Latest news with #M.S
Hans India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Justice MS Ratna Sri Ramachandra Rao takes oath as 9th Chief Justice of Tripura HC
Agartala: Justice M.S. Ratna Sri Ramachandra Rao was sworn in as the ninth Chief Justice of the Tripura High Court on Tuesday. His appointment follows the recommendation made by the Supreme Court Collegium in May and the subsequent approval by the Union government on July 14. Governor Indra Sena Reddy Nallu administered the oath to Justice Rao at a simple ceremony in the Durbar Hall of Raj Bhavan. Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, his cabinet colleagues, important dignitaries, and senior civil and security officials were present in the ceremony. Former Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court, Justice Rao, replaced Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh, who has been transferred to Telangana High Court. The Tripura HC was set up in March 2013 along with the full-fledged High Courts in Meghalaya and Manipur. All the northeastern states, excluding Sikkim, were earlier under the Gauhati High Court. Born on August 7, 1966, at Hyderabad, Justice Rao studied (Mathematics) from Bhavans New Science College, Osmania University and stood first in the varsity. He passed LL.B. from the same University in 1989 and was awarded CVSS Acharyulu Gold Medal by Osmania University for securing the highest marks in the final year. He enrolled as an advocate on September 7, 1989 and secured LL.M. from the University of Cambridge, UK, in 1991. His father, Justice M. Jagannadha Rao, was a former Judge of the Supreme Court of India (1997-2000) and former Chairman of Law Commission of India. Justice Rao's grandfather was also a Judge of the High Court of Andhra Pradesh from 1960-1961. Justice Rao was elevated as Additional Judge of the High Court of Andhra Pradesh on June 29, 2012 and appointed as Judge of the High Court and assumed charge on December 4, 2013. For a brief period, he was acting Chief Justice of Telangana High Court and was Judge of Punjab and Haryana High Court till May 29, 2023. Justice Rao was administered the oath of office of the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court on May 30, 2023, on his elevation from High Court of Punjab and Haryana. He was appointed as the Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court on September 21, 2024 and took oath on September 25, 2024.
News18
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Behind The Biopic Boom: The Reel Truth Of Real Stories
From political giants and war heroes to scam artists and godmen, everyone's life now seems destined for the big screen. What changed? The answer is part business, part belief, and part battlefield. The Business of 'Real' For filmmakers and studios, the biopic offers something most original scripts can't: built-in recognition. You don't have to explain who M.S. Dhoni is. Or Manjhi, the man who carved a road through a mountain. Their names, already soaked in emotion or awe, do half the marketing. When a story is tied to a real figure especially one adored, martyred, or controversial, audience curiosity is immediate, and word-of-mouth does the rest. This makes biopics surprisingly risk-proof. 'It's a win-win," says a Mumbai-based producer who has worked on two such films. 'You get organic buzz, political relevance, and media coverage without spending crores on promotional gimmicks." Even average films, as long as they ride a 'real story' wave often find decent returns, especially when timed around elections, anniversaries, or trending issues. Streaming platforms, too, are feeding the fire. Docu-dramas and limited series like Scoop, Rocket Boys, and Trial By Fire tap into the same thirst: audiences crave context for headlines they've only half-understood, and real-life pain offers deeper emotional hooks than any fictional plot twist can. A Nation, Projected In a country as diverse and contested as India, every story told onscreen isn't just entertainment, it's a statement. And in the age of hyper-visibility and political polarization, the biopic has become a new kind of propaganda, draped in cinematic respectability. Consider the sudden surge of films centred around nationalist figures, soldiers, and spiritual leaders. They arrive like clockwork in the run-up to elections. The Narendra Modi biopic, for instance, was released just before the 2019 general elections. The Accidental Prime Minister, Thackeray, Yatra each one timed to sway, nudge, remind. That's not coincidence. That's curation. A biopic tells you whom to remember and more crucially, how. It edits history, omits controversy, polishes legacy. A rebel becomes a visionary. A complicated figure is flattened into a slogan. And if you're paying close attention, you'll notice who keeps getting left out. The Politics of Absence For every Shershaah or 83, there are a dozen lives we never see onscreen. These absences aren't accidental, they reflect deeper hierarchies of power and narrative permission. Making a biopic often requires some level of access, approval, or cooperation from the family or state. And no surprise, those who challenge dominant power structures rarely get invited to tell their version of events. Even when stories from the margins are made, they often arrive with caveats softened, symbolic, or tucked into streaming platforms without theatrical fanfare. So while the genre looks inclusive, it's often playing safe. Or worse, playing favorites. The Messy Truth Behind the 'True Story" And then, of course, there's the biggest illusion of all that what we're watching is the truth. Most biopics are anything but. To dramatize a life is, by definition, to edit it. Timelines are restructured. Facts are rearranged. Dull years are deleted. Events are reimagined with flair and fog. Sometimes, that's artistic license. But often, it's strategic storytelling. Biopics have become a delicate dance of PR, public memory, and performance. Legal teams are on alert. Families demand scripts be shown in advance. In powerful circles, a favourable film can be a career booster or a legacy reset. And when lawsuits do arise, the excuse is ready: 'This is fiction, inspired by real events." This genre now thrives in that murky space, not quite documentary, not quite imagination. The result? Audiences walk away believing they know what happened. But what they often get is a narrative scrubbed of its grime, controversies reframed, and inconvenient truths either diluted or deleted. advetisement It is Omnipresent The biopic boom isn't confined to Bollywood alone, it's a pan-India phenomenon sweeping across languages and regional cinemas with equal intensity. In Tamil, Thalaivii told the dramatic arc of Jayalalithaa's life, navigating her journey from actress to formidable politician, though critics pointed out its sanitised portrayal of realpolitik. Malayalam cinema delivered Celluloid, a poignant tribute to J.C. Daniel, the father of Malayalam cinema, while also highlighting caste-based discrimination, a rare case where the form dared to be critical. ' Ennu Ninte Moideen' also from Malayalam, stood out for its tender yet tragic retelling of the real-life love story between Moideen and Kanchanamala, set in 1960s Kerala. While technically more of a romantic drama than a traditional biopic, it drew heavily from letters, diaries, and real-world accounts, earning both critical and box office success. Thus, proving that real-life romance, too, has cinematic muscle. In Telugu, 'Mahanati ' received widespread acclaim for its lush, tragic portrayal of yesteryear star Savitri, balancing reverence with vulnerability and capturing the harsh realities of a woman's stardom in a patriarchal industry. advetisement Marathi cinema has also dabbled richly in the genre, from 'Lokmanya: Ek Yugpurush' on freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak to 'Anandi Gopal ', based on India's first female doctor, both films used history to provoke reflection on contemporary values. Even Kannada cinema's 'Kantara' while not a biopic borrowed heavily from real rituals and folklore, blurring lines between lived experience and cultural re-enactment. These regional biopics carry their own flavours and stakes, often tied to linguistic pride, local legends, and forgotten icons proving that the hunger for 'real" stories is neither uniform nor surface-level. But across languages, the same questions persist: Who gets to be remembered? And who gets rewritten? Where Do We Go From Here? And yet, despite the manipulation and fatigue, we keep watching. Because somewhere deep down, we still want to believe. That stories matter. That memory matters. That cinema, at its best, can still reflect more than just entertainment.
The Hindu
05-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Honey park scripts sweet success
The country's first honeybee flora park (beekeeping centre), under the Kerala State Horticultural Products Development Corporation (Horticorp), at Kallimel near Mavelikara in Alappuzha is reaching new heights. Since its inception in 2018, the facility- which is also the first modern honey production, refining, and marketing centre in the government sector in the State- has procured over 50,000 kgs of honey from farmers. The collected honey is processed and sold under the brand name Amruth Honey, generating a daily revenue of up to ₹25,000. As part of its expansion, a honey museum is being planned within the centre. 'Efforts are under way to transform the beekeeping centre into a honey museum capable of attracting tourists. The centre has also received approval to set up a laboratory for farmers to test the quality of honey. Construction of the lab will begin within two months,' said M.S. Arun Kumar, MLA. The centre functions on three acres of land in Thazhakara grama panchayat. It was initially established to raise awareness about the benefits of beekeeping and has since undergone various phases of development. At present, it functions in three key areas: rearing honeybees and producing honey; procuring honey from farmers for scientific processing and marketing; and providing training to farmers. Officials said that the beekeeping centre houses around 200 beehives, primarily used to rear stingless bees and Indian honeybees. These hives alone produce about two tonnes of honey annually. 'The honey produced by farmers is directly procured at government-fixed rates. It is then scientifically processed to ensure quality and sold under the Amruth Honey brand in packs ranging from 50 grams to five kgs. The centre also produces value-added honey products, including honey soap,' an official said. Over the past seven years, more than 1,500 farmers have received training at the centre. Those who successfully complete the training are eligible to receive beehives and related equipment at a 40% subsidy through various Central and State government schemes.
News18
29-06-2025
- Politics
- News18
Lalit Modi Petitions Supreme Court To Order BCCI To Pay ED's FEMA Penalty
Last Updated: Lalit Modi has approached the Supreme Court, seeking a directive for BCCI to pay a Rs 10.65 crore penalty imposed by the ED. The Bombay HC had previously rejected his petition. Former Indian Premier League (IPL) head Lalit Modi has approached the Supreme Court, seeking a directive for the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) to pay a Rs 10.65 crore penalty imposed on him by the ED. Previously, the Bombay High Court had rejected Lalit Modi's petition, which sought a directive for the BCCI to cover this penalty imposed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for alleged violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) during the 2009 IPL season in South Africa. The court refused his claim that the BCCI's by-laws required them to indemnify him, stating that the requested reliefs were 'wholly misconceived." Not only was Lalit Modi's writ petition dismissed, but a bench of Justices M.S. Sonak and Jitendra Jain, in their order dated December 19 last year, also directed him to pay costs of Rs 1 lakh within four weeks. In his special leave petition (SLP) to the Supreme Court, Lalit Modi argued that according to the Rules and Regulations to the Memorandum of Association, the BCCI is obliged to indemnify its office bearers for losses and expenses incurred during their official duties. Citing Rule 34 of the Rules and Regulations of the Memorandum of Association of BCCI, the plea, filed through advocate Vikas Mehta, pointed out that Modi served as Vice President of BCCI from 2005 to 2010 and Chairman of IPL from 2007 to 2010. The SLP highlighted the 'discriminatory manner" in which the BCCI indemnified Honorary Secretary N. Srinivasan and Treasurer M.P. Pandove against penalties imposed on them. It added that Lalit Modi paid the Rs 1 lakh costs to avoid being seen as non-compliant or in contempt of court, though the payment was made without prejudice to his right to challenge the Bombay High Court's decision. Shortly after the conclusion of IPL 2010, Lalit Modi was suspended from BCCI following accusations of misconduct, indiscipline, and financial irregularities. The BCCI launched an investigation against him, and a committee found him guilty of these charges, leading to a lifetime ban in 2013.
The Hindu
21-06-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Fitness enthusiasts, students turn up for Intenational Yoga Day events
Institutions and organisations observed the 11th International Yoga Day (IYD) by conducting mass exercise sessions and awareness programmes on Saturday, centred on this year's theme 'Yoga for One Earth, One Health'. The Tiruchi Division of Southern Railway observed the day with mass yoga training sessions for officers and staff across various locations of the division. At Tiruchi, a yoga session was conducted at Rail Mahal under the leadership of M.S. Anbalagan, Divisional Railway Manager. The two-hour yoga training was conducted by experts from the Art of Living Foundation, Tiruchi. Participants were guided through a series of asanas and pranayama tailored to meet the physical and mental demands of railway staff. Yoga sessions were held for staff at multiple locations across the division, including Vriddhachalam, Chidambaram, Kumbakonam, Tiruvannamalai, Villupuram, Thanjavur, and Mayiladuthurai. A separate yoga training session was organised for employees of the Diesel Shed at Ponmalai, according to a release from the Tiruchi Railway Division. Over 500 persons participated in the mass yoga event organised by the Archaeological Survey of India in association with the 34(TN) Independent Company NCC, Thanjavur, at Sri Brahadeeswarar temple, Thanjavur. The yoga session in the early morning hours attracting the participation of NCC cadets and elderly temple-goers underscored the relevance of yoga as a timeless practice for harmony of body, mind and spirit, according to an official release. At an event organised at the Indoor Auditorium of Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) Community Centre of Kailasapuram Township, general managers, senior officials, representatives of employees' unions and associations and township residents participated in an hour-long yoga practice session. Trainers from Isha Foundation conducted the sessions which comprised of yoga postures, exercises and breathing techniques. Programmes were conducted for students from various campus schools of BHEL Tiruchi, including RSK Higher Secondary School, BHEL Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Boiler Plant Girls Higher Secondary School and Boiler Plant Boys Higher Secondary School. Educational institutions The National Service Scheme (NSS) cell of Bharathidasan University held a Yoga programme in association with the Centre for Spirituality and Yogic Sciences on Thursday. S. Jeyaprakash, managing trustee, Temple of Consciousness, Tiruchi, and his team demonstrated the yoga postures and trained volunteers. Seethalakshmi Ramaswami College's Centre for Ethics and Human Values and the Department of Physical Education, held a programme in hybrid mode in association with Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram (KYM), Chennai. In her online address, Shobana Srinivasan, director, Department of Healing Chants and senior yoga therapist, KYM, highlighted how yoga is a timeless tool for transformation. The NSS cell and 4 TN Girls BN NCC (Army Wing), of the college jointly celebrated International Yoga Day with an exercise session. S. Sutharneswaran, founder, Svadhyaya Yoga Academy, Tiruchi, spoke on the importance of yoga in daily life.
