Category: Uncategorized

Tamil Nadu govt makes Aadhaar enrollment compulsory for school students, sparks row

This circular has been issued for students under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan and will apply to around 1 crore students in Tamil Nadu.

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Tamil Nadu News: The School Education Department of Tamil Nadu has issued a circular pushing for Aadhaar enrolment for school students under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan. This despite the fact that the Supreme Court has ruled that Aadhaar enrolment cannot be made compulsory.

According to data on the Tamil Nadu government website, in 2017-2018, there were 58,474 schools and over 1.23 crore students under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan scheme in the state.

The circular, issued on August 2, states that the schools must collect Aadhaar details of the students and the details must be linked to the Educational Management Information System (EMIS). It also mentions that students whose Aadhaar details have not yet been collected by the schools must be brought to Aadhaar enrolment centres and be issued an Aadhaar number. It is not clear yet whether it is applicable to only government schools or to government-aided and private schools as well.

The directions have sparked a row, with some sections of the stakeholders batting for the move and others vehemently opposing it and questioning its legality.

Read More → Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan

 

After 77 days with no chief, Sonia Gandhi named interim Congress President

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) finally accepted Rahul Gandhi’s resignation.

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South India News: When the names of Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Mukul Wasnik and Jyotiraditya Scindia were proposed at the sub-group discussions, very few hands came up in agreement. Worried at the prospect of a split in the party ranks, the Congress fell back on Sonia Gandhi to lead the party, and she was chosen as the party’s interim Congress President.

After day-long deliberations, the Congress on Saturday failed to name a party leader from outside the Gandhi family. The Congress Working Committee (CWC) finally accepted Rahul’s resignation. He resigned on May 25, and the Congress remained without a head for 77 days.

With all the five party sub-groups unitedly proposing Rahul Gandhi’s name as party chief, and Rahul refusing to go back on his decision, the mantle fell on Sonia Gandhi again to shepherd the party as an interim measure.

Sonia Gandhi was requested to lead the party out of its troubled times and help it make a comeback. According to party sources, Sonia will “recast the current committee of party general secretaries” in the coming days… (Read Full Story)

Congrats on Mission Kashmir: Rajinikanth lauds Amit Shah on govt’s Article 370 move

Actor-turned-politician Rajinikanth also praised Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s speech in Parliament.

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South India News: Actor-politician Rajinikanth has come out in support of the government’s move last week to nullify Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir. At a speech in Chennai on Sunday, Rajinikanth congratulated Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the move.

Last Monday, Amit Shah proposed the abrogation of Article 370 and announced the government’s decision to designate Jammu and Kashmir a Union Territory along with Ladakh. The government announced its decision, which was later passed by the Parliament, even as the Valley continues to be under lockdown with no internet and phone connectivity.

Amit Shah arrived in Chennai on Saturday evening to take part in a meeting with Tamil Nadu BJP leaders. Speaking at the launch of a book by Vice President Venkaiah Naidu where Shah was present, Rajinikanth said, “Really my heartfelt congratulations for your Mission Kashmir operations, sir. The way you conducted it, hats off, especially the speech you delivered in Parliament, fantastic sir, fantastic.”

Rajini also referenced the central figures in the Bhagavad Gita. “Now people will come to know who is Amit Shah. Am happy about that. So Amit Shah ji and Modi ji is like Krishna-Arjuna combination. We don’t know who is Krishna, who is Arjuna. They only know who is Krishna, who is Arjuna,” (sic) laughed the actor… (Read Full Story) 

TNM Fact Check: Can these Telangana kids really generate electricity?

Viral videos have been claiming that an Adilabad family can light up LED bulbs with their bare fingers. Is this a miracle, or basic science?

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Telangana News: A few local media outlets recently reported that a 5-year-old boy from Telangana had electricity passing through his fingers. Videos showing the boy, his sister and some of his family members lighting up a bulb with their bare fingers had gone viral, calling it a miraculous phenomenon. News channels reported the news with a sense of awe, suggesting that the children had superpowers. But none of these claims are true.

One day in July, Chand Pasha, who lives in Sirisanna Ramnagar village in Adilabad district, brought home an LED bulb. When his two children began to play with it, the bulb lit up without an electric connection. Their family members were awestruck, and began to take turns to try it out for themselves.

As the news started to spread by word of mouth, people from neighbouring villages and television reporters began to crowd to their home to witness this ‘miracle’. News channels termed the siblings as ‘wonder kids’. News reports show how the bulb lights up at the touch of Chand Pasha himself, his son, daughter and brother, but it doesn’t work for his wife and father, or any of the visitors.Visitors have even been bringing their own bulbs to test the children’s ‘superpowers’ for themselves.

All the bulbs used to depict this phenomenon were Inverter LED bulbs, commonly used as emergency lights. These bulbs usually light up when they come in contact with moisture. Many videos available online show how the bulb can be powered with just water, especially salted water, if it has been charged beforehand.

Watch the Video here → Electricity passing through 5-year-old boy

‘Peculiar situation in India where you’re either a patriot or anti-national’: KTR

KTR was addressing the third edition of the Telangana Vikasa Samithi.

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Telangana News: Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) working president K Taraka Rama Rao (KTR) on Saturday said that the country’s political discourse is witnessing a peculiar situation where politics, religion, nationalism are intertwined.

KTR was addressing the third edition of the Telangana Vikasa Samithi along with political scientist  Neera Chandhoke, former Information Commissioner Madabhushi Sridhar, Telangana Vikasa Samithi president Deshapathi Srinivas and several intellectuals.

Addressing the gathering, KTR said that there should be enough space in a democracy even though one may not agree with what others speak. He added that the situation in the country has reached a place where there is no room for discussion and dissent.

Referring to Neera Chandhoke’s disclaimer that she didn’t mean to offend anyway, KTR said, “This is Hyderabad, not Delhi. We (TRS) might not agree with each other on all issues, but we certainly have tolerance and wisdom to listen to debate, discuss and dissent as well.”

KTR said that Telangana has always had religious tolerance and co-existence and that during the time of the Nizam’s, they used to make offerings to the Bhadradri Rama temple…(Read Full Story)

12 Indian Food Emojis That Deserve A Place On The Emoji Keyboard

If you’re a person who loves communicating with emojis, you’d understand the point of this article. Talking through emojis is cute, it’s easier and makes conversations more fun than ever. 

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Indian Food Story: This World Emoji Day,it’s all about food for us. And, while we’re loving the existing food emojis, that are creating a stir in the food-verse, we think that the food emojis keyboard needs a touch of India too.

We’re passionate about food; food is an emotion for us, be it happy, sad, angry or all smiles, we bond over food. With a simple Indian emoji, a lot of things can be said without uttering a word- like to ask someone on a date, stir up a nostalgic moment or simply follow a daily ritual.

Here are 12 popular Indian foods that deserve a place on the food emojis keyboard, according to us.

1. Samosa
How amazing it would be to have a samosa on the emoji keyboard? Cute, little triangular pastry stuffed with spicy potatoes is loved by Indians with a spicy mint chutney or a tamarind chutney.

2. Bhel Puri
A little sweet, a little spicy and deliciously crunchy, bhel puri is an utter delight on any given day. Puffed rice, various chutneys, fried sev, onions, tomatoes, peanuts, chana dal and a squeeze of lemon, what’s not to like?

3.Vada Pav
Originated in Maharashtra and Mumbai’s favourite snack, this dish is now lovingly devoured all across India. A perfect Vada Pav is all about having the balance of all things, spicy, sweet, tangy and crunchy.

Read the full List → Indian Food Emoji

IFN Celebrates 14 India’s All-Time Favorite Chocolates

Chocolate is a pure indulgence and we, Indians love our sweets way too much. Be it white, milk or dark, each one of us has a favorite.

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IFN: Our eyes spark up even at the sight of chocolates, let alone eating them. World Chocolate Day is here and we cannot forget to mention a few of India’s favourites that we couldn’t just do without. Be it a Happy, sad, angry, hopeless, a bite into these chocolates took us to a happier place.

With so many chocolates flooding the market every day, here are chocolates that have won our hearts each time we’ve put them in our mouths and evoked strong nostalgic moments.

1. Munch

  • Sweet milk chocolate on the outside and wafer-y biscuit on the inside, Munch has the perfect crunch to it. There’s always a debate as to which one is better- Munch or Perk?

2. Perk

  • The blue packaging of Perk is so inviting that even from far off, it’s pretty easy to recognize this one. Not overly sweet, its delicious chocolate flavour is appealing to our taste buds like no other.

3. KitKat

  • Nestle’s KitKat is a distinct chocolate that can be savoured in a playful manner. With either a two-stick or a four-stick pack, indulging in a KitKat becomes a joyful experience.

4. 5-Star

  • Chocolaty on the outside, chewy on the inside with a caramel centre, 5-Star is a pleasure to eat. The golden wrapper is so attractive that it could bring a twinkle in an adults eyes too, let alone children!

5. Snickers

  • Two variations-Peanuts and Almonds, both sound like a tasty and healthy way to start the day! Breakfast bars are popular and Snickers fits the bill on all levels.

Full List → Best Chocolates in India

IFN’s Guide To Iconic Idli Joints in Mumbai

India’s love for the round, fluffy goodness, idli is not unknown; we love it so much that M Eniyavan, a Chennai based Idli vendor started celebrating World Idli Day on the 30th of March, 3 years ago.

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IFN: An auto-driver by profession in Coimbatore, he learned the tricks of the trade from his regular customer, Chandra who was running an Idli batter business out of her house. Eventually, he moved to Chennai and set up an Idli joint and has ever since innovated over 2,000 types of Idlis!

Although he is an 8th grade pass out, he holds an honorary doctorate from an American university for his variations on the humble Idli. How cool is that?

While there are some statistics that say that San Francisco, London and New Jersey are the top Idli ordering cities in the world, Mumbai isn’t far behind in loving the very simple, yet the very delicious, Idli.

From getting it on the streets, very early in the morning to fancy fine dines serving it, idli is truly relished by one and all. That said, there are a few places that are frequently visited for idlis and as a result, have become iconic.

Read the List: Idli Joints in Mumbai

10 Weekend Snacks Recipes That Are NOT Labour-Intensive

Snacking is inevitable. Be it before lunch or after, pre-dinner snacking moods or post dinner cravings, we all turn to snacks for comfort.

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IFN: Most of us choose processed and preserved foods that are are high in salt and fat content that only make us feel good till they’re on the lips but react badly afterwards. Here are some weekend snacks recipes that are not labour-intensive and can be stored for a while to satisfy your snack binges. Happy Weekend!

1. Cheesy Cocktail Samosa
This Cheesy cocktail samosa is the best way to start your weekend tea-time. And, during monsoons, nothing screams more comfort food than chai and samosa.

2. Spicy Shankarpali
We all love and eat the sweet shankapali. Ever tried the spicy one?  Shakkarpara recipe which is so easy to make and so delicious that you won’t be able to stop at one!

3. Thattai Murukku
Thattai is a traditional South Indian snack prepared on the occasion of Diwali or simply to satisfy your snack cravings. This tempting and crunchy snack is made with rice flour and gram flour.

4. Corn Bhel
Bored of eating regular bhel? Then try this delicious Corn Chaat recipe  which is a popular Indian street food chaat made of American Corn, Veggies, and chutney to make your weekends better than ever.

Full List → Easy Recipes for Weekend

Dinner Recipes: Chicken Sukka Recipe

Dinner Recipes: Chicken Sukka Recipe

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IFN: Who doesn’t love chicken in Dinner. Try the Chicken Sukka Recipe at home & go yumm…

INGREDIENT

  • Chicken (Boneless)
  • Tomato Puree/Paste
  • Onion Paste
  • Coriander-Cumin Powder
  • Salt to taste
  • Coriander Leaves
  • Red Chilli Powder
  • Ginger-Garlic Paste
  • Garam Masala
  • Kitchen King Masala

DIRECTIONS

1. Take a big bowl and add pieces of boneless chicken it.
2. Add some coriander-cumin powder and ginger-garlic paste.
3. Put onion paste, tomato puree/paste, red chilli powder and garam masala.
4. Then add some kitchen king masala and salt to taste.
5. Sprinkle some coriander leaves in it.
6. Mix all and stir all ingredients.
7. Take a pan and pour some oil.
8. When it is hot add the dry chicken mixture in the pan.
9. Cook for some time and put on the lid as water starts to release.
10 Give it a stir and then take it out on a plate.
11. Garnish with some coriander leaves.
12. Serve the Chicken Sukka with roti or else a pulao.

Watch Video Recipe → Chicken Sukka Recipe