It’s about talent not platform: TikTok influencers after app ban

New Delhi: She’s just 23, had 2.8 million followers on TikTok and was making up to Rs 30,000 a month but Niharika Jain, one of the many ‘influencers’ who found money and fame on the short-form video app, is not complaining about the government banning it.

After all, it is about talent and she can quite easily switch to another platform, Jain said after the government on Monday evening banned 59 apps with Chinese links, including the hugely popular TikTok, saying they were prejudicial to the sovereignty, integrity and security of the country.

“We are content creators and it is our talent that makes us popular. If not on TikTok, I can use some other platform to showcase my talent,” Jain told PTI.

The mass communication graduate was freelancing with various reality shows before taking a leap of faith to become a full time influencer on TikTok, posting videos about trending styles and fashion hacks.

She joined the platform in August and quickly gained 2.8 million followers, making Rs 15,000-30,000 for every brand video or a campaign.

So yes, the government ban was a shock.

“Posting videos on TikTok was my bread and butter, but I understand the need for this government move. I completely support Mr Narendra Modi,” the young woman said.

There are several others like her. They may have found stardom and even a possible career on Tik Tok but view the government ban as just a temporary setback and say they will soon find their groove on another platform.

TikTok is a short-form mobile video dance, lip-sync, comedy sharing platform. It is owned by ByteDance, a Beijing-based internet technology company founded in 2012.

TikTok had over 200 million users in India, most of them in the 16-24 age bracket, a company insider said.

Its arrival in India in 2017 opened the doors to fame for many ordinary Indians — be it Jain or a schoolgirl from Delhi, a couple from a town in Rajasthan or a dancer from a village in Jharkhand.

While these influencers are thankful for getting a platform to showcase their skills from dance and music to fashion and food many said that the sole reason for their popularity is their talent.

Faridabad-based Sukrit Jain, also 23, created content under the handle TheGreatIndianFoodie and said he is unaffected by the ban.

“So what if TikTok is banned. Awesome content won’t stop coming and will never end,” the influencer said.

“It’s our talent that brought us here, and I’m sure that if not on this platform, then on some other. But we will surely rise again soon,” he added.

Sukrit Jain has already started expanding his content on other platforms like YouTube and Instagram.

TikTok might not have been a source of income for BJP leader Sonali Phogat but she was quite a star on the platform, where she would post her dance videos. Phogat had over 280,000 followers on the platform.

Phogat, who said she has been in politics “for the last 13 years” and has also done a stint as an actor, admitted that her videos on

TikTok made her more accessible to the people of her home state Haryana.

“My presence on TikTok had added to the popularity of my political personality. I was able to reach out to more people through these videos,” she said.

But no complaints from her either. “I stand by the government’s decision because even though these apps and other Chinese products, crores of rupees of Indian money goes into China. They have gained economically from us and now they are attacking our soldiers using those resources,” Phogat told PTI.

“We can always use other apps. I am also active on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, but the best thing would be to have an Indian app. Why should we depend on others when we have educated and able youth in our own country?” she asked.

The move to ban Tik Tok comes in the backdrop of the current stand-off along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh with Chinese troops.

Among the other banned Chinese apps are UC Browser, Helo, Likee, CamScanner, Vigo Video, Mi Video Call – Xiaomi, and Clash of Kings.

Some influencers also feel that banning Tik Tok is not much of a loss because of its “non-democratic algorithm”.
Like Instagram couple Abhiraj and Niyati, who post under the handle ‘Following Love’. They never signed up on TikTok.

“The platform algorithm is not democratic. Searching for a creator or following them on TikTok does not guarantee you will see their content. As against this, on other platforms, you see content from the people you choose to follow,” they said on email.

Motivational speaker Mahendra Dogney with nine million followers on Tik Tok and 1.49 million YouTube said many people would be affected by the ban.

“We had it good so far. My work is platform-based… I take offline seminars too. Still, I wouldn’t want it to be banned,” he said.

“I agree if it’s harmful to the country’s security, the issue should be resolved. But there are so many Indian creators who are literally running their households entirely through Tik Tok. Whatever they are earning is because of this platform,” he added.

According to Viraj Sheth, co-founder, and CEO of Monk Entertainment, a digital entertainment company, the ban will affect the marketing strategies of Indian brands, especially those in the space of fast consumer goods, targeting not just metros but also tier I and tier-II cities.

“A lot of brands catering to a younger target audience had started diverting 25-30 percent of their social media spends to TikTok. They will now have to reconfigure this strategy,” he said.

An Indian alternative may already be there.

Amidst demands for home-grown apps, Chingari has seen an increase in the number of subscribers. Similar to TikTok, it is a short video-sharing app launched on Google Play in November 2018, and on iOS in January 2019.

Besides downloading and uploading videos, the app also allows users to chat with friends, and interact with new people.

The app has crossed 2.5 million downloads. “In the last few days, we have witnessed a 400 percent growth in the subscribers of the app,” co-founder Biswatma Nayak said in a statement on Monday.

Smoking linked to higher risk of COVID-19, says WHO

Smoking linked to higher risk of COVID-19, says WHO

London: The World Health Organization says smoking is linked to a higher risk of severe illness and death from the coronavirus in hospitalized patients, although it was unable to specify exactly how much greater those risks might be.

In a scientific brief published this week, the U.N. health agency reviewed 34 published studies on the association between smoking and COVID-19, including the probability of infection, hospitalization, the severity of the disease, and death.

WHO noted that smokers represent up to 18% of hospitalized coronavirus patients and that there appeared to be a significant link between whether or not patients smoked and the severity of disease they suffered, the type of hospital interventions required, and patients’ risk of dying.

In April, French researchers released a small study suggesting smokers were at less risk of catching COVID-19 and planned to test nicotine patches on patients and health workers but their findings were questioned by many scientists at the time who cited the lack of definitive data.

WHO says, “The available evidence suggests that smoking is associated with increased severity of disease and death in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. It recommends that smokers quit.”

CA to not use Dukes ball for 2020-21 first-class season

CA to not use Dukes ball for 2020-21 first-class season

Cricket Australia has decided to not use the Dukes ball from this summer’s Sheffield Shield, having used it alongside Kookaburra for four seasons.

CA has confirmed that the Kookaburra ball will be used for the entire 2020-21 first-class season.

Australia has been using Dukes ball since the 2016-17 season in Shield matches with an aim to help its cricketers prepare for the hostile English conditions.

CA’s Head of Cricket Operations, Peter Roach, said the decision to axe the Dukes was the right call.

“The introduction of the Dukes ball has been a worthwhile exercise, particularly in the lead up to overseas Ashes series where the Dukes is used so well by our English opponents,” Roach said.

“We have been happy with how the ball has performed when used in Australian conditions over the past four seasons. We do, however, feel that reverting to one ball for 2020-21 will provide the consistent examination of our players over a full season that CA and the states are presently seeking. The Kookaburra is the ball used for international cricket in Australia and many parts of the world and we see benefits this season of maximizing our use of it,” he added.

Roach said that the ineffectiveness of spinners in first-class cricket in recent times played a role in CA’s decision to do away with the Dukes.

“We have noted that spin bowlers in the Sheffield Shield have been playing less of a role in recent seasons, most notably in games when the Dukes ball is in use. We need spinners bowling in first-class cricket and we need our batters facing spin. We hope that the change to one ball will have a positive benefit here,” he said.

The CA official, however, didn’t rule out the possibility of re-introducing the it later.

“We see a definite opportunity to reintroduce the Dukes ball at some stage in the future,” he said

UK offers citizenship to Hong Kong residents after China passes new security law

UK offers citizenship to Hong Kong residents after China passes new security law

Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday held China in “clear and serious breach of the Sino-British agreement” under which Hong Kong had been handed over to the Chinese authorities and confirmed that a citizenship route will now be offered to Hong Kong’s British National (Overseas) passport holders.

Addressing his weekly Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) in the House of Commons, Johnson said China’s new National Security Law is a threat to the rights and freedom of the region and in direct conflict with Hong Kong Basic Law.

“We stand for rules and obligations and we think that is the soundest basis of our international relations. The enactment and the imposition of this National Security Law constitutes a clear and serious breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration. It violates Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy and is in direct conflict with Hong Kong Basic Law,” he told MPs in Parliament.

“The law also threatens the freedoms and rights protected by the Joint Declaration. We made clear that if China continued down this path, we would introduce a new route for those with British National (Overseas) status to enter the UK, granting them limited leave to remain with the ability to live and work in the UK and thereafter to apply for citizenship. And, that is precisely what we will do now,” he said.

The UK has committed to make it easier for the estimated 350,000 Hong Kong residents who are British National Overseas (BNO) passport holders to come to the UK, as well as nearly 2.6 million others who are eligible to BNO status. Under current rules, they are entitled to visa-free access to the UK for six months but under a new “bespoke” system this will be further extended.

UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab followed up Johnson’s comments with a statement to the Commons in response to China’s imposition of what has been branded an “anti-protest” law in Hong Kong and laid out the specific aspects of the new law which are a flagrant assault on the rights guaranteed under the Sino-British agreement.

“We want a positive relationship with China. We recognise its growth, its stature and the powerful role it can play in the world. It is precisely because we respect China, as a leading member of the international community, that we expect the Chinese government to meet its international obligations, to live up to its international responsibilities, he said.

The minister said that though the Chinese government failed to live up to its commitments and undermined international trust, the UK will ensure it keeps its word to the people of Hong Kong.

“We will grant BN(O)s five years limited leave to remain, with the right to work or study. After these five years, they will be able to apply for settled status. And after further 12 months with settled status, they will be able to apply for citizenship,” said Raab.

“This is a special, bespoke, set of arrangements developed for the unique circumstances we face and in light of our historic commitment to the people of Hong Kong,” he added.

He said that further details of the new visa route will be laid out in Parliament by Home Secretary Priti Patel in due course.

“China’s decision to impose national security legislation on Hong Kong is deeply regrettable, Patel said in a statement.

“Now China have imposed this law we will launch a new immigration route for British Nationals Overseas and their families. The UK has a historic and moral obligation to British Nationals Overseas in Hong Kong and we will honour our commitment to them, she said.

The UK Home Office said the new bespoke route for BN(O)s will be implemented in the coming months, with an exact date and further details to be confirmed. In the meantime, any British National (Overseas) citizens wishing to come to the UK will be able to do so after standard checks.

Opposition Labour Party shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy welcomed the government’s move following the “deeply shocking” move by China and ensuing arrests in Hong Kong which she said have “stunned the world”. But she stressed that the government must ensure the new citizenship route for Hong Kong’s BNO passport holders is enforced in an equitable way and not limited to only rich Hong Kong residents who can afford a move to the UK.

“We are concerned that this must not become a scheme simply for wealthy Hong Kongers to abandon the city and leave others behind,” she said.

The new law, which targets secession, subversion and terrorism with punishments up to life in prison, came into effect on Tuesday.

Critics say the law, approved by Chinese President Xi Jinping, effectively puts an end to the “one country, two systems” principle enshrined in the 1985 Joint Declaration, a legally binding agreement signed by the UK and China which protected certain freedoms in the territory for at least 50 years.

China rejects criticism of its actions, on what it says are internal matters.

Google temporarily blocks access to banned apps in India

Google temporarily blocks access to banned apps in India

New Delhi: Google on Thursday, July 2 said it has temporarily blocked access to those apps that were still available on the Play Store in India even after the government banned on 59 apps this week.

“While we continue to review the interim orders from the Government of India, we have notified the affected developers and have temporarily blocked access to the apps that remained available on the Play Store in India,” a Google spokesperson said.

However, the spokesperson did not disclose details of the apps that Google had blocked.

According to sources, developers of many of the 59 banned apps had taken down their apps from Google Play Store voluntarily.

India on Monday banned 59 apps with Chinese links, including TikTok, UC Browser, SHAREit, and WeChat, saying they were prejudicial to sovereignty, integrity, and security of the country.

Arasappa takes over as KASSIA president

Arasappa takes over as KASSIA president

Bengaluru: K B Arasappa on Wednesday, July 1 took over as the president of Karnataka Small Scale Industries Association (KASSIA) for the current year.

The other office bearers are: N R Jagadish – general secretary, P N Jaikumar – joint secretary (urban), C C Hondadkatti – joint secretary (rural) and S Shankaran – treasurer, KASSIA said in a statement.

Born in 1962, Arasappa did his B.Com from Doddaballapura. He is the founder of AS Machine Tools and Spares in 1989 in Peenya in Bengaluru. He then expanded his business and started a new firm in 1992 by the name Reliable Batteries in Peenya.

He had also served as the Peenya Industrial Association president.

Prasar Bharati establishes its first recruitment board

Prasar Bharati establishes its first recruitment board

New Delhi: Prasar Bharati on Wednesday established its first recruitment board for appointing persons to posts carrying a scale of pay less than that of a Joint Secretary to the government of India.

This is the first time India’s public service broadcaster has got its own recruitment board after it was set up as an autonomous body in 1997 under the Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India) Act, 1990.

Jagdish Upasane, Director, Bharat Prakashan, has been named as the chairperson of the recruitment board.

Joint Secretary (B-II), Information and Broadcasting Ministry will be an ex-officio member of the board. The board will have four other members – Deepa Chandra, Retired ADG (Prog), Prasar Bharati; PN Bhakta, Retired ADG (Engg), Prasar Bharati; Kimbuong Kipgen, Secretary, Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB); Chetan Prakash Jain, GM (HR), Rail Vikas Nigam Limited.

The chairperson and members, other than ex-officio members, shall be entitled to a sitting fees, which will be notified in due course, but shall not be entitled to any salary or remuneration, the order on setting up of the recruitment board said.

Prasar Bharati comprises All India Radio and Doordarshan Television Network.