fans and well-wishers of the serial. A Union Minister on oath of anonymity observed, “I’ve never heard of an artiste lobbying for his or her own Padma award. Let the Government decide whom it wants to honour.”

In a startling twist to the controversy Dipika completely denied having lobbied for her own Padma. “I never said that I should be given the Padma award. People are twisting my words. The topic (of getting the Padma award) never came to me. It was directed at Arun Govil only. I was asked about the royalty from the latest telecast of Ramayan. And yes, I did say we should get royalty. It was Arunji who spoke about the Padma awards, and that too because he was asked about it,” says Dipika in an exclusive chat with me.

Also Read: World’s favourite television series, Ramayan, launches on StarPlus!

StarPlus, the country’s leading general entertainment channel StarPlus is entertaining viewers with the legendary show – Ramayan. Written, produced and directed by Ramanand Sagar, Ramayan, first aired in 1987 and acquired a cult status over the years. The show boasts of a talented ensemble comprising of Arun Govil as Lord Rama, Dipika Chikhlia Topiwala as Goddess Sita and Sunil Lahri as Lakshman. It also starred veteran actors Lalita Pawar as Manthara, Arvind Trivedi as Ravana and Dara Singh as Hanuman. Not many people are aware that the show’s maker Ramanand Sagar was destined to make this mythological saga into a classic rendition for television.

There is an interesting story that has been shared by Ramanand Sagar’s son Prem Sagar in the book that he has written on his father’s life - An Epic Life: Ramanand Sagar: From Barsaat to Ramayan. In 1942, when Ramanand was 25 years old a Kashmiri mystic, Pandit Nityanandji had predicted that Ramayan would be retold by Ramanand Sagar. In 1976, noted film producer, Mr Mohla, on observing Ramanand’s astrological chart, had said that Ramanand Sagar would cause a spiritual awakening globally through the medium of cinema. Going forward, Ramanand Sagar ensured that this vision turned into reality and the rest is history!

Ramayan created waves across the world with its soulful narrative. The divine tale of how good triumphs over evil gladdened hearts of every viewer. Streets would be deserted on Sunday mornings as people stayed glued to their television sets as Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan described the tale of Lord Ram in vivid detail.

ALSO READ: Ramayan’s Sita denies asking for Padma Award from government

Dipika Chikhlia rose to fame with her performance as Sita in Ramanand Sagar's show Ramayan. Owing to the lockdown the show is being aired on television for the viewing of the younger generation. Now, Dipika is once again going to be seen on screen as she will be playing Sarojini in her new film.

Dipika took to her social media handle to unveil the first look poster of the movie which is based on freedom fighter Sarojini Naidu. Dipika is seen posing in a thoughtful mode in the poster.

#sarojininaidu...1st look....poster pic.twitter.com/zN5hhdSJmX

— Dipika Chikhlia Topiwala (@ChikhliaDipika) May 7, 2020

Sarojini is directed by Akash Nayak and Dhiraj Mishra. The story has been written by Dhiraj Mishra and Yashomati Devi. The venture is produced by Kanu Bhai Patel under the Royal Film Media banner. Sarojini Naidu is a strong personality in India's freedom struggle and is known as the Nightingale of India.

This is the first full-length feature film on Sarojini Naidu that will show her political career.

ALSO READ: Dipika Chikhlia reveals that people in small town think of her as Sita and touch her feet even today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to the nation on Tuesday, extended the nationwide lockdown till May 3.

In a televised message to the nation the prime minsiter said that the main focus will be on the hotspots and the government will impose stricter measures to fight covid-19 outbreak. The PM said "Till 20th April, all districts, localities, states will be closely monitored, as to how strictly they are implementing norms. States which will not let hotspots increase, they could be allowed to let some important activities resume, but with certain conditions." 

He thanked and paid a debt to gratitude to the citizens for fighting a courageous battle against COVID-19 despite facing their own personal challenges. He praised everyone and said that everyone is well aware of the situation and has fulfilled their responsibility.

Prime Minister began his address to the nation by saying India is doing well to tackle the coronavirus outbreak. He thanks people on the frontline of the COVID-19 battle. "Our fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic is progressing with strength," he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his speech invoked Dr. BR Ambedkar and acknowledged the courage shown by the people of India during the COVID-19 lockdown. "In our constitution, 'We the People' is written and the power of 'We The People Of India' has been seen in the country during the lockdown. This is the best respect we can pay to Dr BR Ambedkar on his anniversary." he said.

He also said that rules would be stricter in order to curb the spread of novel Coronavirus. "Till April 20, each district, each state will be monitored closely to see whether the lockdown is being followed. Then we can decide on relaxing the restrictions," said the Prime Minister. Prime Minister Narendra Modi says that whatever relaxations granted during the lockdown to some areas will be upon conditions and even if one such case is reported, the relaxations will be taken back.

Talking about daily wage workers, PM Modi said that the new guidelines will be made keeping their interests in mind. Rabi crops cutting is on, and the measures will be taken to reduce their problems.

He asked for the unity and support of India on seven issues where he spoke about taking care of elders in the family, supporting the healthcare workers among others. He issued a seven-point appeal to the citizens and asked for:

• Take proper care of the senior citizens of your house, especially those with underlying problems.
• Lockdown and social distancing should be properly followed. Home-made face covers and masks should be used.
• Increase your immunity by following directions given by Ayush Ministry.
• To help curb coronavirus spread, download the Aarogya Setu application.
• Wherever possible, help poor families.
• In your businesses, help your coworkers, including those working under you, don't downsize people.
• Respect the Coronavirus 'soldiers' -- doctors, nurses, sanitation workers and other essential service workers.

He added that India did not wait for the problem to increase but it foresaw the problem and made an attempt to control it. Modi added that compared to other nations, India is at a better position.

He ended the address by asking people to be very vigilant and wished everyone good health.

It was Narendra Modi's fourth televised address to the nation in less than a month. Last month, the Prime Minister had addressed the nation twice – on March 19 and March 24. On March 19, he had called for resolve and restraint to fight Coronavirus. He had also announced a 'janta curfew' on March 22, a Sunday. On March 24, he had announced the 21-day nationwide lockdown to check the spread of the deadly virus. In a video message on April 3, Modi had urged people to switch off the lights at their homes and light up lamps, candles or mobile phone torches for nine minutes at 9 pm on April 5 to display the country's "collective resolve" to defeat the Coronavirus.

On Monday the number of COVID-19 cases rose by 1,253 to 10,444 cases. Nearly 10 states, including Maharashtra, Odisha, West Bengal, Telangana, Punjab had already announced an extension of the lockdown until April 30.

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Soon after the announcement of COVID-19 lockdown extension by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Indian Railways on Tuesday stated that it is suspending all passenger services till May 3. "Indian Railways extends suspension of its passenger services till May 3," informed Rajesh Dutt Bajpai Executive Director(I&P) Ministry of Railways.

Indian Railways extends suspension of its passenger services till May 3: Indian Railways Officials pic.twitter.com/QAoZYHnIbv

— ANI (@ANI) April 14, 2020

"All passenger train services on Indian Railways including Premium trains, Mail/Express trains, Passenger trains, Suburban Trains, Kolkata Metro Rail, Konkan Railway etc shall continue to remain suspended till the 2400 hrs of 3rd May," he added.

However, freight movement will continue to carry essential commodities across the country. Informing about the cancellation of ticket booking, Bajpai stated that all booking counters of rail journey tickets for reserved/unreserved travel at railway stations and outside railway station premises will also be closed till May 3.

Earlier, the railways had also ordered the closure of all rail museums, heritage galleries and heritage parks as a preventive measure to control the spread of the deadly virus. So far, India has reported 10,363 COVID-19 cases. Out of the total, 1036 have been cured and 339 have died due to the infection.

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Soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the extension of lockdown, the Ministry of Civil Aviation informed that airline operations of all domestic and international flights will remain suspended till May 3.

All domestic and international scheduled airline operations shall remain suspended till 11.59 pm, 3rd May: Ministry of Civil Aviation pic.twitter.com/dJaOJfVMzJ

— ANI (@ANI) April 14, 2020

"All domestic and international scheduled airline operations shall remain suspended till 11.59 pm, 3rd May," the Ministry said. Earlier today in his address to the nation, Prime Minister Modi announced that the country will remain under lockdown till May 3 to contain COVID-19 cases. The 21-day lockdown, which was announced by the Prime Minister last month, was slated to end today.

Odisha, Punjab, Maharashtra, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry have already announced the extension of lockdown. India's total number of coronavirus positive cases has climbed to 10,363 including 8,988 active cases, 1,035 cured/discharged/migrated and 339 deaths, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said today.

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The Maharashtra government may extend the lockdown in the coronavirus-hit urban areas of the state after May 3, an official said on Sunday. The state government is closely monitoring the situation in areas outside the cities of Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Nagpur, Aurangabad and Amravati, a senior state official said. "It is the cities where most of the COVID-19 cases are concentrated. If the state has to relax its current stringent lockdown measures, it would be in rural and least affected
areas of the state. However, we are looking at the scenario as rural and urban areas are connected," he said.

Despite minimum COVID-19 cases in rural areas of Pune district, the industries there have not resumed because most of their workforce live in cities, he said. We need to work out some plans for every city or district-wise to get things moving. The administration needs more time to come up with solutions, hence it is highly unlikely to lift the lockdown restrictions May 3 onwards in all parts of the state, the official said.

State Health Minister Rajesh Tope had on Saturday said the number of COVID-19 cases in the state is not coming down. "The state is yet to reach a stage where the number of coronavirus cases would stabilise. Till then, we cannot take the risk of allowing people to gather at public places in large numbers, Tope said.

The minister, however, said the state government would take a collective decision on what to do once the nationwide lockdown ends on May 3.

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A prolonged lockdown may possibly push millions of Indians into the "margins of subsistence", former RBI Governor Duvvuri Subbarao said on Sunday while expecting a 'V' curved recovery once the COVID-19 crisis ends and the turnaround in India to be faster than some economies.

He was participating in a webinar on 'History repeats but differently – Lessons for the post Corona World', organised by the Manthan Foundation, in which former deputy governor of RBI, Usha Thorat took part.

"Because most analysts believe that this year India will actually have negative growth or growth will contract. We must remember that even ahead of the crisis two months ago our growth slowed. Now it has completely stopped. Last year growth was five per cent. Just imagine, five per cent growth last year and we are going to negative or zero growth this year, a decline of five per cent growth," he said. "It is true that India is going to perform in this crisis better than most other countries. But that is no consolation.... Because we are a very poor country and if the crisis persists and if the lockdown is not lifted soon enough, it is quite possible that millions of people will be pushed into the margins of subsistence, he said when asked about his views on the present situation.

Subbarao said that as predicted by analysts, India will have a V shaped recovery which is far better than most of the other countries. "And why do we expect a 'V' shaped recovery? Because unlike in a cyclone or in an earthquake, this is not a natural disaster constraint. No capital has been destroyed. Factories are standing. Our shops are still standing. Our people are ready to work as soon as the lockdown is lifted. So it is quite possible the recovery will be V shaped and while we have a V shaped recovery, I think India has a better chance than most of the countries," he opined.

According to him, India's recovery was faster than many other countries after the 2008 global financial crisis. On IMF's prediction that India may grow at 1.9 per cent during the current year against about five per cent in the last fiscal, Subbarao said many analysts feel that the
prediction is outdated and the growth in GDP may slip into negative. Agencies

826
Total no. of deaths due to the virus in India

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Restrictions enforced in West Bengal to fight Covid-19 will continue till May 21 with curbs on normal life varying in intensity based on the extent of spread of the viral infection in a particular area, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Monday.

"We want the restrictions to continue till May 21. We have to be careful till that time," Banerjee told media persons at the state secretariat Nabanna.

The Chief Minister, however, clarified that she was not announcing any extension on lockdown, as that decision will be taken by the central government. "I am talking of restrictions, which is different from the lockdown," she added.

Banerjee said while the restrictions would be strictly implemented in every red zone (areas with a large number of corona positive cases), the impact will be less severe in orange zones (areas with a limited number of cases in the past and with no surge in positive cases recently, where restricted activities would be allowed).

Districts with no coronavirus positive cases are included in green zones.

"If an area which is now an orange zone, shows an increase in the prevalence of the disease and enters the red zone, the restrictions will be made stiffer, and vice versa. There will be more relaxations given in the green zones, but the areas will be placed under stiffer restrictions if more positive cases are detected putting them under orange or red zone categories," she said.

The Chief Minister announced the formation of a cabinet committee on COVID management, chaired by Finance and Industries Minister Amit Mitra. Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim, and Minister of State for Health Chandrima Bhattacharya will be part of the committee. Mitra and Chatterjee will work from home.

The Chief Secretary, the Health Secretary, and the Home Secretary will be among the committee members. Banerjee said her government was discussing on resuming more activities in rural areas that come under the green zone.

She announced that home delivery companies, which were so long allowed to ferry only essential goods, would now be permitted to reach non-essential items also.

"We have to think of giving relaxations that won't harm the people," she said. She said though relaxations have been given on 100 days' job guarantee scheme, the problem was in getting labourers.

The Chief Minister appealed to the centre to ensure international borders were closed, and not allow domestic and international flights, and train services till the situation normalises. Inter-state bus services or travel also should not be allowed, except for emergencies.

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Amid the rising number of coronavirus cases in Maharashtra, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a thunderstorm warning in several parts of the state for the next five days till May 1. IMDs Mumbai centre issued warning for 15 state across Maharashtra include places such as Kolhapur, Pune, Raigad, Satara, Sangli, and Latur among others.

WEATHER INFO-
Nowcast warning issued at 1515 Hrs IST Dated 28/04/2020
Thunderstorm accompanied with Lightning, Rain and Gusty winds with speed reaching 30-40 kmph likely to occur at isolated places in the district of Nanded and Hingoli during next 4 hours.

-IMD MUMBAI pic.twitter.com/Z70XbHQNeT

— K S Hosalikar (@Hosalikar_KS) April 28, 2020

While speaking to Mumbai Mirror, K S Hosalikar, deputy director general of meteorology, India Met Department said that the thunderstorms warning predicted by IMD is for the next five days until May 1. According to IMDs weather bulletin, thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, aand rains will occur in several parts of Maharashtra amid the COVID-19 crisis.

Thunderstorm warnings by IMD today for Maharashtra for coming 5 days.
29 & 30 April, watch for severe TS in Madhya Maharashtra, south side with possibilities of hailstorms in some areas.
Pl Watch for all weather updates & nowcast warnings further daily.
Take appropriate care pl. pic.twitter.com/fK9HIsnr3P

— K S Hosalikar (@Hosalikar_KS) April 28, 2020

"Nowcast warning issued at 1515 Hrs IST Dated 28/04/2020. Thunderstorm accompanied with Lightning, Rain and Gusty winds with speed reaching 30-40 kmph likely to occur at isolated places in the district of Nanded and Hingoli during next 4 hours. - IMD," Hosalikar tweeted.

The IMD also stated that on April 29 and 30, there will be severe thunderstorms in Madhya Maharashtra, south side with possibilities of hailstorms in some areas. In an earlier tweet, Hosalikar urged people to follow all necessary safety guidelines during lightning/thunder issued by DM GoM and NDMA. He also urged farmers to look after their crops.

Thunderstorm warnings in Maharashtra for coming 5 days by IMD.
Keep watch on updates & pl follow up Nowcast warnings that would be issued daily afternoon onwards.
Request follow all necessary Safety Guidelines during lightning/thunder issued by DM GoM and NDMA.
TC of Crops too. pic.twitter.com/7bzT3rIO0D

— K S Hosalikar (@Hosalikar_KS) April 27, 2020

He said that the quality of air during the lockdown in Mumbai and Pune has been good. Throwing light on Mumbai's weather, IMD said that the maximum temperature in Mumbai on Tuesday was 35 degree Celsius, while the minimum temperature was 26 degree Celsius. IMD also stated that Mumbai will witness clear skies with a relative humidity of about 74 percent in Santacruz and 88 percent in Colaba.

While the total number of coronavirus cases in India reached 29,435, Maharashtra continues to remain the worst state with nearly 9,000 cases in the state.

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The national carrier Air India (AI) has asked its pilots and cabin crew details to prepare to resume operations post lockdown, probably by mid-May this year. An internal mail, accessed by ANI, which was sent to the operation staff, seeks crew availability and details for transport security passes for domestic and international operations. ANI has accessed an internal mail which was sent to operation staff seeking crew availability and details for transport security passes for domestic and international operations.

"Dear All concerned, There is a probability to commence 25 per cent to 30 per cent operations post-lockdown in mid-May 2020. You are requested to ensure and provide the following: Total No. of Cockpit / Cabin Crew residing outside municipal limits of the bases," the communication read. Further Air India has also asked the Executive Director (ED) to ensure necessary arrangements and curfew passes for the crew. "Ensure crew transport for all crew at all stations (domestic as well as International). The data at bullet 1 may be provided on priority, to enable this office to intimate ED (Security) to arrange for their curfew pass," the AI letter said.

Recently, the Government of India asked Air India to be on standby for evacuating Indians from the Gulf and other parts of the countries. India has suspended air services since March 25 to prevent the spread of COVID-19 till May 3.

Also in a notification on its website, Air India said, "In the light of the ongoing global health concerns, we have currently stopped accepting booking on all domestic & International flights for travel till 03rd May 2020."

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Amid the rising number of coronavirus cases in India, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on May 1, issued an order under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 thereby further extending the nationwide lockdown for two weeks. The two week extension will come to an end on May 17.

With the lockdown extended for two more weeks, several people took to social networking sites to share their emotions as India reels under lockdown till May 17. While some took resort to memes others tried their best to tickle the funny bone using the #Lockdown3 amid the COVID-19 crisis across the country.

Here's how netizens reacted to Lockdown 3.0:

Me Entering #Lockdown3 ... pic.twitter.com/5wcYRUSmY5

— Supriya Bhardwaj (@Supriya23bh) May 2, 2020

Twitter user Supriya Bhardwaj said that this is how she would enter Lockdown 3.0 phase.

#Lockdown3 #lockdownindia
* yaar bhagwan ji please or lockdown extend na hone dena *
## lee bhagwan ji ## pic.twitter.com/1AJT4RtsiW

— âÂÂœ¨$h®€eâÂÂœ¨ (@the_silly_panda) May 2, 2020

When Twitter user The Silly Panda asked god to not extend the lockdown anymore.

Everyone : Chalo #Lockdown3 m thori rahat milegi
Govt and police to people in red zone areas : pic.twitter.com/gHZZoF976k

— aur.laundee 🇮🇳 (@aurlaundee) May 3, 2020

When it turns out that Lockdown 3.0 scheme with relaxations is not for people living in containment zones.

#lockdown #Lockdown3 #StayHome
Breaking : Lockdown extended for 2 more weeks ..

Me : pic.twitter.com/f4h5VcmHPH

— ðŸÂŒˆG U M R A H (@Nonveg_ladka13) May 1, 2020

When Twitter user Gumrah expressed that he used to living like this in lockdown.

#Lockdown3

Me thinking about how I can spend next 14 days. pic.twitter.com/i3uwWzCZFv

— Sneha (@Sneha6029) May 1, 2020

Twitter user Sneha shared this funny pictures saying that she is thinking how to spend the next 14 days.

*Lockdown extended*

People:#Lockdown3 pic.twitter.com/DujiShJOfD

— Sumit jadhav (@Ekdum_Jhakaasss) May 1, 2020

Here's how extroverts reacted when they learnt about lockdown being extended for two weeks.

parents after hearing that lockdown extended by 2 weeks.

#Lockdown3 pic.twitter.com/JrCyfPgM6w

— SaarCasm 🇮🇳 (@itzmesarcasm) May 1, 2020

Parents seem to be the most happy about the lockdown being extended.

Newly married couple when they get to know #Lockdown3 extended

He. She. pic.twitter.com/Zargjs8C7x

— Joe Goldberg (@itsmepankajkh) May 1, 2020

When lockdown extension news gives newly married couple something to cheer about.

Did any of these memes describe your Lockdown 3.0 feeling?

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Former Liverpool mid-fielder Jamie Redknapp fears arch-rivals Manchester United are set to beat his former club for the signing of Borussia Dortmund forward Jadon Sancho. The 20-year-old Englishman is currently one of the most sought-after players in European football and Redknapp believes Sancho will end up in Premier League sooner than later with the Red Devils in pole position to snap the hot shot winger. "I think it is a matter of time with Jadon Sancho coming to the Premier League. We are talking about a genuine superstar. A player that can do incredible things with the ball. Played 70 odd games in the Bundesliga, scored 27 goals from a wide area which is very good," Redknapp told Sky Sports.

"We have missed out on the likes of the Neymars in the Premier League but he can come and really light it up. Personally I would call it. He will be a great signing for whoever he goes to. "I would like to see him at Liverpool, but I think he is going to end up at United though," he added. Since making the move to Bundesliga from Manchester City in 2017, Sancho's rise has been nothing but meteoric. In the last two seasons for Dortmund, Sancho has scored 20 goals and assisted 28 times for the German giants.

Speculations continue to surround Sancho regarding his big move to the Premier League with multiple top teams interested. Dortmund, meanwhile, have made it clear that it will take big bucks to prize Sancho away from the Signal Iduna Park.

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Brazilian footballer Neymar is reportedly ready to take a 50 per cent pay cut on his existing Paris St. Germain deal to force through a move back to former club Barcelona.

After spending four trophy-laden years in Spain, Neymar joined PSG in 2017 for an eye-watering sum of 198 million pounds.

Reports have time and again surfaced that the star forward is unsettled in France and wants a Barca return in order to once again link-up with close friend Lionel Messi.

According to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, Neymar is ready to sacrifice half of his 600,000 pounds per week salary at PSG in order to make a sensational return to Barcelona.

Barcelona was Neymar's first club in Europe and he won two LaLiga titles, three Copa del Reys and the Champions League once with the Catalan giants.

Barcelona stars have also spoken about their admiration for Neymar and aren't against his return despite his unceremonious exit from the club few years ago.

"Everybody knows 'Ney', we all know the affection we have for him in the dressing room," Suarez was quoted as saying by Mundo Deportivo last month.

"His ability is indisputable and he still has so much to show. He will always be welcome in the changing room, we appreciate him a lot."

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German professional football is going to return to action on May 16 to 18 with its first and second tier getting back underway. League association CEO Christian Seifert announced the permitted re-start is planned without games on Friday evening but contains two rounds of matches during the week. "We wanted to follow the wording in the orders of politics strictly," the 50-year-old commented, reports Xinhua news agency. All games will be run behind closed doors.

The season was interrupted mid-March due to the coronavirus crisis. Nine rounds remain plus one postponed match. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the 16 federal state prime ministers gave the green light for a restart on Wednesday based on a comprehensive hygiene concept. Most of the 36 clubs voted for the earliest possible start. At least two sides, such as Werder Bremen and FSV Mainz 05, demanded a start one week later to gain time for additional training.

Seifert announced the season is to be continued with matchday 26, which contains the delicate derby of Borussia Dortmund against the FC Schalke 04 on Saturday. Six games are notified for Saturday, two on Sunday and one on Monday evening. All match-days contain a so-called late-game in the evening. The table leaders Bayern Munich face an away game against league newcomer Union Berlin Saturday evening.

The season's last games are planned to take place on June 27 to 28. Seifert indicated the Champions League final could be run around the end of August. The German Cup has to be rescheduled. To address parts of the demands of Bremen, their game against Bayern Leverkusen is scheduled for Monday on May 18. The federal state of Bremen was one of the last spots allowing training in smaller groups.

All 36 clubs took up full team training this Thursday. From Saturday on, all clubs attend an obligated seven-day-long quarantine. Players, staff, and family members will undergo a diverting number of tests. Referees are going to be tested by next week. Seifert said football concept could be a blueprint for other team-sports, fighting sports and athletics as well as for orchestras and theaters.

Clubs and association are in close contact with fan groups to avoid gatherings around the arenas. Therefore, negotiations take place with pay-tv broadcasters to provide certain games on free tv.

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New York: Maintaining strong social networks with positive, warm and trusting friendships in old age might be key to slowing down age-related decline in memory and brain functioning, researchers say.

Representational picture

The findings showed that superagers -- who are 80 years and older -- who have the cognitive ability at least as good as people in their 50s or 60s can have more satisfying, high-quality relationships compared to their cognitively average, same-age peers.

"This study supports the theory that maintaining strong social networks seems to be linked to slower cognitive decline," said Emily Rogalski, Associate Professor at the Northwestern University in the US.

"The study is particularly exciting as a step toward understanding what factors underlie the preservation of cognitive ability in advanced age, particularly those that may be modifiable," added Amanda Cook, doctoral student at the varsity.

Previous studies have shown psychological well-being in older age to be associated with reduced risk of developing Alzheimer's dementia.

"It's not as simple as saying if you have a strong social network, you'll never get Alzheimer's disease," Rogalski said.

"But if there is a list of healthy choices one can make, such as eating a certain diet and not smoking, maintaining strong social networks may be an important one on that list," Rogalski noted.

For the study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, the participants answered a 42-item questionnaire called the Ryff Psychological Well-Being Scale, which is a widely used to measure of psychological well-being.

The scale examines six aspects of psychological well-being: autonomy, positive relations with others, environmental mastery, personal growth, purpose in life and self-acceptance.

Superagers scored a median overall score of 40 in positive relations with others while the control group scored 36 -- a significant difference, Rogalski said.

Mayank Gandhi on ground at rural development projects

The Aam Admi Party (AAP) took the country by storm in 2012 and people believed they were looking at a new dawn. But "leaders are not what they seem like from far. When you go closer, you can see that they have feet of clay. What they project and what they actually are, are two different things", alleged Mayank Gandhi, former AAP leader and a founder member of the party, in an email interview, hours before his book AAP & Down: An Insider's Story of India's Most Controversial Party (Simon and Schuster India), co-authored by Shrey Shah, was released in the city yesterday.

At the book launch in Mumbai. Pic/Bipin Kokate 

Wake up, India
The tell-all was released to mark the third anniversary as the ruling party in Delhi. When we asked the Mumbai-based leader about his reasons for penning it, he said, "The primary purpose was to lay down the bare truth about what happened and how the country's citizens realised that democracy was more than just about voting during five-year elections. It is to also tell the youth who still harbour the hope of alternative politics coming from AAP that their dream is over."

In the book, besides Arvind Kejriwal and Anna Hazare, Gandhi focuses on those who worked behind the scene to shake the nation into consciousness. He elaborated, "As a young man, I had felt the pain of being betrayed when the Janata Party experiment failed, in which I had personally invested part of my life. I was insignificant then and inconsequential. Now, when the youth of the country are being betrayed all over again, I can feel their pain. And this time, I am not so inconsequential and would like to be a medium of letting the people know what happened and how."

A file photo of Arvind Kejriwal at an AAP rally in Delhi

Opportunity lost
Gandhi, who played a key role in AAP's formation, admits that writing the book was a tumultuous journey. From re-living the India Against Corruption (IAC) days to the crushing of dreams, "the only thought that came to my mind was the opportunity that we lost in transforming the nation". Gandhi believes that AAP failed because instead of maintaining the founding principles for which it received extraordinary support, the party decided to indulge in the three Cs — corruption, casteism and communalism — after it won Delhi by unprecedented margins. "This impatience and abandonment of ethics and morals was the biggest mistake it made," he said.

But despite losing focus, the IAC movement has given people the courage to assert themselves before authorities and politicians. "Counter hegemony has started appearing as people have understood the power of standing up to the wrongs," says the man who has decided to focus on development politics, and is now working for the development of rural India, starting with the Beed district in Maharashtra.

AAP & Down, which is a documentation of India's "second independence" struggle according to Gandhi, gives readers a chance to see how power changes man. "People who operate in the name of serving the poor, many a times are serving their personal ambitions and egos," the author said.

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Gestational diabetes -- high blood sugar condition during pregnancy -- may cause early-stage kidney damage that can later lead to chronic kidney diseases among women, reported a study.

The study showed that women with gestational diabetes were more likely to have a high glomerular filtration rate (GFR) -- an estimate of how much blood per minute passes through the glomeruli, the tiny filters within kidneys that extract waste from the blood.

Women with gestational diabetes had more than triple the risk of an elevated GFR, which may precede the early kidney damage that accompanies pre-diabetes -- a condition with higher blood sugar levels but not high enough to be classified as diabetes.

"Our findings suggest that women who have had gestational diabetes may benefit from periodic checkups to detect early-stage kidney damage and receive subsequent treatment," said Cuilin Zhang from National Institutes of Health's Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) in Maryland, US.

The study, published in the journal Diabetes Care, included data from 601 Danish women having gestational diabetes and 613 non-diabetic women.

The results showed that women who had gestational diabetes and later developed diabetes were approximately nine times more likely to have an elevated GFR later in life, compared to women who did not have gestational diabetes.

They were also likely to have an elevated urinary albumin to creatinine ratio (UACR), which is an indicator of kidney disease.

The study could not prove that gestational diabetes causes kidney damage, and the authors noted that more research is needed to confirm their findings.

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Consuming Mediterranean diet rich in antioxidants could reduce the adverse effects of air pollution on health. A diet which includes antioxidants present in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, olive oils, fish and poultry over red meat and processed foods, can weaken the adverse effects of exposure to high levels of air pollution, says researchers.

The study showed that people who least adhered to these antioxidant-rich foods had 17 per cent higher risk of cardiovascular disease related deaths for every 10 micrograms per cubic meter increase in long-term average PM2.5 exposure, compared to 5 per cent in those who consumed such diet.

"Given the benefits we found of a diet high in antioxidants, our results are consistent with the hypothesis that particle air pollution caused by fossil fuel combustion adversely affects health by inducing oxidative stress and inflammation," said George Thurston from Department of Environmental Medicine at the New York University.

The study, presented at the American Thoracic Society 2018 International Conference in San Diego, included data from 548,699 participants for over a period of 17 years. They were linked to estimates of long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ozone (O3) based on census tract information.

Deaths from all causes increased by 5 per cent for every 10 parts per billion (ppb) increase in long-term average NO2 exposure in those with least consumption of the diet as compared to 2 per cent among the people with higher consumption.

"However the diet did not appear to protect against the harmful effects of long-term exposure to O3...the ozone effect was not significantly blunted by a Mediterranean diet, so ozone apparently affects cardiac health through a different mechanism", said Thurston.

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Representational Image

Brain areas that are traditionally not associated with learning science can become active when people are confronted with solving physics problems, finds a study. This shows that the brain's activity can be modified by different forms of instruction.

"The neurobiological processes that underpin learning are complex and not always directly connected to what we think it means to learn," said lead author Eric Brewe, Associate Professor at Drexel University in Pennsylvania, US.

The findings, published in the journal Frontiers in ICT, showed that newer brain regions associated with attention, working memory and problem solving -- the lateral prefrontal cortex and parietal cortex, sometimes called the brain's "central executive network" - showed activity when dealing with such problems.

Another area that became active was the posterior cingulate cortex, which is linked to episodic memory and self-referential thought.

"These changes in brain activity may be related to more complex behavioural changes in how students reason through physics questions post- relative to pre-instruction," Brewe noted.

"These might include shifts in strategy or an increased access to physics knowledge and problem-solving resources," he said.

Using fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) to measure blood flow in the brain, the researchers looked to map what areas become active when completing a physics reasoning task, both before a course on the concepts and after.

A small group of students were taught a physics course that utilised "Modeling Instruction," a style of teaching which encourages students to be active participants in their learning.

"This suggests that learning physics is an imaginative process, which is not typically how people think of it," Brewe said, in reference to the study which aimed to further explore how students use their own mental models to understand new concepts.

"The idea of mental models is something that people who research learning love to talk about, but have no evidence of what is happening inside brains other than what people say or do," Brewe said.

"We are actually looking for evidence from inside the brain."

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Andheri West
Roses in oil
Oil Painting is considered the master medium for painting for centuries and was the medium of choice for masters such as Leonardo Da Vinci. Today, you will learn the techniques of getting that rose just right.

When: 11 AM
Where: Doolally Taproom, Near Fun Republic Mall, Andheri West
Entry: Rs 2,150
Call: 7400171674

Beach Candy
Van Gogh's Starry Night
Mesmerised by this 1889 classic? Artist Snehal Patil will help you make your own version that you can proudly hang up in your own room.

When: 4 PM
Where: The Bombay Bronx,
Cumballa Hill
Entry: Rs 1850

Powai
An autumn morning
Wonder what that is considering Mumbai's heat? Artist Chrisann Rodr-igues will help you imagine it on canvas.

When: 3 PM
Where: Neel Indian Kitchen and Bar, Powai
Entry: Rs 1750
Call: 49455555

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Enjoy a traditional roast lunch

12 PM - 4 PM: Spend your Sunday enjoying a traditional English roast lunch at British Brewing Company. The Sunday roast is a tradition in the UK where families sit down to enjoy roast beef accompanied by Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes and baked vegetables. In the absence of the B-word, you can treat yourself to grilled lamb chop in cranberry demiglaze sauce, chermoula fish steak, wasabi chicken wings and eggplant parmigiana accompanied by offers
on beer.
Where: British Brewing Company, Times Square building, Andheri East
Call: 39698190

Head to a film fest
9.30 AM - 10 PM: It's the last day of Kashish, South Asia's biggest LGBTQ film festival, now in its ninth edition with a strong jury selection of films. Held at an iconic theatre in South Mumbai, the festival's line-up today includes short films, feature films (Evening Shadows and Fathers), and also a panel discussion with filmmakers. Refer to the website for the full schedule.
Where: Liberty Carnival Cinema, Marine Lines
Free
Visit: www.mumbaiqueerfest.com/kashish-2018-film-schedule/

Rock to Parvaaz
9.30 PM: Parvaaz is a Bengaluru-based rock group who sing mostly in Kashmiri and Urdu. If this rocks your boat, attend their gig this evening. Featuring, Khalid Ahamed (vocals), Mir Kashif Iqbal (guitars), Sachin Banandur (drums) and Fidel D'Souza (bass), the members have assimilated several psychedelic rock influences while keeping their roots intact.
Where: Todi Mill Social, Lower Parel
Entry: Rs 400
Call: 7506394240

Laugh out in Gujarati
7.30 PM: So laughter may not have a language, but jokes certainly do. Attend, Hass Ne Baka, a one-of-its-kind Gujarati stand-up comedy event. If you have been in Mumbai for a few years at least, you probably would have picked some words from the language. If not, this is a good chance to learn.
Where: The Cuckoo Club, Bandra West
Entry: Rs 250
Call: 9619962969

Savour the T20 finale
7 PM: The T20 draws to a close today with the big final match this evening. Nurse your cricket fever with unlimited beer, meant to keep you company till the last over. So, whether you are supporting Chennai or Hyderabad, round up your friends for an evening of fun.
Where: Drinkery 51, opposite Trident Hotel, BKC
Price: Rs 999 per head
Call: 40141100

Recall funny instances
8 PM: Embarrassing instances make for good stories in subsequent years. Attend an event where comedian Sumit Anand and his like-minded friends will regale you with hilarious stories from their personal lives. The edition will feature Vaibhav Sethia and Deep Chhabria, among others.
Where: The Square, Powai
Price: Rs 250
Log on to: insider.in

Shop organic from a farmer's market
8 AM – 1 PM: How about making it a 'fruitful' morning in South Mumbai? Head to an organic market organised by Better Foods and Harshita Narwekar, trustee of My Dream Colaba, for a chance to pick from stalls offering chemical-free produce to lead a healthier life. Think you can't make it this Sunday? The market will pop up again every Sunday until July 1, so mark your calendars.
Where: Lane behind Taj President, next to Mehr Naz, Cuffe Parade
Free
Call: 9010143322

Enjoy a evening of ghazals
7 PM: Don't relegate ghazals to the past. The night for the genre is still young. This evening head to Sun Beach Resort, to get mesmerised in this form of poetry that originated in 7th century Arabia. Your singer tonight is Ranjan Debnath. There's a special kids' zone too.
Where: Sun Beach Resort, Manori
Entry: Rs 1,000-Rs 1,500
Call: 8108750767

Relish a picnic platter
Gateway Taproom has curated an indoor experience to recreate the feel of a picnic. Three special craft beers will be on offer along with freshly baked flatbreads with a variety of toppings. The Valencia Orange Wheat comes with citrusy notes while the 'Mangonificent Flatbread' is made of mango, arugula pesto and feta, while the 'Appley Ever After' is a sum of apple, goat cheese, jaggery and walnut candy. Try pepper pig, a topping which is a mix of chorizo, mozzarella and red bell peppers. There's also a blend of grilled eggplant, pomegranate, feta and pine nuts.
When: 12 pm to 1.30 am, till May 30
Where: Gateway Taproom, Godrej BKC Building, Bandra East
Call: 26534748

Watch Farhan rock the stage
Farhan Akhtar, who has time again made himself heard on various social causes, has joined hands with the Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA), for a special concert. The aim of the concert is to raise awareness about the ill-effects of tobacco, to mark the occasion of World No-Tobacco Day. The show is titled Love for Life Begins with Music. CPAA is a registered charitable organisation working towards the cause of cancer patients for 49 years.
When: 7 pm, May 31
Where: Rangsharda Auditorium, Bandra Reclamation, Bandra West
Free
Call: 9821078882

Join a jashn
Go for a panel discussion on Urdu culture and how the Internet is helping the revival of the language. Urdu Culture Now, an initiative by Godrej Culture Labs, seeks to explore the state of Urdu culture in Mumbai. There will be art exhibits by Zeenat Kulavoor and Nasheet Shadani and a Soundzone with a specially curated playlist. Actor and storyteller Danish Husain will take centrestage with a Quissebaazi performance and Winit Tikoo will be performing a set of Urdu tunes. There will also be a pop-up bookstore and some authentic Lucknowi and Hyderabadi cuisine.
When: 5.30 pm, June 8
Where: Auditorium, 1st floor, Godrej One, Vikhroli East
Free
Call: 9167077830

Experience Indo-Greek art
Rekha Rana's exhibition Indus Streams and Delphi Hills has been in the making for nearly four years. The works give viewers a glimpse into the Indo-Greek era, drawing parallels between European and Indian art. The technique she has used for this show is mixed media on canvas. She has re-imagined Greek goddess Athena, wearing the headgear of Hippolyta, the queen of the tribe of the Amazons in Greek mythology. Rana has studied closely the influence of Western art on India and selected certain elements in her works.
When: 11 am to 7 pm, May 29 to June 4
Where: Jehangir Art Gallery, MG Road, Kala Ghoda
Call: 9930300064

A love story, or a game of manipulation?
Vrushali Telang's new fiction, Prime Time Crime (Vishwakarma Publications), has all the makings of a fast-paced, sensational thriller. Set against the backdrop of the Mumbai Underworld in 1999, Prime Time Crime tells the story of a young intern reporter, Ritika Khanolker and a gritty gangster, AT Pradhan. It all begins when Ritika wins his unwavering attention at the sessions courts after she asks him a strange question. Soon enough, she lands an exclusive TV interview with him. What follows is a torrid chemistry with both finding it difficult to stay away from each other. But, is the gangster manipulating circumstances and using her as a pawn, or is Ritika playing along so that she can catapult her career and become a star reporter. This love story gets only murkier, as you turn the pages of Telang's book. Telang's well etched out characters, racy plot and lucid writing, makes this one a brilliant page turner.

Pedal into the week
10.30 pm onwards: Want to cycle but the Mumbai summers won't let you? Try cruising on the roads on a midnight
electric cycle ride. Also, if you have been contemplating buying an electric cycle, this ride can serve as a trial. The trail covers 35 kilometres starting at Shivaji Park, on to Worli Seaface, Peddar Road, Girgaon Chowpatty, Nariman Point, before ending at Gateway of India, with a bite at Bade Miya.
28 Monday
Where: Meet at Shivaji Park Gymkhana, Dadar West
Entry: Rs 750
Log on to: instamojo.com

Learn some magic
1 pm onwards: You may have watched enough Penn and Teller and now you want to try and master a few tricks of your own. This session should get you started. Magic is not just about sleight of hand, there's also the fine art of performance that goes along with it. This workshop will teach you a few magic tricks, and along with it, the art of theatre that will add the final flourish.
29 Tuesday
Where: Quistic Learning Centre, opposite Oshiwara Police Station, Andheri West
Entry: Rs 5,000
Log on to: eventshigh.com

Watch Indian Ocean live
9 pm onwards: Formed in the early 90s, the Indian Ocean is one rock band that has managed to stand the test of time. Not only have they spearheaded rock music in the country, they have also held their own in an industry rife with remixes and fusion. Their sound has stayed consistently inimitable despite shuffles in the band lineup. From Sufism, politics, philosophy to religion, the words are as deep as their tune haunting.
30 Wednesday
Where: Flyp at MTV, Kamala Mills, Lower Parel
Entry: Rs 499
Log on to: insider.in

Meet a French Cinderella
6 pm onwards: Massenet's enchanting opera Cendrillon, based on the Cinderella story, had premiered at the MET. It features Joyce DiDonato as Cinderella, Kathleen Kim as the fairy godmother, Alice Coote as Prince Charming, Stephanie Blythe as evil stepmother Madame de la Haltiere, and Laurent Naouri as Pandolfe. This production was first performed at Santa Fe in 2006. The screening will provide English subtitles.
31 Thursday
Where: Dance Theatre Godrej, NCPA, Nariman Point
Entry: Rs 768
Log on to: bookmyshow.com

See a rare kind of jewellery
6 pm to 9 pm: Patola jewellery designed under the guidance of art revivalist Bela Shanghvi is a step towards bringing alive, the lost forms of Indian art. Her Nana Chowk store has been devoted towards preserving the craft heritage across 28 states and villages. While Patola saris are well known, this time one will get to see some rare jewellery from the region that would strike a perfect match with the elegant weaves.
1 Friday
Where: True Tramm Trunk, VL Mehta Road, JVPD Scheme, Juhu
Call: 7738993360

Learn to style your food
3 pm: Step into the world of food photography and food styling in an interactive workshop with the renowned food photographer Assad Daddan and food stylist Amrita Kaur. The hands-on session will include training on lighting, composition, exposure triangle, food styling and post processing. The styling session will involve learning finer nuances of food styling.
2 Saturday
Where: Palate Culinary Academy, Saffron Building, Linking Road,
Khar West
Entry: Rs 5,000-Rs 10,000
Log on to: insider.in

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Representational Image

Scientists have developed the first ultrasound-firewall that can prevent hackers from eavesdropping on hidden data transmission between smartphones and other mobile devices. The permanent networking of mobile devices can endanger the privacy of users and lead to new forms of monitoring.

New technologies such as Google Nearby and Silverpush use ultrasonic sounds to exchange information between devices via loudspeakers and microphones. More and more of our devices communicate via this inaudible communication channel. Ultrasonic communication allows devices to be paired and information to be exchanged.

It also makes it possible to track users and their behaviour over a number of devices, much like cookies on the Web. Almost every device with a microphone and a loudspeaker can send and receive ultrasonic sounds. Users are usually unaware of this inaudible and hidden data transmission.

Researchers from the St Polten University of Applied Sciences in Austria has developed a mobile application that detects acoustic cookies, brings them to the attention of users and if desired, blocks the tracking.

The app is, in a sense, the first available ultrasound-firewall for smartphones and tablets "The most challenging part of developing the app was to devise a method that can detect different existing ultrasound-transmission techniques reliably and in real time," said Matthias Zeppelzauer, who led the project.

Such ultrasonic signals can be used for so-called "cross-device tracking". This makes it possible to track the user's behaviour across multiple devices, and relevant user profiles can be merged with one other. In this way, more accurate user profiles can be created for targeted advertising and filtering of internet content.

Unlike their electronic counterparts when visiting web pages, up to now it has not been possible to block acoustic cookies.

"In order to accept voice commands, the mobile phone microphone is often permanently active. Every mobile application that has access to the microphone, as well as the operating system itself, can at any time without notice: activate the microphone of a mobile device, listen to it, detect acoustic cookies and synchronise it over the Internet," said Zeppelzauer.

Users are often not informed of this information transmission during ongoing operation. Only a permanent deactivation of the microphone would help, whereby the device as a telephone would become unusable. Researchers developed a procedure to expose the cookies and inform device users. For masking and blocking the ultrasonic data transfer, interference signals are transmitted via the loudspeaker of the mobile device.

Thus, acoustic cookies can be neutralised before operating systems or mobile applications can access them. Users can selectively block cookies without affecting the functionality of the smartphone. The masking of the cookies occurs by means of ultrasound, which is inaudible to humans.

"There is currently no technology on the market that can detect and block acoustic cookies. The application developed in this project represents the first approach that gives people control over this type of tracking," said Zeppelzauer.

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Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag has stated the real inspiration behind his swashbuckling batting technique was 'Angad' -- a character in mythological epic 'Ramayan'.

Sehwag, who was known for his great hand-eye coordination with minimal footwork, on Sunday shared a picture of 'Angad' on Twitter and said: "So here is where I took my batting inspiration from. Pair hilana mushkil hi nahi, namumkin hai. #Angad Ji Rocks."

So here is where i took my batting inspiration from :)

Pair hilana mushkil hi nahi , namumkin hai . #Angad ji Rocks pic.twitter.com/iUBrDyRQUF

— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) April 12, 2020

According to mythology, it is believed that Angad -- who was part of vanar sena which helped Lord Ram in rescuing his wife Sita from Lanka -- was sent as an emissary to the court of Ravan in order to avoid war.

However, Ravan declined the offer and then to break his ego, Angad challenged that if anyone present in the court would be able to lift his feet from the ground then Lord Ram would accept defeat and leave Lanka.

But it is believed that none of the warriors present in Ravan's court was able to lift Angad's feet.

Sehwag, who played 251 ODIs and 104 Tests for India, scored 8,273 and 8,586 runs respectively. In fact, he is the only Indian cricketer to hit two triple centuries in Test cricket.

The swashbuckling opener also played 19 T20Is for India in which he amassed a total of 394 runs.

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The International Cricket Council (ICC) is 'exploring all options available' to them to complete the World Test Championship amid the coronavirus pandemic. "We are continuing planning for ICC events as they are but given the rapidly evolving situation as a prudent and responsible measure we are also undertaking a comprehensive business contingency planning exercise," a source within ICC told ANI. "This includes exploring all options available to us based on a range of scenarios connected to the pandemic," the source added.

The source further added that as of now, no decision has been taken. The coronavirus pandemic has taken a huge toll on sports all across the globe and cricket also had to bear the brunt of the deadly virus as several series have been postponed owing to COVID-19. In the ongoing World Test Championship, a total of 71 Test matches will be played across 27 series over two years. The championship began on August 1 last year when Australia faced England in Ashes.

The top two teams will then contest in the ICC World Test Championship final in June 2021 in the UK. Currently, India hold the top spot on the World Test Championship table with 360 points followed by Australia and New Zealand with 296 and 180 points respectively.

The second ICC World Test Championship will run from July 2021 to June 2023.

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The ICC T20 World Cup (Oct 18 to Nov 15 in Australia) is under threat of getting postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

mid-day has learnt that the ICC, along with Cricket Australia (CA), is exploring a possible date in December to host the mega event. It is also good news for the BCCI, which is keen to hold the IPL in Oct-Nov as no international cricket is planned.

Australia has banned international travellers for six months, which is likely to end mid-September. 
However, it remains to be seen what quarantine guidelines the Australian government will issue.

Monumental task

If the outbreak causes havoc again, it will be a monumental task to quarantine 15 national teams (apart from hosts Australia), scores of fans and other support staff who will converge Down Under.

As of now, it is understood that efforts are on to hold the T20 World Cup this year itself as India is set to host another T20 World Cup next year. In such a scenario, India’s much-awaited tour to Australia in December is likely to take a hit.

Australia might have to take a tricky call. Hosting the T20 World Cup will mean the bulk of revenue will be shared with ICC. But if they manage to host India, which they eagerly want to, the entire revenue will directly go into CA coffers.

IPL franchises in the know

Meanwhile, mid-day has learnt that some franchises have sounded out their players about a possible IPL in October-November if the T20 World Cup is postponed.

The BCCI has already charted out contingency plans of holding the IPL in different scenarios—30 playing days, restricted venues and behind closed doors.

“IPL is an important tournament not just for the BCCI but also for other boards. They make money just by releasing their players. In times when the resumption of bilateral cricket is under a cloud, IPL provides a silver lining for cricket to get back on track,” said a source.

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The coronavirus outbreak has brought the world to a standstill and sporting events across the globe have either been cancelled or suspended. And former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar has said that with the way things are going, live sporting action may return only after another 4-5 months.

"The way things are going we might not be able to see any live sport for maybe 4-5 months. That's gonna be tough not just on the current players but also those who follow sport," Gavaskar told India Today.

"There are so many fans of different sports, for them to be able to only look at the old action after a time it gets boring, for nostalgia you can go back and see what happened earlier but actually you wanna see live sport be it on television or ground and for that not being able to be seen till September that's a worrying thing and I am pretty certain that the officials of all the sports are planning plan a, b, c to get over this period of uncertainty," Gavaskar explained.

While there have been talks of holding an IPL behind closed doors, Gavaskar said that it should be the last option.

"I think that's gonna be absolutely the last resort otherwise you know when you can't have absolutely anyone at the ground only then you should play without crowds.

"Every performer likes to perform in front of a crowd which appreciates the skills and temperament. Same in theatre. So i think it's not going to be easy on the performers as well. Players also want to do the high fives and hugs."

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Cricket Australia is set to begin the team's pre-season later this month under a set of new training protocols devised for the safety of players amid the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a report in 'The Sydney Morning Herald', CA is churning out strategies for the resumption of training under the watchful eyes of its chief medical officer Dr John Orchard and head of sports science and sports medicine Alex Kountouris.

The duo is working closely with counterparts of other cricket playing nations and are part of committees of the Australian government and the ICC which are trying to find ways for the resumption of sports. The report said CA's immediate priority is to draw up protocols for players' pre-season, which include barring the use of saliva or sweat to shine the ball during training.

"There's physical distancing in the nets—there are two or three bowlers in each net. One bowls at a time, the batter is 22 yards away so it's not a big problem," Kountouris said.

"We don't see it as too big a problem to manage, but these are the things we're spelling out. This is what you should do: keep your distance."

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The Sumida Aquarium, located in Tokyo, is facing a unique problem since it shut its doors to public in the beginning of March. Its animals have become habituated to a human-free environment, as they have been largely absent for the past two months. A spokesman of the aquarium wrote on Twitter that the "unprecedented situation" was leading to some unexpected downsides. He said, "Creatures in the aquarium don't see humans except keepers and they have started forgetting about humans. Garden eels, in particular, disappear into the sand and hide every time the keepers pass by." This has led to difficulties for the keepers trying to keep a track of the health of these animals.

Representational pics

Officials from the aquarium have come up with a one-of-a-kind solution for their problem; they are asking people to video call them and talk to their eels. The spokesman requested: "Let us make an emergency plea: Could you show your face to our garden eels from your home?" About 300 garden eels live at the aquarium and though they are sensitive by nature, they had become used to human company and rarely hid in the sand before the lockdown. The aquarium is setting up five tablets facing the tank, so eel enthusiasts can call and talk to them via the FaceTime app. Taking the eels' sensitive nature into account, callers are being asked to talk softly and not shout. The 'face-showing festival' is scheduled to be held from May 3 to May 5.

Grandpa gives back, and how

WWII veteran has raised a whopping R284 crore for healthcare workers in the UK

Pic/South Wales Argus, Facebook

Centenarian Tom Moore was recently given an honorary promotion to the rank of colonel by Queen Elizabeth, after his 100 lap-walk in his garden, helped raise R284 crore for healthcare workers, treating COVID-19 patients. Captain Moore's dedication is commendable as he was seen using a walker to support himself to finish the laps. He told the BBC that he was feeling "fine" at the end of the walk. He added that the healthcare workers at the frontlines of the Coronavirus pandemic were the new heroes, who "deserve everything we can give them."

Prime Minister Boris Johnson praised Moore's relief efforts by saying that he "embodied the spirit of the country." In addition to the honorary promotion, he was re-awarded his WWII defence medal that he had misplaced previously.

Who's a lazy boy?

Pic/@sparky_minibullterrier, Instagram

Sparky is a five-year-old mini bull terrier that loves living the easy life. "Sparky is a lazy boy," said his owner, Silvio Siamo, to The Dodo. There are hilarious videos of Sparky just giving up on walking and lying down on the ground instead. The lazy pup has over 95k followers.

Once a hero, always a hero

Pic/@MumbaiPolice, Twitter

Irrfan Khan had recreated the viral 'Drake approves' meme in 2017 with AIB. The actor extraordinaire passed away on Wednesday while being treated for a colon infection. Mumbai Police paid a fitting tribute to Khan by tweeting a meme of him with the caption: "Re-Meme-Bering Irrfan..."

(Don't) be your own barber

As salons and barbershops remain shut during the lockdown, many people have resorted to cutting their own hair or asking a loved one to do so, resulting in hilarious at-home haircuts. A user on Twitter, @badgirlkiki, posted pictures of her partner with the caption: "Gave my man a quarantine fade." In the post-cut photo, one can see the back of her partner's head, the uneven finish and more shadows evident. Even so, her tweet raked in over 2,02,000 likes. Pics/Splitpicks.uk

Man surprises his mom with a wife

Representation pic

An Indian man from the city of Ghaziabad, Guddu, stepped out of his house to get some groceries. His mother was shocked as he returned with a bride in tow, Savita. She was asked to vacate her rental house in Delhi, prompting him to bring her to his house.

Sleep like Drake, on a R3 crore mattress

When Architectural Digest magazine featured Canadian rapper Drake's mansion in Toronto, his mattress became the talk of the town. The bespoke mattress is Swedish company Hästens' second-most-expensive mattress. It takes mattress experts 600 hours to make one.

Puzzle enthusiasts, get your geek on!

Pic/Kodak.com

Kodak, which produces camera-related products, launched a gigantic jigsaw puzzle made up of 51,300 pieces recently. It measures 28.5 feet by 6.25 feet. Not only does the puzzle demand a lot of space, it demands that you pay about R38,000 to acquire it. It has been divided into 27 images of famous landmarks from all over the world.

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