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NDTV
6 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
The Vice Presidents of India I Know
I still remember that muggy morning in Delhi fourteen years ago. For the first time ever in my life, I was meeting a person holding a high constitutional office. The then Vice President of India, Mr Hamid Ansari. It was my first day in Parliament. After being sworn in, he called some of us rookies for an informal chat over coffee. The conversation flowed. Noticing that it had been well over 15 minutes, he asked us to come home soon to continue our chat. We went over a few days later. Exciting. A person holding the second-highest constitutional office in India, finding the time to meet MPs who were 'newbies'. Hamid Ansari had a long and distinguished career as a diplomat. Chief of Protocol to Government of India, High Commissioner to Australia, Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador to Afghanistan, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. Then the thirteenth Vice President of India. What is lesser-known of this Kolkata-born, is that he was a middle-order wicket-keeper batsman who won a college cap. In fact, as the Ambassador to Iran, he introduced cricket to the staff of the Indian Embassy, and it is said that he popularised the sport in that country. As the Chairman of Rajya Sabha, Mr Ansari introduced many innovations in the Council of States. When Parliament was in session, he used to host a coffee meeting everyday from 10.30 to 10.55 am. This informal catch-up with floor leaders and chief whips of parties helped the Opposition and the Treasury Benches to try and reach a consensus on the order of play for the day. As Chairman, Mr Ansari had one rule cast in stone: no bill to be passed in the din. This ensured that the government of the day could not bulldoze legislation, Mr Ansari must get full credit for changing the timings of Question Hour and Zero Hour. For over six decades, Question Hour started at 11 am, followed by Zero Hour at 12 noon. The Chairman noticed that Question Hour would often be disrupted because members wanted to raise crucial issues at the start of the day. In 2014, Mr Ansari reversed the timings and since then, Zero Hour starts at 11 am (members raise issues of 'urgent public importance'), followed by Question Hour at 12 noon in Rajya Sabha. His approach to the role as the Chairman is best exemplified by what he said: 'the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha is not a player but an umpire in a cricket match… You become a player; you become partisan'. He is now living a happy retired life in Delhi, and has authored many books. The second Vice President I had the pleasure to interact with in Rajya Sabha was Mr Venkaiah Naidu. A seasoned parliamentarian, he had held the portfolios of Rural Development, Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Information and Broadcasting, and Parliamentary Affairs as Minister. History will be kind to Mr Naidu who did not preside over the House on 20 September, 2020- the day the contentious Farm Laws were bamboozled in Parliament. He was born into an agricultural family. Perhaps there lies the answer. Whether it be his chamber or the floor of the House, Mr Naidu used to talk in the same tone with everyone - government or the Opposition. Admirable. And I must mention, whenever he hosted us in the Vice President's house, the non vegetarian Andhra food was terrific. Equal credit must go to Mrs Naidu for being such a wonderful host. He once jokingly told us that he might be the chief outside, but at home he had a Home Minister! Mr Naidu loved delivering snappy one-liners. On students going abroad for higher studies, he quipped, 'learn, earn, and return'. When asked if he had aspirations to become Rashtrapati, he wittily replied that he was happy being Ushapati (husband of Usha, Mrs Usha Naidu is his wife). Then there was the famous line, 'The Left can never be right'. While he had a great sense of humour, he was also very sentimental, often getting visibly misty-eyed when emotive issues were discussed in Parliament. The fourteenth Vice President of India, Mr Jagdeep Dhankar. The subject of a column. Someday.
India Today
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Khloe Kardashian thanks India-born surgeon for nose job
US reality TV star and influencer Khloe Kardashian recently confirmed that she underwent several cosmetic procedures. Following her revelation, an India-born doctor is in the spotlight after Kardashian listed eight different treatments, tagging the doctors and medical spas responsible for each one. Raj Kanodia was one of the doctors who was involved in Kardashian's yet another cosmetic Kardashian has been associated with the renowned Beverly Hills-based plastic surgeon for years. He's again in the news after Kardashian thanked him especially for the plastic Kolkata-born plastic surgeon has worked with many celebrities. He first came into the limelight when he was approached by John Kennedy Jr in the 1990s to give presidential candidates makeovers for his new magazine George. Soon after attending Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez Bezos's star-studded wedding in Italy, Kardashian received high praise from London-based aesthetician Jonny Betteridge, who described her as the event's "standout face". Betteridge, in a video shared on social media, analysed and highlighted the possible cosmetic enhancements Khloe may have noted that the Kardashian star's look has "changed a lot over the past few years" and speculated that her transformation likely involved a temporary brow lift, rhinoplasty, lip filler, and a face and neck lift, according to a report in the UK's Daily June 29, Khloe replied to the video herself, saying she took it as a compliment and confirmed that she has indeed had cosmetic procedures."I take this as a great compliment! First off, I think these photos are about 15 years apart. But here's a list of things that I have done," she wrote on Betteridge's Instagram Reel."I've been very open in the past about what I have done, so here we go. Nose job," tagging Indian-born surgeon Raj IS DR RAJ KANODIA?Raj Kanodia is a top rhinoplasty specialist in Los Angeles. A board-certified surgeon, he is renowned for his expertise in nose reshaping and facial rejuvenation who was born in Calcutta, earned his medical degree from the University of Calcutta Medical College in one of the top rhinoplasty surgeons in LA, Kanodia has treated a long list of A-list clients, including Britney Spears, Jennifer Aniston, Kim Kardashian, Cindy Crawford, and Charli D' year too, Khloe Kardashian had openly acknowledged that Raj Kanodia performed her nose job, often praising him for her "perfect" nose. During the Keeping Up With the Kardashians reunion, she discussed her cosmetic procedures."Everyone says, 'Oh my gosh, she's had her third face transplant!' But I've had one nose job — (by) Dr Raj Kanodia — and everyone gets so upset, like, why don't I talk about it? No one's ever asked me," entertainment website People quoted her as Kanodia also attended the wedding celebrations of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant last year. During the wedding, he was seen in photos alongside both Kim and Khloe Kardashian, who also attended the event. He was also seen posing with Bollywood actress Janhvi Kapoor, sparking rumours that she could be one of his clients.- Ends
Time of India
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
3rd public display ever for rare Dali etchings at Victoria Memorial Hall
1 2 3 4 5 6 Kolkata: The Victoria Memorial Hall has put on display two colour etchings of Salvador Dali, the only originals of the Spanish Catalan surrealist master that any museum or gallery in India possesses. The twin Dali works were among 83 original drawings, etchings, lithographs, and opaque watercolours that the New York-based Kolkata-born artist Bimal Banerjee had donated to VMH authorities in 1990. The etchings in colour are on copper plates, printed on Japanese rice paper, and signed by the artist in pencil. This is only the third time that they are being displayed in public. The two previous occasions were in 1993 and 2014. The exhibition is currently drawing art lovers and will be on till the end of July. "The two untitled colour etchings of the 'Macbeth Series' signed by Dali have been displayed in the central hall to celebrate the enduring legacy of museums and the genius of one of the most iconic artists of the 20th century," Victoria Memorial Hall secretary and curator-in-charge Anurag Kumar told TOI. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata Apart from the Dali etchings, his donation to VMH included works by Italian artist Giorgio de Chirico, who founded the Scuola Metafisica Art Movement that profoundly influenced the surrealists; French artist Sonia Delaunay and her husband Robert Delaunay, who co-founded the Orphism Art Movement; French painter Georges Braque, known for inventing Cubism; and Swiss German painter Paul Klee, whose lectures and writings on colour theory and form and design theory published in English as the 'Paul Klee Notebooks' are considered as important for modern art as Leonardo da Vinci's 'A Treatise on Painting' for the Renaissance. Banerjee, an accomplished artist, told TOI in 2014 that Dali presented him with the etchings. He said he donated the works to VMH to ensure that budding artists could get a chance to view original masterpieces by modern European masters.
Time of India
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Riwk Jaiswal's debut film unveiled at Cannes
Riwk Jaiswal Kolkata-born Riwk Jaiswal made a powerful mark at the 78th Cannes Film Festival with the poster launch of his debut feature film, Bridge to Eutopia . A theatre actor turned filmmaker, Jaiswal brings raw, unfiltered realism to the screen in a story that revolves around a madwoman who unexpectedly becomes pregnant. Her journey of struggle, rejection, and survival forms the emotional core of the film. The poster, unveiled by veteran actor Anupam Kher, filmmaker Sudipto Sen, and producer and Film Federation of India president Ravi Kottakara, features the woman and a child—symbols of those forgotten voices that exist within Kolkata but are rarely heard. ' Bridge To Eutopia is not just a film—it's the voice from the unheard of society that must be explored,' Jaiswal said at the launch. 'Launching the poster at Cannes gives the film the global presence it deserves.' Rooted in the slums of Kolkata, the film's cast includes children from the very communities it portrays. Jaiswal, who began his career in theatre before moving to the screen, personally conducted acting workshops in these slums, nurturing local talent to bring authenticity to the narrative. After years of working as a junior actor, Jaiswal's transition behind the camera is both inspiring and hard-earned. 'It's a moment of humble celebration,' he shared. 'The journey has been long, but it's been driven by sheer hard work and the blessings of the universe.' Bridge to Eutopia is already generating buzz as a deeply symbolic and socially resonant debut—one that positions Jaiswal as a bold new voice in Indian independent cinema.
Time of India
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
State felicitates 10 from Bengal who cracked civil services exams
Kolkata: Meghna Chakravorty, a Modern High School alumna, who ranked 79th in the Civil Services Exam 2024, scored the second highest (215) in interview, just one mark below the national highest of 216. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "Now that I transition from the other side, which was filled with darkness and uncertainty, to this side, I wonder if we should ever forget the hardships and struggle that was needed to get here," said Meghna at the state felicitation event for this year's successful civil service aspirants. She and four others trained at the state-run Satyendra Nath Tagore Civil Services Study Centre. In all, 10 from Bengal cleared the exam. This was Meghna's second attempt at the exam. "Didn't go up to the interview level last time," said Meghna, who graduated from St Stephen's College and did her PG from JNU. As Urmi Sinha, who bagged 170th rank in the UPSC-conducted exam in her maiden attempt, shared her childhood dream of becoming an IAS officer, she spotted her mother, Poonam, crying in the audience. "Mamma, don't cry..." said Urmi softly, unable to continue. "Can't thank SNTCSSC enough for all the help they offered my daughter," said Archana Malakar, mother of Paramita, who ranked 477. Paramita, away on training, couldn't attend the event. Rajdeep Ghosh, who has ranked 789th, will give it another shot next year. Everyone in the audience was stunned by grit as he said, "I shall be here to take the exams with you next year again." The candidates thanked the nonagenarian Jyotirmoy Pal Chaudhuri, veteran civil service trainer and SNTCSSC's academic consultant. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Pal Chaudhuri, in turn, told them about Kolkata-born and IIT-Kharagpur alumnus Ashok Khemka, known for his 57-posting career. "Instead of asking 'what went wrong' we should perhaps ask 'what went right'," he laughed. State chief secretary Manoj Pant, who drew parallels between the candidates and his own journey, advised that persistent effort would do the trick. "I want to reiterate what Mr Pal Chaudhuri said. Never forget that you are here to serve (the people of India) and serve with integrity," Pant said. Among the others felicitated were Sahars Kumar (153), Praveen Kumar (837), Yash Kumar (227), Prativa Lama (461), Zojila Dolkar Bhutia (765) and Rishita Das (840). "Our 2024 batch has done really well—54 from our centre cleared the prelims, 17 went up to the personality test and five made it to the final list," SNTCSSC chairperson Surajit Kar Purkayastha said.
