Latest news with #Ranjit
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Siblings dupe Amethi contractor of 48L using forged land documents
Kanpur: Two siblings from Etawah have been accused of duping an Amethi resident of over Rs 48 lakh in the name of selling a land in Lucknow using forged documents. They also took his SUV. The victim, who works as a contractor in Amethi, tried to recover his possessions and after over an year of efforts, he approached the police. He filed a report at the Friends Colony police station in Etawah on Monday. Police have registered charges of fraud and other serious violations against the brothers and have launched operations to arrest them. Ranjit Yadav, a registered contractor of Amethi, said in his complaint that he was acquainted with Kuldeep Yadav from Vijay Nagar, Friends Colony. On Feb 10, 2024, Kuldeep told him that he wanted to sell two bighas of land in Khujoli village behind Medanta Hospital, Lucknow, worth Rs 3 crore. However, since he received a project, he was willing to sell it to Ranjit for Rs one crore 40 lakh. Kuldeep and his brother Sandeep also showed the documents of the property having both their names. Trusting them, Ranjit transferred Rs 75,000 on March 22, 2024 in their account followed by Rs 46 lakh. He also transferred Rs 1 lakh 37 thousand to six different accounts. The two brothers agreed to register the land in Feb 2025. On Jan 2, 2025, the brothers borrowed Ranjit's SUV for a few days claiming that their car was broken. When Ranjit asked for his car, they started making excuses, and from Jan 30 they stopped answering his calls. Growing suspicious, Ranjit investigated the land and discovered that the documents shown to him were fake. On Monday, Ranjit filed a case against the brothers. Station in-charge Amit Mishra stated that both the accused are residents of Friends Colony and were known to the contractor beforehand. A report has been filed against them, and an investigation is underway. "They will be arrested soon," he added.
Scroll.in
3 days ago
- Scroll.in
Nature, who needs it? A writing adventure with Ranjit Hoskote at the Himalayan Writing Retreat
Never in my life had I attended a 'writing retreat', but when the email stating that Ranjit Hoskote would be hosting a three-day 'Nature and Writing' masterclass at the Himalayan Writing Retreat in Satkhol, I decided on the spot that this was one for me. The excitement began with an email from Ranjit, folders of poetic treasure attached, to read before we arrived. Pulled straight into Robert Macfarlane's article from almost ten years ago about his journey to collect vernacular words and phrases from around the British Isles which pinpoint specific local ecological detail – names for cloud formations, types of ice-melt and other landscape specific words – it all felt very much in line with what I am writing about right now, though my own work focuses on vanishing species in India and spaces of previously unique biodiversity, now earmarked for 'development'. The night before it is time to leave for the retreat, I attend an online talk at Champaca Books with Amitava Kumar, who is discussing his latest work, The Green Book. During the talk, he too discusses nature writing and speaks of how he often takes his students around city parks to observe and write. To pay attention, he emphasises and I suddenly realise why I've decided so emphatically to book time off work at this critical moment in the term. It's that gift of close focus that a retreat allows, the liberty to write without distraction, to scrutinise detail with the luxury of time. To glean the essence of a place, to become porous. To absorb and reiterate with precision and sensitivity. 'If you don't know the names of the trees in your city, then you're not a writer,' states Amitava, unceremoniously. In my imagination, I am walking up tiny Welsh lanes or over the hills on sheep paths with another strict teacher: my Mother. 'Now pay attention,' she is saying. 'This is Lady's Slipper, this is Vetch, this is a Cowslip, now getting rare; and this is Ragged Robin.' I furrow my nine-year-old brow, committing whole hedgerows to memory. I have the pictures in my Flower Fairy poetry books for reference too. All that close observation holds fast to this day and although there are many other species to be learned afresh in both the Himalayan and Haryanvi terrains which have become my homes, I recognise variants and realise how vital it was that I once learned by heart the names of things that grow. A four-hour hairpin bend drive takes us up into the hills above the tiger forests of Jim Corbett and into orchards and valleys. White plum and almost magenta-pink apricot blossom burst their buds; and on claret trees to take your breath away, the rhododendron is in bloom. Bright and dark as deep wine on deeper lips, its colour spills all over the mountainside. The air, once we reach the Guest House, is full of birdsong and in the distance (live) wedding music. Singing, the strains of a harmonium and the beat of the dholak waft across to me. Inevitable building works and the blast of amplified wedding music take over at a certain point as celebrations shift from the traditional to 21st-century celluloid dreams – then once again, there is silence sweet enough to hear the robins and blackbirds in the gaps. A dog howls gently in the distance. Hoe thwacks, pails twang, scooters zoom, birds ripple. I'm beginning to hear a distinction, already. For three mornings, our Masterclass mentor, Ranjit Hoskote, guides us through images, poems, filmscapes. As a group, 13 poets, writers and translators discuss, write, share, edit, observe their inner natures and the outer world that surrounds them. By afternoon each day, this quickly intimate knot of beings are invited to disperse, to 'go into Nature' and bring back thoughts, poems in different forms, sensed through different senses. The pace is both relaxed and intense. The attention we are required to bring to each contributor's work and selected prompt rivals the most intellectual university classes in my memory and mysteriously, the fact that we are in the middle of fields and hills makes the experience even more demanding than if we were sheltered in ivory towers. Perhaps we are being challenged to connect more deeply with the real world, with Earth herself. To clarify, I ask Ranjit what he feels is so important about engaging with Nature through writing. 'The ecological catastrophe that we, as a species, have triggered off is arguably the single most important strand within the polycrisis of this epoch. It is vital that, as writers, we address this situation and find ways of bearing witness to this situation, to our own responsibility and indeed our culpability within this situation, and to possibilities of amelioration and redemption.' (Writers, no pressure). I want to know why Ranjit has chosen to offer this masterclass in the hills of Satkhol rather than the far less challenging venues of Mumbai or Delhi, especially given that our location is not within very easy reach of anywhere. 'It is possible to reflect closely on an ethics of testimony in a place like The Himalayan Writing Retreat. Why Satkhol, or more broadly, why the Kumaon Himalaya? Because here, we stand in the presence of nature-in-itself – the panoramic vista of the snow-capped Nanda Devi range, the serene clouds, the miles and miles of oak and pine forest – even as we recognise the unmistakable signs of human interference in nature. We recognise that the glaciers are shrinking; we see the forest fires flare up in the valleys; we walk along a path that was scorched by a forest fire not two weeks before, leaving charred rhododendron shrubs and cindered pine behind. Nature, here, is neither an idyllic tabula rasa waiting for us to inscribe it, nor is it a radically alien and forbidding wilderness. As writers, we are able to experience the close weave of the tame and the wild, the cultivated and the forested – as we walk around, taking in the sensory impressions of this landscape, we see that oak groves and small farm holdings are adjacent and even intersect. We hear the distinctive sawing growl of leopards and the lowing of cows and calves, predators and livestock in close adjacency. We receive a visceral awareness of how nature claims and affects us, and how we have claimed and affected nature – this is not available in such an immediate and full-bodied manner at a distance, in the comfort of the city, the library, the archive. Even in microcosm, our days at Satkhol draw us into the complex tapestry of the inter-species interrelationships that sustain 'nature'.' I ask the co-founders of the Himalayan Writing Retreat, Chetan and Vandita, a similar kind of question: as original city dwellers, what prompted their move to remote hills and how did the vision for a Writing Retreat come about? 'We had left Gurgaon without a plan,' they confess. Vandita had her psychology practice which kept her professionally occupied. Chetan, on the other hand, was in a complete professional vacuum. 'We knew what we did not want – city life and its inherent pressures. What we wanted was a simple life and meaningful engagement with the world. When we started it, we didn't know it would take this shape and form. It wasn't strategic forethought. It was a shot in the dark. A big part of the vision is supporting writers and our community. Our Fellowship and residencies offer amazing value for free to selected writers. We support the NGO-run Chirag School – an absolute gem. Through our First Draft Club, we raise a quarter of its annual budget. And our Book club with 600+ members is free.' So, I ask this enterprising couple: What can writers find here that's absent in the city? 'Inspiration, and a lack of distractions,' replies Chetan in a heartbeat. 'We are often asked why we don't offer our courses in the city as well,' adds Vandita. 'But when you do anything in the city, the noise doesn't leave you. The distractions pull you in multiple directions. You're still not disengaging from life to focus on your craft. A 9-to-5 course where you drive through traffic to and from the venue, and where the mundanity of the everyday humdrum sucks you back to your routine doesn't really give you a break.' Chetan nods in agreement. 'We take learning seriously, taking the many elements of effective learning and bringing them together. These include eliminating distractions and having excellent teachers. It also involves thinking deeply about what will be taught, and how.' Chetan waves his arm to encompass the majesty of the view. 'The final touch, of course, is the sheer glory of nature,' he declares. 'Snow-capped peaks, birdsong, clean air when combined with the careful attention to detail that Vandita brings make for enchantment. It elevates our workshops from being learning experiences to being indelible memories. Many participants from years ago still stay in touch. One other thing we pride ourselves on is the small group experience. We draw the line at 12, or 15 in a few cases, but never go above that. We give real, deep feedback. Everybody gets close, personal attention. We don't want learning with us to feel like a lecture hall, but a hands-on, safe experience where people learn by doing.' As far as 'learning by doing' is concerned, it's time to put theory into practice and Ranjit is keen to send the group out into the surrounding landscape to observe and listen quietly and at as close quarters as possible. I walk down winding paths for half a mile until I reach an ancient village spring and reservoir whose sweetness of water makes me wish I could drink water like this forever. As well as recognising different fruit trees – there are even ripe lemons in early March at this semi-tropical altitude. I am delighted to spot a flash of green-gold – a Greenfinch – and listen under the bough it has alighted upon as it instructs me quite definitely in a tongue (beak?) I do not quite understand. I feel optimistic to see so many different kinds of butterflies, too. I scrawl haiku, cinquains and pages of dialogue. Back at base, in the sun-warmed living room, sprawling with books and heaped with cushions, we share our bounty of foraged words like squirrels at a Spring festival. I ask Ranjit whether the landscape and residency have allowed him to write any poetry of his own or whether he has experienced any particular connection with species other than human. He tells me that 'the falcon and the greenfinch, oak and pine and rhododendron, the dogs at the Retreat and the calves in the homestead down the slope' have all made their presence known to him. 'I had hoped to work on some of my own poems,' he continues, 'but I know, from previous experience, that this does not happen when I am acting as mentor or facilitator or teacher. I become immersed in the pedagogical situation, which demands my complete attention – in terms of being fully responsive to the participants, in dialogue with them, engaging closely with their work and their thinking.' Ranjit's generosity to each and every one of us is indeed remarkable: our poetic outpourings receive written as well as verbal feedback and suggestions. I find that by the end of three days, I am self-appraising my own work at a different level. My final question to Ranjit is about whether he feels there is a difference between going into retreat to write as an individual and coming to write as part of a group with similar interests in honing skills in nature writing. 'My method,' he explains, 'in the masterclasses and workshops I do is to bring the group of participants together in a process of dialogue, distinguished by engaged and respectful exchange, active listening and trust-building. This is a workshop scenario, not a classroom script. My responsibility is to act as a convener who talks with, not a teacher who talks at or talks down to; I see myself as a conductor who brings the various contributors in the orchestra together, to articulate a fruitful polyphony. I find that it is far more fruitful and participatory when people arrive at ideas and conclusions through what I like to think of as a process of gently guided discovery. Importantly, in a masterclass or workshop setting, all the participants become aware of one another's practices and predicaments, one another's potentialities and constraints. In my experience, the fact of being in such a space of sharing considerably expands our field of experience as individuals – as readers, writers, human beings and citizens.' The proof is in the proverbial pudding and I am gently guided to see how re-writing a series I have been working on about endangered species on Great Nicobar could work so much better in the first person, or (as I self-correct myself) in 'first animal'. Though there have been moments of trepidation about sharing my innermost practice with a group of initial strangers – thankfully, old friends by the end of three days – there has also been a seismic shift in my perception about where my particular writing practice fits within the community of poetic writers and artists at large. I discover that although I am most comfortable writing on my own in a self-made retreat, pushing through insecurities has actually helped me to put things down on paper in a way I didn't expect to, opening old, half-forgotten doors within myself and exploring what I find behind them with new-found courage in the company of friends. Like Chetan and Vandita, I anticipate that there will be increasing numbers of urban-dwelling artists and writers who feel the need for a safe space in which to create. As satellite towns of the major metropolises expand with seemingly insatiable frenzy, it seems likely that more and more of us will soon be running for the hills. Before I say goodbye to this haven, I ask the founders about their future plans and dreams, but it seems it is actually right here, right now, that is most important to them. 'Nature planned and designed us. We are the outcome of forces we still barely understand. We feel that connection in our bones when we walk in a forest, when we see a clear, starlit sky or when we confront an ocean. Not so much when we look at a potted plant. We are not going to change anything in the future. We will continue to do what we do: to respect and honour nature.' Let's hope that many more feel the same need to glean inspiration in the remaining quiet places in our busy world – and that Nature feels moved to share her secrets with those of us ready to listen to her with respect and a sense of profound connection. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Himalayan Writing Retreat (@himalayanwriting)
Business Insider
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
Deutsche Bank Sticks to Their Buy Rating for ORANGE SA (0OQV)
In a report released today, Roshan Ranjit from Deutsche Bank maintained a Buy rating on ORANGE SA (0OQV – Research Report), with a price target of €15.50. The company's shares closed yesterday at €13.14. Confident Investing Starts Here: Easily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions Receive undervalued, market resilient stocks right to your inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter According to TipRanks, Ranjit is an analyst with an average return of -1.0% and a 53.57% success rate. Currently, the analyst consensus on ORANGE SA is a Moderate Buy with an average price target of €13.06.
Time of India
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Akshay Kumar's Housefull 5 trailer out: Comedy-thriller promises to release with a major twist. Check plot, cast, and release date
Get ready to set sail on a cruise filled with chaos, confusion, and comedy as the trailer of Housefull 5 drops anchor, and expectations, with a splash. The much-awaited fifth instalment of the beloved comedy franchise brings a wacky mix of slapstick humour, Bollywood references, and a surprising twist: a murder mystery at sea. The trailer opens with an opulent cruise ship cutting through the ocean, setting the stage for a wild inheritance drama. Nana Patekar's character Ranjit announces a will worth 69 billion pounds to someone named Jolly, but with three Jollys on board, the race for riches begins. What starts as hilarious mayhem soon spirals into a whodunit when Ranjit is murdered, turning the story into a thriller-comedy. Boasting a star-studded cast of 19 actors, including Akshay Kumar , Riteish Deshmukh, Abhishek Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Jackie Shroff, Jacqueline Fernandez, and more, Housefull 5 is shot aboard a luxury cruise that sails across London, France, and Spain. The trailer pays cheeky homage to Bollywood's legacy, including a nod to Tiger Shroff's iconic line from Heropanti, now delivered by his father, Jackie Shroff. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Médico revela: 'esse tipo de magnésio está mudando a vida de meus pacientes' AlwaysFit Saiba Mais Undo What's the twist? But what sets this film apart isn't just the ensemble or exotic locations, it's the concept of multiple climaxes. For the first time in mainstream Indian cinema, different theatre showtimes will have alternate endings, with each screening revealing a different killer. It's a bold experiment in storytelling, crafted over 30 years by producer Sajid Nadiadwala, who also wrote the story and screenplay himself. Release date Directed by Tarun Mansukhani and backed by Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment , Housefull 5 is slated for a theatrical release worldwide on June 6, 2025. Social media reacts to trailer Social media users had a field day reacting to the Housefull 5 trailer, flooding platforms with excitement and anticipation. Many called the trailer super fun and expressed that they couldn't wait for the film's release. Several users described it as an amazing blend of chaos and comedy, comparing it to a mash-up of all the previous Housefull movies. Some even hailed it as the perfect 'brain rot' entertainer, light-hearted, over-the-top, and tailor-made for big-screen viewing. The buzz online clearly signals that fans are eagerly counting down to June 6.
Indian Express
21-05-2025
- General
- Indian Express
Banned Pusa-44 finds its way to paddy fields in Punjab — with help from Haryana
Despite a ban by the Punjab government on Pusa-44, the longest-duration paddy variety, farmers in Punjab are readying its nursery after obtaining seeds from neighbouring Haryana. One such farmer from Patiala, Ranjit Singh, says, 'We know it is not allowed, but our livelihood depends on it. The yield is 5–6 quintals higher than that of the short-duration varieties, and millers happily take this variety. What else can we do?'. Ranjit said he procured the seeds from Karnal in Haryana through known contacts. 'it is not banned in that state. If you know someone, you can get it. You just have to avoid getting caught while bringing it into Punjab.' The Punjab government in April banned the sale of Pusa-44 and hybrid paddy varieties. Some farmers have challenged the ban on hybrid seeds. Ranjit said he used to grow hybrid seeds, but could not get them from Haryana because several dealers were selling full kits that included seed and multiple costly sprays. 'The kits were expensive, so I decided to go with Pusa-44, which offers nearly the same yield. Its seed is much cheaper in comparison. I bought Pusa-44 seed at Rs 120 per kg, and for one acre, I need about Rs 480 worth of seed. My nursery is now 10 days old, and I plan to transplant it into the field by June 8 or 9.' Another farmer, Major Singh from Ludhiana, too procured Pusa-44 seed from Haryana, as most dealers in Punjab are not selling it. 'Those who still have some stock, sell it only to people they know well,' he added. Farmers like Jatinder Singh from Sangrur, Jeet Singh from Barnala, and several others echoed similar sentiments, citing high yield, strong grain quality, and preference from millers as reasons for continuing with Pusa-44. Pusa-44, a long-duration paddy variety released by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in 1993, was once extensively grown across Punjab. Its popularity was driven by yields of 32–36 quintals per acre and strong demand from rice millers. However, its long maturity period of over 155 days requires seven to eight more irrigation cycles than short-duration varieties. This leads to a huge burden on groundwater, narrows the window between harvesting and wheat sowing, and contributes significantly to stubble burning — a major factor in North India's worsening air pollution. To address this, the Punjab government banned Pusa-44 cultivation in November 2023 and promoted short-duration, water-efficient alternatives like PR 126 and PR 121. But enforcing the ban has proven to be a major challenge. Hard to trace paddy flow from Haryana: Officials Many wholesalers and retailers continue to prepare and sell paddy seed in Karnal, a known seed hub. Sellers there admitted that Pusa-44 seeds are still sold over the counter. 'We don't advertise it, but farmers, especially from Punjab, know about it. They are willing to pay a premium. Some local farmers even grow the seed specifically for them,' said Balwinder Singh, a seed producer. Another seller added that private growers are filling the gap while large companies have officially stopped producing Pusa-44. 'It is not hard to find. Farmers from Punjab often visit during the off-season, collect small quantities, and distribute them informally.' While some seeds are packed in labelled bags, farmers often request plain packaging to avoid regulatory scrutiny in Punjab, they said. Officials from the Punjab Agriculture Department admitted that enforcement of the ban remains inconsistent. 'Our teams conduct regular inspections, but tracking informal seed networks is difficult. When seeds are exchanged between farmers or brought in from Haryana in small quantities, it is hard to trace,' said an official in Chandigarh. They also acknowledged that the issue goes beyond enforcement. 'As long as market economics favour Pusa-44, farmers will continue finding ways to cultivate it.' A senior agricultural economist from Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) emphasised the need for a deeper, more practical solution. 'If farmers prefer hybrid paddy varieties due to better returns, they should be allowed to grow all recommended hybrids. At the end of the day, it is an economic decision. Farmers are doing the math, and when they are getting free power for irrigation of longer duration varieties with high yield, why wouldn't they go for higher-yielding varieties?' He added that if millers are concerned about hybrids giving lower outturn (processing yield), the government should step in — either by offering incentives to millers or by adjusting the acceptable outturn percentage. 'While the short-term benefits of growing Pusa-44 are clear to farmers, the long-term environmental costs — stubble burning, excessive water use, and worsening air quality — threaten Punjab's agricultural sustainability. Until policies better reflect on-ground realities and economic drivers, farmers will continue to turn to banned seeds for better harvests,' another expert from the Punjab Agriculture Department said on the condition of anonymity.
