Category: Articles

Articles published by Shweta Taneja in major newspapers and magazines. Read how the future of technology will be and the latest on what the startups are doing in India.

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Ready to ride the startup wave?

If you want to start a company, this may be a good time to do it. For venture capital (VC) funding for Indian start-ups has increased by a whopping 261% in one year, according to a November analysis by PrivCo, a financial data platform that analyses business trends. Several factors are pushing this growth: India is now the world’s second largest mobile market, with over 900 million smartphones, and half of its 1.25 billion population is under 25.

“For everyone, from anywhere, with whatever background, it is the right time to start a company. The goodwill has never been this high, even from parents, who are no longer worried about who will marry their child,” says Harsh Shah, co-founder of Shopsense, a Mumbai-based company which works with retailers to help them enhance the shopping experience with technology.

“More and more start-ups are getting created by younger and younger people,” says New Delhi-based Varun Chawla, co-founder of 91springboard, an incubator and an early-level funder for start-ups. “The market is hot, there’s early-stage financing and increased capital.”

But there are some rules, some must-dos before you get set to ride the start-up wave.

Find a big problem

All sound businesses are based on someone trying to solve a problem. Zomato solved the perennial issue of “Where do I find a place eat around here?” Uber found that people had trouble finding taxis on the street and made it spectacularly easy to call one to wherever they were. “You need to ask yourself what is the problem you’re solving,” says New Delhi-based Suchi Mukherjee, founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Limeroad.com, a social e-commerce platform for women. “Whose life will get better by the product you’ll create, are there enough people with this problem, and are you truly passionate about solving their problem?” The last point, the one about passion will help you get through the lows (and there will be many), she adds.

Other than passion, you need to be sure that the problem you’re solving is big enough to attract funders. “Nobody wants to place small bets,” says Sachin Gupta, CEO of HackerEarth, a platform where companies and programmers can connect. “Entrepreneurs who want to raise VC money must understand that they have to go after big markets.”

A lot of people are reading publications, articles, books, trying to understand what’s cool in the market and copying ideas from international markets. That may not be the best way to go about it. “You need to build value for your business rather than build a business for valuation,” says Chawla.

Be thorough with research

The idea might be spectacularly creative, but if someone has already worked on it, there is no point in going after it unless you can add to what is already being offered, or the market is large enough to absorb two players. Research and fine-tune your idea. If some aspects of your business are already covered by the market, outsource these and focus on other aspects. “It’s your magic sauce that will make a difference,” says Chawla.

“Before we fund a start-up, we always see how much clarity and focus they have on a real problem,” says Sasha Mirchandani, founder and managing director, Kae Capital, a funding company based in Mumbai which has invested in start-ups such as GreenDust and Myntra. “What unfair advantages do you possess? How determined are you? Is the problem you’re trying to solve real, does it have a potential for a large market opportunity? Why is ‘now’ the best time to for this particular business?”

Mirchandani, who has been in the start-up industry since 2000, tends to stay away from funding start-ups that are “US-clones”. He believes such start-ups are attracted by the ecosystem rather than driven by an idea, and may not be aimed at providing the answers to a compelling business problem which they are passionate about.

Devise a new plan

Business strategy, plan, road map, call it what you will, it’s the essential difference between success and failure. Devise a plan, deal with teething issues and continue to validate it till your product fits the market. “Until you get to a product-market fit, don’t waste your time trying to hire too many people or raise too much money, for once you do, going back and making changes becomes that much harder,” says Krishna Mehra, co-founder, Capillary Technologies, a Silicon Valley, US, based start-up that builds customized customer-driven marketing platforms.

Test your product

Ironically, one essential element that most start-ups forget about is talking to customers. “Once you have a problem worth solving, go and talk to a hundred people to validate and refine it,” says Amit Somani, managing partner, Prime Venture Partners, a VC firm in Bengaluru. It is this feedback, this refining of the problem, that will shape your idea, giving a unique touch to your business and making it harder for anyone else to copy.  The product needs to be validated by early users. “Launch a minimalist version of your idea in the market, experiment with a small group of users at a very low cost,” says Rutvik Doshi, director, Inventus Capital, which invests in early-stage start-ups.

Build a team

Most start-ups that fail are those which have one person trying to do everything. Dedicate yourself full time and build a team of full-time people who are committed for the right reasons. “Great talent is scarce and not having a great, growing team is one of the single biggest reasons for a start-up not achieving its potential,” says Shah.

Your team should have the right combination of skill and can-do attitude. “If you surround yourself with great people, you can go through the insane amount of belief, commitment, hard work and luck you need to succeed,” says Somani.

Take advice but follow your gut

Founders looking for advice and expertise can now find an active ecosystem in cities like Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai. “One of the reasons for the success of Silicon Valley is the ecosystem of people who have been around the block a few times and are now available as advisers, mentors, investors and senior employees,” says Mehra. Mehra sees this pool developing in India, and suggests that founders should make use of it.

Find advisers whose opinions you trust but, at the end of it all, listen to your instincts. “Sometimes you might get swayed too much by what investors or influencers have to say, but it’s you who runs the company and it’s you who should run it,” says Gupta.

Get the business in place

Most start-ups spend all their time and energy in building the product, finding customers and raising money, but forget to comply with government rules or set up the infrastructure. Take the time to sort things as basic as office space, reliable Internet, getting all the permissions and hiring an accountant, says Mukherjee.

For the complete article, head to livemint.com

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What’s your social media type?

Just about everyone is hooked to social media. Every morning, we check notifications, read suggestions from friends, chat with some and comment on people’s travels. If you can’t help but log into your Facebook timeline while in the loo, or can’t wait to click group selfies and post them when out with friends, here’s a profile test for you—identify your personality type.

STAT-KEEPER

The GPS, accelerometer, gyroscope, pedometer, barometer and various other sensors in smartphones were created just for you. You have a Fitbit or a smartwatch and a gazillion apps which auto-post on your timeline. They tell others what speed you’re running at, which restaurant you’re exiting, what you are listening to now, even how many times your toilet was flushed today. Okay, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but someone must surely be thinking on those lines.

Food for thought: In a paper published in the Optics Expressjournal in June, German researchers displayed a sensor system for smartphones with potential for use in biomolecular tests—monitoring diabetes, for example. What’s more, your smartphone might soon be able to analyse your sweat and blood to provide more statistics. Can’t wait to get your hands on that one, can you?

THE RABID RANTER

You love to rant, on the weather, on how someone has got it completely wrong, on how you would love to see people think before they speak, on the politics of someone else, or even on things that the government is doing. You love writing in CAPITAL letters, sometimes getting the spelling wrong (who cares about editing when one’s so angry), and usually follow all the celebrities on Facebook and Twitter, spending a copious amount of time correcting them.

Food for thought: If you’re mirthfully grinning at this type, here’s something to worry about: According to a study published in the Personality And Individual Differencesjournal in September, you have the classic symptoms of a Dark Tetrad (no, not Darth Vader). You are an explosive cocktail of Machiavellianism, psychopathy and a classic Internet manifestation of everyday sadism.

PHOTO-HOLIC

You travel everywhere with your smartphone, clicking the lunch you’re having, clicking friends at a pub even before you say hello. In fact, even if you were at a beautiful beach, you’d be mentally thinking of ways to capture and post it perfectly first. You also like to take pictures of your cat, sofa, the street, the car…and take time to add filters, crop, add mood before posting the photograph. You’re mostly found on Instagram and sometimes on Facebook.

Food for thought: Enhance your gadget with nifty accessories. Try Olloclip (Olloclip.com, $70-80; Rs.4,400-5,200) for zoom, or a Joby Gorillapod (Rs.1,450 onwards; Joby.com) to add stability to those pictures. If you’d like to outsource to a bot, get Moment Case (Momentlens.co/case), a smartphone cover ($69.99 onwards) with a lens, which automatically takes pictures through the Moment app. Happy clicking.

QUIET LURKER

You don’t post. You don’t “like”, comment or retweet. You’re the quiet one, scrolling through the timelines, people’s pictures and posts, your social presence barely visible. On Twitter, you’re listening to the people you follow, observing rather than posting anything.

According to a survey published in April 2013 by First Direct, a telephone- and Internet-based bank in the UK, there’s a whopping 45% of you on Facebook, watching what others are saying and rarely participating. Oh, and you call yourself “observers”.

Food for thought: It’s hard, but try to participate and interact online. You might find a sudden inexplicable increase in the number of offline friends.

YOU KNOW WHO?

You thrive on anonymity. You like to have various personalities on social networks, constantly use fake names and give out little or no information about yourself. It might be paranoia about your privacy that makes you do this or simply the fact that you like hiding behind a mask and peering into others’ lives. Your online personality might be completely different from who you are in real life. You’re found mostly in forums and on Twitter.

Food for thought: Shift to Whispero (Whispero.com), an app that lets you stay in touch without exchanging any personal information.

HYPER-SHARER

You are the ultimate knowledge-seeker, going through the timelines and Webs looking for good, edible, sensible information to share with your fellow social hogs. You have various RSS feeds that come to your phone, news and social apps and give you the latest in your field, and on people that you follow online. You see, like, share, retweet anything that comes your way. You are also a slacktivist, sharing posts of missing children, funds needed for the sick, petitions, etc. Many a time, you download something from Reddit and share it across your Facebook and Twitter timelines.

Food for thought: Tried Glean (Get-glean.com) yet? Built especially for Android devices, Glean offers interest-based news from over 15,000 sites. Use it and it’ll learn what you like to read and give you your favourites and trends in a single feed.

BABY-PHOTO GENERATOR

Most of your posts feature your child doing something. You can’t help but post pictures of your child making a putty face, smiling, frowning, doing the Dubsmash, with cake all over the face, giggling, looking all so cute. You love to post constantly on Facebook and in your family WhatsApp groups, with a singular comment on what the child did today and what your response was. You’re not alone.

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For the complete article, head to Livemint.com

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That garbage is not my problem

Early morning as the auto drags along, crisscrossing and honking irritably at the traffic, I notice the pavements that travel along with me. Two cleaners from BBMP, on either side of a pavement near Ulsoor (I see one after the other), are halfheartedly sweeping with a broom on the debris, leaving the shit behind. It’s all colours of shit – black, brown, muddy, dried and still squishy and wet. The cleaners sweep all around it, contentiously pick up the debris and the leaves and the dust that had fallen the day before, leaving the droppings of stray dogs and cows that have passed the night before, behind. Conveniently making it someone else’s problem.

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In front of a closed shop, next to a small darshini in Bangalore

The middle class in me screams. Do a good job, I want to say in the righteous voice. These are public roads. It’s your job to clean them. Why are you leaving all the shit behind? Clean properly! Except, says another voice in me, the one that usually makes me squirm. Don’t you do the same thing? It’s your shit finally, isn’t it?

For doesn’t our garbage, the one we create, the one we discard, become someone else’s problem at some point? The moment we dump a coffee cup, righteously, into a trash can. The moment our maid takes out the black plastic bag from our home, dumping it near a tree or an empty plot. The moment we place a beer bottle on the stage floor where an indie band is performing. The moment we finish the dosa in front of someone else’s shutter and leave the plate behind. The exact moment when a child finishes off a bag of chips and casually drops it in front of the waterfall his parents have taken him to. Coffee cups, tea mugs, underwears, plastic bottles, chewing gum packets, juice cans, smashed beer bottles, all half hidden, glittering under dried leaves. Usually, we can even find out what all is available at a picnic spot or at a kiosk around the corner of the road, just by looking at the garbage scattered in the area.

We leave a trail of debris wherever we travel.

On roads, on pavements, thrown from the windows of cars, from autos, delicately dropped onto the grass in the park, left behind post a picnic or a party at friends. Continue reading “That garbage is not my problem”

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Celebrity diets: fad or fab?

Celebrities can do just about anything to stay in shape. Earlier this year, American TV series Mad Men actor January Jones revealed that she ate her own dehydrated placenta in the form of capsules, to fight depression and fatigue. Ashton Kutcher only ate fruits while making the 2013 film,Jobs.

We look at some weird diets that artistes reportedly follow to stay in shape or prepare for a role, and ask experts whether they are actually beneficial.

Activated charcoal detox

The followers: Gwyneth Paltrow’s lifestyle site Goop.com called the charcoal lemonade one of the “best juice cleanses” around.

What it involves: As a little black pill or ground into a vegetable juice, activated charcoal detox is the “it” thing in celebrity circles. It’s food-grade carbon made with regular charcoal; it is heated with gas to form pores which supposedly trap chemicals. The charcoal acts like a sponge in the digestive tract. It is supposed to cure everything from a hangover to skin dullness, low energy levels and flatulence.

Does it work? “Activated charcoal is a very powerful agent used to absorb all poisons and chemicals from the body,” says Shikha Sharma, founder of health management centre Nutri-Health Systems Pvt. Ltd, New Delhi. It’s used in the hospital emergency room, or for people with health problems like arthritis or toxin-related disorders. “To drink it once a month is okay for weight loss or skin improvement, but don’t go too frequent on it, since it can result in vitamin and mineral deficiency,” she says. Frequent use also decreases the body’s ability to absorb nutrients and medications.

Gluten-free diet

The followers: Paltrow and Miley Cyrus.

What it involves: All gluten sources like wheat, rye, barley and oats are removed from the diet. Recommended by doctors for those allergic or intolerant to wheat, the diet is now part of lifestyle dieting too.

Does it work? A study published in the Journal Of The Academy Of Nutrition And Dietetics in 2012, which analysed the diet, did not recommend it as a means to eat healthier or to lose weight. “Though we consume much more wheat and products with gluten, like cakes and biscuits, we still need gluten in our daily diet,” says Madhuri Ruia, a Mintcolumnist and fitness professional who heads Integym in Mumbai. She recommends that if you are not allergic to gluten, aim to lower gluten intake rather than cutting it out completely.

The Breatharian diet

The followers: Madonna and Michelle Pfeiffer.

What it involves: This diet is all about living without food. Some dieters smell food instead of eating it, while some say they can live on sunlight and air. Continue reading “Celebrity diets: fad or fab?”

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How to stay safe online

In the first week of June, Bengaluru-based make-up artist Dipthi Aashok opened a video link on Facebook, “What my sex”, that a friend had posted on her timeline. Before she knew it, the video had been posted on her friends’ timelines. “I was shocked,” says the 37-year-old, “the video didn’t even open and I was getting angry messages from my friends on what kind of stuff I’d posted on their timeline.”

She didn’t even realize that her Facebook account had been hacked. Aashok was a victim of phishing.

Phishing and spamming are both malicious activities. Phishing’s main task is to steal a person’s sensitive data (such as password, account login authentication, etc.), while spamming is designed to entice a user to fall for a trap (such as the “Mr XYZ has left you a will, please share your bank account details” routine) or just bombard you with offers.

According to software security firm Symantec Corp’s “Internet Security Threat Report 2014”, India’s growing social media population provides a ready base for cyber criminals, making it the second most targeted country in the world for social media scams. “People voluntarily and unwittingly share enticing videos, stories, pictures and offers in order to gain access to a sensational video or enter a lottery, without realizing that these could include links to malicious or affiliate sites,” says Ritesh Chopra, country manager (India), Norton by Symantec.

“Fake notifications from Facebook and other social networks, the promise of explicit photographs attached to messages, Valentine’s Day discounts, news about Ukraine, a health scare, the spammers try it all to get you to click,” says Altaf Halde, managing director (South Asia), Kaspersky Lab, a software security group with a presence in 200 countries. Once you do click, the malware enters your computer or phone, and either steals all your document files, encrypting them, or tries to multiply by making copies of itself and sending it to all your contacts. According to Kaspersky Lab’s May report, “IT Threat Evolution Report For Q1 Of 2015”, which analysed the spam and phishing threats landscape, India ranked among the top 10 spam-recipient countries. The list includes Russia, Uzbekistan, Germany and the UK. Continue reading “How to stay safe online”

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Nine ways to stay safe and dry this monsoon

The sky is grey, rumbling; the streets are full of puddles of stagnant water, a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes. “Malaria, dengue, chikungunya cases rise during the monsoon,” says Amitabh Parti, senior consultant, internal medicine at the Fortis Memorial Research Institute (FMRI) in Gurgaon, adjacent to New Delhi. The change in weather rings in viral and flu, and drinking water contamination brings with it diseases like gastroenteritis, cholera and jaundice. That’s not all. The humidity is a fertile ground for skin diseases as well as stomach upsets. “You name it and we see it—allergies, diseases or fungal infections,” says Dr Parti.

The monsoon is hard on the stomach and throat too.

The attack is multifold. Which is why, this season, we asked experts for checklist. These tips could help you ward off illness.

Boost your immunity

Load up on vitamins, especially vitamin C, keep the body hydrated to protect yourself from nose and throat infections, and fortify your immunity. “Home-made fresh juices, warm drinks like honey lemon tea, green tea up immunity,” says Dr Sanjay Sachdeva. Drink lots of fluid to stay hydrated and wash your hands regularly to protect yourself from a sore throat. “Immediately head to an ENT specialist if a scratchy throat or blocked nose problem is persistent,” says Dr Sachdeva.

Don’t push in the wax

stay safe during monsoon

During the monsoon, earwax tends to expand inside the ear. This can cause pain and lead to hearing problems. Avoid poking your ear with a cotton bud, says Sanjay Sachdeva, senior consultant, ENT, Max Super Speciality Hospital, New Delhi. “Deep digging can cause permanent damage,” he says. Consult an ENT specialist if the problem persists.

Cover the toes and stay dry

stay safe during monsoon

Contrary to what many believe, open toes are more prone to infection, says Vivek Raj, senior consultant, gastroenterology, Max Super Speciality Hospital, New Delhi. “Leptospirosis (a bacterial disease of rodents, dogs and other mammals) is a rare disease but can be serious. It is caused by stepping in puddles or muddy patches during rain,” he says. Wear shoes rather than slippers or sandals.

Your skin is in constant contact with dampness in this season, so you could be prone to fungal infections like Athlete’s foot, ringworm infection, even boils. “The best way to avoid fungal infection is to keep the body dry,” says Sunil Sanghi, senior consultant, dermatology, FMRI, Gurgaon. “Use antibacterial soap, absorbent talc, especially in the groin and feet area, and calamine lotion to keep dampness out.” Also, change your undergarments frequently, especially if you tend to sweat excessively. “Avoid wearing damp clothing in an enclosed air-conditioned office to prevent chest infections and colds,” says ‘Mint’ columnist Madhuri Ruia, who runs the fitness centre Integym in Mumbai.

Put kerosene in stagnant water

Puddles are a haven for mosquitoes, the kind that spread malaria, dengue and chikungunya. It’s essential that you prevent any breeding grounds for mosquitoes in and around your house. “Empty the water-cooler tank and dry pools of water around you,” says Dr Parti. Cover every source of water, be it wells or storage tanks, and use insect repellents. “Put a few drops of kerosene oil in every puddle or pool of stagnant water around your house as it kills mosquito larvae.”

Up your water intake

“The high temperatures during the monsoon, combined with extremely humid conditions, can easily cause dehydration and imbalance in the body’s electrolyte levels,” says New Delhi-based fitness and wellness expert Vesna Pericevic Jacob. This can lead to cramps, headaches, lack of energy, even blood pressure fluctuations. “All this can be avoided through proper hydration,” she says. Drink plenty of water and include salted ‘nimbu pani’ and coconut water to maintain the body’s electrolyte balance.

Avoid oily, deep-fried food

stay safe during monsoon

For a clear skin, avoid deep-fried foods, says Shikha Sharma, a preventive health and nutrition expert based in the Capital. “The monsoon season isn’t good for the skin, and oily foods in particular increase heat in the body and cause rashes and skin problems.” She suggests including finger millets and oats in the diet, for these remove extra oils from the food that’s being digested. She also recommends green tea, which is loaded with antioxidants, to guard against pimples, and yellow vegetables like pumpkin, which are a good source of vitamin B-complex and give a natural glow to the skin.

To read the complete article, please head to livemint.com

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Low-cost superfoods

Get healthy on less than Rs10 a day with these nutrient-packed foods.

Superfoods don’t necessarily have to be expensive or exotic. Many of these healthy foods are readily available at affordable prices. Here’s a list of foods that are loaded with nutrients and don’t cost much.
Watermelon: Rs.3* for 100g
This fruit, which is about 92% water, has significant levels of vitamins A, B6 and C, as well as citrulline and lycopene. Citrulline, an amino acid, helps in reducing hypertension and blood pressure in obese adults, according to a study published in the ‘American Journal Of Hypertension’ in 2012. Both vitamins A and C in the fruit moisturize skin and hair, prevent wrinkles and keep you hydrated. Lycopene, which gives the fruit its bright red colour, can help prevent prostate cancer, according to a study published in 2013 in the ‘International Journal Of Molecular Sciences’. “The pigment lycopene’s antioxidant properties provide protection against cancer,” says Shikha Sharma, founder of health management centre Nutri-Health Systems Pvt. Ltd, New Delhi. It has also been linked to heart and bone health and has anti-inflammatory properties. Fibre in the fruit keeps the digestive tract healthy. The potassium content helps control heart rate and blood pressure, adds Sharma.
Turmeric: 25 paise/1gphoto
This spice is one of the most effective ways to fight infections. Curcumin, the compound that gives turmeric its canary- yellow colour, is known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. According to a study published in ‘The American Journal Of Cardiology’ in 2012, curcumin can help prevent heart attack among bypass patients. “Curcumin leads to several changes at the molecular level that may help prevent cancer and fight age-related chronic diseases,” says Shubi Husain, nutritionist and founder of healthcare clinic Health Sanctuary in Gurgaon, Haryana. The study added that turmeric keeps the heart healthy when taken in moderation. A gram of turmeric a day is an ideal, says Husain.
Red chillies: 20 paise / 1g

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Looking for an effective way to lose weight? Spice up your food with dried red chillies. Researchers at Purdue University, US, found that consuming red pepper not only helps in managing ones appetite but also burns more calories after a meal. The study was published in the ‘Physiology & Behavior’ journal in 2011. It observed 25 non-overweight people for six weeks and found that capsaicin, the component that gives the chilli its bite, can reduce hunger and increase the core body temperature and burn more calories through natural energy expenditure. The chilli should be consumed whole, because the taste maximizes the digestive process, according to Richard Mattes, professor of foods and nutrition, Purdue University, who collaborated with doctoral student Mary-Jon Ludy for the study. “That burn in your mouth contributes to a rise in body temperature, energy expenditure and appetite control,” said Mattes in a university press release.
Mustard oil: Rs.2.5 / 20ml

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This vegetable oil is not only good for your hair, but also aids digestion. According to a study published in the ‘Journal Of Preventive Cardiology’ in 2012, which compared all cooking oils in India, including canola, ‘ghee’, olive oil, groundnut, sunflower and palm oil, and their effects on the heart, mustard oil was found to be the best. Conducted by researchers from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences and Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi, the study stated that mustard oil is rich in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats as well as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. “Mustard oil has a good ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats,” says Ruia. “It is also packed with antioxidants and vitamin E,” she adds.
Read the complete article on the livemint website.
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Seven creepy sights at ComicCon Bangalore

When I got a chance to cover ComicCon Bangalore for Scroll, I wanted to do something fun with it. So thought will write what I love: creepiness in things. And here’s what I saw.

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Sweet’s gone dead

Girls and women turned out at Cosplay not in demure, girly costumes but in kickass ones. Manga and Anime was popular as usual, as was horror. Here’s Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride for you peeps. Shivered us plenty.


(Photograph: ComicCon India)
Cold spots were a favourite haunt

Bangalore is known for one thing, the awesome weather. There’s only one period, from the second half of March and the first half of April, when the city heats up. And that’s precisely the period to which they shift ComicCon in Bangalore from a breezy September (we tell you!). The worse off were those who were sitting in panels on stage (including yours truly), with glaring lights on them, sweating while trying to swing the cool factor.

And then there were the unfortunate enthusiasts of Cosplay, who’d put on leather, rexin, wigs, paints and furs in order to look like their favourite characters. The attendees in their search for some relief, converged like a swarm of bees to cold spots, small, premium spaces in the White Orchid hall in Manyata Tech Park, where the air-conditioning was slightly more effective.  There they sat, on the carpeted ground, lounging.

“I’ve never seen Bangalore so hot,” said Jatin Varma, founder, ComicCon India, when I asked him why he shifted the event’s time to the hottest time of the year in Bangalore. “I thought it couldn’t get this hot!” Now you know, Jatin.


(Photograph: Ashwani Sharma) 
A scary crow indeed

There’s nothing like a good old-fashioned villain to get chills down your spine on a hot afternoon. So it was that we caught this young man in his rather innovative makeshift costume, doing Scarecrow from the Batman comics. And then there’s Dr Octopus from Spider-man 2. Evil is nice, no?


(Photograph: Ashwani Sharma) 

 


(Photograph: Jatin Varma) 
The bloody iron throne

Treachery and murder, killing and destruction, were rather popular with the visitors of Comic Con. The Iron Throne was in the house thanks to HBO’s promotion of the latest season of Game of Thrones on its premiere channel in India. For the visitors that meant a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of sitting on the Iron Throne which is made of the cruelest swords in Westeros, keeps giving you nicks and cuts, and means that you will have to kill and murder and shed blood in order to be there. And you won’t believe how many were eager to.

There was an hour-long line outside the booth to go sit on the throne and pose with the sword. This guy, however, did the Delhi thing. “I cut the line and sneaked in,” he told me with a smirk. “It’s free but who will wait for this long?” Yes, my dear. Wonder if your evil tactics will get you approval from GRR Martin.


(Photograph: Shweta Taneja) 
The divination lady
Then there was this lady, who fell into the part of Professor Sybill Trelawney and quite enjoyed telling anyone who would listen (as the professor did to all her students in the Harry Potter series) that their tea drudge indicated that there was death around the corner. We love a little dark drama, don’t you?


(Photograph: Ashwani Sharma) 
Sale of indigenous comics? Ghanta only.
We love pop culture and art in Western movies, comics, cartoons and culture. We love Japan for its anime and manga. And we weep over the poor quality of comics coming out of our own country. Without trying them out.

“I’m tired of mythology,” said a reader, “why can’t they publish something interesting in India?” I asked him what he reads. The answer: Lord of the Rings. Case closed. “There is interest, but most of the people want to buy posters of the cover, rather than a comic,” said Kailash, who publishes comic anthologies under the name Pulpocracy and rues not buying poster rights from the artist, for then he would’ve made enough money for his business to survive. People come, spend more than Rs 10,000 each, but on merchandise and international titles. Most indie stalls are empty.

 


(Photographs: Ashwani Sharma) 
And then there was Obelix

A cool relief after all the horror at the Con, this man made us laugh out loud. Not only had he sized up for his Cosplay, including some natural sweat and beef (though boar would have been more appropriate), but his costume was perfect as was his chilled out attitude, which made you want to revisit the Asterix series yet again. He certainly brought a smile to our sweaty faces.


(Photograph: Ashwani Sharma) 

To read the complete article, head to Scroll.

 

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Cyber bullying: Nip it in the bud

Don’t over-share, don’t get into an altercation, collect evidence—a few ways to stop online bullies from browbeating you
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On 8 May, when Salman Khan was granted bail by the Bombay high court in a 2002 hit-and-run case, New Delhi-based author Sreemoyee Piu Kundu wrote an angry post on her Facebook timeline, coming down heavily on the actor and the judiciary. The outburst went viral, was shared, liked, commented upon and carried by a website as an open letter and then published as a post on various websites. All without her permission. By the next morning, Kundu had over 6,000 abusive messages in her “Others” folder on Facebook, threatening her with rape, and abusing her parents and family. “I was taken aback. After a while, I stopped blocking and stopped reading the messages,” says Kundu on phone. On 11 May, Facebook blocked her account. “A thousand of these mob reported to Facebook that my post was violating community standards or that my account was fake,” says Kundu. She didn’t want to complain to the Cyber Crime Cell of the police as “most of these accounts were fake and would be deleted”. Ignoring the messages, she approached Facebook, proved that her account is not fake and got it reopened. The faceless mob of bullies continues to send her messages.
Not many people talk about it, but most have faced online bullying or seen it happen. “Cyber bullying is a serious issue with 50% of the Indian youth having experienced it in one form or another,” says Venkat Krishnapur, vice-president of engineering—consumer and mobile at computer security company McAfee, part of Intel Security. According to a 2014 study by McAfee, which examined the online behaviour and social networking habits of 1,422 Indians in the 8-17 age group, 66% of youngsters had either been cyber-bullied or had witnessed others being bullied online. The report defines cyber bullying as any act of teasing, insulting, harassing, stalking, intimidating or abusing someone over the Internet with the help of technology (personal devices) or digital platforms such as social media.
“Fake profiles, impersonation, misuse of compromising photographs and information are the most common ways a bully can harass you,” says Rakshit Tandon, security consultant at not-for-profit Internet and Mobile Association of India. “Other ways include identity hacking, writing obscene content on anonymous public or confession pages about you, or writing defamatory statements for individuals.” If someone is sharing your personal information, or spreading lies about you on community pages, or morphing your photographs, etc., to hit out at you, you’re being bullied.
Repeated online bullying can result in psychiatric or psychological problems like depression and suicidal tendencies. “Cyber bullying can cause mood swings, self-esteem issues, appetite and sleep loss, stress, affect family life, even disrupt relationships,” says Manju Mehta, professor, clinical psychology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.
A 2012 survey of 25 countries, released by technology company Microsoft, placed India at No.3 in instances of cyber bullying. “We don’t take cyber bullying seriously enough as a nation,” says Debarati Halder, managing director of Centre for Cyber Victim Counselling, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu. Halder, who sees about 90 cases related to cyber bullying in a month, says the number of complaints are so low that we think it’s not happening. “But it’s happening everywhere and to everyone.”
One of the reasons might be that it’s hard to convict anyone under our current laws, says Vakul Sharma, a New Delhi-based advocate in Supreme Court who specializes in cyber laws. He says there is no exact definition of cyber bullying under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) or the Information Technology (IT) Act. Earlier, these cases were booked under Section 66A of the IT Act but that was revoked in March. Sharma says there should be a provision related to cyber bullying in the IT Act.
If you want to avoid being bullied online, here are some things you can do.

Report and block

Immediately report an offensive post to the administrator of the website, social networking site or video-sharing site and get the photograph, video or post blocked. Once you’ve done that, block the person immediately too. “Don’t counter argue, abuse or get into a shouting match,” says Halder. “Just shut off the person from your social networks.”

Don’t share everything

The 2014 McAfee report found that 92% of Indian youngsters indulged in risky online behaviour, including over-sharing or posting details like email, phone or home address.
Learn to control the information you post on social media, says Ponnurangam Kumaraguru, assistant professor and founding head of Cybersecurity Education and Research Centre at the Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology in New Delhi. “Avoid posting any personal information or compromising photographs on public forums.”
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First published in Mint. Read the complete article here.
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How to fortify your lungs against air pollution

There may be no escape from air pollution in most metros but you could at least try to boost your immunity levels. 

The link between air quality and health is direct and immediate. Last year, the World Health Organization declared Delhi to be the world’s most polluted city.

A study published in the Atmospheric Pollution Research journal in February 2014, which looked at the number of cases of cardiovascular mortality, respiratory mortality and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease cases in Delhi hospitals, found that from 1991-2010, the mortality rate attributed to air pollution had increased by 100% in the Capital. “Fifteen per cent of total deaths in the NCR (National Capital Region) are air pollution-related mortalities,” says Ajay Singh Nagpure of the University of Minnesota, US, the main author of this study, on email. “You need to check pollution levels in the area before doing any outdoor activity, including exercise.” Continue reading “How to fortify your lungs against air pollution”