"The Way I See Things…": Suniel Shetty On 70-Hour Workweek Suggestion

'The Way I See Things...': Suniel Shetty On 70-Hour Workweek Suggestion

“It’s about going beyond your comfort zone,” Mr Shetty said.

Infosys founder Narayana Murthy created a social media stir after suggesting that India’s youngsters must work for 70 hours every week in a bid to boost the country’s overall work productivity. His remarks sparked a national debate and invited both harsh criticism and voices of agreement. While some prominent business leaders backed Mr Muthy’s workweek schedule, others on the internet slammed the billionaire and called his proposed work schedule inhumane. Now, actor and businessman Suniel Shetty has also shared his two cents on the issue. 

In a LinkedIn Post, Mr Shetty said that the way he sees things when someone like Mr Murthy says something people should listen carefully, analyse it for themselves, and take the best out of it. “Even though this is a contentious issue, it’s important to stop & think about what he really meant. For me, it really isn’t about the number of hours. It isn’t about 70 or 100 hour weeks. The way I read his thoughts is simple – It’s about going beyond your comfort zone,” he wrote.

Further, Mr Shetty cited examples of Abdul Kalam, Ratan Tata, Amitabh Bachchan, and Virat Kohli as individuals who excelled in their respective fields. “Do we really think any of these individuals got to where they did in life, by playing within their comfort zones? Do we really think any of these individuals spent the early years of their careers worrying about whether they were striking the right balance between work & life?” he wrote. 

The actor backed Mr Murthy’s 70-hour workweek schedule, saying, “Why I see Mr Murthy’s statement for what it was really trying to convey, is because I do believe that young adults should spend their earliest years pushing their boundaries”. He also highlighted that honing skills, acquiring new ones, dealing with pressure, learning about other functions, working in collaborative environments and generally making the most of the opportunities, should be top priorities for all young adults. 

Also Read | Why Young People Get Heart Attacks: Doctor On Narayana Murthy’s 70-Hour Workweek Suggestion

Mr Shetty concluded by saying that while it is important to have time for family, health, hobbies, friends as well as other things, it is also true that the world is evolving rapidly. “Technology and AI are reshaping the world more than we can imagine. And we need to keep getting better. My dear future leaders – thrive for excellence, put in the hard work and cultivate your skills. Find mentors, build networks and invest in soft skills. The rest will fall into place,” he said. 

Notably, Narayana Murthy commented about the work culture while speaking to former Infosys CEO Mohandas Pai on the first episode of 3one4 Capital’s podcast ‘The Record’. He drew parallels to Japan and Germany, countries that implemented the extended working hours. He also talked about other topics like nation-building, technology, his company Infosys and others.

‘Taj Mahal not built by Shahjahan’: PIL in Delhi High court demands correction of history books

The Delhi High Court on Friday directed the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) to decide representation seeking change in the books of history pertaining to the construction of the Taj Mahal, claiming there is no historical evidence of demolition of palace of Raja Man Singh and fresh construction of Taj Mahal on the same site.

Published Date – 02:20 PM, Fri – 3 November 23


‘Taj Mahal not built by Shahjahan’: PIL in Delhi High court demands correction of history books


New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday directed the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) to decide representation seeking change in the books of history pertaining to the construction of the Taj Mahal, claiming there is no historical evidence of demolition of palace of Raja Man Singh and fresh construction of Taj Mahal on the same site.

The bench of Justice Satish Chander Sharma and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela directed ASI to decide on a representation made by Surjit Singh Yadav, President Hindu Sena (NGO) while disposing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) sought a change in books of history in regards to construction of Taj Mahal.

The plea further sought direction to the Archeological Survey of India to carry out an investigation about the age of the Taj Mahal including the existence of the palace of Raja Man Singh as of 31.12.1631 on the site of the Taj Mahal, in Agra and to file a report before this Court.

The plea claimed that the wrong historical facts are being taught and exhibited to the public and people at large related to the construction of the Taj Mahal.

Petitioner Surjit Singh Yadav also claimed that the cause of action arose when the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) absolved itself from taking a stand on these queries by stating that these queries are a matter of deep study and research. The cause of action continues to persists to date because wrong historical facts related to the construction of the Taj Mahal are still in the public domain.

The petitioner claimed that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in its ASI, Agra Circle website has provided conflicting and contradictory information on the Taj Mahal. Under this, the ASI has mentioned that six months after the death of Mumtaz Mahal in 1631, her body was transferred to Agra to be enshrined in the crypt of the main Tomb of the Taj Mahal. This is contradictory to the information provided in the same web page for Taj Mahal where ASI has claimed that it took 17 years for the monuments complex to be completed in 1648.

Ustad Ahmad Lahori has been cited as the architect of the Taj Mahal. However the study undertaken by the Petitioner establishes that the evidence supporting the identification of Ustad Ahamd Lahori as the architect of the Taj Mahal is only circumstantial. The various court chroniclers of King Shahajhan have been silent about the name of the architect of the Taj Mahal. It is extremely strange that all the court chroniclers of King Shahajhan have not mentioned the name of the architect of this magnificent mausoleum.

Therefore, this quite clearly indicates that the mansion of Raja Man Singh was not demolished but only modified and renovated to create the current look of the Taj Mahal. That is why there is no mention of any architect in the accounts of the court chroniclers of King Shahajhan, the plea read.

Delhi air pollution: Patients with respiratory problems coming to OPDs almost doubled

The air quality in the national capital turned ‘severe’ on Friday morning with Mundka recording the highest Air Quality Index (498).

Published Date – 03:05 PM, Fri – 3 November 23


Delhi air pollution: Patients with respiratory problems coming to OPDs almost doubled


New Delhi: As the Air Quality Index (AQI) in several parts of Delhi-NCR is reeling under the ‘severe’ category, the number of people with respiratory and other problems has increased in the national capital, a health expert said on Friday.

Speaking to ANI on the worsening air quality of the city, Dr, Nikhil Modi, Senior Consultant Respiratory Critical Care, Apollo Hospital, said that the number of patients with respiratory problems coming to OPDs has almost doubled. “When I say the number of those who have respiratory troubles coming to OPDs has almost doubled. That means those who were coming to us have doubled,” the chest specialist at Apollo Hospital said.

The air quality in the national capital turned ‘severe’ on Friday morning with Mundka recording the highest Air Quality Index (498). As per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the AQI in the Lodhi Road area was recorded at 438, in Jahangirpuri at 491, in the RK Puram area and in IGI Airport (T3) at 486 and 473 respectively.

Air Quality Index (AQI) is a tool for effective communication of air quality status to people in terms, which are easy to understand. It transforms complex air quality data of various pollutants into a single number (index value), nomenclature, and colour.

The AQI from 0 to 100 is considered good, while from 100 to 200 it is moderate, from 200 to 300 it is poor, and from 300 to 400 it is said to be very poor and from 400 to 500 or above it is considered as severe, which affects healthy people and seriously impacts those with existing diseases.

Dr Modi said that the deteriorating air quality is having an impact on those persons, who have had respiratory issues in the past. “They are landing up in OPDs. They are landing up in emergencies, and even apart from them, those who never had respiratory issues are having trouble from this. They are facing issues like cough, runny nose, watering of eyes, nose, blog, throat irritation, and also breathing difficulties,” he said.

The doctor said that small children or elderly people are being affected and all of them are suffering from the issue right now. “And even we have seen from data that life expectancy may come down if their pollution exposures remain high,” he added.

The health expert also advised to follow precautions including wearing masks and avoiding going out unnecessarily. “We are in that time of the year where pollution has started to increase once again… The number of patients with breathing problems has increased. More people have coughs, colds, water and irritation in their eyes, and breathing problems. People of every age are affected by this. The time has come for us to use masks. Go out only when needed,” he said.

“Also you should be doing some daily breathing exercises to keep your lungs healthy. Take a rich diet of vegetables and fruits which have lots of antioxidants and vitamins which will help you in the fight against all the harms of this pollution. So this is the bare minimum which we can do at an individual level to pass it,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Delhi government on Thursday ordered for all the government and private primary schools to remain shut for the next two days. In the wake of the worsening air quality, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) invoked the third stage of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) on Thursday.

Stage III of the GRAP is implemented when the AQI hits Severe in the range of 401-450. As part of its response to combat pollution the state government can impose strict restrictions on BS III petrol and BS IV diesel four-wheelers in certain areas and may suspend physical classes in schools for primary grade children up to Class 5. The Delhi government has since suspended primary school classes.

Telangana Elections: AIMIM to contest nine seats

AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday announced the candidates for six constituencies.

Published Date – 03:06 PM, Fri – 3 November 23


Telangana Elections: AIMIM to contest nine seats


Hyderabad: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen will contest nine seats in the upcoming Telangana State Legislative Assembly elections.

The party will be contesting from Nampally, Malakpet, Chandrayangutta, Yakutpura, Bahadurpura, Charminar and Karwan, seats that it had won in 2018, and also Rajendranagar and Jubilee Hills.

AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday announced the candidates for six constituencies.

Charminar – Zulfiqar Ali
Chandrayangutta – Akbaruddin Owaisi.
Malakpet – Ahmed Balala
Nampally – Majid Hussain
Karwan – Kauser Mohiuddin
Yakutpura – Jaffar Hussain Meraj

Candidates for Bahadurpura, Jubilee Hills and Rajendranagar will be announced on Saturday.

Asaduddin said two veterans Mumtaz Ahmed Khan and Ahmed Pasha Quadri have been replaced by two new faces and both of them have happily paved the way for their replacements.

Daughter-in-law murders in-laws using poisonous mushrooms in Australia

A woman accused of serving her ex-husband’s parents and an aunt poisonous mushrooms with lunch appeared in an Australian court Friday, charged with three counts of murder and five of attempted murder.

Published Date – 02:52 PM, Fri – 3 November 23


Daughter-in-law murders in-laws using poisonous mushrooms in Australia

The Latrobe Valley Law Courts building is pictured, where a woman faces three counts of murder and two of attempted murder after cooking a meal of mushrooms, in the Latrobe Valley, east of Melbourne (Photo by MELL CHUN / AFP)

Morwell: A woman accused of serving her ex-husband’s parents and an aunt poisonous mushrooms with lunch appeared in an Australian court Friday, charged with three counts of murder and five of attempted murder.

Erin Patterson, 49, did not enter pleas or apply to be released on bail when she appeared briefly in a local court in Morwell in Victoria state.

Police had arrested her Thursday at her home in Leongatha, where her former husband Simon Patterson, 48; his parents, Gail and Don Patterson, both 70; Gail Patterson’s sister Heather Wilkinson, 66; and Wilkinson’s husband, Ian Wilkison, 68, had been invited to lunch on July 29.

The murder charges relate to Erin Patterson’s parents-in-law and aunt-in-law, who had been hospitalized the next day and died within days. She was charged with the attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson, a Baptist pastor who became critically ill and spent seven weeks in the hospital.

The remaining attempted murder charges relate to her former husband over various events, including the fatal lunch that he was invited to but did not attend. Police allege Simon Patterson became ill after eating three meals in 2021 and 2022, but didn’t specify Erin Patterson’s alleged involvement.

The potential maximum sentence in Victoria for murder is life imprisonment, and for attempted murder, 25 years in prison. The defendant’s two children were at home during the lunch in July but did not share the allegedly poisonous beef Wellington dish.

Police searched Erin Patterson’s house Thursday with what they described as “technology detection dogs.” Predominantly Labradors, the dogs are trained to sniff out electronic storage devices that can be hidden in wall cavities and containers of food.

Prosecutor Greg Ellis requested the case be adjourned for 20 weeks to allow police time to analyze computer equipment seized from the home.

Magistrate Tim Walsh ordered Erin Patterson to remain in custody and appear in court next on May 3. Walsh told her it was important that her case “progresses through the system as fast as possible.” She replied “OK” and nodded her head.

Police say the symptoms of the four family members who attended the lunch were consistent with poisoning from wild Amanita phalloides, known as death cap mushrooms.

Patterson has publicly denied any wrongdoing. “I’m devastated. I loved them. I can’t believe that this has happened and I’m so sorry,” she tearfully told reporters two days after the third death.
The Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported that Patterson wrote in a statement that she cooked the meal using mushrooms bought from a major supermarket chain and dried mushrooms from an Asian grocery store. She wrote that she also ate the meal and later had stomach pains and diarrhea.

Joe Biden calls for 'pause' in the Gaza conflict

US President Joe Biden on Wednesday called for a “pause” in the conflict between the Israeli regime and Palestinian Resistance group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Biden made the remarks while responding to a protestor at the campaign.

“I think we need a pause. A pause means to give time to get the prisoners out,” Reuters quoted him as saying.

The continuation of the White House’s unlimited financial and arms aid to the Zionist regime has led to the expansion of the intensity of the bombing of Palestinian civilians, women, and children in Gaza and the West Bank.

The Israeli war has so far claimed the lives of over 9,000 innocent Palestinians and left upwards of 32,000 others wounded.

The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly passed a resolution, calling for the implementation of an immediate “humanitarian truce” in Gaza. The Israeli regime has rejected all calls for a ceasefire, claiming it would benefit Hamas.

SD/PR/IRN85279004

Iran’s renewable energy profile and massive potential

The economic council of the Iranian government has approved the construction of 3,000 megawatts of wind power, head of Iran’s Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Organization (SATBA) Mahmoud Kamani says.

For the past year and a half, models for the construction of wind power plants along with solar power plants have been presented and discussed by the council, with a final decision made Wednesday night.

The electricity generated by the wind power plants will be purchased by the Ministry of Energy at a rate of 9.5 cents for a period of four and a half years, after which the owners of the power plants can trade it on Iran Energy Exchange (IRENEX).

The statute of the self-regulatory commodity exchange stipulates that all energy carriers and energy based derivatives including oil, gas and electricity shall be listed and traded on one of the IRENEX markets.

The company says its mission is to develop a market in which trades are done under transparency, efficiency and liquidity.

According to Kamani, sites for constructing 40,000 MW of renewable capacity have been identified. In the first phase, tenders will be held for four sites in Razavi and South Khorasan, Sistan and Baluchistan and Zanjan provinces to build wind power plants.

In the next phase, tenders will be held in ten other provinces, including Kerman and Semnan, where the necessary appraisals have been completed.

The initial 3,000 MW capacity is estimated to join the national grid in five years since wind powers usually take more time to build than solar powers, Kamani said.  

In the past, Iranian officials have said there is a potential to install 30,000 MW of wind power and 10,000 MW of solar power capacity in the country.

Currently, Iran has about 450 MW of wind power installed. It has also an installed capacity of about 440 MW represented by solar installations.

Iran is a signatory of the 2015 Paris climate agreement committing 195 nations to limit their carbon emissions. In its intended nationally determined contribution (INDC) in 2015, Iran committed to reducing its greenhouse gases emissions by 4% (unconditional pledge) and up to 12% (conditional on international financial and technical assistance) by 2030 compared to a business-as-usual (BAU) scenario.

Before former US president Donald Trump reimposed sanctions on Iran in May 2018, the Islamic Republic expected its installed renewable capacity to grow at least sevenfold over the next five years.

However, European companies such as Norway’s Saga Energy, British firm Quercus, Dutch energy firm Global Renewables Investments (GRI) cancelled their plans to build renewable capacities worth several billion dollars in Iran.

Saga scrapped a $2.9 billion deal to install 2,380 MW in renewable capacity in the oil-producing country. Quercus had signed a deal to help build the world’s sixth-largest solar farm in central Iran with an investment of over half a billion euros. GRI planned to build up solar and wind farms that could produce up to 1,700 MW of electricity.

Energy is the most important factor in socio-economic development. The role of electricity in development of industrial infrastructures, economic development and in improvement of life styles and standards is crucial.

The emerging global approach has led policymakers to assess the different sources of energies which are safe and sustainable. Mixed energy or using a combination of different power production methods is becoming the most suitable option, in order not to depend on one resource where natural or manmade disasters pose a myriad of risks to sustainable supplies.

Increase in renewable capacity can allow Iran to free up a significant amount of natural gas burnt in thermal power plants and feed it to export pipelines.

Iran’s electricity consumption is heavily dominated by fossil fuels, making up over 90% of the energy mix. Gas is by far the most used source for electricity production in Iran, accounting for roughly 80 percent of the country’s power output with remaining contributions coming from hydropower, coal, nuclear, and non-hydro power renewables. 

Among the low-carbon energy sources, hydropower takes the lead with close to 4.5% of the national electricity supply, followed by a small yet pivotal nuclear energy contribution of about 1%.

As one of the world’s largest natural gas producing countries and with the US having imposed embargoes on oil and gas trade with Iran, the country’s primary energy consumption has grown rapidly over the past decade and remains particularly high.

According to the official website of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), Iran’s primary energy consumption expanded by about 40% between 2006 and 2016.

One way Iran could increase its proportion of low-carbon electricity generation is by learning from the successful policies of countries like France, Ukraine, and Slovakia that generate more than half of their electricity from nuclear power.

Iran’s existing experience and infrastructure in nuclear energy heralds substantial benefits from this model. In June, Vice President Mohammad Mokhber said the country plans to produce 20,000 megawatts of electricity using nuclear power. He said the use of fossil fuel was losing its place and the importance of nuclear energy doubling.

Iran’s wind power generation potential is similar to Denmark and Ireland, where wind energy contributes over a third to their respective national grids. Moreover, the country has huge solar potential with sunny climate and vast deserts like Jordan, Yemen, and Chile where solar energy accounts for up to 17% of the national mix.

Messaging app Telegram blocks Hamas channels

Telegram has been a popular channel for Hamas and its military arm, the Qassam Brigade since the October 7 attacks on Israel.

Updated On – 02:29 PM, Fri – 3 November 23


Messaging app Telegram blocks Hamas channels


Israel: Encrypted messaging app, Telegram has restricted access to several channels affiliated with the Palestinian armed group Hamas. Telegram has been a popular channel for Hamas and its military arm, the Qassam Brigade since the October 7 attacks on Israel.

The official account of Hamas along with the news account, ‘Gaza Now’ have not been accessible on versions of Telegram, founded by brother Nikolai and Pavel Durov, downloaded from Google Play or Apple’s App Store since last week, Al Jazeera reported.

Telegram has become popular amongst the Hamas group in order to promote its anti-Zionist message. The platform’s loose moderation policies allow Hamas to broadcast violent videos and images of its attacks on Israel in real-time.

Qassam Brigade and Hamas’ official channels grew by nearly half a million and 100,000 subscribers, respectively, in the wake of the October 7 attacks.

Gaza Now – which is described as “Hamas-aligned” by the Atlantic Council – went from 343,506 subscribers to nearly 1.9 million.

Other armed groups including ISIL (ISIS) and al-Qaeda have also used Telegram as a way of promoting their ideology and claiming responsibility for attacks.

Telegram has not publicly commented on the reasons for restricting access, however, Google Play requires apps that feature user-generated content to moderate “egregious content, including content that promotes terrorist acts, incites violence, or celebrates terrorist attacks”, a report by Al Jazeera has said.

Hamas, whose domain rests in the Gaza Strip, is considered a “terrorist” organisation by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Japan and Paraguay.

Layla Mashkoor, an associate editor at the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab said that “Telegram served a purpose to Hamas that day and every day since because it lacks moderation policies and these lax rules allow militant groups to upload graphic footage of the carnage they are participating in, and then that content will filter to other places on the internet like X,” Al Jazeera has shared.

Ahmedabad Family Completes Special Vintage Car Unity Tour From India To UK

Ahmedabad Family Completes Special Vintage Car Unity Tour From India To UK

The tour concluded on National Unity Day.

London:

An Ahmedabad-based businessman who embarked on a special unity tour in a cherished UK-made vintage car to mark 76 years of India’s independence back in August has completed his mission to bring the 1950 MG YT back to its birthplace in England.

Daman Thakore, 50, accompanied by his 75-year-old father, 21-year-old daughter and a close-knit group of friends and family covered over 11,000 kilometres across 14 countries to drive up their car named “Lal Pari” to the MG factory in Abingdon, south-east England, on Tuesday.

The tour concluded on National Unity Day, celebrated in India on the birth anniversary of Sardar Patel, with Thakore handing over a replica of Gujarat’s Statue of Unity to a representative of King Charles III.

“Lal Pari embarked on this journey with the motive of spreading smiles and the message of Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam – One World, One Family,” said Thakore.

“A replica of the Statue of Unity travelled with us as a hood ornament made in sterling silver with the Indian and British national flag, which was handed over to Deputy Lieutenant Felicity Dick – a representative of His Majesty the King in Oxfordhsire. The MG factory building there is defunct now but we wanted to make this symbolic stop on Rashtriya Ekta Divas,” he said.

The intrepid traveller said that it was the values of Sardar Patel of self-reliance and confidence that motivated “Team Lal Pari” to continue the extreme journey through the scorching heat of Dubai and Iran, the desert of Iran, a sandstorm and daunting mountainous terrain in Turkey, the canals in Venice, the Gotthard Pass in Switzerland and the serene, beautiful roads of France.

“Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, one of the most influential personalities in the history of free India and a symbol of unity who integrated more than 560 princely states into the Union of India within a remarkably short span of time, was one of the motivating factors for the remarkable journey in a 73-year-old classic car from India to London,” added Thakore.

The expedition was symbolically flagged off by Mangal Prabhat Lodha, Minister of Skills, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the government of Maharashtra, on Independence Day in August in Mumbai.

Thakore, Managing Partner at Amin Equipment which specialises in large construction equipment, says the road trip is a heartfelt homage to his parents who nurtured his love for adventure through extensive car journeys during Diwali holidays. 

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Jordan's king visits Qatar, Bahrain, UAE to discuss Gaza War

King Abdullah met with Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in the capital Doha on Wednesday, the Jordan News Agency reported.

During the meeting, Abdullah stressed that a military or a security solution would not succeed in resolving the Palestinian issue.

He also “warned against the expansion of the cycle of violence into the region” and renewed Jordan’s rejection of attempts to forcibly displace the Palestinians in Gaza or cause their internal displacement.

The two leaders also stressed the importance of protecting civilians and allowing uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

King Abdullah met with King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa during his visit to Bahrain, stressing “the importance of enabling the work of international humanitarian organizations there to proceed without impediments” and “warned against the continuous deterioration of the situation in Gaza.”

The two leaders called for stepping up regional and international diplomatic efforts preventing the forced displacement of Gazans and stopping the escalation.

During his visit to the UAE, King Abdullah met with President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. They discussed the ongoing escalation in the region in addition to enhancing bilateral relations in various fields.

The two leaders also discussed the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and the need for urgent international efforts to stop the dangerous military escalation and to provide full protection to civilians.

SD/PR