The DMK government ensured that the same grandeur that was put forth during the Chess Olympiad inauguration in July 2022 was there at the Kehlo India Youth Games inauguration held in Chennai on Friday. On both the occasions Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the chief guest.

However, in the extravagant celebration at the Khelo India Youth Games, the Black and Red — the DMK party flag’s colour — was prominently at display with hundreds of dancers were dressed up in Red and Black. This raised an eyebrow whether it was a government function or that of the DMK. The dais that resembled Rising Sun — DMK’s symbol — was also much talked about.

Bhashini app

Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visits to Tamil Nadu would speak in Hindi. The speech would be translated in Tamil by a translator on the dais. This was not only time consuming but at times the audience would turn restless. However, not anymore!

Technology had come to play. At the inauguration of the Khelo India Youth Games 2023 in Chennai on Friday, Modi’s speech was translated in Tamil on real time, and the audience could listen to it on their mobile phones. This is thanks to the app Bhashini (Anuvaad - crowd sourcing initiative developed to help Indian citizens translate content in different Indian languages). All the audience had to do was scan a QR code that was displayed on the huge screens all over the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, download the app and hear the translation in Tamil.

Boom in the Holy Land

As Ayodhya prepares for the grand Prana Pratishtha of Lord Ram Lalla, the city is witnessing a soaring surge in property prices. The spiritual event is proving to be a boon for local realtors and investors. With devotees and tourists flocking in, Ayodhya is fast becoming a hotbed for lucrative real estate deals. It’s also a golden opportunity for savvy investors riding the wave of Ayodhya’s newfound allure.

Tourism, hospitality and travel companies aren’t complaining either.

Those focused on Ayodhya are laughing their way to the bank and central government move to declare half a day holiday has also helped, said an economy watcher. Maharashtra Government declaring a public holiday has been an icing on the cake. With stock markets shut on Monday and money markets closed till 2.30 pm, all eyes are on Ayodhya for sure.

Tackling attention deficit

You must give it to Chief Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran for his smart thinking and how he tackles attention deficits in people (audience) with a slide strategy.

Recently CEA added a touch of wit to his discourse at a Banking Conclave in the capital, sharing the reason behind his preference for slide-filled speeches at any conference or a conclave.

Showing slides would bring benefits in terms of freeing the audience from their smartphone fixation, ensuring active engagement with economic insights, he noted.

This prompted an audience member to cheekily remark in private that CEA was not only a keen observer of the Indian economy, but also of the screen habits of Indians!

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