The Indian Under-17 World Cup football team will face Portugal's Vitoria de Setubal side on Tuesday in their first practice match of the exposure trip of Europe.

After taking on Vitoria de Setubal at Troia, the team will cross swords against leading Portuguese club sides Belenenses, Benfica, Estoril and Sporting Club Portugal.

The players had left Indian shores on April 11 and will be in the Portugal capital of Lisbon till May 15 before proceeding to France to face Paris Saint-Germain's U-17 Team.

The Luis Norton de Norton's men are also scheduled to take part in the Lazio Cup and play a series of practice matches in Italy, France and Hungary amongst others.

"I appreciate the efforts of the All India Football Federation in leaving no stone unturned to field the best Indian XI in the World Cup," de Matos said.

"The efforts are allowing me to see more players and it's nice to see the Clubs, the League and the AIFF joining hands together for the development of Indian Football," said the Portuguese.

Practice match schedule in Portugal:

April 18: vs Vitoria de Setubal

April 25: vs Belenenses

April 27: vs Benfica

May 1: vs Estoril

May 5: vs Benfica

May 9: vs Sporting Club Portugal.

Within a fortnight of UP's farm loan waiver and calls for the same in other states, a foreign brokerage on Monday estimated the burden from such populist measures to touch three per cent of GDP by the 2019 elections.

“Farm loan waivers of up to 2 per cent of GDP in the run up to the 2019 hustings pose fiscal/rate risk and impacts credit culture,” analysts at Bank of America Merill Lynch said in a note on Monday.

They said the Yogi Adityanath government's debt waiver of $5 billion or 0.4 per cent of the state GDP, will lead other states to follow such populist suit.

Even though the Centre has asked the states to take care of its finances while declaring such schemes, the note said the states will continue to be in breach of the indicative 3-3.5 per cent fiscal deficit numbers. Already most of the states are running over 3.5 per cent deficits.

It can be noted that such demands are being made in other states, including Maharashtra, Haryana and Tamil Nadu. In fact, the Madras High Court ordered the state to write of the entire farm loans in the state which would entail a hit of over Rs.4,000 crore to the state finances.

Terming such measures as a “worry”, the note welcomed Reserve Bank Governor Urjit Patel's warning on the farm loan waivers creating a moral hazard by inducing farmers not to pay and also spiking rates.

The American brokerage said the farm loan waivers are a “key risk” to the new fiscal deficit roadmap proposed by the NK Singh committee.

Once the demand for credit picks up, such measures can spike yields and put pressure on lending rates as banks will want to lend to high-yielding commercial credit, it said.

It can be noted that the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) has also raised flags of concern on the issue.

It also welcomed the provisions to make fiscal deficit number counter cyclical, saying it is on expected lines.

The achievement of fiscal gap numbers – three per cent between fiscal 2018 and 2020 and reduction to 2.8 per cent in fiscal 2021, 2.6 per cent in fiscal 2022 and 2.5 per cent in the next year– depends on the global situation.

“If it (global economy) turns up/down, rising/falling tax collections from higher/lower activity will contract/expand the fiscal deficit,” it said.

Actress Jennifer Aniston is reportedly upset with her husband Justin Theroux's intimate scene on television.

According to a report by In Touch magazine, the 48-year-old actress is upset with her husband's love scene with co-star Carrie Coon in the season premiere of The Leftovers, reports aceshowbiz.com. 

The magazine claims that when the Office Christmas Party actress accompanied her husband to the red carpet premiere earlier this month, she was taken aback by his love scene in the third and final season of the HBO show.

The publication states that "it was the last thing she wanted to see." 

The said scene features Theroux's character hooking up with Coon's. 

When watching it at the premiere, "Jen squirmed in her seat" and "looked incredibly uncomfortable", according to an onlooker.

A source couple said: "She freaked out at Justin for making her sit through the steamy scene without any prior knowledge of what was coming." 

The source further contends Aniston deemed it "one of the most uncomfortable experiences of her life" and "felt humiliated". The publication goes on linking the Horrible Bosses actress' reaction to her then-husband Brad Pitt having sex scenes with Angelina Jolie in Mr and Mrs Smith, a movie that eventually led to Aniston's divorce. 

A representative for Aniston told a website Gossip Cop, however, that all these claims are a "complete fabrication". While it's true that the actress accompanied her husband at The Leftovers premiere, the rest of the contentions are false, the representative added. 

The feud between comedians Sunil Grover and Kapil Sharma has not ended yet. It has brought another chapter, as Grover has put his fans in frenzy after making a controversial exit from popular television show The Kapil Sharma Show.

Grover, who is on a spree of leaving messages on social media for his fans, posted another picture of himself on Instagram and captioned, “No caption for this picture this time. Take out the meaning you want.”

Grapevine has it that Grover, who is busy with tours and gigs, has started looking for new possibilities after boycotting The Kapil Sharma Show.

The infamous spat between Kapil and Grover had begun, when last month they were returning on a flight to Mumbai from Australia, Kapil reportedly misbehaved and threw a shoe on Grover.

After the incident, the funniest partnership on television screen had broken, though Kapil had apologised several time on social media, tried to bring him back in famous show. Grover refused to return.

Known for his popular character Gutthi, Grover last week left internet outrageous, after posting a picture of boots and wrote “Shoe Size US 10”.

Now Kapil is busy in shooting his hundredth show, the episode would have Indian Women Cricket team as guest. While the names of comedians Sunil Grover, Chandan Prabhakar and Ali Asagr were not included in the participant list.

Despite failing to impress his fans with the willow, Rohit Sharma has led Mumbai Indians remarkably in the IPL 2017 so far as the team is riding a victory juggernaut that already carries four consecutive wins.

The tenth season of the world’s richest cricket league has completed almost two weeks, having hosted 19 matches so far. The table has turned and previous heroes have been defeated by the new ones in a bet to claim the throne. Here’s a quick look over what all happened last week in the ongoing IPL 2017.

Mumbai Indians remarkable return

Last week, Mumbai won three consecutive matches, beating Sunrisers Hyderabad, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Gujarat Lions in a row.

The two-time IPL champions started their 2017 campaign with a seven-wicket loss to Rising Pune Supergiant. However, they returned to the winning ways after defeating Kolkata Knight Riders by four wickets in a nail-biting clash.

Mumbai currently lead the points table with four victories in five matches and will look to continue winning momentum when they take on struggling Kings XI Punjab in their next match on April 20.

Nitish Rana rides consistency

The leaders Mumbai Indians find their core strength in their middle-order that is well-strengthened by Nitish Rana.

The 23-year-old Delhi boy has been the find of the IPL this year as the orange cap-holding batsman has scored 193 runs from five matches so far. Being the most consistent batsman in the side, Rana scored two fifties and excited the fans with 14 boundaries and nine sixes.

Besides Rana, Kieron Pollard has also been a delight to watch in the middle-order as he hit 164 runs in five matches. Pitch-hitting siblings Krunal and Hardik Pandya have been additional strength to the team when it’s chasing.

Fall of defending champions

In a turn of events, defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad, who started their campaign in a picture-perfect manner, fell miserably in the second week.

David Warner-led Hyderabad suffered two consecutive defeats by the hands of Mumbai and Kolkata Knight Riders.

Earlier, they had routed RCB and Gujarat Lions in the first week of the IPL 2017.

Mumbai take full credit of the four-wicket win as they clinched it from the jaws of defeat. But the 17-run defeat to KKR was a result of poor batting display by SRH's top hitters David Warner, Shikhar Dhawan, Yuvraj Singh and Ben Cutting.

Gambhir leads the charge for KKR

KKR skipper Gautam Gambhir continued his daring-do as he singlehandedly led the side to two back-to-back victories.

Ranked second in the top-scorers’ chart, Gambhir has smashed 182 runs in four matches with two 50s. The 35-year-old batsman will look to come atop when KKR face Delhi Daredevils on Monday.

Among shiny skippers, Gambhir has outclassed Steve Smith and David Warner with his batting heroics. Smith is placed third with 180 runs, while fourth-ranked Warner has made 165 runs so far.

DD’s strongest bowling line-up

Having played just three matches, Delhi Daredevils has emerged as one of the strongest bowling side in the ongoing season.

Leading from front, Zaheer Khan is defying the age factor and coming up fierce and effective with ageing. The 38-year-old warhorse pacer has claimed five wickets in three matches.

Adding to joy, Zaheer has inspired the teammates such as Chris Morris and Pat Cummins to come up with good results. Morris took seven wickets at an impressive economy of 6.30, while Cummins claimed five wickets at an economy of 6.80 runs per over.

Spinner Shahbaz Nadeem has been the most economical bowler so far in the tournament with an economy rate of 4.90. He has bagged four wickets until now.

Pune break losing streak

Steve Smith-led Rising Pune Supergiant started their campaign with a healthy seven-wicket win over Mumbai, though failed miserably after a good start.

However, the last week saw RPS returning to the winning ways as they beat RCB by 27 runs to break the jinx.

The triumph after two consecutive defeats was a fair result of a balanced effort from the entire team. Nevertheless, MS Dhoni was the icing on the cake as he marked a thumping impression against Virat Kohli-led RCB.

Dhoni’s humongous six that hit the rooftop of the M Chinnaswamy Stadium was the best sight for Bengaluru spectators. Besides that, he contributed 28 runs and a swift stump-hit to dismiss AB de Villiers.

Islam is a religion of peace and people who falsely accuse others of blasphemy have "a disease in their hearts" and should be educated, the Imam of Mecca's Grand Mosque has said.

Imam-e-Kaaba Shaikh Saleh Bin Muhammad Ibrahim told Geo News that Islam is a religion of peace, forgiveness and tolerance and that people should be educated about the religion in a peaceful way.

There are two types of people who accuse others of blasphemy "those who are illiterate and those who misuse Islam for personal gains", adding there is no reprieve in religion for the latter, he said.

The Grand Mosque prayer leader's statement came days after a mob killed Mashal Khan, a journalism student, in Pakistan's Mardan city for alleged blasphemy.

The Imam said the people who are illiterate and cast false blasphemy accusations on someone should be educated and given the relevant knowledge.

However, he added that those "whose hearts are plagued with disease misuse Islam intentionally".

"We are the followers of Islam and forgiveness is an essential part of our religion. However, we cannot accept if someone attacks our faith, principles, sanctity or values," he said.

"It is not any kind of tolerance to let such people remain unmonitored who openly commit blasphemy. We must make stern decisions to protect our faith, principles, sanctity or values," he said, adding "Islam is a religion of peace, forgiveness, and tolerance".

It was the responsibility of the ulema (Muslim religious scholars) to educate people about the teachings of Islam. "The ulema should teach people to stay away from terrorism and extremism," he said.
 

Writer/director Sofia Coppola will be feted at the upcoming Provincetown International Film Festival as its 2017 Filmmaker on the Edge.

She'll appear at the festival on June 17 to accept the award and take part in a conversation with the fest's resident artist John Waters, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The festival has also announced that actress and director Chloe Sevigny will be honored with its Excellence in Acting Award and will be on hand for a conversation with Eugene Hernandez, deputing director of the Film Society of Lincoln Center.

Coppola's newest film, The Beguiled, starring Elle Fanning, Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst and Colin Farrell, will have its world debut as part of this year's Cannes Film Festival before its release by Focus Features on June 23.

Christine Walker, executive director of PIFF and CEO of the Provincetown Film Society, said, “During one of the most galvanizing moments for women in recent political history, we are thrilled to honor two women who have already altered the lens through which we see women in Hollywood.

“Sofia Coppola is the deft auteur whose imprimatur is unapologetically feminine. Chloe Sevigny is the fearless iconoclast whose work is remarkable simply because she inhabits it.”

The festival, which runs from June 14-18 in Provincetown, Mass., will kick off with Mr. Roosevelt, written by, directed by and starring Noel Wells.

India's Shubhankar Sharma will continue his search for a first Asian Tour victory at the $300,000 Yeangder Heritage golf tournament next week.

Shubhankar, the latest talent to emerge from India, will feature in the event alongside two-time Order of Merit champion Thaworn Wiratchant, countryman Rashid Khan and Nicholas Fung of Malaysia.

The 20-year-old Sharma, who has not missed a single cut in five appearances this year, hopes to continue his rich vein of form in the new Asian Tour event.

Currently ranked ninth on the Order of Merit, the Indian is determined to build on his three top-10 results in 2017.

He said playing in the Maybank Championship in Malaysia with 2015 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion Anirban Lahiri has taught him a lot.

"I played for the first time in a competition with Anirban so that was great. Even though I dropped a few shots, he kept telling me to keep playing the way I am.

"It's great to play with someone who's a great inspiration to a lot of us, said Sharma.

After securing his Tour card for next season, the talented Indian now aims to finish as high as he can on the 2017 Order of Merit.

"It's definitely a motivating factor to finish as high as I can on the Order of Merit," Sharma said.

Lu Wei-chih, a four-time Asian Tour winner, will spearhead the local challenge alongside Lin Wen-tang, Hung Chien-yao and Lee Chieh-po at the Yeangder Heritage, the first Asian Development Tour (ADT) event to be upgraded to Asian Tour status.

The big-hitting Gavin Green of Malaysia has enjoyed a stellar season so far, thanks to his second place finish at the Hero Indian Open in March, which helped secure his Asian Tour card for 2018.

He will also be motivated for a breakthrough win on the Asian Tour after losing to Fung in a play-off on the ADT in Malaysia last week.

The Kerala government has ordered an inquiry into photographs circulating on social media, purportedly showing some women in the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa Temple despite a ban on their entry.

Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran directed the Devaswom Vigilance to initiate a probe and find out the veracity of the photographs.

There are restrictions on the entry of women between 10- 50 years of age in the hillock shrine, where the presiding deity, Lord Ayyappa is considered as a 'naishtika brahmachari' (perennial celibate) by devotees.

The minister said he had received a complaint that a Kollam-based businessman had got special privileges for conducting darshan at the shrine, located in Pathanamthitta district.

“As per the complaint, some women of banned age group had allegedly visited the shrine along with him. There are no restrictions for women to offer worship at Sabarimala, adhering to the tradition of age limit,” Surendran said.

It is illegal if anyone has tried to gain any favours in the name of VIP darshan, he said, adding that action would be taken to stop such practises.

President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday honoured freedom fighters from across the country to mark the ongoing year-long centenary celebrations of the Champaran Satyagraha.

Mukherjee, who arrived here by a special Indian Air Force plane, inaugurated the felicitation ceremony. Later, he honoured 15 selected freedom fighters on the stage.

"It is a matter of pride to honour freedom fighters, who have played important roles in the freedom movement of our country and fight against the colonial rule," Mukherjee said in his address.

He said: "I pay respect to all freedom fighters who are alive and pay homage to those who are dead."

Mukherjee said the nation cannot forget the important contributions made by freedom fighters in the country's freedom movement.

He said Mahatma Gandhi transformed the Satyagraha into a powerful tool. Gandhi's first Satyagraha began in Champaran, Bihar. In fact, with it Gandhi began a new chapter for the country.

"Champaraan is the laboratory of freedom movement of Satyagraha by Gandhi," he added.

Hundreds of freedom fighters from across the country arrived here and were honoured by the state government.

"Freedom fighters from different states were honoured by President Pranab Mukherjee… as part of the centenary celebrations…," said Vinodanand Jha, an official of the state Education Department.

According to Jha, freedom fighters from 19 states — including Telangana, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi — were honoured by the President.

In all, 2,972 freedom fighters from across the country, including Bihar, were honoured. 

"As per the plan, the President honoured 264 freedom fighters from 19 states and 554 of the 2,708 freedom fighters of Bihar," Jha said.

The year-long celebrations to mark the 100th year of Mahatma Gandhi's first major resistance against British rule, popularly known as the Champaran Satyagraha, began last week in Bihar.

Mahatma Gandhi launched his Satyagraha — a non-violent agitation — against the forced cultivation of indigo by the British rulers in Champaran district on April 10, 1917.

Tenth-seeded David Goffin of Belgium secured a second-round berth after overcoming compatriot Steve Darcis 6-2, 6-1 at the ATP Monte-Carlo tennis Masters.

Goffin showed his dominance throughout the first-round match, which only lasted 72 minutes and 30 unforced errors were much to blame for Darcis' lopsided loss on Sunday, reports Xinhua news agency.

Trailing 1-5 in the first set, Darcis managed to save two set points, before Goffin held his serve in the eighth game to build a solid start.

He went on to take all three games early in the second. A furious Darcis threw his racket onto the ground. Goffin conceded only one game to make it into the last 32.

"I played well from the start and was solid in long rallies. It's never easy to take on a friend. I'm very satisfied with my performance," said Goffin, who awaits Nicolas Almagro or a qualifier in the second round.

After beating Malek Jaziri of Tunisia 6-2, 6-2, French player Gilles Simon also booked a second-round encounter with second seed Novak Djokovic, who enjoyed a first-round bye.

Joao Sousa of Portugal eased past German player Florian Mayer 6-3, 6-2.

Third-seeded Stan Wawrinka made good preparation for his singles appearance in the tournament as he and Italian partner Fabio Fognini eliminated Max Mirnyi and Daniel Nestor 6-4, 7-6 (2) in the doubles first round.

The ATP Monte-Carlo Masters will run until April 23, with Roger Federer and Kei Nishikori absent from the tournament.

Infrastructure major Punj Lloyd's subsidiary has bagged an order worth Rs.312 crore from Yanbu Aramco Sinopec Refining Company (YASREF) in Saudi Arabia, the company said on Monday.

“Dayim Punj Lloyd Construction Contracting Company (DPLL), a subsidiary of the company, has been awarded an EPC contract… in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, worth Rs.312 crore, by the Yanbu Aramco Sinopec Refining Company Ltd (YASREF) in Saudi Arabia,” Punj Lloyd said in a BSE filing.

It further said: “With this order, the group's order backlog stands at Rs.19,929 crore.”

The stock was trading 2.65 per cent higher at Rs.23.20 on BSE.

People who have better understanding of finance are less likely to be worried about the later stages of their life, a new study has found.

It seems financial literacy – the ability to understand how money works, enables people to accumulate more assets and income during their lifetime, and so increases confidence for the years ahead, researchers said.

Additionally, financial literacy seemingly engenders a greater perception for risk and enables those who have it to face off later-life's dilemmas with ease.

The findings, from Associate Professor Yoshihiko Kadoya of Hiroshima University and Mostafa Saidur Rahim Khan of Nagoya University in Japan, stem from a study which asked people questions assessing their calculation skills, understanding of pricing behaviour, and financial securities such as bonds and stocks.

Respondents were also asked about their accumulated wealth, assets, and lifestyle – and to rate the level of anxiety they felt about life beyond 65.

The study suggests that men, and those with a higher level of education are more financially clued-in than women, and those with less education respectively.

The overriding thrust is that the more financially literate earn and accumulate more during their lifetime – and thus worry less about growing old.

It also appears that financial literacy helps shape people's perception towards risk and uncertainty – making them more capable and confident in tackling whatever problems life throws at them.

Financial literacy increases our awareness about financial products, builds a capacity to compare all available financial options, and changes our financial behaviour – all which bodes well for our perceptions of, and actual experiences during our seniority, said Kadoya.

While financial literacy taken alone was seen to reduce anxiety – its affect was further heightened by other factors.
Married respondents had even lower levels of anxiety about growing old than financially literate singletons.

This could be down to married couples together planning more-effectively for the future due to familial responsibilities.
Age also plays a significant role, with anxiety levels peaking around 40. The researchers suggest that people at this age have the most home and workplace responsibilities, but with less money and time to support them, increasing anxiety about the here and now – and the journey ahead.

As people get older their anxiety levels drop off on gaining access to social security, government funded health care and pensions – all taking the sting out of the post- retirement blues.

Having dependent children on the other hand increased anxiety levels – presumably due to respondent's worry for their children's wellbeing – as well as their own.

It is increasingly perceived that a pension is insufficient for daily expenses without a backup pool of savings and assets – putting the financially literate at a distinct advantage, researchers said.

China said on Monday that the Dalai Lama's Arunachal Pradesh visit had a "negative impact" on Sino-India ties and the vexed boundary issue, as it asserted that New Delhi should not use the Tibetan spiritual leader to "undermine" Beijing's interests.

"In the past due to some reason that we all know the political foundation of China and India relations were undermined," Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said referring to the Dalai Lama's visit to Arunachal Pradesh which Beijing claims as part of "Southern Tibet".

This had a "negative impact for the bilateral relations and also the boundary question negotiations," he said reacting to a question on India's clarification over the 81-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader's visit to the state.

India's Ministry of External Affairs has said there was no change in New Delhi's position on Tibet being part of China and it will continue to seek a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution to the boundary issue.

"We urge the Indian side to observe its commitment on Tibet-related issues and implement our consensus namely they should not use Dalai Lama to undermine the interests of China," Lu said.

"Only in this way can we create a good atmosphere to the settlement of the boundary question," he said.

China has lodged a diplomatic protest with India when the Dalai Lama began his visit to Arunachal on April 4. He also visited the Tawang region close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC), from where he entered India in 1959.

The China's foreign ministry criticised the visit, saying it will impact the boundary talks between the two countries, while the official Chinese media carried a number of articles against India, some even calling on Beijing to answer "blows with blows".

China also took exception to Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju accompanying the Dalai Lama and his assertion that Arunachal Pradesh was "an inseparable part of India".

The Dalai Lama's visit has largely been projected by the state media as India using the him as a "diplomatic tool" against China after Beijing blocked India's membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group and the UN ban on JeM leader Masood Azhar.

Tawang, in northern Arunachal Pradesh, is believed to be the birthplace of the sixth Dalai Lama in 1683 and is at the centre of the Tibetan Buddhism, which makes China wary of the influence the 14th Dalai Lama may have on Tibetans.

China considers the Dalai Lama as a "dangerous separatist".
 

Werder Bremen bounced back from one goal down to beat Hamburg 2-1 while bottom dwelling Darmstadt carved out a 2-1 victory over Schalke in Bundesliga football league here.

The "Green-Whites" won the 106th Northern derby and extended their unbeaten run to nine games, coming from behind with a 2-1 win over rivals Hamburgon on Sunday, reports Xinhua news agency.

Bremen came out with guns blazing as Hamburg's goalkeeper Christian Mathenia had to deny Max Kruse from close range with a diving save, just thirty seconds into the game.

However, it were the visitors from Hamburg who opened the scoring against the run of the game as Michal Gregoritsch nodded in Aaron Hunt's cross from the right wing with six minutes played.

The hosts remained unimpressed and worked out a number of promising chances as Florian Grillitsch pulled wide from the edge of the box before Zlatko Junuzovic rattled the woodwork with a direct free kick.

Bremen's efforts finally paid off just before the half time when Max Kruse restored parity after heading home Fin Bartel's volley lay up from close range in the 41st minute.

After the restart, Bremen continued to set the tone on the pitch but Grillitsch was unable to overcome Mathenia. However, Hamburg remained dangerous as Matthias Ostrzolek tested Bremen goalie Felix Wiedwald.

The hosts smoothed the way for the win in the 75th minute when Florian Kainz turned the tides from sharp angle.

With the result, Werder Bremen jumped to eighth place whereas Hamburg slumped to 14th place, just one point away from the relegation zone.

Elsewhere, last placed Darmstadt ended their four-game losing streak as the "Lilien" shocked Schalke with a 2-1 victory.

Mario Vrancic marked the opener for the hosts in the 10th minute before Schalke's Coke levelled the scores in the 75th minute.

Just when the spectators settled for a 1-1 draw, Schalke's Thilo Kehrer saw a straight red card allowing Darmstadt to snatch an injury-time winner.

Schalke failed to clear a ball from the box while Jerome Gondorf capitalised on the rebound to drill the 2-1 decider into the roof of the net. 

“Life as I know it…” she writes. A simple, yet deep and poignant reflection on the mantra of life – a journey deep into the long dark tunnel, where she falls into the whirling bitter pool and finds new pebbles of wisdom in still water and the light of hope at the end of the tunnel.

Wrapped in soft curls and strong waves of emotions, colours so intricate yet so fine, she slept through pain and awoke “… to dawns of new meanings…” Moksha, it is!

In suffering, we find life. We feed on its beauty and grow stronger with the passing of time and age. And, to her, life is a song and she walks with “…just a song on her lips” as she “Walked through the Deserts of Love… Climbed mountains of dreams…Felt the emotional streams…”

But, “Life is not about how long you live, but the way you live…” It’s about “…understanding the mantra of life … In giving is that we receive.”

Life gives but life takes, and life and time are a deception. And, as you turn the old pages of life that is now rusted and dusty, life becomes just “Memories of another day in time…”

“A cracked photo frame of someone loved and forgotten…

A broken gramaphone…

Broken anklets of beauty wasted…

But, nothing in life is mine or yours…”

Now, when the sun is set and the moon rises, the tide is high and the wave sweeps over you… and you wonder “What is a stone?” Is it a hopeful heart that turns into crystal with no life? “Perhaps, the epitome, summarizing life, on someone’s tomb… After all Life equals a million emotions…”

“A curving, never ending pathway that leads into the haze of emptiness

And I walk away and bid good bye to what was for me something like home…

And all that I have… a handful of hope…

But the call of the heart remained loud and clear“.

And, she winds around the bend, moving better each time. She digs deeper, deeper on higher ground as she flutters her wings on mountains high and finds life’s treasure to be shared with all,

As the night falls, in every turn, the fear of the unknown lurks… But you breathe easy in the comfort of now … comfort in every moonshine and every tomorrow holds new hope.

Beauty in simplicity. Dreams in memories. Strength in pain. Joy in giving – blessings in broken paths, and hope in despair you will find when you read Life as I Know it by Sarah Berry

Hope  – the mantra of life, mystical as it is.

Investors put in more than Rs.70,000 crore in equity-oriented mutual fund schemes in 2016- 17, making it the third successive year of net inflows.

The strong inflows have pushed the asset base of equity MFs by an impressive 41 per cent during the period under review.

Market players attributed the phenomenon to continuous participation from retail investors through systematic investment plans (SIPs), along with positive returns from equity funds and steps taken by asset management companies to create awareness among investors.

“2016-17 has been a golden year for the mutual fund industry as net inflows into equity MFs have been positive in each month without exception,” Bajaj Capital Group Director Anil Chopra said. “Much of the credit can be given to maturity of retail investors who have come up in the 'learning curve' by contributing 1.3 crore monthly SIPs adding more than Rs.4,000 crore per month in various top-performing equity mutual fund schemes.”

According to data from the Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi), equity funds, which also include equity-linked saving schemes (ELSS), saw net inflows of Rs.70,367 crore in 2016-17, a slight drop from Rs.74,024 crore infusion in 2015- 16.

These funds had seen net inflows of Rs.71,029 crore in 2014-15 and withdrawal of Rs.9,269 crore in 2013-14.

The gone-by fiscal saw a surge in the number of retail investor accounts, or folios, in equity, equity-linked saving schemes and balanced categories, which grew by more than 58 lakh to 4.4 crore.

“The mutual fund industry is at a take-off stage in terms of growth and Indian investors are focussing on investments in equity as an asset class,” said Srikanth Meenakshi, COO, FundsIndia.com, an investment portal for MFs.

The assets under management (AUM) of equity MFs scaled a record high of Rs.5.43 lakh crore at the end of March 2017 from Rs.3.86 lakh crore at March 2016-end.

MFs are investment vehicles made up of a pool of funds collected from a number of investors. The funds are invested in stocks, bonds and money market instruments, among others.