Nurturing Creative Solutions at Educational Institutes During Coronavirus
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Nurturing Creative Solutions at Educational Institutes During Coronavirus

The Coronavirus pandemic is straight out of the Hollywood movies that have raided our screens over the years. It has left the world paralysed and the grave scenario has put everyone under a blanket of melancholy. However, living it is a stark reality that everyone is facing on a daily basis. Everything seems to have come to a literal standstill. Businesses and educational institutes are relying heavily on the digital space for virtual meetings, classes and interactions. Technology is a boon during these times especially where face to face interactions are not possible. Making the most of the lockdown through creative and technological initiatives is a prolific design institute that is always ahead in its educational endeavors – JD Institute of Fashion Technology, Bangalore. The institute and its students are leading the way in adapting to the new situation alongwith participating in creative ideas to amp up their morale. Sitting at home is no party for the students as the faculties have ensured that classes remain on course through online streaming and assignments. Apart from working on class related projects, the final year students have been steadily prepping for the yearly extravaganza held by JD Institute – JD Annual Design Awards. The event is a platform provided to the students to present some innovative designs which go through a grueling short listing process by internal and external jury. Inorder to help students reach their optimum this time round, mentors are monitoring their students work online by providing them feedback to refine their work to help them save their time and spring into action as soon as the lockdown is called off. Student Work                            Faculty and students also got together to prepare an online collage to spread the message on staying at home inorder to stay safe. Observing the insufficiency of masks, Jeevitha Gowda, a Post Graduate Diploma in Fashion and Business Management, rolled on her sleeves and plunged into action to help prepare masks which she distributed to people in need. To keep their creative juices flowing, the students also participated in a weekly creative challenge #McQueenCreators posed by the renowned house of Alexander McQueen. The challenge required a presentation of creating 3D flowers with materials readily available at one’s homes. Students used steel spoons and foil, net, craft paper etc. to create the flowers. Whereas, Sushmitha Nagarkoti, a BSc. in Fashion and Apparel Design alumnus of JD Institute, participated in a juti design contest organised by Needledust. Her virtual collection incorporated mirror work detailing, beadwork and sea-shells with summer colours. #thestyle.world #coronavirus #covid19 #lockdown #AlexanderMcQueen #studyfromhome #sfh #workfromhome #wfh #jdinstituteoffashiontechnologybangalore #jdinstitute #globalleagueinstiute #artanddesign #needledust #jutis #alexandermcqueen #McQueenCreators Nurturing Creative Solutions at Educational Institutes During Coronavirus

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Wedding Planning in a Pandemic
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Wedding Planning in a Pandemic

Sanna Vohra, CEO & Founder, The Wedding Brigade, an end to end wedding service provider for both online/ offline platform where users can find the best wedding content, buy curated wedding fashion, and book verified vendors and services. While the world needs to heal, and we have to give it time. The article shares a few ideas from The Wedding Brigade, India’s only one-stop-platform for everything weddings: content, e-commerce, and services: On how to use your time productively when you are engaged to be wed, this is an exciting time in your life, and it should be relished as well amidst this pandemic Planning and executing a wedding is as stressful as it is exciting. From caterers to outfits to vendors, the list just does not end. Even just deciding who makes it to the guest list and who doesn’t can sometimes take ages! Now imagine a scenario where every task is finally complete, but last-minute the wedding is unexpectedly postponed – all that planning, effort, and time feels wasted. That is exactly what has happened due to the Corona virus, with millions of couples all over the world in bouts of anxiety over postponing their wedding day. The world needs to heal, and we have to give it time. But if you are engaged to be wed, this is an exciting time in your life, and it should be relished as well. Here are a few ideas on how to use your time productively from The Wedding Brigade, India’s only one-stop-platform for everything weddings: content, e-commerce, and services: Research Research! With plenty of time in your hands, look for what you want. The silver lining is, you now have bonus time to perfect and include everything in your wedding that you might have missed out on earlier. Look for options and explore different ideas for your decor, make up, sangeet, and more! New Designers? Now is the time to help out smaller businesses! India is brimming with talented garment and jewellery designers across the nooks and corners of the country. From Jaipur to Kolkata, look for fresh designers who can help you build your wedding trousseau. Not only will you be encouraging their art, but you can save a bit of money too! *kaching* Scenario Mapping with Family & Friends- Why not discuss various possibilities with family and friends and share the load, instead of freaking out and taking all that stress on your shoulders? Talk about your concerns with close friends and family members and ask them what’s on their mind. Maybe consider trimming down the guest list, or moving the wedding to your home town. Talking about it with your partner will definitely relieve stress and make you feel lighter. After all, you both are in this together! Review Paperwork- We recommend that all engaged couples review all official wedding paperwork. Read all your contracts carefully before you sign anything and if you have, reach out to your vendor and discuss your options. Ask for flexibility and understand mutually how you can best salvage the situation in the wake of a pandemic. Knowing your options will take away some uncertainty. Wedding Insurance – If your wedding is more than two months away, now is a good time to look into wedding insurance in case the coronavirus forces more weddings to be cancelled over the summer months. Don’t take chances! Wedding Planning in a Pandemic

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Romances that will sweep you off your feet
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Romances that will sweep you off your feet

Love Story by Erich Segal The 50th anniversary edition of Erich Segal’s seminal classic novella LOVE STORY. He is Oliver Barrett IV, a rich jock from a stuffy WASP family on his way to a Harvard degree and a career in law. She is Jenny Cavilleri, a wisecracking working-class beauty studying music at Radcliffe. Opposites in nearly every way. But they fell in love. This is their story. The record-breaking novel behind the blockbuster movie, which became the number one box office hit of 1970, was nominated for 7 Academy Awards and was named one of the 100 most romantic films of all time by the American Film Institute. 148pp | Rs. 199 Every Breath by Nicholas Sparks From the number one bestselling author of The Notebook and Two by Two comes an unforgettable tale of enduring love . . . Hope Anderson is at a crossroads. After six years with her boyfriend, she is no longer sure what she wants, and when her father becomes ill she heads to her family’s cottage at Sunset Beach in North Carolina to make some difficult decisions. Tru Walls has been summoned across an ocean from where he was born and raised in Zimbabwe by a letter from a man claiming to be his father. In journeying to Sunset Beach, Tru hopes to unravel the mystery surrounding his mother’s life, but the letter will lead him in an unexpected direction. When these two strangers’ paths cross, their chance encounter sets in motion a heart-breaking story – one that will transcend decades, continents and the workings of fate. 320pp | Rs. 399 Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell ‘Reminded me not just what it’s like to be young and in love, but what it’s like to be young and in love with a book’ – John Green Eleanor is the new girl in town, and she’s never felt more alone. All mismatched clothes, mad red hair and chaotic home life, she couldn’t stick out more if she tried. Park is the boy at the back of the bus, Black T-shirts, headphones, head in a book – he thinks he’s made himself invisible. But not to Eleanor…never to Eleanor. Slowly, steadily, through late-night conversations and an ever-growing stack of mix tapes, Eleanor and Park fall in love. They fall in love the way you do the first time, when you’re 16, and you have nothing and everything to lose. Set over the course of one school year in 1986, Eleanor & Park is funny, sad, shocking and true – an exquisite nostalgia trip for anyone who has never forgotten their first love. 336pp | Rs. 499 One Day by David Nicholls Twenty years, two people, ONE DAY. The multi-million copy bestseller that captures the experiences of a generation. ‘I can imagine you at forty,’ she said, a hint of malice in her voice. ‘I can picture it right now.’ He smiled without opening his eyes. ‘Go on then.’ 15th July 1988. Emma and Dexter meet for the first time on the night of their graduation. Tomorrow they must go their separate ways. So where will they be on this one day next year? And the year after that? And every year that follows? 448pp | Rs. 399 The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai Swipe right on this irresistible romcom! Rhiannon Hunter may have revolutionised romance in the digital world, but in real life she only swipes right on her career – and the occasional hookup. The cynical dating app creator controls her love life with a few key rules: – Nude pics are by invitation only – If someone stands you up, block them – Protect your heart Only there aren’t any rules to govern her attraction to her newest match, former sports star Samson Lima. The sexy and seemingly sweet hunk woos her one magical night… and then disappears. Rhi thought she’d buried her hurt over Samson ghosting her, until he suddenly surfaces months later, still big, still beautiful – and in league with a business rival. He says he won’t fumble their second chance, but she’s wary. A temporary physical partnership is one thing, but a merger of hearts? Surely that’s too high a risk… 400pp | Rs. 399 When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon The arranged marriage YA romcom you didn’t know you needed! Meet Dimple. Her main aim in life is to escape her traditional parents, get to university and begin her plan for tech world domination. Meet Rishi. He’s rich, good-looking and a hopeless romantic. His parents think Dimple is the perfect match for him, but she’s got other plans… Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works even harder to prove itself in the most unexpected ways. As joyfully refreshing as Rainbow Rowell, Jenny Han and Nicola Yoon, When Dimple Met Rishi is a frothy, funny contemporary romance told from the dual perspectives of two Indian American protagonists. While Dimple is fighting her family traditions, Rishi couldn’t be happier to follow in the footsteps of his parents – could sparks fly between this odd couple, or is this matchmaking attempt doomed to fail? 384pp | Rs. 399 A Match Made-in Heaven by Nandini Bajpai For fans of Eleanor & Park and When Dimple Met Rishi, comes a lighthearted novel about tradition, high school social hierarchy, matchmaking, and swiping right (or left!) Fifteen-year-old Simran “Simi” Sangha comes from a long line of Indian vichole — matchmakers — with a rich history for helping parents find good matches for their grown children. When Simi accidentally sets up her cousin and a soon-to-be lawyer, her family is thrilled that she has the “gift.” But Simi is an artist, and she doesn’t want to have anything to do with relationships, helicopter parents, and family drama. That is, until she realizes this might be just the thing to improve her and her best friend Noah’s social status. Armed with her family’s ancient guide

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Shine Your Light this Earth Day!
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Shine Your Light this Earth Day!

Catch Grammy Award Winner Ricky Kej and others in action this Earth Day. Ricky says, “My heart goes out to everyone who has been personally affected by COVID-19. Globally, we are casting aside our differences and working together to defeat this virus and prevail. During this critical time, it is an absolute honour for me to join forces with organisations such as WWF, United Nations Climate Change, UNCCD, UNICEF, UNESCO – MGIEP and the Earth Day Network to perform a mega-concert online to support the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Solidarity Response Fund.” This concert will be showcased live on multiple streaming channels on Earth Day, 22nd April. Ricky will be joined by 44 fantastic musicians from 6 countries and this includes 5 Grammy® Winners. During the concert, they will launch Ricky Kej’s new music video ‘Shine Your Light‘ dedicated to people around the world making a huge difference by being kind to one another during these dark times. In other news, before India went into lockdown, Ricky’s film “Wild Karnataka” premiered in the USA at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on March 3rd 2020 (World Wildlife Day). The film was played in the same historic building where world leaders have stood, and deliberated the future of our planet and species. I am so thrilled to have created the music for this epic natural history film. The screening was followed by a panel discussion and the audience reactions were overwhelmingly positive. The UN Environment is making constant efforts to make this world a better place for everyone and everything. Click here to register for free and be a part of this worldwide launch. Shine Your Light this Earth Day!

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Love Affair in times of Corona
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Love Affair in times of Corona

Veena Ashiya, shoe creator and founder of Monrow shoes, gets candid about her passionate love affair with shoes and how you can tend to your foot fetish, during these times when you’re at home due to the lockdown. If you’re the one who has an eternal love affair with your shoes, then this is the time to show them some love. Yes, I’m talking of love. Spending time with your loved ones, of course, but here I’m talking about our eternal love for shoes. With no place to go, this is the perfect time to take a walk into your shoe closet and spend some time remembering all the beautiful memories you had with your shoes and also show them some TLC. One fine afternoon I decided to shower some Tender love and care on my shoes. The idea was to let them breathe some fresh air. Do you know that our shoes end up carrying a lot of dirt and germs? So, this is good time to give them some deep cleanse. Few things to keep handy while cleaning your shoes. Divide your shoes into leather and non-leather as both need different kind of care. Leather shoes are best cleaned with any mild cream (body lotions, hand cream etc). Cream has good amount of oil which binds with dirt and can easily be whipped out with cotton cloth. Non-Leather shoes can be best cleaned with mild detergent solution (1 litre water with 1 tea spoon of mild detergent like hand wash liquid). Use a cleaning cloth wipe the shoes with the damp cloth using the solution. For soles of your shoes, it is best to use detergent solution and use separate cloth as soles need a bit more attention. Use an old toothbrush to scrape off dirt from grooves. Let them out in the sun for two to three hours, so that there is no moisture left on them. Once done wear them and ignite all the amazing memories you have. The memory that swept me off was that from Bali, wearing these lazy boy sandals from Monrow. It was full day of exploring the city of Ubud, wearing my boho jumpsuit with these navy blue super comfortable sandals. While plans of travel are far, but cherishing the memories are right here. Don’t be surprised if this process of cleansing your shoe closet actually turns out to be therapeutic. They say a good sole has good therapy for your soul. Love Affair in times of Corona

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Listen to the Legends Speak
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Listen to the Legends Speak

Following the success of the first edition of the ‘Legends on Unacademy’ series, these renowned personalities and celebrities will conduct Live Classes on Unacademy. Unacademy, India’s largest learning platform, announced the second edition of its popular program ‘Legends on Unacademy’. As part of this program, Live Classes will be hosted on the Unacademy platform by renowned author and former international diplomat Shashi Tharoor, retired IPS officer and Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry Kiran Bedi, ace cricketer Virat Kohli, and talented Bollywood actor and producer Anushka Sharma. Shashi Tharoor began his sessions on 13th April and will continue to take them every day at 4 PM till 17th April. His classes are focused on the subject International Relations as well as his stint at the United Nations. Additionally, he will be answering viewers’ questions at the end of each Live session. The first three Live classes by Shashi Tharoor were a huge success and more than 30,000 Learners attended each of them. During his classes, he has spoken about the origination of the United Nations as an organisation, the reasons behind the formation of such an organisation, its key operations, India’s entry in the UN, and its relations with other nations. He also shared some of his personal experiences pertaining to matters of international relations. The Live class by Kiran Bedi, the first female IPS offer, will be conducted on 17th April at 8:30 PM where Bedi will talk about one of the most crucial topics- crisis management. The joint Live Class by Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma will be conducted on 21st April at 6 PM. Virat and Anushka will talk to Unacademy learners about dreams and hardwork and the importance of staying motivated and focused to build a successful career. These Free Live Classes can be accessed by any Learner or individual by visiting the Unacademy platform and registering themselves. Each class will be 30 – 40 minutes long, and will bring out a lesser known aspect of the legends’ life and career. Commenting on the initiative, Karan Shroff, Vice President, Marketing at Unacademy, said, “With the current uncertainties that the world is facing, a little dose of positivity can go a long way. We aim to provide a unique learning experience to our learners through Live Classes by prominent personalities as a part of our Legends on Unacademy program. Learners are at the heart of Unacademy’s efforts, and we relentlessly strive to support their dreams. These interactive Live Classes will not only equip our learners with academic knowledge, but also empower them with extraordinary life skills, and help them hone their ability to overcome various challenges. We encourage all learners to continue staying motivated and make the most of these classes.” Earlier in March, Unacademy announced the commencement of the ‘Legends on Unacademy’ program with the idea of bringing legends from different industries to teach life lessons through Live Classes. The first edition included Live Classes from legendary cricketers such as Brian Lara, Bret Lee, Jonty Rhodes and Muttiah Muralidharan, through the association with Unacademy Road Safety World Series. Below is the schedule for the LIVE sessions: Educator  Date  Time Topic  Dr. Shashi Tharoor April 13 – 17, 2020 4:00 pm onwards International Relations Kiran Bedi April 17, 2020 8:30 pm onwards Crisis Management Virat and Anushka April 21, 2020 6:00 onwards Dreams, hard work, determination and motivation With over 10,000 Educators, more than 13 million Learners, and over 30 exam categories, Unacademy’s constant endeavour is to help Learners achieve their dreams. Listen to the Legends Speak

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Live Music Series by SOCIAL
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Live Music Series by SOCIAL

As part of the SOCIAL ongoing Live Music Series by SOCIAL #SOCIAL Indoors, catch a live music series featuring renowned homegrown artists straight from their homes to your homes.  Catch them all via a Facebook Live on the Facebook page of SOCIAL, as they turn up things by a notch for Week 4 of #SOCIALIndoors! On Wednesday, watch the poster boy of the chillwave scene in India, DJ/Producer CHRMS taking you through an exciting masterclass on beat making and production from 5PM onwards. From Thursday to Sunday, there are artists like FuzzCulture, Tienas, Ramya Pothuri, Prabhtoj Singh who’ll keep you entertained through the genres of hip-hop, soul, RnB and electronica. You can catch them live on Facebook and Instagram pages. Stay safe, stay tuned, stay #SOCIALIndoors! #SOCIALArtAffect Here is the schedule below: – Wednesday, 15th April – DJ/Producer CHRMS  Thu, 16th April – FuzzCulture   FuzzCulture Bio: FuzzCulture is the one-man show of Arsh Sharma, whose sound is defined by its motif grungey rock riffs set against pop-heavy electronica tunes! Fri, 17th April – Tienas Sat, 18th April – Ramya Pothuri Sun, 19th April – Prabhtoj Singh Live Music Series by SOCIAL

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An Act of Kindness
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An Act of Kindness

Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much – Helen Keller. The prevailing pandemic in the country that hosts one-sixth of the world’s population will require endeavour not only by the Government, but the population at large. The lockdown compelled thousands of migrant workers onto urban streets. With transportation shut down, many have been trying to walk hundreds of kilometres back to their rural homes to ride out the crisis with their families. There is an impelling need to ensure this vulnerable population was given economic protection, but there’s really nothing here for the landless, daily wagers and migrant workers”. A quintessential response to a public health emergency doesn’t exist; strategies must be tailored to the local context and to the severity of the situation. One such initiative worth mentioning is Together We Can, a collaborative effort by Zerodha and Smally’s to feed the city. The initiative aims to tackle the need of the hour, hunger. Nikhil Kamath CIO of Zerodha and Nikhil Hegde Founder of Smally’s Resto Cafe have combined efforts to make sure as many as 10,000 people a day are fed a meal on a daily basis. Both these noble men have more than their first name in common … their shared passion for humanity. A typical day in the camp starts with meal preps which begin at 10 pm and distribution at 10 am the following day by Nikhil Hegde and 60 employees from Smally’s along with 35 volunteers across the city who work selflessly. Nikhil Kamath has donated more than 25 crores to respective causes including the PM fund and has adopted a hands-on approach to the campaign by distributing meals personally to those in need. This campaign was executed by the Bangalore Police during the lockdown who strive tirelessly in their efforts to save the city. An Act of Kindness

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Generation at Crossroads
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Generation at Crossroads

The modern human race that is passing through the earth has high expectation out of life and are proud owners of material comforts. The purpose of education today is earning money and spreading success stories. Vasantha Vaikunth, founder, www.lifenliving.org shares her views here and questions what happens to people when everything crashes. History has proved to us that materialistic drive has always been unstable. What we read in books is what we see today, humans in lock up and animals at play! It is heartening to see educated parents bring up children but there is a kind brashness when it comes to dealing with relationships be it school, marriage, children or friends. Education demands discipline, dedication and devotion in our pursuits; it is not a mere passport to making money and building luxury. “Learning” is the magic word that takes the accumulated information to the level of knowledge and experience. The application of knowledge learnt is important to face the challenges with confidence, adjusting to the misfortune, wars, poverty and calamities such as today’s scene. There is an urgent need for the children, parents and teachers to have a common forum to find a solution for the imbalanced life they lead. We have created a society of short cuts to success, so the new generation demands, everything with less work and fast results. Marriage as an institution has become a place of stress, ego and greed. It is almost like a corporate arrangement, where there is no place for emotion. During the launch of the company everyone takes an oath to work for the company but things fall apart in the process due to ego clashes and meanness. Lockdown today is a true test of all relationships! Marriage seems a happy place to be in but it demands trust, confidence, communication, stability and above all self discipline. The new generation lives on expectation without sacrifices; unfortunately, relationships means sacrifices. It is the universal system that has laid the rules for sustainability in relationships and we cannot survive manmade contract marriages. Education has made women stronger and confident, but they struggle to balance home and work even today; their natural instinct to nurture and enjoy home gets stifled by the society. There is confusion in every sphere of life and man stands at cross roads all the time; he is unable to take the right path. People are unable to enjoy the moment and live in fear and conflict; this is indeed a dangerous seed to sow for the future progress. Everyone lives in fear of losing when they don’t even have the things that they fear of losing! Young parents try to compensate their children with expensive gifts and holidays, but out of 100 children of various age groups I spoke to 80 of them disapproved of being left alone and the young ones of 10 to 12 years olds said they are never sure of the mother’s moods and that they seem confused and angry. Children start spending their time with the machines as that is their comfort zone. It is our duty to give a happy home for the new generation. Millions of dollars are wasted on marriage contracts; it is an abuse of the institution. Where has this confusion come from? We can only build a society, community or family on love and compassion, there is no other way. Children are not in the best of hands as the school and home have impulsive, moody adults who try to deal with their personal problems. The world is getting consumed by material greed and man carries the burden of fear, anxiety, and low self esteem. The value of life itself should find a niche in our minds to enjoy what is given to us in this life and try to be role models for the future generation. It is shocking to see the world that we are going to hand over to the new generation. Take the era forward with poise and dignity. Let history find a peaceful space to write today’s man’s story for the future. Generation at Crossroads

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In-house Entertainment with SOCIAL Indoors
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In-house Entertainment with SOCIAL Indoors

Live Music Series by SOCIAL called #SOCIAL Indoors is back. Catch a live music series featuring renowned homegrown artists straight from their homes to your homes. Catch Dhruv Visvanath, Zarir Warden (ONEmpire), Komorebi and Shashwat Bulusu this Thursday through Sunday, LIVE on @socialoffline’s Facebook and Instagram page from 5 to 5:30 PM. While the world is self-isolating, SOCIAL is ensuring that the entertainment doesn’t stop! After a stellar Week 1 of #SOCIALIndoors, featuring the likes of Ankur Tiwari, Aditi Ramesh, Raghav Meattle & Tejas Menon, they’re back with a specially curated bunch of Indie musicians for Week 2. The following artists will be will be going LIVE for #SOCIALIndoors from 5 to 5:30 PM on SocialOffline’s Facebook and Instagram page @socialoffline. Starting off, Thursday, April 02, 2020 will feature an accomplished singer-songwriter from New Delhi, Dhruv Visvanath from 5 to 5:30 PM. Zarir Warden of ONEmpire will be live on Friday, April 03, 3030 from 5 to 5:30 PM. Come Saturday, April 04, 2020, #SOCIALIndoors will feature Komorebi – Tarana Marwah who is a pianist, composer, singer, and choir practitioner in New Delhi’s music circuit live from 5 to 5:30 PM. To end the week on a high-note, Shashwat Bulusu will be seen jamming for #SOCIALIndoors on Sunday, April 05, 2020, from 5 to 5:30 PM. Facebook Link: https://www.facebook.com/SocialOffline/Instagram Link: https://www.instagram.com/socialoffline/ Without the hassle of any online tickets or paywalls, #SOCIALIndoors, is here to bring artists to the platform free of cost, bringing a sense of community listening in a newfound way! Join in for some good ol’ community listening in a brand-new way. Stay safe, stay #SOCIALIndoors In-house Entertainment with SOCIAL Indoors

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