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By IANSlife
New Delhi, Feb 14 (IANSlife) India Art Fair, the leading platform showcasing modern and contemporary art from India and South Asia, closed to significant acclaim amid reports of buoyant sales. The event took place from February 9-12 at the NSIC Exhibition Grounds in New Delhi, and featured a strong line-up of 85 exhibitors, including 71 galleries and 14 institutions.



Led in partnership with BMW India for the seventh time and with artists' voices at its centre, the fair brought together galleries, collectors, institutions, artists, organisations and art-lovers alike, fostering crucial opportunities for dialogue, discovery and exchange. The 14th edition of India Art Fair, organised by Angus Montgomery Arts, welcomed new and returning visitors, acknowledging it as an unmissable event on the international art calendar, to discover, nurture and collect South Asian art and artists.

Jaya Asokan, Fair Director of India Art Fair comments, "This edition of India Art Fair has been our most ambitious to date, with a fourth exhibition hall to accommodate an increase of gallery applicants and visitors. The fair continues with its expanded Young Collectors Programme aiming to educate and empower new collectors to make their first purchases, providing a gateway and entry point for collecting art and culture. We are dedicated to promoting pioneering South Asian art, elevating a diverse array of powerful artists, voices, and art forms, including those from lesser-known parts of the country."

Dr. Thomas Girst, Head of Cultural Engagement, BMW Group comments, "India Art Fair is a celebration of the beauty that humans are capable of creating. Congratulations to India Art Fair for an amazing instalment. India Art Fair makes an effort to be inclusive, which is the essence of what defines this fair."

The fair attracted an audience enamoured by the South Asian art scene, and those curious to learn more, including a significant number of private collectors as well as representatives from local, regional, and international art institutions, highlighting the fair's reputation.

VIPs in attendance included local and international museum curators, visiting collectors and patrons, including Adriano Pedrosa, Curator of Venice Biennale 2024 and Artistic Director of Sao Paulo Museum of Art; Natalia Di Pietrantonio, Curator at Seattle Art Museum; Gregor Muir, Director of Collection International Art at the Tate; Giulia Sartori Conte, Senior Manager, Collection Committees at the Tate; Mallica Kumbera Landrus, Curator at Ashmolean Museum; Lauren Schell Dickens, Senior Curator at the San Jose Museum of Art; Sean Leffers, Institute of Contemporary Art, San Diego; Victoria Lynn, Director of the TarraWarra Museum; Skinder Hundal, British Council; and patrons from Museum of Modern & Contemporary Art, Sri Lanka.

The fair also welcomed representatives from over 10 leading cultural festivals, collectives and foundations in the institutions section, including Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (New Delhi, NOIDA), Britto Arts Trust (Dhaka), Devi Art Foundation (New Delhi), Art & Soul Foundation (Mumbai), Purushottam Public Trust (Vadodara), Space Studio (Vadodara), K and Prameya Art Foundation (New Delhi).

Throughout the fair week, galleries reported robust sales, with many highlighting an enthusiastic response from both established and emerging collectors cementing the strength of the Indian market.

A snapshot of reported sales include: Vadehra Art Gallery sold an artwork by Rameshwar Broota for USD 200,000 to a private collection in the UK, and another by Balkrishna Doshi for USD 100,000 to Kiran Nadar Museum of Art; Galleria Continua reported sales by Anish Kapoor, Subodh Gupta, Nikhil Chopra, Shilpa Gupta, Loris Cecchini, Kiki Smith, Alejandro Campins and Osvaldo Gonzalez within a price range of USD 5,000 to nearly USD 900,000, with an average price of USD 20,000 to USD 30,000; Chemould Prescott Road sold a number of works including a sculpture by N S Harsha for Rs 5,500,000 (USD 66,650); Nature Morte sold a work by Tanya Goel for over Rs 5,000,000 (USD 60,600) and another by Reena Saini Kallat for over Rs 2,000,000 (USD 24,200); Latitude 28 sold out 75 per cent of their booth in the first two days, including works by Sanket Viramgami and Yogesh Ramkrishna which are priced at Rs 800,000 (USD 9,700) each.

Lekha Poddar, Patron and founder, Devi Art Foundation said, "I was enthused by galleries bringing younger artists from different parts of India. The energy of the younger collectors was palpable at the Fair. The Fair has come out strongly to promote a variety of collateral events related not only to Arts but to many other Creative Mediums. I feel that engaging with a younger audience is the way forward to establish a strong market for Arts in India."

Asha Jadeja Motwani, founder of Motwani Jadeja Foundation, said "The quality of art is outstanding at India Art Fair. It was wonderful to converse with other collectors and the set-up of the fair is seamless. I look forward to working closely with the fair in the coming years."

Thomas Rom, Art advisor and philanthropist, said, "The future of our global cultural economy belongs to South Asia, and India Art Fair is at its epicenter. The annual development of the fair is not only impressive and seductive, but also very telling of where we head. I found the gallery presentations to be captivating, thoughtful, and stimulating, and I enjoyed engaging in artistic discourse with the artists and dealers. It felt fresh, sharp, and sensually tantalizing. Delhi is not a destination, it's THE destination."

India Art Fair's participating galleries showcased ambitious presentations featuring exceptional works by artists from throughout South Asia as well as several international artists. The main Galleries section showcased outstanding presentations by leading regional and international galleries; Focus section highlighted solo presentations curated by participating galleries, putting a strong emphasis on painters from distinguished names such as Jayashree Chakravarty; The Studio housed an arresting selection of tech-meets-art projects and installations, inviting audiences to explore and experience the power of digital art; the Platform section showcased the rich artistic traditions of India through the works of contemporary masters of traditional arts; the Outdoor Art Project included thought-provoking sculptural installations by Parag Tandel and others; and the IAF Parallel programme provided a unique multi-layered experience for visitors to celebrate the art scene of New Delhi.

Kishore Singh, Head of Exhibitions, DAG said "Enquiries have been brilliant this year with a wide range of prices, starting from Rs 50,00,000. The Indian art scene has seen a transformation over the last three years. Since the pandemic we've seen sales and values rise, which is evident at the fair. It has been wonderful to see so many young collectors alongside our usual collector base."

Salome Zelic, Associate Director, Galleria Continua said "We are delighted to have returned to the fair after several years of absence in India. Vibrant conversations took place and we were overjoyed by the atmosphere and attendance. There was a strong interest from Indian collectors in both our local and global artists. It was wonderful to have our artist Osvaldo Gonzalez be invited by Khoj Studios and the fair to do a one week residence from which his beautiful artworks were born."

The 15th edition of India Art Fair will take place at NSIC Grounds, Okhla, New Delhi from February 1 to 4, 2024.

(IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in)

--IANS
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New York, Feb 14 (IANS) After Nikki Haley, who plans to announce her 2024 presidential bid by February 15, another Indian-American Republican looks set to throw his hat in the ring.

Millionaire businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, 37, who declared war on "woke" culture with his bestseller 'Woke, Inc.: Inside Corporate America's Social Justice Scam', said he is "strongly considering".

"Yes, I am strongly considering it," Ramaswamy confirmed to Fox New Digital.

For this, the Butler County native has been making the rounds in Iowa, delivering a message against the invasion of woke liberal ideology in the business world, according to a Politico report.

A regular commentator on Fox News, the right-winger has been talking about the influence of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) in business practices.

In a Twitter post, he said that he will be back in Iowa on February 23, in Scott County and in Des Moines, where he will talk about ideals and diversity.

"If you ask most people in my generation what it means to be an American, you get a blank stare in response," he told Fox News Digital.

He further said that he is on a mission to deliver an answer to that question, and wants to "revive the basic ideas that set this nation into motion nearly 250 years ago".

Ramaswamy's net worth is reportedly in excess of $500 million, enough to seed his campaign through the key early states, the Politico report said.

So far, former President Donald Trump is the only candidate who has announced his 2024 bid in the Republican primary.

Former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley will formally declare her candidacy for the White House at an event in Charleston on February 15.

With high-profile candidates like Florida governor Ron DeSantis expected to join the race, Ramaswamy's chances are challenging, but he does seem confident.

"You know, maybe all of this is ill-advised and I'll fall flat on my face," he told Politico. "I don't think that's gonna happen."

Born and raised in southwest Ohio, Cincinnati, to immigrant parents, Ramaswamy graduated from St Xavier High School and went on to Harvard and Yale.

At Yale, he was a recipient of the Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans.

He founded Roivant Sciences in 2014 and led the largest biotech IPOs of 2015 and 2016, eventually culminating in successful clinical trials in multiple disease areas that led to FDA approved products, according to his website.

In 2020, he emerged as a prominent national commentator on stakeholder capitalism,free speech, and identity politics.

In 2022, he launched Strive Asset Management, a new firm focused on restoring the voices of everyday citizens in the American economy by leading companies to focus on excellence over politics.

--IANS
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Kochi, Feb 14 (IANS) UAE-based entrepreneur from Kerala Dr Shamsheer Vayalil, Founder and Chairman of Burjeel Holdings, has donated Rs 11 crore as aid for earthquake-hit Turkey and Syria.

The aid has been handed over to the Emirates Red Crescent that is helping with relief efforts in the region.

The fund will be used to support rescue efforts by providing medicine and other supplies, relocating those who have lost their homes, and rehabilitating victims and their families.

Hundreds of families have been displaced after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the region on February 6, killing more than 34,000 people.

According to the World Health Organization, the natural disaster could affect up to 23 million people.

"This donation is part of our ongoing efforts to provide assistance to the relief work. My heart goes out to all affected by the devastating earthquake, and I hope this contribution will support their needs," said Vayalil who is also the son-in-law of billionaire business magnate M.A.Yusuf Ali.

Vayalil has often contributed to aid efforts in India, including significant contributions to Prime AMinister's National Relief Fund.

In 2018, he sent a flight of medical supplies and protective gear to assist Kerala in its efforts to fight the Nipah virus.

He has also launched a rehabilitation and reconstruction project in which a flood-damaged primary health center in the state was rebuilt as a model family health centre.

He also joined The Giving Pledge, an initiative created by Microsoft founder Bill Gates and business magnate Warren Buffett to support good causes around the world.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Feb 10 (IANS) The Election Commission of India has informed that EVM-VVPAT is not connected to any network at any stage of the election process.

Symbol Loading Unit (SLU), designed specifically to load candidates' details onto VVPATs, is used during time of Commissioning (Preparation) in the presence of candidates or their representatives to load the details, said the Ministry of Law and Justice in a reply on Friday.

EVMs and VVPATs are randomised twice prior to the stage of Commissioning. SLU, a secure device belonging to the EVM/VVPAT system, loads contesting candidates' data like names, serial numbers and symbols into the VVPATs at the time of Commissioning, informed the Ministry.

The symbol or candidate details getting loaded onto VVPATs are also displayed in a real time basis on a bigger screen or monitor for the candidates and representatives to simultaneously verify. The Commissioning is carried out after the last date of withdrawal of the candidates, in the presence of candidates/their representatives. Only the authorised engineers of BEL or ECIL, the two PSU manufacturers of EVMs and VVPAT''s, are associated in the Commissioning process, said the reply.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Feb 10 (IANS) India will need 30 million digitally skilled professionals by 2026, and about 50 per cent of the current workforce would require to re-skill themselves in areas of emerging technologies, a new report said on Friday.

Currently, India has about 500 million people of working age, and industry data suggests that only 49 per cent of total youth (age group of 22-25 years) in the country is employable, according to employment services provider TeamLease.

"Our own survey have indicated that 75 per cent of companies face a skill gap in the industry. Even among people, who can stay in their current jobs, 40 per cent of fundamental abilities are likely to change and thus re-aligning the skill strategy will be crucial for companies," said Rituparna Chakraborty, Co-Founder & Executive Director, TeamLease Services.

Moreover, the report suggests that developing a skills matric, conducting skill audits to target specific learning journeys and intermingling upskilling within the company culture; a comprehensive skill development strategy will lead to a more sustainable future of work.

The proposed suggestion also includes having an effective outcome-focused learning approach with structured impact evaluation metrics.

"Over 2 million jobs in AI, Cyber Security, and blockchain are expected to remain unfilled in 2023. Additionally, the workplace is evolving so rapidly that 76 per cent of the global workforce is not equipped with the requisite skills to function in the new digitally focused workplaces," mentioned Chakraborty.

"The long-term goal of all skill development programs must focus on the creation of a future-ready and future-proof workforce for that is the only way we can tackle the fluctuations in the world of work and infuse a sense of greater stability. The adoption of sustainable skill development thereby creating a healthy talent pipeline in any country is the only way to address the vagaries of talent Inequity."

According to the World Economic Forum, investing in upskilling could boost India's economy by $570 billion by creating 2.3 million new jobs by 2030, the report said.

--IANS
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New York, Feb 10 (IANS) Indian-American Arvind Raman, a longtime Purdue University administrator and faculty member, has been named the new John A Edwardson Dean of the College of Engineering.

Raman, an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi alumnus, is Purdue's executive associate dean of engineering and Robert V Adams Professor in Mechanical Engineering.

He succeeds Mark Lundstrom, who has served as interim dean of the college since July 1, 2022.

"The College of Engineering is poised for excellence at scale and the promise to pursue and lead truly game-changing initiatives that will impact the state, nation and world," Raman said in a university statement.

"It is truly an honour to be selected to lead the nation's largest top-ranked college of engineering at a university with a tremendous legacy and a record of innovation and impact on a global scale," he added.

In his present role, Raman has led activities aimed at recruiting excellent and diverse faculty talent, enhancing the success of faculty and staff programs, elevating the prestige of Purdue engineering, and supporting the overall quality of academic programs and faculty development, a university release stated.

"Professor Raman is passionate about the role of engineering in creating innovative solutions for people and society. We're confident that as our next engineering dean, he will lead the college to new levels of excellence and impact," Patrick Wolfe, Purdue provost and executive vice president for academic affairs and diversity, said in an announcement.

Raman was named a Purdue University Faculty Scholar from 2008-12 and a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers in 2012.

He also has a courtesy professorship appointment in materials engineering.

His research interests are in nonlinear dynamics and its applications to atomic force microscopy, human biomechanics, and roll-to-roll flexible electronics manufacturing.

Raman received his PhD in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley; a Master's degree, also in mechanical engineering, from Purdue; and a Bachelor of Technology degree from IIT Delhi.

Purdue's undergraduate and graduate engineering programs are among the top 10 and top five in the country, according to the last two years of the US News and World Report college rankings.

Roughly 30 per cent of Purdue undergraduates are enrolled in the engineering college.

--IANS
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By Sanu V. George
Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 10 (IANS) The same Kerala unit of CPI(M) which once opposed tractors and computers with all its might in 70s and 80s, is now ironically batting for mechanisation, computerisation and opening the doors for foreign educational institutions to turn Kerala into an educational hub.



Over the years, the party has realised that what it considered as "detrimental" to the interests of the state is actually the "need of the hour".

They attribute the paradigm shift to nothing else but people's welfare.

"Present circumstances are totally different and there is no other way out," said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday when reminded that once he had asked the people of the state not to pay the increased charges when the Congress-led UDF raised taxes.

A media critic on condition of anonymity said the CPI(M) thrives on rhetorics and what they fail to realise is it has badly let them down first in West Bengal where they ruled for over three decades at a stretch and now in Tripura also.

"Their biggest advantage is their disciplined cadres, who have no other way but to just follow their leaders on issues and take the message to the people. There is not a word of discontentment from any levels. Can this phenomenon ever happen in parties like the Congress and the gullible masses believe, just see there are no issues in the CPI(M). Whereas in the Congress, it's just chaos and there is no unanimity on any issues, leaving many to think that things will not be good for them. This is what the CPI(M) exploits and does it well," said the critic.

And the latest being the Rs 2 fuel cess introduced none other than by Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal, who as a student was always at the forefront of the protests.

Asked about the party drumming up support for something it has been tooth and nail, he said, "All what we do is just for the people and they know that very well."

Hence, the party feels that Vijayan and the other leaders take divergent positions on the same issue just for the people.

To a pertinent question, "can the Kerala CPI(M) do no wrong?" one can only wonder and ask "what went wrong in West Bengal and Tripura?"

--IANS
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Washington, Feb 10 (IANS) The US space agency has announced a science mission to Mars aboard Jeff Bezos-run Blue Origin's New Glenn space launch vehicle

NASA awarded 'Mars Science Mission Launch' to Blue Origin's New Glenn as part of the Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (ESCAPADE) contract.

ESCAPADE is part of the NASA Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration (SIMPLEx) programme. It is a dual spacecraft mission to study the magnetosphere of the Red Planet.

ESCAPADE is a twin-spacecraft Class D mission that will study solar wind energy transfer through Mars' unique hybrid magnetosphere.

"ESCAPADE follows a long tradition of NASA Mars science and exploration missions, and we're thrilled NASA's Launch Services Programme has selected New Glenn to launch the instruments that will study Mars' magnetosphere," said Jarrett Jones, senior vice president, New Glenn, Blue Origin.

Named after astronaut John Glenn, New Glenn is a partially reusable heavy-lift rocket designed to launch commercial satellites and national security payloads.

New Glenn is proceeding to fulfill its current commercial contracts, pursue a large and growing commercial market, and enter into new civil space launch contracts.

Blue Origin was on-ramped to the NASA VADR launch services Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract on January 26, 2022, with a five-year period of performance.

The Bezos aerospace company is working to create that future by developing reusable launch vehicles and in-space systems that are safe, low cost, and serve the needs of all civil, commercial, and defence customers.

Blue Origin's efforts include flying astronauts to space on New Shepard, producing reusable liquid rocket engines, developing an orbital launch vehicle with New Glenn, building next-generation space habitats, and returning to the surface of the Moon.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Feb 5 (IANS) A cancer patient was allegedly asked to deboard from a New York-bound flight after she asked the airline crew to help with her cabin luggage, reports said.

The woman reportely had undergone surgery and had booked a return ticket on an American Airlines flight to the US from Delhi on January 30.

Reports quoting sources said that the passenger, identified as Meenakshi Sengupta, has lodged a complaint with the Delhi Police against a flight attendant in connection with the incident.

Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has taken cognisance of the incident and asked for a report from the airline on the matter, reports said.

In the complaint, Sengupta claimed that she was wearing a brace and was unable to carry any weight in her hands as she was weak from surgery. She had sought help from an air hostess to put her handbag in the overhead bin, but alleged that the flight attendant refused to help her, saying that it was "not her job to do it", reports said.

Sengupta also alleged that the air hostess was "rude and arrogant" with her words, adding that when she asked for help from the aircraft members, they were "largely indifferent".

"They said that if I am so uncomfortable, I should just de-board the flight. They were collective in their decision to deboard me," she said, as per reports.

The American Airlines issued a statement that a "disruptive customer" was deboarded from the aircraft for "failure to follow crew member instructions".

--IANS
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Nanded (Maharashtra), Feb 5 (IANS) Telangana Chief Minister and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) president K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday demanded the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to probe Adani Group's 'scam'.

He wanted to know why the Union government was refusing to constitute JPC when it claimed nothing wrong had happened.

Addressing a news conference in Nanded, he alleged that the Centre made Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) invest Rs 87,000 crore in the Adani Group and is now pressuring it to make a false statement over its exposure in the Adani group.

"To mislead the country, LIC is being pressured to make a statement that it suffered no losses," he said, adding that the truth will come out with the JPC probe.

He pointed out that opposition parties are demanding the JPC in the Parliament.

"I am requesting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Such a big scam has happened. In a week, Rs 10 lakh crore was wiped out. It is not a small amount and the entire Indian banking system and LIC is involved in it. This is people's money, their investment. The entire country is angry. This should be discussed in Parliament and a JPC should be constituted. Otherwise, the country will hold you guilty," he said.

"Everybody knows (Gautam) Adani is your friend. He came to this position because of you. Will an ordinary businessman come up in the number two position in Forbes' List of billionaires? You can't hide this fact. If you have done no wrong, constitute the JPC," KCR added.

He also slammed the Narendra Modi-led Central government over the import of coal and its "love for Adani".

The BRS leader said that India has enough reserves of coal that would last for the next 120 years but the Central government is forcing states to procure imported coal, which is only supplied by the Adani group.

"The kind of love the Centre has for Adani, it should have for the people of the country," he said.

"The import of coal is cheating the country. Coal India Ltd has already stated that it has paid the required amount for the construction of a 250-km long railway track that would increase our coal production exponentially. But the Central government is not letting it happen," he alleged.

KCR reiterated that the Modi government is following the policy of socialisation of losses and privatisation of benefits.

He lashed out at the Centre for attempting to privatise LIC, which is the world's largest and better-performing insurance company.

The BRS leader promised that if the party came to power in the Centre on its own or with like-minded parties, LIC would be brought back into the public sector.

Opposing indiscriminate privatisation, KCR remarked that the government cannot run away from its responsibilities.

Stating that 95 per cent of the electricity sector should be in the public sector, he said if BRS comes to power, it would bring all electricity units being privatised by the Modi government back into the public sector.

--IANS
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