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Modi discusses visa rule changes with Australian counterpart

CBI, ED oicials reach London to get Vijay Mallya extradited

Donald Trump willing to meet Kim Jong-un if the conditions are right

India goes down to Australia in Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament

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Nitish and I strongly united, says Lalu PATNA

Amid growing speculation of a widening rift between the two ruling alliance parties in Bihar, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad on Tuesday stressed that he and Janata Dal (United) president Nitish Kumar were “strongly united”. He was speaking at the party’s three-day training camp in Rajgir. NATION

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No invasion of body for UID, says govt NEW DELHI

Taking ingerprints and iris impressions for Aadhaar is not an invasion of the body as the right of a person to his or her body is not absolute, the government told the Supreme Court on Tuesday. NEWS

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Karnan issues warrant against CJI, six judges KOLKATA

Calcutta High Court judge C.S. Karnan on Tuesday issued a non-bailable warrant against Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar and six Supreme Court judges. The seven judges were on the Bench which had issued a contempt of court notice against him. NEWS

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More hotels in Haryana allowed to serve liquor GURUGRAM

Five more premises, including The Leela, The Oberoi and The Trident, have got the Haryana Excise Commissioner’s nod for renewal of their liquor licences. DELHI METRO

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OPPORTUNITIES 쑺 PAGE 4 DELHIMETRO 쑺 6 PAGES

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Beheading inhuman: Army

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Pakistan rejects charges of killing, mutilation; seeks ‘actionable evidence’

EC cancels Anantnag byelection

Special Correspondent

Special correspondent

New Delhi

NEW DELHI

A day after two soldiers were killed and beheaded by the Pakistan Army near the Line of Control (LoC), the Indian Army’s Director-General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt. Gen. A.K. Bhatt expressed “grave concern about the incident” in the weekly conversation with his Pakistani counterpart Maj. Gen. Shahir Shamshad Mirza, who rejected the charges as “baseless” and asked for “actionable evidence.” “The DGMO has conveyed concern about the presence of Border Action Team (BAT) training camps in the close vicinity of the LoC in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The DGMO conveyed that such a dastardly and inhuman act is beyond any norms of civility and merits unequivocal condemnation and response,” the Army said in a statement on Tuesday. On Monday, a joint patrol

The Election Commission on Tuesday cancelled the Anantnag Lok Sabha byelection, scheduled for May 25, till further notification, because of the law and order situation in Jammu and Kashmir and the Union Home Ministry’s inability to make available the required number of security personnel. The EC said in its order that it had sought 687 companies, based on the report from the police. However, through an April 28 letter, the Home Ministry replied that only 250 companies could be provided, apart from the 54 companies retained for the pre-election arrangements. In March, the State government said in its reports that certain elements had started a campaign against the byelection.

Final farewell: A BSF oicer arranges lowers on the coin of Head Constable Prem Sagar at Palam airport in New Delhi on Tuesday. V. V. KRISHNAN *

team of the Army-Border Security Force (BSF) was ambushed by Pakistan ArmyBAT personnel in the Krishna Ghati sector, 200 metres inside the LoC, and

two jawans were killed and their bodies mutilated. Lt. Gen. Bhatt also stated that full fire support was provided by the Pakistan Army post in the vicinity.

These charges were promptly rejected by the Pakistan DGMO. CONTINUED ON 쑺 PAGE 10 MORE REPORTS ON 쑺 PAGE 10

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HC grants ₹55 lakh to MiG-21 pilot injured in 2005 crash

Kejriwal reaches out to angry Vishwas

Court gives relief for being exposed to ‘unreasonable risk’

AAP founder hits out at party Soumya Pillai

that putting the officers of the armed forces above what was “expected to be normal risk” was against the fundamental right to life, especially the right to work in a safe environment guaranteed by the Constitution. The Bench said the HAL was liable to compensate him for “exposing him to more than reasonable risk”.

Press Trust of India New Delhi

A serving Indian Air Force pilot who was injured in a MiG-21 crash in 2005 was awarded ₹55 lakh as compensation by the Delhi High Court on Tuesday for being exposed to “unreasonable risk”. Holding that manufacturing defects and faulty workmanship of the fighter jet had led to the crash, a Bench of Justices S. Ravindra Bhat and Deepa Sharma asked the government to pay ₹5 lakh and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. ₹50 lakh to Wing Commander Sanjeet Singh Kaila, 46, within four weeks. Through his counsel Bharat S. Kumar, Mr. Kaila, now posted at Nasik, had sought compensation on account of “violation of his fundamental right to life, especially the right to work in a safe environment” under

‘Flying coin’: A MiG-21 that crashed in J&K on August 24, 2015. NISSAR AHMAD *

Article 21.

Seeks apology He moved the High Court in 2013, seeking a direction to the Centre and the HAL to issue a formal apology. He sought guidelines for the company to avoid such incidents in future. Allowing his plea for compensation, the court noted

Flight exercise It was the first time a crash survivor has taken on the government seeking redress. A regular flight exercise in 2005 went awry, leaving Mr. Kaila with debilitating neck and back pain that has rendered him unfit for flying and even day-to-day activities. Making him fly a MiG-21, which crashed in Rajasthan on January 4, 2005, amounted to “violation of his fundamental right to life”, he had told the court earlier.

New Delhi

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy, Manish Sisodia, were huddled with embittered party leader Kumar Vishwas till late on Tuesday night after the rift in the Aam Aadmi Party appeared to widen. In a damage control measure, Mr Kejriwal and Mr Sisodia joned senior leaders Sanjay Singh, Kapil Mishra and Ashutosh at Mr Vishwas's residence in the evening to sort out any differences. “Kumar is our old associate. He is a little angry now, but I am sure we will convince him,” Mr. Kejriwal said after the meeting. From there, Mr Kejriwal and Mr Sisodia, along with Mr Vishwas and the other leaders, went to the CM's residence at 6-Flagstaff Road, where the meeting continued till late at night. The emergency meetings

were held following a combative Mr Vishwas, defying the party's gag order, appeared to hit out at the leadership at a press conference.

No action Mr Vishwas said he was upset that no action was taken against Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan for levelling grave allegations against him. He said he would take some “big decision” by Tuesday evening, but refused to give details. On Sunday, Mr Khan had alleged that Mr Vishwas had taken money from the BJP to wean away MLAs from the AAP. He also claimed the BJP was offering ₹30crore to each MLA joining them. Mr. Vishwas rubbished the allegations and dismissed speculation that he was plotting to overthrow Mr Kejriwal as the AAP convenor. CONTINUED ON 쑺 PAGE 10 SEE ALSO 쑺 DELHI METRO

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Infosys plans to hire 10,000 Americans Will set up four technology hubs in U.S. Special Correspondent BENGALURU

Infosys, India’s second largest software company, said it plans to hire 10,000 American workers over the next two years. As part of the initiative, Infosys will open four technology and innovation hubs across the country. The firm said these hubs would focus on cutting-edge technology areas such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing and big data. These centres would also serve clients in key industries such as financial services, manufacturing, healthcare, retail and energy. “Having lived in the U.S. for nearly 30 years, and being a part of the incredible innovation here, I truly believe Infosys can help clients bring innovation more directly into their businesses,” Vishal Sikka, chief executive officer of Infosys, said in a statement. The move assumes significance in the wake of an increasingly loud anti-offshoring campaign in the U.S. that has sought preference for locals in jobs than for immigrants. Following up on his electoral promise, President Donald Trump signed an executive order for an

overhaul of the visa system. Democrat Senator Zoe Lofgren tabled a Bill to raise the minimum salary of an H-1B worker to $1,30,000 from the current $60,000. According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), H-1B applications for 2017 fell below 2,00,000 for the first time in five years. The USCIS received 1,99,000 applications in 2017, compared with 2,36,000 in 2016 — about 85,000 visas are granted annually through a lottery system.

Indiana hub Infosys said the first hub, which will open in Indiana in August 2017, is expected to create 2,000 jobs by 2021 for American workers and will help boost Indiana’s economy. “Our higher education institutions are producing a world-class workforce, establishing Indiana as the innovation hub of the Midwest,” Indiana Governor Eric J. Holcomb said in a statement. In filling these jobs, Infosys will hire experienced professionals and recent graduates from major universities and local and community colleges to create talent pools for the future.

Haryana orders probe Special Correspondent Chandigarh

A day after the Punjab and Haryana High Court issued a notice to the Haryana DGP on a petition by a 14 year-old rape victim alleging that she

was sexually harassed and forced to strip by male police officials, the State government has ordered an inquiry into the episode. DETAILS ON 쑺 PAGE 3

Youth elopes with girl; relative beaten to death Victim’s family alleges Hindu Yuva Vahini behind killing, incident triggers tension in area Staff Reporter Bulandshahr

A 45-year-old man, Ghulam Mohammad, was allegedly beaten to death by members of a right-wing group here on Tuesday for allegedly helping a relative elope with a girl of a different community. Mr Mohammad’s family members accused the Hindu Yuva Vahini to be behind the

incident. The police, however, have not named anyone. Vivek Singh, the Meerut range in charge of the Hindu Yuva Vahini, denied that members of his outfit were involved. “Seven persons reportedly attacked the deceased but not a single person belonged to the Hindu Yuva Vahini,” he said.

According to Additional District Magistrate Arvind Kumar Mishra, 19-year-old Yusuf of Sohi village had allegedly eloped with a Hindu girl of Fazalpur village on April 27.

Kidnapping case The girl’s family had lodged a case of kidnapping against Yusuf at the Pahasu police station.

Suspecting that Mr Mohammad had helped Yusuf, the culprits reached his house on Tuesday afternoon, dragged him to a secluded spot and beat him to death. Bulandshahr SP Man Singh Chauhan said an FIR had been lodged against unknown persons. “We have formed teams to nab the culprits. We have

identified some suspects. We are conducting raids to nab them,” Mr. Chauhan said. The SP said the body would be handed over to the family after the post-mortem examination. “To avoid any untoward incident, we have deployed a strong police force in the area,” he said. The incident triggered communal tension in the area.

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The most heavyweight museum in India In the heart of Karnataka, one man’s obsession has resulted in the irst collection of weights and measures Pradeepkumar Kadkol Davangere

The first museum of weights and measures in the country sits in the Chamarajpeth market area of Davangere, Karnataka. Called Tula Bhavan, its exhibits include more than 3,000 varieties of weighing and measuring devices, some dating back at least three centuries. A visitor can see, for example, wire gauges and a depth-measuring tape made in Germany and folding scales from America and England. The bulk of the collection, though, originates in India, and includes devices from almost CM YK

A measure of history: The museum in Davangere has 3,000 varieties of weighing scales and measures. SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT *

every part of the country, including from the times of the Nizams of Hyderabad, the Mysore Wadiyars, the Adil Shahis, and the Keladis.

Among the prize pieces are wooden beam scales from Mysore, and weighing stones used during the Adil Shah period.

The museum is the creation of a family which makes its living in the trade. Chennaveerappa Yalamalli had been in the business of selling weights and measures for 45 years. His son Basavaraj joined the family business in 1982. In 1997, he decided he wanted to set up a museum to create awareness of varieties of measuring devices. He began travelling across the country to collect information and models for his project. In 2006, he had enough to start the museum. When his father died in 2012, he took over the running of the business; two

years later, in 2014, he set up the Chennaveerappa Yalamalli Memorial Trust to run and grow the museum. The museum entered the Limca Book of Records in 2016, and in January this year, the Department of Posts declared it the ‘first of its kind’ in the country in its in-house magazine. Mr. Yalamalli told The Hindu that he is sad that he has had little help from local authorities or the government, but he is happy that his son, Sriraj, has joined him, not just in the business but also in the mission of developing the museum. A ND-ND

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Thursday, May 04

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SITUATIONS VACANT GENERAL

No talks with rebels: Meghalaya DGP ‘GNLA cornered; counter insurgency operations in Garo Hills will continue’ Press Trust of India Shillong

There will be no negotiations with rebel outfits in Meghalaya and counter insurgency operations in the Garo Hills against outlawed GNLA would continue, Director-General of Police S. B. Singh said on Tuesday. “Our stand is that there will be no negotiations with any group as also made clear by the Ministry of Home Affairs joint secretary in charge of North East,” he said. “GNLA are cornered. They

have been driven out of Durama Hills and they are on the run,” he said adding there would be no negotiation with the outlawed militant outfits responsible for killing, kidnapping and terrorizing the western parts of the State since late 2010.

Effective action The DGP lauded the effective action taken by Bangladesh in preventing militants from making that country a safe haven. “It will be more effective

(than fencing) if Bangladesh takes effective actions against the militants. “It will also help if there are more interactions at the level of the deputy commissioners and superintendents of police,” he said.

ULFA(I) commander Mr. Singh said ULFA(I) commander Dhrishti Rajkhowa, who is wanted by Assam and had made the jungles of Meghalaya his home until last year, has fled to Bangladesh following

counter insurgency operations against GNLA militants. He said the ultra leader, one of the staunchest supporters and ally of ULFA(I) chief Paresh Barua, was in the jungles in Garo Hills when his aide - a Garo tribal from Bangladesh, was killed in an encounter in South Garo Hills district in February. Last year police arrested a linkman from Dalu in West Garo Hills who aided the visit of the elusive Rajkhowa to a major GNLA camp in the

Durama Hills in 2013 and in 2015. The Meghalaya police had in the past maintained that Rajkhowa had himself assisted GNLA in procuring arms, provided it with training in bomb making and helped ULFA(I)’s safe crossing to Bangladesh. The GNLA in turn allowed ULFA(I) to keep their kidnapped victims at ITS Durama hills camp till the money demanded was paid, according to inputs received from the Assam Police.

Curtain comes down on Thakurani Jatra festival Ex-Minister Bijit Saikia passes away Press trust of India Guwahati/Tezpur

Former Assam Minister Bijit Saikia of the Congress died on Tuesday in a private nursing home here, his family members said. He was 75.

Reigning deity’s return journey to the temple marks the end of month-long celebrations Staff Reporter BERHAMPUR

The month-long biennial Thakurani Jatra festival of Berhampur, which is famous for its carnival spirit, ended in the early hours of Tuesday. The festival started on April 2 night with the transportation of Shasrakshi ghatam, representing the reigning deity of Berhampur, goddess Budhi Thakurani, from her temple to the temporary abode on Desibehera street. The conclusion of the festival marked the return journey of the deity to the temple. More than two-and-a-half lakh devotees took part in

Return journey: Budhi Thakurani being taken to her temple after a month-long stay at a temporary shrine in Berhampur on Monday night. LINGARAJ PANDA *

the festivities related to the return journey of the deity. A colourful procession with the ghatam started

from Desibehera street around 12.45 a.m. and reached the temple around 3.45 a.m. The main ghatam

was followed by eight other ghatams as part of the ritual. Thousands of married women took part in the large procession carrying ghatams on their head. These ghatams were worshipped in their homes during the duration of the festival. When the procession reached the permanent temple, all the earthen ghatam carried in the procession were crushed outside the temple except the main ghatam representing the deity. Women continued to reach the temple till 10 a.m. on Tuesday to break the ghatams. The colourful procession for the return journey included hundreds of de-

OBITUARY & REMEMBRANCE REMEMBRANCE

votees in the garb of mythological or funny characters. Inhabitants of the city lament that the State tourism department has not taken any major steps to publicise the unique carnival spirit of the festival. Former Ganjam Bar Association general secretary Manoj Patnaik said it was time for the Odisha government to market this unique participatory carnival. Like the Goa carnival it can also attract tourists from outside the State. Social activist Bibhu Prasad Sahu said the State culture department should first get the festival organised.

328 left wing rebels laid down arms: Mamata Special Correspondent Kolkata

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PUBLIC NOTICES

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Tuesday that 328 left wing extremists had laid down arms after the Trinamool Congress government came to power in 2011. “So far, in West Bengal, 328 left wing extremists have surrendered. They include 111 Maoists in 2017 [till date],” Ms. Banerjee said on social media. Of those who had laid down their arms, 205 had already been enrolled as Special Home Guards. “Apart from employment, surrendering Maoists get financial incentives as well as assistance for housing, medical and child education, as per norms,” she added. Despite the Chief Minister’s claims of success in her anti-left wing extremism strategy, activists claim that she has gone back on her promise of releasing political prisoners who include Maoists. “In 2011, the government set up a committee which recommended release of all political prisoners, including Maoists. But the government has not taken action on the recommendations,” Sujato Bhadra, who was part of the committee, said.

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SITUATIONS VACANT

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Published by N. Ram at Kasturi Buildings, 859 & 860, Anna Salai, Chennai-600002 and Printed by S. Ramanujam at HT Media Ltd. Plot No. 8, Udyog Vihar, Greater Noida Distt. Gautam Budh Nagar, U.P. 201306, on behalf of KASTURI & SONS LTD., Chennai-600002. Editor: Mukund Padmanabhan (Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act). Regd. DL(ND)-11/6110/2006-07-08 RNI No. TNENG/2012/49940 ISSN 0971 - 751X Vol. 7 No. 105 ●

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IN BRIEF

Raman Singh’s chopper lands in wrong village RAIGARH

A chopper with Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh on board landed in a different village on Tuesday whereas it was to arrive at another village with the same name in Raigarh district, the police said. The pilot probably mistook the venue where the CM was to visit under his government’s ‘Lok Suraaj Abhiyaan’ and landed in Linjir village of Pusaur development block, a police official said. PTI

2 judicial officials injured in false ceiling collapse KOTA

Two judicial officials, including a district judge, were injured when a portion of a false ceiling at the district and sessions judge’s office fell over them here on Tuesday. District and Sessions Judge Kedar Lal Gupta suffered a fracture in his left hand while Chairman, Juvenile Justice Board, Ganesharam, was injured in the head. PTI

Haryana govt orders probe into rape victim’s sexual harassment Teenager alleges she was forced to strip by male police oicials and touched inappropriately Special Correspondent Chandigarh

A day after the Punjab and Haryana High Court issued a notice to the Haryana Director General of Police on a petition by a 14 yearold rape victim from the State alleging that she was sexually harassed and forced to strip by male police officials, the State government has ordered an inquiry into the episode.

Serious matter “This matter is extremely serious, we have ordered an inquiry into the allegation levelled by the girl,”

MATHURA

The hearing into the Jawahar Bagh violence case has been adjourned till May 9 by a court here on the request of the CBI. District judge Ramesh Tewari on Tuesday adjourned the case on the request of the second investigating officer of the CBI and district government counsel Gordhan Singh Yadav. “Our main investigating officer would present the argument on some other date set by the court,” the second IO said. Vivek, the son of the main accused Ram Vriksha Yadav, was granted bail on April 19 but had to stay in jail as the family had expressed its inability to pay the bail amount. PTI

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Petition filed The victim had filed a petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, asking for registration of an FIR under relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, and IPC against the officials. The girl had filed a case of rape on November 20,

an incident is < > Such unacceptable, whosoever is found guilty will be punished. The guilty won’t be spared Ram Niwas Additional Secretary (Home)

2016.

‘Taken to CIA office’ During investigation, the police took her to the Crime Investigation Agency in Kaithal where, according to the petition, the police personnel asked her to unbutton her shirt

and touched her inappropriately on the pretext of checking whether she was raped.

‘Threatened’ “One CIA policeman asked me to unbuttonmy shirt and then he put his hand on my thighs. One policeman held on to my toes. Another told me not to disclose anything to anyone or the medical examination would not be done. Then they took me to the woman police station and told me not to disclose that I was raped,” the girl has alleged in the petition. She had recorded the

statement before a first class judicial magistrate in Kaithal, the petition said.

No action taken Pardeep Rapria, the lawyer representing the girl, said even after submitting a complaint to the DGP and other authorities, no action was taken or an FIR registered against the police personnel. On Monday, Justice Rekha Mittal of the Punjab and Haryana High Court issued a notice to the Haryana DGP, seeking a reply on the issue before the next hearing slated for July 5.

Armed men loot ₹1.33 cr from bank’s cash van Accused ire shots at driver, injure him

Contract employees in Himachal to be regularised Virbhadra govt announces a slew of populist measures

Ex-JDA chairman arrested by ACB Apex court stayed his bail order Press Trust of India Jodhpur

Staff Correspondent

Jawahar Bagh case hearing adjourned

Additional Secretary (Home) Ram Niwas said on Tuesday. “Such an incident is unacceptable and whosoever is found guilty will be punished. The guilty won’t be spared,” he said.

SHIMLA

With the Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections expected to be held by the end of this year, the Virbhadra Singhled government made a slew of populist announcements on Tuesday. The State Cabinet decided to regularise all contract employees here who completed three years of service in March 2017. The Rogi Kalyan Samiti paramedical staff will be regularised after four years of service instead of eight years. Pay scales of 4-914 will be applicable to all medical officers and their contract period will also be counted.

Leave rules announced All other part-time workers who completed eight years of service in March 2017 will

be regularised as daily wagers. The grant-in-aid to 3,226 watchmen in various panchayats and honorarium of Anganwari workers in the State will be enhanced. The Cabinet also announced leave rules and benefits for all remaining contract workers in the State, including a 135-day maternity leave.

Grant-in-aid increased It approved an increase in the grant-in-aid to ₹4,000 from ₹3,000 per child per annum under the Mother Teresa Matri Asahaya Sambal Yojna as per the Budget announcement. Another nod was granted to filling up of 200 posts of panchayat sahayaks in the Panchayati Raj Department and 174 posts of contractual forest guards in Forest Department from the existing

manpower of the Desert Development Project and Watersheds. Hundreds of posts in the Agriculture, Education, Excise and Taxation, and Health Departments are also expected to be filled up.

Schools to be upgraded The Cabinet also approved upgradation of various primary and middle schools in different districts, as promised by the Chief Minister during his visits. Approval for empanelment of super-specialty private hospitals under the critical care facilities scheme also received a green signal. These private hospitals will enter into an agreement with the State Swasthaya Bima Yojna Society and provide critical care facilities on pre-defined package rates.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday arrested the former chairman of the Jodhpur Development Authority ( JDA) in connection with alleged irregularities in the tendering process for a development work. “Rajendra Singh Solanki was arrested after the Supreme Court stayed the anticipatory bail order issued by the High Court last month,” SP (ACB) Ajay Pal Lamba said. He was declared arrested at the ACB office in Jodhpur, where he was summoned for interrogation on Tuesday morning, he said. The ACB had filed four cases against So-

lanki for alleged irregularities in various developmental works in 2013, the SP said. Out of the four cases, Solanki has been arrested in the case in which tenders were issued twice for the construction of a community hall at the same location, the officer said.

Special Correspondent Chandigarh

Six armed men reportedly looted ₹1.33 crore on Tuesday from the cash van of a private bank in Banur town of Patiala, after shooting at the driver and injuring him, the police said. “The hunt for the culprits is on. An alert has been sounded across the State. We have also alerted Haryana and Uttar Pradesh authorities as well,” Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) S. Boopathi told The Hindu. According to the police around six unidentified men robbed the cash-loaded van after intercepting it on the Patiala-Zirakpur Highway in Banur town. The van was on its way from Chandigarh

to distribute cash to local branches of the bank at Banur and Rajpura. “Preliminary investigation showed that they (the accused) fired shots at the driver, leaving him injured and then made away with ₹1.33 crore,” said Mr. Boopathi. The driver, who sustained serious injuries, has been hospitalised and his condition is said to be critical.

Probe on “We are probing the matter from all angles. The police are scanning the CCTV footage, and are also trying to prepare sketches on the basis of information from people who were witness to the crime,” he added.

Tender issued twice “A tender had been floated in 2012-13 for the construction of a community hall in Mansagar’s Adarsh Colony at a cost of ₹25 lakh. However, the Jodhpur Development Authority issued a second tender for the same work in 2013-14 with its cost increasing to ₹70 lakh,” Mr Lamba said.

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Can MOOCs enable the start-up ecosystem? As they allow employees to upgrade their skill sets without having to take a break, they beneit small enterprises immensely Gopal Devanahalli

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unding, working capital, delivery and fine-tuning of products are the key challenges that an early-stage enterprise struggles with on a daily basis. Training or investing in employee skill development is not a focus area for start-ups. In the early days, founders play multiple roles and someone or the other in the team manages the HR

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function as well. The downside of this is that very little attention is paid to the learning needs of the employees which can impact the business. So, the quesriions are: Is this the best approach? Can it be improved upon? Can learning be enabled in an environment where job description is hazy? The answer, I believe, is yes. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are leading a disruption in the global edu-

cation industry since 2011. They have brought quality educational content from the world’s leading educational institutions and enterprises to people all over the world. It is noteworthy that in the last few years, MOOCs have moved away from being ‘free’ to ‘paid’. Private MOOCs such as ProLearn & Jigsaw Academy have also emerged in this space. Despite moving away from the free model, MOOCs

can play a large role in enabling the talent and business growth in start-ups and small enterprises. The primary challenge that a start-up or a small enterprise has is ‘how can I hire the best talent? Can I spend minimum in training them to my requirement?’ One simple way is to ask new hires to complete a pre-determined set of MOOC courses before joining and save on the training cost re-

lated to the generic areas. Quality courses in domains such as data science, artificial intelligence and digital marketing are available in MOOCs which will ensure that new hires will have the required skills. Flipkart and Infosys both claim to hire graduates of Udacity programmes. Training of existing employees puts small enterprises in a catch-22 situation. Should employees be put in productive work or should they be put in training to improve productivity? The 24*7, anytime, anywhere learning convenience that a MOOC provides is a huge plus in this regard. In Bengaluru buses, it is not uncommon to see young professionals going through MOOC content during the commute.

Hands-on learning One additional advantage that MOOCs such as ProLearn bring is instructor-led, handson learning in popular areas such as digital marketing, project management & data science and live projects. This is a huge benefit for start-ups as the employees can implement as they learn. More often than not, not all founders come with all necessary skills to establish a company. The founders need to build a company around the startup and play multiple roles amidst the pressure to get funding. MOOCs provide an excellent avenue to develop the necessary skills — finance courses, digital marketing, mobile app development, analytics, management, putting together an information

memorandum for investment and handling multiple stakeholders. As the company grows and a HR (L&D) function is in place, it will be wise to integrate MOOCs into the company’s talent & development strategy at the earliest. It could be an enterprise relationship with one or more MOOCs or a reimbursement on successful completion of programmes.

Distributed workforce Domestic MOOCs have the added advantage of having content which is relevant to the domestic market apart from offering mobile-enabled learning for a distributed workforce. The HR team can be more focused on setting up processes and developing or-

ganisational structures which will aid the business growth as more employees join. The start-up will have the advantage of not having to invest in developing or updating course content. This approach will allow companies to optimise talent development without incurring much cost. As the world becomes flatter, it makes complete sense to leverage various resources around the world — India’s IT industry being the classic case. It only makes sense that world-class content from MOOCs be leveraged by startups to build a strong employee base. (Gopal Devanahalli is senior vice-president at Manipal Global Education Services. )

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THE HINDU

SOUTH 5

NOIDA/DELHI

WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 2017

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Opposition protests sweep Khammam Govt. will reinstate

IN BRIEF

Senkumar: Pinarayi

Parties block roads, want arrested farmers released, remunerative price for chilli growers P Sridhar

Stage cleared for pooram ireworks THRISSUR

Confusion over Thrissur Pooram fireworks has been cleared with the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) giving conditional permission for them. Though it banned dynamite, it allowed the use of ‘gundu,’ ‘kuzhiminnal,’ ‘olapadakkam,’ and ‘amittu’ with certain restrictions on size and intensity.

‘Ministers should be present in Secretariat’ VIJAYAWADA

A.P. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday expressed unhappiness over some Ministers being absent at the Secretariat in Velagapudi. At a TDP meeting, he said Ministers should henceforth be present at the Secretariat regularly, especially on Thursdays, to attend to people’s grievances.

KHAMMAM

The Khammam district of Telangana saw a wave of protests on Tuesday with activists of the Left parties — CPI (M), CPI and CPI (MLNew Democracy) — and the Telugu Desam Party staging road blockades on major entry points. They demanded the unconditional release of arrested farmers and remunerative price for the distraught chilli growers reeling under a price crash. Ten farmers were arrested by the Khammam ThreeTown police in connection with Friday’s attack on the agriculture market yard. The hour-long road blockade disrupted vehicular movement on roads leading to Kothagudem, Kodad, and Suryapet, among others, leading to traffic snarls. Traffic was diverted on some vital roads connecting Bhadrachalam and other towns. TDP legislator Sandra Venkata Veeraiah, against whom

Royals seek removal of Kerala temple EO

Boiling cauldron: Left party leaders staging a road blockade at Teladarupalli on Tuesday. G.N.RAO *

a case of rioting was registered along with the 10 farmers in connection with Friday’s attack, led the protest at Mudigonda mandal headquarters town. Leaders of the Left parties and activists owing allegiance to farmers’ organisations took part in the joint stir. The police detained the protesters and shifted them to a nearby police station be-

fore letting them off. Earlier, speaking to the media, Mr. Venkata Veeraiah reiterated his charge that false cases had been foisted on him and the 10 farmers.

‘Brewing anger’ “Friday’s incident was a fallout of the brewing anger among chilli farmers against the government’s indifference to their plight and ex-

ploitative tactics of the ruling party-backed traders,” he said. “Five of the 10 arrested farmers owe allegiance to the ruling TRS. It implies that resentment cuts across political affiliations,” he claimed. He demanded that the Telangana government buy the entire chilli produce lying with the farmers at a fair price of at least ₹10,000 per quintal and extend a bonus of ₹4,000 a quintal to mitigate their woes. Chilli farmers, meanwhile, continued to feel despondent over the state of affairs. In Warangal, beleaguered farmers thronged the market in large numbers bringing with them their months of toil in red chilli bags. At the Enumamula agricultural market, farmers were heard relating heartrending tales. “I harvested 22 bags of chilli and paid ₹22,000 for labour. Now, the trader is offering ₹3,000 per bag. What is left for me,”

asked Nalmela Shankaraiah. The same variety fetched him ₹12,000 a quintal last year, he said. Worse is the story of Tirupathi Rao who sold his 22 bags at ₹1,800 a quintal and left the market dejected. “I have nothing left but tears,” he said. Another farmer, Kothapalli Raghupathi, said he came with 22 bags of good quality chilli. He was first offered ₹3,000 by a trader. Another trader offered him ₹3,500 a quintal and, finally, a trader offered him ₹4,000. “That’s it. Not more than ₹4,000 per quintal whatever the quality and variety. The traders have ganged up and decided not to raise the price,” he said. Congress leader and former chief whip Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy said he would undertake a 24hour hunger strike at the Ekasila Park on Wednesday to protest the indifferent attitude of the government.

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A festival of drums with a message

Says Chief Secretary has begun process Special Correspondent THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said his government is committed to reinstating T.P. Senkumar as State Police Chief in consonance with the Supreme Court order. Replying to a notice for an adjournment motion by M. Ummer in the Assembly on Tuesday, Mr. Vijayan said the government had set the process in motion even before getting a certified copy of the order. Chief Secretary Nalini Netto had initiated the process for reinstating Mr. Senkumar. The government got the legal opinion of the Advocate-General on Monday, he said.

‘Force headless’ Mr. Ummer alleged that since the Supreme Court order on April 24, the State Police had remained headless

Pinarayi Vijayan

and this had serious implications for law and order. The delay in implementing the order was unjustified. Though the government could easily reach out to the Law Secretary and the Advocate General, it was delaying the decision, he said. Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala agreed that the police force was headless. By delaying a decision, the government was setting a wrong precedent, he said.

Karnataka Minister deies beacon ban

600 exponents of instrumental music to highlight the Bharathapuzha’s distress

He has become a law unto himself: plea K.A. Shaji Krishnadas Rajagopal NEW DELHI

The Travancore royal family on Tuesday approached the Supreme Court for the removal of K.N. Satheesh as the Executive Officer of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple, citing instances of unbecoming conduct, misuse of office and run-ins with the temple’s administrative committee and staff. The application filed in the name of Sri Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma reproduces several reports by successive chairpersons of the temple administrative

committee, two of whom were principal district and sessions judges, Thiruvananthapuram, to show that Mr. Satheesh’s behaviour gave rise to a large number of complaints from staffers and devotees. The application said it was affecting the serene atmosphere of the temple. “It was also pointed out that the Executive Officer was acting in a high-handed manner, had become a law unto himself and was riding roughshod over the instructions of the committee,” the royal family said.

Palakkad

The banks of the Bharathapuzha at Perumparamba, near Edappal, are set to reverberate with the sounds of the largest traditional percussion ensemble in Kerala, on May 7. At the six-day crowdfunded event, over 600 instrumental music exponents including tribal and Dalit artists will play 35 types of instruments, watched by thousands of enthusiasts and 30,000 students of 200 schools in Palakkad, Thrissur, and

EDUCATIONAL

Santhosh Alamkode

Malappuram districts. Santhosh Alamkode, a master of ‘panchavadyam’, said he had long yearned to organise such a festival on the banks of the dying Bharathapuzha: that would

take the message of river protection and the diverse cultures it fostered far and wide. The 35-year-old exponent, who won a Limca Book entry with the largest ‘panchavadyam’ performance by 201 artists and the largest ‘thayambaka’ with 101 artists, is hosting the event through his own Sopanam School of Panchavadyam. It has so far trained 850 boys and 55 girls in instrumental music. Santhosh, who took up ‘panchavadyam’ at five, was instrumental in starting the first all-women

EDUCATIONAL

‘panchavadyam’ troupe with 33 performers, who till then worked as daily-wage labourers in farms. Sopanam runs an all-women unit that makes and supplies traditional musical instruments such as ‘chenda’, ‘idakka’, ‘thimila’, and ‘maddalam’.

A musical melange Exponents of ‘panchavadyam’, ‘thayambaka’, ‘melappadam’, ‘villinmel thayambaka’, ‘mizhavu’ and ‘thudikottu’, besides other instruments will be there at the event.

Let CM tell me to remove it: U.T. Khader Press Trust of India Mangaluru

A Karnataka Minister has refused to fall in line with the Central government’s ban on red beacons on VIP vehicles, saying he would remove it if Chief Minister Siddaramaiah instructs him to do so. “If the Chief Minister asks me to remove the red beacon light, I will obey his instruction and remove it,” Food and Civil Supplies Minister U.T. Khader said. Mr. Khader said it was the State government that had given him the car with a red

EDUCATIONAL

beacon light, not the Central government, and he had no right to alter it. “I do not have power to alter my car. It is left to the Cabinet to decide,” he told reporters here on Monday. Mr. Khader also said he would not object to the ban on red beacon lights on VIP vehicles but most importantly, the Centre should bring in schemes which would feed the hungry and provide education. The aim of the government should be to raise the people to the level of VIPs, he added.

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CM YK

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6 NATION

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THE HINDU

WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 2017

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IN BRIEF

Nitish, I strongly united: Lalu

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Food for thought

RJD chief quells speculation of rift, vows to defeat BJP in 2019 Lok Sabha polls Amarnath Tewary Patna

‘Need reverse-direction migration of students’ PHAGWARA (PUNJAB)

Noting that Indians in large numbers go abroad for higher studies, President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday said efforts should be made to ensure migration of students in the “reverse direction”. Delivering a convocation address at a university here, he also called for respecting freedom and equality to build a harmonious society. PTI

‘Demand for wheat to reach 140 MT by 2050’ CHANDIGARH

The demand for wheat in the country will reach 140 million tonnes by 2050, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has said. I. S. Solanki, ADG, ICAR, said here that the country has so far recorded huge growth in wheat production. PTI

Inefficient use of water in Haryana paddy farming CHANDIGARH

Subsidised and unmetered power supply to the farm sector in Haryana is leading to “inefficient” utilisation of groundwater and electricity on paddy cultivation, a study has found. It said an estimated amount of ₹844 crore is being spent as power subsidy on excess consumption of electricity on the crop in the State. PTI

Leaders vow to support newborn healthcare SANCHI

Leaders of different faiths here on Tuesday resolved to extend support to newborn and maternal healthcare initiatives. Nearly 50 leaders had gathered as part of a programme organised by an NGO. PTI

CM YK

Amid growing speculation of a widening rift between the two ruling alliance parties in Bihar, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad on Tuesday stressed that he and Janata Dal (United) president Nitish Kumar were “strongly united”. Speaking to RJD leaders and workers at the party’s three-day national training camp in Rajgir, Lalu Prasad said: “Nitish Kumar and I are strongly united… though, there are some people who want to create a rift between us.”

Appeal for harmony In light of frequent reports of leaders of both parties exchanging heated words, Mr. Prasad asked his men to refrain from making irresponsible statements. “How will you defeat the BJP if you

Taking a dig: Lalu Prasad slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the killing of CRPF personnel in Sukma. FILE PHOTO *

fight among yourselves,” Mr. Prasad asked the leaders. The RJD chief appealed for a united front in the run up to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and said he was in touch with Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Odisha CM Navin Patnaik and others to defeat the BJP

in the next general election. “When Bihar, U.P., Bengal, Odisha and Punjab unite, the BJP will be finished,” said Mr. Prasad. The RJD chief also launched an attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the killing of 26 CRPF personnel in Sukma, Chhattisgarh, and two army jawans

in Jammu and Kashmir. “Where is your [PM Modi] 56-inch chest?… What are you doing after these two attacks… its seems Jammu and Kashmir is slipping out of our hand", Mr. Prasad said. The RJD chief's Minister sons Tej Pratap Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav, and his elder daughter Misa Bharti, who is the party’s Rajya Sabha MP, also attended the camp. "The grand alliance is strongly united and there is no rift between the RJD and the JD (U),” Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav reiterated.

Training for leaders Party leaders on Wednesday will reportedly be trained and given tips at the camp on how to strengthen party organisation and use social media to send out positive messages about the RJD. Social scientists and professors will address the party workers.

A light moment: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and his Cabinet colleagues share their tiin at the State Mantralaya in Bhopal on Tuesday. PTI *

‘More TMC leaders to be held in chit fund scam’

Hope loats for residents of remote Odisha villages

BJP hits out at party ahead of rural polls

Ambulance boat to cater to patients who otherwise ind it diicult to reach nearest community health centre

Staff Reporter Kolkata

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State president Dilip Ghosh on Tuesday said more Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders might get arrested in connection with the Saradha chit fund scam ahead of the panchayat polls next year. “If two or three TMC leaders end up behind the bars before the panchayat polls, then the party may not be in a condition to contest the polls at all,” said Mr. Ghosh. He was speaking to the media in Bardhaman district, where the party’s State executive meeting concluded on Tuesday. Mr. Ghosh also said “most” of

the Congress and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) workers might join the BJP before the elections. “They [Congress and CPI-M] may not even be able to field candidates,” said Mr. Ghosh.

Boosting security He further said that the party would set up “booth defence groups” to prevent “looting of votes” during the polls. The TMC leadership, however, brushed aside the remarks. “Forget about the lotus blooming in Bengal. Not even a petal will bloom here,” TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee said.

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Shankar Mishra, said it is a modern ambulance boat with all required medical facilities. According to government plans, two more floating medical units will be added to the fleet.

Sib Kumar Das BERHAMPUR

A new floating medical unit with life saving equipment and beds for patients started operations in Balimela reservoir in the Maoistinfested Malkangiri district on Tuesday. It will serve the inhabitants of 151 remote cut-off villages.

Some respite The second floating medical unit in the reservoir, the new one is more advanced and has facilities for tests and treatment during transportation of patients from remote cut-off villages to the nearest community health centre at Chitrakonda, about 30 km

Big boon:The boat will move around and hold medical camps in the cut-of areas of Balimela reservoir. LINGARAJ PANDA *

away on the other side of the reservoir. It takes about three to four hours by boat to reach the farthest points like Jodamba and Panasput panchayats in the cut-off areas. The cut-off villages do

not have direct road link with Chitrakonda, the place where the nearest CHC is located. Speaking to The Hindu, Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO), Malkangiri, Uday

Modern equipment Apart from being a floating ambulance, it will be used to provide medical services to inhabitants of cut-off areas through regular health camps. The ambulance, made of fibre-reinforced plastic polymer to increase safety, has two beds for patients, a doctor’s chamber, staff nurse chamber, a laboratory for tests as well as all life-saving instruments. “The earlier floating

medical unit did not have beds for patients and facility for examination and tests. Pregnant women can be delivered of their babies in the floating ambulance in case of need,” said the CDMO. The units can operate at night as they are equipped with powerful headlights.The new ambulance will have an AYUSH doctor, an attendant, a pharmacist, an MBBS doctor, a medical lab technician and one auxiliary nurse and midwife. For 20 days every month these boats will hold medical camps at 70 places in the cut-off areas of Balimela reservoir.

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U.P. labourer forced to carry son’s body Similar incident reported from Bengaluru

Institute to tap gut microbes for drugs

Railways suspends 3 oicials Action follows wrong RTI information on purchases Vedika Chaubey Mumbai

Press Trust of India Etawah

A labourer was forced to carry the body of his 15year-old son on his shoulders after he was allegedly denied help by the doctors at a government hospital here on Monday. The incident brought back memories of Odisha’s Dana Majhi, who was allegedly denied a hearse by a hospital and carried his wife’s body on his back last year. In a video which has gone viral on the social and electronic media, 45-year-old Udayveer says doctors at the Etawah government hospital did not treat his son Pushpendra and turned him away. “My son had a pain in his legs. The doctors spared only a few minutes for my child and said ‘take him away, there is no life in the boy’,” a weeping Udayveer told reporters here. He said the doctors did not offer the

services of a hearse or an ambulance, which are to be provided free of charge. Chief Medical Officer of Etawah, Rajeev Yadav, said the boy was brought dead to the hospital. “I am told the doctors were busy with an accident case and so they could not ask Udayveer if he needed transport. Action will be taken.”

Carried on two-wheeler In another incident in Bengaluru, a man carried the body of his three-yearold son on a two-wheeler from a government hospital to his home. The boy was knocked down by a vehicle on Sunday. He was declared “brought dead” at the Anekal government hospital, police said. The hospital, however, denied any “insensitivity” on its part. It said the parents of the boy had taken the body without the mandatory autopsy.

Chandigarh IMTech leans on growing interest in microbiome Jacob Koshy New Delhi

Building on a growing, global scientific interest in the human microbiome — the colony of bacteria and microscopic forms that live in the gut, skin and other organs of the body — the CSIRInstitute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh (IMTech), is working on a programme to tap its vast collection of microbial samples and develop therapeutic products or drugs. The human body is estimated to have about 35 trillion cells, and about two to three times as many microbial organisms. Most of them live in the gastrointestinal tract, which is home to around 3,000-4,000 species of bacteria, not including viruses and other life forms. Some are harmful and many, not. The global probiotics (or

beneficial bacteria) industry has already started using certain species of bacteria as healing or curative agents. Mother Dairy, Amul, Danone Yakult, and Nestle India are among the leading producers of probiotic functional foods and beverages in India. Their foods use lactobacilli and bifidobacteria to make yoghurt, curd, and several dietary supplements.

Burgeoning evidence On the other hand, burgeoning evidence suggests that atherosclerosis, obesity, intestinal problems, and many psychological disorders lead to distinct changes in the composition of bacteria in the gut. Restoring balance or teasing out how the byproducts of these organisms lead to chemical changes that cause disease, is at the heart of research.

In 2016, IMTech researchers reported in the Frontiers of Immunology how drugs used to treat tuberculosis changed the gut microbial profile in mice. This led them to posit that “microbial therapy could help people suffering from TB.” IMTech has a library of about 40,000 microbial cell cultures (not all of them relevant to humans) of varied provenance. According to Anil Koul, Director, IMTech, their research programme aims to find out what combinations of bacterial species can be used for potential therapeutics. “We have scanned genomes before, and have a lot of expertise. But now we are looking at industry and research collaborations to see how these bacteria can be combined in effective ways,” he said in an interview.

The Central Railway (CR) on Tuesday suspended three officials and transferred one official for giving out wrong information in reply to an RTI plea, which showed that the Railways had overpaid for certain purchases. This follows a report on Tuesday in the Mumbai edition of The Hindu, which mentioned how an RTI application filed as a second appeal had revealed that the

CR had bought 100 gm of curd for ₹972 and refined oil for ₹1,253 a litre.

Prabhu orders inquiry The reply to the RTI, filed by activist Ajay Bose, claimed that commodities that were procured by the Railways included 58 litres of refined oil for ₹72,034 in March 2016, 150 packets of Tata Salt for ₹2,670, or ₹49 a packet instead of its then MRP of ₹15, and water bottles and soft drinks for ₹59 a bottle.

Taking note of the news report, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu ordered the Chairman Railway Board to enquire and take action on any wrongdoing. Addressing a press conference later in the day, Shailendra Kumar, Chief Commercial Manager, CR, clarified that the costs mentioned in the reply were incorrect and that it was actually an error by the RTI staff and action had been taken against them.

‘Walls of heroes’ planned on M.P. shifts iscal year campuses across country Anup Dutta Bhopal

They will have portraits of all Param Vir Chakra awardees Special Correspondent NEW DELHI

Colleges and university campuses across India will soon see “walls of heroes” being erected to reinforce respect for war veterans and martyrs in young minds. Conceptualised by former BJP member of Parliament Tarun Vijay, these walls with photographs of all ParamVir Chakra awardees will come up on 1000 campuses across the country. Launching the ‘VidyaVeerta Abhiyan’ (KnowledgeValour Campaign) here, Minister for Human Resource Development Prakash Javadekar said donations from students and teachers should fund these walls. The Minister condemned CM YK

Prakash Javadekar

the beheading of two Indian soldiers by Pakistan.

‘Country anguished’ “The condemnable and barbaric act has been carried out ignoring all principles of humanity. Even war has some principles, but they do not have any or don’t want

to know it. The entire country is anguished,” Mr. Javadekar said. He reiterated Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s statement that the sacrifice of the soldiers would not be in vain. “It is important that we have portraits of such soldiers in our universities to create passion and enthusiasm among the youngsters,” he said. Under the campaign, universities will set up walls measuring 15X20 feet featuring portraits of the 21 soldiers decorated with the Param Vir Chakra, the highest wartime gallantry award. Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre also condemned the beheading of the two Indian soldiers.

Madhya Pradesh will be the first State to switch to the January-December financial year from the present AprilMarch cycle. The change will mean the financial year will coincide with the calendar year. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet held at Mantralaya here on Tuesday. “The next budget session will start in January.

Now, the financial year will start in January and end in December,” CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan said. The decision was announced to the press by Public Relations Minister Narrotam Mishra. On April 23, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the proposal at the third governing council meeting of the NITI Aayog in New Delhi. Mr. Modi said the switch could have a significant impact on the economy.

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Winning back the Valley Powering up food Augmenting foods with nutrients can improve overall health, but it must be regulated

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ince a diversiied diet that meets all nutritional requirements is diicult to provide, fortiication of food is relied upon by many countries to prevent malnutrition. The World Health Organisation estimates that deiciency of key micronutrients such as iron, vitamin A and iodine together afects a third of the world’s population; in general, insuicient consumption of vitamins and minerals remains problematic. Viewed against the nutrition challenge India faces, processed foods with standards-based fortiication can help advance overall health goals, starting with maternal health. It is imperative, for a start, to make iron-fortiied food widely available, since iron deiciency contributes to 20% of maternal deaths and is associated with nearly half of all maternal deaths. The shadow of malnutrition extends to the children that women with anaemia give birth to. They often have low birth weight, are pre-term, and sufer from poor development and lower cognitive abilities. Low intake of vitamins, zinc and folate also causes a variety of health issues, particularly when growing children are deprived. Fortiication is a lowcost solution. The beneit is maximised when there is a focus also on adequate intake of oils and fats, which are necessary for the absorption of micronutrients and something poorer households often miss in their diet. The eicacy of the fortiication standards introduced by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) will depend on enforcement. It is important to ensure that all sections of producers meet the norms, since the FSSAI plans to get local lour mills to add premixed nutrients. Making afordable, good quality fortiied foods widely available is the key. Only such standardised processes can provide micronutrients to women, and in turn to breastfed children in the irst six months after birth. A well-functioning public distribution system is the best channel to reach precisely those sections that need fortiied food the most. In the case of children, recent studies show that adding zinc to food during the six months to 12 years growth period reduced the risk of death from infectious diseases and all causes put together. Fortiied food, therefore, provides near to medium-term gains, and addresses micronutrient malnutrition concerns at the population level. Yet, as the WHO points out, in the long term, public health goals on prevention and elimination of nutritional deiciencies should aim at encouraging people to adopt a diversiied and wholesome diet. Children, including those in school, should get a wholesome cooked meal that is naturally rich, and augmented with vegetables, fruits, dairy and other foods of choice. Fortiied foods can help ill the gaps, particularly in areas that are in need of speedy remedial nutrition. It is also vital that food regulation views the issue of afordability as a central concern, because unafordable fortiied food would defeat the very purpose of fortiication.

Turkish detour Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit highlights the need to refresh bilateral ties

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here is usually a heightened exchange of diplomatic niceties between two countries just before a high-level bilateral visit. However, the optics and the statements issued by India and Turkey just ahead of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit were distinctly undiplomatic. Just ahead of his trip to India, his irst bilateral visit since 2008 when he was Prime Minister, Mr. Erdogan chose to make comments guaranteed to strike a discordant note in New Delhi. He said the Kashmir issue could be resolved through “multilateral negotiations”, and ofered himself as an intermediary with Pakistan. Mr. Erdogan knows the region well, and is aware of India’s consistent position on resolving the Kashmir dispute bilaterally. That his comments came on the heels of his visit to Pakistan last year where he pledged Turkey’s support to the host’s position on Kashmir made them more pointed. New Delhi also made what could well be considered as a provocative gesture by inviting Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades just days before Mr. Erdogan was due, while Vice President Hamid Ansari made a previously unannounced visit to Armenia. The decision on the visits related to two countries that Turkey doesn’t maintain diplomatic ties with was described by India as a “coincidence”. Given this backdrop, Mr. Erdogan’s visit did manage to meet the somewhat lowered expectations. His rapport with Narendra Modi is strong, and much bonhomie was on display. Both countries pledged to revive bilateral trade, which has been declining, besides improving air connectivity and increasing tourist arrivals. Mr. Erdogan’s comments on supporting India’s bid for the UN Security Council membership came with the rider on other countries being included, and for the Nuclear Suppliers Group with the caveat of support for Pakistan. But it is certainly a start that could lead to deeper engagement on the two issues. Signiicantly, while condemning terrorism he mentioned only Naxal violence and did not refer to terrorism emanating from Pakistan. India-Turkey ties date back centuries: Mughal rulers and the Sultans of the Ottoman Empire exchanged diplomatic missions. The poet Rumi and the Sui movement there found easy synergy with the Bhakti and Sui movements here. In the 20th century India’s freedom ighters supported the Turkish independence movement. Turkey under Mr. Erdogan has in recent years turned away from the old equation, as he sought to bolster his image as a leader of the Islamic world. It is to New Delhi’s credit that it chose to persist in its diplomacy with this important West Asian country, with the hope that sustained contact will refresh the relationship in a way that relects shared concerns and is not hyphenated with ties with Pakistan — as India has been able to do with the UAE and Saudi Arabia. CM YK

M.K. Narayanan The deteriorating situation in Jammu and Kashmir, together with strained relations among the Agenda for Alliance partners in the State, obviously prompted the meeting between Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The April 24 meeting covered various measures to deal with the violent protests that have rocked the Valley lately, but the main outcome seemed to have been that the Bharatiya Janata Party-Peoples Democratic Party alliance would continue. The BJP-PDP ‘soft alliance’ may have survived another rough patch. Kashmir, however, does not seem to be going anywhere. This may be par for the course as far as J&K is concerned, for in the evaluation of sceptics the future of Kashmir is almost always more of the same. The argument is that Delhi is, by and large, uninterested in changing its course, and is content with providing puerile explanations for the lives lost and the recurring crises that alict the State. For alliance partner PDP, having lost its way as far as governance is concerned, it is currently more intent on clinging to the Alliance and the Srinagar gaddi. The future of Kashmir, hence, is nobody’s concern.

More complex yet If, during the latter part of 2016, Kashmir was portrayed as confronting one of its gravest crises ever, the situation in the Valley today is to all intents and purposes far more complex. The violent protests, with a high number of killed and injured, have hardly come down; the patterns set following the death of Burhan Wani in an encounter in July 2016 also continue. No one in the Establishment, either in Srinagar or in Delhi, seems to know why the violence is continuing. The unchanging nature of the Kashmir scene since late 2016 and extending into 2017 is beginning to worry even those who

have for long been inured to violence and ideas of a change in plan, their sole concern having been ensuring that Kashmir remains an integral part of India. Today it is not so much the dreaded foreign militants as the ‘unattached militants’ who are responsible for the bulk of the current wave of violence. They do not appear to have a direct link to proPakistan militant outits such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad, though some linkages with the local Hizbul Mujahideen may exist. The leaders are unrecognisable, and speciic causes undecipherable. Pakistan has not moved away and continues to instigate violence, the latest attack being on an Army camp in Kupwara (in which three Army men were killed), patterned on earlier attacks in Uri and Pathankot. The new threat comes from an entirely diferent source. Consequently, the refrain of external instigation and Pakistan’s role is inadequate to explain the current imbroglio. Urging the security forces to exercise restraint and avoid collateral damage during operations also makes little sense. The issues are far deeper than urging all stakeholders to allay the apprehensions and misgivings of the Kashmir youth. Something very diferent has occurred and something new needs to be attempted. The unorganised – and even divided – nature of the protest movement carries the danger that it could turn into an Intifada, a kind of people’s uprising with no known leaders, and increasing numbers of trouble-makers, all portraying themselves as leaders of the movement. It carries deep risks for both domestic and international reasons. It is something that India must prevent before it actually takes shape, and ‘martyrdom’ becomes the new normal. The moot question is whether India can, and is willing, to handle the truth — bite the bullet in other words. India could continue to acknowledge that those responsible for the past violence have not abandoned the scene, but will need to admit at the same time that a change is taking place behind the scene. New faces of militancy had emerged. Amongst these are a large number who were previously

DEEPAK HARICHANDAN

Delhi must make an open appeal for peace in Kashmir accompanied by consultations with all segments

seen as India’s hope in the battle for normalcy in Kashmir, and were willing to stake their future in India. Since 2008, the Valley has witnessed several waves of unrest. In 2008 and 2010 Kashmir went through a particularly diicult period, but the main instigators then were those who were trained by Pakistan, and the bulk of those involved were inspired by Pakistan. Since 2016, however, it is the ‘unattached militant’ who has been in the forefront of the struggle. What could be the explanation for this? As in many other areas, truth tends to be sporadic here, and reality obscure. It would seem that after the dangerous 1990s, militancy has once again regained social acceptance. To an ever increasing number of youth, the proile of violence stands in contrast to the hypocritical utterances of the authorities in Srinagar and Delhi. As of today, the Agenda for Alliance, the PDP, Hurriyat leaders like Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the erstwhile secessionist leaders like Yasin Malik all stand marginalised. Anger is the dominant sentiment, as epitomised by the violent protests and the near total boycott of the recent Srinagar poll. The message sent out is clear. Peace cannot be enforced by authoritarian means or by iat. Episode upon episode, Kashmir is steadily unravelling. Normalcy is tending to be episodic. Over and above this is the emergence of what can only be termed as ‘stra-

tegic falsehood’. Social media tweets and retweets are altering ground realities. Hyperbole is making a mockery of truth and providing scope for still more lies. The only realities are: the dead, the wounded, the martyr and, of course, the authorities who are the villains. The authorities are losing the propaganda war. Social media is putting out its own account of events and encounters, aided and abetted by several thousands of social media accounts operating from across the border. This is what is providing oxygen to the ‘unattached militant’, and more signiicantly, leading to a ‘rainbow coalition’ between the ‘unattached militant’ and the ‘Deep State’ in Pakistan. Counsels of despair are not of any use. Putting the blame on the ruling coalition for the present morass in Kashmir, as former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah has done recently, hardly helps. His assertion that India is heading towards disaster is again of little use. The suggestions that he has to ofer are a repeat of what has previously been said and tried. Restraining and restricting Pakistan’s ability to ish in troubled waters will not be easy. Any expectation that the U.S. would lean suiciently on Pakistan to impel the latter to avoid meddling in Kashmir needs to be given up. Pakistan is crucial for the U.S. to sort out its Afghan imbroglio. Within Kashmir, the Hurriyat has, today, lost much of its relevance. The PDP-BJP alliance is loundering and has few

real insights into what is taking place. Delhi seems far removed from the reality of the grim scenario unfolding in the Valley. Leaving matters to intelligence and security agencies, and the Army would be the least viable option. Where do we go from here? To begin with, policymakers must ponder deeply as to why ordinary citizens are prepared to gravitate to areas where actual encounters are taking place risking death and injury even though they are not involved in the protests. Resorting to pyrotechnics such as the novel idea of tying a protester to the bonnet of a security vehicle and driving it through a crowd of agitators are best avoided. Today’s agitators are angry and reckless, but it is they who are redeining the nature of protests and reshaping the contours of the movement.

Back to the drawing board The situation thus demands a complete makeover. There is a need to go back to the drawing board and efect changes in Kashmir’s Constitution that were introduced post the 1960s. This would help establish a measure of credibility to India’s claims that it is not seeking to undermine the autonomy that Kashmir prizes so much. What these are will need to be carefully worked out by teams of constitutional and other experts. Immediately, however, what is most crucial is to make an open and impassioned appeal for peace in the Valley accompanied by meetings and consultations at several levels. No segment should be excluded, including separatists and the Hurriyat. Some of the ideas set out in the ‘backchannel’ proposals (2005-2008) should be revived. Jobs for Kashmiri youth must be a priority and a massive job-oriented programme launched. India could consider swallowing its pride and reopen talks with Pakistan, not so much hoping that Pakistan would cooperate but to assuage the ‘hardliners’ in Kashmir. Detaching from a muscular policy to a more reasoned one has become essential. M.K. Narayanan is a former National Security Adviser and a former Governor of West Bengal

Refuge from the sinking islands We need an international forum to help small island nations threatened by rising sea levels Armin Rosencranz Pratheek Reddy

Tuvalu is a small island nation in the South Paciic and home to about 10,000 people. It is likely to be under water in less than 70 years. Due to the rising sea level caused by global warming, other low-lying island nations such as Kiribati, Fiji, Marshall Islands, Vanuatu, Micronesia and Nauru are destined to sufer the same fate. The 52 low-lying vulnerable island nations sustain 62 million people and emit less than 1% of global greenhouse gases (GHGs), yet are among the irst victims of climate disruption. High sea levels have already resulted in displacement of people in several small island nations. These island nations require immediate remedies, including migration, compensation and reduction in GHG emissions.

Broad but urgent remedies More people are likely to migrate due to slow-onset processes of en-

vironmental degradation such as inundation, desertiication, soil erosion and changing coastlines than sudden-onset events like storms and cyclones. The total population in the South Sea region is projected to reach in excess of 18 million by mid-century, which could result in between 665,000 and 1,750,000 people migrating to other regions of the world. A sea level rise of 0.5 to 2 m could leave between 1.2 and 2.2 million people displaced from the Caribbean Sea and the Indian and Paciic Oceans. This will set of domestic as well as cross-border migration. The international community does not yet realise its responsibility to enable such migration. For example, on request from Tuvalu’s Prime Minister, New Zealand agreed to allow a meagre 75 Tuvaluans to relocate annually to their country, a migration that should stretch over 140 years. Australia refused to make any ofers when approached similarly.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Soldier deaths The gruesome act of killing of our jawans, committed allegedly by Pakistani troops, was an act of extreme savagery and barbarism (“Pakistani troops kill, mutilate two jawans,” May 2). Having coming out of its ‘silence mode’, India now believes in retaliatory action. That its condemnation is not empty rhetoric was demonstrated last year through surgical strikes across the Line of Control. We hope the sacriice of these soldiers, who died in service of the nation, does not go in vain and that our forces show determination in avenging the deaths.

It looks like the Pakistan Army’s barbarity knows no bounds. While India’s response should be

mediately require, they are hardly exhaustive. There is a need for a wide range of varied remedies, mostly adaptive, such as coastal protection, population consolidation, rainwater harvesting and storage, alternative methods of growing fruits and vegetables, human resource development and research and observation. However, in any remedial adaptive mechanism employed, high costs are unavoidable.

A single-purpose forum The only practical way to attain these remedies seems to be to reinvigorate political pressure and negotiate globally to arrive at a forum that could deal with the issue. The primary focus of the forum so created must be to ensure adequate and appropriate remedies as discussed above. The forum must enable negotiations regarding the legal status of migrants and develop adaptive strategies in the destination country to guarantee and to protect dignity and cultural iden-

tity of the displaced in the destination country. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (1992) obligates countries to provide inance to resist global warming. By extending such existing obligations through political pressure and diplomacy, the forum could ensure compensation to the island nations in the form of contributions from party countries by managing a fund created in this regard. Lastly, the forum would require a tribunal to assess the case presented by each island nation and to decide whether help from the international community is required. The tribunal could then invoke appropriate measures such as multilateral negotiations or directions that enable migration, compensation and other remedies that could save the people of the sinking small island nations. Armin Rosencranz is professor of law at Jindal Global University, Sonipat, where Pratheek Reddy is a law student

Letters emailed to [email protected] must carry the full postal address and the full name or the name with initials.

proportionate, that by itself will neither restore normality along the LoC nor deter the rogue Pakistan Army from repeating such acts. Unfortunately, Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not seem to have a credible action plan to either rein in Pakistan or calm the Valley. The footage of young girls in school and college uniforms hurling stones at our security personnel should be a wake-up call for our leaders. Mr. Modi must listen to saner voices and resume meaningful political initiatives to defuse the situation. S.K. Choudhury, Bengaluru

N. Visveswaran, Chennai

The cost of adaptation is bound to be exorbitant. The capital cost of sea level rise in the Caribbean Community countries alone is estimated at $187 billion by 2080. The Paciic Possible programme of the World Bank predicts the cost of adaptation to be $18,500 per person for Marshall Islands and $11,000 for Solomon Islands over a period of 30 years from 2012. Legal analysts are considering the possibility of an international compensation commission which could address the burden of adaptation expenses on the island nations through an international fund. With the policies in force today, GHG emissions are projected to grow by 50% by 2050. Any amount of decrease in GHG emissions cannot save the islands from sinking, but a signiicant decrease in emissions could delay the island nations from becoming uninhabitable, thereby postponing the burden of accommodating mass migration. While these are broad remedies that the sinking island nations im-

Such incidents are always followed by a demand that India sever all diplomatic relations with Pakistan and use pressure to isolate the neighbour internationally.

We should ponder over whether this would actually result in a solution to the hostility between the two nations. Keeping away from the discussion table has only intensiied the mistrust and hence avenues for dialogue need to be kept open at all times. China stands irmly with Pakistan and recently even Russia has sent signals that it is not averse to a good relationship. The U.S., though it reprimands the country time and again, continues its inancial aid. Under the circumstances, isolating Pakistan is not going to be an easy task. Only uninterrupted diplomatic eforts will bring in sanity in its behaviour. V. Subramanian, Chennai

In the name of cows India has been witness to several incidents of

communal violence in the name of the cow, beef and cattle since 2014, when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government came to power (“Two suspected ‘cattle thieves’ lynched in Assam’s Nagaon,” May 2). No strong action is taken against the vigilantes, making the common man feel that by normalising the violence of non-state actors, the ruling party is sponsoring an assault on the Indian state itself. It has become very easy for some of the so-called ‘cow protectors’ to kill Muslims and later justify it, knowing that the law enforcement machinery will back them and will take action not against them but, on the contrary, against the victims. If this lirtation of the state machinery with vigilantism continues, India, like Israel and Pakistan, could soon

become a democracy that serious war crime for which provides unequal treatment it was never held to diferent communities. accountable. Imtiyaz Shamim, A solution should involve Aligarh de-escalation from both sides. North Korea should Korean Peninsula boils be forced to freeze its Noam Chomsky reminded nuclear programme and, as recently in an interview that a quid pro quo, the U.S. an attack on North Korea should halt its joint would unleash massive operations with South artillery bombardment of Korea and gradually the South where 28,500 withdraw its troops from American troops are the Korean Peninsula and stationed. Japan. There is universal The U.S.’s military revulsion for the North manoeuvres near the North Korean leadership but its are highly provocative and basic instinct for survival is have exacerbated an understandable. It must be already explosive situation. having in mind the fate of North Koreans have much Muammar Qadhai of Libya to fear. We must keep in who paid the ultimate price mind that U.S. aircraft after he gave up his nuclear carpet-bombed North Korea programme. Tejinder Uberoi, in June 1952 and then Los Altos, California proceeded to destroy the Sui-ho Dam, releasing a huge quantity of water that more letters online: destroyed villages and crops. Destroying a dam is a www.hindu.com/opinion/letters/

A ND-ND

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THE HINDU

OPED 9

NOIDA/DELHI

WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 2017

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THE WEDNESDAY INTERVIEW: HAMID KARZAI

‘India should have its own policy on Afghanistan’ The former Afghan President on U.S. doublespeak on Af-Pak, elusive peace, and why India must stay invested in his country Suhasini Haidar

For years, former Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai has been outspoken in his criticism of U.S. action in the war on terror. But in the aftermath of American forces dropping a massive 22,000tonne ‘MOAB’ — its biggest non-nuclear bomb — in the country on April 13, he has criticised the Ashraf Ghani government too, the first time he has been this vocally critical of his successor. In an interview to The Hindu during a visit to Delhi, he explains his comments, as well as his hopes for Indian engagement in Afghanistan in the future. Excerpts: You have come out very strongly against the U.S. bombing in Nangarhar province. Given that the GBU/43B MOAB (Massive Ordnance Air Blast) was claimed to have been used to target ISIS Khorasan, that everyone seems to agree is a major threat to Afghanistan, why are you objecting?

I am objecting for two reasons. One, that the Americans waited two and a half to three years for Daesh (the Islamic State) to entrench itself in Nangarhar province’s Shinwar district, and to use those caves, and to abuse our people, to evacuate villages of their inhabitants, and basically allowed Daesh to do all of this, without stopping them. They had all the means to stop Daesh from infiltrating into Afghanistan across the Durand Line all this time. They monitor this line at all times. So, having allowed them to cross into Afghanistan, to allow them to carry supplies and ammunition in... that is a very mountainous area and those passes could have been easily stopped with just a few people. None of that was done. And then when the local people rose against Daesh, instead of helping local people there, the U.S. Air Force planes targeted their village defence lines against Daesh. By mistake, they said…

Yes, but we don’t know about this. It looks like a mistake, but how do they keep making mistakes like this?

Should they not know who is the enemy? And then, hundreds of thousands of people were driven away from their villages; almost all the tribal chiefs I knew had been driven out of their villages with their people. Then the U.S. comes and hits Afghanistan in the name of Daesh, and that too with the deadliest bomb they have short of a nuclear weapon. This isn’t hurting Daesh. The motive for the U.S. is clearly to test its bomb in Afghanistan, and to send tough signals to its rivals at the same time. So I condemn it in the strongest possible terms, and I see it as a violation of Afghan sovereignty and an attack on our soil, on Afghan lives and on Afghan environment. You’ve even accused President Ghani’s government of “treason” for allowing the bombing. Won’t such allegations weaken the National Unity Government at this time?

I don’t want to weaken the National Unity Government, but at the same time I want the government to defend Afghanistan. The American bomb was a violation of Afghanistan, it was an attack on Afghanistan. And the U.S. is supposed to be our ally. They have signed a bilateral security agreement with us. According to the agreement, they are supposed to strengthen Afghanistan, defeat terrorism, and protect our borders. After the signing of the BSA [U.S.-Afghanistan Bilateral Security Agreement, signed in 2014],

the Pakistani Air Force has violated our borders several times, their troops have entered Afghanistan, and the U.S. has done nothing. The country has become more insecure than ever before. And to now bomb an ally like us with the excuse of Daesh is simply not acceptable, and in my view the Afghan government should have stood up to the U.S. on this. Where was the need to support it anyway, when it appears they were not consulted before? And within hours, the Health Ministry put out a notification saying there were no unhealthy side effects to the [MOAB] bomb. How do they know? In the past few weeks, U.S. National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster and Defence Secretary James Mattis have both visited the region, travelling to Kabul, Islamabad and New Delhi, and the Trump administration seems to be considering its options on its future course in Afghanistan. What do you think the U.S.’s priorities should be, and how do you think India can be a part of its plans?

We have heard of the U.S.’s to-and-fro diplomacy since 2002. They come one day and say that terrorists are being kept and trained inside sanctuaries inside Pakistan. And then they provide Pakistan with hundreds of thousands of dollars in aid. You heard, about five years ago, the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral [Mike] Mullen called the Haqqani network a “veritable arm of the ISI”. They made a statement that was so strong five years ago, and subsequently continued to supply Pakistan with weapons, aircraft and money. Just recently, they have announced another $350 million to Pakistan [under the Coalition Support Fund]. They can’t talk one

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The Americans waited two and a half to three years for Daesh to entrench itself in Nangarhar province’s Shinwar district, without stopping them

way and walk another way. So for me, U.S. NSA McMaster’s visit is just a repetition of what I saw during my government, and all that has followed with the next government. You’re accusing the U.S. of doublespeak, yet some may say Russia is doing the same thing. Its latest initiative on Afghanistan, bringing together what you have called a “strategic arc” of Iran, China, India and Central

Asia, also includes reaching out to the Taliban and Pakistan. Given that you are visiting Delhi after visits to Beijing and Moscow, what do you see as the purpose of this initiative, and how do you justify its decision to protect the Taliban in particular?

Yes, well, Russia, India, China, even Iran, all supported U.S. presence and its actions in Afghanistan from 2002 onwards. They were all part of the Bonn Conference [in 2001] and continued to support the U.S. aims in Afghanistan: fight terrorism, bring stability to Afghanistan, and address the issues in Pakistan as well. But look what happened. After all these years, that cooperation has given way to competition

FILE PHOTO: REUTERS

between them. I remember in 2008, for the first time at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation conference, I complained to Russian President [Vladimir] Putin about American actions in Afghanistan. Complained?

I said that the way the U.S. forces were implementing their war on terror, carrying out operations — the manner of the operations, the aerial bombardment, arrests, torture, and the lack of action against sanctuaries on the Pakistani side — was causing more extremism and violence in Afghanistan and adding to the ranks of the Taliban. At that time President Putin told me he had many differences with the U.S.’s conduct in the world, but on Afghanistan they saw

Targeted treatment

government

and

India is a stronger partner of the U.S. today, and the U.S. has publicly called for it to have a greater role in Afghan security. What is your view on what India should do?

The U.S. has done the right thing in asking India to do more in Afghanistan. This is something I had asked the Indian leadership when I was President, and I know President Ghani has done the same. My view is that while it is okay for the U.S. to ask this of India, India should do more on its own initiative, have its own foreign policy on Afghanistan. Today, the U.S. may ask India to do more, tomorrow it may ask India not to do more. Will India pull back then? India should have its own policy on Afghanistan, based on its own view of the region, its own interests in the region, and the interests of peace and stability in Afghanistan. Yes, India should do more on Afghanistan, but it should do more on its own terms, not on requests from America. What does this “do more” mean? Does it mean boots on the ground?

No, it doesn’t mean boots on the ground, we don’t need that. The “do more” means provide Afghanistan what it needs to stand on its own feet, to enable Afghanistan [Army] to defend the country, to enable Afghanistan to fight extremism and the violation of our sovereignty from across the Durand Line, to help Afghanistan back to normalcy as a strong state. And do it all as an India-Afghanistan initiative, not because any third country requests India. I am sure it already has such a policy, and I hope we will see more of it.

ARCHIVES

FIFTY YEARS AGO MAY 3, 1967

U.S. gift of vaccine jet-guns

Lakhs of HIV deaths can be averted as India follows WHO’s recommendations

The Union Health Minister, Dr. Chandrasekhar, took a vaccine gun from an American diplomat and fired the first “shot” at him to-day [May 2]. Dr. Chandrasekhar thanking the U.S. Government for the automatic jet injector, looked at the diplomat with the gun in hand. Mr. Joseph N. Greene promptly rolled up his sleeves and let himself be immunised by one of the four guns that could vaccinate 700 people an hour. Along with the guns has come, in response to an Indian request a fortnight ago, a token consignment representing 10 million emergency doses of freeze-dried small-pox vaccine for droughtstricken Bihar and other areas. A gift of 650 million doses has been supplied by the Soviet Union for the national small-pox eradication programme.

R. PRASAD

A HUNDRED YEARS AGO MAY 3, 1917

Sir S. Sinha’s speech

THE HINDU

CM YK

I have made it very clear that I can no longer call the Taliban my brothers. Their outrages against the Afghan people are horrendous, and I say every attack they commit now is helping continue the U.S. presence in Afghanistan. If they truly want the U.S. to leave, they must engage in a peace process with the

FROM

SINGLE FILE

Change in WHO guidelines The recommendation was based on the evidence that an earlier initiation of ART will help people with HIV live longer, remain healthier and “substantially reduce” the risk of them transmitting the virus to others. The availability of safer, affordable and easy-to-manage medicines that could help to lower the amount of virus in the blood played a key role in the WHO’s decision. Earlier initiation could avert an “additional three million deaths and prevent 3.5 million more new HIV infections between 2013 and 2025,” noted the WHO in 2013. In 2015, the WHO once again changed its guidelines. Based on evidence from clinical trials and observational studies since 2013, it became clear that an earlier use of ART, irrespective of the CD4 count, results in better clinical outcomes. Accordingly, it recommended that ART be initiated in HIV-positive people at any CD4 cell count. As per 2015 estimates, India has 2.1 million HIV-positive people, of which only 1.6 million have been diagnosed and about a million are on treatment. But over half a million people are not even aware of their HIV status. With the government changing its treatment guidelines, the 0.6 million who have been diagnosed but not been on treatment are now eligible for treatment. Of the 0.6 million, about 0.25 million have been enrolled for pre-ART care and can be started on treatment almost immediately. But the biggest challenge will be to identify the 0.35 million who have been diagnosed but not on treatment and the 0.5 million who have been infected but have not been diagnosed. Also, nearly 80,000 people get infected each year. Even as eforts are on to expand the 1,600 treatment delivery sites that are currently operational, there should be greater focus now on identifying people with HIV. The government has plans to start community-based testing to bring it closer to those in need, and target special groups that are more vulnerable to infection such as partners of people who are HIV-positive.

India hasn’t stopped others from talking to the Taliban, but believes this will not lead to peace, as the latest April 21 attack in Mazar-e-Sharif has shown, in which over 140 soldiers were killed by the Taliban. Do you still feel including the Taliban will work?

Afghan people.

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Two years after the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended that antiretroviral therapy (ART) be initiated in people living with HIV irrespective of the CD4 (a type of white-blood cell) counts, India has aligned its policy with the guideline. In a major shift, Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda had recently said that any person who tests positive for HIV will be provided ART “as soon as possible and irrespective of the CD count or clinical stage”. Nearly 4.5 lakh deaths can be averted through this move. It was in 2002 that the WHO irst issued its ART guidelines. In the absence of AIDS-deining illnesses, the WHO set CD4 count less than 200 cells per cubic millimetre as the threshold to begin ART treatment. Over time, it changed its guidelines and, in 2013, increased the threshold to CD4 count less than 500 cells per cu. mm.

“eye to eye”. This Russian stand continued from 2002 to 2012, when finally they began to ask questions. For example, how come the U.S. keeps announcing more and more aid for the war in Afghanistan, there’s more fighting, more casualties, more terrorism there? Why was the war moving in a negative way, as if its purpose was to create more terrorists? So I ask, how come, compared to the solidarity from the world in 2002, the U.S. lost all its allies on Afghanistan? Russia’s move to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan is certainly a welcome step. The Taliban are Afghans. Those who are Afghans and want to give up violence must be encouraged and supported to do so. The Russians aren’t the only ones to talk to the Taliban. The U.S. held talks with the Taliban, both directly and through Pakistan. They met them in Qatar, I know that, and so have other countries. The Germans have held talks. The Norwegians conducted meetings between Taliban and Afghan civil society representatives in Oslo. So why single out only Russia?

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CONCEPTUAL

NOTEBOOK

Imagined communities

New homes for Sri Lankan tuskers

Political science

The decision last week overturning a ban on elephant adoption came as a surprise

A concept developed by political scientist Benedict Anderson to define nationalism. Rather than looking at a nation as one bound by physical boundaries, Anderson defined it as a community bound by people who imagine themselves to be part of the group. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is an example of nationalism. These tombs are either empty or hold unidentified remains, but nations with these memorials claim the soldiers as their own, in their own imagined communities.

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3

Seventy years of India at Cannes http://bit.ly/IndiaCannes

Meera Srinivasan

You don’t have a Sri Lanka souvenir until you have one sporting an elephant. The Asian tusker has made it to nearly all memorabilia — from t-shirts to tea packets and stationery. Traders possibly believe that you can’t sell a souvenir without the elephant validating its ‘Sri Lankan-ness’. My first encounter with a Sri Lankan elephant was four summers ago at an elephant orphanage — one that had 88 of them — in Pinnawala, some 100 km northeast of Colombo. I went up a raised wooden platform to feed a piece of watermelon to one of them. The elevation was to help us look the beast in the eye. The orphanagecum-captive breeding centre fascinated me, with its milieu consisting of a big herd of elephants, once abandoned, now living in a shared open space, the centre supported by the tourism it spawned.

Some time later, my friends pointed to baby elephants being chained there, instantly guilt-tripping me. I felt bad but only till I saw the elephants again. The sight of so many elephants — their back shining after a long bath — parading on a narrow lane was captivating. I have been there thrice since, the charm remaining alive. Last week, the country suddenly overturned an earlier ban on adopting baby elephants. It was a response to “overcrowding”

at Pinnawala and the consequent pressure on resources, the government said. Elephants in the orphanage are now available to individuals or institutions for adoption. The move came as a surprise, especially at a time when President Maithripala Sirisena has signed a major gazette notification on wildlife conservation. While temples will get them for free, individuals will have to pay about $66,000 for each tusker. Elephants were a part of temple traditions and processions since the time of the ancient Kandyan kingdom, and the decision is in line with that, explained a senior Minister, adding that “even if the elephants are given away, we will monitor them”. I don’t know if an elephant will get a better home, but what if the move ends up separating some elephants from their families?

Mr. McLeod, Chairman of the East Indian Section of the London Chamber of Commerce, served a luncheon to the Indian delegates to the War Conference. Sir S. Sinha said that the problems between India and the rest of the Empire were being treated with mutual forbearance and understanding and if that spirit continued the difficulties would vanish. He believed that any fear with regard to the security of British supremacy in India would shortly disappear, because the loyalty of India in the war would convince Britons that India desired to remain always an integral part of the Empire. He believed that the war would also bring about mutual trust and confidence between the different sections of the people of India. India wanted more autonomous power in regard to finance and more equitable adjustment of the burden devolving on India. Each part of the Empire must contribute according to its resources and power to the defence of the Empire. Referring to the expansion of industry and commerce of India. CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

DATA POINT

A ND-ND

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10 NEWS

NOIDA/DELHI

THE HINDU

WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 2017

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FROM PAGE ONE

Beheading inhuman, says Army

We’ll choose when to pay back, says Army ‘Pakistani forces have done the killing and mutilation, they have to take responsibility and face the consequences’ Dinakar Peri

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement that the DGMO “rejected the baseless and unfounded Indian allegations of beheading” of Indian soldiers by the Pakistan Army. Maj. Gen. Mirza said no ceasefire violations occurred in the alleged sector, nor was the LoC crossed by Pakistani troops. “The DGMO highlighted that the Pakistan Army is a professional military outfit and upholds the highest standards of conduct. Allegations of mutilation are an Indian attempt to divert the attention of the world from

the situation within the valley,” the ISPR said. Also, Maj. Gen. Mirza asked for “actionable evidence” and said the Indian Army should look “inwards to probe the incident”. The ISPR statement said Maj. Gen. Mirza also told his Indian counterpart that Pakistan was committed to maintaining peace along the LoC. However, “any misadventure shall be appropriately responded [to] at a place and time of own choosing.” Meanwhile, the two sides on Tuesday continued exchange of fire on the border with small arms and mortars.

Poll panel cancels Anantnag byelection The State government reports said terrorist activities had increased and posters had come up in south Kashmir threatening the people with dire consequences if they took part in the elections. The State initially sought 300 companies of Central armed police forces. The EC took up the matter with the Home Ministry, which provided the forces. The Srinagar byelection, held on April 9, was disrup-

ted by large-scale violence. Apprehending more violence, the Election Commission sought a detailed report on Anantnag, where the byelection was originally scheduled on April 12. The State government requested that the election be deferred because the districts falling under the constituency — Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam and Shopian — were the worst-affected. Hence, it was postponed to May 25.

Kejriwal reaches out to angry Vishwas “I don’t want to be the chief minister or the deputy chief minister or even the party convenor. This is not the reason why I joined the movement. I do not know why other people joined it, but I am not here for any position,” he said trying to control his tears. He said Mr Khan was just a pawn in the hands of bigger players who were trying to defame him. “Around seven years ago, three friends — Arvind, Manish and I — had dreamt of forming this party out of our movement. Amanatullah made such serious allegations against me and I know he is just a pawn in the hands of someone else,” he

said. “I have also been questioned for making public remarks and releasing videos, but if my nation's pride is at stake I will speak up. I won’t stay silent,” he added. Half an hour later, Mr Sisodia hit back saying if Mr Vishwas had any issues he should have attended the political affairs committee meeting on Monday. Mr. Sisodia said the AAP was not anybody’s personal property. “It is a party of lakhs of workers in India and abroad who have dedicated their lives for the movement,” Mr Sisodia said, adding that Mr Vishwas had turned this into a personal fight.

‘TMC MPs misused their oicial positions’ Staff Reporter BHUBANESWAR

The CBI, probing the Rose Valley Group scam, has said that it has uncovered instances of gross misuse of official positions by Trinamool Congress MPs Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Tapas

Paul. As per the charge-sheets filed against the two last week, Mr. Bandyopadhyay had full knowledge of and was conscious of the illegal money collection business of the Group through the media.

New Delhi

The Army said on Tuesday that it would retaliate against the Pakistani forces at a time and place of its choosing for the killing and beheading of two jawans along the Line of Control on Monday. Many in the establishment, however, hoped for an early political intervention to stem the downward spiral in India-Pakistan relations. Speaking at an event on Tuesday, Vice-Chief of the Army Staff Lt. Gen. Sarath Chand said what the Army would do could not be discussed in public. “We will do it at the time and place of our choosing,” he said. Pinning the onus of the attack on the Pakistan Army, the Vice-Chief said, “They said today their forces have not done it. Then who has done it? They have done it and they have to take responsibility and face the consequences.” While exchange of fire continued through the day, officials said a major payback would take some time. “Local action will go on, a major retaliation will be a well-thought-out one. It will take time,” a source said. Naik Subedar Paramjit Singh from Tarn Taran in Punjab and head constable Prem Singh of the BSF from Deoria in U.P. were killed and their bodies mutilated on Monday by a Pakistani

CM YK

the medical examination, Justice Karnan issued an order instructing the DirectorGeneral of Police, New Delhi, to produce the seven judges before a psychiatric board.

‘Harassment order’ Also refusing to undergo medical tests as directed by the Supreme Court, he said the Supreme Court order was a “harassment order” and an “insult” to a Dalit judge like him. In April, Justice Karnan directed the Supreme Court judges to appear before him on May 28 and later “reposted” the matter to May 1.

Press Trust of India Deoria

Strong anti-Pakistan sentiments marked the last journey of slain BSF Head Constable Prem Sagar as his body arrived in Uttar Pradesh and was taken to his native Takenpur village, about 40 km from “What is needed is a synergised and focussed action to raise the cost for Pakistan in all domains,” said Lt. Gen. Vinod Bhatia, former Director-General of Military Operations and Director, Centre for Joint Warfare Studies.

the district headquarters here on Tuesday. AntiPakistan slogans were raised as the IAF chopper, carrying the soldier’s body, landed at the Police Lines ground in the evening. Placed in an ambulance of the district hospital, the body was taken in a He said these were highvisibility attacks and the Pakistani Army was trying to send a message both “internally and also to us”. “There is an established pattern. Every time there is a political move, there is an in-

cavalcade. Uttar Pradesh Minister Surya Pratap Shahi and senior administrative officers were present. People lined the route to pay a tearful farewell to the brave heart who was beheaded by Pakistani forces in the Poonch sector. cident,” Lt. Gen. Bhatia stated, pointing to the upcoming summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in June. While anger dominated discussions, many in the security establishment are calling for polit-

Army chief briefed on border security situation

Peerzada Ashiq

Peerzada Ashiq

Srinagar

The National Conference and the Congress on Tuesday alleged that the Election Commission had decided to cancel the Anantnag Lok Sabha byelection to saving the BJP-PDP coalition government in the State from embarrassment. J&K Pradesh Congress Committee president G.A. Mir, the joint candidate of the two parties for the seat, said the failure of the Union and the State governments to conduct the elections showed “how grim and out of control the situation in Kashmir is”. The Congress candidate alleged that the Centre could not provide the security required and adopted dilly-dallying tactics “to save the already dented image of the PDP-BJP government in the State”. “Scrapping of the byelections is a blot on the face of both the State and the Central governments. The PDPBJP alliance has no moral

Legal Correspondent

C.S. Karnan

Synergised action While the cycle of strikes and counter-strikes continues, experts and veterans called for a synergised action.

Anti-Pak. slogans at last journey

ical responses to ensure that the situation did not go out of hand. A senior Army officer said the government also needed to activate its political and diplomatic influences to contain such irresponsible actions of Pakistan and to stabilise the Kashmir situation. “Ultimately, we are losing men unnecessarily,” he said. “If the summer situation should not get out of control, then the border and Kashmir cannot be left to just the security forces,” an intelligence officer said. Recently, an Army Commander told The Hindu that while the immediate response should be by the military, the broader action must be political.

Oppn. says Anantnag bypoll cancelled to save State govt.

SC had ordered medical test for him Calcutta High Court judge C.S. Karnan on Tuesday issued a non-bailable warrant against Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar and six Supreme Court judges. The seven judges were on the Bench which had issued a contempt of court notice against him. The development comes a day after the Supreme Court ordered a medical examination to be conducted on Justice Karnan to confirm if he was “feigning mental imbalance”. “The Registrar General [of ], High Court at Calcutta is directed to issue the nonbailable warrant to the above-named accused [seven Supreme Court judges] to be executed through the Director-General of Police or Commissioner of Police of New Delhi,” Justice Karnan said in his order. He also described the seven judges as “absent” in his latest order. On Monday, soon after the Supreme Court ordered

Border Action Team squad. The two soldiers were part of a patrol team. Usually, the response after such incidents is an immediate assault, using small arms and concentrated mortar fire, on the adversary’s posts that aided in the incident, while various broader options are debated. In November, after a similar incident, the Army launched a largescale fire assault on Pakistan Army posts deemed responsible and pulverised them with heavy mortar fire. A similar action could follow.

Rawat meets troops on LoC, calls for vigilance

Govt. quizzed on insurance for farmers

Kolkata

*

Poll panel’s credibility hit, say Congress, NC

Serve warrant on judges: Karnan Staff Reporter

Irreparable loss: Family and friends console the wife of Naik Subedar Paramjit Singh at Vein Poin village in Amritsar on Tuesday. AP

Omar Abdullah

right to remain in power,” he said. National Conference general secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar said the cancellation had “put a question mark on EC’s credibility”.

At PDP’s bidding “The EC has taken this decision on the recommendation of the coalition government in the State. Earlier, everybody urged the EC to postpone the bypolls keeping in view of the unfavourable atmosphere but they

went ahead and later the PDP’s candidate urged the Commission to postpone the election, which was agreed to by the EC,” Mr. Sagar alleged. Meanwhile, former Chief Minister and NC working president Omar Abdullah, blamed Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti for the EC’s decision. “This is your legacy Ms. Mufti. Your ‘5% of the people’ have brought J&K back to the early 1990s; yet shamelessly you cling on to power! It’s depressing to see how far we have regressed in Kashmir from the highs of the Assembly polls of 2014 to the cancelled election of 2017,” he said. He said that in many ways, this was similar to the symbolic victory against India scored by the release of militants for Ms. Mufti’s sister in 1990. “The only things keeping Ms. Mufti in office are her shamelessness and a misplaced sense of pride in Delhi preventing admission of mistake.”

Money laundering case against Dhinakaran ED action based on bribery case

Srinagar

The Chief of the Army Staff, General Bipin Rawat, on Tuesday visited the frontier areas in north Kashmir and interacted with commanders and troops deployed along the Line of Control. Gen. Rawat’s visit comes just a day after two soldiers were killed in a Pakistani ceasefire violation in the Krishna Ghati Sector of Poonch. The Army chief called for “vigilance” on the LoC to thwart any misadventure from across the border, especially as the summer sets in. He was accompanied by the Northern Army and Chinar Corps Commanders. The Army Chief was briefed by formation commanders on the security situation on the border and measures instituted to strengthen the security posture, besides overall operational and logistical preparedness, a defence spokesman said.

Forward defence: General Bipin Rawat visiting the frontier areas in north Kashmir on Tuesday. SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT *

Suspected militants looted a bank in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Tuesday afternoon. A police official said a masked gunman barged into the Ellaquai Dehati Bank, Kader, and decamped with ₹65,000. A bank employee said the militants were carrying pistol. “The incident occurred when employees were busy in public dealings,” said the bank official. A major combing operation was launched in the area. The incident comes just a

day after five policemen and two bank employees were killed by militants in Kulgan after attacking a bank van.

Kulgam attack According to the police inquiry, the militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen was behind the Kulgam attack. “Militant Umar Majid, a resident of Souch, and two others had attacked the cash delivery vehicle of Jammu and Kashmir Bank at Kulgam’s Pumbai,” said the police.

Modi expresses concern at Australia visa policy

NEW DELHI

The Supreme Court on Tuesday questioned the government policy on the fate of insurance schemes provided to farmers, asking whether the entire claim money would be forfeited, with the farmers getting nothing, in case he is unable to pay an instalment. “If the insurance claim is not paid, does the money get forfeited? Does it lapse? Who gets it? Does it go back to the farmer? What happens? We want to know,” a Bench led by Chief Justice J.S. Khehar asked the Centre. The query came after Additional Solicitor General P.S. Narasimha submitted that the insurance provided to farmers has seen a “sea change” at the ground level. The court was looking into farmers' suicides, the various reasons behind the tragedy, including bad debts and vagaries of nature. Mr. Narasimha said the budgetary allocation devoted to protect the farmer is like “never before”.

Raises issue during talk with Prime Minister Turnbull

Special Correspondent NEW DELHI

The Enforcement Directorate has registered a money laundering case against AIADMK (Amma) leader T.T.V. Dhinakaran and his associates, based on an FIR registered by the Delhi police in connection with the Election Commission bribery case. He is currently in judicial custody. The police probe is into the alleged conspiracy for bribing a senior EC official to get the AIADMK’s “Two Leaves” election symbol for Mr. Dhinakaran’s faction for the R.K. Nagar Assembly byelection in Chennai. The poll body had later cancelled the election based on evidence that huge sums of cash and gifts had been distributed to influence voters. The police have arrested Mr. Dhinakaran, his associate Mallikarjuna, alleged middleman Sukesh Chandrasekhar and “hawala operator” Naresh. They claim to have established the link between him and Chandrasekhar based on phone records. Three

Economic Cooperation Agreement],” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Gopal Baglay had said explaining the ambit of the possible impact of the new visa policy.

Special Correspondent NEW DELHI

T.T.V. Dhinakaran more persons are under the scanner.

Money trail On its part, the ED will pursue the money trail as it is alleged that the first instalment of ₹10 crore had already been paid to Chandrasekhar for the ₹50crore deal. The police have so far recovered ₹1.3 crore in cash that was transported from Chennai to Delhi by cars, it is alleged. Mr. Dhinakaran was arrested here on April 25 after several rounds of questioning. He was also taken to Chennai for reconstruction of the sequence of events and recoveries.

Australia’s newly introduced visa restrictions are likely to impact India. The issue of the visas came up when Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called up Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday. “Prime Minister Modi expressed concern about the possible impact of the recent changes in Australian regulations for the skilled professionals’ visa programme. The two Prime Ministers agreed that officials from both sides will remain in close touch on the issue,” said a government release.

457 policy This was the first telephone conversation since Mr. Turnbull’s visit to Delhi in the first fortnight of April after which he announced the scrapping of the “457” visa policy that benefited skilled Indian IT workers. As part of the new policy, the tenure of the visas was to be reduced from four to two

Narendra Modi

years. The notification also announced an increase of visa fees. Soon after the announcement, India had indicated that the move which came almost simultaneously with a similar step by the U.S. government on the H-1B visas, would impact talks on a trade pact. “The government is examining consequences of the new policy in consultation with all stakeholders. This is also a matter we will be looking at in the context of CECA [Comprehensive

To keep in touch However, on Tuesday, both Prime Ministers decided that they would be in touch through officials to discuss the emerging issues. “The two Prime Ministers also discussed the follow-up action taken after the visit of Mr. Turnbull to India last month, and the steps required to further strengthen the bilateral relationship,” the government statement said. Prime Minister Turnbull thanked Prime Minister Modi for making his visit to India “highly successful”. Mr. Modi and Mr. Turnbull also discussed the follow-up action taken after the visit of the Australian Prime Minister and the steps required to further strengthen the bilateral ties. (With inputs from ANI) A ND-ND

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THE HINDU

NEWS 11

NOIDA/DELHI

WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 2017

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IN BRIEF

No invasion of body for UID: Centre New IT rules to Says the right of a person to his or her body is not absolute, State has the power to take the life of a person there who want to be remembered and included in the welfare schemes of the state,” Mr. Rohatgi submitted.

Krishnadas Rajagopal NEW DELHI

Modi to remain in charge till 2024, says Paswan NEW DELHI

Union Minister and LJP president Ram Vilas Paswan on Tuesday took a dig at Opposition parties over their attempts at unity, saying they should not waste their time as there is no vacancy for the PM’s post till 2024. Briefing reporters following his party meeting on April 29 and 30 in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, he heaped praise on the PM for his “pro-Dalit” measures. He expressed confidence that Mr. Modi would remain in charge till 2024. PTI

Army test-fires Brahmos land-attack cruise missile NEW DELHI

The Army on Tuesday successfully test fired an advanced version of the Brahmos land-attack cruise missile in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, revalidating the weapon’s strike capability. The land-to-land configuration of the Brahmos missile was launched from a mobile autonomous launcher and it met all flight parameters in a ‘copybook’ manner. PTI

Outfit admits its role in Manipur ambushes

Taking fingerprints and iris impressions for Aadhaar is not an invasion of the body as the right of a person to his or her body is not absolute, the government told the Supreme Court on Tuesday. Attorney-General Mukul Rohatgi referred to the power of the state to take the life of a person, at which the Bench of Justices A.K. Sikri and Ashok Bhushan intervened to point out that the state can extinguish a person’s life only after following the due process of law. “The state has the duty to maintain the liberty of an individual. The state has, more importantly, the obligation to maintain the dignity of an individual. Dignity is an individual right,” Justice Sikri told the Attorney-General.

Submission to laws Mr. Rohatgi defended the legality of the newly included Section 139AA of the Income Tax Act making Aadhaar mandatory for filing income tax returns and PAN

card, saying that to live in a collective called the “state”, one has to submit to its laws. He was replying to arguments made earlier by counsel Shyam Divan that the state did not have the right to force a citizen to part with biometric details without free, informed and voluntary consent. “Can you say I have a right to abuse my body because it is my body and I will pick up weed from the road and smoke it? People take all

kinds of photos. We take fingerprints even before exercising our fundamental rights to travel abroad. We part with all kinds of data through our mobile phones. We part with our biometrics even before flying abroad. How is an iris scan more intrusive than photos? The argument of so-called privacy and bodily integrity is bogus,” Mr. Rohatgi responded. “We are not against state regulations, but these regulations should not in-

fringe upon the citizens’ fundamental rights,” Justice Sikri countered. Mr. Rohatgi said the criticism against the biometric system of identification used in Aadhaar enrolment was based on the “myopic viewpoint of the rich who do not anyway use the public distribution system”. “These are people who say they have a right to be forgotten. But the state cannot forget you. There are a large number of people out

Team in U.K. to get Mallya extradited CBI, ED sleuths tasked with putting up arguments against him during court hearing on May 17 Special Correspondent NEW DELHI

A team of senior Central Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate officials has reached London to brief the British Crown Prosecution Service on the criminal cases pending against industrialist Vijay Mallya.

Prosecution’s turn Mr. Mallya, who has been declared a proclaimed offender by a Mumbai court in a money-laundering case against him, was arrested by the U.K. police in April and released by a court on bail,

Oicial promises end to security fears Vikas Dhoot NEW DELHI

Surveillance fear Countering arguments made that fingerprint and iris impressions would be used to mount a state surveillance and the “nation would turn into a large concentration camp”, Mr. Rohatgi submitted that the mandatory linkage of PAN with Aadhaar was a step towards a “more orderly world”. “It is to ensure that tax money goes to serve the poor and will create a better world. Not because Uncle Sam wants to snoop on you,” he said. The AG added that there was nothing wrong in the state collecting fingerprints to help prevent or to aid solving a crime. “But is it alright to treat everyone as a suspect?” Justice Sikri asked. He said Section 139AA was nothing but a repetition of PAN. “The only difference is one of single ‘A’ and double ‘A’,” Mr. Rohatgi said.

IMPHAL

People's War Group of the Kangleipak Communist Party has owned responsibility for the ambushes on oil tankers along NH 2 last month and for the planting of bomb in the house of an IOC official on April 27. The outfit expressed regret over the injuries caused to some drivers, but warned the drivers they will be treated as anti- revolutionaries if they go against the restrictions imposed on the IOC. The oil tanker drivers are on a ceasework strike from Monday, demanding adequate security for them along the highways.

beef up Aadhaar

in accordance with the rules, after a preliminary hearing. The court fixed May 17 as the next date of hearing, extending an opportunity to the prosecution wing to prima facie prove his involvement in the cases against him in India, as per the provisions of the Extradition Act, 2003. The four-member team is led by CBI Additional Director Rakesh Asthana. The CBI has filed two FIRs against Mr. Mallya for alleged wilful default of loans, while the ED has registered a money laundering case and

moved a formal request for Mr. Mallya’s extradition on February 8, after the CBI filed a charge sheet against him and his now-defunct company Kingfisher Airlines on January 24 in connection with the ₹900-crore IDBI Bank loan default. Several bank officials have also been named in the case.

Vijay Mallya attached assets worth over ₹9,600 crore. The Indian agencies

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Promoting tourism

Extradition requests Mr. Mallya had flown out of the country on March 2 last year using his diplomatic passport. The External Affairs Ministry cancelled the passport

on the ED’s request, following which a request for his deportation was made. However, the U.K. turned down the request stating that he had entered the country on valid travel papers. The issue of pending extradition requests were earlier taken up during a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May last November. Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had also raised the issue during his U.K. visit in March.

To address privacy and security concerns over Aadhaar, the Centre is in the process of educating government agencies that sensitive data must not be made public, and is drafting amendments to the Information Technology (IT) Act to strengthen provisions for data protection and security. Apart from privacy issues, the new IT law will quell security concerns related to digital payments, Aruna Sundararajan, Secretary, Union Electronics and Information Technology Ministry, told The Hindu. Her comments assume significance as Aadhaar’s original architect and former Infosys CEO, Nandan Nilekani, recently mooted the need for strong data protection and privacy laws to ensure citizen data in the Unique Identification (UID) database was not misused.

Plugging data leakage Close to 135 million Aadhaar numbers and 100 million bank account numbers could have leaked from official portals dealing with government programmes of pensions and rural employment, according to a report by the Centre for Internet and Society (CIS) published on Monday. With Aadhaar being used to authenticate and authorise transactions, the financial risks presented by the disclosure of such data are greatly exacerbated, it said. “Actually, Aadhaar has very strong privacy regulation built into it... But the area we are working on is enforcement,” Ms. Sundararajan said. “People are not aware. So a large number of govern-

Data will be used for the purpose it was collected, says Aruna Sundararajan ment agencies are making available all this sensitive data. So now, the process is to educate them so that they become aware that Aadhaar data is not meant to be published like this freely,” she said. “No Aadhaar data can be shared with anybody or be used for any purpose other than for which it was collected. There are several limitations imposed by the Act,” she said. As per the CIS report, the data in question has not been treated as confidential at all in several cases and the government agencies in question have, in fact, taken pains to publish them. “These are wilful and intentional instances of treating Aadhaar numbers and other personally identifiable information (PII) as publicly shareable data by the custodians of the data,” the CIS report noted.

Legal changes “Some of the amendments we are bringing to the IT Act should take care of the rest of the (privacy and data protection) concerns relating to Aadhaar,” Ms. Sundararajan said. The key focus of these amendments being drafted, she said, is strengthening data protection provisions and security, particularly in relation to digital payments.

Bajrang Dal leader held Press Trust of India Bhadrak (Odisha)

A senior Bajrang Dal leader was on Tuesday arrested in connection with the violence in Bhadrak town, triggered allegedly by abusive remarks against Hindu deities posted on social media. Manas Mohanty, Bajrang Dal’s State secretary, was arrested here for his alleged role in the violence that took place in the town on April 6 and 7, Inspector In-Charge of Bhadrak town police station Manoja Rout said. The arrest was made after his role in inciting violence came to notice after a thorough scrutiny of a video footage, he said.

Water sport:Kashmiris row their boats during the Shikara Festival at the Dal Lake in Srinagar on Tuesday.

*

NISSAR AHMAD

Ola cab driver arrested for molesting woman passenger

Three bodies found in a parked car

He was also working under an assumed identity

Press Trust of India

Special Correspondent Bengaluru

A driver working with a cab aggregator under an assumed identity was arrested on Tuesday on the charge of assaulting a woman passenger near Begur on April 28. The suspect, Imran Khan, is from Madhya Pradesh. Police said the vehicle owner, Naveen Rajput, had employed a driver named Ravikumar. When Ravikumar quit in February 2017, Rajput hired Imran but did not update the company about the change. The police claim that Khan does not have a valid licence. When the woman passenger lodged a complaint, she gave the driver’s name as Ravikumar. Police picked up Ravikumar, only to be told by the woman that he was not the perpetrator. “We suspect that when the two accused realised that the passenger had filed a complaint, they broke into CM YK

the Ola office and tampered with Ravikumar’s documents,” said Additional Commissioner of Police Hemanth Nimbalkar. “The involvement of Ola is being investigated,” he added. Khan has been charged with molestation and also booked for forgery and impersonation. Rajput has been arrested for abetting the impersonation. Ola was not available for comment. The city police initially arrested Ravikumar, who used to work with Ola, following the complaint. According to the woman, a professional singer, the driver picked her up from Koramangala around 2 a.m. on April 28 to drop her at Begur. On Begur Road, under the pretext of taking a Uturn, he allegedly turned around and molested her. She managed to escape and took shelter in a nearby health clinic. Later, she and

a friend approached the jurisdictional Bommanahalli police to file a complaint. At the time, she noted that the driver’s name was Ravikumar, which matched the company’s records, said the police. The police arrested Ravikumar, but what seemed like a simple case soon started to unravel after the woman, during the identification parade, said the man arrested was not the one who had driven her. “We then picked up the owner of the cab, Navneet Rajput, who confessed to having taken on a new driver, Imran Khan, under Ravikumar’s name,” said a senior police officer. According to Mr Nimbalkar, Rajput had Khan use the login details of Ravikumar. When Rajput realised that the police were investigating the case, he and Khan, fearing that their forgery would be exposed, attempted to erase Ravikumar’s details from the database.

Nahan

The bodies of three persons, including two women, were recovered on Tuesday from a car parked in front of the famous Sikh shrine of Paonta Sahib in Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh, the police said.

‘Suicide likely’ “It appears to be a case of suicide and all the victims are residents of Dehradun adjoining Uttarakhand State. All the deceased are members of one family,” DSP Paonta Sahib Pramod Chauhan said. The names of the deceased would be disclosed after some more verification, he added. As soon as police received the information about bodies laying in the car in the municipal parking, it rushed to the spot and immediately opened the car to recover the bodies of a man and two women, the DSP said. A ND-ND

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12 WORLD

NOIDA/DELHI

THE HINDU

WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 2017

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ELSEWHERE

Merkel meets with Putin on rare Russia visit

Trump would be ‘honoured’ to meet North Korea’s Kim But White House says there won’t be any meeting until circumstances are right Associated Press

German Chancellor Angela Merkel held talks on Tuesday with President Vladimir Putin on Ukraine and Syria in a signal of renewed dialogue despite profound rifts on her irst visit to Russia since 2015. The Russian and German leaders scaled back links as Moscow’s ties with the European Union worsened over the crisis in Ukraine. AFP

Washington

OTTAWA

Canada’s Opposition called for Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan to resign or be sacked for overstating his military record in Afghanistan. Mr. Sajjan, a decorated former military intelligence officer, erroneously claimed last month that he was the “architect” of ‘Medusa’, the country’s largest military operation since the 1950s. AFP

Nepal party quits coalition government KATHMANDU

Nepal’s Rastriya Prajatantra Party on Tuesday quit the Prachanda-led government, a day after withdrawing its support to it over an impeachment motion against the country’s first woman Chief Justice Sushila Karki. The party termed the impeachment motion immature, irresponsible and ill-intentioned. PTI

Hollywood writers, producers reach deal LOS ANGELES

A tentative deal was reached between screenwriters and producers on Tuesday, averting a strike that could have crippled TV and film production and inflicted harm on the wider California economy. The three-year pact, which still has to be ratified by the Writers Guild, centres on compensation and healthcare for the writers. AP

Maduro seeks new Constitution

It has softened its stance on Israel

Associated Press

Agence France-Presse Jerusalem

SOCHI

Sajjan under fire for inflating military record

Hamas accepts pre-1967 border

President Donald Trump opened the door to a future meeting with North Korea’s Kim Jong-un, offering unusual praise for the globally ostracised leader at a time of surging nuclear tensions. Although the White House played down near-term prospects for such a meeting, Mr. Trump’s conciliatory comments on Monday marked a departure from his more unforgiving tone toward the North in recent weeks. “If it would be appropriate for me to meet with him, I would absolutely, I would be honoured to do it,” Mr. Trump told Bloomberg News. Clearly aware of the power of his declaration, he added: “We have breaking news.”

Tasked with explaining Mr. Trump’s flattery, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said there would be no meeting until circumstances were right and conditions met.

Not quite there yet: A South Korean soldier at the Military Armistice Committee meeting room at the border village of Panmunjom, which separates the two Koreas. FILE PHOTO: AP *

Mr. Trump’s latest statements on Pyongyang, including that Mr. Kim was a “smart cookie”, have bewildered South Korea and stunned lawmakers who say the administration is legitim-

ising a brutal dictator. “This is a dramatic departure from the kind of approach to foreign policy and human rights that I admired Ronald Reagan so much for,” said Senator John McCain.

‘Signs of good faith’ He said Mr. Kim would have to “show signs of good faith”. But echoing Mr. Trump’s gentler tone, Mr. Spicer said Mr. Kim had “managed to lead a country forward” from a young age. Meanwhile, a U.S. missiledefence system deployed to counter growing threats from North Korea has gone into operation in South Korea, officials said on Tuesday. The installation of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence battery has drawn objections from China.

Hamas has softened its stance on Israel after long calling for its destruction, but the Palestinian movement must do more to convince the world to end its isolation, analysts and diplomats said on Tuesday. The Islamist movement, which runs the Gaza Strip, unveiled a new policy document on Monday night ahead of a first face-to-face meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas, whose Fatah party remains at loggerheads with Hamas. Some analysts see the move as an attempt by Hamas to ease tension with regional allies and assuage hostilities with global powers. While still attacking Israel, the document ac-

cepts for the first time pre-1967 armistice lines as a matter of “national consensus” — in what many interpreted as implicitly accepting the existence of Israel. Hamas officials, however, said that it did not amount to a recognition of Israel as demanded by the international community.

Not against Jews The document also says its struggle is not against Jews because of their religion but against Israel as an occupier, with Hamas officials stressing it was a shift. One Hamas leader, Ahmed Yusef, told AFP that the updated charter was “more moderate, more measured and would help protect us against accusations of racism, anti-Semitism and breaches of international law”.

Sikh victim of hate crime in 2013 recalls assault There is no such thing as a ‘mistaken’ hate crime, Prabhjot Singh, who was mistaken for a Muslim, tells Senate committee Varghese K. George Washington

Politicians must hold each other accountable for putting people in danger as many among them find it fashionable to scapegoat immigrants and Muslims, a Sikh victim of hate crime in the U.S. told a Senate committee on Tuesday. Dr. Prabhjot Singh, a physician and teacher at Columbia University, who was mistaken for a Muslim and attacked by goons in 2013, said the notion of being mistakenly attacked was misplaced. “We cannot accept this premise. There is no such thing as a mistaken hate crime. No one should ever be targeted. The only mistake is thinking otherwise.” Democratic Senator Alan

Franken pointed out that the White House has not sent a clear signal on preventing hate crimes.

No leniency Mr. Franken repeatedly asked Eric Treene, who represented the Justice Department at the Senate Judiciary committee’s hearing on responses to increase in religious hate crimes, whether President Donald Trump’s statements on Muslims and immigrants have encouraged hate crimes. Mr. Treene said AttorneyGeneral Jeff Sessions was clear that hate crimes must be prosecuted without any leniency, but avoided commenting on Mr. Trump’s statements. Mr. Treene said Jews faced the largest number of hate crimes, followed

Dr. Prabhjot Singh

by Muslims. Dr. Singh told the committee: “I was horrified to hear our President last weekend telling thousands of people at a rally that immigrants are snakes waiting to bite America.” Placing the personal violence that he suffered — jaw broken, he spent several days in the hospital — in the

context of prejudice against Muslims and immigrants, Dr. Singh recalled: “None of the headlines during that time mentioned that a recent Somali immigrant, a Muslim who wore a hijab, was also attacked by the same group of young men that evening. They threw a bottle of urine at her face, cutting her nose. I knew this because she was in the stretcher next to me in the emergency room. When I asked reporters why they didn’t mention it, they said it would complicate the story, which was about a professor and doctor who was mistakenly attacked in his own neighbourhood.” Dr. Singh said he was attacked or abused twice earlier, in the immediate aftermath of September 11. An estimated 2,50,000 Sikhs

live in the U.S. According to a Stanford University survey, 70% of Americans mistake turban-wearers as Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist or Shinto, and nearly half of Americans think of Sikhism as part of Islam. Sikhs were victims of racial violence in America even a century ago, but last year’s Presidential election campaign has unleashed a new wave of violence against the community.

Cruel times “I am an optimist by nature, but the last months have felt particularly cruel as stories of pain and hardship have rippled across the Sikh community,” Dr. Singh told the Senate Committee, listing a series of recent attacks. On April 16, Sikh cab driver Harkirat Singh was at-

tacked in New York City; on March 3, a Sikh American man was shot in his driveway outside Seattle by a gunman who told him to “go back to your own country”. Last year, on September 25, Maan Singh Khalsa, an IT professional in California, was attacked and his turban knocked off by a group of assailants. Dr. Singh said he was attacked by a group of 20-30 people. “I heard ‘terrorist’ and ‘Osama’ from behind as I felt my beard forcefully pulled.” But the support that he received from Christian, Jewish and Muslim population of America was overwhelming, he recalled. He also thanked the New York police’s professional investigation into the hate crime.

CARACAS

Venezuela’s embattled President Nicolas Maduro issued a decree on Monday for writing a new Constitution, ratcheting up a political crisis that has drawn hundreds of thousands of anti-government protesters into the streets. President Maduro gave no details on how members would be chosen for a planned citizen assembly to produce a new charter, though he hinted some would selected by voters. Many observers expect the socialist administration to give itself the power to pick a majority of delegates to the convention. Opposition leaders immediately objected, charging that writing a new Constitution would give Mr. Maduro an excuse to put off regional elections scheduled for this year and a presidential election that was to be held in 2018. Polling has suggested the socialists would lose both those elections badly amid widespread anger over Venezuela’s economic woes.

Need for charter Speaking hours after another big march demanding his ouster ended in clashes between police and protesters, Mr. Maduro said a new Constitution is needed to restore peace and stop the opposition from trying to carry out a coup. “This will be a citizens assembly made up of workers,” Mr. Maduro said. “The day has come brothers. Don’t fail me now. Don’t fail [Hugo] Chavez and don’t fail your motherland.”

Message from Sri Lanka rallies Leaders use May Day platforms to reach out to their support bases Meera Srinivasan Colombo

One would have thought that political parties here would use this year’s May Day platform to reach out to agitating contractual workers or government doctors. But Tuesday’s rallies turned out be almost entirely about political messaging by leaders to their electorates, preoccupying observers with which leader’s rally drew the largest crowd. Much of this was centred on the rally organised by the Joint Opposition, a faction of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) that supports former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, at Galle Face, Colombo’s iconic seafront.

Big crowd Compared to Mr. Rajapaksa’s earlier attempts to gather supporters in a public rally, Tuesday’s meeting saw a far bigger crowd, with people from the southern and central parts of the island flocking to the venue. Police

IS attack in Syria leaves 32 dead

sources estimated the crowd at over 1 lakh. Simultaneously, the SLFP faction that President Maithripala Sirisena leads culminated in the scenic town of Kandy in the island’s Central Province. The crowd was smaller in comparison, observers said, attributing it to the rain there and the limits of the ground that was chosen as venue. Describing his rally as a boost to the victorious forward march of the “SLFP-led leftist progressive forces in the country”, President Sirisena, who was a leftist in his younger days, vowed to transform the SLFP into a corruption-free, democratic political force. Mr. Rajapaksa, on the other hand, resolved to protect Sri Lanka, especially from foreigners whom he accused of taking over the people’s land. His supporter and parliamentarian Wimal Weerawansa even called for a black flag protest to oppose Prime Minister Narendra

NEWS ANALYSIS Modi’s upcoming visit, because “they [the Sri Lankan government] are trying to sell Sri Lanka to India”.

Comeback moment? The content of the rally aside, the crowd at Mr. Rajapaksa’s meeting became the talking point in Colombo circles, with many reading it as a strong sign of his possible comeback. However, analysts were sceptical. The rally must be seen in the backdrop of the country’s complicated political reality, said Kumudu Kusuma Kumara, a senior lecturer at Colombo University. While at one level the Rajapaksa camp showed its strength in organising, it is also capitalising on the growing dissatisfaction among the common people on the government’s economic programme taken forward by Prime Minister Ranil Wick-

remesinghe, he said. “Also, the nationalists see this government as having made Sri Lanka a playground for geopolitics of countries like India and China.” Victor Ivan, former editor of Sinhala newspaper Ravaya, however, did not think much of the crowd. “It does not necessarily reflect popularity, it only reflects the kind of money these parties have. It is all about how much you can spend,” he said, adding that in reality Sri Lankans were tired of all the current leaders in power and opposition. Wary of disregarding the crowd, Dr. Kumara said President Sirisena should use the opportunity to convince PM Wickremesinghe to rethink his “neoliberal economic reform agenda” and shift to a moderate, centrist socialdemocratic programme instead. Only that can help revive a mass support base crucial to defeat chauvinist forces, which are threatening to re-emerge, he added.

Plagiarism or a ‘wink’? Le Pen’s speech sparks row

Reuters BEIRUT

An Islamic State attack in an area held by the U.S.backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northeast Syria killed at least 32 people on Tuesday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The attack on Rajm alSalibi, the location of a checkpoint and refugee camp near the border with Iraq, led to fierce clashes, injuring dozens, the Britain-based war monitor said. The SDF has been battling Islamic State since dawn in nearby areas of Hasaka province, which Kurdish forces largely control, it said. CM YK

Her May 1 address had lines straight from a speech by Fillon Associated Press Paris

Marine Le Pen deliberately plagiarised verbatim parts of an address from a former presidential candidate, as a “wink” to him and the voters she hopes to peel away in a runoff, her spokesmen said on Tuesday. Francois Fillon, the former Republicans candidate, first delivered the speech on France’s role in Europe and the world on April 15 just two weeks before Ms. Le Pen’s discourse on Monday. The subject is at the heart of Le Pen’s campaign. She promises to pull

Marine Le Pen

France out of the European Union and return to the franc currency, and has denounced globalisation’s effects on the French eco-

nomy and culture. Three separate spokesmen for Le Pen used the word “wink” to describe the extracts copied word for word from Mr. Fillon. At no point in the speech did she cite Mr. Fillon or acknowledge the source of the extracts. “I think with part of the right, we have exactly the same vision on the national identity and independence,” Louis Aliot, Front National vice-president, said. Immediately after being eliminated in the first-round vote, Mr. Fillon called for his supporters to back her centrist rival, Emmanuel Macron. A ND-ND

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THE HINDU

BUSINESS 13

NOIDA/DELHI

WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 2017

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market watch 02-05-2017

% CHANGE

Sensex dddddddddddddddddddddd 29,921 ddddddddddddddd0.01 US Dollar dddddddddddddddddddd 64.21 ddddddddddddddd0.05 Gold ddddddddddddddddddddddddddd 29,350 ddddddddddddd -0.34 Brent oil ddddddddddddddddddddd 51.27 ddddddddddddd -0.45

Factory activity expands

PRICE CHANGE

ACC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1593.05. . . . . . -33.50 Adani Ports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330.60. . . . . . . . . 2.90 Ambuja Cements. . . .. . . . . . 241.80. . . . . . . . -4.10 Asian Paints. . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 1112.10. . . . . . . . -8.35 Aurobindo Pharma . . . . . . 596.80. . . . . . . . -9.95 Axis Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 505.55. . . . . . . . -4.10 Bajaj Auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2898.00. . . . . . . 34.00 Bank of Baroda . . . . . .. . . . . . 188.65. . . . . . . . . 1.10 Bharti Airtel . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 347.60. . . . . . . . -7.90 Bosch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23112.30. . . . . 120.70 BPCL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 739.85. . . . . . . 20.60 Cipla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 555.35. . . . . . . . -2.10 Coal India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274.55. . . . . . . . -2.10 Dr Reddys Lab . . . . . . . .. . . . 2582.65. . . . . . -16.50 Eicher Motors. . . . . . . . .. 25790.75. . . -277.25 GAIL (India). . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 429.50. . . . . . . . . 5.55 Grasim Ind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1153.15. . . . . . . . -1.90 HCL Tech. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 822.05. . . . . . . . . 7.95 HDFC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1584.75. . . . . . . 47.60 HDFC Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1540.60. . . . . . . . -5.90 Hero MotoCorp . . . . . .. . . . 3352.95. . . . . . . 34.35 Hindalco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200.25. . . . . . . . . 0.90 Hind Unilever . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 928.10. . . . . . . . -6.85 Indiabulls HFL . . . . . . . .. . . . 1072.55. . . . . . . 55.60 ICICI Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275.60. . . . . . . . -2.90 IndusInd Bank . . . . . . . .. . . . 1445.80. . . . . . . . . 0.85 Bharti Infratel . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 354.20. . . . . . . . -0.50 Infosys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 922.60. . . . . . . . . 3.65 Indian OilCorp . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 443.05. . . . . . . . . 3.00 ITC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279.20. . . . . . . . . 1.20 Kotak Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 917.90. . . . . . . 15.95 L&T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1732.05. . . . . . -17.75 Lupin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1303.80. . . . . . -34.55 M&M . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1340.95. . . . . . . . . 5.40 Maurti Suzuki . . . . . . . . .. . . . 6705.50. . . . . 180.65 NTPC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162.10. . . . . . . . -2.40 ONGC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192.40. . . . . . . . . 5.85 PowerGrid Corp . . . . .. . . . . . 206.00. . . . . . . . -2.00 Reliance Ind . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 1370.55. . . . . . -24.65 State Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288.30. . . . . . . . -1.45 Sun Pharma . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 632.80. . . . . . . . -9.15 Tata Motors . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 451.25. . . . . . . . -7.65 Tata Motors DVR. . . .. . . . . . 272.75. . . . . . . . -7.25 Tata Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83.70. . . . . . . . -0.60 Tata Steel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445.05. . . . . . . . -4.20 TCS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2289.90. . . . . . . 16.75 Tech Mahindra . . . . . . .. . . . . . 418.15. . . . . . . . . 1.20 UltraTech Cement . .. . . . 4206.00. . . . . . -42.95 Wipro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 494.90. . . . . . . . . 0.65 YES Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1633.90. . . . . . . . . 3.65 Zee Entertainment . . . . . . 534.20. . . . . . . . . 7.35

EXCHANGE RATES Indicative direct rates in rupees a unit except yen at 4 p.m. on May 02 TT BUY

TT SELL

US Dollar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 64.01. . . . . . . 64.33 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 69.84. . . . . . . 70.19 British Pound . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 82.68. . . . . . . 83.10 Japanese Yen (100) . .. . 57.07. . . . . . . 57.35 Chinese Yuan . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 9.28. . . . . . . . . 9.33 Swiss Franc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 64.35. . . . . . . 64.67 Singapore Dollar . . . . . . .. . 45.89. . . . . . . 46.13 Canadian Dollar . . . . . . . . .. . 46.83. . . . . . . 47.06 Malaysian Ringitt . . . . . .. . 14.78. . . . . . . 14.88 Source:Indian Bank

BULLION RATES

CHENNAI

May 02 rates in rupees with previous rates in parentheses Retail Silver (1g) . . . . . . . . . . . 42.00. . . . . (42.80) 22 ct gold (1 g) . .. . . . . . . . . . . 2,760. . . . . (2,791)

India to unveil new IIP series PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

It will ‘create a landscape for ready-to-move-in businesses’ Somesh Jha NEW DELHI

The Heavy Industries Ministry is deliberating on a proposal to use large tracts of unutilised land owned by central public sector companies, which government plans to divest or sell, as ready-to-move-in industrial space for start-up companies. “Various companies under the government of India are sitting over huge tracts of land. Instead of transferring land to other public sector units and state governments, it could be utilised to create industrial space for start-up companies,” said a senior official of Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises. In a concept paper, the Ministry said that the idea is to “create a landscape for ready-to-move-in businesses” so that start-up companies do not have to face hurdles for setting up business and they can start work “immediately on the business opportunity without lag.”

Construction time Till recently, the average time for getting construction permits for businesses was 372 days, the Ministry said. “There are many problems that manufacturing units face such as site selection and land acquisition. “The PSU land will be readily available to companies looking to set up quickly,” said another Ministry official. In the concept paper, the Ministy cited the example of the government’s loss-making auto company Scooters India Limited which it plans to divest soon. The public sector company has land assets of around 147 acres, out of

Leg-up: The Heavy Industry Ministry’s proposal may help start-ups to to begin work immediately. GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCK *

which around 125 acres areunutilised. “It is located in one block on the side of Kanpur-Lucknow highway. Land could be used for manufacturing and pushing employment opportunity without lag time,” the official added. According to the proposal, Scooters India’s 125acre unutilised land can be valued at the market rate, converted into equity shares of ₹1 each and 51% of such shares offloaded to “consortium or single partner to set up a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV). “This will not only increase valuation of Scooters India but also provide a manufacturing eco-system conducive to job creation,” the concept note said.

‘Commendable idea’ “This is a commendable idea because PSUs have huge unutilised land area,” said Madan Sabnavis, chief economist at CARE Ratings. “We

Amazon India to ramp up storage capacity Set to add 14 fulilment centres

also have the problem of land acquisition for setting up enterprises. Leasing out land to start-up companies is a good way of monetising land. This way the government will get a higher value for the land. Most of the PSUs are located in places where land was acquired a long time ago so the appreciation would be substantial.” The SPV will be mandated to provide modern industrial infrastructure in compliance with required regulations and construct industrial sheds to match the requirements of different manufacturing or industrial units of less than 100 employees. “Start-up companies are attracting young professional entrepreneurs to organise products and services for the market. This SPV will fill up this gap of providing the space for incumbent ideas to be immediately implemented,” the official added.

Liberty House to create 300 jobs at steel unit

Special Correspondent New Delhi

NIFTY 50

CURRENCY

Start-up irms may get idle land from PSUs

The country’s manufacturing activity improved for the fourth straight month in April on stronger growth of new orders and buoyant domestic demand, but the reading remained unchanged from March. The headline Nikkei India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index — an indicator of the sector’s performance — showed that the performance in April matched March’s reading of 52.5. An index reading above 50 indicates an overall increase (or expansion), below 50 an overall decrease (or contraction). “Manufacturing jobs rose for the second consecutive month in April, which panelists related to a combination of greater production needs and expectations of a pick-up in demand. Nonetheless, the pace of employment growth remained slight overall,” according to a statement from Nikkei IHS Markit. Pollyanna De Lima, an economist at IHS Markit and author of the report, said: “Buoyant domestic demand coupled with the sustained growth of new orders from abroad boosted the upturn in total new business received by Indian manufacturers in April. Having recovered at the beginning of the year from December’s demonetisation-related contraction, a growth of order books has gathered pace in each month since.” Ms. De Lima said job seekers in the sector were presented with further employment opportunities, while firms also continued to engage in purchasing activity and scaled up production again. Consumer goods producers registered the steepest expansion.

It had bought Tata’s Speciality Steel arm in U.K. for £100 mn Vidya Ram LONDON

Liberty House, Sanjeev Gupta’s U.K. steel business, is to create an additional 300 jobs at the Speciality Steel unit it has acquired from Tata Steel, for £100 million and said it would invest £20 million in the business in the first year alone. “By investing in acquiring speciality steels we are casting a big vote of confidence in the future of British industry,” said Mr. Gupta in a statement, calling for Britain to put steelmaking at the heart of its post-Brexit industrial strategy. The company hopes to raise production from its arc furnaces to over 1 million tonnes a year, and for its bar mill to roll over 400,000 tonnes a year. Liberty House completed the acquisition of Tata’s Speciality Steel business on Tuesday, following an agreement struck earlier this year. It covers assets in Yorkshire and service centres in Britain and China and focuses on steel in the automotive, aerospace, industrial machinery and oil and gas industries, currently employing 1,700 workers. Those jobs are now secured and

The investment is a vote of conidence in U.K.’s indsutry, says Sanjeev Gupta. REUTERS *

the business will be relaunched as Liberty Speciality Steels.

Drive expansion “The speciality steels business is a global leader in its field, with a highly skilled and well-motivated workforce and we are eager to invest so it can grow and achieve its full potential,” said Mr. Gupta. “We are taking on strategically important capacity that will drive expansion in the years ahead.” The deal leaves Tata Steel with its strip products business, after selling its long

products business to Greybull Capital last year as it seeks to transform and restructure its European operations. Liberty House has made a string of purchases in the U.K. steel sector over the past couple of years, now employing around 4,500 workers in the country, and last week announced plans to buy Arcelor Mittal’s Georgetown steel plant in South Caroline, in the U.S. Tuesday’s developments were welcomed by the Unite union, who said it ended months of “agonising uncertainty” for its members who had “done everything asked of them over the last few years to give speciality steelmaking a fighting chance in the U.K.” Tata Steel said it had invested £1.5 billion in its U.K. business since 2007, and that it would continue to transform its U.K. business to create a viable future for its strip business, which employs around 8,500 people. Discussions with the British Steel Pension Scheme trustees and the Pensions regulator over finding a structural solution to its U.K. pension scheme continued, the statement added.

Jaitley defends demonetisation ‘There was no disappearance of demand... or agrarian crisis’ Special Correspondent NEW DELHI

Union Finance, Defence and Corporate Affairs Minister Arun Jaitley took on critics of the Centre’s demonetisation move and said there has been no adverse impact on the economy as was predicted by many, including former prime minister Man-

mohan Singh who had expected the economy’s growth rate to shrink by 2%. “There was no 2% dip in GDP… no disappearance of demand,” Mr. Jaitley, speaking after inaugurating an ICICI Bank initiative for digital villages. “There was no agrarian crisis. In fact, sowing in the agricultural sector

went up. And suddenly, you found the whole debate in this country taking a new turn. One great advantage of this whole exercise of demonetisation was the movement towards digitisation.” And that had “created newer technologies, a newer form of electronic modes of payments,” he said.

No decision on Snapdeal sale yet PRESS TRUST OF INDIA NEW DELHI

NEW DELHI

India will unveil a new series of Index of Industrial Production with a base year 2011-12 on May 9 with an aim to map economic activities more accurately. The new series for Index of Industrial Production (IIP), which captures industrial activities on monthly basis, will be launched by Chief Statistician and MOSPI Secretary T. C. A. Anant, an official said. A high-level panel had firmed up the methodology for the IIP with new base year of 2011-12. Currently, the IIP is calculated on base year of 2004-05. The change in baseline for the IIP is expected to bring in more accuracy in mapping the level of economic activity and calculating other numbers like national accounts.

Special Correspondent HYDERABAD

E-commerce player Amazon India will add 14 fulfilment centres this calender year that will give a boost to its storage capacity as well as create about 5,000 jobs. Seven of them, to be set up in Telangana, Haryana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh will support its regular business while the rest will be specialised facilities for large appliances and furniture. Telangana, which hosts one fulfilment centre near Hyderabad, will get two more, a spokesperson said.

To support growth All the 14 facilities will be fully operational by the end of this quarter “to support the remarkable high double-

The fulilment centres will create close to 5,000 jobs in the country. REUTERS *

digit growth the company continues to see,” according to a statement from Amazon on Tuesday. Post their commissioning, the firm would have a total of 41 fulfilment centres and a cumulative storage capacity of over 13 million cubic feet. As of 2016, the capacity was 7.5 million cubic feet, the spokesperson said.

Japanese firm SoftBank today could not manage a crucial nod from co-investor Nexus Venture Partners (NVP) for the sale of Snapdeal, possibly to Flipkart. The board meeting of Snapdeal, where SoftBank and Nexus have representatives, did not reach an agreement on the sale, sources privy to the development said. The meeting, they said, remained inconclusive as NVP — an early investor in Snapdeal — has still not agreed to the valuation given by SoftBank. The approval is crucial for the proposed sale of Snapdeal to larger rival Flipkart. The sources said NVP continues to seek higher valuation for its over 10% stake in Snapdeal.

‘Skill councils have conlict of interests’ They are a ‘hotbed of crony capitalism,’ says a government-constituted panel “In many cases, the NSDC itself has promoted them as the governance mechanism of NSDC fosters such functioning…,” according to the committee, led by former Director General For Employment and Training Sharada Prasad said, adding that it appears that NSDC has failed to discharge its responsibilities and deviated from its original role.

VIKAS DHOOT NEW DELHI

A board member of a government-funded apex skilling agency is also a training partner and a promoter of a skill council. The son of the chairman of a sectoral skill council is a co-promoter of a training firm as well as an assessment agency that oversees the outcomes achieved on job placements by such firms in the same domain. These are just two instances of conflict of interest among a dozen highlighted in a damning report on India’s recent skill development initiatives through 40 sectoral skill councils set up under the aegis of the National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC). The Sharada Prasad Committee constituted by the Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Ministry to review, rationalise and optimise the functioning of sector skill councils has termed CM YK

Start afresh: The oicial panel recommended that the Centre scrap all existing skill councils.

these councils a ‘hotbed of crony capitalism’ that have tried to ‘extract maximum benefit from public funds.’ Citing several instances of conflict of interest in the councils’ membership base, including those involving three NSDC board members, the panel has recommended that the Centre scrap all existing skill councils, many of which have overlapping

roles and introduce an oversight mechanism on the NSDC, preferably from the central bank, as it is registered as a non-banking finance company. “All these public funds have been used without serving the two basic objectives of meeting the exact skill needs of the industry and providing employment to youth,” it noted.

Comprehensive review “The Committee, therefore, recommends that the Government should review the NSDC’s role and functioning comprehensively with reference to its Memorandum of Association and create a strong oversight mechanism to ensure that such conflicts of interest do not arise in future,” it said, stressing that the situation arose because NSDC is 100% governmentfunded but accountable to a board that consists of a majority of private sector industry associations. A ND-ND

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14 BUSINESS

NOIDA/DELHI

THE HINDU

WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 2017

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IN BRIEF

Eclectic FPI mix drives Indian equities

Rel Infratel tower unit sale gets nod

Foreign institutional investors from Republic of Malta, Cook Islands, Liechtenstein and Guernsey igure in the list

Special Correspondent

ASHISH RUKHAIYAR MUMBAI

TVS Motor posts 8% growth in April sales CHENNAI

TVS Motor Company posted an 8% growth in its twowheeler sales for April 2017 at 2.41 lakh units against 2.22 lakh units for the corresponding year-ago period. Three-wheeler sales rose 12% to 5,303 units from 4,746 units. During the period under review, domestic two-wheeler sales increased 4% to 2.05 lakh units from 1.98 lakh units. Two-wheeler exports grew 44% from 24,658 units to 35,485 units.

Indian Bank mulls issue of long-term bonds CHENNAI

Indian Bank plans to issue long-term bonds for inancing infrastructure and afordable housing projects. The issue size will be up to ₹5,000 crore. The board will take up the proposal for discussion at its meeting on Friday, according to an oicial. The coupon rate will be market-driven as also the amount to be allocated for infrastructure and housing projects.

What do Trinidad & Tobago, Russia, Brazil, Greece, Cook Islands, Israel, New Zealand and Republic of Malta have in common? One institutional investor from each of these countries has registered as a foreign portfolio investor (FPI) with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), aiming to reap gains from the Indian equity market. But, while these countries have seen just one entity coming to the Indian stock market, there are many geographies from where institutional investors arrive in large numbers to cash in on returns generated in the Indian stock market.

8,000 FPIs According to SEBI data, there are nearly 8,000 registered FPIs in India coming from almost 60 different countries across the world.

UberEATS app unveiled in Mumbai Eyes race with Zomato, Swiggy, Areo special correspondent

Tata Teleservices ires around 500 employees NEW DELHI

Tata Teleservices has ired between 500 and 600 employees, in sales and related functions, to tide over diicult times in the competitive telecom market, two people familiar with the matter said. The lay-ofs are across locations, they said, adding that the severance package ofered to staf impacted by the decision is one month’s salary for every year of service. An e-mail sent to Tata Teleservices did not elicit a response. PTI

CM YK

Not surprisingly, U.S. leads the pack with more than 2,700 registered FPIs, followed by Luxembourg (946), Canada (622) and Mauritius (572). In all, there are 14 countries from where more than 100 FPIs have registered in India. Incidentally, the number of FPIs domiciled in Mauritius was much higher and began to fall only after the benefits of double tax avoidance started to wean away. Simply put, FPIs from Mauritius were not required to pay any tax in India before the rules were changed. Market participants say that an increasing number of foreign investors are attracted to India because of the higher returns when compared with some of the other leading markets, including the emerging markets pack. “India is the best country in terms of historical returns,” said Saurabh Mukherjea, CEO, Ambit Capital, a

MUMBAI

Online food delivery platform UberEATS unveiled its standalone app here to make a foray into the $15-billion market to take on players such as Zomato, Swiggy and Areo from Google. Uber appointed Bhavik Rathod as its India head for the food delivery business. “The opportunity is the $15billion un-organised food industry,” Mr. Rathod said. UberEATS has tied up with more than 200 restaurants and ‘hundreds’ of delivery partners who will use twowheelers, and these num-

bers will grow ‘exponentially’ in the future, he said. Delivery will be completed in 35 minutes and ₹15 will be charged per delivery. There is no mandated minimum delivery amount. The customers will have to use mobile wallet Paytm for payments. Le 15 Patisserie, The Bohri Kitchen, The Bombay Canteen, Pi Pizzeria and Chaayos are some of the eateries that UberEATS has tied up with. “The introduction of UberEATS, with Mumbai as the first city, is a major step in our global expansion,” Mr. Rathod said.

leading domestic brokerage. “Even if you adjust for volatility and currency fluctuations, we are better than any other emerging market.” “China is a faster growing economy but its stock market has disappointed. Indonesia comes closest to India but there is a heavy dependence on natural resources. Indian markets have generated good returns consistently and that attracts the large number of foreign investors,” he said.

Liechtenstein, Guernsey Interestingly, the returns have attracted foreign investors from the most unexpected of places. For instance, SEBI data shows that there are investors from countries like Bahamas, Liechtenstein, Republic of Slovenia, Brunei, Bermuda, Guernsey and Jersey. Both Guernsey and Jersey are islands in the English Channel. The Indian equity market

Portal to bust tower signal myths

has been quite consistent in generating returns even when viewed over a longer time frame. In the last 17 years since 2000, the Sensex has ended with losses only on five occasions (2000, 2001, 2008, 2011 and 2015). Further, the current calendar year has seen the benchmark Sensex gain more than 12% till date while touching an all-time record high of 30,184 on April 27. Foreign investors have historically been the prime drivers of the various bull runs seen in the Indian equity market. Data from National Securities Depository Ltd. (NSDL) shows that FPIs have been net buyers of Indian equity at ₹40,911 crore or more than $6 billion. In 2012, when the Sensex gained more than 25% in a single year, FPIs bought shares worth close to₹1.29 lakh crore. In 2014, they were net buyers at ₹97,054 crore.

MUMBAI

The shareholders of Reliance Infratel Ltd. (RITL), a subsidiary of Reliance Communications Ltd. (RCom), have approved the demerger of the tower division of RITL into Brookfield Infrastructure Group. Rapid Holdings 2 Pte. Ltd., part of the Brookfield group, will acquire 100% of the demerged entity Towercom Infrastructure, creating the second-largest independent towers company in India. “RCom will receive an upfront cash payment of ₹11,000 crore...,” according to a company statement. “The already announced combination of RCom’s wireless business with Aircel, and the monetisation of the tower business, will together reduce RCom’s overall debt by ₹31,000 crore, or nearly 70% of existing debt,” statement added.

Reliance Defence CDR exit okayed Empowered group gives approval for reinancing, shares surge

Special Correspondent

Piyush Pandey

New Delhi

MUMBAI

The Telecom Department opened a web portal — ‘tarang sanchar’ — on Tuesday to allay misconceptions and fear of health issues due to Electro-Magnetic Fields (EMF) emissions from mobile phone towers. Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha said, “some people have been propagating myths and misconceptions” about EMF emissions, adding that the Centre had been making efforts to dispel such myths. One can check any tower and its EMF signal compliance status, he said.

Reliance Defence, a part of the Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group, has received approval from the CDR Empowered Group (CDR-EG) for exiting from the corporate debt restructuring scheme. RDEL shares rose 4.86% on the BSE to close at ₹67.90.

Tenure extended As part of the refinancing scheme approved by lenders, the door-to-door tenure of RDEL’s term loans stands extended to 18 years and RDEL’s existing debt of about ₹650 crore will also be converted into equity shares at a price of ₹59.35 per

Anil Ambani

equity share, according to a company statement. “The consortium of lenders led by IDBI has given its approval to the CDR exit plan of RDEL, a subsidiary of Reliance Infrastructure. The lenders have also given their go-ahead for the implementation of the

refinancing scheme of RDEL,” a company official said. Both proposals were presented to the CDR Empowered Group’s (EG) meeting on March 29, 2017, and were approved by the requisite majority of CDR lenders. “Shareholders of RDEL by an overwhelming majority of 100% had already approved the said issue of equity shares to lenders by conversion of debt, at the extraordinary general meeting held on March 20, 2017,” according to the statement. The lead lender of the consortium, IDBI, has also written to the Ministry of Defence confirming the approval granted by CDR-EG to

RDEL’s CDR exit plan and refinancing scheme.

Future defence contracts The confirmation from IDBI to the Defence Ministry makes RDEL eligible to participate in all future contracts of the Navy. RDEL and L&T are the only two private sector shipyards who will compete with governmentowned shipyards for contracts to make submarines, landing platform dock and corvette. Exiting the CDR may also provide increased financial flexibility to the company. Significantly, Reliance Infrastructure has increased its stake in RDEL to about 31%.

A ND-ND

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THE HINDU

SPORT 15

NOIDA/DELHI

WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 2017

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Daredevils batsmen inally ire

‘IPL’s been a great ride’

Chase down 186 to beat Sunrisers by six wickets

de Villiers hopes to return to Test cricket later this year

UTHRA GANESAN NEW DELHI

A collective batting effort helped Delhi Daredevils trump the brilliance of Yuvraj Singh as the team defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Ferozeshah Kotla here on Tuesday, to mark a victorious return home. Chasing 186, Delhi overhauled the target in 19.1 overs to win by six wickets — only its third victory of the season. The result also helped Daredevils lift themselves from the bottom of the table into sixth spot. While every one of its matches has been billed as a battle between its bowlers and the opposition batsmen, Tuesday saw the young batting unit finally come good despite stuttering occasionally and faltering in the middle. Like in every match so far, the Daredevils batsmen got starts but failed to convert them into big scores. The difference on Tuesday was that every batsman managed to get quick runs and, despite the wickets, DD did not allow the asking rate to climb out of control. Every batsman had a strike-rate over 125, and that made all the difference. Promoting himself up to open with Sanju Samson, captain Karun Nair finally got some runs under his belt after a disappointing season so far, making 39 off just 20 balls.

Reprieve He got a ‘life’ on 21, when he was dropped by Bhuvneshwar Kumar at short fine-leg, but could not add too many runs after that; he departed top-edging to deep extracover where Bhuvneshwar

made amends. Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant and Samson, all scored briskly, dealing in fours and sixes, but every time a partnership appeared to be developing, a wicket fell. It did not matter, though. SRH was in the game all the way till the last few overs but DD was never out of it either. The pace trio of Bhuvneshwar, Mohammed Siraj and Siddarth Kaul picked up wickets, and Rashid Khan attempted to slow the scoring but the Afghan teenager went wicketless for only the second time in 10 games this season; interestingly the previous occasion was against DD too. In the absence of Ashish Nehra, the lack of a fifth bowler hurt SRH, who had to divide that share between Yuvraj and Moises Henriques. Between them, they conceded 52 runs from their 19 deliveries. Ironically, it was the partnership of Henriques and Yuvraj with the bat earlier in the day that had put SRH in control, as the duo helped propel the score to an abovepar 185. The two added 93 runs off 51 balls, slamming 52 of those in the last three overs. Yuvraj’s brutal assault saw him score 70 in just 41 balls, with Kagiso Rabada suffering the most. Dropped by Samson at deep square-leg while trying to pull a bouncer from Chris Morris in the 17th over when he was on 29, Yuvraj went all out smashing the bowlers to all corners of the ground. Earlier, fresh off a comprehensive win in its previous outing, David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan got Sun-

risers off to a positive start, adding 53 runs before the skipper was bowled by Mohammed Shami who, playing only his third game of the competition, uprooted the off-stump with a perfect yorker.

G. Viswanath MUMBAI

It’s hard to believe that A.B. de Villiers could have been dismissed for zero in three consecutive Test innings. The face of South African cricket and a modern batsman who has introduced new elements to the art of batting, de Villiers returned to the pavilion without opening his account in the second innings of the third ( Johannesburg) and fourth Test (Centurion) against England in January 2016. He has not played a Test after that. The 33-year-old, who plans to return to Test cricket at home against India and Australia at the end of the year, is committed to playing for his country in the shorter forms of the game, most importantly the Champions Trophy in June. At the ‘Montblanc Supports UNICEF’ event on Tuesday, de Villiers said: “The last 10 years (of the IPL) has been a great ride. It has certainly been life-changing for me. “I started my IPL career at Delhi Daredevils (first three years), and then moved to Royal Challengers Bangalore. I could not have asked for a better franchise

SCOREBOARD Sunrisers Hyderabad: David Warner b Shami 30 (21b, 4x4, 1x6), Shikhar Dhawan c Shreyas b Mishra 28 (17b, 4x4, 1x6), Kane Williamson c Morris b Shami 24 (24b, 1x4, 1x6), Yuvraj Singh (not out) 70 (41b, 11x4, 1x6), Moises Henriques (not out) 25 (18b, 2x4); Extras (lb-5, w-2, nb-1): 8; Total (for three wkts. in 20 overs): 185. Fall of wickets: 1-53 (Warner, 5.2 overs), 2-75 (Dhawan, 8.2), 3-92 (Williamson, 11.4). Delhi Daredevils bowling: Jayant Yadav 4-0-26-0, Kagiso Rabada 4-0-59-0, Chris Morris 40-36-0, Mohammed Shami 40-36-2, Amit Mishra 4-0-23-1. Delhi Daredevils: Sanju Samson c Dhawan b Siraj 24 (19b, 2x4, 1x6), Karun Nair c Bhuvneshwar b Kaul 39 (20b, 5x4, 2x6), R. Pant b Siraj 34 (20b, 4x4, 1x6), Shreyas Iyer c Siraj b Bhuvneshwar 33 (25b, 1x4, 2x6), Corey Anderson (not out) 41 (24b, 2x4, 3x6), Chris Morris (not out) 15 (7b, 1x4, 1x6); Extras (lb-1, w-2): 3; Total (for four wkts. in 19.1 overs): 189. Fall of wickets: 1-40 (Samson, 4.1), 2-72 (Karun, 7.4), 3-109 (Pant, 11.4), 4-148 (Shreyas, 15.6). Sunrisers Hyderabad bowling: Bhuvneshwar Kumar 4-0-33-1, Mohammed Siraj 4-0-41-2, Siddarth Kaul 4-0-38-1, Moises Henriques 2.1-0-36-0, Rashid Khan 4-0-24-0, Yuvraj Singh 1-0-16-0. Toss: Delhi Daredevils. Man-of-the-match: Mohammed Shami. Daredevils won by six wickets with five balls to spare.

A.B. de Villiers.

*

K.R. DEEPAK

to play for. They are a very professional unit. “Unfortunately, this year we haven’t played as well as we wanted to and I think there are some valuable lessons we have learnt throughout the season. “We have a few more games left and hopefully we will finish the season with dignity. “I have some great memories over the last 10 years. The fans, the electric vibes at the grounds we have played in, the franchise, the people in and around the team, the people who support us... those are the kind of things that stand out for me.”

POINTS TABLE TEAM Mumbai Indians Kolkata Knight Riders Sunrisers Hyderabad Rising Pune Supergiant Kings XI Punjab Delhi Daredevils Gujarat Lions Royal Challengers Bangalore

Seeing things through: On a day when the batting unit collectively came good, Corey Anderson top-scored with an unbeaten 41 — including the winning boundary — of just 24 balls. *

R.V. MOORTHY

M 10 10 11 10 9 9 10 11

W 8 7 6 6 4 3 3 2

L 2 3 4 4 5 6 7 8

NR 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1

PTS 16 14 13 12 8 6 6 5

NRR +0.427 +0.849 +0.659 -0.179 +0.228 -0.094 -0.323 -1.441

*After the DD-SRH match

‘Stokes does not put pressure on himself’ Pune will look pull of an ambush at Eden Skipper Smith delighted at teammates’ response to match situations Nandakumar Marar PUNE

Rising Pune Supergiant skipper Steve Smith has expressed delight at his teammates’ response to match situations so far in this season. “For us it’s about getting to know each other for six or eight weeks, try to get the best out of each other and learn a bit about one another. “We’ve got some really good characters in the shed there. It’s nice to be playing some good cricket at the same time.” Ben Stokes is a character Smith chased during the auction and the all-rounder is getting closer to justifying the ₹14.5 crore spent on securing his services. “I had said before the auction to the guys, just do what you have to get him. We

Happy captain: Smith, who feels all-rounders have value in the IPL, believes Ben Stokes is a perfect it in RPS’s plans. AFP *

know he is a quality player. We paid a big amount to get him. He certainly earned his cash.” “He’s been hitting the ball really well. He’s been involved in some good part-

nerships as well. We’re very happy with where he’s at and how he’s played.” Asked about how he handled guys like Stokes, the RPS captain pointed out: “We missed him in the last

This close to the play-ofs, Kolkata wary of losing momentum

few games but guys stepped up and did a good job. You obviously tell him his role and how he’s going to fit into the team. Ben has always said that he judges himself on how he plays and is not going to put any extra pressure on himself just because of a big price tag next to his name.” Smith felt all-rounders had a value in this format. “All-rounders are so valuable in T20 cricket. Stokes is a perfect fit for our team. “He’s done a terrific job for us and hopefully can continue to perform and get us into the qualifiers and the final.”

PLAYING TODAY DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

KKR vs RPS Sony Six, Sony ESPN & Sony Max (SD & HD), 8 p.m. DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

Y.B. Sarangi KOLKATA

After being blown away by David Warner’s breathtaking hundred in Hyderabad, Kolkata Knight Riders faces a similar danger from Ben Stokes when it meets Rising Pune Supergiant in the Indian Premier League at the Eden Gardens on Wednesday. KKR has closed in on booking a berth in the playoffs, and will be wary of losing momentum at this stage of the tournament. After the setback against Sunrisers, KKR will look to regroup, especially its bowling unit. The batting, though, should be no worry for captain Gautam Gambhir, especially with Robin Uthappa going through a dream run and Manish Pandey rediscovering his touch. It will be interesting to see whether Gambhir tries out a

Time for change? With Sunil Narine’s impact at the top waning in the last three matches, Knight Riders might be tempted to rejig their batting order. AFP *

new opening combination, with Sunil Narine’s impact at the top of the order waning in the last three matches. Opener Chris Lynn, however, remains out of action. Colin de Grandhomme, who addressed the press-confer-

ence on Tuesday, said; “Lynn is trying to get back as fast as he can. He is training today.” Asked about KKR’s plans for Stokes, de Grandhomme said: “We just got to execute our plans and try to bowl to areas where he is not as

strong and, hopefully, get him out early.” RPS, with five wins in its last six outings, has primarily gained from its bowlers’ parsimony. Seven of them have an economy of less than eight runs per over. Even young off-spinner Washington Sundar and pace-bowling all-rounder Dan Christian may not have picked up many wickets, but have served their team by being miserly. Leg-spinner Imran Tahir has bowled with a lot of fire too. With a tally of 16, he is in second place on the table of wicket-takers, indicating how much responsibility he shoulders. Pacers Stokes, Jaydev Unadkat and Christian provide variety too. Having lost its home match to KKR, RPS will be determined to return the favour at the Eden Gardens.

Magnanimity is the call of the hour for BCCI CoA thwarts BCCI move Good time for it to look beyond the money and restore sanity to the way cricket is governed

BETWEEN WICKETS suresh menon

Over the years it had become a cliché: cricket unites India like few things do. So how did we reach this stage when cricket seems to be dividing the nation? In the left corner, wearing a smile and carrying a placard with the definition of ‘cricket’ on it, stands the Indian who thinks we should not pull out of the Champions Trophy, nor should the BCCI work so hard to endorse its reputation as the bully of world cricket. In the right corner, wearing a bandana and carrying a placard with a definition of “nationalism” on it stands the Indian who wants to tell the world that if you’ve got it, then flaunt it (and vice versa). The middle ground — as in so many other debates — is gradually disappearing. Those directly affected: the players, for example, have no voice. Those who see everything as patriotism in different hues have found yet another subject matter for breast-beating. Ramachandra Guha, a passionate CM YK

cricket lover who has written some of the finest books on the game, tweets: “Speaking in my personal capacity, as a cricket fan, I believe the Indian cricket team absolutely must take part in the Champions Trophy… boycotting a prestigious tournament does not become a great cricketing nation.” Two responses are representative: “How much they paid you to sell ur mother (@BCCI)?” Someone calling himself Yogi Adityanath (possibly because that might be his name) says: “As a cricket fan, I am asking what the hell are you doing in @BCCI? Resign.” This is disturbing, and not just because of the language used by the trolls. Black-and-white has replaced nuanced argument in our national discourse, and now its cricket’s turn to bear the burden. Suddenly the Champions Trophy is the test of nationalism! India’s original hijacking of the ICC along with England and Australia based on figures plucked from thin air was wrong. Now the others (including England and Australia), thinking India are at their weakest, see a chance to strike. Where India might have got $570 million over an eight-year cycle, they are now offered $293 million, although an extra $100 million is still available if India want it. Thin air, which supplied the earlier justification, supplied the one for this one too, and is therefore just

as meaningless. It is the lesser, non-Test countries, struggling to make ends meet, who will pay the price. India’s argument is that they have to look after their own interests, and get as big a slice of the cake as possible, leaving the crumbs to those who cannot survive otherwise.

India is international cricket! There is no doubt that as things stand, without India, there can be no international cricket. The Ashes alone is likely to survive as a bilateral competition. Television money, which drives the sport, will be slashed; sponsors will find other interests — India have the biggest audience for both. Perhaps after an initial dip, things might improve, but would any country like to take that chance? Unlikely. In the last cycle, when up against it, the members of the ICC decided that it was better to have a bullying India within its folds bringing in the money rather than outside diverting funds away. That was a practical decision; something similar might be the guiding force once again. But the growth of the IPL and the possibilities of top players focusing on T20 leagues around the world raises another scenario: with just ten countries playing Test match cricket, this form of the game will be directly under threat. India can argue about best deals, but would they like to be held re-

sponsible for the death of Test cricket?

No selfish interests Ego might be the player’s friend on the field of play, fuelling competition, in the boardrooms, ego is not necessarily the administrator’s friend. For it is not just the individual country or the international council that will be threatened, but the game itself. Administrators (unfortunately) take no oath of allegiance to the sport they serve, nor do they promise to do everything that is in the game’s best interests. What is in the game’s interests now is that India remain within its fold, and the ICC itself works for the game rather than its individual boards. Somehow the whole has been less than the sum of its parts. In its May 7 meeting to decide on the next step, the BCCI should look beyond the money and focus on what is best for the sport. Already, as the voting in Dubai showed, they have no friends in the international fold; now is a good time to be the leader and restore sanity to the way cricket is governed. Otherwise the BCCI v the Rest fight will go on; one round here, another round there, and instability all around as egos rather than hearts and heads decide on both sides. Magnanimity, not boom-lowering is the call of the hour. And let’s leave Guha’s mother out of this; in any case, she is not the BCCI.

G. Viswanath

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Mumbai

The Committee of Administrators (CoA) has interrupted a BCCI move that could have led to a damaging confrontation with the International Cricket Council (ICC). The Indian Board arranged a conference call with its members on Tuesday to see if it could serve a notice on the ICC. This was in response to the decisions taken at the ICC Board meeting in Dubai, where the Big Three model was cast aside, threatening India’s influence on the world game. The BCCI plan, had it gone ahead, could have culminated in Team India’s absence from all ICC events between 2017 and 2023. When the CoA learnt of the move, it reminded the BCCI of the Supreme Court order of January 2 that stated its authority to “supervise the management and administration of the BCCI”; the CoA further said that the BCCI can communicate with the ICC only with its approval. A member who participated in the conference call said, “Not many joined in. And many who were part of the hurriedly arranged call did not give their opinion. Why should the BCCI do all

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Board speaks to its members to see if it can serve notice on the ICC

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Move a consequence of Dubai meetings which reduced India’s inluence

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this in a covert manner? A couple of them got disconnected midway. First of all, they did not even issue a notice specifying the agenda so that each member could have placed it before its committee.”

Thakur’s initiative Former BCCI president N. Srinivasan is learnt to have been part of the conference call. According to sources, Anurag Thakur, removed by the Supreme Court from the post of BCCI president, and his secretary called up mem-

bers requesting them for their approval to send a notice to the ICC. People in the know said 19 State units have already acceded to the request. CoA chairman Vinod Rai is reported to have told joint-secretary Amitabh Choudhary that he would like to see all 31 signatures (full members) for the BCCI to decide on the Members’ Participation Agreement (MPA), which is at the heart of the issue. The original MPA came into existence in 2014 when Srinivasan was at the helm of the ICC. Two years later, the ICC, under its first independent chairman Shashank Manohar, opted for a model based on equity, which appears to have rankled Srinivasan and those loyal to him.

CoA sets agenda Special Correspondent Mumbai

The CoA will meet the 31 full members of the BCCI in New Delhi on May 5 and 6 to discuss the implementation of the Justice Lodha Committee’s reforms. On Tuesday, the CoA

informed the members that the meeting will also deal with matters related to the BCCI Special General Meeting (SGM) to be held on May 7. The SGM has been convened to consider the outcome of the ICC meetings in Dubai from April 22 to 26. A ND-ND

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16 SPORT

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THE HINDU

WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 2017

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Novel approach helped Soumyajit

IN BRIEF

His Scandinavian coach advises rest and only light training before big events A. JOSEPH ANTONY HYDERABAD

Subrata Paul to skip ‘B’ sample test

“Stay humble, stay grounded,” a teacher told his student. Quoting his father, he continued, “The way you treat people when you are on your way up will be how they treat you on your way down !” The pedagogue was Peter Karlsson, his awestruck pupil, Soumyajit Ghosh. At 19 years, India's youngest national champion, the double Olympian (London 2012, Rio 2016) was in Hyderabad to assist 'big brother' Soumyadeep Roy's coaching camp at the Dundigal-based Marri Laxman Reddy Sports Academy in Secunderabad's suburbs. The Siliguri slammer spoke to The Hindu enroute to the Chile Open, which he won in Santiago on Sunday. There were more words of wisdom. “Table tennis is a part of your life, not your life. It should be the most important aspect of the less important in your life,” said Karlsson, a member of Sweden's stupendous six, who for about a decade, ended China's hegemony over the game. Ghosh saw in Karlsson the

NEW DELHI:

India goalkeeper Subrata Paul has decided to skip a confirmatory ‘B’ sample test after he returned positive for a banned substance and instead requested the NADA to arrange for early hearing of his case in view of national team’s matches next month. PTI

India slips to No. 4 in T20 rankings DUBAI

India has lost six points to slip to fourth position in the latest ICC T20I team rankings released on Tuesday. The Virat Kohli-led team is now on 118 points, three behind Pakistan, which has joined second-placed England after gaining five points but is ranked behind the latter by a fraction of a point. New Zealand is on top with 125 points. ANI

Fury taunts Joshua

perfect mentor, not just as a fantastic coach but a great human being as well. Both weren't good at studies. The spark for table tennis had to be fanned into a flame, for it was the only option open to them. “I am what I am only because of Peter,” acknowledges Ghosh, who under Karlsson not only bloomed but even peaked in short training stints from 2012 to 16.

Bringing dividends Karlsson’s approach was unconventional but brought dividends for the Bengal paddler. Unlike others who pushed their wards to the extreme, the strapping Scandinavian advised rest and only light training before the big events such as the Olympics and World Championships. The towering Viking regretted pushing his own physical prowess to the extremes before the high profile events. “There should be no stress on the muscles as physical fatigue would find reflection in mental exhaustion,” Karlsson explained. This tip seemed singularly suited to Ghosh, given that he is not particularly famous for his fitness, especially

Bembem and Jeje for Arjuna award

LONDON

Tyson Fury taunted Anthony Joshua by insisting he could beat the world heavyweight champion with “one arm tied behind my back”. Shortly after his 11th-round stoppage of Wladimir Klitschko at London, Joshua ‘called out’ fellow British heavyweight Fury by saying: “Fury, where are you at, baby?” AFP

IGU nominates Chawrasia and Aditi

when compared to the Chinese, robotic almost in their pursuit of physical perfection. Thanks to Karlsson, Ghosh met the greats and even played with them, a privilege other paddlers can only dream of, viz; Jan Ove Waldner, Erik Lindh, Jorgen Persson and Mikael Appelgren. When Karlsson quizzed Waldner on Ghosh's game, the living legend honoured with a postal stamp by China said, “He has to improve his fitness and move much more.” So has Ghosh locked horns with some of the game's big names such as Timo Boll, Dimitrij Ovtcharov (currently world no. 5 of Germany) and the numero uno himself, Ma Long. “He probes your weaknesses and relentlessly attacks those, never allowing opponents to play to their strengths,” said Ghosh of TT's 'Great Wall of China.' Looking back on the mostly ups and fewer downs in his career, the 23-year-old says, “There's fun only when you do something tough. Success is sweeter after all the pressure and tension,” he concludes.

NEW DELHI

Legendary women footballer Oinam Bembem Devi, Jeje Lalpekhlua and Gurpreet Sandhu have been nominated for this year’s Arjuna Award by the All India Football Federation (AIFF). AIFF Player of the Year Jeje Lalpekhlua has been a key member of the National team.

Bangladesh bowler banned for 10 years DHAKA

Bangladesh, on Tuesday, imposed a 10-year ban on a bowler who deliberately lost a match recently by conceding 92 runs off just four legal deliveries in protest at umpiring decisions. Sujon Mahmud of Lalmatia Club was found guilty by the BCB for bringing the game into disrepute. AFP

S.S.P. Chawrasia and Aditi Ashok, the reigning men’s and women’s Hero Indian Open champions, have been recommended for the award by the Indian Golf Union (IGU). The IGU has also nominated top coach Vijay Divecha for the Dronacharya Award and Mukesh Kumar for the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Rajput in last-16 Sports Bureau

Mairaj misses inal

CHANDIGARH

LARNACA

Top seed Shashikant Rajput struggled past Deepender Grewal, advancing to the last-16 with a 7-6(5), 6-7(6), 6-2 win in the second round of the Zenlabs Ethica AITA National Series (u-16) tennis tournament on Tuesday.

Olympian Mairaj Ahmad Khan shot 120 out of 125 and missed the men’s skeet final by two points in the shotgun World Cup in Larnaca, Cyprus, on Monday. Mairaj was on way to the final, following rounds of 24, 25, 24 and 25, but missed three in the last round to finish 21st in a field of 94 shooters. Angad Vir Singh Bajwa shot a series of 24, 24, 23, 23 and 24 for the 30th place with a total of 118. The results: Men’s skeet: 1. Federico Gil (Arg) 56 (122)2; 2. Georgios Achilleos (Cyp) 55 (122)1,2, 3. Alexander Zemlin (Rus) 44 (123)7; 22. Mairaj Ahmad Khan 120; 31. Angad Vir Singh Bajwa 118; 77. Sheeraz Sheikh 109. Women’s skeet: 1. Wei Meng (Chn) 54 (71) 13, 10; 2. Kimberly Rhode (US) 52 (73); 3. Sutiya Jewchaloemmit (Tha) 41 (71)21.

The results: Second round: Boys: Shashikant Rajput bt Deepender Grewal 7-6(5), 6-7(6), 6-2; Kriish Patel bt Aakarshit Mahajan 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-6(3); Sushant Dabas bt Ajay Singh 6-1, 6-0; Aaryan Pandit bt Yash Dabas 6-2, 6-4; Naresh Badgujar bt Shrut Mohan Nargeta 6-2, 7-6 (6); Uddayvir Singh bt Bhupender Dhaiya 6-0, 2-6, 6-3; Drona Walia bt Lokender Pun 6-0, 6-2; Nitin Jaipal Singh bt Anish Lal 6-1, 6-4; Kushan Shah bt Sonu Khan 6-1, 6-1; Jaishvin Singh Sidana bt Aman Dahiya 6-4, 6-7(2), 7-5; Krishan Hooda bt Siddarth Nijhawan 6-1, 6-0; Nishant Dabas bt

Jagtar Arora 6-2, 6-7(2), 6-1; Ajay Malik bt Gaurav Kumar 6-0, 6-1; Subham Saini bt Bhavnish Sangwan 6-3, 6-1; Dhruv Tangri bt Karthik Singh Panwar 6-1, 6-3; Divesh Gahlot bt Sourabh Sehrawat 6-0, 6-1. Girls: Prinkle Singh bt Ashpreet Kaur Bajwa 6-1, 6-4; Sandeepti Singh Rao bt Renee Singh 6-2, 6-0; Kashish Bhatia bt Rahat Mangat 6-4, 6-3; Ishita Singh bt Rupal Kharab 7-5, 6-2; Smriti Singh bt Priyanka Jakhar 6-1, 3-6, 6-0; Sanya Singh bt Simran Pritam 6-4, 6-2; Bela Tamhankar bt Renne Singla 6-3, 6-2; Sarah Dev bt Chhavi Rathi 6-0, 6-0; Harleen Kaur bt Sharanya Milan Naik 6-2, 6-3; Srishti Dhir bt Asmita Kaur 6-4, 6-0; Ameek Kiran Batth bt Shardha Chhabra 6-1, 6-1; Kaavya Sawhney bt Atrey Kuhoo 6-1, 6-0; Vanshika Choudhary bt Jigyasa Sharma 6-0, 6-1; Chandrika Joshi bt Sukhmani Singh 7-5, 6-1; Yana Dhamija bt Banita Azad 6-2, 6-2; Prerna Vichare bt Sania Manoj Masand 6-0, 6-2.

James scores 35, grabs 10 rebounds Agence France-Presse Washington

Grateful pupil: Soumyajit Ghosh acknowledges that he is what he is because of his coach Peter Karlsson who he said is a perfect mentor and a great human being.

Vijay targets July comeback S. Dinakar

LeBron James sparked defending NBA champion Cleveland over Toronto while James Harden powered the Houston Rockets to an epic rout of San Antonio in second round playoff openers on Monday. James scored 35 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while Kyrie Irving added 24 points and 10 assists and Kevin Love had 18 points and nine rebounds as the Cavaliers ripped the visiting Raptors 116-105 in their bestof-seven Eastern Conference matchup. Four-time NBA Most Valuable Player James hit 13of-23 shots from the floor and 7-of-8 from the free throw line while Tristan Thompson contributed 11 points and 14 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who James warned will be better in game two. Harden had 20 points and 14 assists while Trevor Ariza scored 23 points and Clint Capela contributed 20 points and 13 rebounds as the Rockets dumped the host Spurs 126-99 to start their best-of-seven Western

Bagan to rest Sony and Dufy Takes on Maziya in away ixture

Chennai

PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

Cavaliers, Rockets romp in second round

Time spent away from the cricketing arena is enabling M. Vijay freshen his mind before he attempts a comeback from a ‘forced’ injury break. The ‘stage-by-stage’ recovery from a major fitness concern can be rather frustrating but the Indian opener wants to look at the brighter side. Vijay, who was operated on his wrist in London during April, says he has been able to spend quality time with his family. He said, “I have been able to be a better father, see my son and daughter grow up, and be at home a lot more.” Of course, cricket remains his primary focus. “I want to be back practising in June and hopefully I will

Press Trust of India Male

M. Vijay.

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R. RAGU

be able to play a few TNCA first division matches. I have not started batting yet.” Vijay has targeted a return to the Indian Test team for the campaign in Sri Lanka, beginning late July. “I should be alright by then, the doctors are optimistic.”

A depleted Mohun Bagan will look to put up a strong performance when it takes on Maziya Sports and Recreation Club in an away AFC Cup fixture on Wednesday. Bagan coach Sanjoy Sen, who is unwell, is not travelling with the team and his assistant Shankarlal Chakraborty will be in charge. With an eye on the Federation Cup, Bagan has also decided to rest its top goalpoachers Sony Norde and Darryl Duffy. Brazilian defender Eduardo and senior striker Balwant Singh are also not available. Bagan will depend on its Japanese midfielder Kat-

Hockey Rajasthan in semiinals

sumi Yusa and India international Jeje Lalphekhlua in its bid to stay in the second tier of the continental championship. Bagan is third in Group ‘E’ with one win over Abahani Limited of Bangladesh and losses to Bengaluru FC and Maziya. The host has won two games and is second in the group. Bagan needs to win its remaining three matches as only one team will qualify for the next stage from each group. BFC is sitting pretty at the top with nine points from three games. After the game against Maziya, Bagan will play BFC at home on May 17 followed by an away encounter against Abahani.

Principal Correspondent BENGALURU

Mumbai School Sports Association (MSSA) will take on Hockey Rajasthan and Namdhari XI will clash with Bengal Hockey Association in the semifinals of the seventh HI men's sub-junior National championship (‘B’ division). The results: Pool A: Assam Hockey 21 (Mrinal Roy 1, 14, 49, Madhujya Boruah 3, Chris G.Al-

phred 4, 7, 18, 19, 54, 63, 69, Manish Sahani 9, 11, 27, 36, 64, Ankit Kumar 22, 39, 48, Pranjit Chetia 47, Mojammil Hoque 66) bt Hockey Gujarat 1 (Kashyap Sawant 60). Hockey Mizoram 8 (Lalruatdika 12, 31, Lalruatsanga 16, Hmangaisanga 17, 46, 52, 67, Zothanpuia 49) bt Hockey Uttarakhand 3 (Keshav 5, Prakhar Gunwant 37, Pradeep Singh Bisht 54). Pool D: Hockey Madhya Pradesh 9 (Shwetank James 4, 11, 38, Aditya Chhatri 13, 54,

Gaurav Tripathi 33, 60, Abdul Rahman 67, Shadan Khan 70) bt Hockey Jammu & Kashmir 1 (Gagandeep Singh Sr. 2). Hockey HIM 3 (Dhananjay Prajapati 34, Neeraj Thakur 58, Jagjot Singh 60) bt Hockey Bengaluru 2 (Prem 11, Ganesh Majji 18). Hockey Rajasthan 10 (Vijendra Singh Rathore 3, 28, 42, Danish 17, Aniket Rawat 24, Sachin 46, 61, 67, Pankaj Godara 48) bt Hockey Kerala 10-1 (Ajeesh Reji 13).

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NBA Conference series. In Cleveland, the Cavaliers scored 10 consecutive points to grab a 22-11 edge and stretched it to 38-20 early in the second quarter. Up 62-48 at half-time, they led by as many as 25 points on the way to victory. Irving scored 16 first-half points while James had 13 and Love 11. The results: Western Conference: Houston 126 bt San Antonio 99. Eastern Conference: Cleveland 116 bt Toronto 105.

Another good day Press Trust of India Tashkent

Shiva Thapa (60kg) led the charge as four more Indian boxers advanced to the Asian Championship quarterfinals here on Tuesday. Shiva edged past Kyrgyzstan’s Omurbek Malabekov in a split verdict to make the last-eight. Also advancing were Sumit Sangwan (91kg), Manish Panwar (81kg) and Kavinder Singh Bisht (49kg). Sumit defeated Mongolia’s Erdenebayar Sandagsuren, Manish got the better of Sri Lanka’s G.R. Gunarathna and Kavinder prevailed over Indonesia’s Aldoms Suguro. Vikas Krishan (75kg), Gaurav Bidhuri (56kg) and Amit Phangal (49kg) are the other Indians to have advanced so far. Satish Kumar (+91kg) got an opening-round bye.

Radical athletics plan Press Trust of India

Will take on Mumbai School Sports Association

LeBron James

Paris

The European Athletics Council has come up with a radical plan that would wipe out existing European and World records and set a clean slate as part of the fight against doping. The proposal was adopted during the Council’s meeting in Paris over the weekend. The project proposes that World and European records only be recognised if achieved at approved international events and if the athlete concerned

“has been subject to an agreed number of doping control tests in the months leading up to the performance”, a statement said. All records set before a date that has yet to be defined will remain but only on a list of old records. The plan will be put forward to the council meeting of world governing body the IAAF in August. IAAF president Sebastian Coe, who attended the Council meeting in Paris, indicated that he was in favour of the proposal.

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THE HINDU CROSSWORD 11997 1

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12 Warnings seen at harbour limits (8) 14 Convulsive patients drop regressive volunteers in arch (6)

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17 Makes announcements calling servants (5) 18 Troubles cartoon character after losing the rabbit (4) 19 Large spinner is seen at the circus (3,3)

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3 Cricket player, without directions, becomes a crime ighter (6) 4 Mother has two post graduate degrees (4) 5 Perhaps, persons solving your crosswords having intricate clueing supernaturally, for starters (8) 6 Spouse rewrote books (6) 7 Further, the dal soup contains it, too (4)

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21 After a Los Angeles cocktail, cater as ordered from the menu (1,2,5)

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23 Derogated, gave up tea, and became shabby (3-5) 27

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■ ACROSS 8 Ajeet lew backwards in Tanganyika (4) 9 Violently, Ma slapped a protruding part of the neck (5,5)

CM YK

FAITH

SUDOKU

26 Thank Letitia for hiding a bit of jewellery (6) 27 A detective followed a criminal enthusiastically to Indian cook-house, initially, and found vinegar (6,4) 28 Occupied with something, state tax officer? (2,2) ■ DOWN

10 Little Thomas was called twice to drum (3-3)

1 Ann had nothing before getting the party car in this year, for example (4,6)

11 You left dancing courtesan for family elder (8)

2 Laws about presence of tritium in igurines (8)

13 Greek character, depending upon the case, signiies summation or standard deviation (5) 15 The last hole before the bar? (10) 17 Where a plumber might store his smoking equipment, perhaps (4,4) 18 Switching lights off during air raid sounds like a racist order (8) 20 Score? XX! (6) 22 Publicity pieces about combat medals (6) 24 At one time, cone was modiied (4) 25 Bird often seen on cricket scoreboards (4)

Solution to puzzle 11996 D A M O C L E S

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A L WA R T O R U C OM E T U E O E M I N A R I S S P I A N E E R A L L Y S I E E E D L E S V T I T E N I N G R N H H E I G H T

Solution to yesterday’s Sudoku

Is the world in which we live real? On what grounds is its reality established? Is it because of the worldly objectsor is it because of the experiences it affords to the individual? The Mandukya Upanishad analyses the experiences in one’s waking and dream states to show that the tendency to regard dream as unreal and waking as real is only a partial understanding of the whole truth, pointed out Sri Goda Venkateswara Sastrigal in a discourse. An impartial study, without prejudice to either the dream or waking state , can reveal a striking truth which is very pertinent and important to all beings. Normally, the dream world appears to be unreal in comparison with the waking world. The objects of the waking world appear to be of more practical value than the dream objects, again, by a comparison of the two states. To the waking mind, the dream world is unreal while the immediate world is very much real. Likewise it is possible that the dreaming mind can also assert the validity of the dream world and experiences. When dreaming, one experiences joy, sorrow or pain as one would in the waking state. But when one passes from the dream to the waking state, one easily concludes that the waking world is certainly more real than the dream. The Upanishad extends this argument further to show that a realised soul is able to intuitively perceive the waking world and its experiences as equally false as the dream world experiences. When one understands the truth of the Brahman and its myriad manifestations, the apparent reality of the world is accepted. The individual learns to sift the true from the false and the illusory as when one recognises the mirage as only a false appearance of water. The purpose of the investigation is to realise the self and this is fortunately possible because of human birth. A ND-ND

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THE HINDU

SPORT 17

NOIDA/DELHI

WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 2017

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IN BRIEF

Klopp’s message to his players WATFORD

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp told his players to gird their loins for the Premier League run-in after they retained control of their top-four destiny with victory at Watford. “We need to stay focused. We have pressure until the end of the season. It means we are fighting for something. So we’ll do everything for the points we can get, but it won’t be easy,” Klopp said. AFP

Best goal I have ever scored, says Can WATFORD

Emre Can has said his sensational bicycle kick that secured Liverpool a crucial 1-0 win over Watford was his best ever goal. “I have never scored a goal like that —maybe when I was younger. That is the best goal I’ve ever scored,” Can said. AFP

Chhetri, Jamil get AIFF top awards NEW DELHI

Bengaluru FC striker Sunil Chhetri was named as the best player of the I-League while Khalid Jamil, who guided Aizawl FC to a historic title win, was expectedly chosen as the coach of the year. Other awards: Best Goalkeeper: Debjit Majumder; Best Defender: Anas Edathodika; Best Midfielder: Alfred Kemah Jaryan; Best Emerging Player: Jerry Lalrinzuala.

TV PICKS Hockey: Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, India vs Japan, STAR Sports 2 & HD 2, 1.30 p.m. West Indies vs Pakistan: 2nd Test, TEN 3 & TEN 1 HD, 7.30 p.m. Europa League: TEN 1, 10.15 p.m. Champions League: TEN 2, 12.15 a.m. (Thursday) NBA: Sony Six & Sony Six HD, 5.30 a.m. (Thursday)

Free-scoring Monaco faces Juventus wall The visitor has never been eliminated by a French team in 11 previous meetings Reuters Paris

Monaco has scored plenty of goals this season and boasts one of European soccer’s most exciting newcomers in striker Kylian Mbappe but that might not be enough to break down the defensive wall of Juventus in the Champions League semifinals. Mbappe, 18, has scored 18 goals in his last 18 competitive games, including three in the 6-3 aggregate win over Borussia Dortmund in the last eight. The pacy forward provides a symbol for the rise of a fine counter-attacking team featuring other dangerous players such as Colombian marksman Radamel Falcao. It takes more than that, however, to impress Juventus, the tightest defence in Europe’s top club competition with just two goals conceded in this campaign. “Even Barcelona could not score in two games against them so it will be complicated for us,” Monaco’s Poland defender Kamil Glik said ahead of Wednesday first leg in the principality. Juventus, which has advanced to the last four with an aggregate 3-0 win over Barca, was held to a 2-2 draw at Atalanta in a rare defensive mix-up in Serie A on Friday. Its pedigree and record for being impregnable when it matters, however, suggests Juventus should be regarded as the favourite. “Monaco have technical and tactical qualities as well as talented young players,” Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri said. “They do not have the same history as Juventus but

Can’s stunner dumps Watford Sevilla’s CL hopes dented as Malaga wins Andalusian derby Agencies Watford

Liverpool’s Emre Can produced a goal of stunning brilliance to earn a crucial 1-0 victory at Watford on Monday that boosts the Reds’ push for a top-four finish in the Premier League. A game that had been meandering along amid much mediocrity came to life on the stroke of halftime when Can’s extraordinary overhead scissors kick from Lucas’s chipped through ball rocketed into the top corner. The strike illuminated a dull first-half which had just been enlivened by substitute Adam Lallana’s dipping volley for the visitor that struck the bar. The victory strengthened Liverpool’s hold on third place with 69 points, three

Yes he Can! Emre Can produced a piece of individual brilliance that might just secure Liverpool Champions League qualiication. REUTERS *

points clear of fourth-placed Manchester City and four ahead of Manchester United, which is fifth. In La Liga, Sevilla’s chances of automatic Cham-

pions League qualification suffered a huge blow on Monday as Malaga edged a six-goal Andalusian derby 4-2. The results: Premier League:

HOCKEY

Pakistan makes steady progress

Australia beats India

Agence France-Presse Bridgetown

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE that does not mean it will be easy for us to make it to the final,” he added. While Allegri can rely on a fully-fit squad, his Monaco counterpart Leonardo Jardim, criticised for fielding a B-team in a 5-0 French Cup semifinal thrashing by Paris St Germain last week, has a defensive worry with midfield dynamo Tiemoue Bakayoko doubtful due to a broken nose. Monaco has shone in Europe and at home this season and its domestic title hopes received a welcome boost when a nervous PSG side lost 3-1 at Nice on Sunday, leaving the club from the French Riviera three points clear at the top with a game in hand.

Monaco, by contrast, reached the Champions League final only once, in 2004, losing 3-0 to a Porto side coached by Jose Mourinho after a great run featuring wins over Real Madrid and Chelsea. The sides have faced each other twice before on the Champions League stage with Juventus winning both ties, in the 1998 semifinals and the 2015 quarters. Juventus has never been eliminated by a French team in 11 previous meetings in European club competitions.

La Liga: Malaga 4 (Fornals 38, Ramirez 51, llorente 77, Carlos 90+3) bt Sevilla 2 (Vazquez 30, 57).

CRICKET

Agencies IPOH (Malaysia)

Juventus, meanwhile, is closing in on a record sixth straight Serie A title and can turn to its European history for inspiration, having won the showcase club competition twice, in 1985 and 1996.

Watford 0 lost to Liverpool 1 (Can 45+2).

Azhar Ali crawled to within six runs of a hundred as Pakistan reached 226 for three at lunch on the third day of the second Test at Kensington Oval in Barbados on Tuesday. Misbah-ul-Haq was also at his most obdurate as a tedious morning’s play saw the tourists progress by 54 runs off 26 overs from their overnight position without losing a wicket. Ali added 11 runs to his total and will resume in the afternoon session on 94 alongside his captain who reached the interval unbeaten on 40 as Pakistan laboured hard in reply to the West Indies first innings total of 312. Both batsmen found runscoring extremely difficult on a pitch showing greater signs of wear and offering increasingly variable

bounce. West Indies captain Jason Holder summoned the second new ball after the 81st over, and while Shannon Gabriel appeared to have sorted out the no-ball problem which plagued his efforts on the second day, neither he nor the other faster bowlers were able to separate the fourth-wicket pair.

SCOREBOARD West Indies — 1st innings: 312. Pakistan — 1st innings: Azhar Ali (batting) 94, A. Shehzad c Hope b Bishoo 70, B. Azam c & b Gabriel 0, Younis Khan c Gabriel b Bishoo 0, Misbah ul Haq (batting) 40; Extras (b-6, lb-6, nb-10): 22; Total (for three wkts., in 95 overs): 226. Fall of wickets: 1-155, 2-156, 3-161. West Indies bowling: Gabriel 26-5-69-1, Joseph 17-5-36-0, Chase 12-1-42-0, Holder 15-910-0, Bishoo 25-9-57-2.

India put up a spirited show before squandering the early lead to go down 3-1 against defending champion Australia in a league match of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament, here on Tuesday. After managing to hold the world champion in the first quarter, India took the lead in the 25th minute through a field goal from Harmanpreet Singh. But

Australia pumped in three field goals to maintain its position at the top. Eddie Ockenden (30th minute), Tom Craig (34th) and Tom Wickham (51st) scored. The results: Australia 3 (Eddie Ockenden 30, Tom Craig 34, Tom Wickham 51) bt India 1 (Harmanpreet Singh 26). New Zealand 3 (Kane Russell 18, 32; Same Lane 35) bt Japan 2 (Shota Yamada 9, 50); Great Britain 1 (Alan Forsyth 26) bt Malaysia 0.

First strike: Harmanpreet Singh celebrates with Mandeep Singh after putting India ahead against Australia. PTI *

SNOOKER

Selby retains title Fourth in the past 40 years to do so

One for the album: Mark Selby poses with daughter Soia Maria and wife Vikki after his triumph. AFP *

Reuters Sheffield

England’s Mark Selby produced a magnificent comeback to beat John Higgins 18-15 in the final of the World snooker championship at Crucible Theatre on Monday and win the global crown for the third time. The defending champion from Leicester had found himself 10-4 down at one point on Sunday after an uncharacteristically poor day

at the table and was staring at defeat in the 35-frame showpiece against Scotland’s four-time winner Higgins. Selby became only the fourth player after Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O’Sullivan to win back-to-back titles since the event was first held at The Crucible in 1977. He collected a record £375,000 cheque for his stupendous effort.

TENNIS

Bhambri advances Sports Bureau Gimcheon (Korea)

Yuki Bhambri got past wild card Hong SeongChan 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 in the first round of the $50,000 Challenger tennis tournament in Korea on Tuesday. In the $25,000 ITF Futures in Nigeria, Haadin Bava knocked out seventh seed Fernando Romboli in straight sets. He was joined in the pre-quarterfinals by Sasi Kumar Mukund who beat compatriot Anvit Bendre. The results (all first round): $50,000 Challenger, Gimcheon, Korea: Yuki Bhambri bt Hong Seong-Chan (Kor) 6-3, 3-6, 6-4. $25,000 Futures, Abuja: Sasi Kumar Mukund bt Anvit Bendre 6-2, 6-4; Ivan Marrero Curbelo (Esp) bt Rishabdev Raman 6-2, 6-0; Haadin Bava bt Fernando Romboli (Bra) 6-3, 6-4. $15,000 ITF women, Cairo: Anastasia Gevel (Ukr) & Anastasia Sukhotina (Rus) bt Yusra Hegy (Egy) & Swara Kulkarni 6-0, 6-3. $15,000 ITF women, Antalya, Turkey: Barbara Gatica (Chi) bt Mahak Jain 7-5, 6-2.

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wednesday 앫 may 3, 2017

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‘Baseless allegations’

‘More Metro links soon’

An eye for talent

Upcycle your car

JNU teachers say claims made by assistant professor about car being vandalised are ‘baseless’ Page 2

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar inaugurates Rapid Metro’s South Extension Line Page 4

Fashion stylist and choreographer Prasad Bidapa talks about his knack for spotting models Page 5

If you don’t want restore your old car, you may consider turning it into a work of art Page 6

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IN BRIEF

Shah sets sight on 2020 elections BJP celebrates victory in civic polls; party president says Delhi win will put an end to ‘negativity politics’ sitting together here... I believe this is possible nowhere else but in the BJP. I salute the worker in each of you for marching on with the party's decision,” he said, asking them to “be more humble, more polite, more responsible and more answerable to the people”. Terming it the beginning of a journey instead of the destination, Mr. Shah exhorted the 181 newly-elected party councillors to work hard and deliver on PM Modi’s agenda of development. “Winning the election was not our aim, it is the foundation for the party’s win in the Delhi Assembly elections [2020]. The parties that forget their losses end up losing their momentum. The Delhi municipal team has to remember that a win in the Assembly polls will be based on the foundation of your hard work,” Mr. Shah said.

Jatin Anand New Delhi

Voices of dissent gain pitch in AAP NEW DELHI

The war of words between AAP’s founder member Kumar Vishwas and party MLA Amanatullah Khan seems to have created a rift among AAP members too. The party's Political Afairs Committee meeting, which was supposed to be held around 7 p.m. on Tuesday, was cancelled because of the diferences in the party, sources said. CITY

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‘Frame standards for emission by industries’ NEW DELHI

The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to prepare standards for emission by industries in the National Capital Region (NCR) to bring down the level of air pollutants. CITY

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IGNOU moves towards building a virtual library NEW DELHI

The Indira Gandhi National Open University has started a training programme to build a large force of library professionals to create a National Virtual Library of India. The aim is to create a catalogue of all books and artefacts of all ibraries in India. CITY 쑺 PAGE 2 DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

A week after it swept the municipal elections in Delhi, the BJP on Tuesday celebrated its win at a ‘vijay parv’, or victory festival, where its national president Amit Shah declared that the saffron party had its sight squarely set on securing the people’s mandate in the 2020 Delhi Assembly polls. Speaking at the Civic Centre, Mr. Shah said that the party’s victory in the municipal polls, which it had not chosen to celebrate in light of the Sukma attack last week, was an answer to critics who felt that “the Modi rath [wagon]” would stop in Delhi. He thanked the citizens of the Capital for “a massive mandate”, which he said should be interpreted as “a stamp on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policies” and model of governance which completes three years this month.

‘Modi rath keeps moving’ “Those against the ideology of our party were eagerly awaiting when PM Modi’s vijay rath, which travels across the nation, would reach Delhi. They were nursing hopes that perhaps this wagon will cease here. But thanks to the hard work, strategy and enthusiasm of our workers, this wagon has moved further on,” Mr. Shah said. Terming the party’s victory in Delhi “more massive than the ones before” and a “lesson” to practitioners of “polit-

Looking ahead: BJP national president Amit Shah (left) with the party’s Delhi chief Manoj Tiwari. Mr. Shah said that the BJP’s victory in the municipal polls was the “foundation” for the 2020 Assembly elections in the Capital. SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA *

ics of negativity” — taking a jibe at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and other political rivals — Mr. Shah said: “This win has put a stop to what had gradually become a new chapter of negativity politics, which saw some people trying to substitute excuses for delivering on promises and performance and a stop to the practice of finding faults in one thing or another to spread anarchy in the country.” Dedicating the victory to

More hotels in Haryana allowed to serve liquor

the party’s worker “at the lowest level”, Mr. Shah said that Mr. Kejriwal has alleged that the BJP won due to the EVMs but that if he wanted to “find out the real cause, then he should meet our booth in-charges”. Referring to the party’s decision to not field sitting councillors, which senior leaders have hailed as the sole reason that helped it combat anti-incumbency and allegations of corruption over the last 10

years it headed the civic bodies, Mr. Shah said that a win despite such a rider was only possible for the BJP and that an increase in the party’s responsibilities needed to be shouldered with humility.

‘More responsibility’ “This win has increased the responsibility of the BJP manifold. Today, those who were not able to contest the polls, those who won the polls and those who lost the polls are

Jibe at former PM Mr. Shah also took a jibe at former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh of the Congress whom he termed “a silent Prime Minister. “The people of the country wanted a talking PM, one whose voice they could hear. They were frustrated with a silent Prime Minister. They were wondering where the leadership of their country went. Why no one in the world was listening to it. That is all they wanted. PM Modi doesn’t walk or run; he leaps, just like the county is leaping forward,” Mr. Shah said.

Woman held in ‘honey-trap’ case Involved in similar case before: police Staff Reporter NEW DELHI

A woman who allegedly honey-trapped and blackmailed a BJP MP was arrested from her home in Ghaziabad on Tuesday. The woman, who had accused the politician of rape, has been sent to five-day police custody by a special court. BJP MP from Gujarat’s Valsad, K. C. Patel, had filed a complaint last week alleging that the woman had invited him to a house in Ghaziabad where she spiked his drink and shot obscene videos and photos of him. Mr. Patel said the woman used the videos and photos to blackmail him for ₹5 crore. Based on Mr. Patel’s complaint, the police had registered a case under Section 384 (extortion) of the IPC. After further probe, charges under Section 8 of the Prevention of Corruption Act (obtaining gratification, by corrupt or illegal means, to influence public servant), have been added.

‘I am the victim’ “We’ll check if she has other associates... CCTV cameras were installed in the house where the videos were shot. We are investigating if there were other systems installed,” said Special Commissioner of Police (New Delhi range) Mukesh Kumar Meena. The woman has, however,

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Sticky wicket

Fate of CyberHub still unclear, authorities waiting for report

BJP MP K. C. Patel said she is the victim in the case and was being framed by the police, which was working under political pressure. “The entire prosecution story has been cooked up,” she claimed. The woman had earlier approached a city court claiming that the police had not acted on her rape complaint against the lawmaker, following which an action taken report was sought.

Earlier case The police said that the woman was involved in a similar case before. “This woman had earlier filed a rape case against another MP in Tilak nagar police station, but when she was produced in court, she gave a different version,” said Mr Meena. “We are checking her previous records to see if she has treated other influential people the same way and whether she was going to approach other politicians for the same,” he added.

Shut down all shops inside schools, HC tells CBSE Press Trust of India

green signal by the department. However, the fate of CyberHub remains undecided with the monitoring committee still awaiting a report from the DLF.

Ashok Kumar GURUGRAM

Five more premises, including The Leela, The Oberoi and The Trident, have got the Haryana Excise Commissioner’s nod for renewal of their liquor licences. The approval comes as a big relief for the State’s hospitality sector that has been reeling under the Supreme Court’s order banning sale and serving of liquor within 500 metres from the highways, which came into effect from April 1.

Liquor starts flowing Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner (West) H. C. Dahiya said that the report regarding the five premises was sent to the Haryana Excise Commissioner last week and the approval for renewal of licences came on April 28. Mallika Dasgupta, manager of communications at The Oberoi, confirmed that

Apology pips money in defamation cases: HC

The Leela, The Oberoi and The Trident have received approval to serve liquor.

the hotels had started serving liquor in wake of the approval. Besides the three hotels, approval was also granted to Gymkhana Club in Sector 29 and the Country Inns and Suites. Earlier, 30 bars, including those in Sector 29 and Ambience Mall, were given a

Report awaited “The DLF must submit an approval report from the Department of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) regarding closure of its entry and exit points. A decision will be taken based on the report,” said an Excise and Taxation Department official, adding that the report was expected by the end of this week. Meanwhile, a senior DTCP official in Gurugram said that the local office had sent the report to Chandigarh for approval. “The final decision will be made considering several factors, including minimum parking space required for the premises,” said a local DTCP official.

New Delhi

Corridor of uncertainty: A massive traic jam on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg during an IPL match at the Feroze Shah Kotla Ground on Tuesday. SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR *

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Govt. puts on hold directive to install air puriiers in schools Experts, schools welcome step; had contended that move would have cost a lot of money and would not have the desired efect Sunil Dahiya, campaigner with Greenpeace India, said that steps need to be taken to reduce air pollution at the source and measures like wearing masks, installing air purifiers and reducing outdoor activity for students should be last-resort measures.

Jaideep Deo Bhanj

Press Trust of India

NEW DELHI

New Delhi

The Delhi government on Tuesday decided to keep in “abeyance” its directive to schools in the city to install air purifiers for combating air pollution. The Directorate of Education (DoE), however, did not specify any reason for suspending the directive within a few days of issuing it.

Public apology in defamation matters is a more appropriate relief than monetary damages, the Delhi High Court has said. Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw said that compensation in monetary damages can never set the record straight or restore the damaged reputation caused by a libellous news report. The verdict came as it decided a nearly 20-year-old defamation suit filed by Tosiba Appliances against Japanese company Toshiba, a magazine and an advocate. The court directed the magazine to publish a clarification within six weeks. CM YK

‘Impractical’ The decision comes in the backdrop of many schools raising concern that the “massive” exercise could cost them a lot of money. Environment experts welcomed the move to withdraw the decision saying that installing air purifiers in

quality of air is hazardous

classrooms was “impractical”, given that it is not an air-locked environment, and could trigger a spike in the levels of carbon dioxide — instead of containing air pollution. Anumita Roychowdhury, an executive director of the

Centre for Science and Environment and the head of its air pollution and clean transport programme, said that a classroom was a dynamic environment and installing air purifiers would not be the best way to protect children.

“If a child spends close to eight hours in a confined environment with an air purifier running, there would be a build-up of CO2 that would cause fatigue, and health of the children would be severely compromised,” she said.

‘Health hazard’ “Any environment that lets air in from the outside, like most classrooms, are not conducive for air purifiers to work properly. If all doors and windows are closed to make the machine run, the ambient air would create a health hazard,” he said. On April 26, the DoE circular had directed principals of schools to install

air purifiers and submit a compliance report within 15 days. The circular had read: “The air quality of Delhi needs to be improved. In view of the gravity of harm to human health due to inferior air quality, improvement by even a decimal would go a long way in improving public health. Thus, schools should take action to install air filters as per need”. The circular had also asked schools to “create social awareness on the adverse impact on public health due to indiscriminate burning of crackers for different festivities” and to take steps through co-curricular activities to encourage kids to co-operate in improving the air quality in the Capital.

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to ensure that schools affiliated to it do not indulge in commercial activities, such as selling books and uniforms, inside their campuses. A Bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Anu Malhotra also noted that the CBSE has recently issued a circular in this regard. “We are disposing of the writ petition with direction to the CBSE to ensure that its circular is strictly complied with by the institutions,” the Bench said, after the Board’s counsel submitted that another circular was issued on April 19 on the same matter. The court’s directions came during the hearing of a PIL filed by social worker Sunil Pokhriyal seeking direction to restrain the schools from using their buildings to run commercial activities, such as selling of books and uniforms.

‘Making wilful gain’ The plea, filed on March 3, had urged the court to enforce the CBSE’s February 21, 2011, circular that forbid schools from using their premises for any commercial activity or have shops to sell books, uniforms or stationery in the campus. The plea submitted that the Board has given parents a free hand to purchase these items from the open market, but the public schools were not allowing this to happen. It had alleged that the school shops are being run by people known to the school management and the institutions made “wilful gain” from these businesses. “A pair of shoes, which is available for ₹500 in the market, costs ₹1,200 in the school’s store,” the plea had alleged. B ND-ND

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IN BRIEF

After 23-year trial, former dean, lawyer sent to jail Court blames police for ‘leaving no stone unturned to distort the case’, directs police chief to probe the role of SHO on the night of the incident Akanksha Jain New Delhi

Denied access to oice, vehicle: EDMC Mayor NEW DELHI

East Delhi Mayor Satya Sharma on Tuesday alleged that she wasn’t allowed to access her office and official vehicle over tenure-related issues. “On April 28, civic authorities directed my staff that I wasn’t eligible to access my office or official car as the mayoral tenure has ended,” she said. PTI

Irked by promotional calls, man moves HC NEW DELHI

Acting on the complaint of a man who got promotional calls and SMSes despite being registered under the 'do not disturb' service, the Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked the government and a private cellular operator to respond. PTI

No action against Yemeni student till May 11: HC NEW DELHI

The High Court on Tuesday came to the rescue of a Yemeni student, who doesn’t want to be deported due to threat to life in Yemen on expiry of his visa (on May 4), by directing the government not to take any action against him till May 11. PTI

Over 19,000 applications for 930 DU faculty posts Staff Reporter New Delhi

The Registrar of Delhi University on Tuesday said serious efforts were being made to fill up various vacant faculty positions. He said the university had received 19,065 applications in response to an advertisement for 930 vacant posts.

Last date The university said the last date for receiving applications for the position of Assistant Professor was over, but the last date to apply for the posts of Associate Professor and Professor was May 15. DU said vacancies include 378 positions at the Assistant Professorlevel, 399 positions at the Associate Professor-level and 153 positions at the Professor-level. Highest number The Registrar said the highest number of applications were received from Uttar Pradesh (5,424), followed by Delhi (4,137), Haryana (1,790), Rajasthan (1,131), Bihar (1,082) and West Bengal (1,038). Of the total applications, 369 are from the persons with disabilities category, 708 from the Scheduled Tribes category, 3,100 from the Scheduled Castes category and 3,757 from OBC category. DU said the process of appointment of principals to various colleges has also started.

A 23-year-long trial in a case of house trespass and robbery finally ended with three-year imprisonment to three convicts — a former dean of Faculty of Law, Chaudhary Charan Singh University, a practising lawyer from Meerut, Uttar Pradesh and and an agriculturist — despite the police “leaving no stone unturned to distort the case”.

No crime scene photos Blaming the police for the delay in the trial, Metropolitan Magistrate Virender Singh said “the worst was the investigating officer’s statement that he had nothing to do with the case”. All convicts in the case are

over 60 years of age. Proceedings against the fourth accused stood abated due to his demise. Former dean Yash Pal Singh, lawyer Maharaj Singh and agriculturist Satish were held guilty of the offence under Section 457 of the Indian Penal Code. The Metropolitan Magistrate noted that offences of theft and mischief couldn’t be proved as the police never arrested the accused or even bothered to take photographs of the crime scene.

Hand in glove Advocate Amit Rana, the counsel for the complainant, said they had been fighting a 23-year-long legal battle where the police were hand in glove with the accused. Metropolitan Magistrate

worse can be imagined from the SHO who < > Nothing is presumed to be the guardian of the rights of persons who are residing in his jurisdiction. The interest of justice would not be served if action is not recommended against him Virender Singh Metropolitan Magistrate

noted: “The investigating agency did its best to distort the case. It’s only due to extra efforts by the court and the complainant that the case has reached its conclusion.” The judge ordered an inquiry against the then Station House Officer of Badli police station Madan Jeet Singh, who had allegedly visited the crime scene and instructed the forensic team against picking up chance prints or taking photographs. The SHO later told

Allegations by asst professor baseless, say JNU teachers Prof. had claimed attack on car following tributes to jawans Staff Reporter New Delhi

Responding to allegations by Jawaharlal Nehru University Assistant Professor Buddha Singh that his car was vandalised and home attacked for organising an event to condole the death of jawans at Sukma and Kupwara, a section of the university faculty termed his allegations “baseless”.

Hasty conclusions The teachers said such hasty conclusions were being drawn for the first time and that instead of probing the incident, it has been recast as some kind of political conspiracy and vendetta. They expressed shock over how Prof. Singh’s tweet alleging violence went viral, raising speculations and allegations. The statement, issued by 32 JNU teachers, said, “Obviously the incident in which the windshield of the car was found shattered in the morning is worrisome and a cause for concern. Yet, it is not an isolated incident on an otherwise safe campus.” The statement added that other faculty members living on campus have suffered due to random acts of van-

Charges levelled: The statement by JNU teachers said instead of probing the incident, it has been recast as some kind of a political conspiracy. FILE PHOTO: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR *

dalism in different parts of the university over the past few months. “However, no one until now made either baseless allegations or blamed students’ groups or levelled charges against any particular political ideology,” said the teachers, adding that at a time when the JNU community was facing grave challenges and its excellent academic environment was at risk, it was the duty of the faculty to maintain calm.

‘Adding to anxiety’ “Instead, such baseless allegations are adding to a situation of anxiety and distress, especially for students

who are in the midst of examinations, other than facing an uncertain future,” they said. In a complaint to the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Singh had stated: “I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the safety and security of teachers and their families on this campus are under serious threat. There was an attack on my car and home as reward for paying tribute to our martyrs at Sabarmati Dhaba. Due to that, I feel unsafe and fearful for my family.” He had added that this wasn’t the first time that “anti-India elements had celebrated the death of our jawans”.

IGNOU aims to create virtual library Initiative by university, Culture Ministry, Kolkata foundation Staff Reporter New Delhi

The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has started imparting training to build a large force of library professionals to create a National Virtual Library of India. IGNOU Vice-Chancellor Ravindra Kumar on Tuesday inaugurated a five-day training workshop, organised jointly by the university, the Ministry of Culture and Kolk-

ata-based Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation.

Open source platform The National Virtual Library project, a joint initiative under the Ministry’s National Mission on Libraries, seeks to create a catalogue of libraries across India which, apart from books, will include artefacts and other resources from libraries, museums, archives, etc., using an open source platform

Koha. Mr. Kumar emphasised the need for capacity building of library professionals due to adoption of information communication technology applications in all walks of life. Uma Kanjilal of IGNOU said the major tasks ahead for the university were collection of bibliographic records of major libraries in India, avoiding record duplication and transliteration interface in Koha.

the court that he had no idea why his name was mentioned as witness since had no relation with the case.

Probe against SHO “In the considered opinion of this court, nothing worse can be imagined from the SHO who is presumed to be the guardian of the rights of persons who are residing in his jurisdiction. The interest of justice would not be served if action is not recommended against him,” said Mr. Virender Singh, while

directing the Commissioner of Police to find out if he was actually the officiating SHO of the police station on the night of the incident. The incident dates back December 2, 1993, at Kadipur village here. Complainant Sulakshana and her family were asleep at their residence, when a sound from the storeroom woke her up at about 1.30 a.m. She spotted her husband’s cousin Satish holding double barrel rifle, besides her brothers-in-law Rajinder and Yash Pal, in the house. She remained hidden till they left. She rushed to the room where her husband was asleep and the couple called up the police. Among items missing were gold and silver jewellery, ₹35,000 in cash,

Press Trust of India New Delhi

The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to prepare standards for emission by industries in the National Capital Region (NCR) to bring down the level of air pollutants.

Seven months A Bench of Justices M. B. Lokur and Deepak Gupta directed the CPCB to prepare the standards for emission by June 30, which should be followed by industries by December this year. Senior advocate Harish Salve, who is assisting the court in the case, submitted that standards for

problem of air < > The pollution is very serious and solutions are needed urgently rather than in years Supreme Court

emission should be formulated and industries should be closed down if they do not comply with the standards within seven months.

Industrial fuel Mr. Salve, who is appearing in a 1985 PIL filed by environmentalist M. C. Mehta, also highlighted the ill-effects of petcoke and furnace oil used in industries on ambient air and said that emissions from such units were highly toxic as

Pre-summer ritual As per the Jal Board’s summer action plan document, an annual pre-summer ritual, the water utility would work towards increasing production from its treatment plants, tubewells and ranney wells, as well as ramping up use of recycled waste-water. Model Code of Conduct Though Delhi’s supply of raw water hasn’t increased, the Jal Board is aiming to improve efficiency and reduce losses to add supply. Unlike previous years, the summer action plan was not CM YK

municipal elections in the Capital, a senior Jal Board official said. Elections to two wards are pending.

As per the plan, the water utility would aim to increase production from its treatment plants to 829 MGD and

Sulphur-heavy fuels The apex court-appointed Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA), on the other hand, claimed that even China has stopped using sulphurheavy fuels since 2014 and that Indian industries have been buying petcoke. The EPCA counsel said emission of sulphur oxides and nitrogen oxides have to be brought down for improving NCR’s air quality. Solicitor-General Ranjit Kumar said standards will be prescribed but some time is needed to persuade industries operating in the NCR to switchover to al-

ternative fuels. The Bench said the CPCB should come up with standards for emission by June. The court had earlier said the problem of air pollution was very serious and that solutions were needed urgently rather than in years. The Centre had said consultations among stakeholders were being held regarding banning of petcoke and furnace oil as industrial fuel in NCR. It had said that reports had been sought from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research; National Physical Laboratory, Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry; The Energy and Resource Institute and industrial houses over banning of such fuels.

Asks for detailed document to check whether AAP govt. followed procedure Staff Reporter New Delhi

Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal has sought a detailed report from the government over dismantling of the Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) corridor built by the Sheila Dikshit-led Congress government in south Delhi. Constructed at a cost of nearly ₹180 crore, the 6.2km-long corridor was allegedly branded a failure and held responsible for serial traffic jams and accidents, and the general lack of pedestrian safety.

Poll promise In a note to the Transport Commissioner, the Raj Niwas sought information on whether the Aam Aadmi Party government followed procedure in dismantling the BRT corridor. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had in January last year launched the process of dismantling the corridor. Scrapping of the traffic project, built in 2008,

Preventive maintenance Of that, nine treatment plants produced 787.50 MGD, four recycling plants produced 30 MGD and ranney wells and tubewells supplied 80 MGD. With preventive maintenance of plants being completed, the Jal Board is hoping to stave off shut-downs and maintain peak production levels as needed. released officially at an event this time due to the Model Code of Conduct being enforced ahead of the April 23

these released high sulphur content.

L-G seeks report on BRT dismantling

supply from tubewells and ranney wells to 85 MGD. The total number of tubewells would be increased to 4,244 by adding 119 new ones before the peak summer hits. As of April 10, the most recent date for which the daily water production report is available, the DJB produced 897.50 MGD of water.

Come peak summer, the Delhi Jal Board would be aiming to produce 914 million gallons per day (MGD) of treated water, increasing its target from last year’s 900 MGD.

Son kidnapped, killed The couple even moved High Court due to pressure from the accused and entered into a settlement after their 14year-old son Sonu was abducted when the case was at the stage of charge. When the case finally re-opened, Sonu was murdered. Sulakshana told the court that Yash Pal held a grudge against her husband Vijay Pal since her mother-in-law had willed some land in the name of Yash Pal’s wife Raj Dulari. Mr. Vijay Pal was engaged in a civil litigation with his sister Raj Dulari.

SC tells CPCB to frame norms by June 30; units get till Dec for implementation

‘Public duty’: Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had launched the process of dismantling the 6.2-km-long corridor from Ambedkar Nagar to Moolchand in south Delhi in January last year. FILE PHOTO: SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA *

was one of the poll promises of the AAP. The Delhi government had approved ₹11 crore for dismantling of the BRT corridor from Ambedkar Nagar to Moolchand in south Delhi. The Capital’s Anti-Corrup-

Delhi’s supply of raw water not increased, but the water utility seeks to improve eiciency and reduce losses NEW DELHI

Delay in filing complaint While Sulakshana’s statement was recorded on February 13, 1993, the FIR was registered two months later, after the complainant approached several higher-ups. The complainant was even threatened with prosecution for bringing up a “false” case against the accused. The police then filed a final untraced report with no arrests or recovery. It was after the complainant pursued the matter that the court summoned the four men she had seen in her house and charges were framed against them. The complainant had requested the police to pick up chance

fingerprints from the refrigerator and telephone, which the accused had touched. However, the police refused to do so.

‘Frame standards for emission by industries’

Jal Board aims to increase water supply this summer Damini Nath

and ammunition for a rifle and a revolver.

Various proposals In order to prevent leakage and contamination, the action plan proposed replacing

65 km of old pipelines as well as laying 360 km of new ones.

tion Branch had in July 2016 raided the offices of the Public Works Department (PWD) and the Transport Department following allegations of irregularities in the dismantling of the corridor by the Opposition Bharatiya Janata

‘Chandrawal treatment plant functional’ DJB says normal water supply restored Staff Reporter New Delhi

‘No crisis’ In addition, the action plan has proposed supplying water through 932 tankers at 16,668 supply points to those who lack access to piped water. While the Jal Board is hoping that this summer goes off without a crisis, it has set up several mechanisms to receive complaints. Consumer complaints Consumers can register complaints through the helpline, 1916, or the DJB app or website. As per the action plan, the water utility received 2.20 lakh complaints regarding water contamination, lack of water supply and sewer blockages from April 1, 2016, till October 31, 2016. About 98% of these have been addressed.

Party. Refuting allegations after the raid, Mr. Sisodia had said he had initiated the dismantling on people’s demand and declared that he was ready to “go to jail” for fulfilling his “public duty.”

Water supply to parts of north, central and south Delhi would return to normal by Wednesday morning, after four days of shortage due to the Chandrawal treatment plant being shut because of planned works, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) said on Tuesday.

New main pipelines The DJB’s Chandrawal water treatment plant had been closed completely so that new main pipelines laid at Azad Market Chowk and DCM Chowk could be connected. The work was supposed to affect supply for 36 hours starting April 29 evening in Civil Lines; Hindu Rao Hospital and adjoining areas; Kamla Nagar; Shakti Nagar and adjoining areas; Karol

Bagh; Paharganj; Old and New Rajendra Nagar; Patel Nagar (East and West); Baljeet Nagar; Inderpuri and adjoining areas; New Delhi Municipal Council areas; part of the cantonment and south Delhi However, water supply remained affected for a little longer, with the Chandrawal treatment plant re-starting operations on Monday night.

24 hours A senior Jal Board official said it would take about 24 hours after the plant started to restore supply to normal. By Tuesday night or Wednesday morning, the latest, the supply would be normal, added the official. DJB chairperson Kapil Mishra said supply had been “restored” in areas affected by the plant’s shutdown. B ND-ND

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THE HINDU

CITY 3

NOIDA/DELHI

WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 2017

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DELHI TODAY Talk: Panel discussion on “100 Days of Trump Presidency and India-US Relations”. Panelists: Gaurav Gogoi, Member of Parliament; Gurcharan Das, Writer; Amb. Meera Shankar, formerly Indian Ambassador to Germany & USA; Amb. Hardeep S. Puri, Chairman, RIS & formerly Permanent Representative to the UN; Rajesh Menon, Deputy Director General, CII; Prof. Chintamani Mahapatra, ProVice Chancellor, JNU; Moderator: Amb. Surendra Kumar, President, IAFA at Gulmohar Hall, India Habitat Centre (IHC), 7 p.m. Talk: “BRICS and Mortar: New Architecture in Education” by Dr. Kishore Singh, Former United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education. Chair: Dr. Geetha B. Nambissan, Zakir Husain Centre for Educational Studies, JNU at Conference Room – I, India International Centre (IIC), 6:30 p.m. Art: "Celestial Beneras" - group art show at Modern Art Gallery, 1426, Kashmere Gate, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Exhibition: Solo painting exhibition by Meenakshi Sadalge at Convention Centre Foyer, IHC, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Exhibition: Evergreen Delhi - solo photography Exhibition by Rajat Bhushan at Delhi 'o’ Delhi Foyer, IHC, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Exhibition: A solo show of sculptures and paintings by Gurmeet Goldie at Triveni Gallery, Triveni Kala Sangam, 205, Tansen Marg, Mandi House, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Screening: "The Consequences of Love" Italian ilm screening with English subtitles at Italian Embassy Cultural Institute, 50-E, Chandragupta Marg, Chanakyapuri, 7 p.m. (Mail your listings for this column at [email protected])

MP house attack: 5 more held 7 in net so far for allegedly ransacking Tiwari’s bungalow; cops add rioting charges 452 (house trespass after preparation for hurt, assault, or wrongful restraint), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 34 (common intention) of the IPC,” said Mr. Meena.

Staff Reporter NEW DELHI

The Delhi Police arrested five more people late on Monday for allegedly ransacking BJP’s Delhi chief Manoj Tiwari’s house and assaulting two of his staff members. The arrested persons include a cook at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Including the two who were held earlier, seven people have now been booked for rioting.

Armed with sticks The accused have been identified as Jagdish (42), who is a cook at Rashtrapati Bhavan, his brothers Jaikumar and Jaswant (33), Parshu Ram (32), Pradeep (24), Sunil Kumar (33) and Om Prakash (31). They allegedly entered Mr. Tiwari’s bungalow at Lutyens Delhi early on Monday and attacked his cook Ashok Pathak, who was standing at the gate and another staff member Abhinav who approached the gate on hearing the commotion. The accused then allegedly went inside the premises armed with rods and sticks and ran-

Nabbed: Cops with the accused at the Parliament Street police station on Tuesday. SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR *

sacked the house. Special Commissioner of Police (New Delhi range) Mukesh Kumar Meena said the police is still probing the reason for the attack. “We have recovered rods, sticks and the truck they used to commute to the house,” he said. The police had earlier said that it was a case of road rage but later denied it. A few persons arrived on motorcycles and then a few others came in a car. There was some sort of planning,” said DCP (New Delhi) B.K.

Court lets of convict, says jail may spoil rehabilitation Reduces sentence in stabbing case to period already served Staff Reporter New Delhi

Observing that sending him to jail might come in the way of his reformation, a Delhi court on Tuesday let off a convict by sentencing him to seven months’ imprisonment, which he has already served, in a case of stabbing two persons in 2015 in north-west Delhi The court also took note of the merciful stand of the victims on the quantum of sentence to be awarded to the convict. One of the victims submit-

CM YK

ted that because of the lack of financial support, the father of the convict had started begging. The convict also expressed his regret on the incident.

Clean antecedents “Keeping in mind his young age and previous clean antecedents and the fact that he has been let off by the injured persons, I am of the view that it will not be in the fitness of things if he is sent to jail now where there is every chance of coming in contact with hardened crim-

inals which may spoil the prospects of his proper rehabilitation. He is sentenced to the period already undergone by him,” Additional Sessions Judge Manoj Jain said. Holding the accused guilty, the court said that the convict had clear intention and knowledge that the injuries could have proved fatal. The accused had contended that a quarrel had taken place on the spur of the moment and the action on his part was more or less in the nature of self-defence.

Singh. The police had earlier booked the accused on charges of house trespass, criminal intimidation and causing hurt but have now added charges of rioting and culpable homicide not amounting to murder. “We have registered a case under section 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence), 308 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 323 (causing hurt),

ASI suspended Meanwhile, An ASI of the Delhi Police has been suspended for “unprofessional handling” of the case. ASI Kailash Chand was suspended on Monday and a departmental inquiry initiated against him. He had attended two calls — one from the accused and another from the BJP MP's staff — on the day of the incident. Sources said CCTV footage showed him entering Tiwari's residence along with the accused. Sources said Mr. Chand said he had attended the call and informed other PCR vans. ”He could have stopped others from entering the house. He claimed the accused followed him in but it seems the trespassing happened in his presence,” said another official. With PTI inputs

Shootout: victim’s wife suspects role of second cop Demands probe against PSO who managed to escape Hemani Bhandari NEW DELHI

Two days after Monu Sehrawat (33) was shot dead along with his personal security officer Vijay Yadav in outer Delhi’s Mianwali Nagar, his wife has demanded a probe into constable Kuldeep saying she suspects his involvement in the incident. Monu, Assistant Sub-Inspector Vijay Yadav and a friend Arun Shatry were drinking inside a car on Sunday night at National Market in Mianwali Nagar on the night of the shooting. Constable Kuldeep was also present inside the car at the time. Another friend Yogesh had also come with them in the car but he had briefly gone out to get some food. At the time of the shooting, all of them were present in the car but Yogesh. The police said Mr. Kuldeep managed to flee when unknown assailants came and open

Man found dead in drain Body left in a bag near the victim’s house in Rohini Staff Reporter NEW DELHI

A 32-year-old was allegedly murdered in the early hours of Tuesday in Rohini Sector 16. The man was found in a body bag near a drain 300 metres from his residence. No arrests have been made so far and the police are trying to identify the culprits.

Missing from home According to the police, the victim who has been identified as Abhishek Jain, worked with his father in their spare parts shop in Sector 17. He had gone to sleep at his house around 12 a.m. His wife woke up

around 5 a.m. to find him missing and started calling his peers and family members to track him. When she failed to locate him, she called the police who found the body and informed his family.

Strangulation marks “Prima facie, he was strangled to death because there are injury marks around his neck. His feet and hands were bound with a belt when his body was found,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rohini) Rishi Pal. The police said that the motive seems to be personal

enmity because the victim voluntarily went outside the house.

The body of ASI Vijay Yadav being loaded onto a police van on Monday. *

FILE PHOTO/ SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA

fired at the car, leaving the other three dead.

Surprised at injuries “There was open firing and all the people the car are dead. It’s surprising Kuldeep suffered only a single bullet injury though I am thankful he is still alive,” Monu’s wife Rajrani Sehrawat told The Hindu. Ms. Rajrani also said that

Shelter home abuse: NHRC notice to govt Takes suo motu cognisance of reports Staff Reporter

Gambling angle “We are sure he knew the people who committed the crime. His wife told us that he was into gambling. She has named a few people and we have begun investigation,” Mr. Pal said, adding that the police are likely to make some arrests soon. A case under section 302 (punishment for murder) has been registered. “Relevant sections will be added after the accused is identified and nabbed,” said Mr. Pal.

she and Monu had their doubts about Mr. Kuldeep, who had joined them only 15 days ago. “Monu told me several times that Kuldeep asks a lot of questions about where Monu was going, when he’ll be back, how long he is going to be at the place and so on. His job was essentially to accompany Monu. And we saw him talking suspiciously over the phone several times,” she said. The prime suspect in the case, however, is Rajrani’s cousin Sonu Dariyapur, who had threatened the couple with death and had allegedly attacked them in 2006 because he didn’t approve of their marriage. Despite repeated attempts, officials from Delhi Police Special Cell — who are now handling the case – remained unavailable for comment. Sources said no arrests have been made so far but several people had been rounded up for questioning.

NEW DELHI

Taking suo motu cognisance of a media report, the National Human Rights Commission on Tuesday issued notices to the Delhi government and the Delhi Police over allegations of abuse of residents of a State-run shelter home for girls.

Forced injections The NHRC observed that the report said at least 10 girls living at the home in west Delhi had complained of being molested by members of

the staff and being subjected to forced injections of drugs and beatings. The NHRC issued notices to the Delhi Chief Secretary M.M. Kutty and Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik, asking for detailed reports within four weeks.

‘Indicative of negligence’ The NHRC observed that the incident, if true, was “disgusting and indicative of gross negligence on the part of the Department of Social Welfare” of the Delhi government.

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4 CITY

NOIDA/DELHI

THE HINDU

WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 2017

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IN BRIEF

Voices of dissent gain pitch in AAP Party cancels Political Afairs Committee meeting following war of words among senior members

ED challenges discharge order of Maran brothers Matter likely to come up in HC soon

Soumya Pillai

Youth wing chief threatens to quit

New Delhi

FIR against Sushil Ansal in cheating case NEW DELHI

A court here has directed the Delhi Police to file an FIR against Ansal Hi Tech Township Pvt Ltd and its top officials, including Sushil Ansal, in an alleged case of cheating and duping investors in a housing project. Metropolitan Magistrate Pankaj Sharma directed the SHO concerned to file the case against the firm, besides parent company Ansal API’s Chairman Sunil Ansal, Managing Director Pranav Ansal and others, and investigate the matter. PTI

1 killed, 11 injured in road accident in Ghaziabad GHAZIABAD

A Delhi resident was killed and 11 others were injured when the bus they were travelling in was hit by a speeding truck in Hapur Chungi, the police said. The accident happend on Monday night when the bus was heading towards Delhi from Almora, the police said, adding that around 12 persons were injured in the incident. The deceased was identified as Naamdhari Mittal (72) of Dilshad Garden. The driver of the truck has been arrested. PTI

The war of words between AAP’s founder member Kumar Vishwas and party MLA Amanatullah Khan seems to have created a rift among AAP members too. Some party leaders have expressed their dissatisfaction over the way senior AAP leaders are handling the situation. The party's Political Affairs Committee (PAC) meeting, which was supposed to be held around 7 p.m. on Tuesday, was cancelled because of the differences in the party, sources said.

Hitting out at leadership After the discord between the two AAP leaders came out in the open, several party legislators, who have raised their voice against the party in the past, hit out against the AAP leadership. Pankaj Pushkar, the MLA from northeast Delhi’s Timarpur, said what he has been saying for so many months has been proven correct. “We had been shouting from rooftops against the lack of democracy within the party and today these incidents prove us right. We wished we were wrong,” he told The Hindu. Viswas versus Khan Mr. Pushkar said this “dictatorship” and attempts to

Staff Reporter New Delhi

The AAP’s youth wing in-charge, Vandana Singh, on Tuesday alleged that Kumar Vishwas was in direct touch with National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval.

In a tight spot: AAP leaders Ashutosh and Dilip Pandey addressing a press conference in New Delhi on Tuesday. SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA *

had been < > We shouting against the lack of democracy within the party. Today, we have been proved right Pankaj Pushkar AAP MLA from Timarpur

strangulate alternative voices are going to cost the party

dear. “There is over-centralisation in the AAP. There is no voice in the party at the moment that can stand against Arvind Kejriwal. This is a sad state of affairs because this is a loss of hope for alternative politics among people,” Mr. Pushkar said. Many members, on condition of anonymity, said they agreed with Mr. Vishwas’s

statement that Mr. Khan was only a pawn voicing someone else’s opinions.

‘Khan a loyalist’ “Khan is a loyalist to an extent that he even asks permission from Arvind and Manish to drink water at a meeting. He cannot voice such serious allegations on his own. Someone is manipulating him,” a functionary said.

More Metro links in the oing for Gurugram Khattar promises string of programmes to ease traic congestion in city Staff Reporter

Sohna Road.

GURUGRAM

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Tuesday said a web of metro rail network would be woven in and around the Millennium City to ease the traffic woes of commuters. Mr. Khattar said there was a plan to extend the Yellow Line of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation up to Netaji Subhash Chandra Chowk on

Route inaugurated The Chief Minister was speaking after inaugurating the Rapid Metro’s South Extension Line here. He said the problem of traffic congestion in the city would be dealt by adopting a mass rapid transport system. “Roads are being constructed and metro connectivity is being extended

to ease commuting between Delhi and Gurugram. It has been planned to link Dwarka with Gurugram through metro,” he said. The Chief Minister further said that the Railways had prepared a draft plan to develop the Gurugram railway station as a terminal. Besides, there is a proposal to start pod taxi from Dhaula Kuan to Manesar. A flyover will also be constructed near

Ambience Mall here to ease congestion. Work on Northern Peripheral Road and Southern Peripheral Road is going on at a fast pace.

CM interacts with kids Later, he travelled by the Rapid Metro with women Sarpanches and underprivileged children. He also took feedback from them about the functioning of Panchayati Raj Institutions.

The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday moved the Delhi High Court challenging the special court’s order discharging former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran, his industrialist brother Kalanithi Maran and others in the Aircel-Maxis deal case. As per the lawyers associated with ED, the appeal has been filed against the trial court’s February 2 order and is likely to be listed soon for hearing.

No framing of charges Special CBI Judge O. P. Saini, while discharging them had said no prima facie case warranting framing of charges against any of the accused was made out on the basis of the materials placed on record before it. Dealing with the money laundering case, the trial court had observed that since the accused were discharged in the case of scheduled offence registered by the CBI, ED’s matter has become “groundless”. The accused were also discharged in the case lodged by the CBI against them. However, the special judge order had no effect on the two accused Malaysian nationals -- Ralph Marshall and T. Ananda Krishnan -- in

the CBI’s case as it has already segregated the proceedings against them from that of Maran brothers and others.

Money laundering case In the money laundering case, ED had chargesheeted the Maran brothers, Kalanithi's wife Kavery, Managing Director of South Asia FM Ltd (SAFL) K Shanmugam, SAFL and Sun Direct TV Pvt Ltd (SDTPL) under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The CBI had filed a charge sheet against the Maran brothers, Ralph Marshall, T Ananda Krishnan and four firms -- M/s Sun Direct TV (P) Ltd, M/s Astro All Asia Networks Plc, UK, M/s Maxis Communications Berhad, Malaysia, M/s South Asia Entertainment Holdings Ltd, Malaysia -- and then Additional Secretary (Telecom) J S Sarma, who had died during the course of the probe. The special court, in two separate orders, had said the case was based on the foundation that Dayanidhi and Sarma deliberately delayed the approval relating to several issues, including the issuance of UAS licences to Aircel, to force Chennai-based promoter C. Sivasankaran to exit from the telecom sector.

ED iles fresh case in Noida Ponzi scam

‘MM not justiied and legally correct in convicting accused’

Special Correspondent

New Delhi

*

New Delhi

Court sets aside magistrate order in rash driving case Press Trust of India

Green signal: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar inaugurating the Gurugram Rapid Metro’s South Extension Line on Tuesday. MANOJ KUMAR

‘Heartbroken’ “Met Kumar bhaiyya today thinking that some solution could be sought, but I was heartbroken to learn that he is in touch with Ajit Doval [sic],” she tweeted. This was followed by another tweet which read, “I am leaving everything behind and going. I had not come into the party to do this [sic],” hinting at her decision to step don from the party. However, senior AAP leadership denied that Ms. Singh was resigning from the party.

Press Trust of India

A sessions court here has set free a man, who was awarded six-month jail term for causing the death of a person by negligently driving a crane, saying the magistrate was neither justified, nor legally correct in convicting him. Additional Sessions Judge Lokesh Kumar Sharma set aside a trial court order convicting the man under Section 304A (causing death by negligence) of the IPC, saying the order was based on “mere assumptions” of the metropolitan magistrate and there was not an iota of evidence against him.

‘No evidence’ “It appears that the Metropolitan Magistrate (MM) had based the conviction of the appellant [man] on his mere assumptions and presumptions because there was not even an iota of evidence to show that the accident had taken place due to rashness or negligent driving,” the judge said. The court said the prosecution was required to prove the manner of rashness or the negligence on the part of

the appellant, which had not been explained. The judge, while allowing the appeal of the man against the magisterial court order that had sentenced him to six months in jail, said, “I have no hesitation in holding that the MM was not justified and legally correct in convicting the appellant and sentencing him.” “Accordingly, the appeal is allowed and the judgment of conviction and consequent order on sentence are hereby set aside and he is acquitted,” the judge said, adding that the MM had chosen portions of evidence in piecemeal to convict the man. “Perusal of the judgment reveals that the MM had chosen to pick up the portions of evidence from the testimony of the injured, police constable and other witness in piecemeal to hold the appellant guilty and had convicted him in the present case,” the judge said.

The case According to the prosecution, on May 20, 2009, a negligently driven crane hit an auto-rickshaw carrying two persons on a flyover

near Sarai Kale Khan in south Delhi. Due to the impact, one person died and the other was seriously injured, it said. The sessions court, however, said there was no evidence that the crane hit the auto as the mechanical inspection report shows there were no marks on both the vehicles to prove the accident. It also noted that the autorickshaw was not hit by any vehicle and had broken down on its own.

Possible theory “Had the crane actually hit the auto-rickshaw and smashed it, the paint marks of the crane must have come into contact of the rickshaw on its back side or viceversa, but no such paint/colour marks were recorded in the mechanical inspection reports,” the court said. In his appeal against the conviction and sentence, the man contended that the magisterial court had erred in its order by relying on the testimonies of the owner of the crane and a police constable, who were not even the eyewitnesses.

NEW DELHI

The Enforcement Directorate has registered a fresh case against Ablaze Info Solution director Anubhav Mittal, the alleged mastermind of the ₹3,700-crore social media scam in Noida. “He is alleged to have forged expired ISO certificates for portraying the business of his company as genuine, to deceive the investors and the government agencies. His associates have also been named,” said an official.

Application moved The agency has moved an application before the competent court for custodial interrogation of Mr. Anubhav in the light of the new facts that have emerged during the probe. Father’s statement According to the court permission, an ED team is also being sent to Luksar Jail, Greater Noida, for recording the statement of Sunil Mittal, the father of the main accused. In the earlier case, the ED had attached assets worth ₹599.28 crore in March, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

Incentives for kids at DDA sports complexes School students allowed between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. at one-third cost of entry fee Staff Reporter New Delhi

With summer vacations just around the corner, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is providing incentive schemes for students at its sports complexes. “On producing their school identity card, school students will be permitted to

use DDA sports complexes between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. at one-third cost of the entry fee,” said a DDA spokesperson.

Certificates needed “Students excelling in sports, who have represented the State or above, will also be permitted to use fa-

cilities under the sports excellence quota,” he added. Students who wish to make use of the sports excellence quota would have to apply to the secretary of the sports complexes along with certificates of participation and awards, if any. “There’s 10% EWS quota for free sports coaching at

the facilities. Candidates should apply along with EWS certificates issued by the competent authority to the secretary of DDA sports complexes for selection,” he said, adding that schools in the vicinity may also book sports facilities at DDA sports complex between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

3 juveniles held for murder Staff Reporter New Delhi

Three juveniles were apprehended by the Delhi Police on Tuesday for allegedly murdering a 16-year-old boy in Chhawla on Monday. The police suspect money as the motive behind the crime. The trio allegedly stabbed the victim, Mandeep, in his chest with a compass and later threw him into a drain. One of the accused is Mandeep’s cousin, said the police. CM YK

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THE HINDU

SHOWCASE 5

NOIDA/DELHI

WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 2017

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An eye for talent

Mapu, the mentor Talking about his guru Martand Singh, who passed away recently, Prasad turns remorseful. “His passing away has been a big blow for all of us in the fashion industry. He mentored the Rajasthan Heritage Week. He taught us how to take weavers to the floor. Almost 30 years of mentoring; luckily I came to Delhi one day early so I was able to go to his Chautha and meet his family. With him a whole generation of textile revivalists has come to an end,” says Prasad. Explaining how Mapu (as he was popularly called) dreamt of taking indigenous fabrics and techniques to a new level is important for the growth of Indian fashion, Prasad says: “Khadi is not just fabric for freedom; it is a metaphor for us. It is luxurious fabric as it is made by hands. For Indians to sit on charkha and spin is considered an act of spiritual meditation. Every thread has spirit of spirituality. Creating handwoven fabric is of immense value. We have invested in spirituality of human touch and want to tell the world that instead of shelling out astronomical sums for mass production clothes produced in factories in China, why not buy a jamdani or Benarasi sari for ₹ 3 lakh. If you notice, the technique used in Pochampally to make ikat, weavers’ wives tie intricate small knots and lose feel of fingers when by the time they are 30 or 40 as they get crippled with arthritis. Martand Singh understood their skill and their pain. He played a significant role in bringing them to the mainstream fashion. This is how Martand Singh led the way.”

Fashion stylist and choreographer Prasad Bidapa talks about his knack for spotting models and how designers and weavers can forge a fruitful partnership madhur tankha

Bollywood showstoppers India Runway Week 2017 Spring Summer saw Poonam Dhillon and Gauhar Khan on the ramp Bollywood actors were the centre of attraction at the India Runway Week 2017 Spring Summer which concluded at the Thyagraj Stadium recently. Poonam Dhillon, who was sporting enough to walk for youngdesigner Neha Choudhary, looked evergreen and flawless. She presented “Monochromatic Feminism” theme which mainly draws inspiration from the idea of a woman being capable enough to be strong and self-confident. The inspiration was apt as the veteran actress proved her worth as a model and actress. . Mugdha Godse walked the ramp for Priyamvada Goel. Focusing on Indian ethnic wear, Goel curated pieces inspired from her own fashion sense and her role models fromthe fashion industry. “Being a part of a lady’s special day is what motivates me and through my outfit I want her to feel like a queen,” says Goel. The three-day fashion extravaganza also saw Gauhar Khan walk for the duo Vinita & Chetan. Presenting their interpretation of ‘Up side Down’, the tall actress grabbed many eyeballs.

It is just another day in the life of Prasad Bidapa. Except that the rehearsal of the fashion show he is conducting is not for a designer but a twoday brand show ‘Great India Fashion Week’ which concluded at Great India Place in Noida over the weekend. The veteran stylist-cum-choreographer screams his lungs out explaining nuances of catwalk to models who are brimming with enthusiasm as they are to be joined by actress Disha Patani, the showstopper. This development comes as no surprise as Prasad has always believed in giving fashion a new lease of life whether it was taking models from his hometown Bangalore for big gala events in Dubai to grooming Deepika Padukone, Anushka Sharma which acted as a catalyst to their entry into Bollywood. Reminiscing his association with Deepika Padukone, he says: “I would regularly meet her father Prakash Padukone, my good friend, at Century Club in Bangalore. Since my clients came in the morning, I would go early and see

Deepika practising badminton. I would say, ‘Prakash your daughter is so pretty, why don’t you let her become a model’. He would say maybe next year. I asked her to join me and she said only when dad gives her permission she would agree. They must have thought that she would become a nationallevel badminton player. At one point, Deepika realised that time was running out and she joined me. In two years, I groomed her in Bangalore like how to walk on the ramp, do make-up, photograph posing and how to maintain her hair.” Prasad is impressed with the way Deepika’s career has shaped. “I look at Deepika, focussed and hard working, as my daughter who is doing well in life. Today I find Deepika even more beautiful. Bollywood was not a cakewalk for her. Along the way she learnt her craft and today she has become a great actress. Today I cannot take her as I want the focus should be on designers and weavers. If we have Deepika walk the ramp at events like the Rajasthan Heritage Week, media would only put the spotlight on her”.

In Anushka Sharma’s case, her parents brought her to Prasad when she was only 13. “They categorically told me that she was crazy about becoming a model. Anushka was already a tall girl and started modelling straight away. Soon she started walking for Wendell Rodricks and Rohit Bal. Luck favoured her when her father, who was in the Army and posted at Bangalore, got transferred to Mumbai. So she had a base of her own. Ninety per cent of girls struggle in Mumbai. Life is constant struggle till they make it big. She went for open auditions. One of them turned out to be Shah Rukh Khan’s Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi .”

Selecting models Elaborating the art of choosing models, he says: “We are careful about grading. Those who are photogenic become print girls. Tall ones usually go to television, thin make it to runways. Those who can dance and emote are the film girls. Girls who can do all of these are supermodels; the Aishwarya Rais of business. We make our own judgement. When parents come to us and say they want to make their daughters runway queens we tell them to relax a little bit.” On Bangalore turning out to be the hub of models, Prasad says, “Bangalore has cosmopolitan culture you can do things that you may not dare to do in Delhi or Noida.” Turning to his tryst with the Rajasthan Heritage Week as the show director, Prasad says, “Two-three years ago, I told the Rajasthan government that your State is richest in weavers yet they are beginning to leave their profession. Ten years later their artistic skills would be dead as next generation would discontinue their fore-

Model approach: Prasad Bidapa; with Anushka Sharma

fathers work. I told them that challenge was to create fresh market for weavers; create a jugalbandi between big designers and weavers. So that weavers can contemporarise their work and allow designers to understand heritage of textiles.” Prasad has one-point agenda to break the monopoly of middleman. “Four

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K.ANANTHAN

months before the show, designers work with weavers and create fresh, traditional products. They show weavers colour chart as they can easily get misled by middleman. I only want sensitive designers on board.” Elucidating the art of dressing up, Prasad says “A true fashion maverick mixes

designers, high street brands and then evolves his look. Personally, I would chose ikat kurta from Abraham & Thakore and mix it with Zara pants or jeans. If you dress from top to toe in designer wear, you are a fashion victim. Somewhere you have to strike a balance.”

‘We always knew part two was the real deal’ Rana Daggubati discusses the Baahubali journey and the road ahead, but remains evasive on Bhallaladeva’s wife chestrated it. Yet, I don’t speak. I have a firm hand on Bijjaladeva (Nasser) until I feel it’s the right moment to precipitate things. It’s only during Baahubali’s death that all the contained anger is given vent to.”

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The box-office numbers are staggering, with Baahubali – The Conclusion breaking previous records by a huge margin. The mighty Bhallaladeva aka Rana Daggubati is beaming. “We are not the kind of guys who make a film thinking of numbers,” he says, when we ask him if the success has sunk in. “In 2012, we began with an intention of making the biggest war epic in India. It’s been a journey of determination and commitment. We took it step by step and walked the path,” he says.

Myth and folklore Baahubali is a fictitious fantasy drama, set in a style inspired by Amar Chitra Katha and the epics. “Some inspirations worked at a subconscious level,” he observes, when we discuss the Narasimha avatar-Hiranya

Mighty wicked: Rana Daggubati; on the sets with S S Rajamouli

style, as he sits astride Baahubali (Prabhas) with murderous rage. He went through a physical transformation to look bulked up, to be a worthy opponent of the two Baahubalis. As an actor, he submitted himself to Rajamouli and Vijayendra Prasad’s visions. “They have a great eye for detail. Rajamouli will observe you,

and when he likes something you do, will stand by you and drive you to do better,” says Rana. The world saw Baahubali as two films, but for the team, it was one long story. “We always knew part two was the real deal. In The Beginning , each one of us was introduced, but the audience didn’t know our back stories and the drama. You wouldn’t

have known how deep Bhallaladeva’s jealousy for Baahubali is,” he explains. When part one became a blockbuster, the team drew strength and confidence to dream bigger, “It had become a pan-Indian film, the way we always wanted it to. And, that happens only when the content is strong.” Bhallaladeva is not all sound and fury. There are

parts in which he barely speaks, but the body language reflects the bottled-up venom. “A lot happens between the time Baahubali is announced as king and I become the king. To me, the defining scene was when Devasena walks into Mahishmati and has a showdown with Sivagami. As Bhallaladeva, I know it since I or-

In sync Rana recalls being in sync with Rajamouli’s team and willing to take the long journey, “We didn’t know the end; we kept working and were fine with it.” He drew energy from all that was happening around him. The innovative war machinery, Bhalla’s chariot and even those binoculars have become talking points. “As actors, when you go to work and see how Sabu Cyril and his team create stupendous things that Rajamouli had envisioned, it spurs us to do better.” The Conclusion answered many questions, and yet, left out some. Like, who is Bhallaladeva’s wife? “Bhalla’s wife is not necessary for the story, so that’s all you’re supposed to know.” Next up is Nene Raju Nene Mantri , a Telugu political thriller directed by Teja, followed by Madai Thiranthu (Tamil) directed by Sathyasiva, set in 1945. “It’s the love story of a soldier.,” he signs off.

Announcing The Hindu Playwright Award 2017 The Hindu Playwright Award, instituted in 2008, carries a cash prize of ₹2 lakh for the best new English theatre script. The award is open to writers above 18 years of age, who are Indian citizens or have been residents of India for the last five years. The entry must be a full-length play (performance time of 50 minutes or more) on any subject of your choice. The play must be an original, unpublished and unperformed work in English. It must not have been staged in any public space before the announcement of the award. Only one submission per person is allowed. Submissions made for previous editions of The Hindu MetroPlus Playwright Award (as it was known till 2014) will not be considered. The submission must not contain any quotations or copyrighted material without proper permissions having been obtained. Translated works are not eligible. Adaptations of novels and texts are eligible. Submissions must be printed in double space on single sides of A4 sheets and sent to: The Hindu Playwright Award 2017, Strategy Department, The Hindu, Kasturi Buildings, 859-860, Anna Salai, Chennai 600 002. Tel: (044) 2857-6300 Ext: 217 They must also be emailed to: playwrightaward@ thehindu.co.in Your play must reach us (in print and via email) on or before Wednesday, May 31, 2017. A short profile of the playwright must be attached to the play, with the writer’s name, telephone/mobile number, email and postal address. Manuscripts will not be returned. The decision of the judges is final. The shortlist will be announced in July. The winner will be announced during The Hindu Theatre Fest 2017. Employees of Kasturi & Sons and their families are not eligible to enter the contest. For any clarification, email [email protected]

5 EVENTS WORTH-YOUR-WHILE

FILM

MUSIC

Piano Man House Band At the Piano Jazz Club there will be a band performance by the Piano Man House Band. The group will feature Bhavya Raj (vocalist), Rythem Bansal (pianist), Aditya Dutta (drums) and Harshit “Hashbass” Misra (bass). They will bring some lively music to making the evening special. Venue: B 6, Comm. Comp. Safdarjung Encl. Time: 9 p.m.

CM YK

The Consequences Of Love Italian Embassy Cultural Institute will be screening “The Consequences of Love”, a Italian film with English subtitles. Directed by Paolo Sorrentino it has a Toni Servillo, Olivia Magnani, Adirano Giannini among others and is about Girolamo who has spent living alone and is wating for something. Venue: 50-E, Chandragupta Marg Time: 7 p.m.

THEATRE

Ismat Apa Ke Naam On the occasion of the naming ceremony of Meghdoot open theatre as E. Alkazi Rangeeth a short film will be screened on him followed a performance of Ismat Apa Ke Naam by Motley Theatre Group, “Gharwali” by Naseeruddin Shah and “Chuhui Muee” by Heeba Shah. Venue: Rabindra Bhavan, Copernicus Marg Time: 6 p.m.

EXHIBITION

Moving Lands India Habitat Centre is holding a solo art exhibition “Moving Lands” of artworks by Robert Zahra. The medium used is landscape painting/ drawing which are about inventive transitional spaces, floating structures, impossible landscapes and labyrinths that represents one’s interior spaces. Venue: Open Palm Court Gallery, Lodhi Road Time: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

SHOW

Trace At Jawaharlal Nehru University the ongoing group art exhibition “Trace” is showcasing art works of Lele Huang, Chandan Gomes, Manmeet Devgun, Priyanka Pathak, Ayesha Singh, Parul Singh and Bazik Thlana among others. Venue: School of Arts and Aesthetics Auditorium, New Mehrauli Road, New Delhi Time: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. B ND-ND

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6 WHEELS

NOIDA/DELHI

THE HINDU

WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 2017

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MAN AND MACHINE

MY FIRST WHEELS

Upcycle your car

A sense of achievement

If you don’t want to go through the trouble of restoring an old car, you may consider turning it into a work of art

Author Anand Neelakantan on how he learnt to drive, in his Maruti 800

prince frederick

It is ten years to the week since my old Maruti 800 went into retirement. It had developed a snag of a serious nature and, as this was not my regular car, I did not prioritise its restoration. Weeks gave way to months and months to years. However, the ambition of personally supervising its restoration kept me from junking it. It still does. The machine is in my possession, but not where I live, which spares me the tiresome exercise of answering bewildered visitors. Many summers ago, when a friend quizzed me about the depreciating piece of metal, I explained bravely, “It’s gathering value. The day is not far off when secondgeneration Maruti 800s will join the club of neo-classics. This car is waiting for that day.” “Good luck to you and your car, but as far as I can see, it’s only gathering rust,” was his sardonic retort. Others have told me that I have too many irons in the fire, without adding this to it. I have now stopped ‘doing the ostrich’ and given up on the dream of restoring the car myself. Even if I have it restored entirely by a mechanic, keeping it running may prove too burdensome. So, I have settled for another exercise that would allow me to keep the car — actually, parts of it — in a manner that would invite admiration, and not ridicule. This fresh decision was sparked by a visit to Higginbothams in Chennai, nearly three months

All about perspective: Automotive parts make for great decorative items, (below) sofas created from sections of a vintage car SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT *

ago. While parking my running car on a lane near this famous bookstore, I chanced upon an aesthetically-designed snack centre. The highlight of the eatery: two sofas that had been created with the front and rear sections of a vintage car. I am familiar with the concept of creating furniture and works of art with old car parts, but to actually see a vintage car upcycled in this manner provided the inspiration to consider this option for my weather-beaten, forever-stationary old car. For a month now, I have become a Pinterest fiend, hunting down ideas on what uses I can put some of its parts to. Now, for those of you wondering if this could be a do-it-yourself (DIY) project for any automobile lay-

man, I believe it could be a semiDIY project. With a rudimentary knowledge of the car and a basic sense of design, one should be able to harvest a parts and design art and products out of them. Of course, one would need experts to execute the work. When it comes to car couches and sofas, a tinker mechanic and upholsterer can do the job. In some cases, an interior designer may have to be brought

on board. “There are many parts that can be used straightaway as wall mountings. The steering wheel and hub caps can be mounted on the wall,” says CS Ananth, a restorer of vintage vehicles. “To make optimum use of the harvested parts, an interior designer with some knowledge about cars can be helpful. There are so many options that are likely to present themselves more easily

to the eyes of an interior designer. Four pistons of uniform size can form the four legs of a small table. The engine assembly can be turned into a small bar rack,” explains Ananth. Visiting certain museums, either online or physical, can provide a boot-load of creative inputs. Says Ananth, “The Heritage Transport Museum in Gurgaon is a place to visit, for this purpose.” Now, these tips are also for those who don’t have a non-runner on their hands. If you are drawn to the idea of designing a pad with automobile parts, source them from automobile junk markets. Almost every city in India has one. It’s easier and cheaper, and would need few experts — sometimes, none — to execute the project.

My first set of wheels was a rented cycle in my village in Tripunithura, Kerala. Buying a cycle was considered an achievement when we were growing up, so we depended on rented cycles. I bought my first car as a 25year-old. It was a silver Maruti 800, a non-air-conditioned model. It is the vehicle on which I learnt driving. It was my first experience on a vehicle with a clutch and gears. I learnt driving in Calicut and tested my skills on the roads leading from the city to the airport. The route was a real-life version of a video game, with buses, cars and bikes coming from all sides, in a dash to the ‘finish’. I remember that people living in the houses on the sides of the route would live in constant fear of waking up to a bus on their rooftop. Once I could complete that route without any

major mishap, my instructor was confident that I could drive anywhere on the planet. Today, I enjoy driving and love to go on long drives to Lonavala and down the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. Like most sensible people, I hate driving in rush-hour traffic in the city. I drive a Mercedes now, but it has not been able to match up to the joy and pride of buying that Maruti 800. Nothing has come close to beating that sense of achievement and pride of owning my first pair of wheels. As told to Nikhil Varma ..................................................... .....................................................

I enjoy driving and love to go on long drives to Lonavala and down the MumbaiPune Expressway

All power to brain and brawn Driving a sports car through Mumbai may be impractical, but when you say the words Lamborghini Huracan, who’s talking practicality anyway?

Make way for the bull: Lamborghini Huracan LP-610-4 *

SPECIAL

ARRANGEMENT

dhiram shah

Just the mention of the word ‘Lamborghini’ and some of the things that come to your mind are speed, outrageous design, power, noise and impracticality. But as I realised on a Sunday morning, when it came to driving one, it was a whole different story, from adrenalin to euphoria to a kid being given the keys to a chocolate factory; I experienced it all.

The hot seat Glowing under the morning sun was my ride of the day, an electric blue Huracan LP-610-4. The successor to the hugely popular Gallardo, it is a magnificent machine sculpted to perfection. It is not the curves but the geometric origami design that will have you in awe. From the low-slung front bumpers to the horizontal LED headlamps to the quad exhausts, it just looks drop-dead gorgeous from every angle. The esoteric design does come with one caveat: Though plush and extremely well appointed, the cabin feels a bit squeezy, especially for tall occupants. The centre console has the insignia fighter jet-themed toggle switches, the paddle shifters behind the button-laden steering wheel fit onto your hands perfectly, while the massive 12-inch TFT display with crisp Lamborghini-designed graphics shows CM YK

you the instrument cluster and the ‘speed’. My dramatic experience peaked with what is also my favourite part of the cabin—the ultra-cool starter button, mounted square in the centre stack, and sporting a red, protective flip-up cover, similar to the fire control for a Brahmos missile on a destroyer. I press the red button and the 5.2L naturally-aspirated V10 engine resting behind my shoulder comes to life. The 610 race-bred horses let out a roar so loud that it echoes in the entire neighbourhood. The LP-610-4 can accelerate from a standstill to 100km/hr in 3.2 seconds, and has a top speed of 325 km/ hr. Like any petrol-head, I was immediately seduced by the Huracan. In the hot seat, you are in touch with the car’s

FIT FOR THE GODS

While Lamborghinis are traditionally named after bulls, like the one on the brand’s logo, the Huracan is named after the hurricane god in Mayan mythology.

With a tunnel approaching, I switched to ‘Corsa’ or race mode; in an instant, the car downshifted two gears, the already visceral exhaust note became even louder, the steering stiffer and the suspension substantially harder. The speedometer jumped in multiples of ten with the slightest push of the accelerator. The Huracan just became angry! The engine’s scream, bouncing off the tunnel walls, triggered an intoxicating adrenaline rush, encour-

soul, or as Lamborghini puts it, the ‘ANIMA’ — this is the ‘Adaptive Network Intelligent Management’ system that alters the engine response, gearbox, steering, suspension and the sound of the exhaust.

Mind and body What better place to start my journey than on the Eastern Freeway, a 14-km stretch of winding and uninterrupted road that cuts from Central to South Mumbai. I put the car in ‘Strada’ or easy mode, on the curvy slopes, as I tried some cornering and overtaking. I felt like an accomplished rally car driver, effortlessly cutting through traffic at triple digit speeds. At play was the 7-speed dual clutch gearbox, changing cogs with lightning speed at the right time. The power is then intelligently channelled to the allwheel-drive system, which offers ‘incredible’ traction by shifting up to 100% of the power to the rear wheels, and up to 50% to the front wheels. Spread across the car are a host of sensors, including a special gyroscope and accelerometer, that precisely measure body movement throughout the car. In fractions of a second, this information is processed by the onboard computer so the driver assist knows exactly which wheel to deliver the extra torque, hold on or change a gear, adjust the

steering stiffness and so on. The Huracan makes you a confident and better driver than you are. Push the accelerator pedal and all the four wheels put power on the ground, the engine lets out a wild growl and in the next second, your spine merges with the sports seat, while the scenery around you begins to fade away. With an expansive rev range, each gear change delivers an explosion of continuous power, all while the exhaust cracks and pops with every downshift.

aging me to go deeper on the throttle. The sound was like a hundred wolves gargling high-octane fuel. Sportscars and practicality seldom go together, but when it comes it a Lamborghini, they run parallel. The slightest of bumps or irregularities on the road surfaces are registered in the cabin. I drove the car for a couple of hours in regular mode on the better roads of the city, VIP roads near the RBI, Gateway of India, and on the famed Marine Drive. The ride’s stiffness did take its toll on my back. Getting the Huracan over speed bumps and other irregularities that normal Indian roads are prone to can be very challenging. Keep in mind that the Huracan is far away from your everyday sportscar; if practicality is what you are looking for, then you can go for its younger brother, the Audi R8, or even the Porsche 911 Turbo. But if you plan to catch the city lights at 2 am and occasionally tear through an expressway in Corsa mode, have fun and look really good while doing so, then the Lamborghini Huracan is the perfect car for you. The Lamborghini Huracan LP-610-4 is priced at ₹4.5 crores (ex-showroom, Mumbai). Dhiram Shah is the Mumbai-based founder of Luxurylaunches.com

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