Category Archives: Business & Economy

INTERNATIONAL: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY / STEM : 3 Indian-origin Women – Dr Ana Baburamani, Neelima Kadiyala & Dr Indrani Mukherjee among Australia’s Superstars of STEM

Three Indian-origin women among 60 scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians have been selected as ‘Australia’s Superstars of STEM’.

Dr Ana Baburamani, Neelima Kadiyala and Dr Indrani Mukherjee will undertake a two-year program in 2023 and 2024 to step into the media spotlight as STEM experts.

“The new Superstars reflect the strong diversity of women and non-binary people in Australian science and technology,” a Science & Technology Australia (STA) press note stated.

The Superstars of STEM initiative is supported by STA, which is a peak body in science and technology, representing more than 105,000 scientists and technologists.

As a biomedical researcher, Dr Ana Baburamani seeks to piece together the complex process of brain development and the mechanisms contributing to brain injury.

She is presently a Scientific Advisor in the Department of Defence — Science and Technology Group.

In addition to her research, she supports early career researchers, making science accessible and promoting wider participation in and uptake of STEM careers.

She is a member of the Royal Society of Victoria and volunteers with BrainSTEM.

Dr Indrani Mukherjee, Deep time geologist at the University of Tasmania, says her “research questions key concepts, and explores links between early Earth evolution, the origin of complex life and formation of precious mineral deposits”.

“Geology has offered me a wonderful medium (the rock record) to travel as far as 3.5 billion years ago,” she said.

Neelima Kadiyala, an IT Program Manager with Challenger Limited, has over 15 years of experience delivering extensive transformation programs across multiple industries including Financial Services, Government, Telco and FMCG.

“I want to further extend my voluntary services for broader IT community across Australia,” Kadiyala, who came to Australia in 2003, said.

The programme, since its inception in 2017, selects 60 women and non-binary STEM experts and gives them the training, networks and experience to become experts in their fields as media commentators.

It also seeks to smash gender assumptions about who can work in science, technology, engineering and maths.

“The need to boost diversity in our science, technology, engineering and mathematics sector is urgent,” said Australia’s Minister for Industry and Science, Ed Husic.

“I just know these talented experts and communicators will play their part inspiring Australia’s young people, from all backgrounds – into science and technology,” Husic added.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: ASIA PACIFIC: MUSEUM AWARD: Restoration of Mumbai’s Century-Old Museum, the ‘Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya’, Wins UNESCO Asia-Pacific Award of Excellence for Cultural Heritage Conservation’

The jury hailed it as a project that ‘sets a standard’ for the conservation of world heritage monuments.

The restoration of the 100-year-old Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya in Mumbai has won the Award of Excellence in this year’s UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation, which was announced on Saturday.

The museum is a part of the Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai’s world heritage property. It was established as the Prince of Wales Museum of Western India in 1922.

UNESCO Bangkok, in a statement, said the jury hailed it as a project that “sets a standard” for the conservation of world heritage monuments. “The jury applauded the museum project for restoring ‘a major civic institution in the historic city of Mumbai’,” it said.

“Impressive in its scale, the project addressed extensive deterioration through well-informed architectural and engineering solutions, overcoming major challenges during the pandemic,” the statement added.

Thirteen projects from six countries – Afghanistan, China, India, Iran, Nepal and Thailand – have been acknowledged for awards by the jury this year.

Jury deliberations were carried out in November when members reviewed 50 entries from 11 countries from the Asia-Pacific region.

Other awards

The Domakonda Fort of Telangana and Byculla Station of Mumbai are among the winners in the ‘Award of Merit’ category, while the stepwells of Golconda in Hyderabad has won an award in the ‘Award of Distinction’ category.

Topdara Stupa, Charikar, Afghanistan, and Nantian Buddhist Temple, Fujian, China, have also received the ‘Award of Merit’, the statement said.

“The awards give people a sense of pride and sense of ownership of their own heritage,” Feng Jing, the Chief of the Culture Unit at UNESCO Bangkok, was quoted as saying in the statement.

Since 2000, the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation programme has been recognising the efforts of private individuals and organisations in restoring, conserving and transforming structures and buildings of heritage value in the region.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

GLOBAL: SPORT/ STADIUM WORLD RECORD: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad Awarded Guinness World Record for ‘Highest Spectator Attendance during 2022 IPL T20 Cricket Final’

The Narendra Modi Stadium has a capacity of 1,10,000 which is nearly 10,000 more than Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad has entered the Guinness Book of World Records for the maximum spectator attendance during the 2022 IPL final, BCCI secretary Jay Shah said on November 27.

Earlier known as Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA) Stadium, Motera the stadium has a capacity of 1,10,000 which is nearly 10,000 more than Melbourne Cricket Ground with an official capacity of 1,00,024.

“Extremely delighted & proud to receive the Guinness World Record for the largest attendance at a T20 match when 101,566 people witnessed the epic IPL final at @GCAMotera’s magnificent Narendra Modi Stadium on 29 May 2022. A big thanks to our fans for making this possible,” Mr. Shah tweeted.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: Constitutional Day of India – November 26th, 1949. Also known as Samvidhan Divas or National Law Day

Constitution Day, also known as Samvidhan Divas or National Law Day, is celebrated in India on November 26 every year.

Why is the Constitution Day celebrated?

On November 26, 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India formally adopted the Constitution of India. It came into force on January 26, 1950. Constitution Day aims to bring awareness about the importance of the Constitution and Dr B R Ambedkar.

Who started the Constitution Day?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked November 26 as the Constitution Day of India in 2015.

What is the Constitution of India?

The Constitution is a set of written principles and precedents of the Government of India. It frames fundamental political principles, procedures, rights, directive principles, restrictions and duties of the government and the citizens of the country. The Constitution of India declares the country a sovereign, secular, socialist and democratic republic. It assures its citizens equality, liberty and justice.

Who wrote the Constitution of India?

B R Ambedkar, chairman of the drafting committee, is considered to be the chief architect of the Constitution of India. He is also called the Father of the Indian Constitution. The Constitution of India was drafted by the members of the Constituent Assembly.

What is the preamble to the Constitution of India?

Preamble is a brief statement which records the aims and aspirations of the people of India. The preamble to the Constitution of India reads:

“We, the people of India, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic, republic, and to secure to all its citizens:

Justice, social, economic and political; liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship; equality of status and of opportunity, and to promote among them all — fraternity assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation;

In our Constituent Assembly this twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, do hereby adopt, enact and give to ourselves this constitution.”

How did Constitution of India come into being?

From 1947 to 1950, India continued to use the legislation implemented when it was a dominion of Britain. In the meantime, the Constituent Assembly drafted the Constitution of India, which would replace the Government of India Act, 1935, as the country’s fundamental governing document. The Constitution was drawn from a number of sources, while India’s needs and conditions were given paramount importance. B R Ambedkar studied the Constitutions of over 60 countries before drafting the Constitution of India.

A brief timeline: 

On December 6, 1949 the Constitution Assembly was formed and its first meeting was held on December 9. Rajendra Prasad was appointed its President and H C Mukherjee its vice-chairman. On August 29, 1947, the drafting committee appointed Ambedkar as its chairman and six other members — Munshi N Gopalaswami Ayyangar, Khaitan, Mitter, Muhammed Sadulla, Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer. The members of the Constituent Assembly signed two hand-written copies of the document (one each in Hindi and English) on January 24, 1950. On November 26, 1949, the Constitution of India was adopted by the Assembly. On January 26, 1950, the Constitution was enforced.

It took almost three years to write the constitution. 

source/content: business-standard.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: INDIAN COMPANY OVERSEAS: TVS Motor Company Expands its Global Footprint; Launches its first TVS Experience Centre in Singapore

TVS Motor Company, a reputed manufacturer of two-wheelers with sales of over three million units globally, today inaugurated its first state-of-the-art TVS Experience Centre in Singapore.

This launch is in line with the company’s global expansion plans. The new TVS Experience Centre will offer a range of TVS Motor’s premium motorcycles including the flagship model, TVS Apache RR310 for racing enthusiasts, and the TVS Apache RTR range for the performance seekers.

The company will introduce diverse products offerings, catering to both personal commuting as well as the delivery premium segment in Singapore. This centre will additionally have vehicle servicing facility, spare parts, and the full range of merchandise to choose from.

The TVS Apache series was born on the racetrack, incorporating learnings from more than 40 years of TVS Racing experience-the factory racing team of TVS Motor Company with a history of 40 years in motorsports. Offering superior products into the market that connect with customers who are also racing enthusiasts, TVS Apache series have always been at the forefront of technology and innovation since its launch in 2005. Through the years, the brand has introduced first-in-segment features & technology to the customers, recording strong year on year export volumes across 80 countries.

TVS Apache has redefined the sports segment by focusing on race performance, making it a highly desirable product for sports enthusiasts. This has resulted in creating a customer base of over 4.8 million across the globe.

Speaking at the occasion, Vimal Sumbly, Head Business-Premium at TVS Motor Company said, “The TVS Apache Series have always been at the forefront of technology & innovation since its launch in 2005 and continue to set a benchmark in the performance segment. The vehicles under the stable of TVS Apache series have offered multiple first-in-segment & best-in-class features & technology to the customers, starting from Fuel injection, ABS, Dual Channel ABS, Slipper Clutch, to the most recent SmartXonnectTM, Ride Modes, LED Headlamp, and democraticing racing. Our expansion into Singapore, with the launch of the TVS Apache series, is instrumental in our premiumisation story and we are confident of widening our community of Apache owners in the country.”

Commenting on the Singapore launch, Rahul Nayak, Vice President-International Business, TVS Motor Company, said, “With many years of commitment to building the international business portfolio, TVS Motor Company has set the benchmark in catering to diverse needs of buyers across the globe. Our launch in Singapore is one step further in expanding globally in achieving our global ambitions.”

Commenting on the showroom launch, J Thangarajan, President Director-PT TVS Motor Company, said, “We are delighted to expand our presence in the ASEAN region, with our new TVS Experience Centre in Singapore with Motorsport Pte Ltd. They have a rich experience in the region and share our values of keeping customers at the core of our offerings. This state-of-the-art experience centre inaugurated here in Singapore will further consolidate our presence in the region. It will pave the way for us to explore newer opportunities in the world of mobility, as we introduce our premium range of two-wheelers: the flagship model TVS Apache RR310 and the TVS Apache RTR series along with a slew of other experiences for the auto enthusiasts in Singapore.”

Herbert Teh, Director- Motorsport Pte Ltd. said, “We will be representing TVS Motor Company with great pride to cater to the Singapore customers. With the product technology and quality of TVS Motor products, combined with our market presence and reach, we are confident that we will meet the customer expectation in the country.”

TVS Motor Company has partnered with ‘Motorsport Pte Ltd (part of the Chong Aik Group)’ who will be the distributors for Singapore Market. Motorsport has strong presence in the region with 6 retail outlets and 8 warehouses. Established in 1994, they currently have exclusive distributorship for more than 40 brands, whilst also being the stockiest for genuine parts, apparels, and motorcycle accessories.

TVS Motor Company is a reputed two and three-wheeler manufacturer globally, championing progress through Sustainable Mobility with four state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Hosur, Mysuru and Nalagarh in India and Karawang in Indonesia. Rooted in our 119-year legacy of Trust, Value, and Passion for Customers and Exactness, we take pride in making internationally aspirational products of the highest quality through innovative and sustainable processes.

We are the only two-wheeler company to have received the prestigious Deming Prize. Our products lead in their respective categories in the J.D. Power IQS and APEAL surveys. We have been ranked No. 1 Company in /the J.D. Power Customer Service Satisfaction Survey for consecutive four years. Our group company Norton Motorcycles, based in the United Kingdom, is one of the most emotive motorcycle brands in the world. Our subsidiaries in the personal e-mobility space, Swiss E-Mobility Group (SEMG) and EGO Movement have a leading position in the e-bike market in Switzerland. TVS Motor Company endeavours to deliver the most superior customer experience across 80 countries in which we operate.

For more information, please visit www.tvsmotor.com.

This story has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)

source/content: theprint.in (headline edited)

GLOBAL & NATIONAL RECORDS: TRANSPORT / RAILWAYS: Prototypes of India’s First Underwater (subaqueous tunnel) Rail System & the World’s Highest Railway Arch Bridge, built across the Chenab Bridge in J&K displayed at Indian International Trade Fair

The ongoing Indian International Trade Fair (IITF) at Delhi’s Pragati Maidan, witnessed the Ministry of Railway setting up a sprawling pavilion showcasing all of the railway’s technical advancements.

India’s first underwater (subaqueous tunnel) rail system and the world’s highest railway arch bridge, built across the Chenab Bridge in J&K has sparked curiosity among the public.

The ongoing Indian International Trade Fair (IITF) at Delhi’s Pragati Maidan, witnessed the Ministry of Railway setting up a sprawling pavilion showcasing all of the railway’s technical advancements on the ironic rail bridge over Chenab and water tunnels. The ministry has highlighted many first-of-its-kind and marvellous facets of Indian Railways, which are attracting crowds of curious visitors.

Exhibiting prototypes of various mega projects, the railway has also exhibited the prototype of the re-developed ‘Ayodhya city railway station, of which the designs are inspired by the Ram Janambhoomi temple’s design.

Sharing details with the media on Tuesday, the Ministry of Railway claimed that various themes have been exhibited with their technological and structural advances through photos, translates and models.

“The model showing the world’s highest rail bridge on Chenab and India’s first underwater rail system, which is being built as part of the East-West Metro corridor of the metro railway in Kolkata, has been drawing huge crowds of curious visitors”, said a senior railway official.

The sports gallery exhibits awards won by the railway teams and an earmarked space showing the historic march of Indian Railways from the old days to the days of manufacturing and running high-speed Vande Bharat trains to the working of bullet trains, has also gathered a lot of onlookers.

“Another most interesting part of the railway’s pavilion is that it has made side walls based on the theme of ‘Azadi Ki Rail Gadi aur Station’ which throws light on the strong connection between freedom struggle and association of railways”, said a railway official. They also added adding that the redeveloped Ayodhya railway station with the design inspired by Lord Rama Janambhoomi temple has proved to be one of the huge crowd-pulling parts at the pavilion.

Besides this, the Ministry of Railways has also displayed the prototypes of its mega Sabarmati multimodal passenger hub and the casting yard of India’s first Bullet train project as part of the Mumbai-Ahmadabad high-speed rail corridor.

Not only this but the country’s first-of-its-kind solar plant at Bina in MP that generates solar power directly to 25 kV overhead electrical equipment to haul trains was displayed apart from the country’s first indigenous semi-high speed Vande Bharat train.

To make the visit of people at the railway pavilion memorable, the Ministry has created a special selfie booth titled ‘I am at Railway station’ for people to click pictures.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY / DEFENCE / AEROSPACE: ISRO’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre carries out Parachute Airdrop test of Gaganyaan Human Spaceflight programme

The Gaganyaan deceleration system consists of three main parachutes, besides the smaller ACS, pilot, and drogue parachutes, to reduce the speed of the crew module to safe levels during its landing.

ISRO’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre has conducted the Integrated Main Parachute Airdrop Test (IMAT) of its crew module deceleration system for the much-awaited maiden Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme at the Babina Field Fire Range (BFFR) in Jhansi district of Uttar Pradesh.

The IMAT conducted on Friday marks a significant milestone toward realising the nation’s ambitious Gaganyaan project, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said in a statement.

The Gaganyaan deceleration system consists of three main parachutes, besides the smaller ACS, pilot, and drogue parachutes, to reduce the speed of the crew module to safe levels during its landing, the space agency said.

Two of the three main chutes are sufficient to land the astronauts on earth, and the third is redundant, ISRO said adding that the IMAT test simulated the case when one main chute failed to open.

The IMAT test is the first in a series of integrated parachute airdrop tests planned to simulate different failure conditions of the parachute system before it is deemed qualified to be used in the first human spaceflight mission.

In this test, a five-tonne dummy mass, equivalent to the crew module mass, was taken to an altitude of 2.5 kilometres and dropped using the Indian Air Force’s IL-76 aircraft. Two small pyro-based mortar-deployed pilot parachutes then pulled the main parachutes.

The main parachute sizes were initially restricted to a smaller area to reduce the opening shock. After seven seconds, the pyro-based reefing line cutters cut the area restricting line, allowing the parachutes to inflate fully.

“The fully inflated main parachutes reduced the payload speed to a safe landing speed. The entire sequence lasted about 2-3 minutes as the scientists watched the different phases of the deployment sequence unfold with bated breath. There was loud cheer and applause as the payload mass landed softly on the ground and the gigantic parachutes collapsed,” the statement read.

The design and development of the parachute-based deceleration system is a joint venture of ISRO and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

“The overall system design, analytical simulations of parachute deployment and crew module descent under various conditions, the design and development of ordnance devices for parachute extraction and ejection, assembly, mechanical and electrical integration of deceleration system, it’s instrumentation and avionics for conducting this drop tests are done at ISRO’s leading Research and Development centre, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram,” the space agency explained.

Senior ISRO and DRDO scientists and airforce officers were present when the crucial test was done.

“Besides proving the calibre of the scientists of ISRO and DRDO, the test also demonstrated the active coordination between the country’s premier agencies, namely ISRO, DRDO, the Indian Air Force, and the Indian Army,” ISRO said quoting a senior official.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY/ INNOVATION: Samsung’s Initiative ‘Solve for Tomorrow’ Selects 3 Young Winners with Unique Solutions ‘Sputnik Brain, Udaan & Alpha Monitor’

The competition took into account real-life issues and the three winning teams are Sputnik Brain, Udaan and Alpha Monitor got a total grant of Rs 1 crore.

The last few months saw an interesting competition unfold across the country — Solve for Tomorrow, an initiative by Samsung. Like the name suggests, it was about coming up with solutions that will help people in the future.

The competition took into account real-life issues and the three winning teams are Sputnik Brain, Udaan and Alpha Monitor who get a total grant of Rs 1 crore and a six-month incubation by the Foundation for Innovation & Technology Transfer, IIT Delhi, to strengthen their prototypes, and seek real-world consumer validation for their products and services.

There was no first, second or third place, for all the three teams are winners and they have come up with equally good solutions to real-life problems. In June, as part of its Solve for Tomorrow programme, Samsung invited 16-22 year-olds in India to come up with innovative ideas in the areas of education, environment, healthcare and agriculture, the priority UN Sustainable Development Goals for India. A record 18,000 plus registrations were received in the inaugural edition.

Let’s look at the three winning entries. Sputnik Brain’s Shankar Srinivasan is working on a wearable device that will help reduce stress by “productising pleasure through safe brain modulation”. His safe brain modulation wearable device for mental health transmits waves within the FDA’s limit of frequency, intensity, and Pulse Repetition Period to mood centres in the brain. Considering stress causes high blood pressure, hypertension and a host of other issues, the 22-year-old decided to work on an innovation to reduce stress.

The trio of Prisha Dubey, Anupriya Nayak and Vanalika Konwar of Udaan are from Port Blair and Delhi and they have developed eco-friendly, affordable and washable sanitary pads using shredded sugarcane bagasse. The all-girls team wants to solve the social stigma around menstruation and reach out to underprivileged and rural women with their product.

Hemesh Chadalavada of Alpha Monitor from Hyderabad has developed a smart wristband to monitor Alzheimer’s patients and alert their caregivers about changes in their behaviour. The 16-year-old’s device monitors the patient’s health parameters, such as pulse and blood pressure and the caregiver and doctor are automatically alerted if the patient gets out of bed and starts wandering.

 “All the young Solvers are the future of India. They have the potential to change India and the world,” said Ken Kang, president and CEO, Samsung Southwest Asia. “The jury found it extremely tough to choose the top three winners as all the participants had brilliant ideas. We are delighted to support them in their future journey to unlock their full potential and strengthen our vision of powering digital India,” said Partha Ghosh, head, corporate social responsibility and communications, Samsung Southwest Asia.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

GLOBAL: LEADERSHIP / G20 Presidency Handed Over to India by Indonesia as Bali Summit ends

Prime Minister Narendra Modi while taking over said the Presidency of the grouping is a matter of pride for every citizen in India.

Indonesia on Wednesday handed over the G20 presidency to India for the coming year at the Bali summit here with Prime Minister Narendra Modi terming it a matter of pride for every Indian citizen.

At a brief ceremony, Indonesian President Joko Widodo handed over the G20 presidency to Prime Minister Modi at the conclusion of the two-day G20 Summit here.

“Together with every country’s efforts, we can make the G20 summit a catalyst for global welfare,” Modi said.

The handing-over ceremony came as the member states finalised the joint declaration.

Earlier, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said that India has contributed ‘constructively’ to drafting of G20 ‘outcome document’.

Delegations from the member states had differences on how to characterise the Russia-Ukraine war, with Ukraine’s western allies said to be seeking outright condemnation of Moscow.

There were fears earlier that the member states may not agree to a final document. G20 declarations require consensus of all members.

The declaration was not immediately released. Though the main business of the Summit ended in the afternoon, heads from some countries including India had scheduled bilateral talks on its sidelines for later in the day.

Modi was scheduled to leave Bali in the evening.

The G20 comprises 19 countries: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US and the European Union.

Prime Minister Modi has promised a presidency that will be “inclusive” and a voice of the developing countries.

The next summit will be held in New Delhi on September 9-10.

Foreign Secretary Kwatra said the Indian delegation guided by the prime minister played a “key role” in the successful resolution of differences over the “outcome document.”

He said the “particular global context” was reflected in the consensus documents.

He said Modi’s observation that this is not an era of war and his advocacy of diplomacy and dialogue helped in reaching a “successful” outcome.

His message helped in consensus building, Kwatra said.

Modi met French President Macron Emmanuel in the morning. After the closing ceremony he was scheduled to have bilateral meetings with leaders from Indonesia, the UK, Australia, Germany and Singapore before leaving for Delhi.

On Tuesday, he had brief formal meetings with US President Joe Biden and Indonesian President Widodo.

The foreign secretary characterised the handshake between Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at a dinner on Tuesday evening as an exchange of pleasantries.

The two leaders had talked briefly and shaken hands, sparking interest as they have not held a bilateral meeting after a border clash in 2019.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: ARTS & CULTURE / CINEMA: Swara Bhasker becomes the First Indian Artist to join the International Competition Jury Panel of the ’44th Cairo International Film Festival’ (CIFF)

The 44th edition of CIFF opens with Steven Spielberg’s “The Fabelmans” on November 13.

 Actor Swara Bhasker has become the first Indian artist to join the international competition jury of the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF).

Organised by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, the Cairo International Film Festival is the oldest film festival in the Middle East.

The 44th edition of CIFF opens with Steven Spielberg’s “The Fabelmans” on November 13.

“I’m both grateful and honoured to be a jury member at such an illustrious festival that has for so many decades been a platform for showcasing global cinema.

It is an opportunity to watch some of the best cinema from the region and the world this year and that’s such a treat! I’m absolutely stoked,” Bhasker said in a statement.

Amir Ramses, iconic Egyptian director and festival director of Cairo International Film Festival said they are delighted to have the Indian actor on board.

“CIFF is proud to welcome Swara Bhasker, a noted and versatile actress from India who works across mainstream and independent cinema, as a member of the CIFF’s International Competition Jury.

A dynamic person of multiple talents, Bhasker is a very vocal activist who draws attention to causes that need highlighting as a public speaker and columnist.

CIFF is truly delighted that she brings such a varied experience and sensitivity to judging the films in the main competition of our forthcoming 44th edition,” Rames said.

CIFF’s international competition section contains 14 titles, including five world premieres.

Japanese filmmaker Naomi Kawase will preside over the international jury which also comprises Egyptian cinematographer Nancy Abdelfattah; Egyptian composer Rageh Daoud; Italian actor Stefania Casini; Mexican filmmaker Joaquin Del Paso; and Moroccan actor Samir Guesmi.

CIFF is scheduled to run from November 13 to 22 at the Cairo Opera House.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)