follow us:

monday, march 6, 2017

Delhi City Edition

thehindu.com

28 pages 앫 ₹10.00

facebook.com/thehindu twitter.com/the_hindu

Pr i n t e d at

.

Chennai

.

Four arrested for ‘human sacriice’ of 10-year-old girl

India runs out of life-saving HIV drugs for children

Chinese Parliament reairms Xi Jinping as “core” leader

Determined batting gives Australia the lead

page 5

page 7

page 12

page 15

C o i m b ato r e

.

B e n g a lu ru

.

Hyderabad

.

Madurai

.

N o i da

.

V i s a k h a patn a m

.

T h i ru va n a n t h a p u r a m

.

Ko c h i

.

V i j ayawa da

.

M a n g a lu ru

CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

NEARBY

A lake gone dry

.

T i ru c h i r a pa l l i

.

Press Trust of India

Fresh protests erupted in the Bhangar area of South 24 Paraganas district following the arrest of one of the on Sunday after a local activists involved, who is involved in the ongoing agitation against land acquisition, was arrested by the police for setting up a power distribution unit.

Lucknow

쑺 PAGE 7

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

Ominous sign: Sheep gather around a shrinking pool on the bed of the Kolleru Lake at Peddayadlagadi in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. With the onset of summer, a major portion of the lake has dried up. V. RAJU (REPORT ON PAGE 6)

ARA

A 45-year-old man has died under mysterious circumstances in police custody sparking of a protest by locals who partially torched Barhara police station premises which falls in Bhojpur district. NORTH

쑺 PAGE 2

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

Delhi budget session begins today NEW DELHI

The ive-day budget session of the Delhi Assembly will begin on Monday with LtGovernor Anil Baijal’s address. DELHI METRO 쑺 PAGE 1 DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

EDGE 쑺 4 PAGES DELHI METRO 쑺 6 PAGES

SpiceJet light diverted due to foul smell

BJP’s credibility will see it through in U.P.: Rajnath

In Varanasi, Day 2 to PM Modi

No support for Opposition on demonetisation: Minister

Omar Rashid

position. The Opposition should play an effective role.”

Amit Baruah Vijaita Singh NEW DELHI

The absence of credibility loss will take the BJP to an absolute majority in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh told The Hindu in an interview. Mr. Singh said the Opposition had failed to garner support from the common people on demonetisation, and nobody was questioning the intentions of the government. The Home Minister denied that the BJP’s references to cremation grounds and graveyards in U.P. were an attempt to capture Hindu votes. “The Prime Minister’s

Rajnath Singh

statement has been misinterpreted… The Prime Minister is entirely secular,” Mr. Singh said. Asserting that the Congress had lost credibility among the masses, he stated, “The Congress once used to be a national opposition party, not any more. For a healthy democracy, there should be a strong Op-

Kerala violence Mr. Singh said he had asked Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to put an end to the violence between RSS and CPI(M) cadres in the State. Asked if the government had plans to send Central forces to Kerala, he was noncommittal. “Let’s see, if the State demands [them]. It’s a federal structure with not much scope to intervene. But, we would give full assistance to the State government in stopping these kinds of incidents.” INTERVIEW 쑺 PAGE 11

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday reaffirmed his connection with Varanasi, as he held another well-attended roadshow in his Lok Sabha constituency a day after he, along with his political opponents had converged upon the city. At the end of the roadshow, he said at a public meeting that it was his “dream” to develop the most modern facilities in Varanasi while retaining its “soul”. The roadshow began at the police lines and passed through the Chauka ghat before concluding at Kashi Vidyapeeth. DETAILS ON 쑺 PAGE 11

One policeman also killed; three soldiers, including Major, injured Tral. Hospital sources said over one dozen civilians, including four hit by pellets, were injured in the clashes.

Peerzada Ashiq

A city-bound SpiceJet flight from Bengaluru was on Sunday diverted to Hyderabad due to “extremely pungent” smell in the cockpit emanating from the front lavatory of the aircraft. There were 184 passengers and four infants on board the Boeing 737 when the pilot decided to make an unscheduled landing at Hyderabad airport. “Spicejet aircraft, operating flight SG 192 from Bengaluru to Delhi, had to be diverted to Hyderabad due very foul smell from forward lavatory coming into the cockpit,” an airline spokesperson said. However, the spokesperson did not specify the reason for the foul smell.

Varanasi

Two Hizb men killed in encounter

ress Trust of India New Delhi

Hubballi

.

Mohali

.

Allahabad

.

Malappuram

.

Mumbai

Why is Prajapati still in U.P. Cabinet: Naik

KOLKATA

Police station set aire after man dies in custody

.

Governor questions Akhilesh on rape-accused Minister

Bhangar on tenterhooks after activist is held

NATION

Ko l k ata

Srinagar

One policeman and two Hizbul Mujahideen militants were killed in a 20-hour-long encounter in south Kashmir’s Tral area, which began at 6 p.m. on Saturday. Three soldiers, including a Major, were injured. After a night-long exchange of fire, the security forces on Sunday used improvised explosive devices to blow up the house, where the militants were hiding, in Nazneenpora village. “We killed two militant commanders in the encounter without any collateral damage. We will continue operations [against militants] but will ensure that no civilian is hurt,” J&K Director General of Police

Jawans rush to the encounter site in Tral, South Kashmir, on Sunday. NISSAR AHMAD

S.P. Vaid said. One slain militant was identified as Hizb commander Aqib Molvi, a resident of Tral’s Hayuna. “Another was a foreign militant,” said Mr. Vaid. He was identified as Saifullah

alias Usama alias Hamaad. One member of the police’s Special Operations Group (SOG), Manzoor Ahmad Naik, was also killed in the initial assault. As the encounter was on, clashes erupted in parts of

The continuance of rape accused Gayatri Prajapati as a Minister in the Akhilesh Cabinet has raised serious questions of “constitutional morality and dignity,” said Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik on Sunday, even as the BJP attacked the State government for its failure to arrest him. Mr. Naik made the remarks in a letter he shot off to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, seeking to know if he “justifies” having the tainted Minister in his Cabinet. “A non-bailable warrant has been issued against Prajapati after an FIR was registered against him in the rape case. Serious questions of constitutional morality and dignity arise on his remaining in the Cabinet,” the Governor said in the letter.

Look-out notice Mr. Naik said that according to media reports, a look-out notice was issued against Mr. Prajapati on the apprehension that he might flee the country and his passport

Ram Naik also was impounded. “This is serious in nature, Prajapati being a Cabinet Minister,” he pointed out. He said it had also come to his notice that the CM himself had asked the Minister to surrender but he had not done so till now and was absconding. There were apprehensions that he might have fled to some foreign country, he said. The police were searching for the Minister and trying to arrest him, the Governor said. BJP president Amit Shah too raised the issue on Sunday at an election meeting in Ambedkarnagar, where he rued the U.P. government’s failure to arrest its rape-accused Minister. List-

ing Mr. Prajapati’s arrest as one of the first tasks in case his party formed the government in the State, Mr. Shah said, “As soon as the BJP forms the government in U.P. on March 11, we will search even in hell and send him to jail.” Mr. Prajapati holds the Transport portfolio in the Akhilesh Council of Ministers. Mr. Shah also alleged that the rape-accused Minister campaigned for the SP for nearly six days, and even exercised his voting rights on February 27.

Surrender appeal “But, the police were not able to do anything. On the other hand, the CM appealed to Gayatri to surrender. The job of the police is to hold the criminal by the collar and send him behind bars,” said Mr. Shah. “Akhilesh claims that ‘kaam bolta hai’ [actions speak]. But, the reality is that U.P. tops in crime against women and here ‘karnama bolta hai’ [misdeeds speak],” he said. SEE ALSO 쑺 PAGE 2

Sikh shot at in Washington Third incident in two weeks targeting Indian-Americans Varghese K George Washington

In the third incident of violence targeting Indian-Americans in two weeks, a white man who had his face partially covered shot at 39year-old Deep Rai on Friday night in Kent, Washington State. Mr. Rai — an American citizen and a Sikh — was hit on his arm and is out of danger, Indian officials in Washington said.

The gunman yelled ‘go back to your country’ during a brief altercation with Mr. Rai, who was working on his car in his driveway, before shooting at him, according to Sikh community leaders in the area.

Hate crime Indian-American convenience store owner Harnish Patel was found murdered on Thursday night in Lancaster, South Carolina, and

on February 22, IndianAmerican engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla was shot dead in Olathe, Kansas, and his friend Alok Madasani was injured. The Sikh community and Indian-American Congresswoman from Washington Pramila Jayapal have called for investigating the case as a hate crime. Hate crime investigations are priority for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. CONTINUED ON 쑺 PAGE 10

Mysterious blast A mysterious blast left three children injured in north Kashmir’s Sopore on Sunday. Superintendent of Police (SP), Sopore, Harmeet Singh, said the children were injured near a hillock at Pazalpora, Sopore, Baramulla district. Locals said they had stepped on some explosives. “A forensic science laboratory team visited the spot. We will try to identify the composition of the blast material,” said Mr. Singh. The injured children were shifted to a Srinagar hospital for specialised treatment.

CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

A.P. govt. wants INS Viraat turned into luxury hotel Fate of the aircraft carrier remains unclear as the Defence Ministry is yet to decide on proposal Dinakar Peri NEW DELHI

On its last day in service on March 6 after three decades of sailing, the fate of INS Viraat, the oldest aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy, remains unclear as to whether it will be converted into a luxury hotel or will it head to the scrapyard to be broken up. The Defence Ministry is yet to take a decision on the proposal from the Government of Andhra Pradesh (A.P.) to convert it into an entertainment hub in Visakhapatnam through a joint venture with the Government of India. The Navy is keen on an early decision to avoid Viraat meeting the same fate as its predecessor Vikrant, which eventually went to the scrapyard. Responding to a call from CM YK

Wait continues: INS Viraat, weighing 27,800 tonnes, is the world’s oldest aircraft carrier in service. VIVEK BENDRE

the Defence Ministry last year to all coastal States to put forward proposals on INS Viraat, A.P. has proposed to convert it into an offshore luxury hotel and build a Marina along with an entertainment zone around it. The proposal for joint development has already been communicated to Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar by A.P. Chief

Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.

World-class project In a follow up to this, Mr. Naidu, in February-end, had written to Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu and Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma for “in-principle” approval to set up the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) which would

execute the project. Mr. Naidu has stated that his government intends to take forward the legacy of INS Viraat by making it a world-class project on the lines of other global projects like USS Alabama, USS Constellation, and HMS Belfast. “In view of above, your intervention is requested in giving an in-principle approval for setting up an SPV with a 50:50 sharing between the Government of India and the Government of Andhra Pradesh so as to take forward the prestigious and unique project at Visakhapatnam, which is fast becoming a prominent destination for foreign tourists,” Mr. Naidu requested the Union Ministers in the letters dated February 27. The overall project is

expected to cost about ₹1,000 crore and is estimated to entail an annual maintenance of ₹150 crore. INS Viraat, weighing 27,800 tonnes, is the world’s oldest aircraft carrier in service. It had served in the British Navy as HMS Hermes for 25 years from November 1959 to April 1984 and after refurbishment, was commissioned into the Indian Navy in May 1987. The Navy had maintained Vikrant, India’s first aircraft carrier, at Mumbai for 17 years as various proposals to convert it into a museum went back and forth unsuccessfully before the ship was eventually sent to the scrapyard in 2014. The Navy has also stated that it cannot keep the Viraat indefinitely as it would block space in the dockyard. ND-ND

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

2 NORTH

NOIDA/DELHI

THE HINDU

MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

DELHI

Timings

Monday, March 06

RISE 06:41 SET 18:24 RISE 12:28 SET 01:25 Tuesday, March 07

RISE 06:40 SET 18:25 RISE 13:25 SET 02:24 Wednesday, March 08

RISE 06:39 SET 18:25 RISE 14:23 SET 03:20

Sack “favourite” Minister if you cannot arrest him: BJP Will get him arrested after the poll results, says Uttar Pradesh BJP chief

Police station set ablaze after man dies in custody Victim died after he jumped of the vehicle: cops Press Trust of India Ara

Press Trust of India Lucknow

BJP Uttar Pradesh chief Keshav Prasad Maurya on Sunday attacked Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, saying that if he cannot get his “favourite” Minister Gayatri Prasad Prajapati arrested in the rape case, he should at least sack him. Mr. Maurya, whose comments come a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the SP-Congress combine of chanting “Gayatri Prajapati Mantra”, also said that the BJP would

Youth killed in tiger attack A youth was killed on Sunday after a tiger attacked him in Rampura village in Nuria area here, the police said. Brahmswarup (18) was going to his cane field with his brother when the tiger attacked him. After hearing his screams, locals rushed to his rescue but he had died by then. The body has been send for postmortem, they added.

Rape case On the directives of the Supreme Court, the UP Police has filed an FIR against Mr. Prajapati, a senior SP leader, in connection with separate cases of gang-rape and attempt to rape another woman and her minor daughter.

Counting in Allahabad to Varanasi stretch is expected to be launched this week Press Trust of India

Press Trust of India

get the tainted Prajapati arrested after results of the polls are declared.

senior Minister was impounded and a look-out notice was issued against him, hours after the Prime Minister accused the SP-Congress combine of chanting “Gayatri Prajapati Mantra”.

Centre launches survey on Gangetic dolphins New Delhi

Pilibhit (UP)

Keshav Prasad Maurya

“If Chief Minister Akhilesh ji cannot ensure the arrest of his favourite minister Gayatri Prasad Prajapati, then he cthe UP BJP chief said in a tweet. Referring to March 11, the date when the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election results would be declared, Mr. Maurya said the BJP would put Mr. Prajapati behind bars after that. “We would arrest him (Prajapati) after March 11,” Mr. Maurya said. On Saturday, the passport of Mr. Prajapati, who is a

The Centre has launched the first ever across-the-river survey in the Ganga to determine the population of aquatic life, including that of the endangered Gangetic doplhin. The survey will create a baseline scientific data for the government to take suitable measures to improve quality of the river water, the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has said. The first leg of the census

was launched on March 1 from Narora in Uttar Pradesh to Bijnor (covering distance of nearly 165 km) to establish the number of the national aquatic animal. Counting in the Allahabad to Varanasi stretch (close to 250 km in length) is expected to be launched this week.

Fish species A study to figure out fish species composition in the 2525km-long river has been also been kick started from Har-

shil in Uttarakhand. The authority is conducting the survey through Wildlife Institute of India (WII),, under the Namami Gange programme. A specialist in the area, Sandeep Behera, noted with concern the disappearing of Gangetic dolphins, one of the four freshwater dolphins in the world, from the river stretch in Narora to Kanpur due to pollution. “The study will, therefore, find out stretches where dolphin is habitating, what are

the conditions there and the level of threat the longsnouted species is facing in a particular belt,” he added. Apart from number of dolphins, number of ghariyals and turtles in the river will also be ascertained after summer sets in fully , NMCG has said. “All the surveys carried out in Ganga previously were conducted in bits and pieces or were rapid. This is for the first time a comprehensive and scientific study is being conducted,” Mr. Behera said.

A 45-year-old man has died under mysterious circumstances in police custody sparking off a protest by locals who partially torched the Barhara police station premises which falls in Bhojpur district. Ram Sajjan Satva, a resident of Barhara village, died on Saturday after he was allegedly beaten up by policemen following which a crowd gathered outside the police station and pelted stones, injuring several police personnel, District Magistrate Birendra Prasad Yadav said. “The protesters also entered the police station and torched a portion of it,” Mr. Yadav said. Several vehicles parked outside the police station, furniture and some documents were set afire by the angry mob, the DM said, adding fire tenders were pressed into service to bring

A police jeep which was set on ire allegedly by a mob on the Barhara police station campus in Ara district, Bihar, on Sunday. PTI

the situation under control. SDO Navdeep Shukla and SDPO Sanjay Kumar along with a team have gone to the village to control the situation, he said. Meanwhile, a medical report has said that Satva died of severe head injuries. The police had on Saturday picked up Satva after his daughter lodged a complaint that he used to come

home drunk and tried to abuse her. Satva’s kins have alleged that he was killed in police custody. However, the police have claimed that the victim died after he jumped off the vehicle when he was taken to a government hospital for medical examination. An investigation into the matter has been launched, the DM said.

CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

Run for equality

200 villagers fall ill due to food poisoning They had consumed stale food in Dholpur district Dholpur

(Sunday),” Block CMO Dr Mahesh Verma said.

Around 200 people were taken ill after they allegedly consumed stale food in Nasilpur village of Dholpur district, but most of them were sent home after medical aid. “Owing to critical condition, nearly two dozen were referred to Dholpur government hospital today

Feast organised He said that a feast was organised on March 1 and the food was distributed among the villagers for next couple of days. After consuming stale food, nearly 200 people complained of loose motion

Press Trust Of India

and vomiting, he added. They were treated by a team of doctors in Nasilpur and most of them were sent home after giving primary medical aid. However, nearly two dozen people who complained of some complications were today referred to Dholpur government hospital for further treatment, Dr Verma said.

Creating awareness:: Youth taking part in a mini marathon, “Samanta Run for Equality”, organised to create awareness about disability in Bhopal on Sunday. A. M. FARUQUI.

Pages of holy book found torn in Punjab Man arrested, case registered Press Trust of India Derabassi (Punjab)

Pages of a holy Sikh book were on Sunday allegedly found torn in a gurdwara at Devi Nagar village here, about 25 km from Chandigarh, leading to tension in the area. A 28-year-old villager has been arrested and a case under relevant sections, including 295 A (deliberate and malicious act, intended to outrage religious feelings) registered against him, the police said. ‘Granthi’ Prem Singh found the pages of the religious book torn in the morning when he went to the gurdwara to pay obeisance, the police said.

Police deployed After he raised an alarm, the

‘KMP e-way to be over by June’ Press Trust of India

police reached the spot to investigate the matter. Heavy police force was deployed to prevent any untoward incident.

SP’s claim “In our probe, we found that a local, Surjit Singh alias Polla, was involved in this incident,” Derabassi SP Jaskaran Singh said here. The SP said the accused was upset after the death of his sister three months ago and was also undergoing medical treatment. Notably, several incidents of alleged desecration have taken place in different parts of Punjab. This was one of the major issues raised by the AAP and the Congress in their campaigns ahead of the 2017 Punjab Assembly elections.

Gurugram

The Haryana government’s much awaited KundliManesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway project is likely to get completed by mid June, after missing several deadlines in the past. According to officials of the Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (HSIIDC), about 70 per cent of the civil work on the 83-km stretch between Manesar and Kundli has been completed and the remaining construction is expected to be done by mid-June. The process of layering clay one after another followed by concretisation is currently under way and construction of bridges is going on simultaneously.

Ravidas’ teachings to be part of MP school syllabus ‘Teachings relevant for every community’ Press Trust of India Bhopal

Lessons based on the life and teachings of Sant Ravidas, a Dalit-poet saint from the Bhakti movement era, will be part of school curriculum in Madhya Pradesh. This was announced by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan while addressing a gathering, ‘Ravidas Mahkumbh’, on Saturday at Sagar, a divisional headquarters about 190km from the State capital. An amount of ₹50,000 crore will be spent in the next three years for the welfare of Scheduled Castes (SCs) in the State, he said.

“Sant Ravidas’ teachings were relevant for every community. He was a harbinger of social change. His life is an example to follow for all of us. The Government will include the lessons based on his life in school curriculum,” he said.

SC schemes A provision of ₹16,381 crore has been made in FY 2017-18 Budget for schemes and programmes targeted at SCs. ‘Ravidas Mahakumbh’ was the first such event organised on the poet-saint by the MP Government.

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. 55 ●

CM YK

●

●

●

ND-ND

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

THE HINDU

EAST 3

NOIDA/DELHI

MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

IN BRIEF

Patnaik lays Centre for stopping welfare schemes Odisha continues to implement these using its own resources: Chief Minister

Odisha IPS oicer rebuked for abusing subordinate He also allegedly threw a paper clip, injuring the inspector Staff Reporter BHUBANESWAR

DATRI gets Global NGO Excellence Award KOLKATA

The DATRI, the largest unrelated blood stem cell donors registry in India, has received the Global NGO Excellence Award under the Best Healthcare NGO category. The award was presented at the 6th World Corporate Social Responsibility Day in Mumbai on February 18. The DATRI, was founded in 2009 by Raghu Rajagopal. PTI

Pharmacist arrested for sodomising youth BERHAMPUR (ODISHA)

A pharmacist in a Community Health Centre (CHC) at Belagaon in Ganjam district was arrested for allegedly sodomising a youth, police said. The incident took place when the 23-year-old had gone the CHC to get death certificate of his grandmother on Friday, said Inspector-inCharge of Hinjili police station, Prasant Kumar Sahoo. The accused allegedly applied some chemical before committing the act in the store room at the CHC, police said. He was arrested under section 377 (committing unnatural sex). Medical examination of both was conducted and the reports are awaited, he said. PTI

Fake currency notes seized, man arrested MALDA (WB)

A man was arrested after fake currency notes with a face value of ₹92,000 were seized from his possession here. Acting on a tip-off the police last evening arrested Mukuleswar Mian (50) from the Rathbari area of the town. Mian was carrying fake notes of the face value of ₹92,000. The notes were of the denomination of ₹2000, Inspector-in-Charge of English Bazar Police Station Purnendu Kundu said. PTI

400 acre of infected wheat burnt KRISHNAGAR (WB)

Standing wheat of about 400 hectare was being cut and burnt in two blocks of Nadia district after a suspected fungal infection affected the crop, a senior district agriculture official said on Sunday. The infected plants in Tehatta and Chapra areas were being destroyed to check the disease from spreading, following the advice of a team of experts from the Union Agriculture Ministry that visited the fields on Thursday. The experts also advised the farmers to spray medicines on less affected fields, the official said adding that the affected farmers would get a compensation of ₹50,375 per hectare. PTI

An Indian Police Service officer in Odisha was let off with a warning after he was found hurling abusive words at his subordinate officer. Satyajit Nayak, a 2008batch IPS officer, had recently taken over as Superintendent of Police of Special Task Force under the Crime Branch of the State Police here. Inspector K. C. Mohanty, just a few months away from retirement, was asked to inquire into seizure of cannabis in Kandhamal district under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Sub-

Special Correspondent BHUBANESWAR

As rich tributes were paid to Biju Patnaik on his 101st birth anniversary of Sunday, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik criticised the Narendra Modi government at the Centre for stopping many welfare programmes ignoring the interests of the people living in tribal and backward regions of the State. The State government, however, continues to implement those schemes using its own resources to safeguard the interest of the people, and would continue to do so, said Mr. Patnaik said while addressing a gathering at the Biju Janata Dal headquarters here.

Progress in many sectors Whether one admits or not due to political reasons, but the State has achieved significant progress in various sectors since the BJD started ruling the State in 2000, said Mr. Patnaik. “There is a huge difference between Odisha of 2000 and today’s Odisha,” he said. Besides faring better than the national average in infant mortality rate, Odisha has also seen infrastructure development, investment flow, growth in employment op-

Grand show: Biju Yuva Janata Dal members take out a motorcycle rally to mark the 101th birth anniversary of Biju Patnaik in Bhubaneswar on Sunday. PTI portunities and increase in food production and people's income, said Mr. Patnaik. Stating that the BJD has remained No. 1 in the recently held panchayat elections and will remain in the same position in future, Mr. Patnaik urged the gathering of party leaders and workers to stay in touch with the people.

Observing that BJD doesn’t believe in slogans, but in service, the Chief Minister called upon his party workers to continue on the path shown by Biju Patnaik to serve Odisha.

Birth centenary Mr. Patnaik also attended a function organised at port town of Paradip to mark the closing of the year-long Biju

Patnaik birth centenary celebrations. He also flagged off a mini-marathon in Bhubaneswar to mark the occasion. The Chief Minister also highlighted his government’s achievements at a function organised to mark the celebration of the Panchayati Raj Day which is observed on the occasion Biju Patnaik’s birth anniversary every year.

BJP plans stir against Minister’s remarks

stances Act, 1985. When Mr. Mohanty reportedly said his hands were full and he might not be able to give justice to the investigation, it invited wrath of the IPS officer. Sources said apart from hurling derogatory remarks, Mr. Nayak allegedly threw a paper clip injuring the inspector below his eyes.

Official complaint Aggrieved over the ‘insult’, the inspector had made an official complaint. Subsequently, Arun Bothra, Inspector General of Crime Branch of State Police, conducted a probe into

the incident. The investigation found that Mr. Nayak had indeed been rude and arrogant in his official dealings towards the inspector.

‘Unbecoming of officer’ Construing action of IPS officer as misconduct, Home Department of Odisha said, “such conduct is unbecoming on part of the officer and recurrence of such behaviour would invite major penalty proceedings”. This is a rare occasion in Odisha police when an IPS is rebuked in strong words for abusing a subordinate officer.

Seven held in connection with murder of panchayat candidate A total of 31 people arrested so far in the case: police Press Trust of India Berhampur (Odisha)

Seven persons were arrested on Sunday for their alleged involvement in the murder of a sarpanch candidate in Ganjam district on the eve of the panchayat elections recently. Two prime accused, Mantu Khandala and Satyaban Prusty, sarpanch and samiti member candidates respectively, and their five supporters were arrested for the murder of Bulu Pradhan (35), also a

sarpanch candidate in Bramhanachhai panchayat, said Inspector In-Charge of Hinjli police station Prasant Kumar Sahoo. Bramhanachhai panchayat is in Sheragada block under Hinjili constituency, from where Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was elected to the Assembly. With the arrest of seven persons, a total of 31 people have been arrested so far in the case, he said. Earlier police had arrested 24 people in connection with the incident of Febru-

ary 22 night. They said some more persons would also be arrested soon. Pradhan succumbed to injures sustained in group clash in the village between the supporters of two rival groups on the eve of the panchayat elections. Eight others had also sustained injured in the clash, the police said. State Election Commission had postponed all the elections of the three-tier panchayats in Bramhanachhai panchayat following the incident.

Pradip Maharathy had said that a farmer committed suicide due to family issues Staff Reporter BHUBANESWAR

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday announced to launch a State-wide agitation taking strong exception to the statement of Odisha Agriculture Minister Pradip Maharathy, who said a farmer had committed suicide in Bargarh district due to family issues, not crop failure. The BJP’s farmers wing would burn effigies of Mr. Maharathy at all sub-divisional headquarters on Tuesday. “The Odisha government is responsible for the farmer’s suicide. Farmers in Bargarh had given advance for

8267 bore-wells while the capacity of the Odisha Lift Irrigation Corporation for installing bore-wells is only 300 per year,” alleged Shivaji Mohanty, BJP farmers’ wing president.

Functional bore-wells Mr. Mohanty said most of the installed bore-wells were yet to be charged while performance of functional borewells had dipped due to low voltage and frequent power outage. Hadu Bagarti, 55, had committed suicide by consuming pesticide in Kendpali village in Bargarh district on February 26. Making a statement in the

Maoist surrenders Staff Reporter BERHAMPUR

A hardcore Maoist, Waga Kawasi (35) alias Raju, involved in at least nine murders, surrendered before Malkangiri Superintendent of Police in Odisha on Sunday. The Odisha government had declared reward of ₹1 lakh for his capture. On

Sunday, Waga reached the district headquarter to surrender before SP Mitrabhanu Mohapatra. At least 11 cases of violence are pending against him, said the SP. Waga joined the Naxalite organisation in 2004 and has been an active member of the Kalimela Area Committee.

Assembly on the issue on Saturday, Mr. Maharathy had said, “as per report received from the Bargarh District Collector, the farmer had committed suicide not due to crop failure or loan burden. Squabble with his wife could have been the reason.” Bagarti’s family members told reporters that no government official visited their house to inquire about suicide. “It sounds strange as to how the government arrived at any conclusion when nobody talked to us for recording our statement,” they alleged. The Minister’s statement had also not gone down well with farmer leaders. “There

was nothing new in the statement. When the government did not find crop failure to be the reason in none of over 100 farmer suicides reported in 2015-16, it is futile to expect it making a factual statement this time,” said Lingaraj, prominent farmer leader.

Number of suicides Highest number of farmer suicides was reported from Bargarh district in 2015. Subsequently, PM Narendra Modi, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had visited the district announcing to take steps for farm sector development.

OBITUARY & REMEMBRANCE DEATH ANNIVERSARIES

0 DISCLAIMER: Readers are requested to verify and make appropriate enquiries to satisfy themselves about the veracity of an advertisement before responding to any published in this newspaper. Kasturi & Sons Limited, the Publisher & Owner of this newspaper, does not vouch for the authenticity of any advertisement or advertiser or for any of the advertiser’s products and/or services. In no event can the Owner, Publisher, Printer, Editor, Director/s, Employees of this newspaper/ company be held responsible/liable in any manner whatsoever for any claims and/or damages for advertisements in this newspaper.

Endangered barn owl rescued Press Trust of India Kendrapara (Odisha)

The Bhitarkanika National Park officials have rescued an endangered barn owl, a scheduled animal under the Wildlife Act, from a place of worship at a village in Odisha’s Kendrapara district. Forest personnel swung into action after receiving a report that superstitious local residents of Balipapala village within the limits of Mahakalpada police station had held the owl captive in the temple precincts. “The residents thought the bird was sacred and brought luck and prosperity for the village. Devotees had also begun offering puja to the bird. We rescued the bird from captivity yesterday. Later it was released in the nearby forest area after veterinary surgeons found it in perfect health,” Mahakalpada Forest Range Officer Bijoy Parida said. He said the barn, owl which had whitish patches over its body, was a protected species under schedule 3 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. CM YK

EDUCATIONAL

ND-ND

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

4 WEST

NOIDA/DELHI

THE HINDU

MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Jalyukt Shivar Yojana unsustainable, says study

IN BRIEF

CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

Beating the heat

Indiscriminate digging of farm ponds has accelerated groundwater extraction Python rescued at Arambol beach PANAJI

A six-foot-long python was rescued by Drishti Lifeguards at Arambol beach in North Goa on Sunday. The python was spotted behind the lifeguard tower on Arambol beach by a tourist who alerted the lifeguards. The snake was later handed over to a local Forest Guard.

Moderate intensity quake hits Kutch AHMEDABAD

An earthquake of magnitude 4.0 on Richter scale shook parts of Gujarat’s Kutch district around 2.45 a.m. on Sunday, an official said. No casualty or damage to property was reported. “[The] epicentre was 17 km from Rapar town in the district,” an official from Institute of Seismological Research (ISR) said. PTI

Former Bastar IG gets show cause notice RAIPUR

Controversial IPS officer S.R.P. Kalluri has been issued show cause notices by Chhattisgarh DGP’s office for his comments on social media and for attending a private function in Jagdalpur without taking permission. Mr. Kalluri has also been asked not to leave the State police headquarters here. PTI

Inclusive schooling conference from June 26 PANAJI

A national conference on inclusive schooling will be held in the city from June 26 to June 29 for people who are engaged in education of children with special needs. The event is open to educators, therapists, rehabilitation social workers, doctors, school teachers, and parents, among others.

farm ponds is that they expose the groundwater to losses through evaporation, something that may not become immediately apparent.

Shoumojit Banerjee Pune

The Maharashtra government’s flagship Jalyukt Shivar Yojana has been touted as a drought-proofing scheme, but a field study conducted by South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP) gives a different picture. The organisation carried out the study at HiwargaonPawasa, a backwater village with a population of 1,500, in Ahmadnagar district’s Sangamner Taluk. The research presents a microcosmic example of how indiscriminate digging of farm ponds has accelerated the rate of groundwater extraction. The scheme was launched in December 2014 by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavisled State government with an objective to harvest rainwater and enhance groundwater levels. However, the project has run into stormy weather for its haphazard and unscientific implementation, undue reliance on machinery, lack of transparency and public participation. Amruta Pradhan, a researcher with the SANDRP, said, “While the government is taking credit for providing a small scale irrigation facility at the farmers’ doorstep, it is reluctant to take the responsibility of their unsustainable use. Majority of the scheme work has been implemented unscientifically. While one can see water as of now, it does not mean groundwater recharge has taken place.” Ms. Pradhan dismissed the usefulness of plasticlined farm ponds, remarking they were just “another layer of exploitative unsustainable infrastructure,” which would

Water woes: SANDRP says farm ponds at Hiwargaon village are aiding groundwater depletion. SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT only help accelerate the process of groundwater depletion. Besides borewells, Pravara river (a tributary of Godavari river) is a major water source to the Hiwargaon village. Almost 80% of its ponds are dependent on groundwater, with most of them dug between 2012 and 2015 with the help of subsidies offered under the National Horticulture Mission (NHM). The 300-odd ponds in the village are the main source of sustenance for the pomegranate-dependent agro economy. The arrival of ponds has led many farmers to shift to horticulture, with pomegranate cash-crop rapidly supplanting the traditional horsegram (bajra), wheat, pulses and onion crops.

Issues with the scheme Most farmers in the village, as in Western’s Maharashtra's horticultural belt, swear by the farm ponds, unmindful, however, of the consequences of groundwater depletion owing to their unregulated construction

EDUCATIONAL

and digging. The SANDRP study revealed that none of the farm ponds in Hiwargaon had inlets and outlets or any other arrangement for excess rainwater inflow that was envisioned in the scheme. Instead of digging the ponds in a low-lying area, many of them are dug on the highest points of the farms. It further noted that soil conservation is the key to groundwater recharge, but it has been omitted in the scheme. Water conservationist Vijay Anna Borade said, “Any programme claiming to deal with recharging groundwater has to pay attention to the soil. If soil is conserved, groundwater is automatically recharged. In the Jalyukt Shivar works, soil, fine sand and all the medium which hold the water and percolate it have been scrapped. If the rocks are exposed, then how is the recharge supposed to take place?” He added that the works under the scheme appeared to hold water, but would not recharge it. Another problem with the

Ponds for all According to data, around 13,950 ponds were dug between 2014 and 2016 under the NHM, the JSY and the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, while nearly 24,700 more were under construction under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in 2016-17. Till date, a staggering 1.6 lakh-odd applications have been received by local authorities under the ‘Magel Tyala Shet Tale (Farm Pond on Demand scheme)’ ever since Mr. Fadnavis launched it in February 2016. Ms. Pradhan said, “The Jalyukt Shivar programme and its ancillaries are a quick fix that have failed. The government has not taken into account the massive amount of work that goes into involving people in carrying out watershed works. The Fadnavis government has also paid [little consideration] to the educative process regarding judicious use of water.” While local authorities said they are aware of the concerns engendered by the indiscriminate digging of farm ponds, they find regulation impossible. The sub-divisional officer of Sangamner said, “Once the farmer constructs the pond, it is impossible for us to tell him not to use it for groundwater storage.” Authorities said they were attempting to initiate dialogue with farmers in a bid to impress on them the judicious use of farm ponds.

EDUCATIONAL

Afternoon chill: With the temperature soaring in Nagpur, the Maharajbagh Zoo authorities have installed coolers, special mats, and ponds, to ofer a respite to the animals. S. SUDARSHAN

Students reprimanded for ‘disrespecting’ Mass They spat out the bread and wine

Corpse goes missing; cops clueless Special Correspondent Panaji

Prakash Kamat Panaji

Two male students of Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, Rajasthan, landed in the soup for allegedly disrespecting the Holy Communion during a mass at Our Lady of Snows Church, Rachol, in South Goa on Sunday. According to church authorities, the students, from Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, had joined the mass and entered the communion procession thinking it is the “prasad” of Christian faith. The duo later claimed they were not familiar with Catholic worship. As they did not like the taste of the bread and wine, one of them spat it out and tried to cover it with mud outside the church, while the other held it in his

hands. They were stopped by some church-goers who brought this action to the notice of the parish priest, Fr. Eremito Rebello. On finishing the mass, the priest tried to calm down the people. He tried to contact the guardians of the students, however, they could not be reached, even after nearly three hours. The priest then approached the police. The boys asked forgiveness and gave a written apology at the Margao police station. Their guardians also apologised for the incident. Fr. Victor Ferrao said, “It being the season of lent, Fr. Rebello forgave them. He also sought to meet the parents of the boys.” South Goa SP Chandan Chowdhary said the issue was amicably settled.

EDUCATIONAL

The North Goa (Bicholim) police are clueless about the corpse of a 60-year-old man, Karim Ahmed Attar, which went missing from Sankhali in North Goa on Saturday. Speaking to The Hindu on Sunday, a Bicholim police station official said an investigation was on in the case, but no progress has been made yet. Police inspector Narayan Chimulkar, Bicholim police station, had said, “Attar’s family had gone to the graveyard ten days after the burial, to perform some rituals, where they saw the body of the deceased was missing.” Upon receiving the complaint, the police pressed a dog squad into service. A set of gloves were found in the area.

SITUATIONS VACANT GENERAL

EDUCATIONAL

BUSINESS OFFERS SEEKING BUSINESS Partners! For More Info Visit: http://profitable− business−partnerships.com

TENDERS

PUBLIC NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICE

TENDERS

CM YK

ND-ND

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

THE HINDU

SOUTH 5

NOIDA/DELHI

MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

IN BRIEF

4 held for ‘human sacriice’ 10-year-old was killed to supposedly cure a relative; uncle among those arrested Special Correspondent

Ayesha

a minor girl within 40 days,” police said. Following her advice, Wasil zeroed in on Ayesha, who stayed in the neighbourhood. He took a picture of the girl and sent it to Naseem for her approval. On March 1, when Ayesha was returning from her father’s shop, Wasil and the boy kidnapped Ayesha and took her away, after gagging her with plastic and a piece of cloth.

Goripalya, who allegedly practised ‘black magic’, police said. “Naseem Taj suggested that Wasil’s brother Mohammed Rafiq could be cured of a paralytic stroke if a girl was sacrificed. She had suggested that Rafiq had been “gripped by evil spirits” and paralysed, and to get rid of this, he had to sacrifice

Call records verified The Magadi road police found that the juvenile was the last person seen with Ayesha. The police also verified Wasil’s call records and interrogated him, upon which he confessed to the crime. “The accused took her to a tomb on Hosahalli road

Bengaluru

Visually challenged singer sets a record KOCHI

Popular Malayalam playback singer Vaikom Vijayalakshmi on Sunday reportedly set a world record by playing the Gayathriveena for five hours non-stop, at a function here. The visually-challenged singer played 67 songs as well as 12 keerthanas on the instrument. PTI

Syro-Malabar Church expels spokesperson KALPETTA

The Mananthavady diocese of the Syro-Malabar Church has expelled Fr. Thomas Therakam, who also heads the Wayanad Child Welfare Committee, from the post of spokesperson. The Committee “failed” to report the shifting of a child born to a minor — after she was allegedly raped by Fr. Robin Vadakkancheril — to an orphanage.

RSS leader hacked by suspected CPI(M) men KOZHIKODE

A 22-year-old RSS leader from Keezhariyur in Kozhikode suffered serious injuries on Saturday night after he was hacked allegedly by CPI(M) workers. Sudheesh Babu was attacked by a 10-member gang, the police said. Four other RSS workers were also assaulted by suspected CPI(M) workers, local BJP leaders alleged.

First budget session in Amaravati today VIJAYAWADA

The budget session, which begins on Monday, will be a historic moment, as the A.P. Legislature is meeting for the first time in the new capital Amaravati. Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan will address the Legislative Council and the Assembly and the Legislature jointly. The budget will be presented on March 13.

CM YK

The 10-year-old girl, who was found murdered near Hosahalli on the outskirts of the city, had allegedly been ‘sacrificed’ by her own relatives to cure her ailing uncle, police said. Four people were arrested, including the victim’s paternal uncle. The Ramanagar district police, who cracked the murder of Ayesha, a fourth standard student, arrested her uncle Mohammed Wasil, (42), who is a secretary of a local mosque, Rasheedunissa (38), Naseem Taj (33), and a juvenile on charges of murdering her on March 1. The body was recovered by the Magadi police on March 3. Wasil hatched the murder plan after he was advised by Naseem Taj, a resident of

and slit her throat after performing a ritual,” said Ramanagar SP Ramesh Bannoth. The accused later stuffed the body in a gunny bag and dumped her a short distance away, he added. The accused have been taken into police custody. The main accused in the murder of Ayesha was with her family when they were frantically searching for the child. Wasil even accompanied the family to the police station to file a complaint. As news of the arrest spread, angry residents stormed Wasil’s house and damaged furniture. They also staged a road blockade demanding action against the accused. The police pacified them saying that action would be taken against those responsible, following which the crowd dispersed.

SC awards life term in honour killing case Convict fatally attacked his pregnant daughter with a sickle Krishnadas Rajagopal NEW DELHI

Six years after the Karnataka High Court empathised with him as a “frustrated father” who killed his pregnant daughter to give vent to his bottled up emotions about her inter-caste marriage, the Supreme Court sentenced him to life imprisonment for first degree murder. A Bench of Justices Kurian Joseph and A.M. Khanwilkar found Gandi Doddabasappa, a native of Taranagar village in Karnataka, guilty of honour killing. The convict fatally attacked his daughter, who was in a stage of advanced pregnancy, with a sickle in October 2003. Shilpa was alone, using the public toilet

in the vicinity of her husband’s home, when her father cut her down for marrying beneath their caste.

Mother-in-law testifies The sessions court had acquitted Doddabasappa. The court did not place trust in the testimony of the only trial witness who did not turn hostile, Shilpa’s mother-in-law, who heard her scream “father don’t... father” as she walked towards the murder scene to witness Doddabasappa coming out of the toilet with a bloodied sickle in his hand. The trial court believed that the witness was exaggerating and discarded her version. The High Court, however,

set aside the verdict of acquittal, but found the father guilty of culpable homicide not amounting to murder. It awarded Doddabasappa 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment. “Any father would certainly be frustrated in such a situation ... all those bottled up emotions erupted on the day of the incident and he took the extreme step of killing his daughter,” the High Court said. Doddabasappa then appealed in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court perused the forensic evidence to conclude that the depth and nature of the cut injury on Shilpa’s neck fortifies the view that the father intended to kill her, and her death was instantaneous.

Leopard that strayed into Kannur town still elusive

Dry Kolleru turns birds away

Three youths injured in attack; prohibitory orders clamped

Rajulapudi Srinivas

Special Correspondent KANNUR

A thickly-populated residential area here remained panic-stricken after a leopard was spotted near a railway track on Sunday afternoon. Forest and police personnel erected nets around the area so that it would not escape. Efforts to catch the animal were continuing late into the night. The leopard was spotted in an area with undergrowth near the railway gate at Anayidukku around 3 p.m. Amid the din that followed, it strayed onto the track and later hid in shrubbery near the backyard of a house below the track, hardly a kilometre from the Kannur rail-

On the prowl: The leopard was spotted at Anayidukku, near the Kannur railway station, on Sunday.

way station. Three youths, including a migrant worker, were injured in the animal’s attack, local residents said. District Collector Mir Mohamed Ali clamped prohibit-

ory orders in the area to clear the crowds. The police made announcements through the public sound system of a mosque to warn the people.

Villagers and bird watchers anxious as water, food scarce for visitors Eluru

With the onset of summer, a major portion of the Kolleru Lake has dried up, raising anxiety among residents of lake bed villages. Many villages of fisherfolk and more than 50 others in the West Godavari and Krishna districts are likely to suffer as the lake has dried up at the beginning of summer. Parched fields, small pools, and cattle and birds searching for food are now common in the large freshwater lake. Bird lovers are worried about the drought-like situation as many species are flying off to nearby water bodies in search of food. The lake is home to thousands of birds during the wintering season, especially spot-billed

Shrinking habitat: A stilt searching for food in what remains of the Kolleru Lake in Krishna district. V. RAJU pelicans and painted storks. The pelicans also roost at Nelapattu in Pulikat Lake of Nellore district, Uppalapadu in Guntur district and Cilemeelapuram in Srikakulam district. But more than

5,000 pelicans were counted at the Atapaka Bird Sanctuary, located in Kolleru Lake last year, and the sanctuary has been identified as one of the biggest grey pelican habitats in the world.

“Kolleru attracts pelicans, painted storks, grey herons, black-tailed godwits, stilts and others which are scattered in the lake and in nearby villages now,” said G. Anjaneyulu, a local resident. Buffaloes and sheep graze in the dried up lake bed at some places. However, some farmers have shifted their cattle to nearby villages in the delta area in West Godavari and Krishna districts. Speaking to The Hindu, Atapaka Deputy Range Officer (DRO) G. Eshwar Rao said water was being pumped into Atapaka Bird Sanctuary from the Polaraju drain. “The level at the sanctuary is above four feet. One or two spells of rainfall will improve the situation,” the DRO said.

ND-ND

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

6 NATION

NOIDA/DELHI

THE HINDU

MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

IN BRIEF

Kolkata’s grand old National Library hit by staf crunch Responsible for collection of foreign language books and their exchange with libraries of other nations, the section hasn’t had staf for a decade Soumya Das Kolkata

What did demonetisation achieve, asks Omar SRINAGAR

Former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday asked what demonetisation had achieved, claiming cashless transactions were declining while fake currency was increasing. “Cashless transactions (declining) Fake currency in circulation (increasing). Almost entire lot of notes demonetised back in banks. So what is the achievement?” he tweeted. PTI

Cop among 2 arrested with cannabis in J&K JAMMU

A policeman was among two persons arrested with cannabis in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir. The police intercepted the cop near a bus stand in Kathua and recovered 100 gm of cannabis during a search on Saturday evening. Nearly a kilo of cannabis was later recovered from his place on the basis of his revelation, the police said, adding that one more person has been arrested in this regard. A case has been registered. PTI

Two killed in bike collision in Rajasthan BUNDI (RAJASTHAN)

Two youths were killed and four others injured when two bikes collided on Selor Road here, the police said. The accident occurred late on Saturday night near Dadabari Jain temple. The deceased were identified as Ramavatar Gujjar (24), a resident of Vishdhari village, and Noshad (19) of Lankagate, the police said. The bodies have been handed over to the families after post-mortem. The four injured were rushed to a government hospital, from where Surendra and Ayub were referred to a Kota hospital, the police said. PTI

CM YK

The foreign language section of the National Library — responsible for collection of foreign language books and their exchange with libraries of other countries — has had no staff for almost a decade. According to Library sources, the “complete absence of staff ” has not only hit the collection of foreign publications but has also brought down the number of readers in the foreign language section to almost nil. The Director General (additional charge) of the National Library Arun Kumar Chakraborty avoided a direct response on the issue. The section was founded in 1985 when the earlier European Languages Division was reorganised and five separate divisions were formed. The divisions are: East Asian Languages, Germanic Languages, Romance Lan-

guages [from Latin word ‘Romanice’] Slovanic Languages and West Asian and African Languages Division. Sources in the Library said the Romance Languages Division, which comprises mainly French books, has been without any staff for nearly two decades. The sanctioned staff strength of the division is three. At present, the division has about 5,000 books in French and nearly 2,000 books in Romanian along with books in Italian and Spanish.

Posts vacant All the posts at the Slovanic Languages Division, which comprises books mainly in Russian language, have been lying vacant for nearly a decade. The division which comprise books and journals in 28 languages including Russian and Polish has a collection of 65,000 books. The

total sanctioned staff for the division is three. As for the West Asian and African Languages Division, which comprises of books mainly in Arabic and Persian, has had no staff for a decade. The collection of this division largely comprises books in Persian (about 12,000) and Arabic (about 12,000). “The collection includes the lexicons compiled and prepared by Indians authors of the past and edited by the ‘native’ scholars of the College of Fort William and European orientalists of the said college,” states the National Library website. The sanctioned staff strength in the division is two. The East Asian Language Division that deals with books mainly in Chinese and other East Asian has had no staff for nearly five years. Currently the division has 15,000 books in Chinese and 1,000 each in Nepali, Thai,

Japanese and Korean languages. The sanctioned staff strength for the division is three. The Germanic Languages Division of the Library, which comprises books mainly in German along with Dutch, Norwegian and Swedish languages, has been devoid of any staff for nearly six years. The sanctioned number of staff at the division is three.

Staff shortage Speaking to The Hindu the Director General (Additional Charge) of the Library Arun Kumar Chakraborty said: “I cannot comment on the matter without seeing official records.” However, he admitted that the Library authorities are struggling to “find qualified staff ” for the Foreign Language Section. “We have even tried to take interns, but nothing has materialised so far,” said Mr. Chakraborty.

Words of wisdom: The foreign language section at the National Library in Kolkata was founded in 1985, when the European Languages Division was reorganised and ive separate divisions were formed. SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Elephant herd unleashes panic in Ganjam

Safdarjung Hospital turns 75

Forest oicials camping in the region to protect inhabitants of 5 remote villages

Massive infrastructure upgradation on the cards

Staff Reporter BERHAMPUR

A wild elephant herd at the Jagannathprasad forest range under north Ghumusar forest division in Ganjam district has turned overwrought following the death of a calf due to drowning. Since Saturday forest officials have been camping in the region to protect the inhabitants of five remote villages inside the forest from wrath of the wild elephants, said Rama Sami, the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of north Ghumusar forest division “We have held meetings with members of the local Vana Surakshya Samit-

A herd of elephants near a village pond in Cuttack district. . FILE PHOTO: LINGARAJ PANDA

ies from Ketamundhi, Tirikupa, Sisunda, Katupalli and Limbripali villages regarding precautions to be taken to keep the wild elephants at bay. All efforts are being made to drive the wild elephants

into the adjoining Gerada reserve forest, away from human habitat,” the DFO said. On Saturday, the carcass of a three-month-old elephant calf was found in a water body inside the jungle near the villages. This artifi-

cial water body had been dug up by the forest department to provide water to the elephants. The baby elephant drowned and died, which was later ascertained by its autopsy report. But the mother of the dead calf as well as the wild elephant herd were observed moving in tense state in the region. According to the DFO, the wild elephants seemed to be getting pacified. “On Sunday, neither the mother elephant nor any other in the herd came near the spot where the dead calf was buried. We feel very soon the elephant herd will leave the area and get into the forest,” he said.

Press Trust of India New Delhi

The Safdarjung Hospital here has entered its platinum jubilee year and the administration has planned a huge infrastructure revamp, including construction of two major blocks. The hospital started its journey in 1942 as the ‘100th Station Hospital’ and was set up for treatment of injured American soldiers of the allied forces during World War II. “It is a matter of great pride that we have reached the platinum jubilee of this institution. And in May, we will be completing 75 years.

A huge infrastructure upgrade will augment facilities at this overburdened hospital so that we can better serve people,” hospital’s Medical Superintendent A. K. Rai said. Situated in the heart of the city next to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, it started as a 150-bed hospital and was constructed under the supervision of Col. Robert P. Williams, who was General Stilwell’s staff surgeon.

1,500-bed hospital Spread over 47 acres, in these seven decades, it has grown from military barracks to an over 1,500-bed

hospital and offers affordable healthcare to patients streaming in from all parts of the country. “Our Emergency and Superspecialty Block is nearing completion. There are a few logistical issues, but we hope to open it by April end. Also, once this new emergency block is ready, the old emergency (casualty) block will be demolished to make way for a new Mother and Child Block. “And once the mother and child block shifts there, its old block will be demolished to make an orthopaedic centre. Other parts will be redeveloped in a phased manner,” Mr. Rai said..

ND-ND

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

THE HINDU

NATION 7

NOIDA/DELHI

MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

IN BRIEF

Haryana Minister rejects Sakshi Malik’s claim Haryana Sports Minister Anil Vij on Sunday rejected Olympic medal-winning wrestler Sakshi Malik’s claim that the State was yet to honour the promises it made to her for winning the bronze medal in last year’s Rio Olympics. “We gave a cheque of ₹2.5 cr. the day she landed in India [after the Olympics event],” Mr. Vij said. PTI

₹1.36 cr. in old notes seized in Thane; 5 held THANE

Police seized ₹1.36 crore in scrapped notes in Thane, Maharashtra, and detained ive persons, an oicial said on Sunday. A team of police oicials had kept a watch over the Upavan Lake area. Five persons were nabbed who were carrying ₹1.36 crore in demonetised notes, said DCP (Zone-V) Sunil Lokhande. The police during last week have seized ₹3.52 crore in old notes and detained many persons. PTI

Panther captured in Rajasthan JAIPUR

A panther was captured by the forest department in Kunthwa village of Rajsamand district on Sunday, following complaints regarding attacks by a big cat on local villagers and their cattle in the last few days. A female panther aged around four years was trapped in a cage kept by the forest officials. The cage was kept on the basis of pug marks and information provided by the villagers, said Kapil Chadrawal, Deputy Conservator of Forest. PTI

Dogs found biting body of infant JIND

Stray dogs were on Sunday found biting the abandoned body of a newborn girl near a brook in Safidon area in Jind, Haryana, police said. The body was spotted by local people who informed the police station, they said, adding it is suspected the baby was abandoned as the parents who wanted a boy child. The body has been sent for post mortem. “The newborn was abandoned soon after delivery,” Medical Officer Dr. Sandip Lamba said. PTI

Bhangar on tenterhooks again after activist is held Agitators claim Ahad Molla was arrested for no reason Staff Reporter Kolkata

Fresh protests erupted in the Bhangar area of West Bengal’s South 24 Paraganas district on Sunday after a local activist, who is involved in the ongoing agitation against land acquisition, was arrested by the police. Soon after Ahad Ali Molla, a resident of Gajipur village, was held, roads were blocked at several places in the area’s 20 villages. The situation in Bhangar has been tense since January, when two people were shot dead during a scuffle between the police and villagers during an agitation against the setting up of a power distribution unit. “Police arrested Ahad without citing any reason. We have blocked roads in nearly 20 villages, including Khamarait, Machhi Bhanga, Tona and Gazipur in the Bhangar II block,” said a Land and Livelihood Protec-

Tension on streets: Villagers blocking roads in Bhangar on Sunday. tion Committee member on condition of anonymity. Speaking to The Hindu, Superintendent of Police of South 24 Paraganas Sunil Kumar Choudhary said that Mr. Molla was arrested as he was “wanted in many cases, including the assault of two or three persons during the agitation”.

SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

trol of the movement. The situation flared up on January 18, when agitators clashed with the police, who shot dead two villagers. The incident has caused severe embarrassment to the Mamata government as it had earlier declared that it would not acquire land without farmers’ consent.

The stir was allegedly fuelled by a section of Trinamool Congress leaders, who resisted the project as they had reportedly already acquired some of the land and were planning to sell it to promoters at a higher rate. As the agitation gathered momentum, they lost con-

Rain relief for Bandipur forest ‘But threat of fresh outbreak of ires not fully diminished’ Special Correspondent MYSURU

Light to moderate showers lashed parts of Bandipur National Park late on Saturday and again on Sunday bringing temporary relief to animals and the Forest Department staff. It was the first rain of the season and park director T. Heeralal said that nearly half of Bandipur range, parts of Kundgere, Gundre, Hediyala, and Moolehole ranges, received rain. Other officials said it was reasonably widespread and all ranges except N. Beguru and Moleyuru received rainfall. However, this will provide only temporary relief and the threat of fresh outbreak of fires has not fully diminished, said Mr. Heeralal. “There are indications of more rain on Monday but this by itself will not suffice to fill up water holes,” he said. Other sources in Gundre range told The Hindu that the sky was overcast but strong wind could blow away the clouds and the possibility of rain. Bandipur is going

Much-needed: Light to moderate showers lashed parts of Bandipur National Park on Saturday and Sunday.

through one of the worst spells of drought and has been ravaged by major forest fires that also claimed the life of a forest guard in Kalkere range last month. Vast tracts of forests and vegetation have been reduced to cinders and the estimates vary from nearly 1,000 acres to 2,000 acres though there are no official corroborations so far.

Drinking water scarcity Also, drinking water scarcity is turning out to be a major

India runs out of life-saving HIV drug for children Cipla, sole manufacturer of Lopinavir syrup, stopped production of the drug after govt. failed to clear dues manufacturer of the drug, stopped manufacturing it over the issue of non-payment from the Health Ministry. Cipla is the dominant player in the Indian market across the HIV segment and has not stopped participating in government tenders after the Health Ministry failed to pay Cipla for consignments sent in 2014.

Vidya Krishnan New Delhi

Desperate over withdrawal of a life saving drug, children living with HIV (CLHIV) have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for help. The letter, written on March 4, is signed by 637 children ranging from ages 3 to 19 and states that, “the pharmaceutical company Cipla has in various forums cited delay in payments by the national programme for the HIV medicines by several years and even non-payment of its dues in many cases. Profits on child doses of HIV medicines are small and delayed payments are having a chilling effect on the ability of the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) to convince the company to participate in the bids it invited annually.” Stocks of Lopinavir syrup — a child friendly HIV drug — ran out after Cipla, the sole

Emergency tender Faced with a crisis, the Health Ministry says it has instructed State AIDS Control Societies (SACS) to purchase from local markets. “An emergency tender has been placed but we have instructed SACS and State Governments to purchase from local markets,” said Arun Panda, Additional Secretary, Health Ministry. However, since the syrup has gone out of production, they are not available in retail markets. “Across the country,

A ile photo of HIV-afected children participating in a rally in Mumbai. VIVEK BENDRE

in every State, there is no one to make this drug. How can we buy this from retail shops? The sole producer is not manufacturing it,” said Paul Lhungdim of DNP+. While Cipla has declined to comment, emails made available to The Hindu reveal that Cipla asked for guarantees of payment from HIV patients. In an email exchange between by Umang Vohra,

Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Cipla Pharmaceuticals, and patient-activist Loon Gangte, Mr. Vohra states that, “Cipla has always stood for the patients — not just in India but also all per the World (sic). Quite naturally, we also expect that issues regarding payments are also addressed expeditiously,” indicating that Cipla will not move from its stand until either Global

Fund or the Indian government settles the bills. The heated three-way communication between Cipla, the Indian government and the HIV community ended on March 4, with an email being marked to the entire top brass of Cipla Pharmaceuticals, Indian government officials and Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) with Mr. Loon Gangte, making it clear that he was “in no position” to guarantee payments. Mr. Gangte writes that he had “been told by officials in Cipla that we should ensure payment for any future procurement of the medicine from Cipla. I would like to tell you that the community is in no position to do so. We can neither force the government nor donors like the Global Fund. But at the end of the day, we are the ones who are hit by these shortages and stock-outs.” Experts say the critical

shortages are proving to be both tragic and embarrassing for India’s HIV programme. “The government is abdicating its constitutional responsibility to make available life saving medicines for the HIV community. It is also unfortunate that the present management of Cipla is walking away from its commitment to access to medicines all over the world, for which they are globally renowned,” said Anand Grover, Senior Counsel at Lawyers Collective’s HIV/AIDS Unit. For the HIV-infected children, the letter to Mr. Modi, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Health Minister JP Nadda is a last resort. “We humbly request you to look into the matter of HIV drug stock out, in general, and in particular paediatric HIV medicines to ensure that they are not merely exported but also actually available to the children in this country.”

issue with almost 350 of the 370 waterbodies having dried up. Solar-powered borewells have been installed to pump water but depleting groundwater table may render these last resources dry in the days ahead. Hence, this rain may help tide over the crisis temporarily and only pre-monsoon showers in May and the onset of south-west monsoon in June will bring full relief to the parched forests and its denizens.

‘Widow has right to property’ Press Trust of India NEW DELHI

A widow has the right to enjoy the property bought by her husband in her name in the manner she wants, and her daughter and son-in-law cannot lay claim to it, a Delhi court has held. The court ruled in favoure of a 65-year-old woman who challenged the refusal of her daughter and son-in-law to vacate a portion of the house at Shastri Nagar in north west Delhi. Lajwanti Devi wanted back the portion of the property given to her daughter and son-in-law in 1985 but they refused to vacate. Additional District Judge Kamini Lau held the woman as the owner of the house and said the property was bought by her husband in 1966 in her name to “provide her a secure life” after his death.

RSS to organise short ilm festival in Kolkata next month ‘Increasing public awareness of Hindutva, the cornerstone of Indian ethos, will be a key objective’ Soumya Das Kolkata

To promote “nationalism and Indian ethos” in West Bengal, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) will organise a short film festival in Kolkata. Increasing public awareness of Hindutva, the cornerstone of Indian ethos, will be “a key objective,” RSS sources told The Hindu. However, Hindutva is not “officially mentioned” as the theme of the festival titled Manush Chai. Biplab Roy, RSS Pranta Prachar Pramukh of Dak-

A poster of the RSS ilm festival. shin Banga (South Bengal), said the festival was inspired by Swami Vivekananda’s ideal of humanity. “We

SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

called for submission of short films in early February and have received 50 applications so far. We will accept

submissions till March 31,” he said. The festival — organised by Vishwa Samvad Kendra, the media wing of the RSS — is expected to be held in April. Each film will have a running time of 10 minutes, including opening and closing titles. There will be a panel of judges to select the winners in the categories of fiction, non-fiction, animation, drama and docudrama. “We are also considering financial rewards for the winners,” the sources said. RSS functionaries said one of the primary object-

ives was to remind Bengal’s people of the “true Indian ethos as it is not projected in mainstream films.” “The festival will uphold Indian nationalism with a humane touch by focusing on acts of charity by the common people,” they said. In his take on the plan, National award winning filmmaker Goutam Ghose said: “As long as the contents abide by the principles of democracy and the Constitution, there is nothing wrong with the festival.” Mainak Bhaumik, one of the commercially successful dir-

ectors, said: “There has always been a subtle undercurrent of morality in popular Indian cinema. It remains to be seen whether the contents of the festival are against the values of secularism.” The festival will also focus on the use of digital devices, like smart-phones, for filmshooting. The Prime Minister’s Digital India initiative is the “way forward,” an RSS leader said. “Since the digital mode of shooting has become predominant in the Indian film industry, we will focus on it in the festival,” he said.

DA to be hiked by 2% Press Trust of India New Delhi

The Centre is likely to increase the dearness allowance by 2 % to 4 % for its about 50 lakh employees and 58 lakh pensioners later this month. The labour unions are saying it would not be able to offset the real impact of price rise.

CM YK

ND-ND

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

8 EDITORIAL

NOIDA/DELHI

THE HINDU

MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

No time for complacency India’s economy is defying the pessimists, and the time is ripe to deepen structural reforms

Saving the Ghats N.K. Singh

he Indian economy continues to outperform the prognosis of its critics. This is clearly true of the GDP growth estimates in the third quarter; quite at variance with what the critics of the demonetisation exercise had assumed. No doubt there could be correction in the fourth quarter, primarily to factor the impact of the informal sector. It has never been easy to capture real time data on economic activity in the informal sector. It is recognised that apart from leads and lags, the conclusions are derivative using surrogates which detract both from their timeliness and accuracy. This is not a new problem and past estimates of GDP numbers have also sufered from multiple ex-post corrections as and when data becomes unavailable.

T

Digitisation dividend Hopefully, moving towards greater digitisation and reducing dependence on cash transactions will accelerate the pace of inancial inclusion and formalisation of the informal economy. Notwithstanding these, the dark prognosis of a collapse of GDP growth numbers, widespread unemployment and displacement of job workers coupled with rural distress now looks clearly misaligned with actual outcomes. The GDP estimates are supported by two other crucial independent international assessments last week. The irst from the Article IV Consultations 2017 of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the second from the biennial Economic Survey of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Both these have distinct commonalities. Both conclude that Indian economic growth is robust, propelled by consumption demand and accelerated structural reforms. Both favourably allude to a rule-based framework of aligning

A

United Nations report released last week on the progress of reconciliation eforts by the Sri Lankan government should be a wake-up call for President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. Raising serious concerns about the delay in addressing allegations of war crimes and in meeting other promises Colombo made when it cosponsored a resolution at the UN Human Rights Council in 2015, the report warns the government that the lack of accountability threatens the momentum towards lasting peace. It also alleges that cases of excessive use of force, torture and arbitrary arrests still continue in Sri Lanka, almost eight years after the country’s brutal civil war ended. Mr. Sirisena came to power on a promise that he would restore the rule of law, end the country's international isolation and take steps towards reconciliation with the Tamil ethnic minority. The political momentum was also in favour of the government as it had the support of the dominant sections of the two largest parties in the country. In 2015, when Sri Lanka agreed to a host of measures at the UNHRC, including a judicial process to look into the war crimes, hopes were high. Undeniably, the government has made some slow progress in addressing the issue of reconciliation. Compared to the previous regime of Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Sirisena administration has reached out to Tamils and initiated constitutional and legal reforms. It has also passed enabling legislation to establish an Oice of Missing Persons to help ind some of the 65,000 people reported missing during the war. But on key issues such as establishing a hybrid judicial mechanism with domestic and foreign judges and returning the militaryoccupied lands to Tamil civilians in the north and east, there has been no tangible progress. The latest UN report comes at a time when over a hundred displaced Tamil families are protesting at administrative oices in the north and east asking for their lands to be returned. For its part, the government may be wary of taking quick decisions for fear of giving some leeway to Sinhala nationalist factions at a time when Mr. Rajapaksa is trying to revive his political fortunes. But this delay is alienating the government’s allies, eroding the faith of the public, especially war victims, and giving more time to the opposition to regroup itself. And issues such as continuing use of excessive force and arbitrary arrests suggest that the government is either not serious in changing the way the police system works or is incapable of doing so. The Sirisena-Wikremesinghe government should seize the moment and start addressing the core issues, keeping reconciliation and the future of Sri Lanka in mind. CM YK

is broad consensus that the preferred trajectory of debt with enabling iscal deicit targets is central to macroeconomic stability. India has come a long way in discouraging iscal proligacy. The realisation that we are best served by improving the quality of public expenditure than enhancing budgetary outlays relects responsible leadership. It is increasingly cognisant of the inherent vulnerabilities of a fragile economy like ours. No doubt iscal rectitude must be combined with space to enhance public outlays, particularly in infrastructure, health and education. Second, the health of the banking and inancial sector. The twin balance sheet problem of both corporates and banks, highlighted in the Economic Survey, has a relationship but would need diferentiated actions. Easing one will no doubt ameliorate the other but policy frameworks are not necessarily symmetrical. The concept of a centralised Public Sector Asset Rehabilitation Agency (PARA) envisaged as a ‘Band Bank’ spin-of model has gained some traction. It would, however, be naïve to believe that this represents a systemic solution to the ailments of the banking sector. The classic issues of not confusing between the stock and the low would need to be addressed. Besides, it is not easy to overlook moral hazard questions when it comes to taking an ‘appropriate haircut’ by all stakeholders and without assigning responsibility for the ills of the past.

Macro policies First, the OECD’s survey raises concerns about India’s large interest payments due to the high levels of public debt as compared to other emerging economies. This is in consonance with the suggestions of the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Review Committee chaired by me, which projects a declining debt-toGDP ratio to approximately 60% by 2023. Analysts believe this may be our near optimum debt levels. While the Committee’s report is not yet in the public domain, there

Rule-based management In this context, creating an institutional framework or mechanism to seek broader consensus has some advantages. This also ties up with what the OECD’s Economic Survey and the IMF’s report describe as a progressive move to a more rulebased management of the economy. The constitution of the Monetary Policy Committee, GST Council, Banks Board Bureau, are robust examples. Could we, for instance, consider the constitution of a Banking Council to facilitate a dialogue with political parties and stake holders on a new banking road map? Extensive analytical work by several committees and commissions like the Narasimham Committee, P.J. Nayak Committee, Gopalakrishna Committee, to mention a few, have critically examined the past and suggested future actions. This Council could debate, discuss, and seek to fortify the ingredients of the ongoing initiatives. In this endeavour, seeking consensus on a forward banking reform path would be the principal mandate of the Banking and Finance Council. The problem is somewhat complicated, by the Reserve Bank acting as the principal banking ombudsman with inherent conlict of interest. In the long run, we need an alternative mechanism for the banking sector. This will not happen overnight; farreaching structural changes need perseverance and tenacity. Fortu-

nately, this government has the mindset to move away from micromanaging the economy.

The GST transformation Finally, for a change, balanced regional development and combining growth with employment has received extensive attention in both these reports. No doubt, the GST (Goods and Services Tax) regime and decisive move towards formalisation of the economy using technology would reduce disparities. Local government entities need greater empowerment. These go beyond the enhanced devolution of resources based on the recommendation of the Thirteenth Finance Commission, more importantly of the Fourteenth Finance Commission. Making grants available in two parts — a basic grant and performance grant — will make a diference. Enabling local bodies to impose and realise property taxes and other levies would strengthen their inancial viability. In fact, the Fifteenth Finance Commission, yet to be constituted, while reviewing the implementation of past recommendations can consider incentivising States on empowerment and delegation of powers to local bodies. Seeking to replicate best governance practices in labour and product markets among the States could also prove beneicial in mitigating interState growth divergence. There are other recommendations in the IMF and OECD reports relating to education, health, and tax changes, to name a few, which deserve separate treatment. It would be dangerous if the decision-making ethos is stymied by growing complacency. The future may look bright but pursuing and deepening structural reforms is the way forward. The political leadership is sagacious in recognising this. After all, as Albert Einstein once said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” N.K. Singh is a former Member of Parliament and Chairman, FRBM Committee. The views expressed are personal

The end of a voyage Aircraft carrier INS Viraat will fade into history today, marking the close of an era in August 1987 as Viraat drew in majestically. I shared the sense of awe everyone expressed and could sense the sheer might that she exuded.

Elusive reconciliation Colombo must do much more to address the concerns of the Tamil minority

macroeconomic policies with global standards. The overall macroeconomic framework, notwithstanding challenges, remains robust and credible. Continued iscal consolidation, a modest current account deicit, subdued inlation, enhanced public and private consumption somewhat ofsetting the depressed private investment support this conclusion. These augur well for continued growth buoyancy. The downside risks of exogenous shocks from sharp increases in commodity prices, particularly oil, a sudden global slowdown impacting remittances and exports or unpredictability relating to the Chinese economy now look modest. The growth projection of 7.5% (the higher side of the 6.75-7.5% range forecasted in this year’s Economic Survey) for the next iscal is however contingent on resolving several short-term challenges.

The carrier environment

Srikant Kesnur

I

t was the summer of 1986 when the Indian Navy was abuzz with excitement, waiting for the arrival of INS Viraat, India’s second aircraft carrier, which would radically alter the Navy’s operational paradigms. It was also a time when we, as navy men, had just been commissioned. The 1980s had seen the induction of several new classes of ships. In fact, the entire inventory had undergone a sea change then with the most important of these acquisitions being the mighty Viraat. We secretly nursed the ambition of driving the jumbo-sized ‘Grey Ferrari’ and launching her mean lying machines. A year later, I was appointed on the missile destroyer, INS Ranvir, based at Mumbai. Time lew and I soon found myself in the midst of a huge crowd that had gathered on the South breakwater

Watch-keeping on Ranvir was a great learning curve which was made steeper by the presence of the carrier in the fleet. As any navy man will tell you, fleet operations acquire a diferent and distinct hue when an aircraft carrier is around. It was our great fortune that our formative years were spent in such a tough environment. Be it anti-submarine warfare or flying ops, underway replenishment or missile defence, an aircraft carrier brings in a unique set of dynamics and makes life on the bridge and operations room that much more exciting and busy not only on the “Flattop” itself but on all the combatants in her company. In a sense, we cut our teeth in the best learning environment possible. This was also true of our time in the harbour when the carrier generated a great deal of hustle and bustle. Being in the same fleet

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Climate of hate Close on the heels of the brutal slaying of an Indian software engineer in Kansas — which had all the markings of a hate crime — comes the report of the killing of a young businessman in South Carolina. Though the racism angle has been played down, one is inclined to take the assertion with a pinch of salt (“Indian store owner shot dead outside home in U.S.”, March 5). Considering the fact that there have been a spate of incidents in the recent past, the claims of the government that it has been taking steps towards their prevention rings hollow as the Trump regime seems bent upon creating an atmosphere of insecurity for all immigrants. The Indian Embassy in tandem with the Ministry of External Afairs should liaise with the authorities in the diferent states in the

PTI

T

he hesitation shown by the Central government in deciding upon full legal protection for one of its most prized natural assets, the Western Ghats in their totality, is a major disappointment. The idea that whatever is left of these fragile mountainous forests should be protected from unsustainable exploitation in the interests of present and future generations, while presenting sustainable ways of living to the communities that inhabit these landscapes, is being lost sight of. Quite unscientiically, the issue is being framed as one of development-versus-conservation. Given the weak efort at forging a consensus, there is little purpose in the Centre returning to the drawing board with another draft notiication to identify ecologically sensitive areas. What it needs is a framework under which scientiic evidence and public concerns are debated democratically and the baseline for ESAs arrived at. It is accepted, for instance, that the Ghats play an irreplaceable role in mediating the monsoon over the country and the forests harbour a rich biodiversity that has not even been fully studied. New species continue to emerge each year in an area that has endemic plants and animals, although, as the scientist Norman Myers wrote nearly two decades ago, only 6.8% of primary vegetation out of the original 182,500 sq km remains in the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka taken together. The ecologically sensitive nature of the forests stretching 1,600 km along the western coast as a global biodiversity hotspot was emphasised by the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel headed by Madhav Gadgil, while for conservation purposes, the Kasturirangan Committee identiied only a third of the total area. Both expert groups have encountered resistance from State governments and industries, although they mutually difer in their recommendations. The question that needs speedy resolution is how much of the Western Ghats can be demarcated as ecologically sensitive, going beyond the system of national parks and sanctuaries that already exist. As a corollary, are other areas free to be exploited for industrial activity, including mining and deforestation, with no environmental consequences? A frequently cited example of destruction is the loss of ecology in Goa due to rampant, illegal mining. More complicated is the assessment of ecosystem services delivered by the forests, lakes, rivers and their biodiversity to communities. Mr. Gadgil, for instance, has underscored the unique value of some locations, such as those with ish or medicinal plant diversity peculiar to a small area, which should not get lost in the assessment process. All this points to the need for wider and more open consultation with people at all levels, imbuing the process with scientiic insights. The sooner this is done the better. Several options to spare sensitive areas will emerge, such as community-led ecological tourism and agroecological farming. A national consultative process is urgently called for.

GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO

There is a need to determine how much of the Western Ghats is ecologically sensitive

Are we assured that they will not resurface in altered garbs? The governance architecture embedded in several actions and intended autonomy cannot be totally divorced from the ownership pattern. Creating an enabling political milieu for deeper reforms is inescapable. Expecting the ruling party alone to invest excessive political capital in this endeavour will have little traction. At the same time, a belief that the present trajectory of banking reforms is adequate to address the deeper malaise of the sector would be misplaced. The Indradhanush I has distinct positives. The Indradhanush II is in the oing, post the Asset Quality Review to be completed by March 31.

meant that one visited Viraat often and each time I left the ship I came away with the feeling of admiration at the way things seemed to work with clockwork precision. The crew always seemed to have an air about them and were usually the winners in most of the intra-fleet competitions, be it on the sports ield or in academic endeavours. My duties over the next few years continued on other ships in the Western Fleet, and in the vicinity of the “Flattop”. She continued to be the toast of the Navy and my desire to serve on her remained undimin-

ished. Finally, in 2003, I was appointed the fleet communications oicer reporting to the Western Fleet Commander. The carrier was the irst choice as the flagship because of operational and administrative advantages. We spent many days on the carrier and she soon became a second home. With a better understanding of fleet operations and tactics, I was able to appreciate what working on the aircraft carrier was like. I spent many an hour trying to walk on her deck or watching her aircraft, the Sea Harriers, take of or land. I could now claim some kinship with Viraat though I was still not a fully paid up member.

Reassuring presence Time passed and I moved to other ships. And the aircraft carrier sailed on. But all good things have to come to an end. The news of her decommissioning has illed me with sorrow. She has been the centrepiece of the Indian Navy over 30 years, her life mirroring ours. Viraat and ships of that generation ushered in a huge change in our fleet operations and in the way we thought of tactics or imagined combat. For three dec-

ades, she showcased India’s blue water capability across the seas. When the security environment in the neighbourhood was fraught with uncertainty, her presence was deeply reassuring as she protected and projected India’s maritime interests in the neighbourhood and beyond. Twenty years ago, on January 31, 1997, when another iconic ship in India’s naval history, INS Vikrant, and India’s irst aircraft carrier, was decommissioned, I saw many navy men of that era who had been associated with her with hardly a dry eye. The thought of it being the turn of Viraat now induces the same feeling in our generation of oicers and sailors. We may not wear our hearts on our sleeves but to recollect the lyrics of the famous Manna Dey song, Viraat has been both our “Aarzoo” and “Aabrooh”. When the naval ensign is lowered for one last time on her today, March 6, 2017, she will slowly fade away and mark the end of an era. But she will live forever in our memories. Commodore Srikant Kesnur is a serving Naval Oicer

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

U.S. and ensure that adequate protection is given to all Indians. Most of them have legal rights to pursue their vocations and can by no means be bracketed with illegal immigrants or refugees. C.V. Aravind, Bengaluru

Here comes the bride I irmly believe that it is people’s power that will change the destiny of this country and revive its past glory (“Village of bachelors carves out a road to welcome its irst bride”, March 5). More than smart cities and smart villages, India needs smart people. Instead of waiting for the government to solve problems, people should form groups and work towards their betterment. Other backward villages which have been neglected by the government should come forward and emulate the example. NGOs should

also support such initiatives. Veena Shenoy, Thane, Maharashtra

Neduvasal stir Before branding any project as harmful it is necessary to dispassionately make a detailed, objective and unbiased analysis of its merits and demerits (“Talks fail, Neduvasal stir to continue”, March 5). Hydrocarbon exploration is a high risk investment and risk assessment is all the more important for successful project portfolio management. Since the Petroleum Ministry has clariied that state-of-the-art technology is being used, all aspects to safeguard the environment are sure to be taken care of. The issue can be subject to public debate. There can also be consultations with experts on the subject. People of the area should be taken into conidence. Let

us avoid sensationalising or politicising the issue. Had we stopped the operationalisation of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant in deference to the opposition and mass protests some time ago, we would have lost a great source of power generation which now helps the country and the State. Tamil Nadu has attained near self-suiciency in power generation now. Raghavan Sampath, Chennai

■ The extraction of oil, methane, lignite, shale gas and other natural reserves cannot be at the cost of the cultivation of paddy, banana, coconut and other crops. To say that farmers must be “patriotic enough” to make sacriices in the larger interest of the nation is to allow and legitimise depredation to the beneit of plutocrats. The interest of farmers living with nature in

the vast expanses of the Cauvery delta must come irst. No task is more important than protecting our land, our air and our water from greed and gratiication for ourselves and posterity. G. David Milton Maruthancode, Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu

Aadhaar insistence The Railway Ministry’s move towards an Aadhaarbased online ticketing system is unjustiied and arbitrary (“Rlys. to make Aadhaar mandatory”, March 6). It is strange that the government should resort to such draconian measures in utter deiance of the Supreme Court’s ruling that Aadhaar should not be made mandatory. Even in the case of concessions to senior citizens proceeding on a rail journey, the existing condition of producing photo identiication is fair enough. An insistence of

Aadhaar is nothing but a coercive method of bringing the entire population under the Aadhaar net. K. Natarajan, Madurai

World Birth Defects Day It is unfortunate that not much attention was paid to the observance of World Birth Defects Day (March 3). Birth defects, or congenital anomalies, constitute an abnormality of body structure or function present since birth. There are an estimated 4,000 or more types of such defects. Whenever any defect/ anomaly is detected in scans during pregnancy, comprehensive prenatal counselling must be undertaken. Most anomalies can be corrected with very good results. Dr. Venkata Subbarao Gurram, Hyderabad

more letters online: www.hindu.com/opinion/letters/

ND-ND

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

THE HINDU

OPED 9

NOIDA/DELHI

MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Indiscriminate discrimination

FROM THE READERS’ EDITOR

The tools of prejudice, once unleashed, do not diferentiate one community from another

There are reports on oicial igures and explanations regarding growth, but there is a gap in critiquing big data

U.S. President Donald Trump, in his address to Congress, may have denounced the killing of Indian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla in Kansas, but it is hard to ignore that his own polarising presidential campaign has directly led to the current intolerant climate in the U.S. On the surface, this killing may seem like a case of mistaken identity. In a misguided stab at self-preservation, some NGOs have recommended to the Hindu community in the U.S. that they should appear more “assimilated” or highlight their identity. But doing so would be to ignore a crucial lesson from this tragedy: the tools of prejudice, once unleashed, can be indiscriminating in choosing their targets.

A.S. Panneerselvan

Driven out: “The irst wave of Indian migrants to the U.S. became the target of resentment from white workers.” ‘The Bellingham Herald’ dated 1907 reports the persecution of Indians in Bellingham, Washington. SOURCE: PAUL ENGLESBER

Chinese workers were similarly driven out of Tacoma. Marginalisation of Indians was widespread. They were not allowed into local unions or churches. In many towns, local real estate agents refused to sell them property. Collectively referred to as Hindus — although most early migrants were Sikh — they were mocked by the media. Several local politicians and officials openly endorsed violence against them to keep “the East Indian on the move”. Immigrants from other parts of Asia had been facing such persecution for many years; Indians were just added victims. By the turn of the decade, most Indians had been driven out of Washington. Along with new immigrants, they made their way to California, where the Indian population reached close to 3,000. However, here too, the forces of racism greeted them. A pre-existing ‘Japanese and Korean Exclusion League’ was quickly renamed as the ‘Asiatic Exclusion League’ and its members trained their guns on Indian immigrants. “Wholesale landings of large number of Hindoos” was widely decried.

Racial theories At first, Indians proved to be a challenge to the half-baked racist ideologies prevalent at the time. South Asians were believed to be of “Aryan

descent”, the same as Europeans. But this obstacle was quickly overcome. Racist propaganda admitted that the Americans were distant cousins of northwestern Indians. However, “our forefathers pressed to the West, in the everlasting march of conquest, progress and civilisation. The forefathers of Hindus went east and became enslaved, effeminate, caste-ridden and degraded,” one exclusionist leader wrote. Partly due to such propaganda, by 1917, immigration from India and other Asian countries was practically barred. These absurd racial theories reached their crescendo over the struggle for naturalised citizenship. In 1922, the U.S. Supreme Court declared that “white persons” eligible for American citizenship had to be of the Caucasian race. The decision was aimed at excluding the Japanese. Indians, hoping to circumvent the ruling, made the case that “high-caste Hindu, of full Indian blood” were, in fact, Caucasian. In 1923, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in United States v. Bhagat Singh Thind that intermarriages between Aryan invaders and “dark-skinned Dravidians” over the centuries had destroyed the purity of Aryan blood in India. Hence, Indians could not be considered as “free white persons” and given American citizenship. In 1926, the Indian central legislature banned Indian citizen-

ship to American citizens in response. However, it was little more than a symbolic gesture. Over the next decade, the U.S. government used the Supreme Court ruling to strip citizenship of many Indians who had been naturalised. The ruling was reversed only in 1946, allowing a hundred Indians to immigrate to the U.S. every year. But it was not until 1965, when American immigration laws were reformed, that the second wave of Indian migration to the U.S. could begin.

Tools of prejudice The hostility that early Indian migrants to the U.S. faced was not due to their actions or the history of their country of origin. It was a mechanism already in place, actively oppressing other communities for decades. Given the circumstances, it was almost natural that the hostility would turn on Indians when they reached American soil. It is ironic that discrimination, when choosing its victims, can be highly indiscriminate. In early 20th century U.S., the same forces of oppression that targeted Indians were also persecuting other communities. It is this history that’s in a way, tragically, illuminating today. Sandeep Bhardwaj is with the Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi

William Boyd in his 1998 novel, Armadillo, created an antonym for serendipity. He called it zemblanity. If serendipity implies pleasant discoveries by chance, zemblanity is “the faculty of making unhappy, unlucky and expected discoveries by design.” The novel revolves around these twin poles of serendipity and zemblanity, bringing out our daily life that oscillates between utopian dreams and a dystopian reality. Last week, I was torn between serendipity and zemblanity. I was asked to review a book for Frontline magazine, Weapons of Math Destruction, by Cathy O’Neil. Dr. O’Neil started the Lede Program in Data Journalism at Columbia. Her earlier book, in collaboration with Rachel Schutt, Doing Data Science, remains one of the finest textbooks in big number-crunching. However, her latest book explains the inherent problems in big data. She establishes the ironic relationship between the high assumptions behind mathematical models and the inequality they breed. The assumptions are that mathematical models would ensure greater fairness, eliminate bias, and judge by universal rules. But in reality, the book explains how these models become toxic by reinforcing stereotypes, by being opaque and incontestable, even when they are wrong. Reading Dr. O’Neil’s book was a moment of serendipity to learn about the tyranny of numbers.

India’s growth story The zemblanity moment happened when the Central Statistics Office (CSO) retained its January estimate for growth in gross domestic product (GDP) in 2016-17 at 7.1%. If these figures were right, it meant that independent economic forecasters had got their estimates about the potential slowdown due to demonetisation completely wrong. This newspaper’s Editorial, “Resilience reaffirmed” (March 2, 2017), reveals the dilemma in accepting these figures at face value. It read: “The Survey had also made a cautionary assertion that recorded GDP growth would ‘understate’ the overall impact of demonetisation as ‘the most affected parts of the economy — informal and cash based — are either not captured in the national income accounts or, to the extent they are, their measurement is based on formal sector indicators.’ When dealing with statistics, it is safer to keep all the caveats in mind.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi used these

CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

ARCHIVES

FIFTY YEARS AGO MARCH 6, 1967

Rajasthan Opposition leaders held

The BJP has scored a win with the scrapping of the steel lyover project in Bengaluru

The Rajasthan United Front opposition leaders took out a mammoth black flag procession to-day [March 5, Jaipur] to protest against the Governor’s decision to call the Congress to form the Government in the State. Five opposition leaders were taken into custody, besides others numbering more than a hundred, for defying the order under Section 144 Cr. P.C. in force in certain parts of the city... Raising anti-Congress and anti-Governor slogans and shouting “save democracy”, the procession started this morning from the heart of the pink city and proceeded towards the Governor’s residence.

T.M. Veeraraghav

K. MURALI KUMAR

CM YK

[email protected]

FROM

Stealing the initiative

Corruption allegations Things began changing when BJP State president B.S. Yeddyurappa claimed, about a month ago, that he had evidence to prove that large “kickbacks” from awarding contracts for the project were paid to Congress leaders. Initially this was dismissed as a political allegation but later, when Mr. Yeddyurappa said that he would make public the contents of a diary belonging to Congress MLC K. Govindaraj, the issue began to simmer. The Congress, in turn, released a video of a purported conversation between Union Minister Ananth Kumar and Mr. Yeddyurappa, claiming that they were conspiring against the State government. The contents of the diary were then “leaked” to the media. They suggested that bribes amounting to ₹65 crore were paid to the top leadership, sending the Congress into damage-control mode. The BJP demanded a CBI probe. The State government, which had until then held a tough stand, was forced to retreat in order to avoid further snowballing of the controversy. This meant that the BJP won politically. Given that there is only a year left for the State Assembly elections, the State government buckled under pressure. Nothing has changed in Bengaluru’s traic situation though. After he announced that the project was scrapped, Minister for Bengaluru Development and Town Planning K. J. George was asked if there was an alternative project to ease the traic. His answer: ask Rajeev Chandrashekhar.

The Budget that was presented on February 1, 2017 removed for the first time the distinction between plan and non-plan categories. The government also merged the Railway Budget with the Union Budget. One has to first actively disaggregate the figures sectorwise and department-wise to compare the figures with earlier estimates and arrive at some meaningful comparisons. In this context, there is no conclusive method to understand the real impact of demonetisation on India’s growth story. According to Pronab Sen, former chief statistician of India, the informal sector in India accounts for about 45% of gross domestic product (GDP) and nearly 80% of employment. If this sector is not taken into account, then the metadata not only remains inadequate but also may be seen as a deliberate move to mislead. While this newspaper has done an excellent job in reporting the official figures and explanations, there is a gap in interpreting and critiquing big data. With policy decisions becoming a product of mathematical models and data, it is worth creating in-house expertise in this crucial area as the next step in public interest journalism.

CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

SINGLE FILE

Usually, things made of steel are expected to last a long time. But a proposed steel lyover in Bengaluru, commissioned by the Congress government in Karnataka at a cost of ₹1,791 crore, ended up being a political steal for the BJP. The project, to construct a 6.7 km-long six-lane lyover, was proposed in 2010, ironically when the BJP was in power, to deal with Bengaluru’s notorious traic situation. It was mentioned in the State budget in 2014, estimated at that time to cost ₹1,130 crore. However, in September 2016, when the State Cabinet cleared the project, it put the cost at ₹1,791 crore. Resident groups called it “obnoxious” and galvanised to protest against it. They formed an extraordinary human chain along the Airport Road where the lyover was to be constructed, and discussed it on Twitter where it trended as #SteelFlyoverBeda (We don’t want a steel lyover). Congress leaders dismissed the protests and alleged that it was a motivated campaign by the BJP and a Rajya Sabha MP, Rajeev Chandrashekhar, who is seen to be close to the BJP. Apart from civil society and well-known personalities, the Namma Bengaluru Foundation, which is funded by Mr. Chandrashekar, played a key role in the protests. The government, however, was determined. Even serious questions about how the cost of the lyover was calculated, tenders allegedly without due process were awarded, and a stay order by the National Green Tribunal did not deter it.

figures at an election rally at Maharajganj in Uttar Pradesh. “On the one hand are those [critics of note ban] who talk of what people at Harvard say, and on the other is a poor man’s son, who, through his hard work, is trying to improve the economy,” he said. This was indeed a powerful political rhetoric that may well resonate with the people. But does it really address the problems relating to big data collection, its analysis, and the models? Ever since the government decided to change the base year for GDP calculation from 2004-2005 to 2011-2012 under Prime Minister Modi’s regime, there are more questions than answers about almost all our economic data. We are still not sure about the quantum of notional increase as against the real increase in GDP because of this shift. Second, to have a comparative analysis, we need data that are aligned to a set of rules and categories without introducing a new variable. But this was not available even for the latest Budget figures.

GETTY IMAGES/ ISTOCK PHOTO

Sandeep Bhardwaj

Historical persecution The first Indian migrants to reach the U.S. understood this lesson well. Arriving in the beginning of the 20th century, they faced severe persecution and bigotry. For decades before their arrival, American society had been perfecting the mechanisms of oppression against various communities: the Japanese, Chinese, Koreans, African-Americans and Native Americans. Now these tools could be turned against the Indians. The first wave of Indian migrants to the U.S. was a few thousand in number, consisting mostly of unskilled farmers from Punjab and former soldiers of the British empire. Making their way via Canada, these migrants first arrived in Washington where they found work in the lumber industry. Just months after their arrival, they became the target of resentment from white workers who were afraid of cheap Asian labour. On September 5, 1907, a mob of several hundred white people rounded up about 700 Indian workers and forced them to leave the town of Bellingham. Two months later, 500 Indian workers were similarly driven out of the town of Everett. Indian workers in Tacoma were attacked by another mob, although in this case they managed to fight back. The total number of Indians in Washington could not have been more than 2,000, which was hardly an economic challenge to the state’s population of over one million at the time. Yet the xenophobic mob was quick to act and could do so with impunity because it was an established practice in the state for over two decades. It had begun in 1885, when 500

Serendipity and zemblanity

A HUNDRED YEARS AGO MARCH 6, 1917

Jubbulpore bribery case: D.T.S. convicted

CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

CONCEPTUAL

SHELF HELP

Structures of feeling/ Cultural theory

Understanding India, the outlier

Raymond Williams developed the concept to describe the emergence of thought formations within a particular historical period, not only as a nonidealist, but also as a nonformal version of a zeitgeist or a world view. Feeling is not defined in contrast to thought, “but thought as felt and feeling as thought”. Williams wanted to go beyond formally held beliefs, the official discourse and received wisdom, to articulate a process whereby meanings and values are continually generated, and positions taken, in actual, lived social experience.

With 29 States and two Union Territories having legislative assemblies, and a growing trend indicating that the State has become the most crucial terrain for political contests in India, elections are more than just a five-yearly affair. This is more the case now as every Assembly election result is seen as a referendum on the performance of the BJP-led government or of the Prime Minister. Suhas Palshikar, Sanjay Kumar and Sanjay Lodha’s Electoral Politics in India: The Resurgence of the Bharatiya Janata Party has insightful essays that explain the dramatic shift in 2014 that saw the beginning of a long slide for the Congress and the converse for the BJP. Drawing from surveys led by the Lokniti team of the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, this volume offers a useful index of what the determinants of voter choice in favour of the BJP were in

CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

MORE ON THE WEB thehindu.com/opinion

Bangalore-Chennai in 20 minutes or MumbaiChennai in 50? http://bit.ly/HyperloopIndia

A quick guide to national and State elections Srinivasan Ramani

2014. Pradeep Chhibber and Rahul Verma write that a vote shift to the right on economic policy, and upper and non-dominant OBC consolidation benefited the BJP in Hindispeaking areas. The Lokniti surveys help provide a time serieslike data on voter choice, preferences on socio-economic issues, and reasons for voter participation. They even address the puzzle as to why India seems an outlier among other electoral democracies. India is among the few countries where the poorer segments vote in much larger numbers than the well-off. The surveys indicate confidence among voters in elections as they believe that registering an electoral mandate is empowering. Palshikar, K. C. Suri and Yogendra Yadav’s Party Competition in Indian States: Electoral Politics in Post-Congress Polity relies on rich information on political contestation at

the State level and its impact on the regionalised and fragmented national polity since 1989. That India has successfully imbibed electoral democracy is evident in the near-uniform rise in voter turnout across most State elections over the last decade. A stable operationalisation of regular legislative elections with a great degree of contestation has been a norm too, irrespective of whether or not the States are relatively poor in economic indices. This has belied most Western political scientists’ research studies which aver that democracy tends to consolidate further only in countries that have strong economic indices. Democracy and Development (Adam Przeworski et al.) is an example of a quantitative analysis of elections across countries. This should lead researchers to go beyond such methods to study the resilience of electoral democracy in countries like India.

At the Allahabad High Court to-day (March 6, Allahabad), Mr. Justice Tudball and Mr. Justice Rafique delivered judgment in the case against J.H. Frere, lately District Traffic Superintendent G.I.P Railway, Jubbulpore, and his cook, in connection with alleged taking of bribes from his subordinates. Their Lordships dealt with the evidence in full and found both accused guilty, remarking, when dealing with his financial position, accused Frere made no attempt to explain how he spent so much money without drawing on his account, and holding that in spite of discrepancies, the evidence was in the main true against the accused and that Frere had taken bribes through the medium of his cook.

CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

DATA POINT

ND-ND

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

10 NEWS

NOIDA/DELHI

THE HINDU

MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

FROM PAGE ONE

Sikh shot at in U.S. Hate crime convicts face enhanced punishment. “Thoughts and prayers to family and the entire Sikh community in the wake of the horrific shooting. This must be investigated as hate crime,” Ms. Jayapal tweeted. “It was around 8 p.m. on Thursday. The shooter approached the victim and started cursing him, asking him to go back to his country. ‘This is my country,’ he said in response. Then the attacker tried to hit him and this led to a scuffle. The Sikh gentleman blacked out and when he woke up after a few moments, he realised he was shot at,” Jasmit Singh, a Seattle-area Sikh community leader, told The Hindu by phone. Mr. Singh said Mr. Rai has never faced any specific threat, but the general sense of anxiety among the Sikhs in the region has been heightened over the last six months or so. “We hear stories of people being stared at, made uncharitable and rude comments at,” he said. Mr. Singh said the Kent police chief and the mayor

have been extremely responsive. “Both of them met with the Sikh community representatives yesterday and reached out to the family. But we want to tell the national leaders that silence is not acceptable,” he said, adding that the election campaign has added to the sense of insecurity in the community. The Indian community around Seattle had planned a vigil in Bellevue on Sunday in memory of Kuchibhotla. “We hope it will give us the space to discuss more about the situation in this place too,” Mr. Singh said. “While we appreciate the efforts of state and local officials to respond to attacks like this, we need our national leaders to make hate crime prevention a top priority,” said Sikh Coalition Interim Program Manager Rajdeep Singh in a statement. “Tone matters in our political discourse, because this is a matter of life or death for millions of Americans who are worried about losing loved ones to hate.”

Raj Bhavan staf quarters inaugurated Staf to live in high-end quarters in A.P. Rahul Devulapalli Hyderabad

After six decades, the staff of the Raj Bhavan will live in high-end quarters replete with modern facilities. Giving way to the dilapidated quarters are well-designed and attractive flats spread over 2.7 acres. The new residential quarter was inaugurated by Governor E.S.L Narasimhan in the presence of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, Deputy Chief Minister Mahmood Ali, and Home Minister N. Narasimha Reddy, among others. The project, which provides housing for officers and staff of the Raj Bhavan, began 13 months ago. A total of 152 flats have been constructed with three variants of quarters — type-A, type-B, and type-C. To make the project ecofriendly, the premises has been designed with the green building concept, which includes green cover on 20% of the total area. The buildings, which have roof-top solar systems in-

stalled on the terrace, will be powered by solar energy.

Water harvesting pits A number of rain water harvesting and bore recharging pits have been constructed for water conservation. The buildings also boast sufficient fire safety measures and adequate parking. The Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board has made provisions to supply treated water for gardening. Apart from residential quarters, a school, community hall, and barracks for security staff are also being constructed, which are expected to be completed in two months. The original Raj Bhavan quarters was constructed in 1956 with load bearing structures and lime concrete, which later became dilapidated and unusable. After the inauguration, the Governor and the Chief Minister inspected the new building and felicitated the officers involved in the project.

Will Indians rush to Australian varsities?

Attacks on Indians put MEA under pressure Besieged by complaints from PIOs and NRIs, India can do little in the case of citizens of another country the matter and address the issue”, while West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted, “Two more shocking killings of Indians in the U.S. GOI (Government of India) must take this up with the U.S. government on an urgent basis.” Despite the pleas, however it is unclear what the Indian government can do, especially given that two of the men attacked are U.S. citizens.

Suhasini Haidar NEW DELHI

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was quick to react on Sunday to the shooting of a Sikh U.S. citizen in Washington, the third attack on a person of Indian origin in the past two weeks, even as the External Affairs Ministry faces concerns domestically over the safety of Indians in the U.S. “I am sorry to know about the attack on Deep Rai, a U.S. national of Indian origin. I have spoken to Sardar Harpal Singh, father of the victim,” Ms. Swaraj tweeted, adding details about the bullet injury he sustained in his arm when a masked gunman opened fire at him outside his home, allegedly shouting, “Go back to your country.” “Amb @NavtejSarna convyd r deep concerns to US Gov [Indian Ambassador Navtej Sarna conveyed deep concerns to the U.S. government] on recent tragic incidents involving Harnish Patel & Deep Rai,” the Indian Em-

Shaken community: A candlelight vigil for the victim of the shooting in Kansas. bassy in Washington tweeted. “Amb @NavtejSarna underlined need to prevent such incidents and protect Indian community.”

Ascertaining crime The Ministry said the Indian Consulate in San Francisco was in “touch with local authorities who are ascertain-

ing the nature of the crime”, though there is a suspicion of this being a hate crime, similar to the killing of an Indian engineer, Srinivas Kuchibhotla, in a bar in Kansas in February, which is now being investigated by the FBI. On Sunday, Ms. Swaraj said she had ensured that the Indian Consul had reached Lancaster, South Carolina, to

AFP

meet the family of Harnish Patel, a convenience store owner who was killed as he was closing his shop for the day. As news of a third attack of a person of Indian origin in the U.S. spread, concern came in from other politicians as well. Punjab’s Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal urged Ms. Swaraj to “intervene in

UIDAI plugging data leak: Author Aadhaar data not Sameer Kochhar, facing an FIR after his expose, stands by his allegations Vijaita Singh New Delhi

In the dock for writing an article on the “security loopholes” in the Aadhaar system, Sameer Kochhar, head of a Gurgaon-based think tank, says he has only done his “patriotic duty” and the Unique Identification Authority of India has taken corrective measures after his “expose”. Mr. Kochhar is the author of Modinomics, a book on the development model followed in Gujarat when Narendra Modi was Chief Minister. “Is a deep state at work to steal Digital India?”, the article on Aadhaar published in his Web magazine, Inclusion, on February 11, included a video of how unauthorised transactions are being done by misusing stored biometrics. The Delhi police registered an FIR against him under the newly implemented Aadhaar Act for spreading rumours. In an e-mail response to The Hindu, Mr. Kochhar said: “I have only done my patriotic duty by writing a story on the vulnerability in the Aadhaar system, based on the inputs and evidence re-

Mr. Kochhar says his concerns are related to having the right regulatory environment that prevents security breaches. ceived. If this is a crime, FIRs would have to be filed against everyone in the media.” He said the police were yet to contact him. “I have not been informed that there is an FIR against me,” he said.

Corrective action Mr. Kochhar said the video evidence that he posted was sent by a person. “Subsequently, the UIDAI issued a notice to that person, clearly stating that he has indeed successfully done transactions using stored biometrics which is illegal. Subsequently, they also announced new steps on hardware encryption of Aadhaar

data and also suspended the licences of some entities. So much of action has happened after my expose, that shows that the UIDAI has not only accepted the vulnerability but is also working overtime to take corrective action to make Aadhaar more secure. The electronic trail of the video evidence for the story is available with us. No one has sought that yet,” he said. He said he had shared his concern with all relevant government officials, including the UIDAI, through mails, confidential communication and social media, and despite this, an FIR was filed against him. “Well, I

have pointed to the loopholes ... What is intriguing though, is a large number of media reports on an FIR against me that I have not even seen. This does come across as an attempt to malign and intimidate me into silence, by who? I cannot say,” he said. Mr. Kochhar said he was a reform historian and a policy wonk related to digital, financial and social inclusion. He has authored Modinomics, a book detailing the development model of Gujarat under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “I have published 18 books so far, including on subjects like Aadhaar, cyber security etc. The government has been supportive of my work and quite a few reform initiatives have been influenced by my work. I have been supportive of Aadhaar and have described it as a way to Digital Deliverance in my last book. My concerns essentially are related to having the right regulatory environment that prevents security breaches and lays out processes to be followed while making technology choice decisions,” he said.

CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

In for a penny, in for a pound

Variety of factors may be responsible R. Ravikanth Reddy HYDERABAD

Will it be a blessing in disguise for Australia, Canada and New Zealand education sector with recent incidents in the United States negating the positivity attached to it? A variety of factors may increase Indian students’ rush to Australia that has already seen a huge influx in 2016 itself, much before incidents in the US created some nervousness among Indian students. India was at the second place with 11 % share of all international students after China’s 27.5 %. The growth of Indian students was 8.9% compared to 2015. “Political atmosphere and the environment of ‘unwanted’ have hit the morale of several parents as well, and the recent violent attacks have only enhanced the fears though they might not be true to a large extent,” says Nishi Borra of Atlas Con-

sultants, a big player in overseas education consultancy here. He says the enquiries about Australia have multiplied compared to last year and it was evident from the interactions that parents and students were worried about the stringent policies proposed by the US President. The H1B reforms bill and rumours of OPT period being cut from the present three years were apparently playing on the students’ minds. “I am predicting a huge swing towards Australia and Canada this year as they offer Post Study Work and in the case of Australia it has introduced additional points in Permanent Residency for STEM postgraduates. Further, the annual wage requirement is around A$54000 (less than U$50000),” says Ravilochan Singh, a Sydney-based education consultant from Global Reach.

‘Can’t be fixed easily’ “The problem is of intolerance and hate, and that is not something you can fix easily, in India or in the U.S,” says former Ambassador K.C. Singh. “Also the Modi government’s policy has been to treat the entire diaspora as one large entity, not distinguishing between Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) and Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), which can become a problem.” As a result, the Ministry is finding itself besieged by complaints from both cat-

egories, though there is little jurisdiction or official responsibility for India when it comes to U.S. citizens. Another problem that is emerging is the panic over all incidents involving citizens of Indian extraction being called racially motivated attacks. On Sunday, Ms. Swaraj fended off an enquiry from a gentleman appealing for help with his passport after the death of his nephew in Boston which, he wrote, seemed to be “one of those hate crimes”. “Our Consulate in New York has spoken to the father of the deceased in Massachusetts. He says this is a personal family tragedy,” Ms. Swaraj countered on Twitter, correcting him. The incident is, however, an indicator of the task cut out for the government over fears that hate crimes are allegedly on the rise because of the anti-immigration rhetoric of the Trump administration. (With PTI inputs)

Money market: A woman at a market in Imphal deals in small denomination notes and coins to pocket a commission. The huge shortage of low-value currency has meant a windfall for such agents. RITU RAJ KONWAR

Union govt. clears promotions for over 9,600 border guards

misused: UIDAI ‘Hi-tech encryption being used’ Yuthika Bhargava

NEW DELHI

Dismissing reports of misuse of Aadhaar biometrics for identity or financial thefts, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on Sunday said personal data held by it were secure. “There has been no incident of misuse of Aadhaar biometrics leading to identity theft and financial loss during the past five years when more than 400 crore Aadhaar authentication transactions have taken place,” an official statement said. Recently, a breach of Aadhaar data was reported after the UIDAI sent a notice to three firms for possible unauthorised authentication attempt and storing of biometric data. The notice it had served was shared widely on social media and questions were raised over the safety of Aadhaar data. Describing the incident as an “isolated case of an employee working with a bank’s business correspondents’ company”, the authority said the employee had attempted to misuse his own biometrics. This was detected by the UIDAI internal security system and subsequently action under the Aadhaar Act was initiated. The UIDAI said it had “carefully gone into these reports”, and asserted that the “Aadhaar system has the capability to inquire into any instance of misuse of biometrics and identity theft and initiate action. UIDAI uses one of the world’s most advanced encryption technologies in transmission and storage of data. As a result, during the past seven years, there has been no report of breach or leak of residents’ data out of UIDAI.” Further, the authority said it continuously updated the security parameters and undertook security audits.

Criminal offence On reports that there were no extant regulations to prevent storage and misuse of e-KYC data, the UIDAI clarified that there were “stringent provisions in the Aadhaar (Authentication) Regulations governing the usage of e-KYC data, including storage and sharing, resident consent being para-

mount in both the cases.” Any unauthorised capture of iris or fingerprint data or storage or replay of biometrics or their misuse is a criminal offence under the Aadhaar Act. Further, addressing concerns over private agencies hired by mobile operators and banks for e-KYC leading to creation of parallel database, the statement said Aadhaar authentication or e-KYC was only available to authorised agencies whose appointment, responsibilities and statutory obligations, and penal provisions for contraventions were clearly provided for in the Aadhaar Act and the regulations.

Customer consent “Banks or mobile operators have to become UIDAI’s authentication user agencies and authentication service agencies to obtain e-KYC data of their customers from the UIDAI. The e-KYC data can be given by the UIDAI to these agencies only after they obtain consent of their customers and can be used only for the purpose for which it was obtained,” it said. “Violations of the provisions attract strict penalties under the Aadhaar Act which will be enforced strictly,” the statement said. More than 111 crore people have Aadhaar in India, covering more than 99% of the adult population. According to official data, more than 4.47 crore people have opened bank accounts using Aadhaar e-KYC. Aadhaar has helped the government transfer LPG subsidy under the PAHAL scheme, MGNREGS payments, scholarships and pensions directly into the accounts of beneficiaries eliminating diversion and leakage of funds by middlemen. The direct benefits transfer has saved the government ₹49,000 crore during two-and-a-half years, the release added.

SSB to get 4,095 upgraded posts, followed by 3,024 for the ITBP and 2,484 for the Assam Riles Press Trust of India NEW DELHI

The government has approved a long-pending proposal to give promotions to over 9,600 paramilitary jawans in three border guarding forces by upgrading their posts, a move aimed at easing stagnation in the ranks. The orders issued by the Union Home Ministry on CM YK

March 2 will be implemented with “immediate effect” and will ensure the much-awaited first promotion of 9,603 men and women. The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) will get a maximum of 4,095 upgraded posts, followed by 3,024 for the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and 2,484 for the Assam Rifles.

The decision is being seen as a major development to ease backlog in promotions in the lower ranks of the three forces that had been stuck since 2012. These frontier forces had petitioned the government in 2013 requesting for upgradation of one constable post in each section (comprising 10-12 person-

nel) of a battalion to the next level of head constable or havildar rank. The move will not only help in increasing promotion chances to those appointed at the lowest rung of these forces but will also aid in better operational management of the unit while on a task, a senior official said. A section is the smallest

unit in a paramilitary or Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) that is capable of operating independently to accomplish a given task of rendering law and order duties, conducting patrols, guarding a critical installation or laying ambushes. “The expenditure for these promotions will be borne by the forces from

their sanctioned budgets. The modalities have been cleared by both the Union Home and Finance Ministries,” the official said. Seniormost jawans in each section, with about 15-18 years of service, will be promoted as per the latest orders and will be given duties to lead small teams, he said. ND-ND

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

THE HINDU

NEWS 11

NOIDA/DELHI

MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

IN BRIEF

INTERVIEW | RAJNATH SINGH

‘It’s an easy contest in U.P., BJP will win absolute majority’ We are getting tremendous support. It’s unexpected. We have fulilled expectations and will match it with 2014 performance, says Minister Udhampur to get its first FM radio station UDHAMPUR

Union Minister of State for PMO Jitendra Singh on Sunday laid the foundation stone for the first-ever FM station in Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir. The project, consisting of a transmitter, a studio and a 100-metre tower, costs around ₹10 crore. This radio station would cover the adjoining five districts, the minister said. PTI

Worker electrocuted while repairing line SRINAGAR

A labourer was electrocuted and another sustained injuries allegedly due to sudden restoration of current while they were repairing a power supply line at Budshah Bridge here. “Mushtaq Ahmad died on the spot while another was injured after suffering electric shock,” a police official said. The body of Mushtaq was hanging from the pole for nearly two hours before Fire brigade personnel removed it. PTI

EC wants defaulters barred from elections NEW DELHI

The Election Commission wants laws to be changed so that it can bar those candidates who do not clear their water and power bills from contesting the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. It has asked the Law Ministry to amend the Representation of the People Act, 1951, to that effect. PTI

Two killed, 12 injured in bus-truck collision JAUNPUR (UP)

Two passengers were killed and over a dozen injured when a roadways bus was hit by a truck in Singramaur area here early on Sunday morning. Mithilesh Pandey and Manager Rai died on the spot, while the injured have been rushed to a hospital. PTI

Amit Baruah Vijaita Singh

been so then BJP would have lost its credibility.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has addressed over 100 election meetings, largely in Uttar Pradesh, as the Assembly polls reach their last and final stretch. In Delhi to clear files, Mr. Singh took time out to speak to The Hindu at his 17 Akbar Road residence. Excerpts:

Is it the strength of the government or the weakness of the Opposition?

How easy or difficult are elections in Uttar Pradesh for the BJP this time?

public meetings, people raised their hands in support.

It’s easy, not difficult at all because BJP will not only get a majority but an absolute majority.

If demonetisation is not an issue according to BJP, then why did you raise this matter during your public meetings?

■

On what basis are you saying it’s an easy contest? People say it’s a difficult one.

We are getting tremendous support. According to me, it’s unexpected. I wasn’t expecting this kind of support. We have fulfilled expectations and will match it with 2014 performance. Whether it’s the Prime Minister or the Central government, there has been no credibility loss. Nobody has put a question mark on the intentions of this government. Big decisions were taken and demonetisation was one of them. The Opposition was up in arms against demonetisation and they expected it will benefit them, but common people have supported us. For some time, people were troubled. You must have seen the television interviews of people standing in queues outside the ATMs, but they never questioned the intention of the PM or the government. Nobody put a question mark on it.

■

What kind of response did you get for demonetisation in the public meetings you addressed? ■ I will tell you, during huge meetings, when I asked the public about their response to demonetisation during my

No, no, I didn’t raise it. We seldom raised the issue of notebandi among public ... only when someone in Opposition created a furore. It was not required.

■

Development is obstructed when you discriminate on the basis of caste, creed and religion. In a diverse country like India, you have to take everyone along.

■

Doesn’t the PM’s statement on kabristans have a communal undertone?

No it’s the strength of the government. ■

But the Opposition is fragmented…

■ It’s a wrong perception; the PM is entirely secular.

The Congress used to be a national opposition party, not any more. For a healthy democracy, there should be a strong Opposition. ■

But your party did not give the ticket to a single Muslim candidate.

ienced chief minister.

■ In Manipur, we have given ticket to several candidates, including Muslims and Christians. Actually, they would have decided this on the basis of ‘winnability’. We didn’t deliberately not give the ticket to Muslim candidates; Muslims are citizens of this country, so are Christians.

What about the BSP challenge?

But all political parties do give preference to caste…

■ The BSP is not a challenge. The BSP and the SP-Congress are fighting a losing battle.

■ We also look at ‘winnability’ of the candidate; we do consider social equations. If a person belonging to any caste doesn’t win, then what is the point?

How do you view the Congress challenge in U.P.?

Congress has lost its credibility among the masses. They have ruled for a long period and they couldn’t fulfil the basic needs of people. Even today, the percentage of literacy in Congress-ruled States is quite low, poverty has increased, and infrastructure like roads, electricity, water is not there. ■

Do you think the government should have been better prepared for notebandi?

You must have seen the CSO’s [Central Statistical Organisation’s] data; they have pegged the GDP growth at 7% and it projected a growth of 7.1%. First, there was an apprehension that GDP will come down, it didn’t happen. I was reading the statement of World Bank CEO; she has also said the same thing.

■

Economists have raised concerns about the quality of the data.

There could be a difference of opinion; it’s natural. I saw Mr. [P.] Chidambaram’s statement; Congress should oppose it.

■

What are the other issues in the election?

The main issues are good governance and development. The BJP has a proven track record of development and good governance. Had it not

■

V.V. KRISHNAN

< >

Nobody has put a question mark on the intentions of this government

It’s difficult to decide this. BJP is contesting all seats. Some places it’s the Samajwadi Party, in around 10 seats some small parties are there. I think BJP has moved towards absolute majority.

■

What is your view of the role of ‘dynasty’ in politics? ■ I don’t think dynasty is a big issue, but it is true that members of one family keep replacing each other in the hierarchy. I believe that a politician’s son should work for the party for at least 10 years, if not more, and then if he wants to come [into politics], he can. You cannot stop anyone.

Why do you oppose Rahul Gandhi on the dynasty front then? ■ Me, then my son, after that his son, this is what dynasty politics is about.

Who is your main opponent in U.P.?

Will the family feud in the SP benefit Akhilesh Yadav? ■ I don’t want to get into family politics; it’s their personal matter. I don’t become happy if there is a rift in any family. I don’t even want to know the reasons [behind the feud]. But it is also true that within two years of coming to power, SP started losing its credibility. The expectations people had from SP were not fulfilled. As far as I know of India’s temperament, people want a seasoned, mature and exper-

Are the BJP’s references to shamshaan (cremation ground) and kabristan (graveyard) an attempt to consolidate Hindu votes?

The Prime Minister’s statement has been misinterpreted. His purpose was to highlight the discrimination on the basis of caste, creed and religion. That is why we believe in sabka saath sabka vikaas. And if you think that our political ideology is cultural nationalism, then it is the culture of India as espoused by sages and saints; Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam, the whole world is a family.

BJP has written to the EC to check women in burqas at polling booths.

■

How does that sit with your development plank?

■ I am not aware of the letter.

If not you, then who? ■ The Parliamentary Board will decide this.

Is there a shortlist? ■ Everything is done there [at the Parliamentary Board]. We have not projected any CM candidate; there are many leaders.

Has not having a CM face affected your prospects? ■ I don’t think so. You must have seen this in Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Maharashtra — we did not project anyone. There is no particular formula.

There are reports of clashes between the RSS and Left parties in Kerala. Does this concern you as Home Minister? ■ It is natural that I am concerned. I have requested the Kerala CM several times to stop this violence and he should put an end to it. I have spoken to him in person as well. He has assured me that he will do his best.

Why don’t you make the Naga accord public? ■ Whatever is there in the accord, let me assure you that it will not affect the territorial integrity of any State. We want to wipe out insurgency from the North-East.

You are considered the BJP’s tallest leader in U.P. In case the BJP wins, will you become the Chief Minister?

Is there a deadline for the Naga accord?

I already have a responsibility; I should not speak on this as I am a member of the Central Parliamentary Board, which has to take the decision on the process to be adopted to elect the leader of the legislature party.

Gurmehar Kaur, a 20year-old student, had to leave Delhi as she spoke against the ABVP…

■

There is no deadline in such matters.

■ Gurmehar should not have left, she should come back. There is no danger to her.

In Varanasi, Day 2 to Modi Prime Minister’s roadshow turns holy town into Ground Zero again Omar Rashid VARANASI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday reaffirmed his connection with Varanasi as he held another well-attended roadshow in his Lok Sabha constituency. At the end of the roadshow, which passed through densely populated, winding roads, Mr. Modi said at a public meeting that it was his “dream” to develop the most modern facilities in Varanasi while retaining its “soul”. The Prime Minister’s roadshow began at the police lines and passed through the Chauka ghat before concluding at the Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth. He received a resounding welcome from the crowd lined up along the streets and those watching the proceedings from their balconies. He waved at them from the sunroof of his customised SUV, which moved at a snail’s pace, and reached its destination a couple of hours late. “I have participated in many yatras but never experienced a flood of people like today in Kashi,” Mr. Modi later said at a rally at Kashi

Shower of support: Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves to people during his roadshow in Varanasi on Sunday. PTI

Vidyapeeth. He reiterated his commitment to develop Varanasi just like the “world imagines it to be”, and said that since the BJP came to power at the Centre, he had worked to improve the city’s infrastructure and ensure that its residents had their livelihood.

Roads shabby The Prime Minister accused the Samajwadi Party government of deliberately not repairing the roads in the city after work on putting electric cables underground had been completed. “They fear

Modi would get credit for the work,” he said. Mr. Modi accused the SP, the BSP and the Congress of fostering a culture of exclusive development unlike his call for Sabka Saath Sabka Vikaas. “Their political culture is kuch ka saath, kuch ka vikaas [development for a few]. It runs through their veins, to win with the support of some while neglecting the rest. In democracy, everyone’s support and development are necessary.” The State, the Prime Minister added, had all the hu-

man resources, natural wealth and willingness to work but “not the right government”. Quoting Mark Twain’s memorable lines on Varanasi’s antiquity, Mr. Modi described the city as a “living heritage”. “Every Indian considers Varanasi their own.” To develop Varanasi a “little care” and removal of obstacles was all that was required, he added. “You have the energy. But, bhaiyo aur behno,” Mr. Modi addressed residents of Varanasi, “so many governments came and went, but all they did was keep election in their mind and only showed interest in minor tweaking.”

‘Roadshow a failure’ The ruling party hit back at the Prime Minister, with Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav taking a dig at Mr. Modi for holding back-to-back road shows in Varanasi. “PM held a roadshow but it was a failure, so he is holding one again, which will also fail. He will hold another roadshow and from there we don’t know how far way he might go,” Mr. Yadav said at a rally in Sonbhadra.

Modi govt. anti-farmer, says Rahul Says it waives huge loans of the rich but poor ryots get no such concession Press Trust of India Sonbhadra (UP)

The Narendra Modi government has waived loans amounting to ₹1.4 lakh crore owed by 50 rich people, but it has refused to write-off ₹50,000 crore due from poor farmers, Congress vicepresident Rahul Gandhi said on Sunday. Addressing an election meeting here, Mr. Gandhi said, “I have myself seen the plight of poor farmers who are under tremendous debts. I met the ‘benevolent’ Prime Minister and urged him to waive the loans of farmers worth ₹50,000 crore, but he declined.” CM YK

Divine help: Rahul Gandhi, left, with Akhilesh Yadav and his wife, Dimple, at the Kashi Vishwanath temple. PTI

Seeking to strike a contrast, he said the previous UPA government headed by Manmohan Singh had waived farmers’ loans

amounting to over ₹70,000 crore within 10 days of coming to power. Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has com-

pleted more than two-andhalf years in office, he has not made good on his “promise to give employment” for two crore youths every year . He slammed the BJP and the BSP, and said only the Congress-SP alliance could bring development to U.P. “Five women’s universities would be established in the State, free coaching would be ensured for poor children, loans of the farmers would be waived off, and students of government schools would get ₹500 per month, while those who pass class 12th would get ₹30,000,” Gandhi said. ND-ND

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

12 WORLD

NOIDA/DELHI

THE HINDU

MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

ELSEWHERE

Probe needed on tapping: Trump Obama’s spokesman says neither the ex-President nor any oicial ordered surveillance on any citizen

Ahrar al-Sham claims responsibility for shooting aircraft down; pilot rescued

Agence France-Presse Associated press Palm Beach

Fillon’s wife breaks silence over scandal PARIS

The wife of French conservative presidential candidate Francois Fillon broke her silence on Sunday over the “fake jobs” scandal. In her first interview since the allegations of nearly €900,000 ($950,000) in pay, Penelope Fillon told Le Journal du Dimanche that she had carried out “a lot of different tasks” for Mr. Fillon during his political career. AFP

Body of beheaded German hostage found MANILA

The body of Jurgen Kantner (70), a German hostage who was beheaded by Islamist militants, has been found, the Philippine government said on Sunday. The Abu Sayyaf, which has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, murdered Kantner last week after its demands for 30 million pesos ($6,00,000) were not met. AFP

110 dead due to drought in southern Somalia MOGADISHU

Some 110 people have died in southern Somalia in the last two days from famine and diarrhoea resulting from a drought, Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire’s office said on Saturday, as the area braces itself for widespread shortages of food. REUTERS

Film shows Iran blowing out U.S. Fifth Fleet TEHRAN

A new animated film from Iran shows the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet being blown out of the water in the latest effort to build up the legend of the country’s most celebrated general Qassem Soleimani. Director Farhad Azimi told local media that his 80minute Battle of the Persian Gulf II is “a response to the gibberish of Hollywood and American politicians”. AFP

The White House on Sunday called for Congress to follow up on President Donald Trump’s explosive and unsubstantiated allegation that Barack Obama tapped his phone during last year’s election campaign. A day after Mr. Trump’s incendiary claim, his aides scrambled to limit the political fallout — admitting it was still unproven and calling on Congress to investigate. Citing still undefined “reports” of “politically motivated investigations”, press secretary Sean Spicer said Mr. Trump was calling on Congress to “determine whether executive branch investigative powers were abused in 2016”. Trump spokeswoman Sarah Sanders echoed those comments. “If this happened”, she told ABC, “this would be the greatest abuse of power and overreach that has ever occurred in the executive branch”. Mr. Trump, who was taking “meetings and phone calls” at his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, has not commented publicly on the allegations. On Saturday, he tweeted: “How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!” He provided no evidence to back up this claim.

Cardinal rule Mr. Obama’s spokesman Kevin Lewis said a “cardinal rule” of the Obama administration was that no White House official ever interfered in Justice Department investigations, which are supposed to be conducted free of political influence. “As part of that practice, neither President Obama nor any White House official ever ordered

Syrian plane crashes near Turkey border Agence France-Presse Reuters Ankara

Polarised electorate: (Clockwise from left) A Donald Trump supporter scules with a counter-demonstrator during a ‘People 4 Trump’ rally in Berkeley, California on Saturday; a supporter wearing a Trump mask and an anti-Trump protester. REUTERS, AP

surveillance on any U.S. citizen,” Mr. Lewis said, adding that “any suggestion otherwise is simply false”. U.S. Presidents cannot legally order such wire-taps, which require the approval of a federal judge and reasonable grounds for suspicion. Mr. Obama’s director of national intelligence James Clapper told NBC there was “no such wire-tap activity mounted against the President-elect at the time as a candidate or against his campaign”. The Republican chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Devin Nunes, said that his panel would look into Mr. Trump’s claims. Also on Saturday, groups of hundreds of people rallied for Mr. Trump in different cities — from Colorado’s State Capitol to Trump Tower in New York and the Washington Monument. Supporters at the rallies clashed with smaller groups of counter-protesters.

Bernie Sanders speaks for unionisation at Nissan plant Agence France-Presse Washington

Senator Bernie Sanders spoke on Saturday in favour of unionisation at a largely African-American Mississippi Nissan plant, in an appearance that doubled as Democratic outreach in the wake of Donald Trump’s election. Mr. Sanders was accompanied by actor Danny Glover and other officials from the NAACP, which is the largest AfricanAmerican advocacy group in the United States. Organisers demanded that the company halt what they said was “ongoing harassment of African-American workers who are organising to form a union”. They allege the factory’s

Senator Bernie Sanders at a pro-union rally in Canton, Mississippi, on Saturday AP

management threatened to illegally shut down the facility and terminate employment if workers unionised, and unlawfully interrogated workers. The United Auto Work-

ers labour union filed a complaint in May with the National Labor Relations Board claiming that Nissan was using deterrence tactics against workers who showed signs of unionising. Approximately 3,000 people turned out for the Canton, Mississippi march according to organisers. “I am proud to join in fighting to give workers at Nissan’s Canton, Mississippi, plant the justice, dignity and the right to join a union that they deserve,” Mr. Sanders told the crowd. Many manufacturers, particularly automakers, have set up plants in the U.S. south where unions are not as ingrained in the social fabric.

A Syrian military plane crashed in Turkey on Saturday near the country’s border with Syria, the Turkish state-run news agency Anadolu said. The plane crashed in the Turkish province of Hatay, it said, quoting provincial Governor Erdal Ata as saying that police and medical teams were at the site. A Syrian military source quoted by state television said “contact was lost with a military aircraft on a reconnaissance mission near the Turkish border”. The Syrian rebel group Ahrar al-Sham told AFP that it had shot down a government plane “as it was overflying Idlib province [in northwestern Syria] and carrying out air strikes”. A monitor of the conflict, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said that a plane “which probably belongs to the Syrian regime crashed in Idlib province. The status of the pilot is unknown and there are contradictory reasons for the cause of the crash”. Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, quoted by Anadolu, said earlier that the cause of the crash was unknown, but he pointed to poor weather conditions at the time. Inhabitants of the Turkish border village of Samandag said they heard a loud noise at around 6:30 pm (1530 GMT) and alerted the police, the Dogan news agency said. Later in the day, the Anadolu news agency reported that the Syrian military pilot is in hospital having been found after a ninehour search. According to the Turkish report, the pilot was recovered during an air

A view of the wreckage of the warplane. REUTERS and ground search and taken to a local hospital. The 56-year-old pilot was identified as Mehmet Sufhan, and medical staff said he was not in critical condition despite some fractures in his spine. He is being treated at a hospital in the Hatay region, a hospital spokeswoman said. In an initial statement to Turkish authorities, Mr. Sufhan said his aircraft was shot down on its way to strike rural areas near Idlib in northern Syria, Anadolu reported. He said he had taken off from Latakia in Syria.

66,000 displaced Also, a UN humanitarian agency said on Sunday that some 66,000 people have been displaced in five months of fighting in Syria’s crowded northern battlefield. The U.N.’s OCHA agency said Sunday that the Turkish and Syrian opposition campaign to capture al-Bab from IS militants displaced 40,000 residents. The office said another 26,000 residents have been displaced in fighting around Manbij, held by Kurdish-led forces, and al-Khafseh, held by IS militants. Al-Khafseh is home to the main water station for Aleppo, Syria’s largest city.

Xi’s ‘core leader’ status is airmed

4 IS-held areas in Mosul attacked

Achievement of goals have to be aligned with President’s vision, says Premier Li

Pace of operations has slowed recently amid several days of bad weather

Atul Aneja Beijing

Amid preparations for a leadership overhaul later this year, China’s legislature on Sunday focussed on President Xi Jinping’s standing as the “core” leader, to steer the country’s political and economic reforms, which are expected to yield a 6.5% growth in 2017. In his annual work report, Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang signalled the consolidation of power under Mr. Xi as a strategic undertaking, as China initiates preparation for the 19th Party Congress in autumn. Excluding Mr. Xi and Mr. Li, the remaining five members of the Standing Committee of the Politburo, representing the top leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), are expected to be changed. In his presentation of the annual work report to the National People’s Congress, Mr. Li stressed that following “the leadership of the Party Central Committee with

Key meet begins: President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang at the opening session of the National People's Congress. AFP

Comrade Xi Jinping at its core” was the first among the 17 tasks that China needed to accomplish. He highlighted that achievement of other goals such as economic development and stable growth had to be aligned with Mr. Xi’s vision, thinking and principles. He specifically referred to the emergence new leadership for the next five years at the 19th Party Congress. Mr. Li disclosed that a GDP growth of around 6.5% or higher if possible in practice, had been set for this

Malaysia expels North Korean Ambassador Kuala Lumpur reviewing bilateral ties

year. The figure, though lowest for more than 20 years, was “realistic and in keeping with economic principles”, he observed.

Move to green economy Mr. Li’s address focused on structural reforms, highlighting amplification of “supply-side” economics, concentrating on five areas, including slashing outdated industrial capacity in sectors such as steel, and reducing housing inventory. The work report also highlighted China’s intent to

transition towards a “green” economy. Coal-fired plants, the principal cause of runaway air pollution, with a power generating capacity of 50 million kilowatts or more would be shuttered, and work on those utilities that are under construction would be stopped. “We will make our skies blue again,” Mr. Li observed. Mr. Li also stressed that China will beef up its maritime and air defence capability, and strengthen border controls “to ensure that the sovereignty, security, and development interests of China are resolutely and effectively safeguarded”. He also warned that the notion of “Hong Kong’s independence” will lead nowhere. He also rejected activities related to “Taiwan’s independence”. ”We will never tolerate any activity, in any form or name, which attempts to separate Taiwan from the motherland,” Mr. Li said, highlighting the ‘One-China’ principle.

Agence France-Presse Mosul

Iraqi forces attacked four jihadist-held areas in Mosul on Sunday, the latest push in a battle for the city’s west that has displaced more than 45,000 people since it began. Iraqi forces have recaptured several areas in west Mosul since launching the push to retake it on February 19, but their pace slowed recently amid several days of bad weather, which muddies streets and makes air support more difficult.

Largest IS-held centre West Mosul is the largest urban population centre still held by the Islamic State (IS) group, followed by the city of Raqqa in Syria and the town of Tal Afar, which is located between Mosul and the Syrian border. Black smoke billowed over west Mosul on Sunday as Iraqi forces battled IS in a fight marked by explosions and continual automatic weapons fire. “Federal po-

Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia has expelled North Korea’s Ambassador, giving him 48 hours to leave the country in a major break in diplomatic relations over the airport assassination of the Kim Jong-nam halfbrother of Pyongyang’s leader. North Korea has not acknowledged the dead man’s identity but has repeatedly disparaged the murder investigation, accusing Malaysia of conniving with its enemies. “The Ambassador [Kong Chol] has been declared persona non grata” after Malaysia demanded but did not receive an apology for Pyongyang’s attacks on the CM YK

Kang Chol, N. Kroea’s envoy to Malaysia. AFP investigation, Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Anifah Haji Aman said. The Foreign Ministry said the expulsion is “part of the process by the Malaysian government to review its relations” with North Korea, which before Kim’s assassination were unusually cosy.

lice and Rapid Response Division forces are attacking Al-Dindan and Al-Dawasa neighbourhoods,” Iraq’s Joint Operations Command ( JOC) said. Al-Dawasa includes the Nineveh Governor’s headquarters and other government buildings. Mosul is the capital of Nineveh province. The Counter-Terrorism

Service and Rapid Response are two special forces units that have spearheaded operations in the Mosul area, while the federal police are a paramilitary police unit. The Iraqi Army is also taking part in the fight for west Mosul, with the 9th Armoured Division advancing through the desert surrounding the city, aiming to

Sex workers here are third-class citizens In Russia, they operate outside the law and are highly vulnerable to both infection and abuse more than 1,03,000 new cases identified in 2016, up 5% on the previous year, while the real total is likely to be significantly higher.

Agence France-Presse Saint Petersburg

Agence France-Presse

Rescuing civilians: An Iraqi special forces soldier helps a family move from an Islamic Statecontrolled part of Mosul to an Iraqi forces-controlled area. REUTERS

Russian President Vladimir Putin recently quipped that Russian prostitutes are “the best in the world”. But the reality is that Russian sex workers operate in a hidden world outside the law and out of sight — making them doubly vulnerable to infection and abuse, as AFP journalists found after being granted rare access to an illegal brothel. In a grand Stalin-era tower block in the northwestern city of Saint Petersburg, a woman in her 30s opens the door of an apartment, introducing herself as Inna, the receptionist of this so-called salon. The women only agree to speak because they trust an accompanying activist from the only NGO in Rus-

The outcast: Irina Maslova, founder of Russia’s only NGO for sex workers called Serebryanaya Roza. AFP

sia for sex workers called Serebryanaya Roza, or Silver Rose. The activist, Regina Akhmetzyanova, spends her evening going to such clandestine brothels to give

out condoms and to offer sex workers an HIV test. This is particularly important for prostitutes since infection rates in Russia are currently growing, with

Legal ban “Russian prostitutes are absolute [outcasts] who have no real way of defending themselves,” says Silver Rose’s founder, Irina Maslova. Ms. Maslova (in her 40s) says she spent six years selling sex in the city before becoming an activist in 2003 and one of the few public advocates for prostitutes’ rights. While prostitution is illegal in Russia, it is punishable by a fine of just 1,500 rubles ($26). Activists say this legal ban is often used by police as an excuse not to investigate crimes against

sex workers. Ms. Maslova believes that only legalisation of prostitution can bring an end to the abuses against the women and aims to create what she calls a “trade union for sex workers”. There seems little prospect of this currently as officials and lawmakers back conservative policies and stress the importance of fidelity in HIV prevention campaigns. In Saint Petersburg, activists estimate there could be between 4,000 and 6,000 women who earn their living from prostitution. Only some 10% work on the streets, while most work in brothels in city apartments, shared by a group of prostitutes with a security guard and a receptionist, who takes calls from clients.

cut if off from the IS-held town of Tal Afar, farther west. More than 45,000 people have fled west Mosul since the push to retake it began, while over 2,00,000 are currently displaced as a result of the battle to retake the city, which was launched on October 17, according to the International Organization for Migration.

Colombo not to allow foreign judges Agence France-Presse Colombo

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has rejected a fresh appeal from the United Nations to allow international judges to investigate alleged war-era atrocities, vowing to not prosecute soldiers. “I am not going to allow non-governmental organisations to dictate how to run my government. I will not listen to their calls to prosecute my troops,” he said in remarks distributed by his office on Sunday. The UN on Friday criticised Sri Lanka's “worryingly slow” progress in addressing its wartime past, urging the government to adopt laws allowing for special hybrid courts to try war criminals. ND-ND

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

THE HINDU

BUSINESS 13

NOIDA/DELHI

MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

IN BRIEF ‘India’s unemployment rate sees sharp decline’ NEW DELHI

Contrary to market perception, India’s unemployment rate halved from 9.5 % in August 2016 to 4.8 % in February this year and among major States, a sharp decline was registered in Uttar Pradesh. According to the State Bank of India Ecolash, during August 2016 to February 2017, unemployment rate in Uttar Pradesh registered the maximum decline from 17.1 % to 2.9 %, followed by Madhya Pradesh (10% to 2.7%), Jharkhand (9.5 % to 3.1 %), Odisha (10.2 % to 2.9%) and Bihar (13 % to 3.7%). PTI

Thyssenkrupp, Tata Steel may end talks LONDON

Tata Steel may be considering breaking of talks over a planned merger of its European business with German conglomerate Thyssenkrupp, according to a report in the U.K. media. The merger talks had been revealed by the Indian giant last year as part of a major restructuring of its U.K. steel business. A deal with the German major could lead to the formation of a European behemoth with furnaces in Wales, The Netherlands and Germany. However, ‘The Sunday Times’ said the deal may be under threat due to German pension liabilities. PTI

China cuts growth goal, puts focus on reform

A boon for tourists, techies fret Small businesses lobby for U.S. could roll out a red carpet for Indian visitors even as IT staf worry over H-1B

IT irms will be hit: Nasscom

Vikas Dhoot NEW DELHI

Amidst rising concerns over H-1B visa prospects for Indian professionals, Indian tourists to the United States could soon have a smoother entry process into the U.S. Indian and U.S. authorities have kicked off talks to expand air connectivity with more non-stop flights, allowing frequent Indian visitors quicker exits at the airport under the U.S.’ Global Entry programme and, most importantly, the prospect of setting up a pre-clearance facility at an Indian airport so passengers may avoid delays related to customs and border protection inspections at U.S. gateway airports. Such a pre-clearance facility is currently available in Abu Dhabi for travellers to the U.S., drawing high volumes for the UAE’s flag carrier Etihad’s direct flights to the U.S. These initiatives are being considered by a bilateral working group formed under the aegis of the U.S.-India Travel and Tourism Partnership Year officially unveiled a fortnight ago. “Some markets like Abu Dhabi has invested and received pre-clearance facility for early immigration clearance in the U.S. There are some advantages to that and that’s part of the conversa-

PRESS TRUST OF INDIA NEW DELHI

Lucrative catch: About 1.1 million Indians visited the U.S. in 2015 and spent close to $12 billion. GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO

tion ongoing with the Indian government as well,” said Fred Dixon, president and CEO, NYC and Company, New York’s official tourism and marketing organisation. “They are also talking about expanding the Global Entry program for frequent Indian travellers to the U.S. to enable them to have faster access at the border. That’s under discussion and these are very tactical ideas to improve access and transit between the two countries,” Mr. Dixon told The Hindu. The New York Metropolitan Authority area is home to the largest Indian population within the U.S., he pointed out. Mr. Dixon was part of an official US delegation to New Delhi led by the US Department of Commerce’s National Travel and Tourism

Office as part of the US–India strategic and commercial dialogue’s travel and tourism working group. About 1.1 million Indians visited the U.S. in 2015 and spent close to $12 billion, making it the seventh-largest market for U.S. travel and tourism exports. Over the last decade, travel and tourism exports to India have more than doubled and now account for 65% of U.S. services exports to India, and U.S. Commerce Department expects a further 72% growth in arrivals from India by 2021. There are only a few non-stop connections presently between the U.S. and India operated by United Airlines, Air India and Delta Air Lines, and several one-stops through the Middle East and Europe.

Industry body Nasscom said that the U.S. decision to temporarily suspend the expedited premium processing of H-1B visas will lead to process delays for Indian IT firms too. However, Nasscom feels that the move will not be a “significant impediment” for the more than $110-billion outsourcing industry. The U.S. has announced that from April 3, it would temporarily suspend the ‘premium processing’ of H-1B visas that allowed some companies to jump the queue, as part of overall efforts to clear the backlog. The suspension came even as New Delhi pressed for a fair and rational approach on the matter from a trade and business perspective. “The current issue of the temporary suspension of premium H-1B processing will create some process delays for the companies — Indian and American — but is not a significant impediment,” Nasscom said in an email statement.

BEIJING

China has cut its growth target this year as the world’s second-largest economy pushes through painful reforms to address a rapid build-up in debt, and erects a “irewall” against inancial risks. China aims to expand its economy by around 6.5%, Premier Li Keqiang said in his work report at the opening of the annual meeting of parliament on Sunday. The target is realistic and will help steer and steady expectations, Li said. China set a target of 6.5 to 7% last year and ultimately achieved 6.7% growth. Reuters

CM YK

Centre gives nod to sell three SAIL plants PRESS TRUST OF INDIA NEW DELHI

The Centre has approved outright sale of state-owned SAIL’s three special steel units, including the Salem and Alloy Steel plants. In pursuance of the decision, SAIL has now sought advisers, including legal and merchant bankers, to carry out the strategic sale along with transfer of management control in the three steel

plants — Alloy Steels Plant, Salem Steel Plant and Visvesvaraya Iron and Steel Plant. The ‘Maharatna’ PSU is scouting for transaction advisers from professional consulting firms, investment bankers and financial institutions to provide advisory services and manage the disinvestment process. The transaction adviser will advise SAIL on the mod-

alities and timing of the strategic disinvestment of the three steel plants and prepare a detailed operational scheme to successfully implement the process, indicating tentative timelines for each activity. The firm will also finalise the process of strategic sale as to whether it will be done through bidding or auction and assist SAIL in fixing the range of the fair reserve

price, considering the valuation of the divesting plants. The strategic sale of these three units is likely to happen only in the next financial year, beginning April. The government has budgeted to raise ₹15,000 crore from strategic disinvestment in 2017-18. The Centre currently holds 75% stake in SAIL, which is the largest steel producer in India.

rules to increase liquidity Want a revamp of stock market trading regulations Ashish Rukhaiyar MUMBAI

Close to five years after the introduction of a separate segment for listing of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), market participants are now looking at ways to increase the liquidity to attract more institutional and retail investors. With critical mass being attained, market participants are now lobbying hard with the capital market regulator to review the trading norms to increase liquidity in the segment. One of the main issues being proposed is lowering the trading lot size post listing, which is currently pegged at ₹1 lakh. Minimum lot size refers to the minimum amount that an investor has to put in to trade in the shares of a company.

Separate platforms The country’s leading equity bourses — BSE and the National Stock Exchange (NSE) — introduced their separate SME platforms in 2012. While both have been pitching their respective platforms to SMEs by way of awareness camps across the country, BSE has marched ahead in terms of numbers of companies. Asia’s oldest stock exchange has seen 165 SMEs listing on its segment, while NSE has close to 60 entities on board so far. “There is marked improvement in trades in SME stocks, though many a time, concerns over lesser liquidity still take centre-stage in discussions on SME investing,” says Mahavir Lunawat, Group Managing Director, Pantomath Capital, an investment banking entity specialising in the SME space. “Mitigation of lot size in secondary trades can be explored as a measure to aid li-

Widening the net: One of the main issues being proposed is lowering the trading lot size post listing.

quidity levels. Investors would certainly find it more convenient to deal in SME stocks in small lots. That will also reduce pressure on market makers,” adds Mr. Lunawat. Merchant bankers are of the view that once the company has been listed for a certain period of time and a trading history has been created, the lot size could be lowered to one share so that retail investors can also participate if they are convinced with the quality and potential of the entity.

SEBI proposal Incidentally, a formal proposal on behalf of Association of Investment Bankers of India (AIBI), the umbrella body of merchant bankers, is likely to be submitted soon to the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). Stock exchanges, however, seem to differ over the issue of lowering the lot size. While NSE favours a reduction in lot size post listing, BSE believes that the current framework has worked well and hence should not be changed. “SEBI has made the SME guidelines for informed in-

vestors and it is working fine. There is no need to disturb the ecosystem at this juncture,” said Ajay Thakur, Head BSE SME. When SEBI framed the guidelines for the SME segment, it intentionally kept the minimum trading lot at ₹1 lakh to keep out retail investors since the view was that SMEs carry higher risk compared to companies on the main board. “SEBI has been consulting the market on this issue and reducing the lot size is likely to improve liquidity in securities on the SME platform. It can be considered if the regulator thinks it is appropriate,” said a senior NSE official. Bankers say that the last five years have shown that there is enough appetite for SME stocks and investors have realised that the segment is for investment and not trading for quick gains. “Given that most of the SMEs are at the initial trajectory of the business life cycle, investors should have a longer investment horizon. The SME segment should not be perceived to be a trading platform aimed at making immediate returns,” said Mr. Lunawat.

ND-ND

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

14 BUSINESS REVIEW

NOIDA/DELHI

THE HINDU

MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Policy drags e-commerce exports

GUEST COLUMN

Exporters face restrictions in the form of poor incentives and debilitating fees, made worse by surging global competition Arun S NEW DELHI

India had woken up to the huge potential of e-commerce exports when the Centre decided to provide incentives in the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2015-20 to promote exports of goods hosted on a website and dispatched through courier or postal mode. However, exporters have now identified several ‘restrictions’ under the FTP and related norms as ‘challenges’ that are preventing them from maximising the potential of e-commerce exports. The FTP incentives for ecommerce exports are only for low-value goods —“falling in the category of handloom products, books and periodicals, leather footwear, toys and customised fashion garments, having free-on-board value up to ₹25,000 per consignment and finalised using the e-commerce platform.” The payment for goods purchased on e-commerce platform shall be done through international credit or debit cards and as per the Reserve Bank of India norms. According to an assessment with the Commerce Ministry and the apex body for exporters in the country — the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) — there are more than 25,000 Indian companies, small and medium firms and entrepreneurs present on the American multinational e-commerce company eBay alone, exporting their items directly to the consumers across the world.

B2C exporters It is estimated that there are more than two lakh such Indian business-to-consumer (B2C) exporters making use of their own websites or other e-commerce platforms and social media sites. According to FIEO, there is a market opportunity of about $5 billion in the nearterm, say in the next 2-3 years, for Indian e-commerce retail exports provided the concerns of such exporters are addressed expeditiously by the government. Since a survey had pointed out that those selling their items using eBay employ about 6.5 employees on

an average, further promotion of Indian e-commerce exports is also expected to lead to greater direct and indirect employment generation. There is intense competition in the e-commerce exports space, and several countries are actively promoting e-commerce exports. For instance, the U.K. government’s Department for International Trade (DIT) has an ‘E-Exporting Programme’ to help U.K. companies sell their products or services overseas through e-commerce. According to the U.K. government’s website, the programme enables U.K. companies to to get expert international trade advice and support through a free meeting with DIT e-commerce advisers. The programme also helps U.K. companies to develop and implement an international e-commerce strategy, as well as to “set up on e-marketplaces and identify new emarketplaces around the world to sell through, with the DIT’s ‘Selling online overseas’ tool.” It also enables U.K. companies to “access better than commercial rates to list on some e-marketplaces, including lower commission fees and ‘try for free’ periods.” India’s e-commerce retail exporters are also facing major competition from their counterparts in China and South Asia. According to the World Trade Organisation, in 2015, e-commerce in goods and services was worth about $22 trillion globally, and has grown the fastest in emerging economies. As per India’s FTP 201520, the incentives for e-commerce exports are under the Merchandise Export from India Scheme (MEIS). The rewards are in the form of freely transferable duty credit scrips (that gives duty benefits for imports of inputs / import of goods including capital goods / domestic procurement of inputs and goods including capital goods, etc). The FTP, however, states that “if the value of exports using e-commerce platform is more than ₹25,000 per consignment, then MEIS reward would be limited to

Travails of NRIs in exchanging demonetised notes Facility available only at 5 RBI counters

e-commerce exports under the ‘others’-category.

Duty dampener: A major disincentive is that currently when a buyer sends an item back to an e-commerce exporter, import duty is charged. GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO

free-on-board value of ₹25,000 only.” It adds that “such goods can be exported in manual mode through Foreign Post Offices at New Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai. Export of such goods under Courier Regulations shall be allowed manually on pilot basis through airports at Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai as per appropriate amendments in regulations to be made by Department of Revenue.” The FTP further says that the Department of Revenue shall fast track the implementation of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) mode at courier terminals.

‘Raise incentives’ According to the exporters, though e-commerce is a great medium for them to expand their product lines, the FTP currently limits incentives to just a handful of items, thereby restricting the growth of Indian exporters using the e-commerce mode. They said the list of items for incentives should be expanded to include jewellery, which is among the biggest finished product exports

Non-resident Indians (NRIs) visiting India, especially for a short visit, to their native places are finding it difficult to exchange the demonetised currencies of ₹1,000 and ₹500 notes, as these notes can be exchanged only at RBI offices in Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, and Nagpur. This is also impacting the travel plans of many NRIs especially from Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and many other Northern states who are forced to visit these places to exchange demonetised notes. Moreover, a traveller has to be present in person at these offices with all the travel documents. In a notification issued on December 31, the RBI had said that a facility for exchange of these notes had been made available for resident and non-resident citizens who could not avail the facility from November 10 to December 30, 2016 on account of their absence from India in the period. While this facility will remain open for residents (who were abroad during the specified period) from January 2, 2017 to March 31, 2017, NRIs can avail this till June 30, 2017. However, this facility will be made available through only five of the offices of the RBI at Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, and Nagpur. While there is no monetary limit for exchange for CM YK

Travellers are to be present when the exchange occurs. GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO

the eligible Resident Indians, the limit for NRIs will be as per the relevant FEMA Regulations, which allows an NRI to carry only a maximum of ₹25,000 abroad, Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIO), who are not Indian citizens, are not eligible for this facility.

Immigration stamp A copy of the passport with immigration stamp as proof of the individual’s absence from the country during the period November 9, 2016 to December 30, 2016 should be submitted. Passport in original also should be presented at the RBI counter for verification. There was about $115 billion in NRI accounts in India. In 2015, a total of US$ 68.91 billion was made in remittances to India from other countries. Around 40% of India's remittances flow to the states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh which are among the top international remittance-dependent economies of the world.

One consequence of the recent demonetisation was a push towards the digitisation of the economy — a move that will create transparency in the financial system. But this digital push must be accompanied by greater security of digital transactions to deal with the tsunami of cybercrimes that is bound to follow. India’s enforcement mechanisms, laws and policies must be re-examined immediately to ensure that the theft of data or money is dealt with severely, swiftly and transparently. A recent ASSOCHAMPwC study found that cybercrime in India surged almost 300% between 2011 and 2014. The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), the national agency tasked with maintaining cybersecurity, reported more than 50,000 security incidents in 2015. With the push towards digital transactions, this number will only grow. As smartphones become the preferred mode of transactions, hacking, phishing and malware based attacks are serious concerns. The Nokia malware report showed a 96% surge in mobile device infections in 2016. The logistical burden these incidents will place on law-enforcement the judiciary, will be enormous. Our police infrastructure, which doesn’t yet have the capacity to handle existing cybercrimes, will be strained to breaking point in the coming surge. Dealing with cyber offences necessarily means upgrading the capabilities of law enforcement, either through new recruitment or by imparting technical training to existing personnel. But this prescription comes with its own problems, not least being the supply of qualified people. Given the salaries and perquisites in the public services vis-a-vis the private sector, hiring qualified people will be difficult. A differential pay structure or fast-track promotions will be problematic in the current system, which is strictly

hierarchical. If existing personnel are trained rigorously, on the other hand, there is the danger that they will be poached by the private sector. The more promising option is a Public Private Partnership (PPP) to combat cybercrime. Such a partnership will draw upon the skills in the private sector to train the police, while providing practical experience in dealing with cybercrimes to corporate employees. Such models already exist and are fairly successful.

< > Public-private partnership is critical to training the police One example is the National Cyber Forensic Training Alliance (NCFTA) in the U.S., a non-profit platform that tackles cybercrime through partnerships with subject matter experts in the public, private, and academic sectors. A similar setup in India is the NASSCOMaffiliated Data Security Council of India (DSCI). The DSCI sets up cyberlabs in different cities and imparts training. This model is now ripe for scale-up across the country and can be tapped into by the jurisdictional police. In addition, we must reshape our current cybercrime laws to address the likely surge in offences relating to digitisation. Given the borderless nature of cybercrimes, state police agencies need to be able to pursue offenders without worrying about jurisdiction. To allow for this, a pan-India cyberenforcement force must be considered. Such a force can become a one-stop-shop for digital monetary fraud and will go a long way in assuaging the concerns of cyber-fraud victims. Such a force will also be able to identify trends and stop entities that prey on the gullibility of uninformed citizens transitioning to the digital economy. (The views of Pronab Mohanty, IPS, DDG-UIDAI and Jai Asundi, Research Coordinator, CSTEP are personal)

Where safety supersedes everything else When you are turning tonnes of steel into cars, staf well-being becomes a priority. Hyundai’s head of safety explains why K. Bharat Kumar

Thiruvananthapuram

of ₹ 1 lakh). But on that amount, he has to pay an application fee of ₹1,000, thereby reducing the actual benefits. “The fee may be reduced substantially or waived off to give encouragement to this new and emerging mode of exports,” the FIEO said. A major disincentive is that currently, when a buyer sends an item back to an ecommerce exporter, import duty is charged. However, in the case of exports other than through the e-commerce route, customs duties are exempted on return of exported goods. Therefore, exporters feel that unless return of goods is exempted from customs tariff, e-commerce retail exports will not take off in India in a big way. Also, there is no provision for ‘commercial shipment’ in the forms provided by Customs in Foreign Post Office of India Post. The options currently available are only ‘gift’, ‘sample’, ‘documents’, ‘commercial samples’ and ‘others’. Most customs authorities are reluctant to allow

Pronab Mohanty Jai Asundi

COMPLIANCE MANTRA

CHENNAI

Oommen A. Ninan

from India, as well as health & beauty items, auto spare parts and musical instruments. Also, in order to promote exports from the country’s micro, small and medium enterprises through e-commerce, the value limit for availing MEIS benefits should be enhanced up to ₹5 lakh from the current level of ₹25,000 per consignment. In addition, they pointed out that the clearance process under the MEIS scheme is currently manual and not EDI-enabled. Therefore, it is necessary to open EDI-based clearance for e-commerce export categories including leather, apparel, homedécor, ayurveda, organic food, sports goods and fashion jewellery. Besides, they said, through their apex body FIEO, that the application fee was too high for e-commerce exports to avail benefits under MEIS. For instance, if an exporter currently exports four consignments each worth ₹25,000 for a product attracting 2% duty benefit under MEIS, he gets a benefit of ₹2,000 (for a total export

Small-value shipments The exporters also said presently, the Courier Shipping Bill (CSB-II) did not support commercial small-value, single-item shipment. The Bill only supports gifts or samples, and has no provision for ‘commercial shipments’. Besides, the CSB–II is highly cumbersome as it has multiple fields and requires lots of information to be furnished even for low-value shipments, the FIEO said. “The exporter is also unable to claim any FTP or tax input related benefits if he wishes to do so,” it said, suggesting that a new CSB form be introduced and notified at the earliest. Another difficulty being faced by e-commerce exporters is that such exports through India Post or via the commercial courier mode are ticked as “samples” or “gifts” and not as ‘Commercial Shipment’. Therefore, such documents are not “recognised” or “acknowledged” by Value Added Tax (VAT) authorities, despite proof of receipt of foreign exchange through bank realisation certificate. This leads to a situation where VAT and service tax are not refunded in such cases of e-commerce exports as there are no Customstamped documents in such cases to prove ‘Commercial Shipment’, thereby reducing the competitiveness of Indian products. Also, an irritant is the requirement of multiple copies of invoice, making the export clearance process for a seller via the ecommerce export route difficult, expensive, paper-centric and time-consuming especially in a technology-enabled environment, according to FIEO. “Sellers need to sign and attach multiple physical documents and pay a commercial clearance charge of ₹1,000 to ₹1200 for every shipment,” said Ajay Sahai, director-general and CEO, FIEO. “A single-product shipment via private courier requires seven copies of invoices (self-declaration), while India Post requires three copies of invoices (selfdeclaration),” Mr. Sahai added.

Law enforcement in the digital era

In a culture steeped in pride in breaking rules in daily life, be they traffic regulations or safety laws, how do you get people to comply inside a factory? In a place that compresses 250 tonnes of steel a day — steel that turns into a car in about four hours, steel that churns out cars at the rate of about 90 per hour — Senthil Kumar R.M. has his task cut out. As head of health & safety at Hyundai Motor India, it is Mr. Kumar’s job to ensure that the close to 11,000 people who work at the carmaker’s Chennai factory help churn out automobiles without danger to limb or life. “The indirect reward for breaking rules is high in the minds of people,” according to Mr. Kumar. “If a worker can fix a problem in an assembly line without having to stop production, he does not have to go through a hierarchy of explanation to detail what happened.” In other words, quick fixes save time. But they also endanger lives. “It happens across the industry and not just one company.” He refers to the case of a worker, in a competitor’s factory, investigating an unidentified object in the line. It is learnt that the worker, who was himself a supervisor in the know of rules, and trained to switch off the assembly line in case of emergency, did not do so and was fatally sucked into the machine. “If a supervisor permits a subordinate to circumvent

rules to save time and cost, it neither calls for appreciation nor is it to be ignored. The team needs to be pulled up.”

Grievous injury Mr. Kumar put it succinctly when he said, “Ninety-nine times out of 100 that one breaks rules, nothing happens. But the once an injury occurs, it is grievous.” And that is one too many, in his view. What kind of accidents can occur in a car factory? “Not wearing arm sleeves or gloves while lifting heavy material could lead to deep gashes. Getting into the sweeping arc of a robot without switching off the machine could lead to major injury.” Jaywalking on the shop floor can lead to accidents with vehicles that transport material. Incidents could include fire due to negligence. For instance, a casual labourer had once left thinner material in a hot environment while leaving for lunch. Sparks from a nearby robot had led to a minor fire. In 2008, another fire had led to the breakdown of a robot in the paint shop. Mr. Kumar said, “There were two robots doing the top coat of paint. Since a robot doing the primer job was out of action due to fire, we had to use the top-coat robot for the primer job.” This, obviously, led to productivity loss. Mr. Kumar’s team focuses on educating staff and relentless communication with them to get safety to be top priority for workers across all levels in the company. He said that doing so also helped the message seep

into other aspects of their lives as well as those of their family members. Using both lead as well as lag indicators, the safety team has come up with a composite figure called the safety index. “From the managing director downwards, every one’s performance is measured as per the index.” Lead indicators that contribute to the index are the behavioural changes that the safety department has brought in. “The number of near misses that could have potentially caused damage, training programmes conducted, improvements to safety in an assembly line are all lead indicators.” Lag indicators obviously stem from actual incidents or accidents that happen, the number of man-days lost due to injury, medical expenses and productivity lost due to stoppage of a production line.

‘Safety, not savings!’ Asked if his team had helped save on costs, Mr. Kumar said, “Our aim is to ensure safety, not save on costs.” But cost savings are collateral benefits. “The number of incidents of injury to personnel dropped 30% compared with last year, and about 70% compared with 2008.” The company’s expenses on premium paid against fire insurance had also dropped in relative terms. While the sum assured against fire, which runs into several thousand crores every year, has gone up 50% since 2011, the premium paid has risen at a

Right signal: Hyundai‘s message to its staf has been that preventing injury is far more important than an assembly line running uninterrupted. GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO

both lead as well as lag indicators, < > Using our team has come up with a composite igure called the safety index that helps track our performance Senthil Kumar R.M. Head, Health & Safety, Hyundai Motor India

lesser rate, going just above 40%. Hyundai Motor also has apprentices coming in to work, fresh out of training institutes. They may not have been exposed to environments with a strict culture for safety. In other words, not complying with rules has typically not evoked punishments in their earlier lives. “These are barriers to becoming safety-conscious,” said Mr. Kumar. This necessitates continuous messaging. The safety department at

Hyundai has also appointed 77 safety ambassadors handpicked from each shop — assembly, body and paint shops. “They are trained to be communicators and role models,” according to Mr. Kumar. Further, areas across the factory are earmarked as being the responsibility of a set of such ambassadors with their photos displayed prominently. “This brings a sense of ownership in maintaining safety and cleanliness in those areas.”

To guard against damage from fire, the safety department has also trained about seven teams in handling fire. Each team has about six to seven members and each of the three daily shifts is designed to have one such team working. “Every member is trained across one of three functions: to put out a fire, to supply material such as extinguishers to the fire-handling team or to move property to safety and to communicate to the management or fire departments in an emergency.” If a member is not in any of these three functions, he or she is trained to get to a safe assembly point quickly for the customary headcount. ND-ND

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

THE HINDU

SPORT 15

NOIDA/DELHI

MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

IN BRIEF

Australia’s batsmen dig in to take vital lead Matt Renshaw and Shaun Marsh hit determined half-centuries as Kohli’s bowlers toil hard K.C. Vijaya Kumar BENGALURU

Detroit Pistons bounces back WASHINGTON

Detroit Pistons shook off a disappointing NBA defeat in emphatic style, pummelling Philadelphia 76ers 136-106. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 26 points for Pistons. Other results: Rockets 123 bt Grizzlies 108; Spurs 97 bt Timberwolves 90 (OT); Clippers 101 bt Bulls 91; Bucks 101 bt Raptors 94; Heat 120 bt Cavaliers 92; Trail Blazers 130 bt Nets 116; Hornets 112 bt Nuggets 102. AGENCIES

Leverkusen sacks head coach Schmidt BERLIN

Bayer Leverkusen “regretfully” sacked coach Roger Schmidt —despite still being in the Champions League — following its humiliating 6-2 Bundesliga thrashing at Borussia Dortmund. The 49-year-old is the ninth coach to be fired by a Bundesliga club this season. Schmidt, who took charge in July 2014, was dismissed after three straight defeats in all competitions and with Leverkusen mired in mid-table. AFP

Often on Sunday, Virat Kohli gesticulated to the crowd. The message was clear: make some noise. The fans at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium responded heartily and some took it to an extreme level and even booed departing Australian batsmen. Yet, for all the off-field drama, it was Steve Smith’s men who progressed on the turf and gained an unfinished 48-run lead. At close on the second day of the second Test, Australia had posted 237 for six in its first innings, well past India’s 189. The run-rate at times was excruciatingly slow, plumbing below two, especially in the morning session. There were edges that fell short, a few nerve-wracking moments as India pressed for reviews only to eat humble pie and in this chaos, Australia stood firm. A large share of the credit is due to opener Matt Renshaw (60, 196b, 5x4, 1x6) and Shaun Marsh (66, 197b, 4x4).

Early strike Resuming at the overnight 40 for no loss on a wearing pitch, Australia needed David Warner to prosper. The opener, though, played beside the line to R. Ashwin and found his stumps in disarray. At 52 for one, Australia looked up to Renshaw and Smith to stay. The former did that while the latter was caught up in a ‘making-faces’ tussle with Ishant Sharma. It

We are very much in the game: Pujara Principal Correspondent BENGALURU

Going, going...India’s wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha poised to snare Australian skipper Steve Smith of left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja. K. BHAGYA PRAKASH

did not make for pretty viewing and Smith eventually fell to Ravindra Jadeja. Seemingly oblivious to the pressure around him, Renshaw dug in. He enjoyed a lucky break on 29 as Kohli could not latch onto an edge off Umesh Yadav. Along with fellow southpaw Shaun, Renshaw guided Australia to 87 for two at lunch. On resumption, the duo stretched a critical 52-run partnership across 151 deliveries. If the first session was about being dour against accurate Indian bowlers, the second period revealed a relative urgency from the visitors. Smith’s men scored 76 for three in the 35 overs

between lunch and tea. Kohli persisted with the ploy of speedsters from the Northern End and spinners at the Pavilion End. The predictability of that approach emboldened Renshaw and Shaun Marsh to unveil their sweeps, pulls and the hoicks. Finally in the day’s 47th over, Kohli employed spin from the Northern End, pressing Jadeja into service. Initially Renshaw remained guarded but in Jadeja’s next over, he smote a six; but in trying for an encore, the opener was left stranded as the left-arm spinner fired down the leg-side to set up a stumping. After Renshaw’s exit, Aus-

tralia lost two more before tea as Peter Handscomb found a diving Ashwin, who pulled off a splendid catch within the inner circle. On the stroke of tea, Mitchell Marsh failed to block an Ishant delivery that kept low and homed into his legs.

Productive last session At 163 for five and staying just 26 runs adrift off India’s first innings total, it was Australia that held a marginal edge, an advantage that was reinforced in the last session as 74 were scored in 26 overs, with Shaun Marsh’s exit being the lone blip. It was a passage of play in which India, striving hard to nip the tail, found Shaun

Marsh surviving an lbw appeal from Umesh. The review favoured the Australian and fittingly his single, off Ashwin, helped his team secure the lead. Shaun Marsh, who had earlier feathered a snick off Umesh but India had not asked for a review, added 57 runs for the sixth-wicket with Matthew Wade, before succumbing to a persevering Umesh. The joy for India was fleeting and there was more misery in store. Wriddhiman Saha dropped Mitchell Starc off Umesh with the left-hander yet to open his account. Memories of his biff in the first innings at Pune are still fresh.

Australia might hold the upper hand going into the third day, but batsman Cheteshwar Pujara is in no mood to concede yet. “I don't think so,” he replied when asked if the 48-run lead was getting a bit out of hand. “We are very much in the game and they also have to bat fourth. “First, we’ll look to get four wickets and once we get that we have to bat well and put some runs on the board.” Pujara’s confidence might be down to the fact that India’s bowlers were persistent all through and let Australia score only 197 runs on the day. “We can see the run rate and they were not able to

score many runs,” he said. “In a way, it was a [small] victory for us. We bowled tight lines. Length was were very good from the fast bowlers. All in all we bowled well and took six wickets and they didn’t score many runs.” Pujara felt that if India could bowl out Australia for the addition of another 30 or 40 runs, it will have an even chance of forcing the issue. “It will be great [if we could do that],” he said. “I think there is enough help from the pitch. We have to continue to bowl the way we have and we will have some plans tomorrow for [Mitchell] Starc and the other batsman.” “We have spoken about how to go about our batting in the second innings but I don’t want to reveal it.”

2ND TEST, DAY 2, M. CHINNASWAMY STADIUM, BENGALURU INDIA - 1ST INNINGS: 189 AUSTRALIA - 1ST INNINGS RUNS BALLS 4s 6s David Warner b Ashwin dddddddddddddddddd ddd 33 dddddd 67 dddddddd 3 dddddddddd Matt Renshaw st Saha b Jadeja dddddddddd ddd 60 ddddd 196 dddddddd 5 dddddddd 1 Steve Smith c Saha b Jadeja ddddddddddddd ddddd8 dddddd 52 dddddddddd dddddddddd Shaun Marsh c Karun b Umesh ddddddddddd ddd 66 ddddd 197 dddddddd 4 dddddddddd Peter Handscomb c Ashwin b Jadeja ddddd ddd 16 dddddd 30 dddddddd 2 dddddddddd Mitchell Marsh lbw b Ishant ddddddddddddd ddddd0 dddddd 11 dddddddddd dddddddddd Matthew Wade (batting) ddddddddddddddddd ddd 25 dddddd 68 dddddddd 2 dddddddddd Mitchell Starc (batting) dddddddddddddddddd ddd 14 dddddd 19 dddddddd 2 dddddddddd Extras (b-8, lb-2, nb-5) dddddddddddddddddd ddd 15 Total (for six wkts. in 106 overs) ddddddddd dd 237 Fall of wickets: 1-52 (Warner, 21.1 overs), 2-82 (Smith, 41.2), 3-134 (Renshaw, 66.3), 4-160 (Handscomb, 76.4), 5-163 (M. Marsh, 79.6), 6-220 (S. Marsh, 100.2).

INDIA BOWLING: Ishant 23-6-39-1, Umesh 24-7-57-1, Ashwin 41-10-75-1, Jadeja 17-1-49-3, Karun 1-0-7-0

India’s inexperience with review system exposed In Pune of the seven reviews it sought, only one was successful; team appears more circumspect at Bengaluru Bhutia says tenure over not removed

N. Sudarshan

KOLKATA

BENGALURU

Indian football icon Bhaichung Bhutia has revealed that his tenure as advisor to the All India Football Federation (AIFF) got over at the annual general meeting in December last year. Rubbishing reports that he was removed after falling out with the AIFF, Bhutia said: “I don’t know about being removed. “My tenure got over. The advisor’s tenure lasts till the AGM.” PTI

For long, India’s response to the Decision Review System was complete disengagement. Then under a new captain-coach combination, it decided to embrace the technology. It started rather well as India did better than its opponents, both in the five-Test series against England and the one-off Test against Bangladesh. However, the Pune Test exposed India’s inexperience

when it came to using the system. It sought seven reviews but was successful only once. Of the six it lost, three did not even return umpire’s call, a clear indication of how wishful the thinking behind them was. On the second day of the second Test against Australia here, India’s troubles continued unabated. There were three reviews and all of them wrong. Only one returned umpire’s call when R. Ashwin challenged Nigel Llong’s decision to not declare skipper

Shreedutta Chidananda

Special Correspondent Bengaluru

CM YK

over the last few years with DRS — Nathan Lyon, on being asked if Australia’s longer experience with DRS helped it

the decisions seemed like howlers. That level of caution perhaps cost the host when it chose not to review a catch off Umesh Yadav’s bowling with Shaun Marsh batting on 14. Replays suggested that it had clipped the glove but

only Wriddhiman Saha, the wicketkeeper, was excited. The 33-year-old left-hander went on to score a battling 66.

Getting better “We had to take that chance but we didn’t go for it,” said Pujara. “Probably that’s something that we can work on but we are getting better with DRS.” After the number of reviews was reset at the turn of 80 overs, India was yet again trigger-happy.

Perhaps the fact Australia was five wickets down played a part in the desperation. In a matter of seven overs, it exhausted both the allotted reviews. On Saturday, Nathan Lyon was asked if Australia’s longer experience with DRS helped it, he said: “I suppose so. We’ve played a fair amount of cricket over the last few years with DRS but it’s up to the individual.” “We’ve got a really good platform now: we go straight to Matt Wade, the bowler and

Steve Smith. Those three decide, and there’s no other real input unless someone’s seen something pretty obvious. DRS is here to stay; we’ve just got to use it to our advantage.” All of this suggests that DRS isn’t an exact science. It’s a balancing act which can be better honed only with time, experience and better decision-making protocols. India will have to learn from the experiences it has had with the DRS in this series thus far.

Renshaw dwells on the tactics that frustrated the Indian attack

Smiling seems to unnerve the bowlers a bit more than talking back, says Matt Renshaw

Funny What, then, had Kohli told the 20-year-old? “He was just saying that I might need to run off and go to the toilet again, like in Pune,” Renshaw said. “It was

suppose so. We’ve < > Iplayed a fair amount

Beat the opposition at the long game

There was nothing spicy in the chat There was a definite edge to proceedings at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Sunday. There was no shortage of verbal sparring on the field as Steve Smith and Matt Renshaw frustrated India during an intense first session of play. Both camps, though, later dismissed all the chat as good-humoured banter. Some of the action even had the players and the crowd laughing, like when Ishant Sharma mocked Smith’s fidgeting at the crease. Smith and Virat Kohli were at the heart of the action, the first words exchanged when India felt Renshaw had obstructed R. Ashwin in his followthrough. “There was a bit of talk, but I think that’s because they’re trying to unnerve each other (Smith and Kohli),” Renshaw said later. “We took it pretty well. We know that they’re trying to get under our skin because we’ve got a 1-0 lead in the series. “But it’s all good fun; good contest out there. I was just trying to enjoy it and trying to laugh at what he was saying because some of it was quite funny.”

Steven Smith out leg before. “We have been working on it,” said Cheteshwar Pujara. “At times there were some close calls and we didn’t get it right. We will work on it more.” After the experience in Pune and Virat Kohli’s rather impulsive review on day one to overturn a leg-before decision against him, it is fair to say that India was a tad circumspect on the field. An initial burst of excitement was often followed by a sedate response, for none of

Bengaluru

Test cricket, Matt Renshaw said after play on Sunday, was about “trying to grind it out and beating the opposition at the long game.” He’s rather good at Test cricket, then. This series, Renshaw has spent over eight hours at the crease, and only nine innings into his international career, the opener has faced in excess of a thousand balls. On the second day of the second Test, at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, he comprehensively beat India at the ‘long game’, his resolute, painstaking 60 (196b, 263m) helping give Australia the advantage. Renshaw began the day on 15. It was well past lunch when he completed his halfcentury, having faced 136

balls since the morning, resisting some serious Indian pressure. “The plan this morning was just to try and bat as long as possible and wear the Indian bowlers down,” he said. “They’ve come off a long summer and played a lot of Tests so we know that if we can get them into a high amount of overs, we’ll be in a good position. It’s been a really good couple of days of Test cricket and that’s what it’s all about, just trying to grind it out and beat the opposition at the long game. “It was really challenging to score off both the quicks and the spinners. It was a grind. But we just needed to bat the whole day and we’ve managed to do that.” The pitch was, Renshaw said, harder to bat on than

Patience personiied: Matt Renshaw played with purpose to notch up a well-deserved half-century. G.P. SAMPATH KUMAR

the one rolled out in Pune. “In Pune we knew it was going to spin; this one, we don’t really know which one is going to spin, so that’s probably the hardest challenge,” he said. “Some are turning quite a lot and some are not turning as much and some are just

going on with the angle. It was probably a bit harder against the quicks because it’s not bouncing as much, and some are going up so I think that challenge is probably the biggest.” It helped, the Queenslander said, that R. Ashwin operated predomin-

antly from over the wicket. “It gave us a pretty clear plan what he was trying to do and how he was trying to get us out. We worked out that and just tried to combat that as well as possible,” he said. At only 20 years of age, where did he get his patience from, Renshaw was asked. “When I was younger I wasn’t the biggest bloke and so instead of retiring on some balls, I retired on some runs. “Once we got to fifty we had to retire and someone else could come in,” he explained. “I didn’t really want to let anyone else bat. So I tried to get to fifty as slow as possible.” Such efforts will not have gone down well on children’s playgrounds, but none of his current team-mates will be complaining.

Liverpool punishes Wenger over Sanchez gamble Kane double helps Spurs beat Everton; Messi inspires Barcelona to a thumping win dazzled with two goals and two assists as Barcelona thrashed Celta Vigo 5-0 in its first game since coach Luis Enrique announced he will leave at the end of the season.The results: Premier

Agencies LONDON

Just for laughs: Ishant Sharma mocks Steve Smith’s idgeting at the crease on Sunday. K. BHAGYA PRAKASH

quite funny.” And how had he responded? “I don’t try and say too much out there. I just try and smile because in my experience smiling seems to unnerve the bowlers a bit more than talking back.” Cheteshwar Pujara too sought to downplay the issue. “When we play the Australian team there is always

some sledging involved,” he said. “So I don’t know what the exact words were but there were some moments when they were exchanging words,” added the Indian middle-order batsman. “But all in all I think it was still in the spirit of the game. There was nothing personal in it and they were just having a chat.”

Liverpool put its recent troubles behind it, showing touches of its best early-season vibrancy to beat Arsenal 3-1 at a jubilant Anfield in the Premier League on Saturday. Liverpool won its third game in 13 matches in 2017 with goals from Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Georginio Wijnaldum to move onto 52 points. Liverpool produced a dominant first-half performance to take command with goals from Firmino and Mane but Arsene Wenger got his team selection wrong by leaving Chilean striker Alexis

League: Tottenham 3 (Kane 20, 56, Alli 90+2) bt Everton 2 (Lukaku 81, Valencia 90+3); Sunderland 0 lost to Manchester City 2 (Aguero 42, Sane 59).

Take that! Roberto Firmino smashes in Liverpool’s irst goal past Arsenal’s Petr Cech. LAURENCE GRIFFITHS/GETTY IMAGES

Sanchez on the bench. At White Hart Lane, Harry Kane’s superb scoring streak continued as Tottenham Hot-

spur survived some late nerves to beat Everton 3-2 on Sunday. In La Liga, Lionel Messi

mann 10, 83, Gameiro 48) bt Valencia 0. Saturday: Eibar 1 (Ruben Pena 72) lost to Real Madrid 4 (Benzema 14, 25, Rodriguez 29, Asensio 80); Barcelona 5 (Messi 24, 63, Neymar 40, Rakitic 57, Umtiti 60) bt Celta Vigo 0.

Saturday: Liverpool 3 (Firmino 9, Mane 40, Wijnaldum 90) bt Arsenal 1 (Welbeck 57); Swansea 3 (Llorente 12, 90+2, Olsson 69) bt Burnley 2 (Gray 20-pen, 61).

Serie A: Atalanta 0 drew with Fiorentina 0; Cagliari 1 (Borriello 42) lost to Inter Milan 5 (Perisic 34, 47, Banega 39, Icardi 67-pen, Icardi 89); Empoli 0 lost to Genoa 2 (Ntcham 89, Hiljemark 90+2); Torino 3 (Belotti 74, 76, 81) bt Palermo 1 (Rispoli 30); Udinese 1 (Zapata 37) drew with Juventus 1 (Bonucci 60)

La Liga: Sporting Gijon 0 lost to Deportivo la Coruna 1 (Mosquera 45+1); Atletico Madrid 3 (Griez-

Bundesliga: Eintracht Frankfurt 1 (Hrgota 11) lost to Freiburg 2 (Niederlechner 25, 59). ND-ND

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

16 SPORT

NOIDA/DELHI

THE HINDU

MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

IN BRIEF

Querrey shocks Nadal

Murray solidiies his position at the top of the rankings

The American ires 19 aces en route to the title Agence France-Presse

Holds a healthy points lead over No. 2 Djokovoic

Acapulco

Kynard stretches title run to eight

Unseeded American Sam Querrey stunned secondseeded Rafael Nadal 6-3, 7-6 (3) on Saturday to win the ATP Mexico Open and end the Spaniard‘s run of perfection.

WASHINGTON

London Olympic high jump runner-up Erik Kynard captured his eighth consecutive national title at the US Indoor Track and Field Championships while Gwen Berry (hammer) and Noah Lyles (300m) set world bests. Kynard cleared 2.30m to edge runner-up Allex Austin’s 2.24 and add a fourth consecutive indoor national crown to a run that has seen him win four outdoor titles in a row as well. AFP

First over Nadal Querrey, ranked 40th in the world, fired 19 aces en route to his first career victory over Nadal in five meetings. The Spaniard, winner in Acapulco in 2005 and 2013, had never even lost a set in Acapulco. Querrey captured his ninth ATP title in an impressive week that saw him beat four top-10 players — Belgian David Goffin, Austrian Dominic Thiem, Australian Nick Kyrgios and sixthranked Nadal. He’s projected to return to the top 30 in the world rankings on Monday. Nadal, playing his first tournament since falling to Roger Federer in five sets in the Australian Open final, was denied his first hard court title since Doha in 2014. Querrey surrendered just four points on his serve in

Ready for dope test any time, says Mo Farah LONDON

British athlete and multipleOlympic champion Mo Farah has insisted that he is “happy to be tested anytime, anywhere” after reports came in that the United States Anti-Doping Agency wants him to be checked for a banned blood-boosting drug. “I’m not aware of any request. As I’ve said many times, I’m happy to be tested any time, anywhere and have any of my samples tested or re-tested now or at any time in the future, by any official body,” he said. ANI

Agence France-Presse DUBAI

Good run: Sam Querrey captured his ninth ATP title in an impressive week that saw him beat four top-10 players. REUTERS

the opening set and he broke Nadal at love to seize a 5-3 advantage. He served it out comfortably, firing a forehand winner on his second set point after just half an hour. Nadal made more inroads in the second set, but couldn’t convert any of his

six break chances. That included five in the eighth game — three of which Querrey neutralised with aces. They went on serve to the tiebreaker, where Nadal faltered first. A brace of baseline errors from Nadal gave Querrey a

6-3 lead and a chance to serve for the title, with Nadal sending a forehand long on the American’s first match point. Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko nabbed her third title toppling second-seeded Kristina Mladenovic 6-1, 7-5 in the women’s final.

Andy Murray solidified his position at the top of the rankings through a 6-3, 6-2 defeat of Fernando Verdasco to win the Dubai Tennis Championships for the first time on Saturday. Now the Scot and his team face a 16-hour flight halfway around the world to Los Angeles to prepare for the start of the Indian Wells Masters in less than a week. “It’s direct but it’s still a long flight, it will take a few days to get over that,” said Murray after claiming his 45th career title. “This week has given me great momentum which I hope to use going to Indian Wells and Miami.” He holds a healthy points lead over No. 2 Novak Djokovoic, with the off-form Serb facing immense title defence pressure in both Indian Wells and Miami over the next four weeks. The Scot is amazed at his winning form stretching back to last autumn when he made his run to surpass Djokovic for the top ranking

On a high: Murray, right, became the irst British champion in the history of the Dubai tournament. TOM DULAT/GETTY IMAGES

position. “It’s obviously been a good run. You want to try and peak and play your best tennis at the Slams, but you know, giving yourself a lot of matches gives you confidence to go into those big events. “Conditions, again, are totally different than Indian Wells, which is a very slow court with fast balls. “I have to get there and adjust to that. Winning this week is fantastic, I feel good. I was a bit tired yesterday,

but I felt a lot better today. “I’m trying to get to Indian Wells much earlier than I did last year. I’ll arrive on Sunday, which is a good thing. “Even though it’s a long trip, it gives me five, six days to get ready before my first match.” Murray was playing in his second final of 2017 after losing to Djokovic in nearby Doha during the opening week of the season in January.

Looking to inish strongly Not much has changed, CoA tells SC A win over UP in its inal Hazare match would give Delhi a pleasant farewell to a forgettable season Vijay Lokapally BHUBANESWAR

Skipper Rani shines for India

There was a time when Manoj Prabhakar, Gursharan Singh and Ajay Sharma, known performers on the domestic circuit, had to sit out as reserves while Delhi pounded its opponents. Such was the wealth of talent in Delhi. Times have changed now. Delhi’s reputation stands dented, on and off the field, and this season underlined this aspect in bold terms. Delhi has no title to showcase. K.P. Bhaskar was part of the Delhi unit at a time when it enjoyed a steady stream of talented players and dominated the domestic circuit. “It was a fantastic period when we learnt from the likes of Bedi paa (Bishan Singh), Jimmy paa (Mohinder Amarnath), Maddi paa (Madan Lal). The dressing room was a great place for cricket education. Yes, much has changed, but then we are go-

BHOPAL

The Indian women’s hockey team defeated Belarus 3-1 for its third successive win in the five-Test series here on Sunday. After a goalless first quarter, Belarus took the lead through skipper Ryta Batura’s penalty corner conversion in the 24th minute. Skipper Rani scored two back-to-back field goals in the 35th and 39th minutes to put India 2-1 ahead. Deepika scored India’s third goal in the 42nd minute while the defenders did well to keep the visitors in check in the final quarter. PTI

Tigga pumps in five NEW DELHI:

Sambhalpur rode on a fivegoal haul by Nitin Mukesh Tigga to defeat Savitri Bai Phule, Pune 9-3 in a Pool D match of the 24th Nehru all-India inter-university hockey tournament on Sunday. The results: Pool A: Bangalore 5 (Md. Zaheel Mouseen 2, Machaiah P.A., Veeranna Gowda, Abraham Sudev B.) bt PAU, Ludhiana 1 (Simran Singh). Pool C: SRM, Chennai 4 (R. Senthil Krishnan, Tamizharasan, J. Prabhu, S. Sunil Murthy) bt Lakshmibai National University of Physical Education, Gwalior 0; Pool D: Sambhalpur 9 (Nitin Mukesh Tigga 5, Anugrah Kujur 2, Jyoti Lakra, Teophil Kujur) bt Savitri Bai Phule, Pune 3 (Shah 2, Ajinkya).

ing through a transition period and the talent is just waiting to play to its potential in the near future,” said Bhaskar, ahead of his side’s final match of the season. Delhi plays Uttar Pradesh on Monday in the last fixture of the Vijay Hazare cricket tournament. The match is only of academic interest for the teams are both out of the race for qualification. Bhaskar, however, insisted there was pride at stake. “Please remember, the team was not at its full strength right through the season. This is no excuse. We had our moments and somehow did not grab the chances. The boys did their best. I am sure they would have learnt their lessons to be better prepared for the next season. I am convinced there is talent that can be honed,” said Bhaskar. Delhi, however, has suffered from lack of consistency. The seniors, Gautam

Gambhir and Shikhar Dhawan, have not been at their best. For Unmukt Chand, it was a season of despair as he lost form at a critical phase of his career. A batsman bestowed with huge talent, Chand lost his place in the squad for this tournament but earned a recall to present his credentials brightly with a half century against Kerala in Delhi’s previous match. The emphasis on ‘horses for courses’ has not worked well for Delhi as injuries to bowlers at different stages hurt the team. The state of affairs at the Ferozeshah Kotla has also influenced the overall preparation of the team this season which saw the selectors replace Gambhir with Rishabh Pant as the captain for the Vijay Hazare tournament. A win against Uttar Pradesh at the KIIT cricket ground would be a pleasant farewell to a forgettable season for Delhi.

CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

\ NEW DELHI ROUND-UP \

Dabas scalps ive Ankit Dabas (five for 13) helped Hari Singh Academy defeated Swami Shradhhanand College (SSC) by 47 runs to enter the final of the Roshanara Cup T20 tournament. The scores: HSA 159 for eight in 20 overs (Yogesh Nagar 44, Siddhant Sharma 34, Parvesh Dahiya two for 14) bt SSC 112 in 17.4 overs (Rohan Rathi 34,

Harshit Kaushik 30, Ankit Dabas five for 13).

Academy 122 for four (Shubham Sharma 53 n.o.).

Saini, Sharma shine

Rajnigandha wins

Sandeep Saini (five for 20) and Shubham Sharma (53 n.o.) set up Hansraj Academy’s six wicket win over Rajesh Tyagi Academy by in the Mukharjee memorial tournament. The scores: RTA 121 (Ritik

Rajnigandha Achievers pipped Jindal Panther 6-5 in the final of the Radha Mohan Rajinder Mohan Gold Vase 8-goal polo tournament here on Sunday.

Kumar 42, Sandeep Saini five for 20) lost to Hansraj

The results: Rajnigandha Achievers 6 (Siddhant Sharma 4, Matthew Perry 2) bt Jindal Panther 5 (Miguel Saravia 3, Simran Shergill 2).

Its irst status report states BCCI has not adopted new MoA, Rules & Regulations G. Viswanath MUMBAI

It was a little over one month ago that the Supreme Court appointed four-member Committee of Administrators (CoA) was given the mandate to make the BCCI enforce the Justice Lodha Committee’s reforms, and also oversee the BCCI’s dayto-day affairs through its CEO, Rahul Johri. In the last 30 odd days, the CoA — comprising Vinod Rai (ex-Comptroller and Auditor General of India),

Ramachandra Guha (historian), Vikram Limaye (MD & CEO, IDFC Ltd.) and Diana Eduljee (former captain of the Indian women’s team) — got a fair bit done, like conducting the IPL auctions, clearing outstanding payments to Indian and overseas parties and announcing the BCCI award winners, among other things. The CoA also studied the Deloitte report on the functioning of majority of the full member associations. In its first status report to

the Supreme Court on March 4, the CoA has stated that the BCCI has not adopted the new Memorandum of Association and Rules and Regulations, and that it can be completed only after the full member associations amend their constitutions.

No elections yet The report, published on the BCCI website, also states that elections have not been conducted by the majority of the full members. The report has also incor-

porated the minutes of the Board meeting held at the Cricket Centre last year to consider the Lodha Committee recommendations clause by clause and other issues related to compliance on the part of the State associations. A point raised by a majority of the full members is related to the rights of members of the State associations. The CoA will now wait for the apex court to clear certain matters before making its next move.

Dominant Baleno RS clinches team title The Colemans pull of a hat-trick; ‘local hero’ Santosh ends up on winning side said: “I knew he was a local hero. I knew I was in the same team as a real athlete.”

Nandakumar Marar MUMBAI

Baleno RS, with 89 points from the three races, clinched the team championships at the Nexa P1 Powerboat Indian Grand Prix of the Seas which concluded here on Sunday. Leading the six-team pack after two races on Saturday, the two Baleno RS boats (Sam Coleman & Daisy Coleman and C.S Santosh & Martin Robinson) sewed it up in the 20-lap third race. The Coleman siblings completed a hat-trick of victories with the third (worth 20 points) on Sunday while Santosh & Robinson’s efforts were worth 10 points. The combined effort earned Baleno RS the title and $50,000 prize money. Team Lucky Dolphins, just two points adrift of the

The other Indian in the event, rally ace Gaurav Gill, was part of the fourth placed Team Ultra Sharks.

Winners: Team Baleno RS’s C.S. Santosh & Martin Robinson and Daisy Coleman & Sam Coleman. ARUNANGSU ROY CHOWDHURY

leader, took second place while MoneyOnMobile Martins (79) was third. “I had to complement them (Colemans) and worked hard at the concept. I enjoyed powerboat racing and when you enjoy sport, you become better,” said Santosh, who was making his

powerboat debut. Santosh’s fitness, developed over a career in twowheeler racing, too was a factor. “He is fitter than most of us powerboat drivers. You give him time and he will deliver,” said Sam Coleman. Martin Robinson, who was Santosh’s navigator here,

The final placings: 1. Baleno RS (Race 3: Sam Coleman & Daisy Coleman, C.S. Santosh & Martin Robinson 30 points) 89; 2. Lloyd Dolphins (Craig Wilson & William Enriquez, Stuart Cureton & Sara Cureton 30) 87; 3. MoneyOnMobile Martins (James Norvill & Christian Parsons-Young, Glynn Norvall & Lee Norvall 27) 79; 4. Ultra Sharks (Gaurav Gill & George Ivey, Neil Jackson & Jason Jackson 23) 64; 5. Mirchi Mavericks (David Taft & Fredrick Bastian, John Donnelly & Kevin Burdock 8) 45; 6. HVR Racing (Darren Nicholson & Giovanni Carpetilla, Frank Silva & Tony Ianotta 19) 34.

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

THE HINDU CROSSWORD 11947 1 7

2

3

4

5

(set by Anon)

12 Conident returning Territorial Army has protein (7)

6

FAITH

SUDOKU

Longevity ensured

5 Snake stops on bituminous substances (8)

8

9

15 Sparse part of disaster area (4)

10

11

16 Impotence of great piper unnatural (5,5)

12 13

15

14

16

18 Navy impresses with plans (10)

17

20 Promote a wager (4) 18

19

20

21

22 23

23 Tipsy rani sat with Russian queen (7)

24

24 Mysterious oriental in front of lake (5)

25 26

6 Code breaker circles new junction (7) 7 Bird claws injured crustaceans (4,5) 8 Fisherman’s point of view is right (6) 13 Defamation of man’s associate, valets initially traumatising (10)

27

26 Fixed desks end to end (6) 28

27 Joy, envy oddly removed from promotion (7) ■ ACROSS 1 Advisors cheat ruler with empty treatises (11) 9 Missing source of fuel, head scout lights (7) 10 Escape from Spanish ambush coming back (6) 11 In revolt, hide around Lutyens’ irst city (5)

CM YK

28 Trendy valet destroyed deliberately (11)

14 People of African country manipulate retainers (9) 17 Functional but confused British parolee (7) 19 Not having been satisied, moved without last wife (7)

■ DOWN 21 Limousine in German city (6) 2 Publicly available suit, dress (6)

22 Remove last feature (6)

3 Tax, we hear, for weed (4) 4 Houses weird gent models (10)

25 Labourer’s unreliable? Nope! (4)

Solution to puzzle 11946 T U G O F W A R

E N E R A R UM I S S S

S S W I M E U R A D V G E V E

N I S F O R N A H N D S L AM U I S E S G O L D N A I S T S WA M P A I D C E L U A B L E D O N A G O A R E N P A M O Y N S O N G S

E P H E M E R A L B A S E L

H A L E L U E D E E E E S C L A L S A T E E

Solution to yesterday’s Sudoku N D O L O D A L E T T A P Z E S N T R P Y

The Chandogya Upanishad gives man a life span of 116 years and gives instructions how one can ensure that one enjoys the full span. A person’s life is divided into three periods, which correspond to the morning libation, noon libation and evening libation. A man should see his life as a yajnya, said M.K. Srinivasan in a discourse. When he does the morning libation, he recites the Gayatri mantra. This mantra has twenty four letters and takes care of the first twenty-four years of his life. Vasus are the deities of the morning libation. In case one is unable to do the morning libation due to illness, one should pray to the vasus, requesting them to carry over the morning libation to the noon libation, without a break, so that the yajnya is not broken in the middle. The mantra recited for midday libation is in Trishtup metre, which has forty four letters. Rudras are the deities for this libation. This libation should be seen as covering the next forty-four years of one’s life. In case the midday libation cannot be performed, then one should pray to the Rudras to carry over the morning libation to noon, without a break in the yajnya. The mantra for the evening libation is in Jagati metre, which has forty-eight letters. Adityas are the deities for this libation. If this libation is not performed, then one should pray to the Adityas that one’s life should be extended to the end of one’s span of life. The third libation covers the remaining period of one’s life span up to the 116th year. Thus the Upanishad says one should see life itself as penance and recite the prescribed mantras. This confers longevity on a person. ND-ND

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

THE HINDU

SPORT 17

NOIDA/DELHI

MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Temerity triumphs

Pesi Shrof has Temerity to clinch Invitation Cup In Super Mile, Serjeant At Arms emulates the feat of last year’s winner Myrtlewood Anil Mukhi BENGALURU

Pre-race analysis suggested that a filly would win the Indian Turf Invitation Cup. Well, the race did fall to a member of the distaff set, except that it was not the heroine of the Kingfisher Ultra Indian Derby at Mahalakshmi four weeks ago that prevailed, but her beaten rival on that occasion. It was Temerity (by Intense Focus), third in the Indian Derby, who displayed the panache required to annex the 55th

running of the Indian Turf Invitation Cup at Bangalore racecourse this afternoon. Following an even break, public choice Hall Of Famer found herself in front, closely attended by market rival Tororosso. Unfortunately the grey seemed too keen and was ticking off the metres at a torrid pace. The effort told on her and distress signals were visible as they straightened for home. Meanwhile Neeraj Rawal had positioned Temerity in fifth spot and the pair

continued unhurried until the race came to a boil. Pressing the accelerator, Rawal brought his mount to the front in the straight and although Supreme General almost got to her at one stage, Temerity stretched out like the good ones do and secured the prize by 2-3/4 lengths in the excellent time of 2:28.85, a new track record. The winner, owned by M/s. Shyam Ruia, Amay Ruia and Berjis Desai, was sent out in splendid condition by Pesi Shroff, who was record-

ing his first victory in this race as a trainer, having ridden seven previous winners of the race during his career as a jockey. Supreme General was second, while the fast-finishing Azzurro, despite the 4 kg. extra burden he had to carry by virtue of being an older horse, just nosed out Tororosso for third spot. Forty five minutes earlier, the Maj. P.K. Mehra Memorial Super Mile fell to the odds-on choice, Serjeant At Arms, who emulated the feat

of last year’s winner Myrtlewood – both were runnersup in the Indian Derby before coming down in distance to annex this premier event. Allowing the connections of first Shivalik Storm and then Common Wealth to dream for a moment or two, rider A. Sandesh set his mount alight, and sailed past with absolute disdain to record a five and a half lengths victory on the K.N. Dhunjibhoy home-bred, who was saddled by Suleiman Attaollahi.

Rodrigues helps Bengaluru FC down Minerva Punjab Moment to cherish: Owners Mr. Amay S. Ruia, Mr. S.M. Ruia, & Mr. Berjis Minoo Desai and trainer P. Shrof lead in Temerity (Neeraj Rawal up) which won the Indian Turf Invitation Cup. V. SREENIVASA MURTHY

Claims its irst win in eight I-League games and now has 16 points Sports Bureau Ludhiana

Riaz Babu Bengaluru

Temerity (Neeraj up) won the Indian Turf Invitation Cup, the stellar attraction of the races held here on Sunday. The winner is owned by Mr. S.M. Ruia, Mr. Amay S. Ruia & Mr. Berjis Minoo Desai and trained by P. Shroff. KARNATAKA RACEHORSE OWNERS’ ASSOCIATION MILLION CUP (1,100m), maiden 3-y-o only, (Terms): QUEEN LATIFA (Suraj Narredu) 1, Miniver Rose (P.P. Dhebe) 2, Cantabria (Neeraj) 3 and Bora Bora (L. Beuzelin) 4. 5, Snk and 1/2. 1m 06.10s (record time). ₹19 (w), 13, 20 and 20 (p), SHP: 54, FP: 97, Q: 100, Trinella: 314 and 105, Exacta: 1,098 and 602. Favourite: Queen Latifa. Owner: Enthusiast Racing Syndicate. Trainer: Neil Darashah. INDIARACE.COM MILLION (1,800m), rated 15 to 35: FLIRTING EYES (P.S. Chouhan) 1, Satinette (P. Trevor) 2, Granada (K. Mukesh) 3 and Jersey Beauty (S. John) 4. Not run: Above The Rest. 2-1/4, 1-3/4 and 2. 1m 52.13s. ₹84 (w), 18, 17 and 88 (p), SHP: 44, FP: 396, Q: 134, Trinella: 6,729 and 4,686, Exacta: 8,640 and 3,030. Favourite: Jersey Beauty. Owner: M.A.M. Ramaswamy Chettiar Of Chettinad Charitable Trust rep by Dr. A.C. Muthiah. Trainer: S. Ganapathy. THE HINDU MULTI-MILLION (1,200m), 3-y-o only, (Terms): SILVER IKON (P.P. Dhebe) 1, Kangra (L. Beuzelin) 2, Lord Buckingham (Srinath) 3 and Malawi (A. Sandesh) 4. 4, 2 and Hd. 1m 12.10s. ₹47 (w), 20 and 42 (p),

1

2

3

CM YK

SHP: 59, FP: 313, Q: 153, Trinella: 691 and 182, Exacta: 710 and 250. Favourite: Malawi. Owner and trainer: Mr. B. Prithviraj.

4

SHAPOORJI PALLONJI MILLION (2,000m), rated 60 & above: BOLD MARCH (P.S. Chouhan) 1, Fabulous (I. Chisty) 2, Watchmyscript (P. Trevor) 3 and Sporting Pleasure (A. Sandesh) 4. Not run: Mogadishu and Ace Badraan. 1, Lnk and 1. 2m 05.39s. ₹83 (w), 27, 27 and 20 (p), SHP: 90, FP: 617, Q: 651, Trinella: 4,959 and 1,822, Exacta: 23,933 and 8,206. Favourite: Watchmyscript. Owner: M.A.M. Ramaswamy Chettiar Of Chettinad Charitable Trust rep by Dr. A.C. Muthiah. Trainer: G. Karthik.

5

SURESH MAHINDRA MULTIMILLION TROPHY (1,400m), 4y-o & over, (Terms): BOLD COMMAND (Srinath) 1, Smile Stone (S. John) 2, Your Royal Majesty (Suraj Narredu) 3 and Aster Rose (I. Chisty) 4. 1, 1-1/4 and Lnk. 1m 23.96s. ₹58 (w), 18, 36 and 33 (p), SHP: 107, FP: 577, Q: 464, Trinella: 4,615 and 1,462, Exacta: 21,874 and 11,250. Favourite: Accolade. Owner: M.A.M. Ramaswamy Chattiar Of Chettinad Charitable Trust rep by Dr. A.C. Muthiah. Trainer: S. Ganapathy.

6

MAJ. P.K.MEHRA MEMORIAL SUPER MILE CUP (1,600m), 4y-o & over: SERJEANT AT ARMS (A. Sandesh) 1, Common Wealth (S. John) 2, Shivalik Showers (C. Alford) 3 and La Dona (P. Trevor) 4. Not run: Ace Bucephalus. 5-1/2, 2 and 1-1/2. 1m 35.40s. ₹14 (w), 12, 26 and 40 (p), SHP: 65, FP: 82, Q: 64, Trinella: 725 and 340, Exacta: 3,065 and 1,188. Favourite: Ser-

jeant At Arms. Owners: Five Stars Shipping Co. Pvt Ltd rep by. Mr & Mrs. K.N. Dhunjibhoy and Mr & Mrs. Z.K. Dhunjibhoy & Mr. Vispi R. Patel. Trainer: S. Attaollahi.

7

INDIAN TURF INVITATION CUP (2,400m), 4-y-o & over, (Terms): TEMERITY (INTENSE FOCUS – NARMINA) NEERAJ 1, SUPREME GENERAL (OLD FORESTER - FIERY PEGASUS) P.S. CHOUHAN 2, AZZURRO (AZAMOUR – MISS HIGHJINKS) P. TREVOR 3 AND TOROROSSO (RED GIANT – PAULA’S GIRL) SURAJ NARREDU 4. 2-3/4, 2-1/2 and Nose. 2m 28.85s (record time). ₹79 (w), 21, 70 and 41 (p), SHP: 230, FP: 2,858, Q: 1,713, Trinella: 30,304 and 8,658, Exacta: 3,17,315 (c/o). Favourite: Hall Of Famer. Owners: Mr. S.M. Ruia, Mr. Amay S. Ruia & Mr. Berjis Minoo Desai. Trainer: P. Shroff.

Bengaluru FC claimed its first win in eight I-League games, defeating Minerva Punjab FC 1-0 at the Guru Nanak Stadium here on Sunday. Lenny Rodrigues found the target with a header in the 17th minute as Albert Roca secured his first away

win in charge of the club. The result carried BFC to fourth place with 16 points from 11 games.

Johnson returns The I-League champion welcomed John Johnson back from injury, while Serbian striker Marjan Jugovic, signed last week, made his debut. Johnson, who played

his maiden goal since joining the club in the summer. Bengaluru kept pressing for a second with Jugovic and C.K. Vineeth working hard together on a pitch Roca had earlier criticized. Sandesh Jhingan saw a header from a corner bounce inches wide in the 40th minute while in the second half, Udanta Singh

and Jugovic went close. Roca threw in Harmanjot Khabra for Jugovic and Daniel Lalhlimpuia for Vineeth. Lalhlimpuia had more than a few efforts to double the lead, but BFC eventually settled for the one-nil win. Bengaluru will next face Chennai City FC in Chennai, on Wednesday.

McFaul’s injury-time goal dashes CCFC’s hopes Chennai City remains in the relegation zone with nine points; DSK with 11 goes up to seventh K. Keerthivasan Chennai

8

KIMMANE MILLION (1,400m), rated 30 to 50: PEARL CITY (Suraj Narredu) 1, Lightning Attack (Dashrat Singh) 2, Areca Cruise (P. Trevor) 3 and Glorious Angel (C.S. Jodha) 4. 7-1/4, 1/2 and 1. 1m 25.12s. ₹61 (w), 24, 29 and 21 (p), SHP: 86, FP: 292, Q: 238, Trinella: 1,680 and 554, Exacta: 36,837 and 22,804. Favourite: Areca Cruise. Owner: Mr. Ajith Vittal Shetty. Trainer: B. Prithviraj. Jackpot: ₹20,165 (107 tkts). Runner up: ₹1,293 (715 tkts); Treble (i): ₹2,657 (14 tkts); (ii): ₹648 (228 tkts).

his last I-League game in January, demonstrated what BFC had missed, winning every aerial duel while giving central defensive partner Juan Gonzalez the freedom to join in attack. But in what was the most important ‘first’ on the day for Bengaluru, Lenny Rodrigues soared high to nod home Cameron Watson’s corner,

On target: Haroon Amiri, who scored CCFC’s goal, involved in a mid-ield tussle. M. VEDHAN

DSK Shivajians’ Irish striker Shane McFaul scored in injury time to dash Chennai City’s hopes of moving up the table in a Hero-I-League match at the Nehru Stadium here on Sunday. The result — a 1-1 draw — means that City remains in the relegation zone with nine points. DSK, on the other hand, will be satisfied with the outcome, having collected 11 points to go up to seventh. Undeterred after conceding a goal towards the end of the first half after a wonder-

fully placed header from Haroon Amiri off a flag kick from Nandhakumar, DSK continued to attack with nice one-touch passes. Spanish midfielder Juan Quero Barraso was the chief distributor. The second half followed a similar pattern with the visitors having more ball possession. The equaliser came after CCFC coach Soundararajan, with eight minutes remaining, decided to strengthen the backline to safeguard the one-goal lead. His ploy to field a five-man midfield backfired.

In an attempt to clear the ball, CCFC’s Charles De Souza tried a scissor kick only to miss it. After ricocheting off the head of a DSK player, it went straight to McFaul who unleashed a half-volley into the net. Meanwhile, the condition of the pitch came in for sharp criticism as officials had to put in mud in some areas to make the surface even during the break. The result: Chennai City FC 1 (Haroon Amiri 42) drew with DSK Shivajians 1 (Shane Charles Alan McFaul 90+3).

ND-ND

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

18 LIFE

NOIDA/DELHI

THE HINDU

MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Karan Johar welcomes twins via surrogacy 44-year-old Bollywood director names daughter Roohi and son Yash after his late father and ilm producer Press Trust of India Mumbai

Karan Johar has become a single father of twins — a baby boy and a girl — who were born through surrogacy, and the filmmaker says he is “enormously blessed” to be a parent. Mr. Johar (44) has named his daughter Roohi, and his son Yash, after his late father Yash Johar. “I am ecstatic to share with you all the two most

wonderful additions to my life, my children and lifelines; Roohi and Yash. I feel enormously blessed to be a parent to these pieces of my heart who were welcomed into this world with the help of the marvels of medical science,” Johar said in a statement. The Ae Dil Hai Mushkil filmmaker says it was an emotional but well thoughtout decision, which he has taken considering all the re-

sponsibilities and duties that come with being a parent. “In order to arrive at this decision, I have prepared myself mentally, physically, emotionally and logistically to ensure that my children get all the unconditional love, care and attention from me and mine. I have submitted to the fact that my children are my world and priority,” he says. Mr. Johar says his work, travels and social commit-

ments will have to take a back seat after the arrival of his kids and he is prepared for that.

Thanks surrogate “By the grace of God, I have the most caring and supportive mother, who will be an integral part in the upbringing of her grandchildren and of course, friends who are family,” he says. Thanking the surrogate, the filmmaker says he is

eternally grateful to her as she has fulfilled his “lifelong dream and provided a warm, loving and nurturing environment to my children before bringing them into this world.” “She will always remain in my prayers. Finally, a big thank you to Dr. Jatin Shah for his guidance and support and for being like a family member through this wonderful and exciting journey,” Mr. Johar says.

Computer OS, short movie stored in DNA Such data can last thousands of years Press Trust of India New York

Karan Johar

Scientists have successfully stored a computer operating system, a short movie and other data in DNA, an advance that may usher in the next generation of ultracompact, biological storage devices, which will last hundreds of thousands of years. In a new study, researchers from Columbia University and the New York Gen-

ome Centre in the U.S. showed that an algorithm designed for streaming video on a cellphone can unlock DNA’s nearly full storage potential by squeezing more information into its four base nucleotides. DNA is considered an ideal storage medium because it is ultra-compact and can last hundreds of thousands of years if kept in a cool, dry place.

German robot sets Rubik’s cube record Unscrambles puzzle in 0.637 seconds Press Trust of India Berlin

A new Guinness World Record has been set in Germany for the fastest-solved Rubik’s cube by a robot, which unscrambled the puzzle in just 0.637 seconds with 21 moves. The Sub1 Reloaded beat a previous record of 0.887 seconds, which was achieved by an earlier version of the same machine using a different processor. German semiconductor manufacturer Infineon Technologies, which staged the record attempt at the Electronica trade fair in Munich, provided the chip to highlight advancements in self-driving car tech. Within a fraction of a second of the robot’s camera senses being lifted, it found the solution and the six mechanical arms unscrambled the puzzle perfectly in 21 moves. It was only afterwards that the number of moves could be counted by checking a software readout. Guinness World Records carefully reviewed the evidence, including ensuring that the cube and the pre-

CM YK

scrambling met all World Cube Association standards, before confirming the new record. The computer receives two pictures of the cube, identifies the colour of each piece and calculates a solution with Tom Rokicki’s extremely fast implementation of Herbert Kociemba’s Two Phase Algorithm. The solution is handed over to an Arduino-compatible Infineon AURIX microcontroller board, which orchestrates the 21 moves of six high performance steppers, to turn each side of the cube.

‘Speed cube’ A special “speed cube” — designed to have less friction between its parts than the original version of the toy — was used to help keep the time to a minimum. “We used this as a metaphor to show how digital systems are constructed,” said the German company’s spokesman Gregor Rodehueser. “We want to show that problems can be solved much more efficiently using microelectronics,” Mr. Rodehueser was quoted as saying by ‘BBC News’.

ND-ND

EDGE

< >

www.thehindu.com/education www.facebook.com/eduplus.thehindu

A well-educated mind will always have more questions than answers.

www.twitter.com/thehindueduplus

Helen Keller

DELHI Monday • March 6, 2017

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Global-ed)

Rethinking the American dream? Some staid advice to students post the U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision on immigration restructures Charushilla Narula Bajpai

b

“I think we need a back-up plan. Should we also apply to Canada?” called a worried parent of a Class XII student. She was following up on the U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order on January 27, 2017 barring “entry of all refugees to the United States

for 120 days” and thereafter the restrictions on the H1B visas being issued to international aspirants. The student has applied for universities in the United States only and has even close to a hundred thousand dollars scholarship from one. She’s not alone. Whether you are in school, college or a young professional aiming for the American dream, President Trump’s comments in the last few weeks may have put your plans in jeopardy. Well, you should know that this unconstitutional and discriminatory ban, labelling capable students purely on the basis of their nationalities, is in direct opposition of the values that most U.S. universities stand for. My colleagues in the U.S. would like it to be known that the universities in America are known for diversity and inclusion and welcome all persons, regardless of age, gender, sex, race, colour, nationality, ethnicity, culture, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, or disability or handicap. This has reputation been built over years and centuries; to imagine that they are going to succumb to political agendas and diktats, and ruin this branding built over a lifetime, would be pre-mature. So, here is some advice depending on where you are in your journey.

Already in the U.S. ● Wait and watch. Allow the political sentiment to settle

< >

The ruling by Trump is a bit discouraging, but I'm working with my counsellor to plan my higher studies. Labhya Gupta, Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies

university is < > My providing me excellent exposure. Trump’s stance on immigrants, however, is a serious cause of concern. Ayaaz Yasin, University of Cincinnati

into a meaningful ruling and not mere statements. ● Maintain a high GPA (above 3.0 minimum) ● Work on building your skills and equipping yourself with what the future needs — technology, sustainability, research, progressive business ideas and more. ● Explore industry sectors of importance to you that have presence or headquarters across the world; make a Plan B for employment opportunities. ● Don’t allow gossip to build panic within or around you.

Planning your study ● Evaluate why you want to study in the U.S. ● Programmes with built-in optional practical training (OPT) and cooperative education programme options must be considered first. They allow you to show your work acumen. ● There’s never been a better time to apply to some of the most competitive universities in the U.S. This contrarian sentiment is sure to relax acceptance rates and / or the number of offers universities issue. Do evaluate your chances with your counsellor though. ● Prepare a Plan B, a set of applications for another country, but don’t necessarily create a Plan C or more. This can confuse more than facilitate. ● If immigration is the only reason to apply to the United States, think again! Already have an offer-letter ● Congratulations! Meet your counsellor to evaluate the net value of your move to the particular university / course. ● Speak to students already studying at the university to understand the sentiment and the culture. ● Reason over rapture: Prepare another plan only after due consultation with your counsellor. Remember, while there’s never a wrong time to do the right thing, it is important to decipher the right thing to do. This is just one more test; don’t let it ‘trump’ you.

The author is a career counselor and founder director, University Connection.

Unabated protests Protests continue after U.S. President Trump reversed an Obama-era education policy that allowed transgender students to use school bathrooms that correspond to their own gender identity. In doing so, he has ended “official protection” for trans students in federally-funded public schools.

Reduced demand A reduction in the engineering degrees offered by Ireland’s colleges is being considered in a review for the country’s Higher Education Authority (HEA). Though employer demand for STEM degrees is strong, student demand is relatively low.

Education takes a hit Amidst South Korea’s impeachment scandal involving Choi Soon-sil and ex-President Park Geun-hye, the country’s higher education issues have taken a backseat. Until the scandal broke, the administration was dealing with the declining higher education enrolment and high chances of unemployment for new graduates.

Enterprise)

Fuelling change Avinash is on a special mission to promote biodiesel as an eco-friendly fuel Rehna Abdul Kareem

While most car rallies and driveathons in the city focus on the nuances of racing such as terrain, make of the car and drivers’ skill, Avinash Narayanaswamy’s focus is completely different. On a quest to promote blends of biodiesel and increase awareness, he organised an EcoDriveathon which only qualifies vehicles that use eco-friendly fuel or a blend of the fuel. With his own car running on biodiesel which he produced from various sources including waste vegetable oil from restaurants, Avinash is a green warrior in his right. Passion on track Avinash’s penchant for cars and eco-friendly fuels started in 2007 when he was pursuing his first master’s degree in Sustainable Energy Technology at the University of Twente, The Netherlands. He also produces his own fuel, rides an electric two wheeler, collects rainwater, composts kitchen and other

SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

b

Green warrior: All for a cleaner future.

organic waste and promotes tree planting. While studying at the University in 2010, he demonstrated his green credentials by making a one-ofa-kind biodiesel adventure road trip of more than 6.500 kms across Europe through 10 countries. He feels that a transition to non-fossil renewables is the answer to our pollution problems. Believing in energy security built on clean energy, he is able to draw on the knowledge he gained at the

University of Twente. “But it is imperative to say that we have a long way to go. The government wants to be proactive in this field and I hope we can convince and persuade the public that biodiesel is indeed an ecofriendly alternative to conventional diesel oil.” So, how did a driveathon based completely on biodiesel come about? Impressed at Avinash’s passion for using clean renewable transportation fuels, his director, Dr.

Krishna Venkatesh was convinced a driveathon on biodiesel can be initiated to raise awareness in society on the importance of such clean fuels and the hazards posed by the use of fossil fuels. As many as 40 odd cars powered on various blends of 10, 20 and 30% biodiesel were part of this event. The EcoDriveathon was organised by the Centre for Incubation, Innovation, Research and Consultancy (CIIRC) where Avinash is currently as assistant professor. From an academic standpoint, Avinash says that courses such as Energy and Economy, Energy from Biomass, Environment and Technology, Ecology, Society and Sustainable Development helped him get to where he is today. “I guess, more programmes such as the ones mentioned above with greater emphasis on practical application holds the key to our country moving ahead towards a sustainable society,” he adds.

Save the date) BSc Nursing at Army Nursing Colleges

b

Pune, Kolkata, Asvini, New Delhi, Lucknow and Bengaluru. Eligibility: Those who have passed Class XII / equivalent Board exam with minimum 50% aggregate marks in physics, chemistry, biology and English; those appearing for the qualifying examination in 2017. Selection: Based on objective-type 90-minute written test. Deadline: March 12 www.joinindianarmy.nic.in www.iittm.net b Admission at Indian Statistical Institutes Location:

Courses offered: B. Stat., B.Math (Hons), M.Stat., M.Math., MS in quantitative economics, among others. Eligibility: Available in the prospectus. Deadline: March 10 Selection: Through an admission test conducted across the country. www.isical.ac.in/admission

Compiled by Gopakumar Karakonam

CM YK

ND-X

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

2 EDGE

NOIDA/DELHI

THE HINDU

MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Offbeat... Cloud Computing) Sanjay Sharma

The widespread pervasion of cloud computing has opened up great opportunities for businesses. A continuous shift from physical to virtual servers has benefited the enterprises in various dimensions. Businesses that have adopted the cloud-based technology are more competent in managing their operations effectively and efficiently. These organisations are fast at document control, data security, crisis management and managing cash flows. In the era of digital transformation, where the online presence of the businesses is increasing and e-commerce firms are leading the market in terms of both volumes and profit margins, cloud computing is the technology of rewards and promises. Hence, it is one of the most dynamic fields of the IT sector that is creating myriads of job opportunities around the world, and no doubt, India is the epicentre of this disruptive growth. From SaaS (Software as a Service) Developer to Cloud Security Engineers and Web Services Systems Engineer to Hadoop Programmers, there are various job opportunities for techies in this field. Those who want to pursue a career in this highly

ON THE SHELF

Sunny future

b

Ancient and Medieval India for UPSC and State Civil Services Examinations

In the era of digital transformation, this dynamic industry can help you reap lucrative rewards

unconventional field must have certain qualifications and skills.

Skill sets To start with, one should have at least a diploma degree or certificate in the relevant domain from a reputed institute or college. Online courses are also in demand. Besides certification, one must have substantial knowledge of virtualisation technologies, cloud computing architecture, Soft-

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Google, Amazon, IBM, Microsoft, and Yahoo are known as best employers for professionals in Cloud Computing industry. ware as a Service (SaaS), Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), network-level secur-

ity, and Red Hat computing platforms. These are desirable skills that most of the companies look for in their prospective employees. A sound knowledge of current operating systems and computer hardware is also mandatory to make a breakthrough in this industry. Professionals who are already part of this industry, but seeking opportunities for career growth must also have practical knowledge of Data Integration, Data Analysis, Mobile

App Development, and various Security Protocol systems. Command in any of the programming language such as Python, Hadoop or SQL can further improve one’s chances of selection during the job interview. Google, Amazon, IBM, Microsoft, and Yahoo are known as best employers for professionals in the cloud computing industry due to their work culture and the learning opportunities they provide. But, these are just a few names in

this expanding industry. As cloud computing is increasing the efficiency and productivity of the businesses, many small and large organisations are embracing this lucrative technology. There is tremendous employment opportunity for cloud solution architects, data analysts, devops engineers, security engineers, and so on. The writer is founder and managing director, Cloudatix

Don’t play the blame game

Mixed feelings

Are we becoming a generation of complainers, eternally dissatisied with every situation?

You don’t have to igure out your life’s mission the moment you get out of college

Between Us)

Yogyathwa Bala V. Balachandran, T.N. Seshan and Nixon Fernando What is Yogathwa and its connection to leadership? The concept of Yoga or Yogathwa represents the union or collection of forces and principles. The power of unity is far greater than the power of uniformity. Dictators like Hitler chose the path of imposing uniformity and thus failed, in the long run. However, the concept of Yoga or Yogathwa, with the Bhagavad Gita as its pivot, has been articulated by many thinkers. It is a meta concept and can be effective in tackling the problems of today’s modern organisations and provides simple and powerful access to great leadership. Through clear divisions through its chapters such as Anti-definitions, The Confusing Synonym of Leadership, A Complete Leader and more, divided into several sections, the book seeks to clarify any doubts that one might have on leadership and its tenets, and how one can integrate the traditional attribute of Yogathwa into modern day leadership.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Complaining prevents peace, necessary to accept situations we cannot change. plaining about that individual and it soon became a mass movement of complainers, where every action of this colleague was viewed through this biased filter. It also created negative energy, and we did not look for constructive solutions; it was easier to blame someone else. When the colleague finally left, we realised that the problems had not! It was a rude awakening. We realised that if we had used the opportunity to see what was really happening, then the energy spent on endlessly complaining in corridors and staff rooms could have been put to better use. Experiential learning Many years ago, we had a drama teacher, who really helped students experience this. She created real life situations and asked them to role play situations in their lives, which they had complaints about. In the same story, each person played various roles so they really got an experience of being both the person complaining and the one being complained about. The students gained a few valuable insights through the enactment. First, that complaining prevents them from seeing other perspectives.

That it leads to often solutions coming from a place of anxiety and emotional bias. That it is a way to shirk responsibility, “It never is my problem but theirs.” One student shared a powerful observation. Complaining prevents peace, necessary to accept situations we cannot change. “The Ugly Indians” in Bengaluru is a group of anonymous individuals who converge to clean and beautify one designated spot in the city. Tired of complaining about the garbage and pollution, the group decided to commune together and just do the job. No one individual gets recognition and they silently work and then disperse. The positive effect of this outweighs all of us armchair complainers! Try an experiment for a day. Everytime you feel like complaining, just bring awareness to your action. If you can do something about it, then just do it. Else, focus on just accepting the situation for the moment. Either way, you will feel lighter, more joyous and that will radiate to those you live and work with. Try it, and see if it works. Stop the complaining! The author has worked as a special educator in various settings. Share your thoughts and ideas at: [email protected]

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

A young woman walked into my office with a furrowed brow, clearly worried about something. Expecting a question about a difficult chapter or anxiety over a deadline, I asked, “What’s wrong? Can I help you?” “I have no idea what I’m going to do with my life, ma’am!” she said. That was a big one. But I waited a moment instead of jumping to reassure her with the usual cushiony phrases that we are accustomed to using when faced with life’s basic conundrums. She continued: “I don’t know what I want, really… is it okay for me to be so confused… and clueless? Everyone else seems so clear…” It is getting close to that time of year, when students in the final months of their degree programmes start to look at the future with mixed feelings. Those who have already been through the placement process know where they will be at the end of this phase. Some others have decided about their next steps — another degree or course, a break, travel, family time — and a few have had the decision made for them by parents or constrained by circumstances. If you are graduating with a professional degree, you are somewhat luckier than others; your education generally aims at taking you to a specific place, entry to which is determined by a specific set of skills that you should have gained in college. But if you are in a general degree programme (liberal arts, science, commerce), high on academic knowledge but relatively low on skill building (in the way we define it in the job market), you could be left wondering what exactly your degree has prepared you for — unless, like some of my students’ peers, you are one of those who have a very clear idea about what you want to do with your life.

Life’s goals I think there’s something we need to get clear, though. Life goals are not necessarily the same as employment goals. Or even professional goals. We put too much pressure on ourselves when we expect to have our life’s mission sorted out by the time we are twentytwo. Yes, there are those charmed individuals who seem to have their life plan charted out to a T even before they write their first examination. And there are others, equally charmed, who can sail through life

BON APP-ETIT b

TechTrix 2017

Big question: What makes you tick? from one experience to the next, happy to take things as they come and not worrying about these big shaky questions. Finding out what we really want to do may take more than a few years of college, for most of us. In fact, when we leave college, we are only beginning to discover ourselves; yet we are expected to make major life choices, commitments that will firmly place us in one field or another. It may be a good idea to take a deep breath — or two — and sort out these questions for ourselves without feeling like we have to have all the answers right away. There are some things that have to be done immediately — for instance, getting a job, or deciding about higher studies. The job doesn’t have to be your life’s work; it is just the first step in learning how the world runs, and trying out your role in it. The only difference between the worried young woman in my office and her peers who seemed to have worked it all out was this: they weren’t consumed by the question of meaning, and were focused on what to do to keep going in the immediate future. In other words, you don’t have to figure out your life’s mission the moment you get out of college. There’s nothing wrong with trying a few things, learning a few things outside the structure of a degree, and discovering what makes you tick. And in the process of doing that, you might discover what you really want — and like — to do. The author teaches at the University of Hyderabad and edits Teacher Plus. [email protected]

Pull yourself up by your bootstraps Know your English)

S. Upendran

What is the difference between ‘byword’ and ‘buzzword’? (V Siddharth, Delhi) The two words have very different meanings. ‘Byword’ is mostly used with people and things to mean a very good or an outstanding example of something. For example, if you say that ‘Sujatha has become a byword for hospitality’, what you are suggesting is that she is a great host — she is very welcoming and makes everyone feel wanted. She is an excellent example of what it means to be hospit-

able. A catchphrase or a motto that captures the essence of something can also be called ‘byword’. ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan’ became the byword for Government policy in the 1960s. My friend’s hotel has become the byword for luxury. Our family’s byword is ‘Whatever happens, happens for the best’. ‘Buzzword’, on the other hand, is usually used to refer to a word or phrase that suddenly becomes very popular in a certain discipline. The common man becomes aware of these words when the media begins to use them in their stories. ‘Ecotourism’, ‘dead tree media’, ‘nettiquette’, ‘webinar’ and ‘millenial’ are just a few examples of buzzwords. What is the meaning of ‘pull oneself

up by one’s bootstraps’? (Nandini Rao, Bengaluru) This informal expression is frequently heard in American English. When you ‘pull/haul/drag yourself up by your bootstraps’, you come up in life through sheer hard work. You improve your position or status without taking the help of other people. You are a self-made individual. Satish pulled himself up by his bootstraps to become a hotshot industrialist. She hauled herself up by her bootstraps to become the owner of a fivestar hotel. How is ‘fait accompli’ pronounced? (CV Krishnamurthy, Mysuru)

There are different ways of pronouncing this word. One simple way is to pronounce the first word like the

Sarthak Saraswat

Attending college fests is something every student looks forward to. The amalgamation of bright minds from across the country and various events to prove one’s intelligence, makes these events enriching. Here are some apps to help you track different college fests, and, more importantly, your attendance.

ISTOCK

SATHEESH VELLINEZHI

Usha Raman

CM YK

Poonam Dalal Dahiya What is Kautilya’s Arthashastra all about? Where did the earliest Aryans live? What are the four Vedas and where is the word veda derived from? Who was the founder of the slave dynasty? All these and more are answered succinctly in Poonam Dahiya’s book which covers an array of topics including ancient history, Buddhism and Jainism, the Guptas, the Delhi Sultanate, and more. At the end of each chapter are practice questions and answers for the preliminary exam as well as questions that are deemed important for the mains. The book makes assimilating information easier, courtesy key points that come in boxes for relevant sections, and flowcharts and pictures. It also includes detachable charts for revision.

Backpacker’s Guide)

Anuradha Shyam

Readers who connected with the previous article, “The Future is in the present”, wrote in with queries about practical ways in which they could anchor themselves in the present. Perhaps, one of the ways we can explore this, is to observe the various ways in which we remove ourselves from what is happening in the moment. We find a million ways to distract ourselves from really facing reality as it is presenting itself to us. For those interested in psychology and other associated disciplines, these fields will give you a window into looking at this in further detail. However, in our day to day lives, one of the most repetitive (but invisible) ways in which we avoid confronting what we face is by complaining! There was an article that spoke of how we are increasingly becoming a generation of complainers. We have become so attuned to complaining that we are not even aware of how much we enjoy dancing to its rhythm. Whether it is the weather, classmates, colleagues, friends, family, traffic… our mind space is continuously being consumed by the noise of complaining. What is complaining? In its essence, if you really observe yourself, complaining is being eternally dissatisfied with whatever is presented in the moment to such an extent that it blinds one from seeing what is really happening. In an organisation I worked for many years ago, things became quite chaotic in a certain department and one person was singled out as the cause of the disruptions. We all began com-

Madhuvanti S. Krishnan

We bring you two vastly different subjects this week — Ancient history and leadership.

ISTOCK

b

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

word ‘fate’. The ‘a’ in ‘accompli’ is like the ‘a’ in ‘china’, and the final ‘i’ sounds like the ‘i’ in ‘sit’ and ‘bit’. The word can be pronounced ‘fate e-KOMpli’ with the main stress on ‘com’. This French expression literally means ‘an accomplished fact’. When you say that something is a ‘fait accompli’, what it implies is that a decision regarding a certain matter has already been made; there is no point in discussing it because nothing we do or say will matter. The decision taken is final; we have no option but to accept it. We are seldom consulted about anything. All the changes that Suchitra makes are presented to us as a fait accompli. The students became increasingly angry when they realised they were being presented with a fait accompli.

Is the following sentence correct: ‘Rahul did not avail of his father’s advice’? (R Shanthi, Srirangam) We Indians are very fond of the word ‘avail’; we frequently use it in both formal and informal contexts. Native speakers of English mostly limit it to formal contexts. One does not ‘avail of something’ — one avails oneself of something. Rahul did not avail himself of his father’s advice. The tourists availed themselves of the opportunity to buy souvernirs. **** Pulling yourself up by the bootstraps only works if you have boots. — Eddie Arthur

This recently-updated app is your guide to the TechTrix fest organised by RCC Institute of Information Technology, Kolkata. It can help you keep track of events, receive notifications, find out contact details of coordinators, and also the rules and regulations of the various events. Other options include gaming, coding, out of the box, geeks, robotics, workshop, Kaleidoscope and Guest lectures. http://bit.ly/2mCLT7o

Quark 2017 Launched by BITS Pilani’s Goa campus for its annual technomanagerial and innovation festival Quark, this app has all the information you need about the event. Whether it’s events, workshops or guest lectures, you can stay updated on everything that’s happening. The app is also a platform to exchange ideas and display your research through events such as Paper Presentation and open Showcase. http:// bit.ly/2mCLrGr

Attendance Helper If maintaining your attendance seems like a herculean task, worry not. With the help of this app, not only would you be able to keep track of your attendance but also your timetable. All you need to do is set the minimum percentage of attendance required by your college and your timetable. That there is no need to manually add name or the subjects, just the timetable and the app will figure out the rest. The app will then calculate how many lectures you can miss! http://bit.ly/2monqCr

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

EAR SHOT ASHOK RAJAGOPALAN

The author teaches at the English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad. [email protected]

ND-X

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

THE HINDU

EDGE 3

NOIDA/DELHI

MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Postcard from... Edmonton, Canada)

Voices)

At home in Alberta

Hate crime is more open now b

As an exchange student, it was a challenging journey bonding with teammates and faculty

Anusha Parthasarathy

As the U.S. comes to terms with shooting of the Indian techie Srinivas Kuchibhotla in Kansas, the question arises: Is the U.S. still a safe place to study? Students from across the U.S. voice their thoughts on hate crimes against the community.

Pratik Kumar, PhD student, Stony Brook University

Aravind Ramachandran, North Carolina State University

Anusha Shankar, Stony Brook University

The incident is extremely unfortunate, but I don’t think it reflects that the US is not a safe country for Indians anymore. The current political climate is certainly a cause for worry to many of my international friends, but I personally haven’t felt the need to censor my activities or live differently. Many foreigners in India have had to face adverse situations and that certainly doesn’t make India unsafe either.

It’s sad to hear of shootings anywhere. But the potential of it being racially motivated is upsetting. It seems like it could happen anywhere and to anyone. There is a sense that there is hatred brewing, and that it is indiscriminate. As a scientist, I was more worried by this government would attack the environment. But with the travel ban and the shooting, the list of things to worry about seems endless.

It hits close to home when an Indian becomes the victim of a racially-motivated crime. I hope the present racial climate in the United States, that appears to condone intolerance and animosity, gets nipped in the bud. Personally, I don’t feel unsafe where I live and am thankful for that.

Khuê Bùi, University of California, Irvine I found the recent news distressing, frightening and sad. It’s a painful reminder that as Asian Americans (who often get stereotyped as rich), we are constant victims of xenophobic violence, and unfortunately, this time, it was fatal. This is a serious threat to all people in the USA.

the travel ban and the shooting, the list of < > With things to worry about seems endless. Anusha Shankar

A second-year student of MBA in Energy Trading at the University of Petroleum Energy Studies, Dehradun, I got an opportunity to do my third semester at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, as part of a student exchange programme. That place brought a different level of passion and zeal that helped me to work and survive a -30° temperature. Full of excitement, ambiguity, questions and doubts, I reached Edmonton. I developed a new hobby of collecting weather snapshots with temperatures dropping from +14° to -30°. Adapting to the change in education system with less time on hand in order to perform, was my real challenge. My class had people from different nationalities with most of them primarily working professionals. The study pattern at UOA emphasised self study, analytical understanding and was application-based. The professors were supportive and gave me ample time to clarify doubts. Assignments gave me new perspectives and helped me

Janani Venkateswaran, University of California, Irvine There is this ‘model minority’ myth that anyone who is Asian is considered as the “ideal immigrant” due to their supposed “high intellectual capabilities”. However, racism is still prevalent in America and more visible now. I have been discriminated against because of my skin. Racism is very real and always has been. Only now, it is being expressed more openly and violently.

Name:

Ishita Rajan

to apply my newfound knowledge. As I was considered a Graduate MBA exchange student in major NREE (Natural Resources, Energy and Environment), it was mandatory for me to take courses with at least nine credits score. I registered myself for four subjects and also engaged in university’s research activities. My subjects were Corporate Sustainability, MIS (System Analysis and Design), Energy Risk Management, Energy Markets and Industries. One of my courses, ‘Energy Industries and Markets,’ offered site visits to Fort Mc Murray and Calgary to have an aerial view of the oil sands and to also visit Canada’s biggest refineries, Suncore and Syncurde. I met prominent energy experts at Alberta as guest speakers. Apart from studies, I partied with friends. We attended the university’s beautiful parade and celebrated each every Canadian and Indian festivals such as Thanksgiving, Boxing Day, Durga Puja, Navrati, Diwali and Christmas. It has been a journey of everyday learning, new experiences and challenges, understanding the new culture and education system. Ishita Ranjan is studying at the University of Alberta, under a student exchange programme.

University:

University of Alberta Course:

Major NREE, exchange programme

SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

In Brief)

Etcetera) Maloya music concert at SAM

Science festival

Design contest winners

The Groove-Lele band enthralled the audience with Maloya music at the Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music campus recently. Award-winning guitarist Maneli Jamal also performed on February 21, at the campus as part of the SAM concert series.

SRIRAM Engineering College students R.Rewanth and M. Sakthi Ganesh (III-year automobile engineering) won the second prize for the project titled “passive safety system for two wheeler via helmet” at the Chennai Science Festival-2017 conducted recently.

Gem and Jewellery Skill Council of India recently announced winners of Design Revive Contest 2017. Mahima of NIFT, Mumbai, won the first prize, Vipula Ayare of SNDT College, Mumbai, won the second prize, and Sankesh Surana of GIA, Mumbai, won the third prize.

Department of Biological Sciences, University of Staffordshire, the U.K. Eligibility: A minimum of 75% overall score in Std. XII. Applicants with other qualifications will be considered on an individual basis. English language requirements include an overall IELTS score of 6.0 with a minimum College:

Deeksha Teri

Prof. G.L Khanna is a former Senior Scientific Officer from National Institute of Sports Patiala, Sports Authority of India and is working as Professor

and Dean of Faculty of Applied Sciences of Manav Rachna International University Faridabad. He has been playing an active role in various sports faculties and government policies and is presently a member of Olympic Task Force. In this interview, he talks about the Task Force and various sports facilities that need to be provided to young athletes.

REUTERS

Over the years, do you think there has been some change in the field of sports?

A lot has changed in sports. Historically, people were aware about the limited sports that were played but now, over time, other sports such as tennis, badminton, gymnastics and so on have evolved. Earlier, it was only cricket and some individual

SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Professor G.L Khanna from the Olympic Task Force on India’s sports scenario

sportspersons who forayed into the international sports arena. But now. with different types of sports leagues coming up, there are so many individuals who have the opportunity to play a wide array of sports and bring laurels for their country. One positive change that is the evolution of women sports players. Be it Saniya Mirza, Deepa Karmarkar or Deepa Malik, all of them have performed exceptionally well. Paralympics athletes too have the right platform to enhance their skills and make a difference. People today have a better understanding of sports and have become more supportive of sports as a career. Methods to encourage talented yet economically backward youngsters?

)

b Commonwealth Shared Scholarships 2017

These scholarships will give students the opportunity to study in the U.K. for a one-year master’s course. Eligibility: Graduate and postgraduate students with a demonstrable financial need. Application: Online only. Prizes and Rewards: Tuition fee, exam fee, airfare, living allowance of up-to £1,279 p.m., and so on Deadline: March 29 http://www.b4s.in/plus/ CSS15 b HM King's and Queen's Scholarship 2017

CM YK

Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS) Eligibility: Aspirants will have to write the NPAT 2017 exam on May 13 and 14. Deadline: The last date for online registrations is April 30. Duration: Four years (Full-time) http://design.nmims.edu/ College:

BSc (Hons) programme in Pharmaceutical Science

‘What matters in sports is talent’

scholarships

UG programme in Design

b

Tete-a-tete)

b

b

In sports, there is no section or society, there is only a sportsperson who is determined to perform. What matters in sports is your talent. As far as finances are concerned, certain sports like cricket have easy funding, but slowly and steadily, other sports are also being sponsored. The government has always provided a platform for talented youngsters where they get the right exposure and their skills are adequately utilised. Ways to bring kids back to the playground and away from mobile phones and indoor games?

It is vital that we inculcate sports habits in our children. Schools and colleges must start counting sports as a subject in the curriculum. Next, technology should always be seen as an enabler and not a bottle-neck. Even international players make use of stimulated modules to enhance their game. Technology, if used right manner, can do wonders. Your comments on the trend of children dropping out of sports professionally due to lack of money and

acknowledgement. Playing for and representing your country is a matter of great pride. Children need the right kind of motivation and direction to work wonders for their country. Sports in India is well recognised and appreciated. With the increase in sports leagues, everyone is getting an opportunity to play and participation in sports has increased manifold.

of 5.5 in speaking, writing, reading and listening. Deadline: March 31, 2017 Duration: Three years (Full-Time) http://www.staffs.ac.uk/course/ SSTK-10572.jsp b Pearson’s MyPedia Reader Creative Writing Contest

Eligibility: Students from Stds. IV to XII can send their stories based on themes such as humour, mystery, folk tales, adventure, fairy tales, myths, history, science-fiction, culture or travel with a word limit of 250 to 1,000 words. Entries can be in the form of prose, poetry or plays. Deadline: Entries through post or online by March 10https://in.pearson.com/ iframe/apply-online.html

Read online) Did you know that the best of Education Plus is also available online? To read more articles, visit www.thehindu.com/education

How is the Olympic Task Force planning to help India’s young athletes?

The Task Force will be preparing a comprehensive action plan for the next three Olympics to be held in 2020, 2024 and 2028. It is also expected to suggest effective methods to identify core probable/medal prospects for 2020 Olympics, their coaches and support staff. The committee will also help in selecting components of world-class support system for top-ranking sportspersons and lay down strategies. The committee will also provide significant inputs towards improving the standards of coaching and sports scientists within the country.

internships) An opportunity to pursue a 22-month master’s programme in any discipline at Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand. Eligibility: Graduates with good academic record and having IELTS score 6.0 or TOEFL 550 or equivalent. Application: By fax, email or post to AIT, Thailand. Prizes and Rewards: Full tuition fees, accommodation and living allowance. Deadline: March 31 http://www.b4s.in/plus/ HKA0 b Inlaks Scholarships 2017 An opportunity for students to pursue higher

studies abroad and improve their skills to become agents of change. Eligibility: Graduates or postgraduates who are less than 30 years old and have applied for further admission. Application: By post to Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation, Mumbai. Prizes and Rewards: Tuition fees, living expenses and one way travel allowance. Deadline: April 15 http://www.b4s.in/plus/ IS33 Courtesy: www.buddy4study.com

b Game Programming Intern at Photon Tadpole Studios

Category: Software Location: Mumbai Stipend: Rs. 5,000 - 10,000/ month Eligibility: All students http://bit.ly/ Twenty19TH745 b Content Writing intern at Orange Octopus Category: Content Writing/ Journalism Location: Delhi Stipend: Rs. 4,000 7,000/month Eligibility: All students http://bit.ly/ Twenty19TH746 b Customer Delight Manager

Intern at Agileforce Solutions

Category: Client Servicing/ Customer Support Location: Bengaluru Stipend: Rs. 8,000 - 15,000/ month Eligibility: All students http://bit.ly/ Twenty19TH747 b Visualizer intern at Krixi Ideas Category: Graphic Designer/ Art Work/Illustrator Location: Pune Stipend: Rs. 5,000/month Eligibility: All students http://bit.ly/T wenty19TH748 Courtesy: www.twenty19.com

ND-X

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

4 EDGE

NOIDA/DELHI

THE HINDU

MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Tete-a-Tete)

When you need help

Flying, with a comet

A myriad options are now available to deal with depression

The race to catch up with comet 67P was crazy, says astrophysicist Mark J. McCaughrean Mark J McCaughrean, the senior advisor for science and exploration at the European Science Agency (ESA), is the man responsible for communicating the progress and results of ESA’s space exploration projects. After a hectic week of lectures across India as part of British Council’s ‘Science and beyond’ series, he sits down for another chat on the famous Rosetta mission. The mission, which began back in 1993, ended successfully on 30 September, 2016 with the landing of the Rosetta probe on the comet 67P. It was an outrageous idea to start with, McCaughrean admits. “It was a crazy mission — to conceive such an idea, not just to fly past a comet, which we have done several times, but to get to this orbit faraway from the sun and then fly with the comet. Nobody had ever done that before,” he says.

ISTOCK

Aswin VN

EQ... Support) KRITHVI SHYAM

JÜRGEN MAI (ESA)

b

Accolades: Mark J. McCaughrean (extreme right) and the ESA Team celebrate as the Rosetta probe is revived successfully. probe to save power and fuel. Almost all the electronic equipment were switched off for more than two years. “Although we had tested waking it up from short hibernations, it was a big gamble. So, when the on-board alarm clock brought it to life from the long sleep in 2014, it was a huge celebratory occasion,” he adds. It was McCaughrean and his team’s job to keep the media and the public updated on the progress of the mission, and thanks to their hard

Celebration Even small things that no one now remembers, McCaughrean says, could have put an end to the mission. The Rosetta probe had to go around the Earth thrice to speed up using its gravity and once to Mars. If they had missed a tricky manoeuvre near Mars by a few kilometres, the mission would have failed. Then there was the long hibernation of the

Rosetta The space mission of ESA aimed for the space probe ‘Rosetta’ to successfully rendezvous with the comet 67P and deploy it’s lander module ‘Philae’ on the comet. The probe was launched by ESA in 2004 and it reached 67P in 2014.

work, today ‘Rosetta’ is well known. Effective and creative science communication, McCaughrean believes, plays a key role in making general public warm up to science. The blind disbelief and denial that science, especially topics like climate change and global warming, is facing from certain sections of public, he says, is partly because of ineffective science communication along with politics of demagogues. “I got this question from

the audience here a couple of times on whether I am giving these talks to get more money for space missions. No, I am not. I can’t justify getting more money for the missions while people are, on the streets, poor. The only way I can justify this is by inspiring people, especially young children, and by making them understand that you can’t fly around a comet by guessing. You do it by years of training, calculation, work, accepting failures and working things

Next big thing The launch of James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) in October 2018 is what McCaughrean is looking forward to now. He is on the working team of the large Infrared telescope, which will be the scientiic successor of the Hubble Telescope that has fascinated millions with magniicent deep space images. JWST mission began in 1996 and is a collaboration of NASA, ESA and Canadian Space Agency.

out. If I can get that idea across, then they will see that you can only make this happen through rational thinking and logic,” says McCaughrean. Speaking about ISRO’s recent success with launching 104 satellites in one go, McCaughrean says the progress made is extremely positive and that ESA is very much interested in working with ISRO. “We collaborated with ISRO on the Chandrayaan-1 mission. Although we were not part of the Mars mission, we are all interested in going to the moon again,” he says. McCaughrean, sceptical about the talks regarding extravagant ideas such as ‘colonisation of Mars’ and ‘Asteroid mining’, discussed the flip side of space commercialisation. The aggressive marketing of these ideas, he feels, is starting to take the focus away from research.

Do you feel so stressed about your exam results that you can’t focus in class? So upset about a bad breakup that you don’t feel like getting out of bed? If something is bothering you that is impacting your ability to carry out everyday activities, you might need to visit a mental health professional. Today, most major hospitals and several academic institutes have psychologists or psychiatrists. These professionals are trained to help you manage a myriad of problems — anxiety, depression, even the nameless feeling of dread that is caught in your chest. Here are some things you should know before meeting a mental health professional. ● Your problems are real and they matter. Being unable to overcome negative thoughts does not make you weak. Recognising that you need help and going out to get it takes a lot of courage. ● Seeking help is not a big deal. You meet someone, explain what is troubling you and they listen and help you find a solution. Sometimes, the troubles, like a skin problem, can take time to go away, so you might have to meet with the professional on a regular basis until it resolves. ● No one is judging you. The idea of meeting a professional can be scary or even embarrassing. This is a complete stranger with whom you will be sharing intimate details of your life, some of which you might have never admitted out loud before. It’s important to remember that this is their job. They meet people like you every day and are not going to judge you. They are interested in helping you feel better and will keep your

conversation confidential. ● Make sure you are comfortable. If, at the end of the first couple of meetings, you don’t feel comfortable with the therapist, there is nothing wrong with going to meet another one instead. It is the same as meeting other doctors for second opinion if you are not satisfied with the first.

Evaluate options ● Be aware of your options. Psychiatrists, who are medical doctors with a specialisation in psychiatry, can prescribe medication. Psychologists cannot do this, but use counselling techniques called “talk therapies”, like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. The two professionals routinely work together. So if you visit a psychiatrist and are uncomfortable with taking medication, discuss the possibility of counselling instead. Similarly, if you visit a psychologist and feel you would like to explore medicative options, let them know. ● Both methods have their pros and cons. Counselling is not an overnight solution and can take time to show its effect, but is a good option for people who do not want or require medication. Medication is a good option if you feel you are in dire straits, and is most effective when combined with counselling rather than as a standalone treatment. If you are prescribed medication, be sure to ask about the dosage and the side effects. ● Have a support system in place: This could be anyone who you feel you can trust and confide in. Take them along as moral support for your first visit to the psychiatrist or psychologist. If you feel hesitant to talk to your parents, go with a friend until you feel more ready to open up. However, if you are prescribed medication, it is important to tell your parents about this as it becomes part of your medical history. The author is a psychologist and management consultant. Email: [email protected]

Outside view)

Expand your horizons Learning on the ly is increasingly gaining popularity Madhuvanti S. Krishnan

“Exploration is really the essence of the human spirit,” said NASA astronaut Frank Borman. Gone are the days when youngsters were forced to apply themselves only to blackboard-andchalk teaching techniques. In a technologically-advanced era where Skype classes and smartphonenotes rule the roost, the concepts of education and learning have undergone a seachange — show and tell — travelling to destinations related to the curriculum to see and learn, have become popular trends in education. It is perhaps after identifying this trait that Thomas Cook decided to collaborate with schools and colleges and cash in on the opportunity to popularise experiential learning or education through travel.

Experiential Abraham Alapatt, President and group head, Thomas Cook, elaborates on what made him and his team delve into planning and curating such tours: “We examined institutions in terms of what constituted an international model — apart from their syllabus — and realised it was the spotlight on practical training,” he explains. “While the emphasis in traditional schools was theoretical information, international curriculum, especially the American school system, focussed on non-classroom, practical development which often meant it was about real-life projects and experiences. There was a clear demand from these schools for a partner that could effectively create such trips for them and that’s why we decided to explore education tours,” adds Mr. Alapatt. And the response has been enthusiastic. In the last two years, more than 1,000 students have travelled to the USA, France, Switzerland, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, the U.K, China CM YK

SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

b

Hands-on: Students at the National Space Centre in the U.K. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Teachers have realised that learning is more about personality development and not about learning by rote and have benefitted by participating in programmes of NASA, visiting Harvard and MIT, doing a certification workshop in Chinese paintings, nitrogen workshops, attending Kung-fu workshops in a Shaolin temple, visiting the Volkswagon factory to witness how production management happens, going on a war trail of WW II to understand the role of Indian soldiers, visiting the U.N headquarters, architectural tours to Putrajeya, to name a few. “The clientele varies from IITs and IIMs to top schools across the country. This is not just a big-metro school phenomenon but often, a tier-2 and tier-3 phenomenon where students are hungry for such exposure,” explains Mr. Alapatt. While students naturally respond with verve to such tours as they break the monotony of classroom teaching, teachers are dutybound and time-bound to complete the syllabus. Thus, the question inevitably arises on how the teaching fraternity reacts to such forms of learning. Mr.

Alapatt is quick to add, “Some teachers have been niggling in their enthusiasm until they went on a trip, while others have been passionate at this prospect and have driven the agenda within their schools. Teachers have realised that learning is more about personality development and not merely about learning by rote.”

For teachers too Sheelan Misra, Head of Dept of Management Studies, New Horizon College of Engineering, Bengaluru, admits that the college has been organising such tours for their MBA and engineering students for four years now. “We want to expose students to foreign universities, help them get a feel of how a foreign economy operates, and a country’s business functions. In the last few years, they have travelled to Singapore, Malaysia, Myanmar and more. These tours help students widen their horizons and compete in a highly global world,” he adds. Dr. Avinash, from School of Management Studies, Varanasi, believes that such trips help teachers too. “Our university has MoUs with universities in the U.S, South America and Europe. One of the key highlights is that they

involve both student and faculty exchange,” he explains while stating that because of the faculty exchange, teachers have an opportunity to observe foreign teaching practices and tweak their pedagogy. He also points out how most foreign universities have various industries associated with them. “Traditional methods of teaching are no longer in use and it is through such travel jaunts that adequate, hands-on learning take place,” adds Dr. Avinash. Vikram Bajaj, vice chairperson, RNB University, believes that such tours are instrumental to learning. He explained how students visited Dubai’s Port Khalifa and interacted with the officials to understand the port operations. “The trips were planned by students after collaborating with travel agents,” he explains. Besides standard tour packages depending on the class, syllabus and so on, Thomas Cook offers tailormade packages based on the syllabus that is being taught and the kind of skills teachers want to inculcate in their students. “Depending on what they want, we offer history, culture, language tours and more, after curating them to suit the specific requirements of each institution,” says Mr. Alapatt. ND-X

monday 앫 march 6, 2017

follow us:

thehindu.com facebook.com/thehindu twitter.com/the_hindu CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

A culture of protest

Fighting rare diseases

Alia Bhatt’s choice

Asanas for the road

Given the recent agitation by students, The Hindu take a look at DU’s history of protest and activism Page 2

People suffering from rare afflictions are struggling to procure, and pay for, life-saving medicine Page 4

At an age when actors do ilms just for fun, the young actor says she wants her ilms to live on Page 5

Slipping on your sneakers and rolling out the yoga mat have more in common than what meets the eye Page 6

CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

IN BRIEF

89 shanties gutted in Noida ire

Man held for stealing items from shipping containers Accused had leased a godown for his stolen items; sold them to buyers in Africa

NOIDA

Staff Reporter

In a major ire, 89 shanties were reduced to ashes on Saturday night in Noida Sector 137. The incident happened at around 1.30 a.m when most of the occupants were asleep. The ire tenders allegedly reached late, resulting in massive damage.

New Delhi

CITY

쑺 PAGE 3

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

IT dept attaches ‘benami’ assets linked to Minister NEW DELHI

The Income Tax Department has provisionally attached ‘benami assets’ allegedly linked to Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain in a case of illegal routing of undisclosed funds of over ₹13 crore, a charge strongly denied by him. CITY 쑺 PAGE 3 DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

Man gets bail in cheating case NEW DELHI

A Delhi court has granted bail to a private company director in a cheating case, keeping in view, among other points, that he has refunded ₹7.5 lakh each to eight complainants by mortgaging his property. Deepinder Singh allegedly cheated 20 students of ₹15 lakh each on the pretext of training and providing them jobs as co-pilots. CITY 쑺 PAGE 3 DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

Delhi prepares for summer outages

The Delhi Police Crime Branch has arrested a 30year-old man, who allegedly stole from owners of Inland Container Depots (ICDs) in Delhi-NCR and replaced the cartons of electrical goods with sandbags. The police said the accused used to sell the stolen articles, mainly ceiling fans, to buyers in African countries. A senior police officer said that Jasola resident Manoj Kumar was running a gang of container thieves in different ICDs in Tuglaqabad, Faridabad, Dadri and Greater Noida. The accused, who was arrested two days ago, had even leased a godown where hundreds of stolen cartons and packages were stored. “He was wanted in four cases of container theft; 416 cartons containing 1,439 ceiling fans and 52 cartons containing electric items were recovered from his godown in Surajpur Industrial Area in Greater Noida,” said Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ravindra Yadav. Mr. Yadav said Kumar was arrested on March 3 based on a tip-off that a man who was wanted in several cases

Large haul: Police personnel with accused Manoj Kumar (in cap) at the godown. Most of the boxes contained ceiling fans. SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT of container theft from the area of ICD Tuglaqabad, would come to Jasola Village Metro line around 3 p.m. “A team of the Crime Branch laid a trap and Kumar was apprehended. On interrogation, the accused confessed to his involvement in the crime,” said Mr. Yadav.

Part of a gang During interrogation, Kumar purportedly disclosed that he is part of a gang involved in such thefts. “He said that he is work-

ing as a manager with one Vinod Sharma, a resident of Jamia Nagar, who is running a gang of container thieves in connivance with drivers of the containers in different ICDs situated in areas of Delhi-NCR,” said Mr. Yadav.

Modus operandi The police said that the gang targeted containers that were marked for export. The gang used to tie-up with the truck drivers of such consignments. Once the truck left the

ICD, the gang would break the container’s seal and take out the cartons. They would then replace the cartons with sand bags. Once resealed, the container would be taken to the port. No one would suspect anything amiss as the container weighed the same as when it started from the Inland Container Depot. The police said that the theft would only be found out two to three months later when the container reached its destination.

CITY 쑺 PAGE 4 DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

Chance for AAP to woo voters ahead of municipal elections Staff Reporter New Delhi

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government will table its third budget in the Delhi Legislative Assembly on Monday. The five-day budget session will be an opportunity for the AAP to showcase its work and also announce schemes for the people of the city ahead of the municipal elections. A unique aspect of this budget will be the presentation of an ‘outcome budget’, where the government will put out the expected outcome of expenditure under specific heads.

Education and health Like last year, education and health sectors are likely to get a big chunk of the budget. Around 25% of the total allocation is likely to be set aside for education. The government is also likely to allocate ₹350 crore as Swaraj Fund in the budget, although it has not been able to use an equal amount under the same head as the proposal to constitute mohalla sabhas still awaits the L-G’s approval.

Something new: A unique aspect of this budget will be the presentation of an ‘outcome budget’ — the expected result of expenditure under speciic heads. SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA

The session will begin with an address by Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal, his first after assuming office in December last year. Meanwhile, the opposition BJP is gearing up to corner the government over its “unfulfilled promises”. It has accused the government of ‘building castles in the air’. “The government has woven beautiful dreams in the pre-budget addresses. This is in keeping with its old practice as reflected in the last two budgets,” Leader of

Dalit boy ‘thrashed’ for not picking up garbage Incident happened in a private school

the Opposition Vijender Gupta said. “All development work was to be implemented through participation of the public at the grass-root level. ₹253 crore was earmarked for it. During the second budget speech, ₹350 crore was earmarked for it. But till this day the mohalla sabhas have not seen the light of day. The government promised a participatory budget, which is nowhere to be seen,” said Mr. Gupta. PIPELINE INAUGURATED 쑺 PAGE 3

Car rams barricade, cop hurt Staff Reporter New Delhi

Betting racket busted; man, son held 75-year-old physically challenged man was allegedly the kingpin

NEW DELHI

As the season of sweat, heat, and long power cuts knocks on the city’s door, the residents are preparing to beat outages by saving electricity in their areas. Some Residents’ Welfare Associations have set up benchmarks for power usage during summer, while others have organised workshops to teach residents about how they can save electricity.

Budget session begins today

Staff Reporter New Delhi

A 75-year-old physically challenged man and his son have been arrested for allegedly running a betting racket in south-east Delhi’s Sangam Vihar. Police said the father, Ram Snehi Lal, was allegedly the kingpin of the racket and had involved his son Chotte in the illegal business. Lal claimed to be an astro-

loger and was running the business from his house on the pretext of predicting the future for customers.

Previous raids The police were aware that a racket was going on in the area but “during previous raids, the man often took advantage of his disability to claim that he was innocent. He was never caught as he used to pose as an astrologer

and said that the people visiting his office were clients,” said a senior police officer. The police said that the duo were finally arrested after they got a tip-off from a local about a racket being run from a house near Munna Chowk in Sangam Vihar. Around 9.30 pm on Saturday, police raided the house and found around 10 people outside Lal’s house. When Lal was asked to ex-

plain why so many people were present at his house, he again tried to use his excuse of being an astrologer. “We found a register of the betting entries and confronted Lal with that. On further questioning, he admitted to his role,” the officer said. Besides the father-son duo, three others were arrested for gambling. Money was also recovered from the house.

Purusharth Aradhak Dadri (Greater Noida)

A Dalit student was allegedly thrashed in a private school in Greater Noida for not picking up garbage lying in the class.

Suffers injury The victim allegedly suffered injury to his ear. The boy’s family has lodged a complaint with the police. Police officials said that the victim is a Class IX student and a resident of Gagan Vihar. His school is located in Gautampuri. A senior police official said that on Saturday morning the victim’s teacher

asked him to pick up some garbage in the class. The student refused to to do so saying he comes to school to study. The teacher allegedly got angry and complained to the school authorities. The student was then allegedly taken to a vacant classroom and thrashed. “When his ear started bleeding, he raised an alarm. Some locals passing by the school rushed to the scene and rescued the victim,” the official said. Dadri police station incharge Sanjay Kumar Tyagi said, “A complaint has been received. An investigation is on.”

A head constable was injured during picket checking when a vehicle hit the barricade that he was standing next to in the early hours of Sunday. The driver is absconding while the offending vehicle has been seized. The picket was on a service road along NH-8, when a car with a UP registration number hit the barricade. Head constable Premchand suffered a fracture in the right leg, said Additional DCP (south) Chinmoy Biswal. A case has been registered under relevant sections of the IPC.

CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

Former globe-trotting babus help disadvantaged kids speak luent English Retired Indian Foreign Service oicers Sujatha Singh and Vinod Khanna are teaching boys in an east Delhi school a valuable skill, and imparting much-needed conidence Soumya Pillai New Delhi

“Friends don’t let each others’ secret out,” 10-yearold Sachin — dressed up as the young Nala from the popular animated musical ‘The Lion King’ — says in fluent English to his classmate Shoaib, who is playing Simba. “I will protect you, my son,” says Lucky, playing Mufasa, as he jumps to save his son Simba as the group of ‘hyenas’ attack him. Minutes later, he falls into the ‘canyon’ as the evil Scar roars to celebrate his victory. The audience gasps in shock, but applauds. Till a year ago, it was difficult for these students to fathom saying even a word in English, let alone memorise, translate dialogue and present it in front of their schoolmates and teachers — all on their own. The students of Classes III, IV and V of MCD primary boys’ school in Shashi Garden, near Mayur Vihar Phase-1, have been part of an English speaking class organised by teachers from NGO Pratham. In February this year, the students, under the tutelage of ‘Sujatha miss’, managed to perform an English play based on ‘The Lion King’. Sujatha Singh, an ex-IFS officer and former foreign secretary, has been teaching CM YK

started reading < > Ithe lines from the story [The Lion King] to them and they would listen with great interest. They used to be spellbound with the dialogue and images from the book

Great transformation: A year ago, the students couldn’t speak a word of English; but recently they staged a play based on ‘The Lion King’ — entirely in English. V. SUDERSHAN

English to 20 students from Class IV for a year now. The results have left even the teachers surprised.

For a better future “When I met the students for the first time, what struck me the most was the hope that each of them had for a better future. That hope was too much for me to bear. I could not return to the class for almost six months,” Ms. Singh said. The idea of getting the children to perform the play came from the sheer enthusiasm they showed towards the story. “I started reading lines from the story to them and they would listen with great interest. They would be spellbound

with the dialogues and images,” Ms. Singh said. Ten-year-old Saurabh said he has been trying to communicate in English with his classmates and teachers. Though there are times when he gets stuck, he has been taught to take time and try to form sentences. “If I get stuck, I take help from my teachers. Mistakes will help me learn,” said Lucky, as he takes a break from playing Pumba.

Herculean task When Ms. Singh started the play, she had little idea that it would turnout to be such a spectacular rendition. The music, the costumes and the masks — mostly made by the young performers —

Sujatha Singh Former foreign secretary; has been teaching Class IV students how to speak luently in English

added to the performance. “When Ms. Singh proposed this idea, we did not think she would be able to pull this off. But I applaud the determination that both she and the students have shown,” said school principal Purnima. She admitted that despite being a Delhi University topper, she had also faced

trouble communicating fluently in English. She, however, wanted her students to do better. “Most of our students come from poor backgrounds. Some have traumatic pasts of abuse and addiction. I have seen them grow with this play and these classes. They have a newfound confidence,” Ms.

Purnima said.

‘Will help my mother’ A lot of the children come from families who survive by selling vegetables, pulling rickshaws or by doing manual labour. Anmol Thappa, who is part of the ‘monkey chorus’ in the play, said that his father studied till Class V and

often used English to silence his mother in an argument. “Now I teach my mother English so that she can reply to my father,” he said. Vinod Khanna, another retired IFS officer and the founder trustee of Pratham, has also been closely involved with the students. “We have been involved with their personality

development. English speaking is only a part of the plan. When you look at their enthusiasm, you feel like they deserve all that we are doing and much more. I have taught graduate and postgraduate students, but teaching primary classes is the toughest and also the most exciting,” Mr. Khanna told The Hindu. ND-ND

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

2 CITY

NOIDA/DELHI

THE HINDU

MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Past and present: Students block traic at the ITO junction during a Delhi bandh called on August 27, 1990, to protest against the Mandal Commission report; (right) teachers and students take out a march at Delhi University’s North Campus after the recent violence at Ramjas College. FILE PHOTO, SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA

‘Culture of protest’ comes full circle at DU With Delhi University students embroiled in a controversy around freedom of speech, The Hindu looks at the university’s history of protest and activism Damini Nath Jatin Anand New Delhi

Hundreds of students coming together, shouting slogans and demanding an end to violence on campus — this is a scene Delhi University (DU) students have become familiar with ever since a debate on free speech and nationalism was triggered two weeks ago.

Clashes v/s debates? But, the university is not a stranger to such scenes. The only difference, say former DU teachers and students, is that violent clashes are increasingly replacing debates. Also, seemingly spontaneous protests are social mediadriven campaigns that cross borders. The latest controversy on campus started with the English Department of Ramjas College organising a seminar to discuss the “Cultures of Protest” on February 21. Among those invited to address the gathering was Umar Khalid, the Jawaharlal Nehru University student who was accused of sedition over ‘anti-national slogans’ being raised at an event in February last year. Though Mr. Khalid gave the seminar a miss citing security concerns, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the RSS-affiliated student wing, attacked the seminar. The next day saw clashes between the ABVP and Leftaffiliated students’ organisations, with both sides protesting against what

was always < > There ideological conlict and dissent but no personal animosity when I was a part of the university Pankaj Vohra Journalist and DU alumnus

happened the previous day. Back in February 1982, DU students had come together to protest against an attack on a Ramjas College professor. A lecturer with the History department, Professor Dilip Simeon was attacked by a group of young men who followed him in a car and made him stop the scooter he was riding.

Going back in time Recalling the incident, Prof. Simeon said he was beaten up with iron rods, leaving his leg broken in two places and his jaw permanently damaged. Prof. Simeon and some others had gone on hunger strike to press the college to pay a gardener his dues. What followed was a tense situation in the college, with faculty members divided into two camps — one supporting the ABVP and the other backing the Congressbacked National Students’ Union of India (NSUI). Alumni speak Rahul Roy, actor and producer who was then a student at Ramjas, said students from across DU, even from South Campus, had come together to protest against the “goondaism”. Organised under the banner of ‘Committee Against Goondaism’, the students held demonstrations outside the residences of the then DU Vice-Chancellor and the chairman of the college Governing Body. “It was not an issue of Right versus Left. There were no political banners or affiliations. We would go from college to college, distributing pamphlets and telling students about the protests,” said Mr. Roy, who was a part of the group of students that organised the protests. While the protests seen now were similar, he said

Not black and white: Calling last month’s protests (left) at DU ‘shameful’, alumni said that violence did surface on campus from time to time. But, they added, this was only to protest ‘outrageous incidents’, as was the case with Rajiv Goswami (above) who set himself ablaze during the anti-Mandal agitation in September 1990. SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR, FILE PHOTO

that last week’s “attacks” on students and teachers were not seen in the 1980s. “There was no censorship. A lot of students who were not affiliated to any party were upset. There were two issues that galvanised students – sexual harassment of women students and goondaism,” said Mr. Roy.

Ideological battle While the tussle between the ABVP and the NSUI is nothing new, the ideological battle for the hearts and mind of university students seems to have escalated. “The situation on the campus has changed because the

atmosphere in the country has changed. They [ABVP] have more political backing,” said Prof. Simeon. Unlike JNU, which has a geographically closed campus, DU is spread across North and South campuses as well as many off-campus locations, which alumni and teachers say, is significant from a political perspective.

Social media reach A spread-out campus helps make it a microcosm of Delhi, with political activities of students having reverberations on a national scale. Old hands from DU recalled that while activism and ideolo-

gical conflicts were always a part of the university’s inherent culture, political scores were mostly settled through discussion and debate. Some also say that the difference between then and now was due to the scope and reach of social media. A DU alumnus who is now serving in the Delhi Police said: “There was always activism on the DU campus and, sometimes, violence too. But this was usually the case during or around the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections. Social media has made all the difference.” The police officer added

that violence did surface on campus from time to time, but only to protest “outrageous incidents and issues”, such as the Geeta and Sanjay Chopra murder case of 1978. He added that a senior Union Minister who had visited the campus then was met with stone-throwing students. The protests against the Emergency declared by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and the agitation around the Mandal Commission all found space on the campus, the officer said. In 1990, the anti-Mandal agitation saw Rajiv Goswami, who later went on to lead the DUSU, set himself ablaze on the university campus.

Not just student activism Former DU student leader and senior journalist, Pankaj Vohra, called the recent events at DU “shameful”. “There was always ideological conflict and dissent but no personal animosity when I was a part of the university.

Back then, the campus was a place where one could clash ideologically during the day and have a cup of tea together with one’s adversary in the evening,” said Mr. Vohra, who is Managing Editor of the Sunday Guardian. For today’s politicians who started out as student leaders at DU, the marches and protests of today are not just about student activism. Ashish Sood, who was the DUSU president in 1988-1989 and is a BJP councillor in the South Delhi Municipal Corporation today, said that the “ultra Left parties” were trying to regain lost ground.

‘Violence is wrong’ “What is happening now has nothing to do with the students. As students, they are the citizens of tomorrow and of today. They have every right to air their views, but this has nothing to do with that,” said Mr. Sood. He added that while he had been a part of protests on the DU campus when he

was a student, including against the Bofors scandal, the demonstrations did not take a violent turn. “Violence is wrong on both sides. The Left parties need to have the tolerance to hear out the views of the other side,” said Mr. Sood.

Changing dynamics Ajay Maken, a former Union Minister in the UPA government and currently the president of the Delhi Congress, was the DUSU president from 1985-1986 as an NSUI member. He recalled that the rivalry of the ABVP and NSUI was nothing new, but the fact that the BJP was in power at the Centre may have contributed to the changing nature of student politics in DU. “There is a design behind what is happening. Look at other campuses in the country. We had never seen the police and the State siding with one student group, like we saw recently at DU,” said Mr. Maken.

CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

Seeing double

Social media wields hashtag power, brings students together Staff Reporter New Delhi

History repeats itself: Students stand atop a bus to protest against the Mandal Commission report on August 27, 1990; (below) police detain students after the recent clashes on the North Campus. FILE PHOTO, SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR

No pamphlets were distributed, no hoardings were put up, no ‘mess’ campaigns were organised to get people to show up for the protest marches against the violence on the DU campus. The call did not carry the “branding” of a political organisation. Yet, thousands of students, teachers and citizens were out on the streets at a particular time, thanks to various “hashtags” — the most popular being #FightBackDU. As one student of Ramjas College said, “This movement has no leaders”.

No political branding Two marches were taken out — the first on DU’s North Campus on February 28 and the second ‘citizen’s march’ from Mandi House to Parliament on March 4. They were supported by the Left parties, but primarily comprised students and even parents who had no CM YK

political affiliations. The “organiser” of these events were hashtags on social media. Kavisha Bhamra, a parent who was part of the ‘citizen’s march’, said “I was at home when I saw violence unfold outside Ramjas College on TV. Like many parents, I was worried about my daughter. When you send your child to a college, the last thing you expect is hooliganism on the campus. You believe that there are academically-inclined students at the university who do not indulge in fist fights.” Like Ms. Bhamra, there were many others who took to the streets only because the march was called for on social media, and not by a political organisation. “The posters and banners did not carry any political-affiliation, and they were creative. The students had come up with innovative phrases. That is what you expect from students fighting against injustice or

Changing times: Trending hashtags, the most popular being #FightBackDU, brought together thousands of students, teachers and citizens to participate in a march, unlike the protests of yesteryear when posters and pamphlets (left) played a major role in organising students. SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

for a cause that they believe in,” said Siddhanth Garg, a student. While social media allows for online activism and a polarised atmosphere, many people posting and tweeting after the Ramjas incident were moved enough to take to the streets. Karan Nagpal, an alumni of Kirori Mal Col-

lege, said, “I was a part of KMC’s famous theatre society. It is what I learnt here that I cherish the most. I took off from work early to join the march because I felt frustrated and needed to show solidarity.” According to Mr. Nagpal, social media can unite people from diverse back-

grounds at one place, a feat that even days of campaigning in the pre-smartphone era could not have achieved. “It was a true spring of people,” he added.

Danger of being trolled While social media threw up the #FightBackDU campaign with a sense of an-

onymity, the #StudentsAgainstABVP campaign, which was a campaign to change one’s profile picture, ended up harming Gurmehar Kaur, the student of Lady Shri Ram College who started it. “As soon as I changed my picture, I started getting trolled. I did not have the courage like others and deleted the post. I understood how trolling can ruin your life. It is scary,” said Priya, a student of Gargi College.

Good moderator “Even as #StudentsAgainstAPVP made news, #ISupportABVP was trending. I feel that social media has been a good moderator and students who are all clued in to social media can have a discussion. However, when the online world hampers college life, it gets one thinking about how a troll’s threat can have repercussions in a college classroom,” said Aradhana Bisht, a guest lecturer. ND-ND

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

THE HINDU

CITY 3

NOIDA/DELHI

MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

IN BRIEF

Man gets bail in cheating case He is accused of defrauding 20 students by promising them jobs as co-pilots Nirnimesh Kumar New Delhi

Police clueless on Satyarthi’s Nobel citation NEW DELHI

Nearly a month after child rights activist Kailash Satyarthi’s Nobel citation was stolen from his home here, the police said the accused may have destroyed it assuming it was “just a piece of paper”. Three men were held on February 12 for the theft of the Nobel replica, the citation and valuables from Satyarthi’s Kalkaji home in south-east Delhi. The police said they have “no new leads” in the case. PTI

NGT slaps ₹1 lakh fine on 3 civic body officials NEW DELHI

The NGT has imposed a fine of ₹1 lakh on three officials of the Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation for noncompliance of its order on maintenance of roads and pavements with green cover in one sector. A Bench headed by Justice Jawad Rahim said Municipal Commissioner Abdul Samad, the Chief Engineer and the Executive Engineer were responsible for the lapses in Sector 3 of Vasundhara. PTI

A Delhi court has granted bail to the director of a private company in a cheating case, keeping in view, among other points, that he has refunded ₹7.5 lakh each to eight complainants by mortgaging his property.

Duped of ₹15 lakh The Delhi Police chargesheeted accused Deepinder Singh for allegedly cheating 20 students of ₹15 lakh each on the pretext of training and providing them with jobs as co-pilots. Complaint lodged According to the complaint lodged by one of the victims, a group of persons, including Mr. Singh, created a company called Skyfisher Airways Limited and cheated the students after promising to make them

co-pilots. Seeking bail for Mr. Singh, advocate Pradeeep Rana submitted that his client had paid back ₹60 lakh to eight of the students, while the other accused directors of the company were absconding. Opposing bail, the prosecution said it was likely the would flee the country.

Three men get life term for murdering Delhi cop Ruling in 2004 case where sub-inspector, witness found dead Nirnimesh Kumar New Delhi

A Delhi court has sentenced three persons to imprisonment for the whole of their natural life, holding them guilty of killing a Delhi Police Sub-Inspector and a public witness in Mangolpuri in north Delhi in 2004.

‘Bail not punitive’ Additional Sessions Judge of the Saket district courts, Sunena Sharma said: “The object of bail is neither punitive nor preventive but to secure appearance of accused at trial by reasonable amount of of bail... considering the facts and circumstances of the case, I am inclined to grant bail to the accused on furnishing a personal bond in the sum of ₹1 lakh with two sureties of the like amount...”

Headless bodies According to the prosecution, Sub-Inspector Satish and witness Vijay Kumar Swamy had gone to Mangolpuri to confirm some information relating to a case. A case was lodged after they failed to return. Their headless bodies were found the next day. The police later recovered two severed heads in half-burnt condition from different locations. “The three convicts had

Life imprisonment for murder of 70-year-old

murdered Delhi police SubInspector Satish Kumar and Vijay Kumar Swamy, a public witness, by strangulating and beheading them after tying their hands. This itself shows the brutality committed by the accused. They did not stop here and burnt the heads of the deceased and their headless bodies. No doubt that offence was gruesome, brutal and committed in a most diabolic manner,’’ Additional Sessions Judge V.K. Bansal of the Rohini courts said, holding accused Joginder, Rajinder and Vinod Jatav guilty in the case.

Fines on accused “They are sentenced to life imprisonment, that is imprisonment for the remainder of their natural life

SpiceJet asked to pay ₹50,000 to 2 flyers

Nirnimesh Kumar

NEW DELHI

New Delhi

The apex consumer commission has directed SpiceJet to pay a little over ₹50,000 to two persons for charging transaction fees despite a Directorate General of Civil Aviation circular and a Supreme Court order banning such levies. The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) directed the airlines to pay ₹25,125 each to Rajasthan natives Sujata Chaudhary and Sanjay Rahar. PTI

A court here awarded life imprisonment to four persons for murdering a 70-year-old woman while committing a dacoity in north Delhi’s Rohini in 2002.

Domestic help Among the convicts is a domestic help of the victim, who along with the three others had gone to the woman’s house on the pretext of collecting an old sofa

which the victim had sold to her and committed dacoity. They had then strangulated her after tying her hands. The victim had retired as an Additional Assistant Commissioner from the Income Tax Department, and used to stay alone.

Jewellery recovered “All the facts clearly point towards the guilt of the accused that they, along with one more accused who is not yet arrested, committed da-

coity and murdered the woman,’’ Additional Sessions Judge V. K. Bansal said. The court also noted that a huge quantity of gold and diamond jewellery of the victim was recovered from the possession of the convicts. “The convicts — Sonia, Rajesh, Arvind and Hardwari — are sentenced to 15 years’ rigorous imprisonment for the offence punishable under Section 395 (dacoity) of the Indian Penal Code with a fine of ₹20,000...,” the judge said.

CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

In full bloom

One accused dead Joginder and Rajinder’s mother Laxmi was also an accused in the case. She died during the trial. Prosecutor Harvinder Kumar Nar had sought death penalty for the convicts, saying they had committed the offence in a gruesome manner, and there was no scope of their rehabilitation as they also had a previous criminal record.

89 shanties gutted in Noida ire No casualty in blaze due to ‘cracker’, residents say ire oicials reached late with buckets of water. “We informed the police, but they reached half-anhour later. By the time the fire tenders arrived, several shanties were already gutted,” said Arshad, another resident.

Purusharth Aradhak

Murder during robbery, victim a former Income-Tax oicial

for the offence punishable under Sections 302 (murder) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC,’’ the Judge further said. The court also imposed a fine of ₹80,000 each on Joginder and Vinod and ₹83,000 on Rajinder and said that ₹1 lakh each should be paid to the victims' families from this amount.

Noida

In a major fire, 89 shanties were reduced to ashes on Saturday night in Sector 137 in Noida. The incident happened around 1.30 a.m when most occupants were asleep.

Wedding procession The residents alleged a firecracker led to the fire as a wedding procession had passed through the neighbourhood at night. “We don’t know the exact cause of the fire. But a baraat had passed through the neighbourhood at night.

Up in smoke: The ire spread quickly as the shanties were situated close together. SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Around 1.30 a.m., my neighbour woke me up saying there was a fire,” said Asif Ali, a resident.

The fire spread quickly as the 120 shanties were situated close together. The locals tried to douse the fire

Ahead of municipal polls, CM tries to swing voters Says AAP will cleanse city and ‘corruption-ridden’ civic body

Relief on the way Noida chief fire safety officer Ram Raja Yadav said: “Several shanties were burnt, but no casualty was reported. We are probing the cause of the fire. District Magistrate N. P. Singh said the administration was taking steps to provide relief.

Swaraj India releases vision document Staff Reporter

< >

Staff Reporter New Delhi

Gearing up for the Municipal elections which are likely to be held next month, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has started campaigning for his party. After inaugurating the sewer pipeline in Uttam Nagar on Sunday, he appealed to the people to vote for a “clean and corruptionfree” AAP which will “cleanse” the city and “corruption- ridden” BJP-led Municipal Corporations.

Early bird A barbet on a silk cotton tree in the city on Sunday.

DELHI TODAY Film and Talk: “Sabarmati Ashram: The home of Gandhi’s Experiments with Truth” ilm screening followed by a discussion at Seminar Rooms I to III, Kamaladevi Complex, India International Centre (IIC), 6:30 p.m. Talk: “Kavayitri Sammelan” - gathering of women poets reading from their work on the occasion of International Women’s day and Holi at Gulmohar Hall, India Habitat Centre (IHC), 7 p.m. Music: Concert by Pundaquit Virtuosi – an ensemble of 14 children who will present a programme of works by Vivaldi, Mozart, Beethoven and others at C.D. Deshmukh Auditorium, India International Centre, 6:30 p.m. Paintings: “Shakhein: Another Tree. Another Sky” - solo painting show by Renuka Varma at Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Exhibition: “Shilp Tarang” showcase the beauty and elegance of handloom and handicraft products made by master craftsperson from North East at Central Cottage Industries Emporium Jawahar Vyapar Bhavan Janpath, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. Exhibition: “Metropolis” - solo photography show by Martin Roemers at The Centre Attrium, India Habitat Centre (IHC), 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Exhibition: “Life is a Circus” - solo show of sketches by Poonam Bevli Sahi at Annexe Building, India International Centre (IIC), 11 a.m. – 7 p.m (Mail your listings for this column at [email protected])

CM YK

‘Cong left a mess’ In an attempt to woo the voters residing in the unauthorised colonies in the city, Mr. Kejriwal said the Congress left behind a mess and the proposal to regularise the colonies is pending with the Centre. “But we have ordered to carry out the developmental work in the unauthorised colonies even as the Centre is sitting on the file,” the CM said. Slamming the BJP and Congress for “misrule” in the civic bodies, he said that

V. SUDERSHAN

The BJP-ruled corporations have allowed the city to become ilthy

Arvind Kejriwal Delhi Chief Minister

Arvind Kejriwal

people come up to him complaining about the poor sanitation while it is the corporation’s work. “The BJP-ruled corporations have allowed the city to become filthy by failing in its sanitation job. They earn a lot of revenue through house tax and parking but no one knows where the money goes,” he said.

Debut in polls The Arvind Kejriwal-led party is making its debut in the high-stakes elections to the civic body which has been ruled by BJP for the last 10 years. The erstwhile unified Municipal Corporation of Delhi was trifurcated in

2012 into North, South and East Delhi Municipal Corporations. While the North and South bodies have 104 seats each, EDMC has 64 seats. Lauding his government for saving money in the infrastructure projects, he said that it is unheard of that projects are being completed and the government saving funds. Water and sanitation are two major poll planks for the civic polls and AAP is hoping to corner the BJP to woo voters in its favour. “We gave free water and electricity even though the Opposition criticised our move. They waited to watch us fail but instead Delhi Jal Board earned more revenue. Electricity tariffs haven’t been increased in the past two years and is the cheapest in the country,” he claimed.

Benami assets ‘linked’ to Delhi Minister attached: I-T Action over alleged illegal routing of undisclosed funds over ₹13 crore by companies linked to Health Minister Satyender Jain companies did not have any business activity during the period of funding so as to attract such huge funding in the form of share capital and share premium”.

Press Trust of India New Delhi

The Income-Tax department has provisionally attached “benami assets” allegedly linked to Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain in a case of illegal routing of undisclosed funds of over ₹13 crore. The department issued the order last week under the provisions of the new Benami Act that came into force on November 1 last year. The department has identified four firms that allegedly took “accommodation (bogus) entries in the form of share capital” and purchased assets illegally.

Minister denies charge The order, issued by the designated I-T authority under the Act in Delhi, claimed that the “cash consideration for procurement of accommoda-

Taking to the streets: Members of BJP Yuva Morcha stage a protest near the Chief Minister’s residence demanding removal of Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Sunday. R. V. MOORTHY

tion entries was provided by Satyender Jain”. Mr. Jain has reportedly denied any wrongdoing and has said that he has no associ-

ation with the said companies since July 2013 after he got a ticket from the AAP to contest the Assembly polls. The order said the total ac-

commodation entries received by these firms between 2010 and 2016 is ₹13.68 crore and that it is “pertinent to note that these

BJP protest Hundreds of bighas of land, allegedly purchased in and around Delhi by the said four firms, have been provisionally attached by the department under the new law. The Act carries a maximum punishment of upto seven years rigorous imprisonment and a hefty penalty, and violators could also stand to be charged under the Income Tax Act, 1961. Meanwhile, Members of BJP’s youth wing protested near Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's official residence on Sunday and demanded removal of Mr. Jain for allegedly

having links to companies whose properties were attached by the I-T department.

‘Corruption-free regime’ “Mr. Kejriwal came to power after promising people a corruption-free, transparent regime. But only after two years, his ministers are facing graft charges,” Sunil Yadav, the president of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha's Delhi unit, said. “If Mr. Kejriwal fails to remove Mr. Jain from his government, BJYM will resort to an indefinite agitation on the issue," he said. The protesters tried to reach near the Chief Minister's residence but were stopped by police. A few of them suffered minor injuries as they tried to make their way through barricades set up by the police.

New Delhi

Yogendra Yadav-led Swaraj India unveiled its vision document for the Delhi municipal polls, promising focus on environment protection, cleanliness and zero tolerance to corruption. “Our vision is to have a clean city that provides civic amenities and a healthy environment for every citizen,” the vision document states. Swaraj India said it will also focus on improving the quality of life of the people of Delhi through measures such as sustainable solid waste management, recycling and minimising waste for landfills. “Our plan of action includes ensuring transparency in the entire tendering process by placing in the public domain the tender announcement, bidding process, tender award details, tender completion date and tender payment date,” it said. The vision document also proposes the creation of a ‘monsoon readiness task force’ with specific purpose of assessing the city’s readiness and highlighting potential failure points every season is part of its plan. Among other plans, it also envisions less-polluted Delhi, to be achieved through vacuum cleaning of bigger roads and night cleaning of smaller roads and streets. The party says it will encourage and facilitate takeover of all civic body schools by the State government, as also seek to create a vector-borne disease prevention task force. The vision also is to “create a road development and maintenance fund to ensure that the appropriate focus is given to the roads.” Other segments of the vision document include de-congesting of roads, mitigation of parking woes through an end user app, besides fiscal strengthening of MCD and better public sanitation system. ND-ND

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

4 CITY

NOIDA/DELHI

THE HINDU

MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

IN BRIEF

Struggle to ight ultra-rare diseases made more diicult Medicines for Lysosomal Storage Disorders have to be taken life-long, but are extremely expensive and not available easily Bindu Shajan Perappadan NEW DELHI

DU does away with “special chance” NEW DELHI

Delhi University has decided to do away with the “special chance” provision for students who couldn’t complete their degrees within stipulated time. The provision allowed students to appear for pending exams later if they could justify their absence. PTI

Monuments come in the way of PWD plans NEW DELHI

The Public Works Department (PWD) has dropped its proposal for constructing two tunnels aimed at easing traffic congestion on Mathura Road and other nearby roads. The decision was taken after a study found that the proposed tunnels fell within a 100 metre radius of the Purana Quila. PTI

NDMC to re-auction its three-star property NEW DELHI

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has decided to re-auction its three-star property in central Delhi’s Janpath lane — Hotel Asia International — two months after it went under the hammer for over 15 times than its lease value. PTI

Cycle rally in Gurugram Staff Reporter Gurugram

The Gurugram Police, with support from the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) and some NGOs, organised a cycle rally on Sunday. The theme of the event was women’s safety and empowerment. The event was flagged off by Gurugram Police Commissioner Sandeep Khirwar. He was accompanied by DCP Simardeep Singh. The event started and ended at the Galleria Market.

Women’s safety Mr. Khirwar said the safety of women was a priority for the Gurugram Police. Stating that awareness and being self-empowered was an important for women, he added that women must always show that they’re powerful.

The ultra-rare Lysosomal Storage Disorders (LSDs) have 23 diagnosed and registered patients in Delhi. The disorder has under its umbrella 45-50 diseases. Of these, less than 10 of have treatments available. Medicines, which have to be taken life-long, cost anything from an upward of ₹5 lakh a month.

Irreversible damage Unaffordable to most, the lack of treatment, medicines and funds has resulted in the loss of nine young lives in the city in past six years. Only eight children are currently under treatment — through court orders and CSR programmes by international pharmaceutical companies. The rest are waiting for their medicines, with each untreated second ensuring their organs sustain irreversible damage. “Visual impairment, aural impairment and dipping bone density are all part of the process when medicines are delayed. The quality of

these children’s lives is compromised only because courts, politicians, and pharmaceutical companies aren’t moving fast enough to save them,” says Manjit Singh, the president of Lysosomal Storage Disorder Support Society (LSDSS). The registered nonprofit organisation raises awareness about various lifethreatening rare genetic LSDs. Mr. Singh’s two sons were diagnosed as suffering from Hunter Syndrome. While his younger son passed away — without medicines — at the age of 23 in 2015, his elder son, who is 26-year-old, is still struggling to get medicines.

Red tape “The fight never ends....Last year, two committees were formed by the Delhi and Central governments to look into providing funds and medicines for people with rare diseases. The help expected from these committees hasn’t come through. Even as our children wait for life-saving medicines, the decisions are stuck in files or

caught up in red tape. We as parents want the government to give our children access to treatment and medicines….How can they delay something so urgent?’’ he said. Mr. Singh added that treatment for LSDs is beyond the

As the season of sweat, heat, and long power cuts knock on the city’s door, the residents are preparing to beat outages by saving electricity in their areas. President of the residents’ welfare association (RWA) of Greater Kailash Part-II Ravinder Kumar said that they’ve sent pamphlets to each house setting benchmarks for power usage during summers.

Prizes for families “The slabs have been set based on the number of family members in each house. We cannot force anyone to switch off their air-conditioners and other electronic appliances, but at least we can warn them against wastage,” Mr. Kumar said. He said that the RWA has also decided to give away prizes to families that meet the slabs every month. “This will encourage people to keep their power consumption in check. This is a posh neighbourhood and high electricity bills are never a deterrent. Education and encouragement is the only way to reduce consumption,” he added. BSES, meanwhile, has warned that this year the power consumption is likely to break all records of the city. The consumption is estimated to be between 6,500 and 6,600MW, as against the 6.261MW last summer. According to experts, during peak summer, because of extreme heat and power demand round-the-clock, the CM YK

exact number of people suffering from rare diseases world over. “Rare disease patient communities need to come together, create awareness about rare diseases and impress upon the government the need to focus on an Orphan Drug Policy for rare diseases,” said Prasanna Shirol, the co-founder of Organisation for Rare Diseases India (ORDI) and the father of a patient with Pompe Disease.

Government apathy Advocate Ashok Agarwal said: “The government has to take a stand and be accountable for the lives of patients with rare disorders such as Gaucher’s disease. The rights of these children cannot remain compromised due to apathy and procedural delays. There’s urgent need to shift health subject to the concurrent list, make right to public healthcare a fundamental right and enact a national law on it so that poor patients can approach court whenever treatment is denied to them.”

‘It’s all about chance and good luck!’

Shriya’s treatment costs upward of ₹6 lakh a month

Symptoms appeared at the age of 5 years, but he got diagnosed 10 years later

Bindu Shajan Perappadan

Bindu Shajan Perappadan

NEW DELHI

NEW DELHI

Six-year-old Shriya was diagnosed with Gaucher’s disease before she turned one. She was put on medication almost immediately with the help of a programme by a drug manufacturing company. Her condition was detected during routine vaccination.

“The cost of my Enzyme Replacement Therapy (ERT) alone is ₹1.3 crore a year. It’s taken care of by a charitable venture. However, my symptomatic treatment, diet chart, bone issues and eye treatment have to be treated and paid for separately. Gaucher’s disease, one of the diseases under the LSDs [lysosomal storage diseases] umbrella is an expensive ailment to treat. Those diagnosed with it have to stick to a life-long treatment plan,” said 26-year-old MBA graduate Shashank Tyagi.

‘We were shattered’ “We were shattered initially, but are now sensitising Shriya on how to take care of herself. The quality of her life suffers as we tell her to avoid swings, class picnics or any activity where there’s a chance of her falling and hurting herself,” said her mother Shivani. Shriya’s treatment costs upward of ₹6 lakh a month. The first symptoms in her case were enlargement of the spleen and liver, with a protruding stomach. “Thanks to the treatment, her health has improved. However, we’re always worried about the

Looking for solutions: The six-year-old was diagnosed with Gaucher’s disease before she turned one. SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR

supply of medicines and would like the government to bring in a life-long solution for such patients,” said Ms. Shivani. The family receives full support and extra care from Shriya’s school and teachers. “However, there’s urgent need to create awareness about Lysosomal Storage Disorders and ensure that people are given the right information, early diagnosis and have access to medicines — the biggest

problems that most families face,” said Ms. Shivani. “When she was diagnosed initially, she was seriously ill. We pooled in all our resources to buy lifesaving medicines for her, but were able to afford only half-a-vial of the drug. We got lucky when she was selected for the programme that takes care of her medical needs. However, the government should look into long-term solutions here,” she added.

RWAs take up the task of encouraging residents to save electricity, reduce load NEW DELHI

Insurance companies Enzyme Replacement Therapy (ERT), the most effective treatment for LSDs is available in India. However, most patients can’t afford the treatment. Unlike developed

countries, these treatments are not supported by government or insurance companies, said health experts. Suneela Thatte of the Indian Society for Clinical Research (ISCR), said: “Challenges pertaining to the diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases are manifold. Lack of awareness and scientific knowledge of rare diseases often leads to wrong or late diagnosis and delayed treatment. There are still no known cures for majority of rare diseases and treatments costs are extremely high, more so in India. Clinical research will help us find better and more effective treatment for rare diseases.” There are 7,000 known rare diseases today, most of which are progressive, lifethreatening and chronically debiting conditions. Of these, 80% are genetic and 50% of rare diseases affect children, most of whom do not live beyond five years. Besides the many unidentified rare diseases, more rare diseases are being discovered each year. This makes it difficult to peg the

Always worried, says mother

Delhi prepares for summer outages Soumya Pillai

reach of most patients. Government support, he said, in terms of funding is imperative to help them lead a normal life. The Delhi government had formed a committee under the chairmanship of Maulana Azad Medical College dean

D. K. Tempe in February 2016 to develop a policy and funding for rare genetic diseases. Another committee was constituted by the Union Health Ministry last year for developing a policy on providing medicines for treatment of rare diseases. Delhi has 14 known patients suffering from Gaucher’s disease, one of the most common form of LSDs. Gaucher’s disease is a genetic condition that causes fatty deposits to build up in organs and bones. People with Gaucher’s disease don’t have enough of an important enzyme (glucocerebrosidase) required to breakdown a certain type of fat molecule (glucocerebroside). As a result, cells get filled with undigested fat. This build-up occurs in different parts of the body, primarily liver, spleen and bone marrow.

electricity network does not get sufficient time to cool down. This stresses the network and at times, increases faults.

Workshop for residents Other neighbourhoods, too, have come up with initiatives to encourage people. Residents of Ashirwaad Apartments, Dwarka Sector-14, have been attending workshops to reduce consumption for the last two weeks now. “We had called officials from the Power Ministry and BSES to explain how we can help reduce load during summer. We were told that shifting the usage load to non-peak hours during summer makes a huge difference. Of course, ACs and coolers will be used as per need, but at least washing, ironing and other such chores can be done after 11 a.m.,” said Savitri Mehra, a resident of the area. According to a report released by the Central Electricity Authority on load generation balance report last year, Delhi consumes more electricity than Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Kerala, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and all Northeastern States. The Capital also uses more power than all the other metropolitan cities put together. Already, in Delhi, the household electricity consumption per capita is about 43 units per month against a national average of 25. At present, domestic power tariff in Delhi is the lowest among all metros.

‘Awareness is important’ Mr. Tyagi, who works with his businessman father, was diagnosed with Gaucher’s disease at the age of 14 years at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) after his spleen and liver got enlarged and he developed a protruding abdomen. “Awareness about rare diseases is very important. My symptoms started ap-

waiting list gives < > The priority to younger children where damage can be minimised. You can’t pick and chose who to give life saving medicines to… it’s just cruel. Shashank Tyagi Gaucher’s disease patient

Life-long battle: Shashank Tyagi (26) was diagnosed with Gaucher’s disease at the age of 14 years. R.V. MOORTHY pearing in 1995 when I was 5-years-old. However, I got diagnosed in 2004. It took nearly a decade to get an accurate diagnosis as there was no awareness among doctors. Only a few were aware of this condition. If my diagnosis and treatment had happened earlier, I wouldn’t have minor curvature of the spine. I developed the problem due to late treatment and diagnosis. Our main de-

mand now is to get quick access to treatment for diagnosed patients,” he said.

Govt. policy needed Adding that the government should come up with a policy quickly to help rare diseases patients as it’s impossible to fund your own treatment, he said. “I’m just like any other youngster, but the disease restricts by activity levels. The disease and its

life-long handicaps are something I will have to live with. However, everyone should know that screening before birth, early diagnosis and access to medicines are game changers,” said Mr. Tyagi. He added: “Currently, the treatment and medicines are beyond the reach of the common man. Medicines aren’t available to all. It’s all about chance and good luck! Even the waiting list gives priority to younger children where damage can be minimised. That shouldn’t be the case. You can’t pick and chose who to give life saving medicines to….its just cruel.”

CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

\ CORRIDORS OF POWER \

Hoping for central pastures Delhi Police circles abuzz with speculation Central deputation Following the first major rejig in postings of top and middle-level senior Delhi Police officers by Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik, the buzz is that a middle-level officer is eyeing a significant deputation. It’s said he’s eyeing a posting in a central investigating agency, where a fellow cadre officer and his one-time mentor holds a key post. This officer has been a part of investigating teams in

several major cases. He’s currently the part of unit where another colleague of the same rank was transferred out in the reshuffle announced last week. While the officer concerned was retained at his post, it’s learnt that he’s keen to join the central agency.

For Arya Samaj’s sake Dayanand Saraswati founded the Arya Samaj over a 100 years ago to bring about social reforms. In the 21st century, Arya

Samajis represent simple living and high thinking. The Delhi High Court acknowledged this when it asked a person before it not to malign Arya Samaj’s name. The man had moved to court for permission to cremate the body of a woman allegedly living with his family before she died of burn injuries. Both the man and the elderly are part of Arya Samaj. The police brought to the court’s attention how the man had siphoned off the

woman’s money before her suspicious death. At this, the man pleaded: “I’m Arya Samaji. All I want is to cremate her.” The judge slammed him saying: “Don’t take the name of Arya Samaj. Arya Samaj is something else. Don’t malign its name. Had you been a true Arya Samaji, you wouldn’t have looted the old woman. So don’t say you belong to Arya Samaj.” (Contributed by Shubhomoy Sikdar & Akanksha Jain)

Residents ight for better infrastructure New grid sub-station Delhi Power Minister Satyendar Jain on Sunday laid the foundation for a 66/11 kV grid sub-station, said BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd (BRPL).

South Delhi to benefit “Almost completed, this grid will improve power supply to south Delhi areas of Molar Bandh, Mithapur, Saurabh Vihar, Jaitpur and Khadda Colony. It will benefit a population of around 1.5 lakh,” said a

Staff Reporter Gurugram

Staff Reporter New Delhi

Thirteen associations in Sushant Lok-I join hands for their pending demands

statement released by the BSES, one of the three power distribution companies in the city. The grid, being constructed at a cost of around ₹50 crore, will make BRPL the “first utility in India to have smart 66 kV power cables with built-in fibre optic connectivity,” it added. Designed to cater to Delhi’s power demand, the grid will be commissioned by May, said BRPL CEO Amal Sinha.

Thirteen associations in the upscale Sushant Lok-I, a five sq km township housing 10,000 families and 500 commercial establishments, here on Saturday joined hands to put up a united fight for their pending demands.

Delay by civic body The associations, which have been seeking better infrastructure, were protesting against the delay by the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram in taking over the maintenance of the town-

ship despite directions from the Chief Minister. Coming together as Sushant Lok Residents-Joint Action Group (SLR-JAG), the members said they’d been running from pillar to post for past several years seeking building of infrastructure as per licence conditions to the developer, but all their pleas had fallen on deaf ears. The members threatened to launch an agitation, including hunger strike, and boycott the forthcoming municipal elections if their demands were not met. SLR-JAG co-ordinator A.K. Nagpaul said clean sur-

township < > The residents have invested their hard-earned money Shashi Sharma SLR-JAG convenor

roundings and requisite infrastructure was the fundamental right of the residents. He said the association members had met Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in June and the authorities had promised to take over the township in 8-10 days time, but in vain. SLR-JAG convener Shashi Sharma said, “The govern-

ment should make the developer fulfil the licence conditions and take over this township from the developer.” He said the roads, electrical infrastructure, street lights, water storage capacity and sewage facility were all in a bad shape. “The township residents have invested their hardearned money, but the market value of property in the area had dwindled due to poor infrastructure. Earlier it was at par with property in DLF areas, but now it has gone down by 30% to 40 %,” said Mr. Sharma. ND-ND

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

THE HINDU

SHOWCASE 5

NOIDA/DELHI

MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

IN BRIEF

Alia’s choice

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

Favourite colour With Holi round the corner, it is imperative to ask Alia about her favourite colour. “My favourites keep changing. Right now, it is pink. It is bright and girlie and reminds me of gulal.” DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

For Alia Bhatt, in a relationship, respect comes before love anuj kumar

Meeting of minds ‘India at 70’, the South Asia Centre, London School of Economics and Political Science’s annual summit will also host a special Partition Museum Exhibition from 29th-31st March at the Stein Auditorium, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. The three-day summit will debate core issues central to India’s way forward, along with curating a special exhibition marking the Partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947 in association with The Partition Museum, Amritsar.

For book lovers To introduce the book “The Triump Drive” by young novelist Janvi Jaji, an event was hosted at Oxford Bookstore recently. Ex Lieutenant Rita Gangwani, beauty expert Bharti Taneja, actor Prachi Tehlan and make up artist Shweta Sachani were special guests on the occasion. They evinced interest in the book which revolves around Shiv, who grew up watching his mother as a bread earner and at a very early stage stepped into the same rat-race of earning money. Success did not come easy for Shiv.

Celebrating women achievers Leading designers like Malini Ramani Leena Singh and Meera Ali were the centre of attention when they turned up for an event organised at New Delhi’s DLF Emporio to celebrate International Women’s Day. The event celebrated the idea that every woman should be valued. Guests indulged in numerology, tarot card luxury and make-up. Delicate florals and special Women’s Daythemed installations were showcased for an aesthetic visual experience.

After a couple of critically-acclaimed performances in 2016, this Holi, Alia Bhatt is returning to lighter side of life with Badrinath Ki Dulhania . “I made my debut with this space (Student of the Year ),” she interrupts even before one could complete the sentence. The spontaneity that Alia reflects on screen, is every much evident in her media interviews as well. Anyway, coming to the point, many believe when she could excel in serious space why should she go for the socalled dumb variety of entertainment. “Nobody can tell me, what should I do and I should be able to everything. I don’t want to be pigeonholed. And nobody can say that this space doesn’t have emotions. It does comes across as light-hearted and it does have lot of humour but that is harder to do. You are creating something from the scratch. You have to make people believe that these two people are in love. It is very difficult.” She makes it look easy and natural. In fact, her chemistry with her co-actors has been an outstanding feature of her short career. This is her third film with Varun Dhawan and the bonding is apparent. “I think that is my job as an actor to make it believable. You have to make the pair look desirable. It is not something as a bonus, it is a must. I see it as a mandatory thing. You got to bring the raw energy every time.” On the surface, the film looks like yet another version of The Taming of the Shrew where the small town, less

educated boy stalks the ambitious/arrogant girl for marriage. “I know many people think that way. We are not promoting teasing and stalking at all,” counters Alia. “Badri wants to get married and he tries to woo this girl. It is more in a tongue-in-cheek sort of way. The girl’s aim in life is not just to get married. She wants to have a career. She has an ambition. And that is a new thing for the boy. He comes from Jhansi, the girl is from Kota, the coaching capital of the country. I am not saying it has to do with small town but there are boys who are brought up in such a way that they believe that every girl’s only aim in life is to get married. There is a

clash of thought process here,” Alia reasons. This, she adds, also makes Vaidehi different from Kavya of Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania . “She was happy with her lehenga and shaadi. Vaidehi wants to fly.”

Fire and ice: Alia Bhatt doesn’t want to be typecast

message.” At an age when actors do films for fun, Alia says, she wants her films to live on. “Like Meryl Streep’s Sophie’s Choice . It was released ages ago; I was not even born. But the the fact that I am talking about it means that it has traversed across generations. I want my films to be like that. So that mothers tell their children that they should watch this film. Not every film in one’s career can be timeless, but some film should be.” It is hard to imagine time-

should feel < > Women important every day. I believe it is a day to make boys remember that women are important in their lives

DOWN MEMORY LANE

The desperadoes’ accomplice Found in forests and ields, monitor lizards have played a crucial role in shaping the history of raiders and rebels R. v. smith

The death of half-a-dozen monitor lizards in the Delhi Zoo of shock after being disturbed during their winter hibernation brings to mind their association with raiders, rebels, desperadoes and love-lorn youths climbing up to the balcony of sweethearts. When Jaswant Rao Holkar attacked Delhi in 1804, he found it difficult to capture the city even after a long siege because of the resistance put up by the locals and a British force headed by Major Ochterlony. In a desperate attempt, he sought the assistance of a band of tribals possessing monitor lizards like chandan goh and patra goh. These reptiles, much bigger and heavier than a mongoose with a thick hide and powerful claws, are thrown on a wall after a rope is tied to their tail and cling so hard that a man can easily climb up a barrier without the lizard losing its grip. Believe it or not, according to oral history, the British in 1857 also availed of the services of a criminal tribe to scale the Red Fort with the help of the goh from the rear where the Yamuna once flowed but failed in their bid. The same thing is said to have happened earlier when the Marathas and Jats tried to gain entry into the fort with the aid of chandan

CM YK

Rising high: A monitor lizard being pampered by its handler; (below) Jim Corbett

and patra gohs at the time of Mohammad Shah Rangila (1719-1748) and also when the Rohillas struck during Shah Alam’s reign. When Sultana Daku and his gang were confined in the Najibabad Fort they are said to have scaled the fort wall with the help of monitor lizards and make their daring escape. The notorious dacoit’s story is related thus by Jim Corbett. Sultana’s slimy accomplice, however, is not mentioned by him.

Sultana’s escapades “Sultana was a member of the Bhantu criminal tribe. Sultana, with his young wife and infant son and some hundreds of other Bhantus, was confined in the fort under the charge of the Salvation Army. Chafing at his confinement, he scaled the mud walls of the fort one night and escaped, as any young and high spirited man would have done. This escape had been effected a year previous to the opening of my story and during that year Sultana had collected a hundred kindred spirits, all armed with guns, around him. This imposing gang, whose declared object was dacoity, led a roving life in the jungles of the terai and bhabar….”, says Corbett.

“Love will be there but you cannot survive on love alone. There has to be mutual respect for a relationship to last. In fact, respect forms the foundation of a relationship. If you don’t respect, you don’t trust the other person.” In a short span, she has played some tough roles. Alia admits they have left an impact on her psyche. “Highway left lot of memories. Udta Punjab was a very uncomfortable experience. These experiences make you stronger. You hear about them but when you are acting them out, it is very troublesome. At the end of the day, you feel grateful for the life you have. I am fortunate that such things are discussed during dinner table conversations in our home. So, I had some idea where these characters come from.”

Girl as liability It was the first 20 pages of narration by director Shashank Khaitan that drew Alia into the project. “I liked his humorous funny take on how a section of society differentiates between a girl and a boy. Like the boy is equal to asset, the girl is equal to liability. I found it interesting. It is a serious issue but it is not taken upon as a preachy way. There is fun, emotion and

“Freddy (Young, a local policeman) thought the time had now come for Sultana to surrender. So, after obtaining Government sanction – which was given on the understanding that he personally accepted full responsibility – he invited Sultana to a meeting, whenever and wherever convenient. Their meeting was friendly, as all who have lived in the East would have expected it to be, and when they had seated themselves in the shade of a tree – one a mountain of energy and good humour with the authority of the Government behind him, and the other a dapper little man with a price on his head – Sultana produced a water melon which he smilingly said Freddy could partake of without reservation. The meeting ended in a deadlock, however, for Sultana refused to accept Freddy’s terms of unconditional surrender. It was at this meeting that Sultana begged Freddy not to take undue risks.” To complete the story, Sultana was later caught by Lt-Col Samuel Pierce and sentenced to death by hanging. Freddy Young, despite being Pierce’s assistant, tried his best to save Sultana but failed. He was hanged on 7 July, 1924

in Bhopal but before the sentence was carried out Sultana met Young for the last time and left his seven yearold son to him, saying “Make him a sahib”. Young sent the boy to England for higher studies and on his return he settled down in Ohaidullah Ganj, Bhopal, where Young died and was buried in 1960. Sultana had a horse called Chetak (named after the famous steed of Maharana Pratap) and a dog who was given the name of Rai Bahadur by him. Both were utterly loyal to the dacoit who was very fond of women. Sultana despite his depredations was loved by the common people to whom he distributed most of his loot. An unnamed English girl fell in love with the desperado after hearing of his exploits which had made him a legend in his lifetime (and an inspiration 15 years later for Chambal outlaw Man Singh) and also the subject of a famous book, “The Legend of Sultana Daku” by Sirjit Saraf. Earlier Jim Corbett had described Sultana as “The Indian Robinhood” in his book, “My India”, published in 1952, a year before the great hunter’s death in Kenya. Incidentally, you can still find monitor lizards with roadside madaris and sellers of aphrodisiacs, like “sanda oil”. One was witness to a chandan goh that seemingly defied death even after being badly wounded while hiding in a tree trunk brought from Haldwani and being cut into planks at a saw will in Nai-kiMandi in the 1950s. The goh was almost cut into half but came out holding its intestines with its claws to prove what a hardy creature the goh is, notwithstanding the sudden death of the monitor lizards in the Delhi Zoo. Perhaps, they were a weaker breed of the traditionally tough goh. the author is a veteran chronicler of delhi

ROHAN SHRESHTHA

lessness for something like Badrinath .... “Here the relationship has a very universal, timeless kind of feeling. See, we are moving backwards as time is progressing,” Alia suddenly moves on a different tangent. “These days everybody gets offended by the slightest of things. It was not the case, earlier. It is said that more you grow the more forward looking you become, but here we are moving backwards. So such films can become relevant once again.” Well, she might be contra-

dicting what she said sometime earlier but that’s the honesty of the young actress. Like her characters, she doesn’t talk in absolutes. The International Women’s Day is round the corner but Alia feels it is not the day for women to feel important. “Women should feel important every day. I believe it is a day to make boys remember that women are important in their lives.” As a young girl, Alia says the most important thing in a relationship is not love but respect.

The Rottweilers Talking about home, she was recently in news because of a death threat that her father Mahesh Bhatt received about her. “My father calls it an occupational hazard. He and my sister Pooja are the two Rottweilers at home. They, particularly Pooja, always keep an eye on what’s happening around me. So, all is sorted for now,” laughs Alia. There are talks of her doing Aashiqui 3. “I am not interested in doing a film on the basis of a good story. I want a proper screenplay.” Is she playing pricey for the home production? “It is a valid thing. A story could sound good on the basis of beginning and end but I want to know what and how it happens in the middle. My inputs were taken. Now it is in writing process. Let’s see.”

A space for dialogue In a panel discussion, theatre artistes and playwrights underline the role of theatre in free expression of society Atif Khan

“Is theatre a safe space?” That was the moot question which emerged from the discussion on “The Politics of Theatre” focusing on how theatre is seminal to social change. Discussing this, the panel comprising theatre artistes and playwrights Arvind Gaur, M.K. Raina, Bishnupriya Dutt and V. K. Sharma suggested that theatre cannot be a safe haven as it disturbs and raises bitter questions. The question assumed relevance as moderator Sanjay K. Roy referred to the US Presidentelect Donald Trump’s statement that “theatre must always be a safe and special place” made in response to what he termed as harassment of Vice President-elect Mike Pence by the cast of “Hamilton” last November. The discussion held at theMahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META) in New Delhialso discussed how theatre can be a reflection of the times as well as a catalyst for social change. Present as a political force in every epoch, theatre has always mirrored the sociopolitical thought of its time. At its height, Greek theatre took up ideological positions and also gave voice to women, foreigners and slaves who did not have any place in the political space. Bishnupriya Dutt, a faculty at Jawaharlal Nehru University asserted that theatre is a political medium. Her father Utpal Dutt was among those artists who took theatre to streets after Independence and contributed to West Bengal’s theatre movement. “Theatre of that time cannot be termed as Left-oriented as it was a vision for

Relections on stage: The panelists at the event

post-independent India, where society was expected to be more egalitarian and based on a principle of social justice , equality in terms of economic opportunities and was against the privileges that the few rich enjoyed,” said Dutt. Arvind Gaur, who does street theatre with political themes, stressed on the problems faced by artists during performances. “You sometimes risk your life along with your family and career while pursuing theatre as a full-time profession. But luminaries like those associated with Indian People’s Theatre Association including Utpal Dutt, Safdar Hashmi and Gursharan Singh, stodd against all odds and did theatre and put questions to those in power and society at large . Theatre should make people question certain things and if does not, it lacks somewhere,” said Gaur. Continuing in the same

vein, Gaur said, political theatre which informs and heightens consciousness at times results in a tussle. Lamenting the Ramjas College incident in which a group of students disrupted an event, he asserted that youth will take charge against such fringe elements through the medium of theatre.

Tool for awakening Veteran theatre activist M.K. Raina, who at present does theatre in Kashmir onpolitical issues, remarked that community and theatre are woven together. He emphasised that theatre should be done in places like Kashmir where it can be used as tool for political awakening at the village level. He also shed light on how State kept a check on the artists by deploying State machinery to disrupt performances. “There are draconian laws like Dramatic Performances Act, which the State uses

against theatre people. There are other means including barring a theatre group from a competition or ensuring non-availability of auditoriums for the performances.” Raina, a founding member of Sahmat, the theatre foundation formed after the demise of theatre activist Safdar Hashmi remembered how Safdar had to pay price for speaking truth on the streets. “Rabindra Bhavan became the centre of protests against Safdar's murder but his funeral had thousands of people walking from Rafi Marg to Nigambodh Ghat showing that people admire those who stand up for them. One thing is clear, people in the arts are not going to be silenced any more. This is the biggest test for theatre artistes in a time when the fascist power are rising all over the world and there is a strong need of unity to stand against them,” cautioned Raina.

On the cards March 6: Elephant In The Room (English) directed by Yuki Ellias at Shri Ram Centre and Outcaste (Hindi) by Randhir Kumar at Kamani Auditorium March 7: Kaali Naadakam (Malayalam) by Chandradasan at Shri Ram Centre and Dhumrapaan (English-Hindi) by Akarsh Khurana at Kamani Auditorium March 8: Mahabharata (English-Hindi) by Anurupa Roy at LTG Auditorium and Awddyo Shesh Rajani (Bengali) by Bratya Basu at Shri Ram Centre March 9: Katha Sukavi Suryamall Ki (multilingual) by Rajendra Panchal at LTG Auditorium, and I Don't Like It As You Like It (English) by Rajat Kapoor at Kamani Auditorium ND-ND

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

6 HEALTH

NOIDA/DELHI

THE HINDU

MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

THE CREAKING TREE

The high way to health

shovon chowdhury

The magic of two: Mindfulness extends to your running as well

Today, we will discuss alcohol, one of the most popular techniques for achieving wellness. For as long as I can remember, people have been telling me that I’m not well. My teachers in school were particularly vocal on the subject. Conscious of this flaw, I have spent a lifetime trying to get better. After a certain amount of trialand-error, I found that alcohol works best. When consumed in moderation, it fills me with a deep sense of peace and well-being. I laugh a lot. Sometimes I fall down, causing minor injury. I’m just lucky that way. I’m not one of those drunks who beats up his wife. Besides, my wife would probably beat me right back, and her reflexes are better than mine. You could be one of the lucky

GETTY IMAGES/ ISTOCK PHOTOS

Asanas for the road Slipping on your sneakers and rolling out the yoga mat have more in common than meets the eye Can running and yoga be complementary? One is a state of constant movement while the other is a movement towards stillness. Perhaps Newton will forgive me, for inferring from his first law, that a state of uniform motion and rest are the same. You experience freedom while running. You will find liberation on the path of yoga. Without being flippant, let us look at the value in combining yogic practices and running. Steady breathing and a low heart rate are desirable for both runners and yogis. A runner achieves a low resting heart-rate after running endless miles. A yogi achieves the same result by taking deep breaths while being stationary. Both methods take a long time. A runner’s training plan assumes that breathing, an involuntary process, will fall into place as one undergoes training for speed and endurance. Yogis don’t make

this assumption. According to them, the breath also needs to be trained. They have spent several millennia devising exercises to regulate this involuntary process. The practice of pranayama is designed to bring control over the breath. There is a correlation between the breath-rate and the heart-rate. The breath rate is 1/4 of the heart rate. The practice of pranayama helps strengthen the respiratory system, and through that, the heart. Just as you need a fitness trainer to draw up a training plan, you need a guru to teach appropriate breathing techniques, which can be included in your training plan. Long-distance runners tend to use a few muscle groups. The training tends to focus on the

ABOUT CHENNAI RUNNERS

‘Chennai Runners’ is a group of enthusiastic runners, with 16 neighbourhood chapters. They have a simple message: get of the couch and join them tomorrow at a chapter near your home. www.chennairunners.com www.facebook.com/groups/chennairunners/

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

HOW, WHEN AND WHY

Warm up before a run with standing asanas

■

Prevent injuries and aid recovery with post-run asanas

■

Strengthen your spine for eicient breathing while running

■

Practise breathing techniques for improving the depth and length of your breath

■

Focusing on your breath while running makes you aware of your physical and mental condition ■

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA cardio-vascular system. Apart from strong legs and supple hips, long-distance runners need to have a strong back, core and shoulders. The practice of asanas has a direct impact on the musculo-skeletal system. Putting the body through a series of movements that include forward bends, backward bends and twists in standing, lying, inverted, kneeling and seated postures, trains the entire body. Regular asana practice results in improved strength, increased flexibility, improved alignment of bones and joints, reduction in the loss of bone mass, improved posture and co-ordination. Asana practice can be incorporated

into a training plan. Some standing asanas done dynamically can be used as a warmup before going for a run; these help assess the state of your body before embarking on the run. Asanas after a run help relax muscles. The practice of asana and pranayama heightens your awareness. This mindfulness extends to your running as well. You become more conscious of your body, and pay more attention to your rhythm and form while running. Running a marathon requires you to stay focused for long periods. The mind tends to wander and gets distracted, but it too can be trained to concentrate. Pranayama allows you to train the mind by teaching it to focus on the breath. Most of us begin training for an event with a great deal of enthusiasm and fervour. Along the way, we face obstacles, referred to as antarayas, that prevent us from achieving our goals. There are nine obstacles described in the yogasutra: illness, inertia, doubt, haste, lethargy, overindulgence, delusion about one’s abilities, lack of perseverance and regression. Every runner has faced at least one of these obstacles. Yoga can provide you with the tools necessary to stay the course and achieve your goals.

GETTY IMAGES/ ISTOCK PHOTOS

vidyuth sreenivasan

ones too. You could be a happy drunk. So if you’re seeking wellness, one of the first things you should do is try pouring yourself a couple of stiff ones. Millions of people are doing this every day, and you know millions of people can’t be wrong. It’s the essence of democracy. Once you’ve had a couple, probe your brain to see how you’re feeling. Are you feeling the urge to commit acts of violence? This could make you feel better afterwards — improving your mental wellness — but it can be risky, especially if you’re in a bar. You will have noticed that the bouncers are getting bigger. It’s human evolution. As we speak, entire villages across India are feeding their sons protein supplements from a very young age so that they can grow up to become bouncers. It’s a growing market. People need people to beat up other people. As a result, once you wake up in the hospital and see your bill, both your physical and mental wellness will decline considerably. One other result of alcohol could be that you start feeling depressed. Is the face of your boss floating in front of your eyes? Did you just realise that most of your classmates are earning much more than you? Is it becoming

clear how flawed you are as a parent? Are you feeling lasting regret that you did not learn Gujarati? You should stop drinking immediately. Alcohol is not for you. What you need is drugs. We will share the guidelines for this in a later issue.

Shovon Chowdhury’s most recent novel, Murder With Bengali Characteristics , is light, nourishing and contains no preservatives

The writer is one of the co-founders of Chennai Runners. He is a “Yogeek” and is currently training to become a yoga instructor at Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

ISHETA SALGAOCAR

Q&A I am scared of sleeping. Everytime I sleep, I wonder if I will ever wake up again. I end up not sleeping till very late and I think I have become an insomniac. Will any kind of therapy help? ■ This dread is a form of anxiety. The more anxious you become, the less sleep you get. What is the basis of your fear? Since when has this been going on? If the dread is too high, you will benefit with anxiety-reducing medication which a psychiatrist can prescribe, and some relaxation therapy. Along with these, some counselling sessions will also help. Counselling will help you perhaps change the perspective of your thinking. You may learn to have more positive thoughts and to address negatives in life. You may learn to build a tool box with coping skills to help you live a life of quality. I am unable to concentrate on my daily routine. I have a lot of negative thoughts in my head. I think I might lose my job because of this. I am just not able to focus on anything at all. ■ I imagine it must be extremely painful and frustrating to be in such a position. Thoughts arise from deep-rooted beliefs, needs and feelings that we have and may be unaware of, or if aware, perhaps unable to fulfil. Suppressing these thoughts usually doesn’t help in the long run, as they may re-emerge and may cause you pain again. It would help if you could find someone who would be open to listening to you, preferably without giving any advice, to help you find your own clarity. This may take time, as it sounds like you are feeling extremely stretched and have a lot going on. You could also consider talking to a professional counsellor for support. SeekSpark (www.seekspark.com) is a well-being platform — host to leading counsellors and therapists. Experts answering here are part of the SeekSpark network: ♣+91 8030474747

It’s a tough bet to guess what the next ‘it’ thing in the health food industry will be. A few years ago, it was kale, then it was matcha, chia seeds, nut milks and the list goes on. In a grocery store, I often find myself at a loss on what to buy — whole grain or whole wheat? Brown rice or nachni? Agave syrup or stevia leaf sweetener? The options are endless and as the marketing and packaging around these products are becoming more and more attractive, screaming out ‘organic’, or ‘no sugar added’, it’s harder to resist buying these products. The latest arrival in the health party are superfoods. The most basic definition of a superfood is that it is a food that is super for you: nutrient-rich and/or antioxidant-rich, and beneficial to your health. The superfood revolution (or even obsession) is also the phenomenon which has caused places like Whole Foods Market in the US to source and sell a 221g jar of organic ghee for $14.50 or ₹ 979.55. India is ripe with superfoods, and celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar has a whole book dedicated to this subject. Rather than learning about these foods from the West, she suggests getting back to our roots to find these nutritious gems. “Our bodies and their nutritional needs are incredibly complex,” says nutrition specialist Khushboo Thadani. “Rather than respond to certain foods, they thrive on the synergy created by eating an abundance of nutrient-dense whole food daily.” The plethora of produce available in India often makes it difficult to discern which might be superfood and which might not, but here are some outstanding examples:

Heard of Buffaloberry? This fruit is packed with lycopene, an antioxidant that lowers the risk of some types of cancer. New to the superfruit scene, commercial production is limited. Purchase seeds online to grow the shrub. CM YK

Dawn of the superfoods Ghee Your grandmother actually was right; ghee is good for you. Perhaps not slathered on an aloo paratha, but a few drops are terrific for cooking your omelette in the morning. The higher smoke point (the point at which oils break down and release dangerous free radicals, lose nutrients, and your pan begins to smoke) of ghee at 250 degrees celsius makes it an ideal cooking and frying medium. It has several fat-soluble fatty acids, vitamin A and E, and is rich in medium-chain fatty acids that are directly absorbed by the liver and burned as energy. Turmeric Don’t let the bright colour and bitter taste fool you. Turmeric root’s main active compound is curcumin (also responsible for the bright yellow colour) which boosts immunity and is anti-inflam-

matory, apart from being a potent anti-oxidant. The Meta-Research Innovation Center at Stanford conducted a study titled ‘The efficacy of turmeric in the treatment of digestive disorders’ that showed turmeric as a contender for alternative medicine therapies.

Ginger Apart from making a cup of tea delicious, ginger has several properties that are beneficial. Gingerols are compounds found within the ginger root and help reduce inflammation and fend off infections, and prevent cold and cough. Although ginger seems like an acidic ingredient, it is alkaline, and helps with digestion, settles an upset stomach and eases flatulence. Flax seeds Flax seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are primarily found in fish and eggs, making this a great option for vegetarians to gain these essential nutrients. These powerpacked seeds also have anti-inflammatory properties. The high fibre

The modest coconut and grandma’s favourite ghee make a comeback as powerhouse ingredients for a nutrient-rich meal content of flax seeds benefits digestion, and helps regulate hormonal imbalances in women. Once ground into a powder, they can easily be incorporated into salads, into the dough for rotis and mixed into a variety of sauces.

Coconut Undoubtedly the most delicious superfood. The eons-old Ayurvedic practice of ‘pulling’ involves gargling with coconut oil first thing in the morning before you brush your teeth. This helps remove all the bacteria from the first step of the digestive tract, the mouth, until the oil becomes frothy white, and is spat out. This begins cleansing the system. Coconut oil is also a fantastic moisturiser for the skin and lips.With natural saturated fats making up about 90% of coconut oil, the high smoke point of the oil at 175 degrees Celsius leads itself well to cooking. Coconut meat (which can be

used to extract coconut milk) is a rich source of vitamin E, B and C. The meat also contains fatty acids which are anti-bacterial and anti-viral, thereby improving immunity. Coconut water, apart from being delicious, reduces bloating, is rich in anti-oxidants, and is a great hangover cure rich with electrolytes. Although superfoods are important incorporations into a diet, one cannot solely rely on their benefits to undercut everything else one consumes. There isn’t any magic formula to be healthy overnight, and certainly making samosas with a bit of turmeric and ginger in the filling and deep-fried in ghee or coconut oil is not good for you. Nutritionist Suman Agarwal also suggests eating seasonal foods as much as possible, as they help in maintaining better gut health and will likely be devoid of unwanted chemicals and pesticides. A wholesome approach to eating is involving natural, local ingredients and cutting out processed foods as much as possible. Healthy, after all, is a way of life. Isheta Salgaocar is editor-at-large for The Huffington Post India and contributing editor at Vogue India . She is a itness enthusiast, book lover and tweets @IshetaS ND-ND