RLM Magazine (9)

Overcoming one step, one day at a time. Palace Recover Kawardha Rejuvenate Reincarnate A ROYAL HERITAGE RE-RAIPUR Rikhi Ram: A home to Chhattisgarh's music. To journeys embracing love, culture, & togetherness! Festivities; changing, celebrating, and loving them! FOOD, FASHION , FITNESS, BEAUTY, LIVING , TRAVEL, EDUCATION, HEALTHCARE, EVENTS + MORE





CONTENTS| CONTENTS 06 DIRECTOR’S NOTE 08 EDITOR’S NOTE COVER PIC COURTESY - Vividsquare Production MODELS ON THE COVER PAGE Karuna Dewangan | Lavnit Sinha | Akshay Nayak AGENCY BAMA MASK DESIGNED BY Karuna Dewangan 10 CONTRIBUTORS 12 COVID POSITIVE PICTURES 15 16 COVER STORY 19 PEOPLE 30 22 24 CS Rajput: 22 28 Tutoring through life! CITY TRENDS Beloved Two wheeled spokes: A cycle back to childhood RAIPUR TALKS Weddings: To journeys embracing love, culture, and togetherness! STARTUPS, RAIPUR 30 FASHION TRENDS 24 Masks: Pieces for life, embraced with style! 32 CITY HANGOUT A drive’s destination: Sunsets, lakes, and chilling!

34 FOOD TRENDS CONTENTS| 38 WHAT’S NEW 52 42 46 Farm Fete: 59 A weekend off to a farmhouse. 05 HOSPITALITY TREND Hyatt: The knight during pandemic; rising above challenges. WELLNESS A necessity to well-being, space, and life alike! 48 MENTAL HEALTH 34 50 52 Increased family time that made us face our dysfunctionalities. 55 EDUCATION 57 Changing the face of education, without compromising quality. TOURISM Palace Kawardha: A royal heritage through time. CULTURE Rikhi Ram: A home to Chhattisgarh's music. HOME DECOR Organic living, sustainable living 59 FESTIVE VIBES 61 Festivities; changing, celebrating, and loving them! BEAUTY 63 DATING Relationship’s FOMO

DIRECTOR’S NOTE| Director’s Note Dear Readers!! Welcome to another edition of reincarnating Raipur. This whole year has been a challenging year for all of us at large, now with great resolute the time has come for unlocking the future. We all have dealt with this pandemic and are still dealing with it in our own ways. Well the truth my friends is that not much good has ever happened in times of peace. All in these hundreds of years of peace in Switzerland led to zilch innovation, a cuckoo clock to its credit is also a point of dispute with Germany. Whilst the wars and turbulent times of other European nations brought about the renaissance period of art and rich culture to Europe. So my dear friends I feel this pandemic will bring about the new revolution for society at large, there are many inventions and innovations happening around. Many businesses being closed new ones being born. We are all being reborn, this is the time we rework on our energies. It’s the time when we all bloom again and spread back to life in a new normal world. It’s the unlock time it's the time we move ahead and forget the past and look forth to an exciting future ahead. With this edition, we promise to reflect on those lights that dazzled the grim of this pandemic. Leaving the rough-roads of growing numbers and detected cases; we will celebrate the wildflowers we plucked and bouquets we made out from them. The Dalgona we gulped, the books we read, the workouts we followed and family hours we spent. We’ll talk of all we admired and all we did cherish. With the unlock stretching across the country and world; it’s the time when we all stand alongside our health-warriors, to become one for ourselves. It’s the time we radiate the energy we worked-on for so long to nurture others. This edition is all about bringing positivity into our current times which we all dearly yearn for. Like the air and rivers which became cleaner, remember they could see Himalayas from the far lands of Punjab and there were memes and jokes being made about it. Well the truth of the matter is when we were at home the air became cleaner, so did our hearts .We had a better vision in place all we need to do now is capitalize on this vision and move ahead in our lives. Happy reading to you all with loads of optimism !!!!!! 06 Vishal Singh



EDITORIALEDITOR’SNOTE| The past decade was a flurry of vibrant colours; and from all those tints and hues, this year picked up the shade that none of us will ever forget. The year was infected by COVID-19, and served us its grim grey gore. NEW NORMAL ? stay together, hand-in-hand. Ravaging the globe with lightening’s pace, this pandemic has left no stones unturned, and no fields untouched. Though flooding us with plethora of problems; let us not forget to admire the rewarding changes it brought to our lifestyle. In the haze of negativity, fear, and anguish; the HOW NORMAL many innovations; some empowered us, while others striving endeavours of our community’s work, set on the paradigms of mutual love, has yielded us with is the of newness. Optimism reflected from the deeds of aided us for the tireless fight to live. Thus, restoring our lost morale on these untravelled gruesome paths people has time and again assured that we as humans can trespass any hurdle when we resolve to With this edition, we bring to you a few riveting stories which winded the world, and our city with positivity; while also asking and answering a million questions from everyone, including ‘How normal is the new normal?’. We also bring stories of industries that managed to innovate, experiment, and approach by standing firm and tall to present us with outshining examples. While relaunching our city from Raipur to Re-Raipur, we will be talking about all the redefining factors. We hope to fill your gut with bag of hopes and an assurance that changes your stress lines to a bright-beaming smile. We also believe in your love and acceptance, and hope it will stay and grow along with each edition. Your suggestions refine us continually by encouraging our team to deliver the best, always. We, thus, welcome your feedbacks, wholeheartedly. Gaurav Girija Shukla Editor 08



CONTRIBUTORS| Contributors Ragini Toshniwal I am a Chartered Accountant in the making. I write what I observe, paint what I feel, and read what I lay my hands on. But most of the time, I just study and sleep! Surabhi Jain A Chartered Accountant by Profession and an extreme art enthusiast. Anything related to art deeply excites me- Be it doodling, painting or creative writing. I am the co-owner of ‘The Art Social’- whereby we aim to bring art and people together by organizing paint parties, where people come together to Eat-Paint-Socialize and Enjoy. Also through my Instagram, I try to generate awareness about mental health through positive doodles. Nivedita Roy I started scribbling poems from a young age of seven. Initially worked as a junior AIR anchor and further got published in spillword e-maga- zine. Currently an aspiring public administrator. 10

Neha Sinha Working as a journalist from last 9 years. Writing is not profession but it is the first and last love of life. Ruchi Virani I manage RISAA by Ruchi Virani. I’m a fashion Designer and a stylist. I’ve worked in so many different fields and have understood different things from life that I stated writing. I hope people like what I see and share with them. Himanshi Nandanwar I like to constantly seek knowledge, search for food, and anything that excites me or is challenging. Being creative is my thing. I'm a teacher in making via which I aim to make this world a better place. 11

COVID POSITIVE PICTURES| Covid Positive Pictures During the past few months, we went to multiple photographers around the city to round up some pictures which highlight the events and instances during the reopening of the city. These pictures define the undefeat- ed spirit of empathy, kindness, and humanity. Amongst everything that was bad, these pictures give us a ray of hope. Hope, that there is still more to life. Picture Courtesy: DEV BANERJEE

COVID POSITIVE PICTURES| Picture Courtesy: BHAVESH SINGH CHAUHAN

Picture Courtesy: BHAVESH SINGH CHAUHAN

COVID POSITIVE PICTURES| Picture Courtesy: ARVIND SONWANI

COVER STORY| Recover Rejuvenate Reincarnate Re-Raipur Content: Gaurav Girija Shukla With COVID, the world has turned upside- down. ‘Positive’ is the new ‘negative,’ in the current times. Absolutely nobody saw it coming, and now the world is struggling for remedy. The first case of infection in Raipur was detected in Samta Colony on March 18, 2020, after which the whole colony was sealed.  Our already alert government started informing people to be careful, and strictly follow the guidelines. Photo Credits: Pic Xclusive SANKET MAGGU, RAIPUR This difficult time of covid19 has made us all realize the real way of living a healthy life instead of the pointless running around in the haste of money. This pandemic has given all of us a new perception of looking at the difference in things which are really important and which only seem important. 16

COVER STORY| Meanwhile Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21 days lockdown in the whole country from March 24, while cases were surging everywhere. For the first time in history, our country was completely shut for 21 days.  Commercia; spaces, offices, and factories were shut, and the people witnessed deserted roads. They were bad times, with people losing their close ones to the virus, and migrant workers struggling to return to their villages. Despite the odds, some people truly rose to the need to help fight the circumstances. They were indeed our heroes without capes. Hospitality, fashion, education, healthcare sectors came up with new innovations. These innovations have contributed to make the “new normal” normal. The people of Raipur truly have fought this pandemic with valor, spirit and innovation, while helping others along the way. We, not only have learned to live with the situation, but we have also managed to develop new ways to survive. In this edition, we have tried to cover the positive side of the pandemic In this edition, we have tried to cover the positive side of the pandemic, with the hope it boosts our readers’ moral and given them a little ray of hope. Given that social distancing is an important factor to prevent infection, people chose to communicate via the internet, currently the safest mode of communication; using it to conduct online classes, yoga sessions, cooking classes, while families used it to connect via video conferencing. The state government also connected to people living in rural areas, and conducted online classes for students.  This has introduced us to a new Raipur, or may we say, “re-Raipur”, with its recoveries, rejuvenated ideas, and its reincarnation. Covid19 came and literally brought our lives to a standstill, affecting some people more than it did others. However, it gave the world, specifically mother nature a breather and much needed respite from damage caused by human activities. KIRTI KIRDATT, RAIPUR 17

COVER STORY| People have been nothing but kind. After a patient’s recovery and return, instead of socially ostracizing them, the prople of Raipur welcomed them back with love, flowers, wishes for their recovery. The recovered patients have been appreciated for their will power and determination through the 14 days quarantine. While some donated money to the Chief Minister’s fund, which was also used to help migrant laborers; others helped those in isolation to carry out their outdoor chores, set up campaigns to spread awareness, donated essentials like sanitizers, masks and rations to isolation centers and poor people. Many organizations came forward to help people in need, and they are still working out of their league to help the need. The police payed an importamt role, and truly emerged as the “Heroes of the Era”. Usually, the police do not enjoy a good reputation amongst the people, but during this pandemic, they did everything possible to aware and educate people about COVID. Some danced to and sang COVID songs to raise awareness, others were stricter in their approach. Without giving tuppence to their health, they were on-duty 24*7; some even deliv- ered groceries to those in isolation. Doctors and healthcare workers have been the backbone of our survival during COVID. They played the role of God. They continue to dedicatedly help us without holding themselves back. Some have succumbed to COVID. They have been treating patients whilst wearing PPE kits, doing their best to help them recover. In the past few months, social media has been flooded with videos and posts of doctors helping patients in dire circumstances. In the time of lockdown, many people and organizations came forward to help the migrant laborers. They donated food and basic amenities, organized massive food distribu- tion and arranged shelters for the needy. Markets were the worst affected. A lot of small businesses suffered heavy losses. But the people of Raipur know how to survive and win. When hotels shut, they came up with the idea of cloud kitchens, and home delivery.  Masks have become a Fashion trend. Online gym sessions became a common go to health regime during lockdown. MOHIT SAHU, Nature got some respite as ENVIRONMENTALIST, RAIPUR rivers, air, land and atmo- sphere got purified. Due to 18 reduced sound pollution, once again could wake up in the morning to the birds' calls. Family bonding became stronger especially caring about each other was at top level. People learnt to live with minimum amenities and at the same time they extended whatever help they could, to the people traveling back home. Social bonding increased.

During lockdown, people started utilizing their free time to develop their hobbies, bringing out their creativity. Reading books, watching movies, singing, painting, cooking, gardening, and spending quality family time became common ways to pass time. This pandemic brought people closer to their old friends, relatives via phone and video calls. We have been fighting every day, and we will not stop until that one day when a vaccine comes and saves people’s lives. Until then, optimism is the only medicine. KIRTI SISODIYA, The episode of COVID taught us, no matter what, life is always a beautiful and AUTHOR, RAIPUR delectable experience, as we have again relived our relationships, family time and leisure time, we have learnt compassion and humanity for poor. We have started to appreciate others' efforts, keeping them in our lives, who have worked for us. Of course this critical phase has snatched so much from us but has taught us myriad valuable lesson too. People started giving preference to basic hygiene . And that has started preventing them from many other diseases. DR PRADEEP SHARMA, SR. CONSULTANT DEPARTMENT OF CRITICAL CARE MEDICINES, NH MMI 19

C.S. RajputPEOPLE| On the crest of a wave Content: Nivedita Roy Each year, we address a million youngsters tussling for securing a grade in public service examination. Sailing across the sea of uncertainty, the journey to authoritarian-world is a perpetual battle. The battle led by a thousand guiding institutes and confronted by an aspiring army of young-bloods. Building, affirming and establishing success for the aspirants isn’t easy as pie. Unravelling the path of a similar Dronacharya who has left no stones unturned while guiding such participants of Chhattisgarh- state service examination. We got in-conversation-with Mr. Chitrakant Singh Rajput, the founder and director of Rajput Tutorials; headquartered at Raipur. A CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK: Inheritance is a matter of perception. To some, it squanders with wealth; to others, with a heritage of culture. Acquiring diligence from his father, who worked-hard as school peon to make the ends meet, Mr. Rajput says- “My family is my ultimate teacher. Living in union of four-generations, I learnt management & co-operation from the women, and discipline & personal-care from the men.” Describing his relationship with his wife, he backs the famous saying - it takes two to tango. Born and raised in Raipur; he began teaching as an assistant professor in Raipur Institute of Technology, the same college he is alumnus to. THE CIVIL SERVICES TURN: Aiming to become a telecommunication engineer with a M.Tech in Digital Electronics; Mr. Rajput tells his jour- ney of switching fields from telecom-engineer to a public-service aspirant and finally, to an educator in different coaching institutes. Being a pioneer in establishing one of the first institute for civil-services in remote and aloof land of Bastar, he tells- “Where all other institutes extended their canopy from Raipur or Bilaspur to further within the interiors of Bastar. I forwarded, though retrogradely, with the pre-defined vogue. I was warned of not getting more than fifty students from the district and to everyone’s awe, it reckoned to more than five-hundred students. Adding to my surprise, students did follow from far-flung places to attend classes. This motivated me to expand further.” Myriads of milestones: Of more than seven thousand students already been passed and three distinct institutional branches on operation; the director defines his own version of milestone- “Starting- free education for twenty marginal- ised students per batch is what I account to my milestones. Since, economic-strain was the biggest hurdle to my upbringing; I always did dream of providing free education to the hard-working but deprived section of society.” Being first to set-up a public-service coaching Mr. C.S. Rajput Director, Rajput Tutorials

PEOPLE| institution at Bastar, owning best institutional infrastructure in Bilaspur and putting an outstanding team of tutors exceptional to any, in Chhattisgarh; are yet less to add. PROFESSING THROUGH PANDEMIC: We spent half-a-year in dilemma and plaguing depression when COVID hit the globe. Amidst lockdowns and griming halts, Mr. Chitrakant reveals us of the prolific ideas he came along- “I, along with my team did not stop. It’s obvious for kids to fall-apart from the steady schedule, thus, we launched the first online-based mobile application for Chhattisgarh civil-service guidance and preparation. Aspirants showed an unprece- dented response by attending the application-based online classes with nearly the similar strength, as in offline classrooms.” In addition to Chhattisgarh’s first state-service coaching app, the institute has also brought out pen-drive courses; professing this pandemic towards productivity. MOTIVATION AND MANTRA: Being busy as a beaver, we were surprised to know that Mr. Chitrakant barely stresses out. The reason? It’s his family. “Discipline, hard-work, and perse- verance” is his mantra to success. From free-dis- tribution of food to labourers during lockdowns, to providing free app-based learning for more than hundred economically-backward students; he is always motivated. Planning to proliferate the field of expertise and propagate an intellectual mindset, he revealed his plan to manifest Chhattisgarh to an educational capital. Cognizant & strong-headed, his life is an epiphany for work-ethics for any section of society. Mr. Rajput defines that such a repute is hard-earned and that the dynamics of perfection is better self-taught and self-applied. An investment in knowledge pays the best interest

CITY TRENDS| Beloved Two Wheeled Spokes Content: Ragini Toshniwal Photo Credits: Google Images We had started our year with the Australian Bushfires, and little did our naïve, innocent souls know that wasn’t it. Life was business as usual. February rolled into March, and what was subtle earlier started becoming more obvious. People started cancelling their travel plans, Holi was celebrated sparsely, and I, for one was wasn’t enthusiastic about dolling out my usual bear hugs. On the 22nd came the lockdown, and everything shut down. People who hadn’t visited home for a long time, returned. Reality seemed like an extended vacation after years of regular work. We finally had the time to spend time with our families. While at first this proximity was enjoyed, soon the novelty of it all started wearing off. The weeks quickly turned to months, and the restlessness started building up. As a child, I used to cycle for hours after school, exploring this city. Presently, the restlessness of the lockdown was getting to me too. And like many others of this city, I turned to cycling. Life is indeed a cycle, after all. Vasist Reddy, a regular cyclist, says, “It’s just so much fun. On a regular day, I go for 50- 100 kms rides, depending upon my mood and time. One of the things I love about cycling is that it makes me feel intrigued to explore. I have ended up at villages I had never visited before, ponds I had never swum in before. Once I ended up at Mana Camp, where I found a canal and forest cover. It was breathtaking.” I started off with the intention to get rid of some restlessness. With time, it has come to mean more. It has become my refuge. All I have to do is grab my cycle, and let the roads take me to where they desire. Mr. Prateek Bothra, owner of Rawfit, feels differently. He says, “I like to plan my routes beforehand. During my college days, I used to go for regular long rides. It isn’t something new to me. Given Raipur’s tracks, I consider cycle a leisurely workout. However, I continued doing my regular exercises. One of the drawbacks of cycling in Raipur is that we are limited to four to five tracks, a major reason why the trend never really picked up. I would like to add one thing though. Before deciding to cycle, it is very important to assess the strength of your hips and knees, else it could be fatal.” NATURALLY, THE INCREASE IN CYCLING ACTIVITY HAS LED TO AN INCREASE IN DEMAND FOR CYCLES. Mr. Deepanshu Jain, owner of Bicycle Hub, says, “Post lockdown there had been a significant increase in sales. But COVID has hit the supply chains very seriously. Sometimes, the transport drivers are tested positive at state borders. Added to it, with the labor crisis, the companies are unable to meet demands. That’s not it. Now with the city’s traffic rebuilding itself, the sales are again seeing a decline, due to justifiable safety concerns. I cannot stress enough how much I try to convince my customers to buy protective gears as well. But try as I may, it’s a futile attempt.”

VIP ROAD It’s a long road. No seriously, IT IS A follow your heartIF YOU’RE LIKE ME, YOU MAY LIKE TO LONG ROAD. have personally never seen the end of it, and I hope it remains a mystery to me. The road has a service lane, so while you’re cycling there, stick to the them as cars drive by really fast, heading to or from the airport. NAVA RAIPUR AND LET THE ROAD SHOW YOU THE WAY. ROAD HOWEVER, WE DON’T LACK RECOMMENDATIONS You could string your cycle to your MANA CAMP GE ROAD CYCLE TRACK car, and free it at your desired location once you reach the Nava Trees, canals, and a lot The government constructed the cycle track a Raipur Road, and cycle to your of peace. Need I say few years ago. The track is suitable for those heart’s content. Or you could cycle more? However, I’d who aren’t willing to go all out. I recommend down the VIP Road route, and head recommend you to not it for a morning ride as the tracks are free directly for the airport, onto the go there once it gets all then. By evening, the tracks get occupied by entirety of NAVA Raipur. You may dark and lonely. It’s vendors, so they become unsuitable for even end up at Sendh Lake on your PRETTY isolated. uninterrupted cycling. enthusiastic days. HOWEVER, WHILE STEPPING OUT ON 17 YOUR BELOVED TWO WHEELED SPOKES, DO NOT FORGET TO WEAR YOUR HELMETS, AND ATTACH YOUR GEAR AND TAIL LIGHTS. YOU WANT TO BE SAFE, NOT SORRY! Post the COVID outbreak, citing the multifold benefits of cycling, the World Health Organization advocated for using cycling and walk- ing as a regular means of commute. WHO Advised “Whenever feasible, consider riding Yes, you may have to leave bicycles or walking: this provides home a little early to reach physical distancing while helping work, but if you consider it to meet the minimum require- seriously, can you imagine ment for daily physical how much the traffic activity, which may be congestion could reduce? more difficult due to Top it with the reduction in increased teleworking, your carbon footprint. and limited access to sport and other 23 recreational activities.”

RAIPUR TALKS| Wedding Stories Content: Neha Sinha While a few couples parted ways during the Lockdown, some decided to spend the rest of their lives together. This realization hit Tanu and Sagar like a big yellow school truck. They said, “Lockdown made us only fall more in love with each other than before. We realized we couldn’t stay away from each other.” Tanu Khandelwal and Sagar Khandelwal were looking forward to their wedding, announced for 18th of May. They had a seven months long courtship, and were really excited to start their lives together. “At first, our families took the lockdown very lightly, believing that it would last only 3 weeks., but as time passed and things became more serious, we started entertaining the thoughts of postponing our wedding to June”, said Tanu. They postponed their wedding for seven more months. In the meantime, they spent the time getting to know each other via video calls. They cooked, exercised, ate, and even dated via video calls.“Nothing but love kept us going,” says Sagar. “Tanu is my world, and I cannot imagine my life without her. Our seven months together made me realize her importance in my life.” What with Tanu slowly losing hopes of her wedding, and Sagar getting irritated and frustrated due to the distance, they had their ups and downs. But it is widely said that love knows no boundaries. Tanu was in Bhilai, while Sagar was living in Mumbai. Despite living away from each other, they dealt with everything together. The proposal 24 Tanu & Sagar

RAIPUR TALKS| Love conquers all.. #hitched Happy forever Soon, they started planning for their day via family zoom calls, discussing everything under the roof about the wedding. It definitely wasn’t easy to get the families to come to an agreement given societal and financial pressures, but they eventually conceded. With time, the discussions became smoother, and the families agreed to a date in November, with the venue changed from Indore to Raipur. All that is left now for Sagar to fly from Mumbai, hold Tanu in his arms, and proclaim his love for her in front of the whole world. ve. This l about lo ockdown was all 25

RAIPUR TALKS| Hitched Online Breaking stereotypes, the Dang couple organized their wedding via Shaadi.com. It created quite a buzz for itself, and set out a trend for online weddings The 26 years old groom, Sushen Dang tied the knot with his then fiancé, now wife Keerti Narang on April 19th. He is associated with an American company, and she is a make up artist. Although Mr. PD Tripathi, the priest blessed the ceremony with chants and rituals, it was the higher power of the internet that made it possible. The wedding was performed online efficiently. The beautiful bride wore her mother’s lehenga, while the groom wore his moth- er’s dupatta for a turban, and her earring for a brooch. They proved that the two most import- ant aspects of a wedding are the ceremony, and love, which forms the core of any relation- ship. Keerti & Sushen 26

RAIPUR TALKS| Every girl has dreams to wear her mother’s wedding lehenga one day. Keerti Narang was elated to realize this dream. She said that the wedding was special for her not just because she married the love of her life, but also because she wore her mother’s wedding dress. Shaadi.com organized a sangeet party for the bride and the groom, and family members from both sides danced to traditional as well as party songs. Amidst everything, the couple really managed to enjoy their wedding. Being a professional make-up artist, the bride did her own make-up.  Keerti said, “I really enjoyed my wed- ding. At first it was very difficult for me to convince my parents to conduct an online wedding, but given the circumstances, they soon warmed up to the idea. My in-laws were well adjusted to the idea since its inception. The wedding was eventually on national news; every magazine and newspaper covered it. It was quite memo- rable.” Ladke wale Ladki wale The groom said, “Ours is an arranged marriage; our relatives suggested the match and we began talking online last summer. We got engaged in October and the wedding was supposed to take place on April 19 at Corbett National Park. When it looked like it wasn’t going as planned, a friend told me about the online option. It works for us because we can go ahead with our plans while being safe. I think this will become a trend because even after the lockdown is lifted, things aren’t going to return to normal anytime soon.” He also added that he had no trouble in convincing his parents and relatives to opt for an online wedding. The priest, Mr. Tripathi also encouraged the couple, and performed the rituals saying that this wedding was happening due to God’s blessing. We should be thankful to him. Nearly 100 guests joined the ceremony on zoom call and blessed the couple. It was live on Facebook and people from all over the world logged into and blessed the couple. 27

STARTUPS, RAIPUR| STARTUPS DURING PANDEMIC Content: News Desk ACCULEGAL SERVICES PRIVATE LIMITED a business services platform, is dedicated to deliver a spectrum of services to start-ups & existing businesses. They provide curated professional solutions to startups, with no professional fees, helping them to go through these tough times. Amidst layoffs, job-losses, and a grim economic scenario, their efforts to encourage aspiring entrepreneurs, assisting start-ups with documentation, registrations, legal matters, funding & important consulting areas, have been remarkable. Being start-ups and MSME specialists, they have also released a Covid Helpline number to cater to all the challenges faced by MSMEs and start-ups, free of cost. They boast of a qualified and experienced team of professionals, where the co-founders Harshdeep, Sheetal and Rakesh are qualified Chartered Accountants and Namrata, a Company Secretarty and Lawyer. They have doubled in team size as well as revenue, in the last seven months. Since inception in 2017, they have catered to more than 500 startups across 20+ cities. One can't deny the role they have played in building and maintaining the start-up eco system! 28

STARTUPS, RAIPUR| NETPRACTICE APP Ever since the beginning of this pandemic, we have been seeing teachers and educators around us struggling to conduct their classes online. To ease this struggle, an idea cultivated within me I set off on a mission. Teachers all around the world should be renamed \"Master Jugglers.\" They have to constantly juggle between100 different things. Their tasks include teaching, setting papers, checking them, maintaining discipline, planning lessons, and organizing a hefty number of co-curriculars. This is the normal life of an everyday teacher. Now, they were faced with the problem of doing everything online. The pandemic had actually turned their juggle into a real struggle! This is when we started building NetPractice. NetPractice is a platform which allows teachers and students to perform all the above tasks on one platform. Currently, every teacher on an average has to use four different platforms to manage their day to day classes. With NetPractice, it comes down to just one. Our first motive was to make the platform highly user friendly. We made sure that it was easy to use by every teacher, student, and parent, regardless of being tech-savvy or not. Next, we focused heavily on the platform's security. Security problems during online classes are a major concern for schools, students, and parents. We worked hard to ensure that there is absolutely no security breach during classes. The first version of NetPractice had modules for Virtual Teaching, Study Material, Student Management, & Teach- er-Student Chat. Soon after rolling out our MVP to multiple teachers in 5+ states in India, we set up a customer support team to fix issues faced by the teachers and to help them in their teaching journey. We are currently working towards our next big innovation in this product, which is Artificial Intelli- gence powered Personalized Learning. The technological advancement in the world of AI has enabled us to provide each student with their personalized learning experiences, called adaptive learning, which we’ll soon be launching on NetPractice with Online Examination & Assessment. We hope to make a difference in the world of education & 29 someday achieve our vision for “Making Learning Better.”

MaskingFASHIONTRENDS| THE MUNDANE Content: Ruchi & Nivedita Roy Photo Courtesy: Google Images The first-ever mask, dated back in the history was made up of animal-bladder. Since then, masks have traversed the history of multiple epidemics and pandemics. The twenty-first century COVID outbreak started with a tedious- blue one! Realising the timelessness of this pandemic, our fashion industry forefronted to leave no stones unturned in experimenting and innovating fabrics- that wouldn’t just deliver anti-viral properties with masks but also stand atop- when it comes to style. So, let us peep into when and where this- once a mere-medi- cal-tool; intersected and interwind to a plethora of distinct fields: Humbly home-made Match making masks Disseminating as wildfire, the virus Weddings accounted for those of brought our world in exigency for many scarcely propitious events, quicker production and distribution that propelled vastly, along the of protective-gears. For developing year. Ranges from diamond-stud- countries with bulk of human-capital ded to tacky imprints, masks like India; it turned easier for its added a new dimension to the households to cut-&-sew along the jargon of wedding designers. A guidelines on mask-making by matching pair of masks became WHO. Nevertheless forgetting, the the new ritual for wedding-cou- humble contribution of many ples, during COVID. self-help-groups women workers; who added a layer of art within the many stretches of prevention. From designer’s desk The fashion industry waited not long to work on the looks of masks. Since, unlock unfolded in different cities across the country and world, the demand for these face-gears stretched its arms to manifolds. Attires are now paired with a matching mask. 30

FASHION TRENDS| Branding for Commercialising for Jewelled & amused statement cause Escaping the thick-air of these Shifting from domestic to Used as a tool to communicate grim days; there were instanc- top-notch industries, masks and its agenda; institutes and es of people going out of their its manufacturers have both organisations now have ways to deliver to themselves witnessed fast and major customised masks. Embroi- as well as others, some changes. Aligning a luxurious dered with logos and emblems airy-moments. Now that masks market alongside those- of the concerned group; masks are a part of living, jewellery produced in cottages; we now are curated as banners for shops- like one at Surat and have a huge range of branded advertisement. many other cities across the masks to suffice our brand- world; have transcended the ing-quests. Assuring the limits of designing masks. creamy-crowd, with a promise Ranging from 1.5 lakh to of quality. above, these masks follow all the standards of mask-making with perks of being washable for multiple-usage. The world-wide epidemic has created an unprecedented turbulence in our lives. With hand-&-face hygiene, social-distancing and proper masking; this virus has brought huge changes in our lifestyles. Since masking isn’t a new habit, given Raipur’s sunny weather year-around; a huge population in the city swiftly adhered the habit of wearing masks with gloves. Nonetheless, these nuances re-defined our tireless devotion for 31 precautions. Afterall in these lockdowns and slowdowns, let’s not forget - the show must go on!

CITY HANGOUT| Sendh Lake Content: Amisha & Ragini Toshniwal Photographs: Babita Mitra Where should we go on weekends? No plans, right? With everything closed during the lockdown, the city looked desperately for an alternative. And they got one. There is an alternate place outside the city to sit and chill with friends, and that is Sendh Lake. The best sunset of the city can be witnessed from the lake.   It's a fifteen minutes’ drive through VIP ROAD and there are many cafés & stores near the lake where one can sit and chat for hours. The best time to visit Sendh Lake is in the evening.   Sendh Lake recently caught Raipur’s attention during the lockdown. It's located opposite Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International cricket stadium. Initially deserted, post the Lockdown, Sendh lake has become a regular place of visit for a lot of people.   “It was 5:00 in the evening, the roads were waterlogged in some places, the air was moist because of the rain and we wanted to witness the best sunset in the city,” said Anupriya, a girl came with her friends to visit the lake.   Anupriya added that they drove their car straight to the Lake. The first time they had visited, it was very quiet and there were few people, but with time, it became more crowded. 32

CITY HANGOUT| The foggy air, the radiant sunset, the buzzing sound of people, the warm water and cool breeze defines tits beauty. It smells of \"HOPE\". 2020 has taken many things from people. Businesses shut, cinema halls closed, hotels turned into hospitals, jobs lost, dream projects paused, marriages postponed, but this place inspired the saying \"BLESSING IN DISGUISE\" as it radiated its way through this pandemic.   Send Lake can make one feel detached from the real world. The cities may have the best night life, but there is something very soothing about nature, that just completely pulls one from meaningless reality called life. This place has also brought employment opportunities for a lot of people. WHILE VISITING THIS PLACE, PLEASE KEEP FEW THINGS IN MIND Bring your own water bottles. Don't forget to click pictures with Satya Sai hospital at the background. Don't throw garbage or any waste into the lake or nearby. Don't forget to witness the sunset. Lastly, dont forget to breathe 33

FOOD TRENDS| Cloud Kitchen Content: Ruchi Virani Anju da Dhaba Anju da Dhaba was formed by Mrs. Anjana Bansal, who is a housewife in Raipur. She has always been a good cook. After her son got married, her daughter-in-law, who is a video editor, tasted her mother-in-law’s food, and she realized that all her recipes were different and unique from one another. She thought of starting an Instagram, Facebook and YouTube page in which they were to post videos and recipes. This journey began as soon as the lockdown started on 31st March 2020, which was a perfect time to show and explore talent. Soon they started receiving a positive response. Her story was also featured on Navbharat, Patrika and Good- Times channel. Her dishes are all home-made, refreshing, and healthy. It’s nothing that we cannot eat in our day to day lives; cooked with less oil and grease. Nom! Nom! 34

ANJU DA DHABA FOOD TRENDS| An interesting fact about her is that she was also selected for MasterChef but she couldn’t proceed because she cannot cook non-vegetarian food. She loves to use Indian spices in her food, and does new experiments with different spices. She named her page Anju da Dhaba because her dream is to start a Dhaba of her own. She is really a great inspiration to all the housewives who cook good food but are afraid to do something of their own. On public demand she has also started taking orders for small parties and gatherings. You can place order through call or IG DM. FCOoModA 35

U CAN NEVER GO WRONG WITH CH FOOD TRENDS| YOWaffle_Shack_ Original_Taste Waffle_shack_original_taste was formed by a teen- ager aged only 15 years old, Mr. Tanishk Balani. It was found on 11th June 2020 during lockdown. How- ever, his journey started way back in 2014, when he was only 9 years old. Isn’t it something interesting, a 15 year old cooking, growing to become a chief in future? A student of RKC, along with his studies, he is also focusing on his future goals. He learned cooking at home and sometimes goes to his dad’s friend’s café to learn few technicalities. His specialties are waffles and donuts. He can also cook appetizers (Indian, Chinese, Dutch, etc.), main course (Indian, French & Arabian), and dessert (American, French, Indian, cakes & pastry). He does everything from chopping to serving, an achievement given his age. OCOLATE 36

You can find really tempting donuts & waffles on his WAFFLE_SHACK_ORIGINAL_TASTE Instagram page. He recently invented gold plated waffles; we have seen lot of silver-plated sweets, but gold-plated ones are rare. Tanishk was quite open to sharing little anecdotes of his experiments. He says, “One day I was craving something sweet, so I went to a sweet shop near my house. I purchased kaju katli, as it’s one of my favourite sweets. I asked the owner about the silver coat on the katli. He said it’s original silver. I asked him why did he used silver instead of food colour. In reply he told me about the many benefits of eating selver. And I was very impressed. I wanted to launch something new in my menu,a so I came up with the idea of gold waffles. I researched a lot about it; if it is safe to eat gold, what are the benefits, etc. Finally, I launched “The gold waffles” loaded with lot of chocolate and topped with 24k original edible gold plate (which comes all the way from Gujarat). It is the first of its kind in Raipur. You can place your order through phone or IG DM. theres always room for desserts 37

WHAT’S NEW| A Weekend's Getaway Content: Ragini Toshniwal When I say a weekend getaway, what would be the first thing that comes to your mind? The villas in Alibag, Vedic Resorts near Kolkata, or perhaps Kanha? How about a beautiful farm house with a beautiful suite, open showers, indoor pool? Maybe an open theatre? When my friends and I set out towards Farm Fete this Saturday. One of its kind in Raipur, Farm Fete allows us the joy of enjoying everything a farm house has to offer, without the obligation of investing in and maintaining one. We couldn’t help but be excited for what lay ahead, given the extremely exhausting week we had. Merely 18 kilometers from Raipur and set in an area of 55000 sq ft, Farm fete was exactly what we needed. It was lush green, with hints of brightness here and there, credits to lawn cushions, flowers, and the open theatre. We checked in at 1:00 pm. The property can be rented at a price of Rs. 25000, and comes with 3 rooms of two types, the suite and the master suite. The master suite had the Plunge pool. With the property overlooking the Kurud Dam, and the vast expanse of lush green grounds, I could not have asked for anything else for my weekend getaway. 38

Since we were famished, we quickly settled down, changed and headed to the Pinnacle Retreat, a restaurant in the midst of a pool, for our lunch. The retreat specializes in multiple cuisines. Well, it was wasn’t wine and cheese, but I did get my wish; delicious food, with my feet dipped in a pool of water! Once we were fed and rested, I took off for an excursion to explore the property, while my friends headed off to shake off their weariness in the plunge pool. After lapping up up the lushness of the extensive property, I headed back to the pool to join my friends, and we spent the entire evening catching up, dancing, and doing nothing. Due to the exclusivity and privacy of the retreat (they only allow one booking at a time), we enjoyed the luxury of owning our entire day to our whims. Eventually, we did get out of the pool, and after changing, we decided to play a round of billiards in the Indoor Games room, which comes equipped with several board games as well. The retreat also offers its very own open-air movie theatre, with outdoor sports like badminton, kite flying, cricket, etc. It also has set ups available for photo, and video shoots. And given the picturesque lawns, I would highly recommend it! Jamburee, a beautiful corner of Farm fete, is perfect and equipped for a born fire. It was natural for us to not use it at this time of the year, but I am sure it would be a treat during the winter months. After indoor games, we headed to our rooms for a round of wine, and nibbles. We then headed for dinner, which was delicious. Afterwards, we went to the Jamburee to play some group games (I won’t say Antakshari, you can’t make me!!) and gas around. 39

Farm FeteWHAT’SNEW| #happyplace Weekend Vibes One of the things we were concerned about before going to Farm fete was the safety and hygiene, given the COVID situation. However, Mrs. Vineeta Dodai, owner of Farm, assured us of sanitation. Before we had arrived at the retreat, she had the place completely sanitized for us, and the lawn was watered and tended to very carefully. The Farm has been her pet project for 3 years now; and assuring the safety of her guests, while having a good time, was her priority. And she lived up to her word. While checking out the next morning after a good night’s sleep in the spacious and comfortable rooms, and a hearty breakfast of aloo parathas, fruits and chai, I was completely rejuvenated to face another week of hard work, this time with a smile on my face and a load of happy memories of the time I spent with my friends at Farm Fete. “TisototralivveelIf you too want to spend quality time with your friends, family, do visit Farm Fete. 40



HOSPITALITY TREND| Hyatt Tduhreinkgnipgahntdemic Content: Gaurav Girija Shukla Luxury hotels have reserved their timeless presence in our fancy dreams. This year when pandemic succumbed all our travel-plans and when the vacations veiled themselves under the sheets of viral terror; Raipur outshined with one great check-in deal within the city. Hotel Hyatt. Innovating through crisis, we witnessed a distinct passage of paradigm shift in the hotel’s emergency-approach. From owning a tedious-room for luxury, this lavish abode resumed with the mantra quoting “safety is- new luxury”. Tossing fear and bewilderment at bay, the General Manager- Mr. Harkaran Singh of Hyatt Raipur, with his staff, came to soothe the road to new normal. HYATT AT HOME When the first phase of lockdown ended, there was a wave of family gatherings. Women were flooded with burden to cook and serve the best cuisines to their family. Ordering for a home delivery package, from any hotel was confined to fear of contamination. Cashing on the opportunity, the hotel came up with the idea of Hyatt at home. For a minimum gathering of thirty people, Hyatt reached out with its best chefs and staffs. Reckoning the demands from guests and host-family, the chefs came along with minimum preparation to cook their best within family kitchen. 42

TAKE AWAY A SUSTAINABLE Talking about this innovation, Hyatt’s WORK-ETHIC “SAFETY IS General Manager-Harkaran Singh informed us that; “Hyatt never gave “Hyatt is a Corporate Hotel and even in the importance to Take Away. Despite good times; very few people come and being approached by various home delivery services several times, we NEW LUXURYdine here. General official meetings or stuck to our pattern. The pandemic has made many minor shifts, though. functions were arranged whereas the dining And this one actually yielded us area remain empty especially in the after- high-end profit. Moreover, the reusable-organic packaging also noon” adds the General Manager. gained much appreciation within public.” During this pandemic, the hotel decided to In further conversations, he also suggested us how a nick of shift by minimize on their resources and maximizing including this service has added financial inclusion to the hotel. “It on facilitating their customers at par. Instead was a surprise package for our staff since the management always of opening the whole dining area for a thought that an expensive menu like ours, will get rather less take away rather less population of customers, the orders. So, they never focused on it. But to their surprise, this new alter- hotel staffs shifted them to a much more native helped us in sustaining the hotel”added Mr. Singh. cozy, well-lit private space, keeping up in mind social-distancing and hygiene. Hospi- tality as always, was well served quintes- sentially. Mr. Harkaran Singh (General Manager, Hyatt)

HOSPITALITY TREND| COMMITMENT TO GLOBAL CARE AND CLEANLINESS Hyatt has also tied-up with medical experts to maintain hygiene protocol during the pandemic. After the guest leaves, the concerned room is not touched for at least 48 hours and further it is cleaned with Johnson Diversey chemicals Rx 250. The frequently touched areas like elevator buttons, switches etc. have been filmed with a micro-trans- parent paper on which the virus cannot stay.



WELLNESS| ME TIME OR TIME ALONE Content: Nikita Juneja I love my break time. With the attention span I have; I know an hour or two, and bang, I need a break. I feel the need to breathe out and do something that comes effortlessly, so I simply just use my phone. Oh! How happy I feel picking it up in moments alone. Scrolling, watching videos, looking at pictures, it all comes effortlessly and well, in that moment, I feel ‘updated.’ Instagram calls it “All Caught Up”. Would you say I spent quality ‘ME TIME’? Well, I can say that I literally feel ‘caught up’ after the scrolling. Essentially, what I SOME TIPS TO REMEMBER did was switched off my productive brain and switched WHILE YOU TAKE TIME OFF it on without plugging in any charger. It was merely my ‘TIME ALONE’. 1 It has to be a short duration for 4 days a week. While time alone can be a momentary bliss in our days filled with responsibilities and roles to fulfill; It could be 10,000 things and but is it enough? Does it recharge us in any way? Does it give the feeling that we are it is highly subjective. ‘in command’ for the remaining day? Does it make it any easier to do Anything that brings your remaining chores? Mostly, it does not. What this time out actually offers is 2 body and mind in sync can just a little escape , go to your activity bag. but the reality remains the same. Our mind, body and energy levels It has to be an ‘intentional’ essentially remain the same, and sometimes, they break that you take for actually, drop even more. It’s a momentary bliss with very little or 3 yourself. It will not come zero impact to our mood. Contrary to automatically. this, from past many years, psycho- logical studies suggest that intentional It is time in ‘solitude’ or what time in ‘solitude’ can actually increase creativity, compassion and leave a we can call an ‘independent long-lasting impact to our mood. I call this time ‘me time’. How is it break’. Your activity bag different from ‘time alone’ you ask? should be filled with things NIKITA JUNEJA junejanikita that you can do on your own. 46 @ [email protected] 4 What you choose to do in that period is only for you. Remember, your activity can range from self-care, to reading, to just sitting silently with yourself. It can be anything under the sun that brings you calm and makes you feel like yourself. Let this Pandemic be an opportunity for you to create your ‘me time’.

WELLNESS| When I engage in any activity where my body and mind are in sync, and I am engrossed in it, that time is ‘me time’. It almost feels like getting lost in a beautiful tune and coming out with a calm mind. It's the time when I connect with ‘myself’ the most. After a lot of confusion about what I should do in this time, and notions like lack of hobbies, doubting my ability to treat myself, and do things for myself, here is what I found: The other I saw my 5 years old nephew making the best of his ‘me time’. This little champ has a pool of activities he enjoys like collecting coins, colouring, mechanics, legos etc. Any patch of free time, and he engrosses himself with something or the other. That’s when he learns what he does, whilst also enjoying every aspect of the process, and most importantly learning to spend time by himself. Having such a pool of activities is like Doremon’s bag of magical gadgets. I feel this is something we should associate with. This bag is something that we can create together. To start with, go back to your childhood and think about what kind of activities you loved doing? Well, there’s your BAG ready with you. You can add, subtract and delete the activities with time. and now it’s me time 47

MENTAL HEALTH| Family Harmony in the times of Covid-19 Content: Amba Sethi We are going through a period of tremendous stress and strain, and it is in these testing times when we need to be optimistic and take better care of our physical, mental & emotional well-being. To shed further light on how to ensure our physical, mental & emotional well-being, we have insights from a very experienced NLP Practi- tioner, Clinical Hypnotherapist Counsellor, Psychotherapist & Life Coach of Raipur- Dr. Amba Sethi. The Covid-19 crisis has prolonged considerably, due to which a lot of us are going through a phase of ‘low-frustration tolerance’. It is basically a reduced ability to tolerate unpleasant feelings or stressful situations. For some of us, emotions are running high, arguments and conflicts are on a sharp increase within the family, and very small issues, which are generally overlooked, are causing a great deal of distress. We are feeling a range of emotions like: • Fear • Anxiety • Anger • Sadness & Depression • Low mood • Irritation / Frustration • Envy / Jealousy • Guilt Since the past few months, we have been forced to spend a lot of time cooped together, which has led to a lot of discord. With great emphasis, I would like to reach out to all the adults and inspire them to take responsibil- ity for their own physical, mental, and emotional well-being enabling them to inspire the younger generation. Listed ahead are certain daily activities and specific solutions which, if followed, would certainly alleviate the present stressful situation and soothe our emotions. 1 Avoid too much news. The Daily Essentials 2 Use the social media with discretion, and visit authentic websites and blogs for any kind of information related to the virus. Too much news and social media are a cause of information overload and misinformation. 3 Some form of physical exercise; Yoga / Qi Gong / Stretching / Breathing exercises / dancing / walking etc. 4 Taking care of our nutrition, hydration and requisite vitamin supplements. 5 Getting sufficient sleep and rest so that our body has the time to repair, rejuvenate and heal. 6 It is imperative, that we give each other adequate space and privacy. Allow everyone to deal with their stress and anxiety how they are able to. 48 Dr. Amba Sethi Psychologist & Counsellor

7 Planning pleasurable activities - as a family, we need to plan when all of us can spend some relaxing time together; playing carrom, cards and board games, singing songs / karaoke, watching movies or playing video games together, exercising together etc. 8 Nurturing our relationships and social contacts through kind words, comforting gestures and expressing our unconditional love and support to each other. Don’t forget to make video calls to friends and family mem- bers, especially to those who are elderly, living alone or feeling lonely. 9 A change in attitude from ‘he should / he shouldn’t’ to ‘what can I do to make my family happier’ or ‘how can I contribute in easing a stressful situation’ is the way to go. 10 Great caution must be exercised while using words & language. Warm, kind and compassionate words should be used instead of criticism, complain, humiliation, and insults. 11 Care has to be taken that work is shared and all the pressure of the household work does not fall on one individual. Do your bit and remember that in relationships, small things are big things. 12 This is a time when children, teenagers, young adults may be spending extra time on their gadgets. You may certainly encourage them and try to involve them in other interesting activities, but it is not the time to be rude, forceful or punish them by taking away their gadgets or criticizing them every time they are on their mobiles. After all, they are also trying to cope with an unprecedented situation in their own way. 13 Be kind to your own self. Do what you can, in the best way you can, but do not try to achieve perfection. Practice self- compassion, and forgive yourself for any mistakes you may have made. 14 Engage in spirituality: Practice gratitude - Be grateful for what you have and teach children to be grateful for what they have. Develop a habit of saying thank you to each other at home. Meditate and look within - you will be able to deal with any situation in a better way if you are in a peaceful state of mind. Also, use this time to get to know yourself better. Pray - even if it is just a few minutes together, at a time that is convenient to all. This is the time to live in faith and not in fear. THE PSYCHOLOGY SPECIFICS: 1. As an individual, if I want my family members and children to be at ease, I have to be at ease myself. If I myself am living in fear, anxiety and irritation, I will certainly pass it on to them. This is what we mean when we say that emotions are contagious (like the virus). 2. We have no control over the situation but we certainly have control over how we think about it. This will determine how we feel about it, which will further lead to our behaviour. If we constantly criticize & cata- strophize this situation, we will radiate irritation, anger and sadness within our own systems. On the other hand, if we keep calm, focus on the present and do what we can do the best now, then certain- ly we will be calm and peaceful. Watch out for signs of stress and tension among family members, and in case you are unable to handle the situation, or are feeling distressed, don’t hesitate and visit a mental health practitioner. There may be solutions to your problems which you are unable to think of. Positive psychology says that you do not need to visit a psychologist only when there is something grossly wrong with you, but you can be seeing a psycholo- gist just to improve yourself and become happier. 49

EDUCATION| DEedcuodciantgioCnovinid-C1h9atImtipsgacatrohn Content: CA Surabhi Jain One must never compare intellectual wealth and royalty. A king is respected only in his kingdom, while a scholar is respected all over the world. That is the magic of education. Education forms character, strengthens mind, increases knowledge and makes us independent. Education dispels knowledge and it gives us an opportunity to put our potential to optimum use. It is a reform for human mind. But the outbreak of Covid -19 has reformed ‘education’. This pandemic saw us, as a country, collectively moving towards Online Education with full force. In fact, The Raipur Lifestyle magazine brings to you an exclusive heart to heart discussion with the Director of one such Institutions, which is the pioneer of Online Education in Chhattis- garh. Yes!!! We are sure you would have guessed it by now- It is none other than The Director of IIT Bhilai- Mr. Rajat Moona. Let’s dive right in to get some nuggets of wisdom from one of the top educationalist of Chhattis- garh and let’s see what he had to say about the impact of Covid-19 on the education system of our beloved state- Chhattisgarh. Q: When was the time that you realized the Covid-19 is going to impact the Education system and since when you had started planning to combat the Covid-19 issue ? A: Our students had gone for a Holi break. During that period 300 cases had emerged. The parents were scared to send their kinds. We had started getting phone calls and emails from parents. During that time of uncertainty, and thinking about the safety of our students- We realized the best and the safest option was to delay the decision making i.e. Let the students stay where they were and Take time for decision making. Then by the end of March, we already got the government mandate as to a nationwide lockdown. Hence it was then, that we realized that steps have to be taken to change the system of Education to deal with the changing circumstances, as the covid situation is here to stay for long. “Hard times are sometimes Q: What are the steps that IIT Q: In your opinion, has a blessing in disguise. Bhilai took to deal with the Covid-19 become a blessing Let it pass changing circumstances that in disguise for the Education & let it make you better“ covid had brought? system of India? A: We were very proactive to A: Yes, totally. As far as the jump right in and move Education system is concerned, towards online education. We we have seen such a remark- had realized early on that able change, which we had dramatic shift to online educa- never expected to see so soon. tion is the only way forward. Covid-19 has so dramatically Infact IIT Bhilai was one of the moved the entire education flag bearers of online educa- system towards online educa- tion in Chhattisgarh. We tion. Today, even the rural started training people- India is studying through their teachers as well as students, smart phones and through obtaining software licenses, e-books. Did we think of conducting meetings of teach- this happening in ers online, planning online 2020? notes etc. 50 Mr. Rajat Moona (Director, IIT Bhilai)