# 10YearChallenge of Life March 11, 2019 Rs 60 www.outlookindia.com INDIA-PAKISTAN CONTROLLED R N I N O 4 / 904150 800010 09 from darkness to light The sex ratio in some districts was quite low but it has been steadily improving after Beti Bachao Beti Padhao We are proud that the ratio reached 900 in 2016 and 914 in 2018 I am confident that it will cross 925 soon Manohar LaL Chief Minister, Haryana Women and Child deVeloPment Within four years of the national-level Beti Bachao Beti Padhao programme being launched, Haryana has been making rapid strides—improving its sex ratio in the worst-affected districts and getting rewarded both for its overall management of the scheme and for district-level achievements In order to address the decline in child sex ratio and promote women’s empowerment, the national-level Beti Bachao Beti Padhao programme was launched on January 22, 2015, in Panipat, Haryana The state has been a front-ranking performer: within three years, the Sex Ratio at Birth in Haryana had risen to 914 girls Haryana has won four awards, including a state-level and three district-level awards, for its successful implementation of the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao programme The state-level award was given in the category of ‘overall support, guidance and monitoring’ While Karnal district was awarded for effective community engagement, Jhajjar was chosen for enabling girl child education and Kurukshetra for having enforced the PCPNDT Act effectively The third anniversary of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme was celebrated in Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan On the occasion, 10 districts were selected for performing exemplary work Sonipat district was awarded by the honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for implementing the PCPNDT Act effectively A total of 32 women police stations were set up in the state to ensure safe and secure environment for women 11 March 2019 OutlOOk 03 Every district headquarter has one women police station and women help desks have been established at the subdivisional level, manned entirely by female officers Under the Criminal Law Bill-2018, rape of a child under the age of 12 years will invite death penalty In order to check crime against women and girls in the state, 30 units of Durga Shakti Rapid Action Force along with 50 patrolling vehicles have been constituted To boost the safety of women, the Durga Shakti app was introduced on July 12, 2018, under the ‘Ek aur Sudhaar’ programme Any woman can download this mobile app, register and use the SOS button during any emergency for help So far, 1,03,727 people have downloaded this app 04 OutlOOk 11 March 2019 The Durga Shakti mobile app has been launched to boost women’s safety Over a lakh people have already downloaded the app so far The government has given orders to complete investigation of rape cases in one month and eve-teasing cases within 15 days Out of the 49 government women colleges opened under the present government, as many as 34 are meant specially for women Under the path-breaking Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana launched in May 2016, a grant of Rs 1,600 is provided to women of underprivileged families to avail LPG connections Under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, 6,34,407 LPG connections were provided to the underprivileged and poor: 1,77,691 connections have been provided from the state fund, plus 8,474 connections to Khaki ration-card holders, bringing the total number of connections to 8, 20,572 Haryana is the first state in India to be awarded the title of “Kerosene Free” state In the Panchayati Raj elections held on January, 2016, 42% women representatives were chosen against the 33% reserved seats for women The limit of free travel facility for girl students of universities has been increased from 60 km to 150 km Special bus services were also launched on 151 routes for girl students and women International woman wrestler Geeta Phogat from Charkhi Dadri district has been elevated to DCP ComParatiVe stUdY of CUrrent and PreVioUs goVernment name of sCheme First time in the state government women employees started getting a monthly child care allowance of Rs 1,500 from May 2018 The first phase of Mission Indradhanush—meant for the immunisation of children and pregnant women who have either not been vaccinated at all or partially vaccinated—was launched on December 25, 2014 In Haryana, it started on April 7, 2015 And till January 2019, a total of 3,06,328 pregnant women and 1,107,632 children have been immunised in all districts of the state The Sukanya Samridh Khata Yojana was started on January 22, 2015, in Panipat, under which bank accounts can be opened for girl children up to 10 years The rates of interest are the highest under this scheme and until now, a total of PreVioUs goVernment (2014) Ladies’ Bus Service No service available Free Travel Services Till 60 kms CUrrent goVernment (2019) On 151 routes Till 150 kms For Female Students Govt Women College Sex Ratio 29 63 879 914 Female Police Station 32 Female Representatives in Panchayat Raj Elections 36% 42% 11 March 2019 OutlOOk 05 4,81,271 accounts have been opened in post offices Sakshi Malik, who won a bronze at the Rio Olympics, was awarded Rs 2.5 crore, and Deepa Malik, who got a silver in shotput in the Rio Para Olympics, was awarded Rs crore Under the Aapki Beti Hamari Beti scheme, the first girl child in Scheduled Caste and underprivileged families will get a grant of Rs 21,000 Whereas for other families, on the birth of their second and third girl child, an amount of Rs 21,000 will be given as a lumpsum within one year of birth through the Bharatiya Jeevan Bima Nigam in the name of the child After attaining 18 years of age (unmarried), a lumpsum amount of Rs lakh will be transferred to their account Approximately, 1,49,107 people have already benefited from this scheme People living below the poverty line belonging to Scheduled Caste communities or denotified and/or nomadic tribes will get Rs 51,000 for the marriage of their daughters from January 25, 2019 Under the Prime Minister Shagun Yojana, Rs 51,000 will be given to the widows living below the poverty line for the marriage of their daughters Widows, divorcees, homeless women, orphans and destitute children whose earning is less than Rs lakh a year, will be given 06 OutlOOk 11 March 2019 Rs 51,000 for their marriage Sakshi Malik, who won the bronze medal in the 2016-17 Rio Olympics in wrestling, was awarded Rs 2.5 crore and Deepa Malik, who won a silver medal in shotput in the 2016 Rio Para Olympics, was awarded Rs crore as an honour by the government The Haryana Kanya Kosh was launched for the progress and development of women in the state ‘One-Stop centres’ have been set up in Karnal, Rewari, Faridabad, Gurugram, Bhiwani, Hissar and Narnaul to help women who are victims of violence Fifteen centres were established in 2018-19 The first modern anganwadi centre, ‘NandGhar’, was inaugurated at Hasanpur village in Sonipat A total of 672 FIRs have been registered against the violators of the PNDT the M.T.P Act On January 2016, honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in his “Mann ki Baat” appreciated the Haryana government for curbing female foeticide and for the success of the “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao” initiative The state government awarded the district administrations of Narnaul, Bhiwani and Jhajjar for their efforts in improving the sex ratio in 2015-16 Rohtak, Rewari, Jind and Ambala were conferred awards in 2016-17 and Kurukshetra, Yamunanagar, and Jhajjar districts were awarded in 2017-18 To honour women on the occasion of women’s day, Indira Gandhi Mahila Shakti Puraskar, Kalpana Chawla Shourya Puraskar, Behen Shanno Devi Panchayati Raj puraskar, Lifetime Achievement puraskar, Khel Puraskar for special achievements, Sarkari va Samajik Seva Puraskar were given away Puraskar’ in 2015-16 for improving the malnutrition level in children under the age of years Kaithal, Mewat and Gurugram were awarded in 2016-17 and Jind, Panipat, and Yamunanagar in 2017-18 District administrations of Panchkula, Jind, Narnaul and Mewat were given the ‘District-level Poshan To encourage education for girls in the rural areas, the prize money given under the Gramin Kishori Balikao ko Puraskar Yojana has been increased In nearly four years of Mission Indradhanush being launched, over 11 lakh children and over three lakh pregnant women have been immunised Girl students scoring the first, second and third position under the Haryana School Education Board in the matriculation exam are awarded with a prize money of Rs 8,000, Rs 6,000 and Rs 4,000 respectively Girls achieving the first, second and third place in the higher secondary exam in the block level are awarded with a prize money of Rs 12,000, Rs 10,000 and Rs 8,000 respectively 11 March 2019 OutlOOk 07 The awards for the Rural Women Sports Competitions at the Block level, the awards for the first, second and third positions, have been increased from 500, 300 and 200 rupees to 2,100, 1,100 and 750 rupees respectively At the district level, the rewards for the first, second and third positions have been increased from 1,000, 750 and 500 rupees to 4,100, 3,100 and 2,100 rupees respectively At the State level, the rewards for the first, second and third positions have been increased from 3,100, 2,100 and 1,100 rupees to 11,000, 8100 and 4,100 rupees respectively Under the Sarvashreshtha Mata Award Scheme, the amount rewarded for the first, second and third positions at the Circular level have been increased from 500, 300 and 200 rupees to 2,000, 1,200 and 800 rupees respectively At the block level, the amount rewarded for the first, second and third positions have 08 OutlOOk 11 March 2019 been increased from 1,000, 750 and 500 rupees to 4,000, 3,000 and 2,000 rupees respectively To acknowledge the work done towards improving the sex ratio, the state was awarded the Kangi Devi Award on March 8, 2016 On the eve of National Girls’ Day, Yamunagar district was honoured with the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao award It was chosen among 100 districts in the first phase of the As many as 4.8 lakh accounts have been opened for girls under age 10, earning the highest interest rates, under the Sukanya Samridh Khata Yojana programme organised by the Central Government on January 24, 2017 This became another moment of pride for a state that has been moving from a very distressing record to scale new heights The allowance for anganwadi workers, anganwadi helpers and mini Anganwadi workers, including the ones with more than 10 years’ of experience and 10 years’ experience, has been kept at Rs 11,429 and Rs 10,286 respectively from February 2018 The mini anganwadi workers’ allowance is also kept at Rs 10,286 while the anganwadi helpers’ allowance is kept at Rs 5,715 This has benefited 25,962 anganwadi workers and 25,450 anganwadi helpers throughout the state The Pradhan Mantri Vandana Yojna was launched on January, 1, 2017 Under this scheme, Rs 5,000 would be given to pregnant and breastfeeding women in three instalments Till now, the scheme has covered 2,14,572 women across Haryana #10YearChallenge of Life March 11, 2019 Rs 60 www.outlookindia.com INDIA-PAKISTAN CONTROLLED R N I N O 4 / 904150 800010 09 YEAR CHALLENGE QUOTE UNQUOTE SHASHI THAROOR Congress leader TANUJA CHANDRA Film director “A film I directed came out after a long gap although work never stopped; I was writing and developing scripts but sig­ nificantly, I was engaging with the way I thought about writing itself The struggle with the craft wasn’t different, to give shape and full­blooded form to something that emerges as an idea, to give it a beginning, middle and end, to give it a beating heart I made my first romcom, Qarib Qarib Singlle It felt apt to something I hadn’t done before, it deepened a belief to almost a certainty, that the tradi­ tional isn’t some­ thing one should strive for To come close to the truth of our lives, we must veer away from the apparent safety of what’s been done before What fright­ ens us is what will make us soar.” “Entering the hurly­ burly of Indian politics, swapping suits and ties for kurtas and bundies enduring agniparikshas of accusations and attacks…becoming a presence on social media, trying to move the needle of public discourse in our nation on everything from LGBTQ rights to sedition law to freedom of expression, inflicting unfamiliar words on the public, suffering per­ sonal bereavement…author­ ing five bestselling books and battling for re­elec­ tion—all these experiences have been new, challenging and sometimes invigorat­ ing Surely, the next 10 can’t possibly match up?” KUBBRA SAIT Actress NEERAJ CHOPRA Javelin thrower “My life on the athletics field has changed, I too have aged along with increased competition When I started out, there wasn’t anything in mind, so it was a bit easy But with passage of time I now focus on everything that I and work harder There comes a stage in sports where it beco­ mes difficult to improve, leave alone maintain it Also, more people recognise me now and I have to be careful in what I I don’t like much living the life of a celebrity; I just want to live a simple life and want people to know that I am working hard I still have the same food that an athlete normally eats, but I’m more careful now.” SAKSHI MALIK Olympic medalist wrestler “Ten years ago, I would roam around in Rohtak normally, on my cycle and on my Activa The biggest change for me was winning the 2016 Olympic medal, fulfill­ ing a dream of about 12 years The other big change was my marriage I always wanted to marry a wrestler and have my own akhara, and I’ve got both Now more people recognise me ” “I quit a corporate job to pursue my passion Learnt to act, failed to act, unlearned to act, then ended up playing a character which will be etched with my name for maybe another decade Moved countries, moved homes, moved hearts Had my heart broken, broke some hearts too I killed my fear of water and learned to swim, and now I scuba­dive Climbed a mountain I became older, tried to love myself a little more…I am bet­ ter than I was 10 years ago, and I am excited about what the next 10 have in store.” Maruti Suzuki Ertiga Mahindra Marazzo Carnival toyota innova Crysta automotive changing gears They say beauty is in the eyes of the beholder But sometimes you have to question whether the beholder is blind! 112 OutlOOk 11 march 2019 Has anyone seen the new BMW X7 and Series? The X7 looks like it was separated at birth from a gopher, and the facelifted looks it got one Botox shot too many Actually, it appears to have gone toe-to-toe with a Mercedes-Benz S Class and come away considerably worse for wear Who would have thought that the day would come when we would be wishing for the return of Chris Bangle – famous for the controversial ‘Bangle Butt.’ Whatever happened to straight lines and good proportions You only have to look at the 2nd and 3rd generation Series – the E32 and E38 – to witness a masterclass in this design philosophy While we’re on the subject of design and the BMW Group, we can’t not address the elephant in the room – the Rolls Royce Cullinan Whereas the Phantom, Silver Wraith, Silver Dawn and Silver Shadow have been the very definition of class, restraint and taste in their various avatars over the decades, the Cullinan appears to have traded in restraint for selfindulgence Let’s just say that it appears to be trying a little too hard But these ills aren’t only the preserve of the BMW Group The Bentley Bentayga has looks that only a mother could love W O Bentley must have turned in his grave when the design of the Bentayga was approved by the VW Group But it appears that I’m on the wrong side of this debate, because the proof of the pudding is in the eating – and the Middle East and China consume these machines as if they’re candy f loss at a carnival They just can’t seem to get enough! Designs, across the board, appear to be getting more brash and in-yourface – the brasher the better appears to be the ethos at present But there are a few bright spots as well Volvo’s contemporary designs appear to pay homage to their heritage while looking cutting edge, modern and sophisticated at the same time And, closer to home, Pratap Bose and his team at Tata Motors are doing a phenomenal job with their new designs In fact, the Harrier is the first example in a long time of a truly original design Well done, Pratap But if you plan to export the Harrier to the Middle East or China, please create a special design for those markets and don’t subject the rest of us to swollen nostrils or butterfly net grilles Dhruv Behl, Editor, autoX @dhruv_behl | dbehl@autox.com Connect with us: autoX autoX autoX autoXmag autox.com TaTa harrier launched aT `12.69 lakh After a long wait, Tata has finally launched the Harrier with four variants on offer Prices start at `12.69 lakh for the base XE variant and go up to `16.25 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) for the topend XZ variant Built on the same D8 platform as the Land Rover Discovery Sport, the Harrier goes on sale with a single diesel powerplant The engine, in fact, is the same Fiatsourced 2.0-litre motor that you find under the hood of the Jeep Compass For the Harrier though, it has been tuned to develop 138bhp and 350Nm Tata has launched the Harrier with a six-speed manual transmission as of now – an automatic model will be offered at a later stage and a sevenseater version is also expected Tata has packed the Harrier to the gills with equipment, in the form of leather upholstery, automatic headlamps and wipers, cruise control, an 8.8-inch infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity The Harrier also comes loaded with safety features that include airbags, ABS, ESP, ESC, roll over mitigation, hill hold, hill descent control, and more The Tata Harrier will compete against the likes of the Jeep Compass, Hyundai Creta and the Mahindra XUV500 kicks aiMs for The creTa Nissan has developed the India-spec Kicks from the ground up for the Indian market, to compete in the mid-size SUV space Built on the same platform as the current Renault Duster and Captur, the Kicks brings an edgy design language to the segment, with its steeply raked pillars and sharp design lines The Kicks features a 360-degree parking camera system and best-in-class seats The powertrain choices include 1.5 litre, four-cylinder, petrol and diesel engines The petrol model gets a fivespeed manual gearbox, while the diesel gets a six-speed manual transmission There are no automatic options at the moment The Kicks is being offered with a choice of four variants – XL, XV, XV Premium and XV Premium +, with prices ranging between `9.55 lakh to `14.65 lakh (ex-showroom) BMW X4 launched aT `60.60 lakh If a traditional SUV isn’t to your taste, and you want something that’s a bit more dapper, you can opt for the BMW X6 – which has been on offer in India for some time But if your budget doesn’t permit you to stretch for an X6, the Munich-based carmaker has now introduced the X4 in India Locally produced in Chennai, the X4 is now on sale in three variants – xDrive20d at `60.60 lakh, the xDrive30d with a sticker price of `65.90 lakh and xDrive30i petrol at `63.50 lakh (all prices are ex-showroom) The most affordable of the lot is the 2.0-litre diesel in xDrive20d trim, producing 188bhp and 400Nm BMW has also brought in the 2.0-litre petrol motor that’s the same as the one on other models, such as the 3GT, Series and the 6GT Here too, the output figures are identical – 248bhp and 350Nm The top-of-the-line variant is the xDrive30d, which is powered by a 3.0-litre six-cylinder diesel that develops 265bhp and an insane 620Nm of torque, which ensures that the X4 30d crosses the 100km/h mark in just seconds 11 march 2019 OutlOOk 113 au to m otive The Minivans, People Carriers, MPVs, call them what you will, but they’re certainly having a moment at present A segment dominated by the Innova has recently seen the introduction of a brand new Ertiga at one end and is likely to see an entirely new entrant at the other Here’s the full lowdown m words: JArEd SoloMon // photography: KAPIl VASHIST PV or MUV? I just call them fact that these are the most practical, minivans because that’s comfortable and usable cars on precisely what they are the planet Some refer to them flashback as people carriers, Do you remember the first because, essentially, that’s pros car your family owned? Well, what they – carry people Lots of standard I admit that I’ve got a terrible Sometimes lots of them! equipment memory, but the fact that my And, of course, space wagon More space than very first memory as an infant is also accurate because you’d think is driving with my parents they’re spacious – and that’s around Delhi in our Ford perhaps why most look like coNs Falcon sedan does, I think, inflated rectangles If you Unsupportive seats say something about me being notice a hint of disapproval a ‘car nut.’ The only thing in my tone, well, you’re that I distinctly remember right I really don’t like the X-factor about that car though is that design of an MPV Well, they More competent it was bright yellow and had can hardly be considered… and comfortable the biggest steering wheel stylish! That said, there’s than ever before I’ve ever seen However, we no taking away from the l l l Maruti suzuki Ertiga Engine: 1,462cc / 4-Cylinders / 16-Valves Fuel: Petrol transmission: 4-Speed AT Front-Wheel Drive Power: 103bhp @ 6,000rpm torque: 138Nm @ 4,400rpm Price: `9.50 lakh (Ex-showroom, Delhi) autox.com Mahindra Marazzo Engine: 1,497cc / 4-Cylinders / 16-Valves / Turbocharged Fuel: Diesel transmission: 6-Speed Manual / Front-Wheel Drive Power: 119bhp @ 3,500rpm torque: 300Nm @ 1,750-2,500rpm Price: `14.29 lakh (Ex-showroom, Delhi) never really drove it much, and my best memories are not about that big yellow steel box but our second car, the Van There was a time when we simply referred to the Maruti Suzuki Omni as the Van I remember it was white, and my dad had its seats customised We’d go on road trips across the country on a regular basis, and the Van was spacious enough for my entire family – along with our cook, luggage and even our dog Now, there’s hardly any doubt that the Omni was the very first multipurpose vehicle in India Irrespective of how crude and simple the Omni was, it certainly was a very practical and, in those days, comfortable car Moreover, you could take it almost anywhere With a tiny three-cylinder 786cc petrol engine, no air conditioning and absolutely no safety features, the Van still had great real-world use As the Indian market expanded, the entire landscape changed With the emergence of new Indian manufacturers and the rapid entry of foreign brands, various car models flooded the market However, manufacturers knew that in India there’s a space, and a big one, for people carriers In 1997 Toyota came to India, and in 2000 they launched the Qualis And while it was quite successful, it wasn’t until 2005, when Toyota launched the Innova, that they completely revolutionised the MUV segment in India The Pioneer The Innova was launched 15 years ago, and to this day it remains one of the bestselling cars in India It’s big, spacious, comfortable, loaded with features and has a powerful 2,755cc diesel engine The Innova indeed was a game changer, and it continues to be a favourite thanks to its practicality and usability Despite the fact that Toyota upped the price in 2016 with the introduction of the Crysta, the Innova continues to sell like hotcakes – which is quite something considering the price sensitive nature of the Indian market Of course, the Innova has developed into a brand in-and-of-itself over the years thanks to Toyota’s quality and reliability Over the years, the Innova and Fortuner have proven to be literally indestructible new entrants Maruti Suzuki launched the Ertiga in 2012, which proved to be an effective tool for the manufacturer to undercut its rivals The Ertiga has been a steady performer for India’s number one car manufacturer, and after six years of delivering volumes Maruti Suzuki decided to retire the first generation Ertiga and replace it with the all-new secondgeneration model in late 2018 The secret behind the Ertiga’s success has always been its practicality and, more importantly, its value-for-money Maruti Suzuki has stuck to the same winning formula with the 2018 avatar by pricing it very aggressively and equipping it with a new, and more powerful, 1,462cc petrol engine, which has been borrowed from the Ciaz The surprising thing, though, is that despite the fact that the Eritga outprices the Innova by a long way it only just outsells its larger and pricier rival Mahindra, known for selling rugged SUVs, also decided to re-enter the MPV segment last year with the brand new Marazzo They followed the same strategy as Maruti Suzuki and priced the Marazzo quite competitively – filling the void between the Ertiga and the Innova The Marazzo is based on an all new platform and pros has a brand-new engine with some great lines from Italian Refined design house Pininfarina powertrain (now owned by Mahindra) Great ride quality The Marazzo seems to be doing quite well, but at 3,000 coNs units a month it’s a long way No automatic off the likes of the Innova or option the Ertiga in terms of sales Limited boot space But that’s not to take away from the fact that the Marazzo brings a great combination of space, style and value for X-factor money to the segment Presents a great But soon there’s likely to be value proposition to an all-new challenger in the the MPV buyer segment Korean carmaker l l l l 11 march 2019 OutlOOk 115 au to m otive toyota innova Engine: 2,755cc / 4-Cylinders / 16-Valves / Turbocharged Fuel: Diesel transmission: 6-Speed AT / RearWheel Drive Power: 172bhp @ 3,400rpm torque: 360Nm @ 1,200-3,400rpm Price: `22.19 lakh (Ex-showroom, Delhi) while the ride quality is immaculate In terms of overall performance, the Carnival is surely in a league of its own The Innova is the next in line in terms of power and performance The automatic variant we had for this feature is powered by a 2.8-litre powerplant mated with a 6-speed torque convertor transmission And, with 172bhp, the Innova is no smooth operators Of course, being the largest machine slouch, and it’s amazing how a car of this here, the Carnival is also the most size can pick up speed so easily Step on powerful of the lot Powered by a 2.2-litre the gas, and after it overcomes a little bit common rail diesel engine producing of turbo lag, it accelerates quickly The 197bhp and mated to a six-speed torque torque kicks in around the 2,000rpm, and that’s when it gathers its converter automatic gearbox, pace eagerly and allows you to the Carnival packs quite a pros leave traffic behind Highway punch The drivetrain makes touring is its forte, but what’s it an absolute breeze to drive Comfortable to really special about the Innova around, despite its large drive & ride Very nice seats is that it can take on any kind dimensions What I like most of terrain without a fuss – it’s about the way it drives is that coNs body-on-frame platform (the the power band is linear and High NVH for same one that underpins the the gearbox shifts seamlessly, AT model Fortuner) ensures that it can which allows for a very deal with anything that our smooth driving experience roads throw at it The steering is also very well X-factor The Marazzo, meanwhile, setup for urban driving But Combines comes with an all-new, 1.5it’s on the highway that you bulletproof litre diesel motor – one that realise just how well-built this reliability with will also make it to future car really is The engine offers all-round comfort Mahindra products It makes a continuous surge of power, Kia is all set to take the Indian market by storm with their large, but sleek looking MPV that you see here – the Carnival, which will set a new benchmark in the segment The Carnival is a high-end minivan that will be more premium and spacious than the Innova l l l 116 OutlOOk 11 march 2019 121bhp and 300Nm of torque, which kicks in between 1,300rpm to 1,750rpm – making it very drivable on the road Out on the highway though, the Marazzo isn’t as eager to pick up the pace When fully loaded with luggage and passengers, the Marazzo takes its time to get to threedigit speeds This is especially frustrating during a quick overtake on the highway The highlight, though, are the levels of refinement The engine is smooth, the 6-speed manual transmission slots precisely and smoothly – and feels much better than other Mahindra gearboxes – and the clutch pedal is possibly the lightest on any diesel MPV out there, making it very comfortable while covering long distances or even in traffic, and the ride quality is surprisingly good Like the Innova, it also shares a body-onframe construction, which means that it will be rugged, but it also means that some of the larger road imperfections are transmitted into the cabin The Ertiga is the cheapest car here and, also, the least powerful That said, the new 103bhp, 1,462cc petrol is not only more powerful than the previous model’s 91bhp, 1,373cc motor but also more fuel efficient We had the AT version of the car and found that the gearbox was adequate autox.com as it made seamless shifts, but with just four speeds it did feel a bit lazy On the plus side, though, the Ertiga glides through start-stop traffic without any stress But when you step on the gas on the highway, the Ertiga does struggle to pick up the pace – especially when it’s fully loaded You have to keep in mind, though, that the Ertiga is an affordable people carrier, and outright performance was never meant to be its strong suit What really impresses me about the Ertiga, though, is its overall ride quality and – thanks to its monocoque construction – its ability to carpet most road imperfections space wagons If space is the main criteria here, it’s the Carnival that shines the brightest It comes with multiple seating Kia Carnival arrangements, storage compartments Engine: 2,199cc / 4-Cylinders / 16-Valves / Turbocharged and AC vents everywhere The boot space can be adjusted depending on your Fuel: Diesel transmissio: 6-Speed Automatic / Front-Wheel Drive requirement, and even with the third Power: 197bhp @ 3,800rpm torque: 441Nm @ 1,750-2,750rpm Price: NA row in use, the boot is still very deep and usable It’s transverse-mounted engine and monocoque construction not only helps with refinement and ride quality but it also unlocks considerably more space than the Innova In fact, if and when the Carnival goes on sale in India later this year it’ll offer the most space of any passenger vehicle sold in the country With all the seats folded side support The Captain seats in the down, you could quite possibly turn the second row are very nice and perfect for Carnival into a small living room No long drives Surprisingly, even the third matter where you’re sitting, you’ll always row has lots of space However, getting in have ample leg room and head room The and out is not as easy as in the Carnival design has been cleverly thought out, And, with the third row seats up, the boot and, more importantly, the quality levels becomes almost useless The quality are top notch The dash layout, centre levels are very high though, and the console and instrument cabin is more comfortable panel are the most modern than sedans and SUVs in pros of all In short, the Carnival the same price range – a gives you a sense of being in trait that has held the Has some very a luxury car Innova in very good stead cool features And while the Innova during its match-winning Practicality & doesn’t have the fresh and innings in India comfort on modern interior design of The Mahindra Marazzo another level the Carnival, its interior is doesn’t come close to coNs still very comfortable and providing as much space Fairly large for spacious There’s plenty and comfort as the Carnival our roads of legroom and shoulder and the Innova, but it’s still but also in the third The design and room, as the Innova Crysta a valiant effort by Mahindra aesthetics are nice, and the quality is is now longer, wider and to make a good quality and good, but, still, it’s not quite in the same X-factor taller than the previous spacious MPV In fact, league as the Innova To ensure adequate A luxurious sevenmodel Toyota has also you’ll be surprised with the cooling for passengers at the back, the seater that offers an improved the seats, which magnitude of interior space Marazzo comes with roof mounted AC opulence of space are now more comfortable in this car It’s spacious not vents In terms of comfort, the seats are and comfort and provide much better just in the first two rows, well contoured and amply supportive, l l l 11 march 2019 OutlOOk 117 au to m otive in a market that, until recently, only really offered two MPVs that bookended the market – the eritga at one end and the innova at the other – the indian market is set to offer an MPV to cater to everyone and, on the whole, the cabin is quite airy and modern The Ertiga, being the smallest offering on the list, has the least amount of space, but make no mistake it’s still a very comfortable car Overall quality levels are good and the Ertiga is still the most spacious machine in its price range The new Ertiga is now longer, and so with the third row of seats up, the boot still retains a decent amount of space Another interesting feature of the car is that the second row seats can recline Tech savvy MPVs have come a long way since the Maruti Suzuki Omni Technology and safety have now both become highly valued And here, once again, it’s the Carnival that takes the lead It comes with a raft of convenience features, such as a three-zone climate control system with HVAC controls for second row occupants, electric sliding rear doors, sliding second row seats, a conversation mirror for the driver, electrochromic rear-view mirror, auto defogging system, automatic headlamps, split screen infotainment system, electrically adjustable driver’s seat and leather upholstery International models also get electrically adjustable, ventilated and heated seats The Innova is also well kitted out in in terms of technology It comes with 118 OutlOOk 11 march 2019 a multi-information display, as well as cruise control and navigation It also gets a cooled glove box, a state-of-the-art audio system and airbags, ABS, Vehicle Stability Control and Hill Start Assist control The Marazzo gets some goodies as well – a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, with Bluetooth, navigation and Android Auto It also gets a cooled glovebox and three USB ports Plus, the Marazzo gets disc brakes on all four wheels, ABS, dual airbags and ISOFIX as standard across all variants Mahindra has gone a step up with an emergency call function that sends out a message to a selected contact in case of an airbagsdeploying crash Once again, even though the Ertiga is the least expensive of the lot, it still does a pretty good job at keeping up The Ertiga comes equipped with air-cooled cupholders – a segment first – which is integrated into the central console It also comes with automatic climate control and a 4.2-inch multi-information display that shows you fuel economy, power and torque plus, the Eritga has a 7-inch infotainment system, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and, even, Mirror Link for smartphone connectivity In terms of safety, it gets dual airbags, ISOFIX, ABS with EBD and brake assist, along with reverse parking sensors across all variants something for everyone With the arrival of the Carnival, there will now be an MPV for everyone All these cars are available at different price points The Ertiga is the most affordable with great value for money The Marazzo is a bit more stylish and spacious, and fits nicely between the Ertiga and Innova The Toyota Innova is still the ideal MPV and demands a high price tag, but justifiably so For the moment, it remains the one to aspire for And, of course, with the Toyota badge, it’s an investment that’s second only to a gold bar But when the Carnival makes its debut, it’ll be the most luxurious MPV in the country It sits above the Innova Crysta in terms of space, features and comfort – which means that customers will now be able to upgrade to a more premium MPV In a market that, until recently, only really offered two MPVs that bookended the market – the Eritga at one end and the Innova at the other – the Indian market is set to offer an MPV to cater to everyone The Marazzo slots in nicely to fill the gap in the middle, while the Carnival will provide the most premium and sophisticated offering in the segment The success of the Innova in the Indian market has drawn competitors from all quarters And while the Innova may have lost its monopoly, it’s ‘Advantage’ to the Indian customer glitterati Pad It Down The women of Khatikhera village of Hapur, UP, stared at, then fought off, the age­old stigma atta­ ched to menstruation to start a small unit that makes affordable sanitary pads for all They are the subject of Period End of Sentence, which won the Oscar for the Best Documentary Short Producer Melissa Berton (centre left) and director Rayka Zehtabchi celebrate on the stage in LA They sang and danced all night at Khatikhera too Fly, Skylark PTI THIS TOO HAPPENED Women’s Day arri­ ved at Aero India 2019 in Bangalore when a reigning queen of the bad­ minton court donned a flight overall and hopped into the cockpit of a Tejas aircraft P.V Sindhu’s sortie with Wing Commander Siddharth Singh ploughed the sky through manou­ evres and left it scratched white Not a scratch on her though, going by this breezy wave Scandal hit the Church again after George Pell, Vatican treasurer and the third-most senior Catholic in the world, was found guilty by a Melbourne court on charges of child sex abuse He was found guilty of sexually penetrating a 16-year-old and abusing four other 16-year-olds between 1996 and 1997 120 OUTLOOK 11 March 2019 No Glass Slippers? A three­day pre­wedding party at St Moritz looks like a neat affair The usual sprinkling from cinetown is obligatory But when liveried coach­ men drove Akash Ambani and Shloka Mehta to the venue, they stepped out in casual finery Doesn’t a suit and a gown go best with the rest? AP Yeah, Looks New gly, Nothing eye­poppin ­ tra a ol— co look­at­me to ll sti gh ou en al dition whet the appetites of y those who habituall od wo y l l Bo gorge on newcomers every few s weeks Notebook an ut an Pr tes debutan l Bahl and Zaheer Iqba o du ic as the romant ry ’, ‘An unusual love sto ’ll we so w Ho say the find out soon enough Could Have Done Your Hair, Love We took pleasure in widely disseminating the abundant charms of Amy Jackson in these pages There she is now, at the London Fashion Week, sporting an asymmetrically off­shoulder, glitter­strewn gown designed by her friend Rocky S An Indian at heart, our Amy is “If Oprah interviewed a live alligator and it ate four members of her audience, I’d be angry with the alligator, but I’d also be kinda angry with Oprah,” American comedian JOHN OLIVER on how TV shows validate psychics 11 March 2019 OUTLOOK 121 BALKAN diary Alexander Overtaken Now Framed In Hindi Film A very moving museum focusing on just one These days, when I get back from my travels of the many acts of genocide during the war, and people ask me what it was like, I can Srebrenica, attracts a lot of visitors The often ask them to watch a recent movie So, Bosnians are right to be reminding today’s for Sofia, where I started my round trip of the well-heeled tourists of the atrocities they southern Balkans, I refer them to Shivay, in suffered Even the international tourist which a kickass car chase scene takes place hotspot of Dubrovnik,Croatia, whose rather conveniently around many of the famous sea walls facing the impossibly blue iconic sights, or to Dilwale, where SRK and PRABHU GHATE waters of the Adriatic are walked by thouKajol saunter among them, singing ‘Janam sands of tourists today, was besieged and Janam’ Bollywood is increasingly using the (The author is an independent researcher, writer and journalist) bombarded from the sea while the residents region for shoots for much the same reasons went without electricity and water that tourists are increasingly going there, After Montenegro, and then Albania, which is fast catching namely culture, scenery, costs, and ease of getting around up with its neighbours after decades of self-imposed And people are perhaps more welcoming than in countries isolation, and where the landscape is still littered with where tourism is not so young concrete shelters designed to withstand a nuclear attack At this time of the year, the whole populace seems to be from both the US and the Soviets simultaneously (Anwar settled convivially around glasses of beer and cups of espresso Hoxha wasn’t taking any chances), I reached my last counin open-air restaurants and pavement cafes, with no one try—Macedonia, whose official name is the Former Yugoslav under any pressure to leave The kabab restaurants on the Republic of Macedonia (or FYROM for short) because their streets in the “old towns” in particular are a great draw Many Greek neighbours object to it calling itself the Republic of of the cities have free walking tours offered by NGOs, whose Macedonia Nor they like the huge statue of Alexander knowledgeable young guides pretty well out of tips, and on horseback brandishing his sword in Skopje’s main square are strong on history, culture and the mish-mash of inherited because they say Alexander was born in what is today their architectural styles that surround you everywhere: Ottoman part of Macedonia They have suggested the name “North (mosques and caravanserais), Austro-Hungarian (churches Macedonia”, but a referendum in Macedonia has just and palaces) and Soviet (those grey social-realist blocks and rejected it Meanwhile, another symbol of nationhood is at monuments given to giganticism) hand in the form of Mother Teresa, who was born in Skopje to an Albanian Catholic family, but moved to Ireland and The War Guides then India at the age of 19 In fact, she may have overtaken Many of the tours have themes In Bucharest I took a Alexander as an iconic symbol, with her own museum in a communism tour which centred around Ceausescu’s excesses glistening white marble building in the central tourist area, and megalomania In making way for a broad avenue that and the Mother Teresa International Airport would afford magnificent views of his office-cum-residence, many old buildings were destroyed, but incredibly, thirteen Friendly Visa Bypass churches were raised off their foundations and moved along Finally, to deal with the million dollar question, what about rail tracks to new locations out of the way visas? Luckily, countries are slowly waking up to the potential Some of the countries of the former Yugoslavia offer of India as a huge market, and making it easier by beginning “war” tours, in which you get a slightly different perspective to recognise third country visas Thus my Bulgarian depending on where you are taking it In Sarajevo visa (the only one I had to get before leaving) and Mostar, the two iconic tourist attractions in is accepted reciprocally by Romania and Bosnia, reminders of the brutal fighting that Croatia Another four countries I passed tore the country apart not very long ago through accepted my US visa, and stand everywhere in the form of skeleSerbia is visa-free (for Indians) The tons of high-rise buildings Our guide, a only country I was refused entry to policeman during the war, took us to (almost apologetically) was Kosovo, the four-foot-high, 800-metre-long who wanted a Schengen visa I was tunnel which residents built under in a bus, and it was late at night, but the airport runway (which was under in compensation I got to get off the the control of the UN) as the only tourist trail I found a friendly hotel means of supplementing supplies to in a small town nearby and took a the besieged city without getting hit spectacular bus ride through a remote by the shells raining down from the and hilly part of Albania the next day to surrounding hillsides His pay was one the border with Macedonia The journeypack of cigarettes a month (to flog off in ing is often as memorable as arriving barter for more urgent necessities) MANJUL 122 OUTLOOK 11 March 2019 ... Brad Pitt n roger Federer n City SPaS n BhuBaneSwar Brad Pitt n roger Federer n City SPaS n BhuBaneSwar twitter.com/outlookindia facebook.com/outlookindia youtube.com/outlookmagazine digimag.outlookindia.com... through it, lead the nation along a path of sustained economic advancement 11 March 2019 OutlOOk 23 I DENTITY POL ITIC S PTI MOB FURY An Itanagar building on fire; the Dy CM’s house faced it too... market one-liner PUNE Anil S It says something that India’s governments are so faithful to the spirit of colonial laws 12 OUTLOOK 11 March 2019 letters themselves on quick titillation in their trailers