Destination Chad

 This is an interesting documentary on Chad, a landlocked country at the crossroads of North and Central Africa.

Its a tough terrain with the majority of the country being desert sands. Not much by way of agriculture is to be found except for fishing which is probably the main occupation and source of living for the people here.

So this guy travels by his four wheel drive from Cameroon into Chad with Ndjamena, the capital being his first port in Chad. The beauty of this documentary is that he goes close to the local people and interacts with them in a friendly way and gets their story. Along the way he meets a witch doctor, a blacksmith, a young lady who is married with children but not educated and so on.

He also goes to the Waza natural game park, traverses through Lake Chad, Massakoury, Ngouri, Mau where he meets nomads who come to the market place to sell their dromedaries. There is also a view of an oasis in the desert which grows several fruits and vegetables.

The country is bereft of much trade and occupation except primary ones and it is hoped that oil is discovered somewhere which will then benefit the villagers and the people. The documentary is done well with narration and translation, but would have been better to have sub titles for the dialogues spoken in their local dialects rather than voice overs. Hearing different languages and dialects itself is a pleasure.

Camera work is quite fantastic along with the editing, which is done neatly. You can watch the documentary here

8.48 kms

 Squeezed in a 8.48 kms on a Sunday morning in deadly humidity and heat in Bombay. Coming back to running after almost two weeks of non running did have its effect though. Luckily could manage today without taking a walking break. Have a great day folks. 

3.12 kms

 

evening walk of 3.12 kms with the kiddo, did inside the colony only - some of the roads have been dug up, so had to take a detour of sorts. Little bit of breeze at one stretch, otherwise since the sun had already set, it was ok. Worked up quite an appetite now. 

3.42 kms

 

Back running after 13 days hiatus due to one reason or another. Feels good to be back. Did a low mileage planning to do a back to back long run tomorrow. Running is stress free, its the best destresser in the world. Have a great weekend folks. 

Stalker

 It is classified as a science fiction film, but it is anything but that "Stalker" (1979) directed by Andrei Tarkovsky and starring Alexander Kadanovsky, Anatoly Solonitsyn, Nikolai Grinko among others.

Its the slowest science fiction movie that i have ever seen. The camera moves ever so slowly and with a purpose. The Stalker (Alexander Kadanosky) takes people to a distant place where ordinary laws of physics do not apply and it was probably a site where a meteorite once fell. That is called the Zone and it is a difficult path to traverse.

One can't go in a straight line and each step has to be carefully taken. The stalker takes two men - the Writer (Anatoly Solonitsyn) and the Professor (Nikolai Grinko) to the Zone. Inside the Zone there is a room where all your desires and wishes will be fulfilled. Its an allegorical film in the sense that to achieve such a state of consciousness that to achieve one's desires, a person has to pass through many obstacles and difficulties and hardship.

The script is intellectually challenging because a whole host of philosophical questions are thrown at the viewer. The camera work is absolutely astounding, the art design showing the ruins and remnants of an industrial building including dirty water is breathtaking and stark. Cinematography as usual is quite good. Andrei Tarkovsky's movies are difficult to follow yet there is something in it for the viewers, something deep and thoughtful that a viewer can relate to in his own life. IMDB 6/10 

penalty on unimoni financial

 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed monetary penalty of ₹2.97 million on Unimoni Financial Services Limited (the entity) for non-compliance with the instruction contained in paragraph 9.1(i) of the Master Direction on Issuance and Operation of Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPI MD) dated October 11, 2017 (as updated on November 17, 2020).

It was observed that the entity was non-compliant with the directions issued by RBI on small-PPI requirements. Accordingly, notice was issued to the entity advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed for non-compliance with the directions.

https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/BS_PressReleaseDisplay.aspx?prid=53696

This is RBI's way of announcing regulatory measures. So pathetic it is not giving any details of the non compliance or violation of the provisions of the regulations. 

Ayurveda Regulations

 https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1824783

Ministry of Ayush and Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) under MoHFW, India’s apex body for food regulation has formulated regulations of safety & quality standards for food products under ‘Ayurveda Aahara’ category. This comprehensive initiative will ensure manufacturing of quality Ayurveda food products and help in expanding the international market for Make-In-India products. The Ministry of Ayush is confident these regulations will further strengthen India’s global positioning as a custodian of Ayush system. 

According to the regulation, manufacturing and marketing of ‘Ayurveda Aahara’ products will now adhere to strict Food Safety and Standards (Ayurveda Aahara) Regulations, 2022 rules and will be available in market only after license/approval from FSSAI. A special logo has been created for “Ayurveda Aahara” category, which will enable easier identification and reinforce quality in Ayurveda food products. 

The Ministry of Ayush with an understanding that food safety and quality is a shared responsibility between manufacturers, consumers and everyone has a role to play to ensure food we consume is safe and healthy. This has been further strengthened after resurgence of COVID-19 pandemic brought the focus on food, nutrition, health, immunity and sustainability.

According to the regulations, all food prepared in accordance with the recipes/ingredients/processes described in the authoritative books of Ayurveda will be considered as “Ayurveda Aahara”. Food recipes and ingredients for promoting health, specific physiological needs, and foods specified for consumption during or post specified diseases, disorders referred as Pathya in Ayurved are covered under these regulations.

The labelling of ‘Ayurveda Aahara’ shall specify the intended purpose, the target consumer group, recommended duration of use and other specific requirements. Health claims and disease risk reduction claims for the different categories of 'Ayurveda Aahara' and their approval process shall be in accordance with the requirements specified in regulations. However, ‘Ayurveda Aahara’ will not include Ayurvedic drugs or proprietary Ayurvedic medicines and medicinal products, cosmetics, narcotic or psychotropic substances and herbs. Further, Ayurveda Aahara is also not recommended to young children below age 2 years.

‘Ayurveda Aahara’ needs prior approval, the same shall be in accordance with the Food Safety and Standards (Approval for Non-Specific Food and Food Ingredients) Regulation, 2017. FSSAI shall constitute an Expert Committee under the Ministry of Ayush consisting of relevant experts including representatives of FSSAI for providing recommendation on approval of claims and products and the committee shall also empower to address concerns regarding registration or licensing or certification or laboratory accreditation or testing or quality issues related to “Ayurveda Aahara”.

Food business operator to adhere quality parameters for the ingredients as per the criteria defined under Food Safety and Standards Regulations, relevant BIS specifications.