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Akhilesh cracks whip, sacks Shivpal loyalists LUCKNOW

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav has expelled at least half a dozen office-bearers, including uncle Shivpal Yadav loyalists, in what is being viewed as the start of another round of feud in the Yadav family. NATION 쑺 PAGE 6

AAP rejigs Punjab unit; senior leader resigns CHANDIGARH

The Aam Aadmi Party on Monday kicked of the process for restructuring its State unit even as party spokesperson and chief whip in the Punjab Assembly, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, resigned from his posts, hinting at ‘resentment’. 쑺 PAGE 2

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MLA yells at IPS oicer, reduces her to tears LUCKNOW

A BJP MLA from Gorakhpur landed in a controversy after he was caught on camera allegedly scolding a woman IPS oicer for trying to evict anti-liquor protesters. The police oicer, ASP Charu Nigam, is seen breaking into tears as the MLA, Radha Mohan Agarwal, reprimands her. NEWS

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Karnan orders 5-year RI for CJI, 7 other SC judges

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Sentences them under SC/ST Act Staff Reporter Kolkata

Calcutta High Court Judge C.S. Karnan on Monday issued an order sentencing eight Supreme Court judges to five years of “rigorous imprisonment” and imposed a fine of ₹1,00,000 each under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act of 1989 and the amended Act of 2015. The eight include members of the seven-judge Bench, headed by Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar, which had in February issued a contempt order against him. “Under Section 3, subSection (1) (m) of the SC/ST Atrocities Act, the accused 1 to 8 imposed to undergo a sentence of 5 years rigorous imprisonment and to pay a fine of ₹1,00,000/- each failing which to undergo further 6 months of imprisonment,” Justice Karnan said in his order issued during the day. He awarded the same quantum of punishment under sub-Section (1) (r) and (1) (u) of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

One week to pay fine Justice Karnan said that the eight “shall undergo the sentence concurrently” and “fine amount shall be paid within a period of one week to the National Commission, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes Constitutional body…New Delhi, from date of receipt of this order.”

Justice C.S. Karnan He directed the Commissioner of Police, New Delhi, to “execute the order.”

‘Can’t hold office’ Justice Karnan also said that the eight judges “are at liberty to approach Parliament.” “Until such time, the accused 1 to 8 shall not hold office and not be permitted to deal in any cases on the file of the Supreme Court, besides any administrative orders,” said the order. Referring to one of his earlier orders, he directed the eight to “surrender their respective passports” to the “Commissioner of Police or any other police officer attached to the head of the department of the New Delhi Police.” In his latest order, Justice Karnan also accused the eight of committing a “heinous crime” and said that the “same can be treated as caste discrimination.” “Hence, all the accused 1 to 8 have no locus standi to continue as judges of the Supreme Court,” he stated. In February, the Supreme Court had issued a contempt notice against Justice Karnan for allegedly degrading the judiciary.

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HC verdict favouring Lalu set aside SC orders separate trial against him, Jagannath Mishra and others in fodder scam-related cases

BJP woos Nitish Kumar

Krishnadas Rajagopal NEW DELHI

In a big blow to Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Lalu Prasad, the Supreme Court on Monday held that he and other accused persons, including former Bihar Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra, will be tried separately for corruption and criminal conspiracy in cases involving the withdrawal of money and falsification of records in connection with the ₹900crore fodder scam. The Bench of Justices Arun Mishra and Amitava Roy set aside the 2014 Jharkhand High Court decision to drop the charges against the 68-year-old Mr. Prasad, Mr. Mishra and former State Chief Secretary Sajal Chakraborty on the ground that they cannot be found guilty of the same offences twice under Section

‘One conspiracy’ “One general conspiracy from 1988 to 1996 led to various offences and there has to be different trials for each offence based upon a conspir-

SBI home loans to be cheaper

Sacked Minister Kapil Mishra now suspended from party

Delhi Metro decides to hike fares

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Seeks CBI appointment to submit ‘proof’ against Kejriwal

Staff Reporter

Mumbai

SBI has slashed home loan rates for salaried customers by 25 basis points (bps) to 8.35% for loans up to ₹30 lakh. For loans above ₹30 lakh and up to ₹75 lakh, the rate will be 8.5%, a reduction of 10 bps. The rate is unchanged at 8.6% for loans above ₹75 lakh. The new rates will come into effect from Tuesday. For women borrowers, the rate will be lower by another 5 bps. “The rate for up to ₹30 lakh loan is a limited period offer, and valid till July 31, 2017,” said Rajnish Kumar, managing director of SBI. He told The Hindu that the move by SBI was aimed at giving a push to the affordable housing segment keeping in mind the Prime Minister’s vision of providing “Housing for All” by 2022. “We have seen a steep hike in the home loan enquiries recently,” Mr Kumar said.

Amarnath Tewary Patna

300 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The Central Bureau of Investigation had appealed against the HC verdict.

acy in which different persons participated at different times at different places for completion of the offence... In the instant case it cannot be said that defalcation is same transaction. The transactions were done in different treasuries during different years, for different amounts, on different allotment letters, supply orders

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New Delhi

Kapil Mishra showing a copy of the complaint in New Delhi Monday. R.V. MOORTHY *

into the water tanker scam; he has been requested to make himself available at any time he wishes tomorrow. His detailed statement will be recorded as and when he chooses to appear tomorrow,” ACB chief Mukesh Kumar Meena told The Hindu. According to a source, Mr. Mishra’s complaint to Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal, alleging that he was an eyewitness to ₹2 crore changing hands between Mr. Kejriwal and Mr. Jain, however, had not been forwarded to the ACB;

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NEW DELHI

Special session “Truth will triumph. Its beginning will be made during the special session of the Delhi Assembly tomorrow,” Mr. Kejriwal tweeted. Other senior AAP leaders, Ashutosh, Sanjay Singh and Dilip Pandey, came to Mr. Kejriwal’s rescue saying Mr. Mishra was repeating the script that BJP has been following. “They have been trying to pin the water tanker scam on AAP and it is disappointing that Kapil Mishra has also now joined their wagon,” said AAP national spokesperson, Mr. Pandey.

Travel by Delhi Metro will become costlier from Wednesday when the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) increases fares for the first time since 2009. The increase will range between ₹10 and ₹50. Instead of ₹8 at present, the base fare will begin at ₹10 for a distance of up to 2 km. Instead of the existing 15 fare slabs, there will be now six slabs of ₹15, ₹20, ₹30, ₹40 and ₹50. The maximum fare will be charged for travelling more than 32 km. “The fare revision will be implemented in two phases. Phase-I will be implemented from May 10, while Phase- II will be implemented from October 1,” said a DMRC spokesperson. From October 1, the fare slabs will begin from ₹10 with a maximum fare of ₹60.

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it is expected to be forwarded to the CBI on Tuesday. “I have told the officials how Arvind Kejriwal deliberately delayed the probe and how the public money was misused,” Mr. Mishra said after a short meeting with Mr Meena.

Soumya Pillai Jatin Anand

The political affairs committee of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday suspended Kapil Mishra from the party’s primary membership a day after the former Minister in the Delhi government levelled corruption charges against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Health and Power Minister Satyendra Jain. Earlier in the day, the former Water and Tourism Minister met officials of the Anti-Corruption Bureau and submitted documents against Mr. Kejriwal in connection with the ₹400-crore scam on alleged irregularities in the hiring of private water tankers. Later, Mr. Mishra sought an appointment with the CBI for Tuesday. “Mr. Mishra presented an application stating that he wanted to become a witness in the ongoing investigation

and suppliers,” the court said. A total of 64 cases were registered. Of these, 52 involved withdrawal of huge sums from treasuries falling within Jharkhand and in 36 out of 52 cases charge sheets were filed by the CBI.

The Supreme Court’s ruling on Monday that RJD chief Lalu Prasad will be tried separately for other fodder scam-related cases, provided an opportunity to the opposition BJP in Bihar to woo Chief Minister and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar into its fold. But the RJD said those who are thinking on those lines were “daydreaming.” “If Nitish decides to break his alliance with Lalu, the BJP central leadership will consider extending support to him,” said State BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi.

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Last light from Mumbai to Karachi takes of PIA had lown this route since 1976 Aditya Anand Mumbai

One hundred and twenty passengers, mainly from the Bohra, Sindhi and Parsi communities, on Monday boarded PK275, an Airbus 320 flight that was Pakistan International Airlines’ (PIA) last Mumbai–Karachi flight. PIA’s Delhi–Karachi flight was also suspended from Monday. Now, only a much smaller ATR aircraft will operate between Lahore and Delhi. PIA had flown this route continuously since 1976, except during the Kargil war. For people in both countries with cross-border familial ties, this comes as a great disappointment. Khrusheed Fadra, a resident of Bhendi Bazaar headed to Karachi to meet an ailing relative, said he was surprised by PIA’s decision to close the service. “A lot of my family members have taken this flight because it is the most convenient, especially because obtaining a visa is not easy. I am to return on June 8 and will have to fly back via Dubai.” He CM YK

One last time: PIA’s last light from Karachi landed at the Mumbai airport on Monday. *

VASANT PRABHU

complained that PIA seemed to tinker with schedules every year, particularly in summer, when border tensions flare. Akbar Shah, at the airport to see off family members, recalled how PIA had offered the cheapest fare from Mumbai to Dubai with a layover in Karachi. Abdul Ahmed Shaikh, who had come in from Karachi, was peeved. He seemed unaware that there were indirect ways to fly to Pakistan: “This was the only way we could go across to meet our families. What are we expected to do without this service? The two governments should address this issue seriously.” A ND-ND

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THE HINDU

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DELHI

Timings

Tuesday, May 09

RISE 05:35 SET 19:01 RISE 17:42 SET 04:45 Wednesday, May 10

RISE 05:34 SET 19:02 RISE 18:34 SET 05:21 Thursday, May 11

RISE 05:33 SET 19:03 RISE 19:27 SET 05:57

Rajasthan BJP issues Bhagwant Mann named as Punjab convener in AAP rejig notice to rebel leader Vikas Vasudeva CHANDIGARH

7 injured in celebratory iring Press Trust of India Jind

Seven people, including three women, suffered injuries in celebratory firing during a pre-wedding function at a house here, police said on Monday. The incident took place at a house in Hanuman Gali last night when one Manjit allegedly fired shot from his double barrel gun in the air. After hitting the roof, the bullet splinters injured seven people, police said. They were rushed to the PGI, Rohtak, police said.

Ghanshyam Tiwari has been demanding Raje’s removal

Party spokesperson Sukhpal Singh Khaira resigns After its debacle in the recent Punjab Assembly polls, the Aam Aadmi Party on Monday kicked off the process for restructuring its State unit even as party spokesperson and chief whip in the Punjab Assembly, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, resigned from his posts, hinting at “resentment”. The Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of the Aam Aadmi Party at its meeting held in New Delhi has decided to appoint Bhagwant Mann, member of Parliament from Sangrur, as its State convener and Aman Arora, MLA from Sunam as co-convener. Sarabjit Kaur Manuke MLA from Jagraon has been appointed deputy leader of the legislature party in the Vidhan Sabha.

Appointments approved The PAC headed by national convener Arvind Kejriwal approved the new appointments after meeting the MLAs, zone in-charge and heads of frontal organisations of the Punjab unit of party. The national leader-

Sukhpal Singh Khaira.

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ship held one- to-one meetings and collective talk with MLAs and other office-bearers before taking the decisions at the PAC. The aim of the exercise was to make the State unit more vibrant and accountable.

‘No resentment’ “Bhagwant Mann was recommended for the post of convener while Aman Arora was recommended for coconvener,” AAP MLA and Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly H.S. Phoolka told The Hindu as he dismissed that there was any resentment against the appointments. “Mr. Khaira has resigned from his posts only to ease

out restructuring of the party unit and not due to any resentment,” said Mr. Phoolka. Sources, however, said that Mr. Khaira, who has been aspiring for the top position in the State is upset and expressed his displeasure over the appointment. “I have asked Mr. Kejriwal to relieve me from the posts of chief whip and spokesperson of the party with immediate effect. I requested that these positions be given to leaders who are more deserving than me in the party. I am very happy to serve the party as an ordinary volunteer and elected representative of the people,” said Mr. Khaira. The AAP had won 20 of the 117 seats in the Punjab Assembly polls. The Congress had registered a thumping win securing 77 seats, while SAD-BJP managed to win 18 seats. Notably, a group of NRI conveners and other officebearers had recently written to AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, urging him not appoint the Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann as party’s State convener.

AAP leader shot at Press Trust of India Gurdaspur

Aam Aadmi Party leader Gurpartap Singh Khushalpur had a miraculous escape last night when two unidentified persons opened fire at him at his native Khushalpur village here. Police said the incident happened on Sunday night when the leader had just returned to his village. They said that two unidentified persons fired four shots targeting Khushalpur as he was entering his residence. He had to duck and take shelter behind the door of his house to save himself, the police said. Khushalpur had unsuccessfully contested the Punjab Assembly polls from Dera Baba Nanak against Congress candidate Sukhjinder Randhawa.

Bulandshahr lynching main accused held

Mohammed Iqbal Jaipur

The Rajasthan unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party issued notice to senior leader Ghanshyam Tiwari on charges of challenging the State leadership and indulging in “anti-party activities.” Mr. Tiwari, a five-time MLA, said on Monday that he would give an “apt reply.” The BJP’s central leadership has reportedly taken exception to the activities of Mr. Tiwari, who was a Minister in the Vasundhara Raje government of 2003-09 and is at present an MLA from the Sanganer constituency of Jaipur district. For the last two years, Mr. Tiwari has been demanding Ms. Raje’s removal and has levelled various charges. The show-cause notice has asked Mr. Tiwari to reply within 10 days on why he had launched the Deendayal Vahini as a parallel forum and was boycotting party

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Correspondent

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The Bulandshahr police on Monday arrested the main accused in the lynching of 60-year-old, Gulam Ahmad, who was accused of helping a youth elope with a girl from a different community. The accused, Gavendra, is a native of Sohi village in Bu-

Noida

landshahr district. During sustained interrogation, Gavendra told the police he knew Yusuf, who eloped with a Hindu girl. Gavendra did not approve of this and decided to teach Yusuf a lesson, the police said. Gavendra gathered support from local Hindu Yuva

Vahini members and went to Yusuf ’s house but did not find him. As they were search the area, they noticed Mr Ahmad, said to be distant relative of Yusuf. Gavendra and the Hindu Yuva Vahini members then took Mr Ahmad to a mango orchard, where they allegedly beat him to death.

They later fled from the place. Days later the police recovered the girl who had allegedly eloped. In her statement, the girl accused Yusuf of kidnapping and raping her. The police produced the girl before a court, where she levelled the same charge.

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meetings, besides making statements against the State leadership. The notice said disciplinary action would be initiated if he failed to reply. BJP vice-president and incharge of the State, Avinash Rai Khanna, who was here on Monday, said no leader could be above the party. “If any party member has some grievances, there are several forums available for raising issues. Everyone should maintain discipline,” he said. Mr. Tiwari claimed he had

Over ₹4,990 crore unreconciled amount in Uttarakhand depts:CAG Names 10 departments where the igures do not match Press Trust of India Dehradun

Accused told police he decided to teach Yusuf a lesson after the girl eloped

Ghanshyam Tiwari.

not yet received any notice. “I will respond to the notice in a befitting manner when I get it,” he said, adding that he had only raised his voice against “corruption and misgovernance” by the State government. The veteran BJP leader and an old Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh hand, who had won the 2013 Assembly election with a record margin of 60,000 votes, has been working with the Deendayal Vahini, which he had established in the late1980s, and using it as a force against Ms. Raje and the State BJP leadership. Mr. Tiwari has sought Ms. Raje’s removal as the Chief Minister and claimed that the BJP would not perform well in the 2018 Assembly elections if she remains at the helm till then. He met his supporters in Sanganer on Monday, while a large number of youths took out a motorcycle rally in his support in the town.

The Comptroller and Auditor General has pointed to an “unreconciled” amount to the tune of ₹4,990.11 crore in the accounts of different Uttarakhand government departments during the financial year 2015-16. In its latest report on Uttarakhand’s finances submitted in the State Assembly during a special two-day session earlier this month, the

CAG said it was a “gross contravention” of Uttarakhand Budget Manual 2012 which stipulates monthly reconciliation of expenditures by departments. The CAG has asked the State government to ensure reconciliation of accounts by the defaulting departments at the earliest to eliminate “possibilities of fraud and misuse of funds”. The auditor has named 10 departments where the fig-

ures related to the amount allocated and spent did not match. Among those who have not reconciled their accounts include the Estate Department, Social Welfare Department, Relief and Revenue, as well as the Housing and Urban Development department. When contacted, State Finance Minister Prakash Pant said all anomalies pointed out by the CAG will be discussed by the PAC.

Virbhadra slammed for comments on Amit Shah He said Shah was a light-weight leader, not any big gun; BJP terms remarks immature, ridiculous Staff Correspondent SHIMLA

The State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has taken strong objection to the remarks made by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh in which he mocked the leadership of its national president Amit Shah. The BJP chief, on his recent visit to the hill State, had accused Mr. Singh of being involved in corruption. “I have never seen such a political leader,” Mr. Shah had

OBITUARY & REMEMBRANCE DEATH SRI P.V.NARAYANASWAMY aged 93, Retired SE, TNEB expired on 6/5/2017 after a brief illness, leaving behind his sorrowing wife, daughter, son−in−law, grand children and a host of relatives. Contact number: 044−42631870

said. Reacting to the allegation, the Chief Minister said Mr. Shah was a very “lightweight leader and not any big gun”. On Monday, State BJP leaders termed Mr. Singh’s remarks “immature and impolite”.

Shah’s ‘potential’ “When Mr. Shah will lead the party in its Plus-60 mission in Himachal, Mr. Singh will realise how big a leader the

Virbhadra Singh.

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BJP chief is,” they said. The leaders were referring to the purported target set

by the party to claim more than 60 of the 68 seats in the upcoming Assembly elections in the State. Former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said Mr. Singh’s remarks were increasingly bordering on the “ridiculous and bizarre”. He said Mr. Shah had taken the party to new heights and that it was under his leadership that the BJP formed governments in Maharashtra, Haryana, Manipur and Goa. Mr. Dhumal

also said that the Chief Minister was underestimating Mr. Shah’s capabilities like he did in Prime Minister Modi’s case. He said Mr. Singh used to call himself a bigger leader than Mr. Modi before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. “But the world knows the result,” he said. Meanwhile, former Bihar BJP president, Mangal Pandey, has been appointed the new party in-charge in HP.

Held for supplying chips to petrol pumps Four chips, circuit, petrol dispensing machine seized: police Press Trust of India Lucknow

The Special Task Force (STF) of the UP Police claimed on Monday to have arrested a man who allegedly supplied remote-controlled electronic chips which were used by several petrol pumps to dupe customers. “STF sleuths on Monday arrested Ajay Chaurasia from Para area of Lucknow. He used to supply the re-

mote-controlled electronic chips used by some petrol pump owners to dupe consumers. He used to supply the chips in several cities in the State and on a large scale,” Additional SP STF Arvind Chaturvedi said. He claimed that Chaurasia was arrested on the basis of details revealed by one Jauhar Abbas, who had been held earlier in Muzaffarnagar.

“Four chips, some pulsar cards, a circuit, one petrol dispensing machine have been recovered from Chaurasia,” Mr Chaturvedi claimed. The UP STF on April 27 had raided seven petrol pumps which it claimed were using remote control linked electronic chips to cheat customers. The device helped them make up to ₹14 lakh pm, say officials.

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. 110 ●

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IN BRIEF

Leopard skin seized, nine arrested

Mystery shrouds bomb blast at TMC oice in Bardhaman Opposition and locals claim more people were killed in the explosion oumya Das

Forest department officials on Monday arrested nine smugglers and seized hide and other body parts of a leopard from Jalpaiguri district. Forest officials said poachers had killed the leopard in Kokrajhar distirct of Assam. Acting on a tip-off, the officials posed as buyers and caught the nine smugglers at Barobisha area in the Dooars region. PTI

Kolkata

Guwahati Three minor daughters of a woman died while she and another daughter sustained serious burn injuries when a fire broke out in their house in the city early on Monday, officials said. One of the girls died on the spot while two others succumbed to their injuries in hospital. PTI

Bodies of two drowned teenagers recovered AIZAWL

The bodies of two teenagers who drowned in the Tlwang, have been recovered near here, police said on Monday. C. Lalremkima drowned in the swollen river on Sunday and his friend F. Lalchhamdama also met the same fate while trying to rescue him. - PTI

‘State has high literacy rate, per capita income’ ception. Further, Mr. Das asked why the BJP president was silent about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’spromise of providing 2 crore jobs every year.

Syed Sajjad Ali Agartala

JALPAIGURI

Three sisters die in Guwahati fire

CPI(M) hits out at Shah for alleging misrule in Tripura

Mystery shrouds the bomb blast at a Trinamool Congress (TMC) office in east Bardhaman district on Sunday. Although District Magistrate Anurag Srivastava said one person was killed and three others were injured in the incident, locals and other parties claimed that the toll was much higher. Around seven persons were present in the office in Pichkudijhal village of Ausgram when the explosion occurred. The intensity of the blast was such that the single-storey building collapsed. Deceased not identified The identities of the four victims are yet to be established. Further, it is not clear as to which hospital the body was sent for a postmortem examination and where the injured are being treated. Alleging that more people were killed in the incident, locals said bodies were removed by TMC workers soon after the explosion. Meanwhile, the State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanded that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe the incident. “We think there is a con-

The CPI(M), which has acknowledged the BJP as a political competitor in Tripura, has refuted party president Amit Shah’s statements attributing the alleged lack of development and progress in Tripura to the ‘misrule’ of the Left government. The ruling party countered the charges Mr. Shah made during a two-day visit to the State, which began on May 6, and claimed Tripura had made ‘remarkable progress under the Left government’. CPI(M) central committee member and spokesperson Gautam Das on Monday called Mr. Shah’s statements baseless. Mr. Das said that Tripura has the highest literacy rate in the country and the highest per capita income compared to other Northeastern States. “Signi-

The aftermath: Policemen at the Trinamool oice at Pichkuri village in Bardhaman district of West Bengal on Monday. It was completely destroyed in a blast on Sunday. PTI *

spiracy behind the explosion, and it cannot be properly probed by the State police. Therefore, the NIA should look into the matter,” said BJP State president Dilip Ghosh. TMC district president of neighbouring Birbhum, Anubrata Mondal, al-

leged that the CPI-M was behind the explosion.

‘Cowardly acts’ “The CPI-M is resorting to cowardly attacks,” he said, adding that the police were hand in glove with local miscreants.

Responding to the allegations, CPI-M Bardhaman District Secretary, Achinta Mallick, said, “Such an explosion could not have taken place unless bombs were being stored in the office. The TMC has to set its records straight in this regard.”

Amit Shah

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ficant progress has been made in all programmes and schemes marked for the State. Amit Shah spoke about unemployment, but what is the national scenario?” the CPI (M) leader asked. He went on to question that if unemployment was an issue at the national level, how could Tripura be an ex-

Protest march against PGCIL project Press Trust of India Kolkata

A protest march was taken out in the city on Monday demanding immediate withdrawal of a PGCIL project in South 24 Parganas district, where agitation against it claimed two lives in January

this year. The agitation programme was organised by Bhangore Andolan Sanghati committee, which is backed by Left parties and Congress. The protesters marched from College Square to Esplanade area and Left

End police atrocities against Odisha tribals: Activist Special Correspondent BHUBANESWAR

Prafulla Samantara, winner of the 2017 Goldman Environmental Prize for Asia, on Monday urged the Odisha government to put an end to police atrocities against the tribals of Niyamgiri hills. Mr. Samantara made the appeal at a press conference

here while expressing concern over the branding of the Niyamgiri Suraksha Samiti (NNS) as a front organisation for the Maoists. Observing that public opinion has been created for the protection of the rights of the Niyamgiri tribal people across the world, Mr. Samantara urged the govern-

ment to implement the Forest Rights Act in all the hamlets in Niyamgiri hills spread across Kalahandi and Rayagada districts. A young tribal woman from the area, who happened to be family member of a prominent NSS activist, was recently taken into custody as a suspected

Maoist and was made to surrender by the Rayagada police. She was, however, released following widespread condemnation and appeals to the government. He said the prize moneywill be spent in movements for conservation of natural resources and seeking justice for displaced people.

Central funds The CPI(M) has also claimed that Tripura is struggling to get its share of funds from the Centre. “Mr. Shah’s claims about easy sanction of huge funds under various heads are untrue,” said Mr. Das. Admitting that the BJP had gained ground in the State after the Congress failed to prevent an exodus of leaders and workers, Mr. Das expressed confidence that the saffron party would fail to stop the Left from returning to power. The BJP’s aim of dislodging the Left Front in the next Assembly elections in Tripura will not be a reality, the CPI(M) leader said.

Front chairman Biman Bose, Leader of Opposition and senior Congress leader Abdul Manan took part in it.

‘Release activists’ The protesters also demanded immediate release of arrested social activists.

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PERSONAL LOST/FOUND I, Alok Gupta, 18Janakpuri Lashkar Gwalior MP, have lost my Original Grade Sheet cum Certificate of Performance of Std− Xth (CBSE)with Roll No 2131305 (Session 2013− 15:DPS Gurgaon) If found cont: +91− 9711726888

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Three held guilty in Nayana Pujari rape and murder case

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Till we meet again

Special Correspondent Panaji

Quantum of punishment for seven-year-old crime will be pronounced today Shoumojit Banerjee Pune

A Pune trial court on Monday found guilty the three accused in the gangrape and murder of software professional Nayana Pujari, seven years after the crime. The court will hear arguments on the quantum of the sentence on Tuesday, after which the judgment will be pronounced. Special Judge L.L. Yenkar, the fourth to hear the case since the protracted trial commenced in 2011, pronounced the accused Mahesh Thakur, Yogesh Raut and Vishwas Kadam guilty under Sections 376 (rape), 302 (murder), 120B(criminal conspiracy) 361 (kidnapping) along with other Sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Nayana Pujari

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FILE PHOTO

Ms. Pujari, an engineer with Synechron Technologies, was abducted near Kharadi bypass on October 7, 2009, while awaiting her transport back home. Raut, the cab driver who worked for the firm, along with

Thakur, Kadam and a fourth person, Rajendra Chaudhari, who worked as a security guard with the firm, kidnapped the victim and raped her in the car. They later withdrew ₹61,000 using her ATM card and bludgeoned her to death in a remote spot. Her body was recovered two days later from the Zarewadi forests in Khed Taluk, 50 km from the city. The murder sent shockwaves across the city, casting a dark shadow over Pune’s reputation as a city safe for wome. The victim’s husband, Abhijit Pujari, who was present in the courtroom, later said he hoped the accused would be hanged for the crime. Of the four accused, Chaudhuri turned approver.

Meanwhile, Raut managed to flee police custody in 2011 and was re-arrested in Shirdi in May 2013 as the investigation sped up in the aftermath of the 2012 Delhi gangrape. In his final arguments last week, Special Public Prosecutor Harshad Nimbalkar claimed to have established a complete chain of events that led to the crime and hoped that the court would award the three accused the highest punishment.

Repeat offenders During the investigation, it was found that the accused had murdered a vegetable vendor in a similr manner after abducting and raping her. The vendor’s body was thrown in the Indrayani river along the Pune-Nashik Highway.

Policewomen bid a tearful adieu to their batchmates at the Regional Police Training School in Nagpur on Monday. A total of 107 policewomen graduated from the academy. S. SUDARSHAN *

Mercury on the rise in Gujarat

Congress protests against border killings

‘Centre should reach out to protesting Kashmiri youth’

Special Correspondent

Demands full-time Defence Minister

Situation grim for Dalit, Muslim students in country: Nahas Mala

AHMEDABAD

Gujarat is witnessing temperatures ranging from 41°C to 44 in most of places except for Surat where mercury hovered around 34°C. On Monday, Surendranagar was the hottest with 44.8°C while State capital Gandhinagar recorded 44.5°C and Ahmedabad 43.3°C An average of 550 heat related emergency cases are reported across the state An orange alert has been issued in the State asking citizens to take minimise outings between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Special Correspondent Panaji

The Congress in Goa on Monday protested the lack of response from the Defence Ministry following the killing of Indian soldiers and mutilation of their bodies at the Indo-Pak border. Goa Pradesh Mahila Congress president Sunita Verenkar also wondered if Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 56-inch chest has now shrunk to 56 millimetres. She said, “I think it is shrinking. It has become 56 cm or 56 mm, we do not know, but we request him to

protect our soldiers who are fighting at borders.” Ms. Verenkar also lamented that despite brutal attacks on Indian soldiers, the country had no full-time Defence Minister. She also ridiculed Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar for surrendering his post of Defence Minister and returning to Goa. “We had a Defence Minister who fled to Goa, why we do not know. Perhaps he is more interested in eating fish, that is why he is back to Goa! We need a full time Defence Minister for India,” Ms. Verenkar said.

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Panaji

It is the duty of the Central government to reach out to the youth taking part in stone-pelting in Jammu and Kashmir and channelise their energies positively as the BJP is sharing power in the State with the People’s Democratic Party, said Nahas Mala, president of the Students Islamic Organisation of India on Monday. He was replying to a question at a press conference organised by Goa Zone of SIO on the no-detention policy and the educational scenario

in the country. Mr. Mala said that atrocities in academia against Dalit and Muslim students had finally found a voice following the mysterious death of Hyderabad Central University scholar Rohit Vemula. He observed that the situation was grim for Dalit and Muslim students in the country and the mysterious disappearance of Najeeb Ahmad and the death of Rohit Vemula was testimony to the travails students of marginalised sections and communities faced. “Rohit’s case was not a new issue. He was

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Rolly Reagon (48), an accused in the Bank of Baroda scam, was arrested by Goa police at Dabolim airport after he arrived from Canada on Monday. The Airport police produced the accused before the State-owned Institute of Psychology and Human Behaviour (IPHB) for a check-up at Bambolim on Monday evening. He was absconding for last 20 years after committing the alleged bank fraud, the police said. According to Dabolim police, Reagon was residing at Porvorim. He was shifted to Cottage Hospital in Chicalim in south Goa after he complained of chest pain. However, police sources said that he was later admitted to IPHB at Bambolim from where he was taken back to Vasco.

Land grab complaint against Congress chief Accused of acquiring 12 plots in Bhilai Special Correspondent

Special Correspondent

Bank scam accused held at Goa airport

the 11th victim in Hyderabad Central University,” Mr. Mala said. He also said that with reports of harassment of Jadhavpur University’s Sushil Mandi, Ahmad’s disappearance from JNU, and suicide of another students from the Indian Institute of Science, Education and Research, in Kolkata, the situation was grim for students of Muslim and Dalit background. Earlier, he expressed deep concern about the degrading education scenario in Goa.

RAIPUR

The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Chhattisgarh police on Monday registered a complaint against Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee president Bhupesh Baghel in an alleged case of land grabbing. Mr.Baghel and his family members have been accused of illegally acquiring 12 plots in Bhilai area of the State and booked under Sections 13(1) and 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act by the EOW. The case dates back to 1995 and a complaint was filed by

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Anand Kumar Sahu in 2008 after which the State ordered an inquiry, which was completed in 2015. “It is not a question of my plots or property. This shows political anxiety of Chief Minister Raman Singh and [former Congress leader] Ajit Jogi,” Mr.Baghel told reporters. “This is an attempt to divert attention from the Chief Minister and the government’s corruption scandals. The CM has openly talked of ‘commission raj’ in Chhattisgarh. We are raising these issues and to divert attention such acts are being committed.”

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PUBLIC NOTICES

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IN BRIEF

AICC leader holds meetings in Karnataka

MP decries removal of girl’s inner wear before NEET Will ask CBSE to review its guidelines, says P.K. Sreemathy

BENGALURU

Special Correspondent

On day one of his maiden visit to Karnataka, All-India Congress Committee general secretary K.C. Venugopal held a series of meetings with Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee office-bearers. Mr. Venugopal’s primary focus was to find out why Congress candidates had lost in some constituencies in the previous elections.

KANNUR

Utnoor communal clash accused arrested ADILABAD

The Utnoor police on Monday arrested Md. Hakim Ali, the sole accused in the hate audio clip case that resulted in communal violence in the town, situated in the Adilabad district of Telangana, on Sunday. The police also arrested 18 persons accused of rioting. Prohibitory orders continued to be in force on Monday.

P.K. Sreemathy, Member of Parliament, has described as “inhuman and shameful” the alleged removal of top inner wear of a girl student at a school in Kunhimangalam as part of enforcing the dress code for the aspirants of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test on Sunday. “The act of removing the inner wear of the student at the examination centre was unprecedented and inhuman,” said the MP at a press conference here on Monday. She said she would take up the matter with the authorities. The hapless student, who was asked to remove her top inner wear because it had a metal hook, could never be expected to appear for the examination with confidence, she said, terming the incident a viola-

P.K. Sreemathy

tion of the girl’s human rights. Ms. Sreemathy said she would call upon the Central Board of Secondary Examination, which conducts NEET, to review its dress code guidelines. She would urge the Minister for Human Resource and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to look into the matter.

SHRC orders probe The State Human Rights Commission has ordered a

TDP, YSRC trade charges over emails VIJAYAWADA

Anonymous emails, allegedly sent to U.S. officials, seeking the arrest of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, snowballed into a political controversy with the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the Opposition YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) trading charges. The issue began when TDP leaders blamed the YSRCP president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy for the anonymous emails to Irving Mayor Beth Van Duyne and police, asking them to arrest Mr. Naidu, who is on a visit to that city as a part of his

week-long official trip to the U.S. The emails alleged that Mr. Naidu was on a mission to collect illegal donations and that he was instrumental in the death of over six people in Rayalaseema, branding them red sanders smugglers.

‘Cheap tricks’ Andhra Pradesh Ministers alleged that Mr. Jagan was resorting to cheap tricks to tarnish the image of the State at the international level. Addressing separate press conferences on Monday, the Ministers alleged that the Opposition leader was unable to digest the rousing reception accorded to the

Hefty ines on schools with unqualiied teachers Karnataka govt. to make laws stricter

Didn’t disobey order reinstating Senkumar as police chief: Kerala Chief Secretary Krishnadas Rajagopal NEW DELHI

Kerala Chief Secretary Nalini Netto offered an “unconditional apology” to the Supreme Court on Monday in a contempt of court case filed against the senior bureaucrat by the State Police Chief T.P. Senkumar. “I have the highest regard and respect for the orders of this Honourable Court and I have no intention to violate the same. I tender my unqualified apology for any aspect on my conduct which this Honourable Court construes not to be in accordance with its order,” Ms. Netto said in a short affidavit. There was no “wilful default or disobedience” from her side. “I have acted expeditiously and according to legal advice, after duly consulting with the AdvocateGeneral,” she submitted. Ms. Netto said a file was “opened” on April 26, 2017 — a day after the court judg-

BENGALURU

Private schools affiliated to the Karnataka Board that appoint teachers without the right qualification or fail to display their names and education status in a prominent place in the institution will have to cough up a fine of up to ₹5 lakh. This is one of the provisions of The Karnataka Education (Second Amendment) Act, 2017, now gazetted. This penalty is to be imposed only after the District Education Regulatory Authority gives the management an opportunity to present its point of view. Ajay Seth, Additional Chief Secretary of the Department of Primary Education, said that the department would take into consideration problems faced by school manage-

ments in retaining good and qualified teachers. “A noncompliance due to the sudden departure of a qualified teacher will not attract the penalty. However, any significant non-compliance continuing over a long period will be viewed seriously, inviting penalty commensurate with the nature and extent of non-compliance, besides being put in the public domain,” he said. According to the National Council for Teacher Education, a lower primary teacher needs to have a diploma in teacher education and must have completed pre-university or equivalent course. An upper primary teacher needs to have completed graduation and completed a D.Ed or B.Ed. A high school teacher needs to have completed graduation and B.Ed.

ment ordering the re-instatement of Mr. Senkumar — to initiate the process of implementing the judgment. The matter was sent to the Law Secretary for advice.

‘A-G’s opinion sought’ The Law Secretary, under the instructions of the Chief Minister, had sought an opinion from the AdvocateGeneral who, on May 1, sug-

S. Harpal Singh Adilabad

The water shortage in what was undivided Adilabad district is of comparatively recent origin, if one looks at the evidence of a few surviving open wells, which are over a century old. It makes it clear that the residents of the area, mainly people of tribal origin, like the Raj Gonds, who live between the Penganga and the Godavari, had a close connect with natural resources. These wells, known locally as ‘kui,’ yield water through the year, even in high altitude areas. One ex-

Special Correspondent THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

The Kerala government did not apologise in the Supreme Court while withdrawing a plea for clarification and modification of the apex court’s order reinstating the ousted State Police Chief T.P. Senkumar, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told the Assembly on Monday. The Supreme Court had also not imposed any fine on the government, as alleged by the Opposition United Democratic Front, he said replying to K. Muraleedharan’s notice on an adjournment motion on the “insult to the government and disgrace to the State” on account of the court order.

Perennially full: The kantam well of Kanchanpalli in Kumram Bheem Asifabad district. S. HARPAL SINGH *

ample is the well called Kantam (perennially full), in Kanchanpalli village, in the Lingapur mandal of Kumram Bheem Asifabad dis-

trict. It serves the needs of 80 families and over 100 heads of cattle. “It never dries up,” says Athram Bheem Rao, the 62-year-old

inheritor of the Gond Raja title. “My grandfather used to say it was there when he was born.” The sides of the rectangular kui are lined with teak logs, and at the top, thinner logs provide a secure place for the person drawing water to stand. A boom at the side, like those one would see at a railway crossing, lowers a pot or bucket tied to a rope into the well. The water drawn is poured into a hollowed-out log, which pipes it into another hollow log. This collection method ensures that any silt that comes up settles

at the bottom. The locals leave the lower log full for animals to drink. The Gond people say that the water level in this well increases whenever there is rainfall in the catchment areas of the Kadem, a stream about 15 kilometres away. This indicates that an underground stream connects the two; the Gonds call this subterranean stream the Satganga. Only a handful of such kuis still remain functional. One other can be found on the road between Chinna Dhoba and Seetagondi village, Sirpur mandal.

Fresh lease of life for Kanampuzha Varsity develops

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Initiative launched under Haritha Keralam Mission to revive river Special Correspondent

Kanampuzha is a river that survives today largely in people’s memories. It once quietly flowed from its place of origin and passed through areas including parts of Kannur before it ended its journey in an estuary here. The river has now been given a fresh lease of life by a mission to revive it as part of an initiative under the Haritha Keralam Mission. Ports Minister Ramachandran Kadannappally has taken personal interest in the river revival mission, as it has been highlighted as a constituency development project in the Kannur Assembly constituency, which he represents. The campaign was flagged off at a function here on Sunday by Mr. Kadannappally. He joined a foot march

Challenging task: Ports Minister Ramachandran Kadannappally joining the campaign in Kannur.

along what used to be the bank of the river that started from Machery in the Mundery panchayat and ended in the Adikadalayi estuary here. The campaign to revive Kanampuzha envisages massive voluntary work to clean the stretches of the river that have been turned into a waste dump. Over 5,000 people will volunteer on May 14 for the cleaning operation planned as part of the river revival plan.

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S.K. MOHAN

“The voluntary work planned on May 14 will be a historic event as I have already received assurance from various groups of volunteers and local people that they will turn up for the task,” said the Minister.

Proposals received He said he had also received many proposals from the public during his foot march along the river on its revival. The proposals would be submitted to the Central and the

State governments for turning them into projects, he said. Kanampuzha river originates from Ayyappanmala, located 110 feet from the sea level, in the Mundery panchayat. As a stream, it flows through Mechery, Vattappoil, Peringalayi, Kappad and Thilannur before it passes through Elayavur, Thazhe Chovva and Kuruva in the Kannur Corporation limits. “Kanampuzha used to be a major water resource that recharged groundwater in parts of this town and nearby areas,” said P.P. Babu Karakkatt, coordinator of the mission. The river, as it exists now, is filled with waste from Thazhe Chovva to Kuruva. The campaign would include efforts to strengthen the stretch from Machery to Elayavur South and revive paddy fields along its banks, he added.

water puriier for rural areas TamRas is low-cost, copper-based device

Safe and secure: Water puriication device TamRas that was launched in Bengaluru on Monday. K. MURALI KUMAR *

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Lake on ire

Telangana farmer’s family waits for help Nagamani ended her life due to debt R. Avadhani CHINTAMADAKA

It’s a three-room tiled house, actually an extension of a building constructed a generation ago. On the fateful day of April 11, as Vattipally Padma Reddy was not well, his parents Mohan Reddy and Jayamma took him to a hospital at Siddipet. His wife Vattipalli Nagamani (35) and daughter Sravya and son Narender were at home. Nagamani asked the children to to go out and buy something to eat. She then hanged herself.

Taking stock: A patch of a lake in Dodda Basavanahalli village near Hassan in Karnataka caught ire on Monday. Water bodies in the State have been a cause for concern in the recent times due to pollution and related problems. PRAKASH HASSAN *

CM YK

Govt. has not apologised, says Pinarayi

In arid Asifabad, a ‘kui’ dug over a century ago still fulils the needs of tribals of Kanchanpalli

Chief Minister. Later, the TDP leaders informed the media that the Irving police, after checking the facts, provided security to Mr. Naidu. Members of the YSRCP, however, said they had nothing to do with the emails, terming the TDP allegations baseless. The YSRCP’s Dallas subcommittee and Dallas City in-charge members said none of the committee or YSRCP sympathisers in Texas was involved in the supposed ‘protest’ or the alleged complaint to the Irving city law-enforcement. They challenged the TDP to prove the allegations.

KANNUR

Tanu Kulkarni

T.P. Senkumar

gested to file a modification application on the judgment and seek a review of the verdict. The affidavit said the Council of Ministers had met on May 3 and decided to wait for the outcome of the modification application. The application earned the State brickbats from the Bench led by Justice Madan B. Lokur, who also imposed ₹25,000 costs on the State. The State tried to argue that Mr. Senkumar was never appointed ‘DGP and State Police Chief ’ — he was only ‘DGP and Head of Police Force.’ Once the State machinery got wind of the costs of ₹25,000, the order was “immediately circulated” to the CM, who approved the reinstatement of Mr. Senkumar. On receipt of the file from the CM’s office on May 6, reinstatement order posting Mr. Senkumar as DGP and State Police Chief was issued on the same day, Ms. Netto said.

Ancient Gond wells yield water all year

Anonymous messages had called for Naidu’s arrest in U.S. Special Correspondent

high level inquiry into the incident. Calling the incident a violation of the human rights of students, the Commission has called for the intervention of the National Human Rights Commission. The Commission asked the Regional Director of the CBSE to submit an explanation on the incident within three weeks. “The Commission has noticed similar reports from various places in the State during the NEET examination. Parents were seen frantically searching for appropriate clothing for their children to be allowed into the examination hall. The CBSE informed the students about the dress code only at the eleventh hour. Stringent action should be taken against those responsible for the act,” said the Commission Acting Chairman P. Mohandas in a press release.

Nalini Netto apologises to SC

Left in the lurch The family was solely dependent on Nagamani as Mohan Reddy and Jayamma are aged and Padma Reddy is differently-abled. It has been left in the lurch after Nagamani ended her life. The family has about nine

acres of land. Due to crop loss, its debts touched about Rs. 4 lakh. Unable to bear the pressure from the debtors, Nagamani committed suicide, according to Mohan Reddy. The family was not ready to speak about its financial problems openly. It rejected the financial assistance extended by A. Revanth Reddy, on April 19, when he came to the village. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) had held a dharna saying he should not enter the village. “We were promised by local leaders that help would reach us from the government. We do not want any help from you. Thank you for coming here and consoling us,” was what the family told Mr. Reddy after meeting him outside the village. But the family is still waiting for the ‘promised’ help.

Bengaluru

The sight of water stored in copper vessels reminds many of us of our grandmothers’ homes. Recognising copper’s potent use in removing pathogens from water and making it fit to drink, the city-based Transdisciplinary University has launched TamRas, a low-cost copper-based water purification device for rural areas. TamRas consists of a 15-litre container that can house an immersible copper unit which can give 15 litres of water free of common pathogens over 10 hours. The device, which costs ₹1,500 a unit, will be launched in three areas in Karnataka — HD Kote, Male Mahadeshwara Hills and Raichur — as a pilot. Researchers at TDU, led by Padma Venkat, principal investigator, studied the effect of storing water overnight in copper vessels. She found that when water, inoculated with colony forming units of Escherichia coli, Salmonella Typhi and Vibrio cholerae, was stored overnight at room temperature in copper

vessels, the organisms were no longer recoverable when cultured, compared to water stored in control glass bottles under similar conditions. The results of this study were published in the Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development in 2011. The team designed several iterations keeping in mind cost and utility, until arriving on the present design. “The final device had to be simple and sustainable, without complicated parts that need repair or replacement,” said Dr. Venkat. The project had to be scalable and communitydriven to be successful. “Women in rural areas spend a major portion of the day in solving the problem of safe water,” said Hari Ramamurthy, advisor to TDU. “We have identified self help groups in these three areas which will become entrepreneurs for the product, who can sell the units in monthly instalments for those who cannot afford it, to ensure residents have access to safe, potable water,” he added. A ND-ND

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IN BRIEF

Bungee jumping from Chenab rail bridge soon NEW DELHI

India will soon boast the world’s tallest railway bridge over the Chenab in Jammu and Kashmir. The crowning glory of the Kashmir rail link project, the bridge is expected to host bungee jumping and other sporting events. At the height of 359 metre, the 1.315-km bridge is 35-m taller than the Eiffel Tower. PTI

Triple talaq victim seeks UP Minister’s help GHAZIABAD

A man accused of seeking dowry, torturing his wife and giving her talaq is being questioned by the police after the woman approached a UP Minister for help. Saleem, a carpenter, divorced Umeeda on May 6 as her father couldn’t afford to buy him a house, her father allegedly told Minister Atul Garg. PTI

Two Nepali citizens held with brown sugar MOTIHARI

Two Nepali citizens were on Monday held with 250 grams of brown sugar by an SSB team from Naya Tola in Bihar’s East Champaran district. The Nepali citizens, identified as Sone Pandit and Ramesh Prasad, both residents of Bara district of Nepal, were arrested following a tip-off. PTI

‘Textile facilitation centre at Panipat’ PANIPAT (HARYANA)

The Central government will soon set up a facilitation centre for textiles and the handloom industry, complete with state-of-the-art facilities including a laboratory, at Panipat, Union Minister for Textiles Smriti Irani said on Monday. She made the announcement at a road show, which is part of the “Textiles India 2017” programme here. PTI

CM YK

Akhilesh cracks whip, sacks Shivpal loyalists At least six oice-bearers removed for ‘anti-party activities’ Omar Rashid

dulging in anti-party activities, indiscipline and defiance of party’s instructions,” said party spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary.

LUCKNOW

The renewal of public display of acrimony between Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and his uncle Shivpal Yadav has led to a fresh spate of sackings in the party.

“Secular morcha” After Mr. Shivpal adopted a rebellious tone and announced that a “secular morcha” would soon be formed under the leadership of Mulayam Singh, his nephew Akhilesh has moved swiftly and sacked at least half-a-dozen office-bearers for “anti-party activities”. These include Mr. Shivpal loyalists. Immediately after Mr. Shivpal announced his plan for a secular morcha, Mr. Akhilesh had warned that he knew how to identify “asteen ka saanp” (snake hiding under the sleeves). On Monday, the SP sacked Chandra Shekhar, a block pramukh from Barabanki for “anti-party activities”. The party also sacked its

Akhilesh Yadav Moradabad city president Rajkumar Prajapati, replacing him with Shoaib Hasan Pasha. A day earlier, SP State president Naresh Uttam expelled with the “approval of Mr. Akhilesh,” five SP leaders, including Dipak Mishra, a key aide of Mr. Shivpal and also his alleged ghost-writer. Along with Mr. Mishra, who was SP spokesperson under the tenure of Mr. Shivpal last year, the party also sacked Rajesh Yadav of Hardoi, former SP spokesperson Mohammad Shahid, Rakesh Yadav, former Noida city head, and Kallu Yadav, Yuvajan Sabha head of Noida. “They have been expelled from the party for in-

“Selfish elements” Mr. Mishra condemned the action against him terming it “anti-socialism and antidemocratic”. He alleged that the SP had diverted from the values of socialism and become a party of “selfish elements” and “corporate agents”, naming in particular SP Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Agarwal and SP vicepresident Kironmoy Nanda, both in the Akhilesh camp. Mr. Mishra later on Monday also shot off a letter to Mr. Akhilesh, asking him to beware of “termites” around him who have nothing to do with socialism or socialist thinking but want to weaken the party. This comes a day after Mr. Mulayam berated his son for the alliance with the Congress and blamed him for the loss in the recent Assembly elections.

NEET Bengali papers tougher: Govt Writes to CBSE; says it was more diicult than English paper Special Correspondent Kolkata

West Bengal has raised objections against the NEET question papers set in Bengali alleging that these were tougher than those set in English. The National Eligibilitycum-Entrance Test ( NEET) for MBBS and BDS was conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) across the country on May 7. Other than English, NEET is conducted in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu,

Marathi, Bengali, Assamese, Gujarati, Kannada and Odia. “We are writing to the CBSE expressing strong objection. In the name of a common entrance examination, students writing the exams in Bengali cannot be deprived,” State Education Minister Partha Chatterjee said at the Secretariat here. He said that questions for all candidates, irrespective of language, were supposed to be identical. However, the Bengali question papers were different from their English counterparts, and

were tougher, he said, adding that he had received complaints from the guardians of those who appeared for the examination. He said the matter had come to the notice of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. “By using such methods they cannot stop meritorious students from Bengal,” he said, accusing the Centre. Prior to NEET, entry to medical colleges in the State were done through entrance exams conducted by the West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination.

Life’s good: During summer, no one is allowed to bathe near tube wells in Tumuni village .

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BISWARANJAN ROUT

Odisha village swears by gram swaraj Tumuni village in Angul district has been managing its own afairs Satyasundar Barik TUMUNI (ODISHA)

In an age when disputes are either settled at police stations or in court, no one from this village remembers the last time they visited either of these places. A court and a police station are located barely 10 km-15 km from the village.

Own ‘constitution’ Welcome to Tumuni village of Odisha’s Angul district that swears by its decadesold practice of ‘self-rule’. A 12-page document defines the responsibilities of residents and everyone here treats it as their ‘constitution’. For about 350 families here, the 19-member management committee is the highest decision-making body. “I got involved in the committee about 15 years ago. I’ve never heard of anyone filing a police complaint or moving court for dispute resolution. Unlike in the north where khap panchayats comprising a

group of influential persons take all decisions, the village takes a collective decision here,” said Sanjay Kumar Biswal, a member of Akhand Tumuni Gramya Parichalana Committee (ATGPC).

Serious offences However, the committee doesn’t get involved in case of serious offences like rape and murder. In 2015, it ‘allowed’ the local police to take charge of investigation in a case of attempt to murder. The villagers don’t cooperate with the police if they bypass the committee. About 25 years ago, the villagers realised that forest degeneration was making it difficult to for them to meet their daily needs from the jungle. It was then that they decided to protect the forest themselves. “We started this with active participation from the villagers. Later, a guard who draws a salary from the village fund was appointed,” he said.

The village manages nearly 250 acres of forests. Tumuni and six other villages work together to conserve the ecologically sensitive 1,300 acres of Mandaragiri reserved forest nearby. No one in the village waits for government departments to carry out services like road repair, pond renovation, etc., either. Once the committee takes a decision to contribute labour, it’s incumbent upon villagers to participate in community work.

Village fund One of the most interesting aspects of Tumuni’s ‘selfrule’ is its judicious distribution of canal water for irrigation. Anyone found to have damaged the canal network or wasted water meant for irrigation is fined ₹1,000. Due care is taken to irrigate 250 acres of village fields under active supervision of the residents. During summer, no one is allowed to bathe near tube wells as it increases waiting

time for others in queue to fetch water. Started with seed money of ₹3,000 nearly a decade ago, the village fund has over ₹20 lakh in it. By March 15, villagers submit applications seeking loans from the fund. The panel disburses loan and fixes a deadline for repayment. Hardly anyone from the village has defaulted so far. For community work, villagers contribute from their own pocket. There is no fixed amount. Widows, differently-abled and those from economically backward families are exempted.

True spirit “Tumuni fits into the idea of a model village, as conceptualised by Gandhiji. It takes its own decisions, follows its own constitution and manages its own resources. It exhibits the true spirit of gram swaraj,” said Swapna Sarangi of NGO Foundation of Ecological Security.

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THE HINDU

NATION 7

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TUESDAY, MAY 9, 2017

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IN BRIEF

Want my daughter to grow up in a safe India: Bilkis Bano

One killed in clash with police over burial

My faith in the Constitution has been upheld, says Godhra riot victim

Press Trust of India

The land was allotted to three persons

Worker gets back missing newborn Satyasundar Barik BHUBANESWAR

CBI grills Hooda in land allotment scam NEW DELHI

Special Correspondent

The CBI questioned former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Monday regarding the alleged irregularities in the allotment of 14 industrial plots in Panchkula by the Haryana Urban Development Authority. PTI

New Delhi

Odisha woman raped by lover, his friends BARIPADA

An 18-year-old woman was allegedly raped by her lover and his five friends for four days at Udala in Mayurbhanj district of Odisha, the police said on Monday. The incident came to light after the victim escaped from captivity and filed a complaint. Two of the accused were detained. PTI

SC to examine practice of female genital mutilation NEW DELHI

The Supreme Court has sought replies from four Union Ministries and States like Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Delhi on the practice of female genital mutilation of minors of the Dawoodi Bohra Muslim community. PTI

Refusing to be drawn into comparisons with the recent death penalty verdict in the Nirbhaya case, Bilkis Bano said in New Delhi on Monday that she wanted justice and not revenge, and was therefore, happy with the Bombay High Court judgment in her case. Ms. Bano was 19 years old and pregnant when she was gang-raped on March 3, 2002 during the postGodhra Gujarat riots. Fourteen members of her family, including her three-and-ahalf-year-old daughter, were murdered by a mob. Ms. Bano was the only adult survivor and eyewitness to the massacre. On May 4, the Bombay High Court upheld the conviction of the 11 accused in her case, and overturned the acquittals of seven others by a lower court, delivering a guilty verdict on a total of 18 individuals, including five policemen and two doctors. “My faith in the Constitution and in the idea of justice has been upheld, and for

wants to become a lawyer,” he said. Asked about the recent spate of attacks on Muslims and Dalits by cow vigilante groups, Mr. Rasool said, “I come from a family of cattle traders. It is our traditional occupation. But now there is so much fear due to cow vigilantism, I and my relatives, who have supported me all these years, have lost our livelihoods. I don’t know how we are going to manage in the future.”

‘Justice, not revenge’: Bilkis Bano with her daughter at a press conference in New Delhi on Monday. SANDEEP SAXENA *

that I am truly grateful to the honourable judges,” Ms. Bano said, addressing the media for the first time after the High Court verdict. Asked if she would have preferred death penalty for the accused, she said, “The horrors I suffered deserve the maximum punishment, but I do not want anyone else to die in my name. I

want justice, not revenge. What’s important for me is that my daughter grows up in an India that is safe for her.” Ms. Bano’s husband, Yakub Rasool, said the verdict had shown that justice was still possible in today’s India. “Our faith in the judicial system has been vindicated. Now my daughter

Pathbreaking verdict Vijay Hiremath, who represented Ms. Bano in the Bombay High Court, said the verdict was a historic one. “This is the first time that the court has convicted State officials, including five policemen, for destroying evidence and shielding the accused in the context of communal violence,” he said. “The indictment of the Gujarat police was one of the biggest victories in the case,” said Dr. N.C. Saxena, retired civil servant and former member, Planning Commission.

‘Why hire Agusta helicopters?’ ‘Draw inspiration from Staff Reporter Mumbai

Attacking the BJP-led Maharashtra government for including AgustaWestland in the list of helicopters that can be hired for use by VVIPs, the Congress on Monday asked if its fight against corruption was only a drama. Italian helicopter maker AgustaWestland was embroiled in a controversy following allegations of kickbacks in dealings with the previous UPA government. In a Government Resolu-

tion issued on May 4, the State government approved the decision to appoint private aviation firms Adonis Aviation Enterprises and Aloft Aviation Pvt. Ltd to identify and hire helicopters and small planes for government use. “In this list, the government has approved three AgustaWestland helicopters. All its leaders had accused us of corruption [in the 2013 VVIP chopper deal], and the BJP-led State government will be using them now,” Sachin Sawant, spokesperson, Maha-

rashtra Pradesh Congress Committee, said. The BJP claimed the government did not deal directly with helicopter companies, and the private aviation firms designated hire or buy them. “The GR is online and available for people to see. The government has nothing to do with AgustaWestland. The Congress should do its homework before levelling baseless allegations,” BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari said.

Tagore’s idea of oneness’

Darbhanga

One person was killed and three were injured in police firing on Monday during a clash with villagers in Bihar’s Darbhanga district over burial on a piece of land allotted to three persons by the government. The clash took place at Habidih village, about 30 km from the district headquarter town of Darbhanga, when the administration allowed the burial of a body on land allotted to three persons by the government in 1956, District Magistrate Chandrasekhar Singh said. The body had been lying since Sunday in the face of resistance by some villagers against burial on the land. The body was buried on Monday with protection from the administration. There is a graveyard and a crematorium side by side at Habidih. The body was buried in a plot of land that is part of a five ‘katha’ land next to them, which had been allotted to three persons of the village by the State government in 1956, triggering violence. The infuriated villagers

New Delhi

President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday urged the people to draw inspiration from Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s idea of “oneness of humanity” as he greeted the country on the eve of the poet’s birth anniversary. “On the occasion of the birth anniversary of Gurudev, I pay humble tribute to this great creative

genius, who authored India’s national anthem and won for Asia its first Nobel Prize in literature,” he said. Mr Mukherjee said Tagore was an intellectual giant and that he was fascinated by the idea of interaction between civilisations through the exchange of knowledge about their cultures and literatures. “Tagore was a great soul, who continues to remain an inspiration for humanity.”

A migrant labourer from Odisha finally met his new born baby that had gone missing from a hospital in Telangana. The poignant story of Bishnu Banchhor, of Khaprakhol area of Balangir district, came to the light after he sought the help of the Child Welfare Committee, Balangir. Bishnu had arrived in Telengana early in February this year with his wife Bhumika Banchhor, twoyear-old son and parents in-law to work in a brick kiln near Keesara. Bhumika was then eight months pregnant. Bhumika was admitted to the Gandhi Hospital, Secunderabad, soon afterwards and she gave birth to a baby boy on February 25. The condition of both the mother and the child was critical and Bhumika died on March 1. Apprehending that the brick kiln owner would hold them hostage to recover expenses incurred, the family fled to Odisha, leaving the baby behind in the hospital.Upon returning to their village, Bishnu sought the help of CWC.

‘Print media alive and kicking’ Kieran Lobo Mumbai

Press Trust of India

threw stones at the police present at the spot, prompting the forces to fire in retaliation. The police firing claimed one life and injured three, Mr. Singh said. Superintendent of Police A. K. Satyabir said the bodyguard from whose carbine a bullet was fired has been arrested. The SDO’s bodyguard and one sub-inspector were injured in the stone pelting by villages after which he (the bodyguard) opened fire without permission, due to which a person was killed, the SP said. Meanwhile, the DM said Mohammad Aftab, the bodyguard from whose carbine the bullets are believed to have been fired and which killed a 23-year-old man, has been suspended. Commissioner R. K. Khandelwal said a probe has been ordered in the case. Mr. Singh said ₹4 lakh has been paid as ex-gratia to the kin of the person killed. In addition to this, ₹11 lakh would be paid to the family along with a monthly pension of ₹11,000 as per the SC/ST Act. The DM and the SP are camping at the spot.

The Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC) has challenged popular belief that print media in the country is dying by releasing data to show that 2.37 crore newspaper copies were added in the last 10 years despite stiff competition from television and digital media. The ABC, which computes and publishes circulation figures of print publications since 1948, presented its findings for the last dec-

ade here in the city on Monday. To the surprise of many, the ABC’s report showed a 4.87% increase in circulation, equating to a 2.37 crore rise in the number of copies sold. Additionally, KPMG, a consultancy service, projected a 7% increase in circulation over the next five years.

Credible information Speaking at the event, ABC council member Shashidhar Sinha praised the findings, saying that there was a mis-

conception that print is losing its relevance. “In no other market in the world you will find this. A rise in education, a growth in the economy and the fact that print remains the best place to source credible information from are the main reasons for this 4.87 % growth,” he said. Extolling the ABC’s research methods, Mr. Sinha said the process is conducted by independent auditors changed over a period of two years.

NBT to host book fairs in panchayats First round may be in Naxal-hit areas Vikas Pathak NEW DELHI

The National Book Trust (NBT), an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Human Resource Development, is planning to host book fairs at the panchayat level to encourage the reading habit in villages. The NBT is set to launch an ambitious scheme called the Panchayat Pustak Mela (Panchayat Book Fair), whose aim would be to organise regular book fairs in rural areas across the country. A senior official told The Hindu that, for starters, the NBT may test the waters with a book fair across the panchayat bodies in Maoistaffected Chhattisgarh.

Rural connect The NBT recently brought out eight books in dialects used in the Bastar region of the State, in Devnagri script. In other words, it already has a body of literature that is likely to connect with the rural audience of the region. “At a time when the State faces a serious militancy threat, books — especially ones that are close to the people of the region, and inspirational works on national themes — can help align the adivasis there with the mainstream,” the official said, when asked about plans to kick-start the process from Chhattisgarh. “We will showcase books published by the NBT in re-

Widening reach: The National Book Trust is focussing on dialects also.

gional languages, in Hindi, and English, at these book fairs,” the official said. The NBT will look to collaborate with State governments for this scheme, and also invite panchayat representatives to these book fairs. The books on display would showcase the lives of freedom fighters and “heroes”, as the aim is to instil a sense of pride among rural youth, the official said. Children’s books would also be on display. The NBT will request the State governments to provide libraries at the panchayat level. The Trust has in recent times been looking to publish in “small languages” and dialects. Last year, it organised a workshop on the Kokborok language of Tripura. It has also brought out books on Mahatma Gandhi and on children’s themes in Maithili, Magahi and Bhojpuri — all spoken in Bihar — in Devnagri script.

Heat wave in Haryana Indo-Asian News Service Chandigarh

Heat wave conditions prevailed across the plains of Haryana and Punjab on Monday, with maximum temperatures of 41-45.5 degrees being recorded at various places. In Haryana, Narnaul town sizzled at 45.5 degrees. CM YK

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8 EDITORIAL

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A triumph for French liberalism Emmanuel Macron represents the powerful, liberal electorate that has emerged since the 1990s

The centre holds

Being humane A law against torture should enable ratiication of the Convention barring custodial excesses

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wo decades after signing the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, India is yet to ratify it. There can be little justiication for such a prolonged delay in passing legislation to give efect to the convention. In recent times there is a fresh note of urgency attached to the need for early ratiication, as the country has pending requests for the extradition of its nationals from other countries. For, as pointed out by the Supreme Court, the absence of a stand-alone law prohibiting torture may prevent many countries from agreeing to India’s extradition requests. Such a law may be in the national interest, the Chief Justice of India observed during the course of a hearing on a public interest petition seeking the enactment of an anti-torture law in accordance with the country’s commitment. The court also noted that India was subjected to close questioning during the Universal Periodic Review of its human rights obligations at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. It cannot be forgotten that an extradition request relating to Purulia arms drop case suspect Kim Davy failed owing to the apprehension that he may be ill-treated in India. In an era of increasing international cooperation on criminal matters, India will be better served if it is seen as adhering to international treaties, especially its obligations under the Convention Against Torture, which it signed in 1997. There may be some doubt whether India needs a fresh law to prevent and punish torture. Provisions relating to causing hurt or grievous hurt, especially with a view to extracting a confession, criminal intimidation and wrongful coninement already exist in the Indian Penal Code. However, the idea of a stand-alone law ought to be ultimately seen as a more tangible way of expressing commitment to eliminating torture. A concrete step towards enacting a law was made when the Prevention of Torture Bill, 2010, was passed by the Lok Sabha in 2010, but it was referred to a Select Committee in the Rajya Sabha. In its report submitted in the same year, the committee recommended exhaustive amendments to the Bill to make it consistent with the language and intent of the Convention. Thereafter the Bill lapsed. The government now says it has referred the matter to the Law Commission for an authoritative view. Given the pervasive nature of custodial violence and its complex policing requirements, the present legislative and administrative framework is obviously inadequate to prevent torture in a country of India’s size. It is imperative that a strong law that criminalises torture, imposes stringent punishment for it and contains liberal provisions for those sufering torture to complain against their perpetrators, prosecute them and be compensated and rehabilitated, is passed at the earliest. CM YK

emile chabal t is tempting to see Emmanuel Macron’s victory in the French presidential run-of on Sunday as little more than a coronation. Yes, he won 66% of the vote but he did so with one of the highest rates of abstention in recent history and a record number of spoiled ballots. Even those who voted for him often did so by default in order to prevent the far-right candidate, Marine Le Pen, from winning. More importantly, say critics, this unusual presidential run-of had two important consequences. First, that Mr. Macron’s ideas were never really discussed in depth. Second, that the new President has no proper electorate. Instead, many believe that his supporters are little more than an uncomfortable coalition of ill-matched groups and individuals. They do not share a common vision and they certainly do not agree with each other. When the parliamentary election rolls around in June, they will disperse and Mr. Macron’s self-proclaimed “movement” will fall apart.

I

A clear victory It is quite possible that the new President will fail to gain a majority of seats in the French Parliament. But are all of these accusations about his campaign true? The evidence suggests otherwise. For a start, Mr. Macron won this election by a huge margin and achieved substantially better results than the polls predicted. Most commentators agreed that, in the circumstances, he would need more than 60% of the vote to appear legitimate. He got over this igure easily.

His success was also geographically diverse. Mr. Macron carried all but two of France’s 101 départements (administrative regions) and he did so with remarkable consistency. His scores were strong from French Guiana in Latin America to small hamlets in central France. In the capital city, Paris, more than 90% of voters chose Mr. Macron. By contrast, Ms. Le Pen did well in rural parts of northern and eastern France but she lost in every major city and did worse than expected in traditionally strong Front National areas in the south and south-east. Finally, Mr. Macron can take pride in the fact that he came ahead of his opponent in every age, sex and socio-professional category, except industrial workers. Despite strong misgivings amongst the youngest voters and the unemployed, a large proportion of whom abstained, spoiled their ballots or voted for Ms. Le Pen, he still came out on top everywhere. For better or for worse, industrial workers are no longer a signiicant power base in French politics. In short, Mr. Macron’s political strategy worked. With his message of stability, pro-Europeanism and technocratic governance, he attracted a wide range of voters. Not to mention that he did so at a time when left-leaning centrism seemed to be a toxic brand after

François Hollande’s unsuccessful presidency. He unexpectedly mobilised Mr. Hollande’s former electoral base, achieving some of his best scores in the outgoing President’s iefdoms — and he beneited from massive vote transfers from far left, moderate left and rightwing voters. After all this, to say that this was a victory by default would be grossly unfair. In the space of a few years, Mr. Macron has gone from a rather bland minister to President of one of Europe’s most powerful nations. There is a fair chance that he will also have created a large political movement that will win a hundred or more seats in Parliament. Whatever one thinks of his politics, there is no doubting his achievement.

Revenge of French liberalism As for Mr. Macron’s supporters, are they simply incoherent and opportunistic? There is certainly a strong element of political inexperience amongst his core campaign team, the vast majority of whom are under the age of 40. But this is not the same as saying that they have no ideas and no uniied vision. In fact, Mr. Macron’s victory is entirely consistent with deeper transformations in French politics. Several years ago, I argued that French liberalism was a vital — and growing — part of contemporary

ron supporters, unlike those of Ms. Le Pen, are the sort of outwardlooking people who care about what is happening beyond the borders of France. Parts of the far left and much of the far right are correct to identify these people as the beneiciaries of globalisation, but the reality is that this group is now at least as inluential as other, more traditional, French voting blocs like farmers, elderly conservatives, Catholics, and industrial workers. This does not, of course, mean that Mr. Macron’s presidency will be problem-free. Since the early 19th century, most French liberals have been elitist and highly suspicious of the masses. Whether terriied of revolution in the 1830s or fearful of Communism in the 1950s, they have usually preferred to make compromises with conservatives rather than complete their ambitious plans for administrative and economic reform. At key moments — such as the 1848 Revolution, the Paris Commune of 1871 or the Socialist landslide victory in 1981 — well-meaning liberals have been completely overtaken by events. Mr. Macron could ind himself in the same bind. With the persistent threat of the far right and the real possibility of a left-wing social movement opposed to his economic ideas, he may well be consigned to the same fate as his liberal predecessors: a brilliant mind, with brilliant ideas, but too scared of the mob. Or he could buck the trend and become France’s answer to Barack Obama. One thing at least is clear: his failures, as much as his successes, will deine a whole generation of French liberals. Emile Chabal is a Chancellor’s Fellow in History at the University of Edinburgh and the author of ‘A Divided Republic: Nation, State and Citizenship in Contemporary France’. E-mail: [email protected]

Towards a unique digital South Asian identity Executed properly, Aadhaar could become a central pillar of India’s ‘neighbourhood irst’ policy

arun mohan sukumar

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he enthusiasm with which government agencies and businesses have embraced Aadhaar should prompt India’s foreign policy planners to deploy it abroad. Executed properly, Aadhaar could become a central pillar of India’s “neighbourhood irst” policy, culminating in the creation of a unique digital South Asian identity. A single, regionwide platform to authenticate residents of South Asia could integrate its markets, bring communities closer and allow governments to ofer a wider range of governance services. None of this is to ignore the steps that India’s Unique Identiication Authority must take to secure its own Aadhaar ecosystem. But the demand for identity-driven governance in South Asia is indisputable, and Aadhaar could be Indian foreign policy’s biggest asset to promote economic and political convergence in the region. Already, South Asian economies are in varying stages of conceiving or implementing their own “national identity” schemes. Pakistan has the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), that

for two decades has collected biometric information. NADRA, however, has seen limited success: at last count, it had issued only 3.8 lakh ID cards to Pakistanis, in comparison to Aadhaar’s one billionplus enrolments. In 2013, NADRA even won an international contract to create Sri Lanka’s digital national identity scheme, but that project appears to have stalled. Nepal, meanwhile, intends to roll out biometrics-driven “national ID cards” to its citizens soon. The Election Commission in Bangladesh began issuing such cards last year.

Exporting Aadhaar South Asian governments, long content to gather data through traditional means such as censuses, are struggling to capture dynamic trends in their population. Current databases shine no light on urban mobility, data consumption patterns, or quality of life, because these are metrics that need integrated data sets and powerful analytical tools. To capture “multi-dimensional” data, India’s neighbours have moved towards digital identity schemes. The need for unique IDs is also acute because post-conlict societies in South Asia have not fully rehabilitated excluded minorities or former combatants. In comparison to politically fraught changes — for instance, the 13th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution for the devol-

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Reassuring victory The victory of Emmanuel Macron in the French presidential election comes as a relief as he is a centrist and a pro-EU leader (“Macron to be France’s youngest President”, May 8). This, to some extent, will arrest the wave of chauvinism and protectionism now sweeping Europe and the United States especially after Britain’s ‘yes’ to Brexit. His being elected despite his age shows that voters are more interested in ideas and opportunities for change. Jyoti, Rohtak, Haryana

■ After Brexit and Donald Trump’s victory as the U.S. President, it was feared that France would embrace an isolationist policy. Fortunately, voters in France have reposed their faith in centrist politics and were not swayed by Marine

communities. Take the return of military-occupied land in Sri Lanka’s Northern Province to the Tamils, an exercise that has become a political and logistical nightmare for Colombo. A digital identity-based scheme will not only authenticate the legitimate recipients of land, but also simplify future transactions for sale, leasing or commercial use. In Bangladesh, digital IDs could track loans made by multiple microinance institutions to the same borrower and help check rural debt.

SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

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mmanuel Macron’s decisive victory in the French presidential election has elicited a sigh of relief not just in his country, but in others as well. A centrist independent, the 39-year-old will be France’s youngest President, a man who not only stopped his country from sliding into the hands of far-right populists but showed the world that the anti-establishment momentum that powered the victories of the Brexit camp in the U.K. and Donald Trump in the U.S. can be broken. From the far-right perspective, France was ripe for their rise to power. There was widespread discontent among voters, particularly among the youth, with the mainstream political elite; the economy has been struggling for years; joblessness is high; there is deepening insecurity among the citizens in general in the wake of multiple terror attacks. Marine Le Pen, Mr. Macron’s rival, tried to turn this economic and social insecurity into votes for her virulent brand of politics. She attacked the Paris establishment, the European Union, economic globalisation and France’s open border policy, while being seen to be making common cause with Mr. Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. In the end, she was defeated on a huge margin, polling roughly 34% of the vote compared to Mr. Macron’s 66%. Mr. Macron’s victory is remarkable in many ways. It was his irst election. His party was founded just last year and, barring a brief stint as Economy Minister in outgoing President François Hollande’s Cabinet, he doesn’t have any administrative experience. Yet it is a sign of the crisis of mainstream politics that this apparent weakness became his greatest strength in a tumultuous campaign marked by sharp divisions in French society. His “outsider” tag helped him appeal to the anti-establishment segments of voters, while his status quoist proposals, be it economic or labour policy reforms or continuity in foreign policy, made him acceptable to supporters of the traditional parties. But he has only won the battle, the war lies ahead of him. Mr. Macron takes over the reins from Mr. Hollande at an extremely uncertain time. It is still not clear how many seats his political start-up En Marche! may get in next month’s parliamentary elections, which are traditionally dominated by the mainstream left and right parties. If he doesn’t get a majority, he will have to depend on other parties to push his legislative agenda through the National Assembly. And it can’t be overlooked that Ms. Le Pen’s National Front has come a long way since 2002 when her father won only 18% of the vote in the presidential run-of. The French far right is no more a fringe party, and commands considerable support among sections of the working class. Mr. Macron has to ind a way of tackling this growing unrest among sections that feel marginalised; at the same time, he will have to take tough decisions to ix the economy. Failure is not an option, as the far right still has its powder dry.

GETTY IMAGES

Emmanuel Macron successfully overcomes the French far right’s most potent campaign

French political culture. I suggested that Nicolas Sarkozy and François Hollande’s presidential victories in 2007 and 2012, respectively, drew on particular aspects of France’s liberal tradition. And I maintained that an ever-growing number of people identiied with liberalism. At the time, this seemed like a rather tendentious claim. But not today. Historians of France have had much to say about its liberal tradition, which has included such brilliant political and intellectual igures as Benjamin Constant, Alexis de Tocqueville, Raymond Aron and Valéry Giscard d’Estaing. By and large, however, they have recognised that liberalism has not been nearly as successful in France as it has elsewhere in Europe since the 19th century. There has never been a liberal party and few French politicians openly claim to be ‘liberal’. But this has been changing since the 1970s. Over the past four decades, more and more French people have identiied with a speciically French brand of liberalism that emphasises reform of the state, a greater openness to nonFrench ideas, a recognition of the plural character of French society, and market-orientated economic reform. Elements of these liberal ideas were taken up by Mr. Sarkozy and Mr. Hollande, but Mr. Macron has them all. This means that France’s newest President — who, signiicantly, was born in 1977 — is a perfect embodiment of contemporary French liberalism. So too is his core electorate: young or middle-aged, multicultural, urban, European. Anyone who says that such a constituency is little more than a coalition of convenience has missed the emergence of a powerful, liberal electorate since the 1990s. It is no coincidence that one of the most important issues for Macron voters was the way France was perceived in the wider world. Mac-

ution of powers, or federalist reforms in Nepal — digital identity schemes are easier to implement, can strengthen local governments and support the inancial inclusion of marginalised sections. Beyond collecting biometric data, however, South Asian governments have not been able to create digital ID-enabled applications. This is what Aadhaar has mastered, making it a very valuable foreign policy export. Its open application programming interface (API) layers — known as “India Stack” — set Aadhaar apart from other biometric ID programmes. India Stack APIs, which include the Uniied Payment Interface (UPI) and Aadhaar e-KYC, allow applications to be built atop them (for example, the Bharat Interface for Money or BHIM app) and enable identity-driven transactions. Such platforms will be invaluable to an economy working to integrate its

Strategic beneits India too stands to beneit by exporting the Aadhaar architecture. The digital networks for much of South Asia are likely to be supplied by Chinese companies over the next decade. Telecom pipes and towers built by China will carry the Internet to the user, but innovation in Asia’s digital economies will happen at the top — the “app layer”. Aadhaar-like platforms catalyse innovation by tailoring Big Data for governments and businesses alike. The political and economic leverage India will accrue as a result of enabling such entrepreneurship will surpass ixed investments by China. There is another strategic reason for India to export the Aadhaar platform. Once a critical mass of Aadhaar-enabled applications has been created, interoperability standards for the digital ecosystem will be determined

by the Unique ID programme. App developers, handheld manufacturers, and even Internet Service Providers will have to work around Aadhaar’s encryption standards and data protection guidelines. Such a scenario will be India’s best response to concerns that China will pump its infrastructure, and — in the words of Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar — “hard wire” the norms of governance in the region. The same concerns of surveillance and privacy that animate the Aadhaar debate in India would no doubt be relected in South Asian societies. Perhaps more sharply, given the propensity of some governments in the neighbourhood to target minority communities. They can learn from India’s mistakes. South Asian countries that have not digitised their public databases fully can create secure ones to link to unique ID programmes. A national ID programme would also be a trigger for them to enact strong data protection laws. Aadhaar is a constitutional technology that can build whole new information and communication technology ecosystems. New Delhi should appreciate its foreign policy value and integrate the project into its neighbourhood agenda. Arun Mohan Sukumar heads the Cyber Initiative at the Observer Research Foundation. Madhulika Srikumar contributed with research inputs to this piece

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

Le Pen’s isolationist policy and extreme nationalism to the exclusion of other nations in Europe. The real challenge for the new President would be to build his party and go further, which will hold the key to reforms. In Mr. Macron’s ascent, one is reminded of the AAP that has since failed to live up to the high expectations of people.

answers or using mobile gadgets. Objecting to the wearing of certain types of clothing is a violation of the fundamental rights of a citizen. The authorities who were conducting the examination must be asked for an explanation. I am sure that the afected students can ile a case for harassment and the mental agony caused.

D.B.N. Murthy,

Ajay Ashok,

Bengaluru

New Delhi

A NEET ‘dress code’

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Reports of candidates being forced to remove ornaments and in some cases, their inner wear and other apparel as these were in violation of the “dress code for NEET exam”, are absurd (“Dress code a tougher test for NEET aspirants”, May 8). It is understandable if there are strict regulations relating to a candidate’s conduct in the examination hall such as discussing

Despite no ‘stake’ in the NEET examinations, I am fully aware of the various conditions laid down for candidates appearing for it. Is it not necessary for candidates and their parents to devote time to read the instructions carefully before setting out for the test centres? There are umpteen reports across the media of parents and candidates complaining of the checks. The

“diiculties” they have undergone show a lack of respect for the rules and regulations. The media has also highlighted how candidates were frisked which resulted in some of them sufering psychological trauma. Rather than reporting on how it died down once the test began, it was disturbing to ind some reporters egging on candidates to say that they were distressed. As far as the issue of “diicult questions” was concerned, our system requires our students to learn by rote. Very rarely are school students made to think. Students who follow the State syllabus often prepare themselves only for the board examinations. In many instances, once the examinations are over, their so-called knowledge too evaporates. Subbiah N., Chennai

Drifting away? Reports of the huge gathering at the funeral of a militant in south Kashmir and of militants ofering a ‘gun salute’ must make us ponder (“Militants ofer ‘gun salute’ at comrade’s funeral in Valley”, May 8). This singular incident unmistakably conirms that a large segment of the population in Kashmir has

undergone an ideological change and will no longer toe the Centre’s line. How are we going to win back their hearts? It is most unfortunate that the gun culture has made its way into Kashmiri hearts. India’s task is clearly cut out. V. Lakshmanan, Tirupur, Tamil Nadu

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

corrections & clarifications: “A small town of no signiicance” — a Sunday Magazine story (May 7, 2017) — wrongly said Gorakhnath was from the Gorkha dynasty. Actually, Gorakhnath was the rajguru of the Gorkha dynasty. A Business page story headlined “MRF top layer rejig ‘signiicant’ “ (May 6, 2017), erroneously said “Sudarshan Venu and Lakshmi Venu, siblings of industrialists Venu Srinivasan and Mallika Srinivasan, are active in family enterprises.” Actually, they are the children of Venu Srinivasan and Mallika Srinivasan. A front-page report, “Space bonding hits a new high” (May 6, 2017) , erroneously referred to Ashraf Ghani as the Prime Minister of Afghanistan. He is actually the President. It is the policy of The Hindu to correct signiicant errors as soon as possible. Please specify the edition (place of publication), date and page. The Readers’ Editor’s office can be contacted by Telephone: +91-44-28418297/28576300 (11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday); Fax: +91-44-28552963; E-mail:[email protected]; Mail: Readers’ Editor, The Hindu, Kasturi Buildings, 859 & 860 Anna Salai, Chennai 600 002, India. All communication must carry the full postal address and telephone number. No personal visits. The Terms of Reference for the Readers’ Editor are on www.thehindu.com

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THE HINDU

OPED 9

NOIDA/DELHI

TUESDAY, MAY 9, 2017

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The single-service syndrome

Righting the Left

The Joint Doctrine is a diversionary attempt by the services to resist any changes in the status quo

The Left needs to balance its own cosmopolitan world view with that of the masses, which is more local and basic

Anit Mukherjee Last month the three service chiefs released the latest iteration of the Joint Doctrine for the Indian Armed Forces. In the foreword the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, Admiral Sunil Lanba, wrote that that the Joint Doctrine “provides foundations for greater integration and interdependence, to achieve higher inter-operability and compatibility within the Armed Forces”. To its credit this version of the doctrine was released to the public (the first edition written in 2006 remains classified) with the hope, as argued by Admiral Lanba, that it “should be revisited…to extend our understanding and collative (sic) understanding.” However, that is the best that can be said about this document because a closer reading leads to an inescapable conclusion — those writing this doctrine had very little idea what they were talking about.

Resistance to a joint command The debate on jointness within the Indian military has been going on for almost sixty years. As we now know Lord Mountbatten, the architect of India’s Higher Defence Organisation, was keen to appoint a Chief of Defence and lobbied repeatedly for creation of a Joint Staff. However, there was reluctance from India’s political and bureaucratic class that were fearful of an empowered military. Later, the services also resisted jointness as they privileged the autonomy afforded by the single service approach. It was only after the postKargil defence reforms in 2001 that an Integrated Defence Staff (minus the post of the Chief of Defence Staff, or CDS) was established. In addition, a Joint Command was established on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands with the expectation that this “experiment” would lead to other geographically delineated joint commands. However, while many in the strategic community (rightly) blame politicians and bureaucrats for their reluctance to appoint a Chief of Defence Staff, they often overlook resistance to jointness within the services. Simply put, the Army, Navy and Air Force are unwilling to embrace managerial jointness, through

Military czars: (From left) Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa; Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba; and Chief of the Army Staf Gen. Bipin Rawat. PTI *

a CDS, or operational jointness, by agreeing to joint commands. In fact, on the latter issue, they have successfully rolled back the idea for joint commands as there are reports that the Andaman and Nicobar Command will be permanently headed by a naval officer — which runs contrary to the vision of those who created the joint command. With that background, this joint doctrine should be read as a diversionary attempt by the services to resist any changes in the status quo. It is therefore not surprising that the doctrine is confusing even on the issue of defining jointness. Sample this: “Jointness implies or denotes possessing an optimised capability to engage in Joint War-Fighting and is not limited to just Joint-War Fighting ( Joint Operations). The attention to detail is in the placing of the hyphen. It needs to be clearly understood and discerned that ‘Jointness’ is a ‘Concept’, whereas ‘Joint Operations’ are evolutions, of both, Joint operations as well as single-Service operations are sub-sets of the larger whole of ‘conceptual Jointness’.” Noticeably, the doctrine fails to mention anything about the joint Andaman and Nicobar Command. This begs two larger questions. First, why has the joint command experiment failed? Second, as global militaries are increasing converging towards joint commands (President Xi Jinping being the latest to force this on the Chinese military), what is the exact model of jointness that the Indian

military wishes to follow? The possible answer to both is that the Indian military, attached to the single service approach, just does not want any changes.

A shoddy endeavour at best Apart from being a difficult read, the doctrine fails on other levels. First, it creates an unnecessary controversy about India’s nuclear doctrine by describing it as “credible deterrence” instead of “credible minimum deterrence”. This distinction is crucial as India’s draft nuclear doctrine specifically mentions the latter. If there is a change in the nuclear doctrine, then messaging it through the joint doctrine is peculiar. A more likely explanation is that perhaps the distinction was lost upon those who wrote this document. Second, the doctrine’s referencing, editing and footnoting technique requires serious attention. When I ran the doctrine through Turnitin — software that checks for plagiarism — it came up with a similarity index of 26%. Citing and borrowing ideas from previously published sources is acceptable; however it is important to do so using quotations, a norm that this doctrine totally ignores. This is justified away with the disclaimer that “inputs [were] compiled from Indian National Constitution, Annual Reports of Ministry of Defence, various defence publications, journals and military pamphlets, Service Headquarters, War Colleges, etc.” More than

anything else, it requires war colleges and professional military institutions in India to implement capsules on academic integrity and widely use plagiarism detection software. Perhaps inadvertently, the doctrine reveals much about a topic familiar to those who study the Indian military — the issue of civil-military relations. There are only two appendices to this report — one describing what is a doctrine and the second one, strangely, on the topic of civilmilitary relations. The latter reads like a wish list and captures the litany of complaints within the military against the civilian bureaucracy. While arguing that “layered hierarchies of the National Security structures should integrate”, it called for “inclusivity in policy making” to be “led (misspelt “lead” in the original document!) by integrated and responsive structural mechanisms.” It goes on to assert that “to address National Security imperatives, it is prudent that institutional and structural mechanisms exist that facilitate free flowing communication… The functionaries in the MoD ought to be enablers of this relationship.” This suggests that civilians in the Defence Ministry have not been doing so — a charge that one hears often from the Indian military. The divide between the military and civilian bureaucrats in the Defence Ministry is a well-known story that even this government has done little to address. What could possibly explain such a badly written doctrine and does this suggest that the Indian military is incapable of such an intellectual endeavour? Happily we do have instances of well-written doctrines — the Indian Navy’s doctrine titled “Ensuring Secure Seas” released in 2015 represents one such effort. However, that was perhaps because the Navy has invested in its doctrine writing branch and had consulted widely. But the Indian Army and perhaps even the Air Force do not incentivise and develop such expertise. What is required therefore is not minor edits but a complete withdrawal of this document with a revised version to be released later. Not doing so reflects badly on the professionalism and does little justice to the intellectual capability of the Indian military. Anit Mukherjee is an assistant professor at RSIS, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, and a non-resident fellow at Brookings India

Samir Nazareth As the Right triumphantly marches on through the wasteland left behind following the destruction of the political Left’s support base, there is much to learn from the tilt. The Left was left behind as it excluded and derided contrarian views. Not only were such ideas ostracised, people who espoused them were labelled as ‘antediluvian’ and selfcentred. The Left, while claiming to represent the silent masses, ended up creating an entire population that felt disenfranchised. When their issues got hushed aside, their fears increased. To hunker down when threatened by an enemy is animal instinct. To convert the threat into an opportunity, to use it as a magnet to draw the dispossessed, is political instinct, one that came naturally to the Right. It appealed to the people’s fears with rampedup rhetoric. The Left’s tactic — of playing down the fear element and appealing to the brotherhood and humanity within individuals — did not find currency among the electorate. However, there were also other common elements in the Right’s approach, across different countries where it gained popularity.

Tunes of the Pied Pipers The Pied Pipers of the Right, be it in India, the United States, Turkey, or European countries, had the following tunes in their repertoire. The first involved an unrelenting appeal to the baser instincts of the electorate, which included fear of the ‘other’. For Donald Trump, this included Muslims, for Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, it was the Gulenists. All this played to the gallery in making them believe that it was this ‘other’ that was taking away their jobs, their social and economic entitlements. The next tune included the projection of a leader who the dispossessed could identify with. Narendra Modi projected himself as India’s ‘macho man’ and the initial few months of his tenure as Prime Minister were filled with newspaper reports extolling his strength vis-à-vis the weakness of his predecessors. Mr. Modi became the face, the image of a confident and resurgent India. Filipinos liked and voted for Rodrigo Duterte because they believed that he was honest and could get things done. Mr. Trump sold himself to the American electorate as an astute businessman, an image attribute he has retained. The third tune among the Right’s leaders is their ability to be both inward-looking and international, simultaneously. One of the first things Mr. Modi did after becoming the Prime

Minister was pay a visit to the Indian diaspora in different countries, even as he spoke of bringing back India’s ‘glory days’. Mr. Erdogan has a major fan following among the Turkish diaspora across Europe. Mr. Trump, in his efforts to protect America, is influencing policymaking in Mexico, China and Europe. Mr. Duterte has threatened to leave the United Nations and has been making overtures to the Chinese. The fourth tune is ‘keeping it simple’. Whenever Mr. Trump, during his campaigning, mentioned his rival candidate Hillary Clinton, the halls reverberated with cries of ‘lock her up’. When Mr. Modi vowed to create a ‘Congress-mukt Bharat’ (an India free of Congress), the crowds knew he was assuring them of a country that will be free from corruption and sycophancy. The tunes of these Pied Pipers relied on a common emphasis: ‘Messages need not be factual to strike a chord with the people’. When Mr. Modi, a few months after his election, spoke of plastic surgery having been present in ancient India, it appealed to a section of people desperate to seek solace in ancient pride. Mr. Trump and his administration have been instrumental in the coinage of the term ‘post-truth’. The inherent DNA of the Left makes it difficult for it to copy these tunes. This DNA is about freeing people, about emancipating the masses, about bringing up thinking and empowered citizens capable of making decisions on their own. However, it has ignored a consequence of such liberation — the weakening of the foundation on which an individual society is built. Further, the Left assumes that everyone wants the freedom it offers and also agrees with it on the manner in which it needs to be achieved. This assumption leads to a let-down when society refuses to embrace such an emancipation. Is it any wonder that internationalism and cosmopolitanism are crumbling under the desire to protect an identity? A large section of the population, across the world, consists of people whose world view begins and ends with the fulfilment of their basic needs. Could this explain why messages that are simple, despite not being factual, are easily digested because they pander to this ‘world view’? How will the Left — whose beliefs are premised on truth, logic and a perspective that is global — ever deal with this? The Left can surely learn a thing or two from the Right about simplicity. It needs to tackle the fears that internationalism generates and has to find a balance between its cosmopolitan world view and one that is more local. The answer is not to ape the Right but to reimagine the role the Left needs to play in today’s society. Samir Nazareth works in the development sector. He is the author of ‘1400 Bananas, 76 Towns & 1 Million People’

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Caring for our prisoners’ minds

FIFTY YEARS AGO MAY 9, 1967

Govt. corporation to take over sick textile mills Commerce Minister Dinesh Singh told the Industrial Committee on Cotton Textiles to-day that the Government had decided to set up a textile corporation to manage ‘sick’ and weak textile mills. A Bill would be introduced in the next session of Parliament to facilitate the take-over of these uneconomic units, he added. Mr. Singh’s announcement of the decision received general support from the representatives of employers and employees. The committee also decided that the Government should set up investigation committees under the Industries (Development and Regulation) Act to investigate the affairs of units already facing closure. Another recommendation to the Government was to set up a tripartite committee at the centre to keep a watch on the situation and detect cases of deteriorating management in time.

Prisons cannot become a default facility for those with mental illness Monica Vincent

FLICKR

Prisons, an integral part of our criminal justice system, receive little or negligible oficial attention. There is social apathy towards the institution and its inmates. In the social order of public servants, prison oicials command less recognition than their peers, and this leaves a dent on their self-esteem and morale. Under revised United Nations rules, also known as ‘Nelson Mandela Rules’, health care for prisoners is a state responsibility; prisoners with mental illness are entitled to the same standards of health care as the rest in the community. National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) statistics in 2015 identiied a total of 5,203 inmates (1.2% of total inmates) as those having mental illness. The recently passed Mental Healthcare Bill, 2016, is a welcome sign because it has provisions that aims to protect rights of such individuals. However, inmates with mental health-care needs are more vulnerable than others. Adapting to the prison environment is challenging. Prisons are not designed for therapeutic care and cannot become a default facility for those with mental illness. The stigma and discrimination they experience is excruciating, to say the least.

Training the prison staf To address the issue, the irst step is early and proactive detection. Police being the irst responders, periodic training on mental health is imperative. Equally signiicant is to train prison staf and reimagine prisons as ‘correctional centres’ in order to bring about transformative changes and reduce recidivism. Mental health needs of prison staf are often overlooked and this deserves adequate attention too. When the state deprives inmates of their liberty, it takes on a sovereign duty to provide for their health care without any discrimination based on their legal status. It is time to entrench health policy of inmates as an integrated component of the national health policy and ensure that they receive the support, care and treatment they are entitled to. Prison healthcare services ought not be stymied with budget constraints, and poor staing and medical facilities. Qualiied health professionals — independent of the prison administration — are essential to provide services to inmates. Reviewing our criminal justice system would invariably have to include a transformation of our approach from its current punitive form to a rehabilitative and reformative one, which would facilitate social reintegration of inmates. In the words of Madiba, “a nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones”. Monica Vincent, an analyst in law and public policy, is a practising advocate of the Madras High Court

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ARCHIVES

A HUNDRED YEARS AGO MAY 9, 1917

Bombay Medical Act: Amending Bill. CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

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CONCEPTUAL

ABSTRACT

Rational ignorance

Even if it doesn’t come cheap

Political science The deliberate choice made by individuals to stay ignorant of an issue when the cost of educating oneself about it outweighs the potential benefits. It was first proposed by American economist Anthony Downs in his book An Economic Theory of Democracy, published in 1957. Rational ignorance is often used to explain why, for instance, voters in a democracy often have very little incentive to educate themselves about candidates or parties, since the personal benefit they might derive from the effort is likely to be smaller than the cost of it.

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Merci France, says Europe: Rakesh Sood’s article bit.ly/MacronFrance

Though costlier than asexual reproduction, mating better equips species to adapt to changing conditions Jacob Koshy

Why issex so popular among plants and animals, and why isn’t asexual reproduction, or cloning, a more common reproductive strategy? Sex, in fact, has a higher cost than asexual reproduction, as an intriguing experiment published in the peer-reviewed Evolution Letters last week demonstrated. The investigators adduced their evidence from studying the snail Potamopyrgus antipodarum, which has two kinds of females: one is asexual and the other is sexual and produces both sons and daughters. Asexual females coexist with sexual females in lakes and streams in New Zealand. When they collected snails from a lake where asexual and sexual females coexist and allowed them to reproduce in big outdoor tanks, they found that asexual females increased in frequency from parents

to offspring. What was shown in experiment had already been proven, in theory, decades ago. In the 1970s, evolutionary biologist John Maynard Smith mathematically showed that sex is a more costly reproductive strategy than asexual reproduction. Asexual females, he showed, made more grandchildren than sexual females. For sexual females, approximately half their offspring must be sons, and those sons can’t physically bear grandchildren. Asexual females don’t make sons, so they make twice as many daughters as sexual females. Maynard Smith called this cost of sex the “two-fold cost of males”. “Our findings mean that Maynard Smith’s theory does apply to this complex natural system, and sexual females do pay at least a two-fold cost of sex,” said Dr. Amanda Gibson, lead

author of the Evolution Letters study in a statement. The most common explanation for why sex makes sense is that it involves mixing up genes from two different individuals. This would mean that slight changes in the genes, called mutations, when passed over generations, are scattered within a species. Mutations can be harmful or beneficial and too many bad ones make individual life unviable, the argument goes. Sex improves the odds that such harmful mutations are eventually — in aggregate — weeded out of a species. Another reason is that sex better equips a species to adapt to changing conditions. Experiments confirm that members of a sexual lineage usually adapt faster than asexual members of the same species when conditions change.

The Hon’ble Mr. V.J. Patel has given notice of introducing in the Bombay Legislative Council a bill to amend the Bombay Medical Registration Act. Object of the Bill is threefold viz (1) to reduce the number of nominated members of the Medical Council which administers the Act, from six to four and to give the medical Faculty of Bombay University the right to elect two members keeping the total number at thirteen. (2) To remove the disqualification to be elected to the Council imposed on medical men of the rank of Hospital Assistants. Under the present Bombay Medical Act, Hospital Assistants and Sub-Assistant Surgeons can vote for election of members but themselves cannot stand as candidates. (3) To prevent the mischief likely to be created by the interpretation proposed to be put by the Medical Council on the words “infamous conduct in any professional respect”, occurring in sections 7 and 9 of the Act. CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

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10 NEWS

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THE HINDU

TUESDAY, MAY 9, 2017

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HC order favouring Lalu set aside The probe had been handed over to the CBI by the SC. The Bench ordered the CBI court to conclude the trial in nine months. The court also pulled up the CBI for delaying the filing of its appeal against the High Court order of discharge. Mr. Prasad was, at the time of the High Court decision in November 2014, already sentenced to a fiveyear rigorous imprisonment in a corruption case connected to the fodder scam involving the withdrawal of over ₹37 crore from the Chaibasa Treasury during the period of 1994-95 on the basis of 78 fake allotment letters. The sentence had immediately led to his disqualification from Parliament and barred him from elections for 11 years. The case against him now

deals with falsification of records and the withdrawal of ₹84.53 lakh from the Deoghar Treasury during the period 1991-94. Six other politicians and four IAS officers were also sentenced to prison terms for fraudulent withdrawal of ₹37.7 crore from the Chaibasa Treasury when Mr. Prasad was heading the RJD government in undivided Bihar in the early 1990s. Mr. Prasad was convicted in the Chaibasa case in October 2013. He, however, received bail from the Supreme Court in December the same year. The case against the accused persons was that they entered into a criminal conspiracy by which they brought into existence fake allotment letters worth more than ₹5 crore.

BJP woos Nitish after SC ruling against Lalu However, Mr. Modi added that “the court verdict, in fact, suits Nitish as a weaker Lalu will be easier to handle.” Mr. Nitish Kumar was, earlier, in alliance with the BJP for 17 years and was a part of the NDA government for eight years till he parted ways with that party in 2013. State BJP president Nitya Nand Rai asked Mr. Nitish Kumar whether he would come out of the alliance with Mr. Lalu, “otherwise people will believe Mr. Kumar patronises leaders involved in corruption and scams.”

‘Blot on Bihar’ Welcoming the Supreme Court ruling, another BJP leader Nand Kishore Yadav charged that it was Mr. Lalu Prasad who had brought a blot on Bihar with the fodder scam cases. “Jo Jaisa karega, waisa bharega [what you will do, you will reap],” he quipped. But, the ruling alliance

parties Janata Dal (United) and the Congress were wary in their reactions. “It’s a court ruling and we should all respect it… the BJP always looks for an opportunity to make a dent in the ruling grand alliance in Bihar but it will not succeed,” said leaders of both parties. Putting on a brave face, RJD leader Bhola Yadav told journalists that the “ruling of the Supreme Court will have no impact on Lalu. It will also have absolutely no impact on the ruling grand alliance”. Senior socialist leader and former MP Shivanand Tiwari said, “those who have been looking for a crack in the grand alliance are just daydreaming.” Rashtriya Janata Dal insiders told The Hindu that Mr. Prasad was busy discussing the legal ramifications of the Supreme Court ruling with party leaders and close aides at his residence.

Kapil Mishra suspended from AAP They also asked Mr. Mishra to produce details of his visit to the CM’s residence on Friday, when this alleged exchange of ₹2 crore took place. Mr. Mishra told the media later in the evening that he would produce all the evidence before the CBI on Tuesday morning. He also said the ₹50 crore land deal which cabinet minister Satyendra Jain had facilitated for Mr. Kejriwal’s “relative”, was for a farmhouse in Chattarpur. “They want to know the relative’s name. It was Arvind Kejriwal’s brother-inlaw,” he said. He has also started a dedicated email id ‘[email protected]’, where he has invited people to send any proof they might have against AAP.

Kejriwal bereaved Chief Minister Kejriwal meanwhile attended the funeral of the very relative he has been accused of extend-

ing pecuniary benefits to by Mr. Mishra. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia lashed out at Mr. Mishra for dragging the name of Mr. Kejriwal's brother-in-law Surendra Bansal, who passed away on Monday morning. “He (Mr. Mishra) is defaming a man who died this morning. Just hours after his cremation we hear of such baseless allegations against him. He should be ashamed to play politics over a dead person,” he said. Mr. Jain also broke his silence and announced that he would file a defamation case against the Karawal Nagar MLA. Trashing allegations made against him, Mr Jain said he did not visit the Chief Minister’s house on Friday. “I have proof to show that I was not at the CM’s residence on Friday. I was waiting all this while to see how far Kapil Mishra will go with his baseless allegations,” he said.

Fadnavis wary of ‘Naxal fronts’ in some varsities Special Correspondent NEW DELHI

Raising concerns about the activities of ‘Naxal fronts’ in some universities, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said that after the conviction of Professor Saibaba, the militants were planning to take revenge by carrying out attacks. In March, a sessions court in Gadchiroli had sentenced the then Delhi University professor to life imprisonment for his links with Naxals. It is learnt that the Chief Minister, at a review meeting of the left-wing extremCM YK

ism situation on Monday, said those indulging in proNaxal propaganda in some universities in Delhi, Pune, Patna and Hyderabad were also instrumental in creating a sympathiser base. The propaganda fights were not in Gadchiroli or Sukma, but in these universities, he said.

Attack on mine Mr. Fadnavis also highlighted the December 2016 attack on the Surjagarh mining project, which was launched in March last year. “Over 70 trucks were set ablaze at the mining site, causing a serious damage.

SC pulls up CBI for delay in iling appeal The probe agency failed to live up to its reputation, the Bench says setting aside Jharkhand HC order in fodder scam case Krishnadas Rajagopal New Delhi

The Supreme Court on Monday held that the CBI director will be directly responsible for any delay in filing appeals in higher courts, saying lethargy on the part of the country’s premier investigative agency is intolerable. The court warned that any delay on the part of the CBI to file appeals will be presumed deliberate in future. In a decision meant to ensure that the CBI top brass are equally liable for slips made in the legal process, a Bench of Justices Arun Mishra and Amitava Roy held that the CBI director should devise a non-cumbersome methodology to take cases forward and ensure that appeals are filed in time.

Bench expresses shock The Bench was expressing its shock at how the CBI delayed filing appeals against the Jharkhand High Court’s order dropping charges against

Why is Nitish silent, asks Ravi Shankar Ani

RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, former Bihar Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra and former chief secretary Sajal Chakraborty in cases linked to the multi-crore fodder scam. There was a combined delay of over 500 days in filing these appeals. The court pointed out that the CBI manual mandates the expeditious filing of appeals. “It is expected of the CBI to be more vigilant. It has failed to live up to its reputation. In the instant case, lethargy on its part is intolerable. If the CBI fails to act in time, peoples’ faith will be shaken in its effectiveness,” the SC observed. “Let the director of the CBI look into the matter and saddle the responsibility on a concerned person. In important cases, CBI director should devise a methodology which should not be cumbersome as reflected in these cases,” the court cautioned.

SC inds HC ‘inconsistent in rulings’ Legal correspondent NEW DELHI

Rough ride: Lalu Prasad going to the CBI oice in a rickshaw for interrogation in the fodder scam case, in Patna on October 21, 1998. THE HINDU ARCHIVES *

Diferent ofences cannot be boxed into one trial, says court

New Delhi

The Centre on Monday questioned Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s silence over the ‘historic judgment’ against leader of his alliance partner, Lalu Prasad, in the fodder scam case. “It is shocking. His silence baffles us. He was one of the prominent persons who led the agitation against the fodder scam. Will he compromise it to save his position? Why is he silent on this historic judgment?” Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad asked. Mr. Prasad said it is a big jolt to Mr. Lalu as allegations are being levelled against him every day. “It is a big jolt to Lalu Prasad and this jolt is because of his deeds.What is the meaning of this? I believe the trial will take place soon,” he said.

Says joint trial is an exception, the norm is separate trials for distinct ofences Legal correspondent NEW DELHI

A general conspiracy which gives birth to a cascade of distinct offences committed in various places spread over several years and involving different accused persons cannot be boxed into one trial. This would lead to injustice, the Supreme Court held on Monday. This was the crux of the judgment delivered by a Supreme Court Bench of Justices Arun Mishra and Amitava Roy as they held two former Bihar chief ministers and a State chief secretary culpable to stand trial separately for each and every alleged crime they have been charged with in connection with the multicrore fodder scam. The accused persons were

discharged by the Jharkhand HC, which held that since they have been convicted in one of the cases linked to the fodder scam, they need not stand trial for the others.

‘Double jeopardy’ All the cases had their genesis in the same “general conspiracy” and a person cannot stand trial again for the same offence for which he has already been convicted. This, the High Court

had said, would attract ‘double jeopardy.’ But Justice Mishra, who wrote the judgment, said, “There may be larger conspiracy and smaller conspiracy which may develop in successive stages involving different accused persons. In the instant case, defalcations have been made in various years by combination of different accused persons.” It reasoned that though “the conspiracy was a general conspiracy to keep on issuing licence in the names of fictitious firms and to share the benefits arising out of those licences when no real independent person was the licensee, it is apparent that the case is quite distinguishable. In the instant case, different accused persons exist with the help of whom

amount has been withdrawn in different years. It is not a case that only a few persons had benefited each and every year.” The court quoted the oftrepeated precedent that a joint trial is an exception and the norm is separate trials for distinct offences. “There may be a situation where in furtherance of general conspiracy, offences take place in various parts of India and several persons are killed at different times. Each trial has to be separately held and the accused to be punished separately for the offence committed in furtherance of conspiracy. In case there is only one trial for such conspiracy for separate offences, it would enable the accused person to go scotfree,” the SC held.

The Supreme Court on Monday faulted the Jharkhand High Court for “inconsistent decisionmaking” which led to dropping of charges against RJD leader Lalu Prasad, former Bihar Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra and former State Chief Secretary Sajal Chakraborty in cases linked to the fodder scam. A Bench of Justices Arun Mishra and Amitava Roy held that the orders of discharge of Mr. Prasad and the other two were “palpably illegal, faulty and contrary to the basic principles of law and the judge has ignored a large number of binding decisions of the Supreme Court, while giving impermissible benefit to the accused persons and delaying the case for several years.”

Separate trials In his decisions, the Jharkhand High Court judge had reasoned that since the trio were already convicted in one fodder scam-linked case, they need not be subjected to further separate trials in other related cases. However, the Supreme Court found that the same logic was not applied by the High Court judge in the case of another accused, former RJD MP R.K. Rana. Like the other three, Mr. Rana was also convicted in a fodder-linked case. However, his plea to be spared from standing trial in six other fodder scam cases was declined by the same High Court judge. ‘Not understandable’ The Supreme Court said the reasons which had compelled the High Court judge to take contradictory views between the cases of Mr. Prasad and Mr. Rana were “not understandable”.

‘J&K situation serious but will be normal soon’ Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti throws open Valley’s civil secretariat amid ongoing unrest and raging militancy Peerzada Ashiq Srinagar

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who threw open the Kashmir Valley’s civil secretariat as the summer capital on Monday amid raging militancy and ongoing unrest, said the prevailing situation is “serious but will be normal soon”. Describing J&K as India’s “crown, soul and lifeline”, Ms. Mufti said every youth here “was not a stonethrower”. “The prevailing situation is serious but it too has a

Deputy CM’s ‘drunk’ son grounded

solution. Efforts of every section of the society are required to get J&K out of the difficult times and the looming uncertainties,” said Ms. Mufti. She said J&K since 1947 had seen ups and downs as the famous leader (Sheikh Abdullah) fought for self-determination and plebiscite but was compelled to sign the Indira-Sheikh accord. “Since 1990, militancy increased and the situation deteriorated a lot, and the people could not move out of their homes. Later, the situ-

bar Move’, where the capital shifts to Jammu, the Opposition Congress launched a scathing attack on Ms. Mufti.

Annual ritual: CM Mehbooba Mufti inspects a guard of honour at the civil secretariat in Srinagar on Monday. NISSAR AHMAD *

ation improved. Every issue has a solution.” “Desist from discussions that disturb peace and generate hate and

also hits tourism in J&K,” she said. As Srinagar’s civil secretariat reopened after sixmonth closure due to ‘Dar-

Armymen favour political intervention in Kashmir

Oppn. initiatives on Kashmir take shape

‘Even school students are throwing stones at personnel’

In the wake of the initiative taken by the Congress last month to set up an internal policy planning group on Kashmir, headed by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Janata Dal (United) leader Sharad Yadav is working to bring together political leaders and civil society groups, concerned about the rapidly deteriorating situation in the country’s northern-most State. Mr. Yadav has already discussed the issue with

Indo-Asian News Service Ahmedabad

Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel’s son was early on Monday prevented by authorities from boarding a Qatar Airways flight to Greece after he allegedly arrived in an inebriated state at the airport and argued with the airline’s staff. Official sources told IANS that Jaimin Patel, who is in his mid-30s, his wife Jhalak and their daughter Vaishvi were stopped from boarding the Qatar Airways flight, which was to take off at 4 a.m. When Mr. Patel, who is a land dealer, reached Ahmedabad International Airport, he was not even able to walk because of his drunken state. He cleared the immigration and other checks on a wheelchair due to his inebriated condition, said airport officials. Meanwhile, Mr. Nitin Patel told reporters in Gandhinagar that this was a ploy to defame him.

No headway Organising a sit-in, J&K Pradesh Congress Committee president Ghulam Ahmad Mir said, “There is no dialogue [with Hurriyat], no headway on Armed Forces Special Powers Act, no talks on return of power projects. Schools and colleges are closed and development has been halted and tourism stopped. Where is this gov-

ernment going?” asked Mr. Mir. Fresh student protests swept Newa and Tral area of Pulwama, Aripanthan in Budgam, Qalamabad in Langate and Zainakote in Srinagar. The cross-Line of Control bus service was stopped on Monday in the Kashmir Valley “due to security reasons”. The bus service, Karwane-Aman, carrying 39 passengers was stopped and disallowed to proceed towards the Kaman Post to enter into Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Special Correspondent New Delhi

Without changing the aggressive security posture taken in Kashmir, the Centre needs to immediately intervene politically if the level of violence has to come down anytime soon, a significant number of military officers say. Among military officers dealing with Kashmir, there is almost unanimity about the need for urgent political intervention if the situation has to improve. “Without changing the present security posture, the government needs to intervene urgently,” a senior Army officer who partly deals with Kashmir said. “We should not change deployment or operational patterns anytime soon. But that is not enough, especially if we have to contain casualties,” he said. The widespread assessment within the Army on the

need for political intervention seems to run counter to the aggressive stand taken by the Central government, which is yet to show any willingness for a political outreach towards Kashmiris, despite the worsening situation. And political leaders, including some BJP leaders such as Yashwant Sinha who have been pushing for a political outreach, have until now received cold response from the Centre.

No intelligence Several military officers are pointing out to the drying up of genuine intelligence from locals in the Kashmir Valley in recent months. They say it was a gradual slowdown over the past couple of years, but today most units have nothing dependable coming in. “Even the friendliest villager is telling us that they won’t be able to help us,” an Army colonel said.

Without credible intelligence, the security forces are “blinded” and “fumbling,” another senior Army officer said.

‘We are isolated’ An officer, who has been in the Valley over two tenures, said the present situation was dramatically different from the last time he was there. “Today we are isolated in our units and cantonment,” he said. With even school students coming out to throw stones and protest against security forces, the security forces are actually operating in extremely tricky situation, they argue. “When did we see militants coming out in the open to pay last tributes to their fallen comrades by firing in the air,” one officer asked. He was referring to four militants emerging at the funeral of Fayaz Ahmed on Sunday in Kulgam.

Smita Gupta New Delhi

Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Dr. Singh and BJP leader Yashwant Sinha. Mr. Sinha had independently gone to the Valley with a non-political group earlier this year. Congress Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad is also involved. Others who are engaged include journalist and former Rajya Sabha MP H.K. Dua, journalist Seema Mustafa, Radha Kumar, Sushbha Barwe, former RAW chief A.S. Dulat and former IAS officer Wajajat Habibullah.

A ND-ND

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THE HINDU

NEWS 11

NOIDA/DELHI

TUESDAY, MAY 9, 2017

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IN BRIEF

BJP MLA reduces IPS oicer to tears

Act tough against Maoists, States told

He is caught on camera scolding woman

Vijaita Singh Devesh K. Pandey

Chief Ministers raise issue of discontinuation of central schemes, funds to tackle Left Wing Extremism New Delhi

Dalai Lama to felicitate U.S. lawmakers NEW DELHI

Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama, who drew criticism from China for his recent visit to Arunachal Pradesh, will host a delegation of highlevel U.S. lawmakers this week. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi is heading a delegation to hold discussions on the future of Tibet with the leading figures of the Tibetan government in exile.

Ex-chief of jewellery firm held for duping banks KOLKATA

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Monday arrested Nillesh Parrekh, a former chairman of a jewellery firm in Kolkata, accused to have caused a loss of ₹2,223 crore to 20 banks. Mr. Parrekh, former chairman of Shree Ganesh Jewellery House Ltd., was arrested at the Mumbai airport. “An alleged loss of ₹2,223.13 crore was caused to 20 banks,” the CBI said.

Omar Rashid Lucknow

A BJP MLA from Gorakhpur landed in a controversy after he was caught on camera allegedly scolding a woman IPS officer for trying to evict anti-liquor protesters. The police officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police Charu Nigam, is seen breaking into tears as the MLA, Radha Mohan Agarwal, reprimands her. The incident took place on Sunday when police attempted to evicts locals who had blocked the road while protesting against the reopening of liquor shops in the Kareemnagar area of Gorakhpur. The district is the home turf of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Mr. Agarwal, who has been leading the agitation, reached the site and demanded that the police free the agitators. He also alleged that the police assaulted many protesters, including a pregnant woman Mr. Agarwal is seen

yelling at Ms. Nigam, the circle officer of Gorakhnath, in the presence of locals and local administrative officials. “Don’t cross your limits,” he is heard telling Ms Nigam. Seconds later the police officer is seen wiping tears with a handkerchief even as her senior, SP City of Gorakhpur, Ganesh Saha, emerges in the frame and speaks to the MLA. The video went viral and triggered outrage on social media, with most pointing fingers at the legislator for behaving rudely with a woman officer. Ms. Nigam later clarified that she did not weep due to the MLA’s outburst but that she got “emotional” after her senior officer stepped in to support her. “I did not weep...there were just a few tears. I got emotional when my senior came and defended me,” she said. She later took to Facebook to thank the people and the media for their support.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh asked the Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected States to take “ownership” in leading operations against the Maoists and called for an “aggressive approach” to solve the menace, which has claimed over 12,000 lives in the last decade. Mr Singh’s remarks came during his inaugural address to a conclave of Chief Ministers and top officers of 10 Maoist-affected States. The meeting, though planned earlier, comes in the backdrop of the April 24 Maoist ambush of CRPF personnel in Sukma when 25 jawans were killed.

States voice concern However, the Minister’s remarks were criticised by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who said that “if all work had to be done by States with their own resources, then what was the purpose of having such a meeting?” Several States also raised the issue of discontinuation

United stand: Rajnath Singh with MoS Kiren Rijiju, Hansraj Gangaram Ahir, and CMs Raman Singh, Raghubar Das and Yogi Adityanath, among others in New Delhi V. SUDERSHAN *

of central schemes such as Special Infrastructure Scheme (SIS) and Integrated Action Plan (IAP) and a considerable reduction in central funds as an impediment to winning the war against the Maoists. Speaking to the press after the day-long meeting, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi said almost all the States had demanded the continuation or revival of centrally sponsored security related schemes. “While demands for additional deployments were also raised, some States like

HC reserves verdict on TMC MP’s bail plea The Orissa High Court on Monday reserved its verdict on the bail plea of Trinamool Congress MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay, arrested for his alleged involvement in the Rose Valley Group chit fund scam. The Bench of Justice J. P. Das reserved the order on the TMC MP’s bail plea after hearing arguments of both the prosecution and defence. Bandyopadhyay had approached the HC in February seeking regular bail after his bail applications were rejected. PTI

KARACHI

the Indian Commission.

A 20-year-old Indian woman, who has approached the High Commission in Islamabad with a request for repatriation, said on Monday she was forced to marry a Pakistani and was sexually assaulted and tortured. The woman, identified as Uzma, daughter of Sagheer Ahmed from Delhi, crossed into Pakistan through Wagah Border on May 1. She was reportedly picked up by Tahir Ali whom she met in Malaysia last year where the two become friends. Pakistani TV channels had been running this “love story” over the weekend. It emerged on Monday that she had sought refuge in

Case filed She filed a case against her husband at an Islamabad court on Monday. She said she met Tahir Ali in Malaysia where she went for two months last year. “He was soft-spoken, a nice person and spoke to me in English. When I came back to India and got again in touch with him, he told me to come to Pakistan. He sent me the sponsor letter and I crossed into Pakistan via Wagah border.” Ms. Uzma said Mr. Ali gave her some medicine as she sat in a car and she became unconscious and that when she woke she was at his residence. “That night Tahir sexually assaulted and

MUBASHIR ZAIDI

NEW DELHI

After a gap of nearly three years, the Indian government will restart a ‘permanent audit office’ in China to conduct quality inspections of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), raw materials from which drugs are made. While low-cost, generic medicines made in India have made it the ‘pharmacy of the world’, most domestic manufacturers import API from China.

Push for private sector in defence production Centre moots tie-up with global irms Dinakar Peri

Guidelines on the anvil As part of the stepped up efforts, the Defence Ministry has scheduled consultations with the industry to get their feedback in the next couple of days. The policy, which is part of the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) 2016, will set out guidelines on how major Indian private sector companies can tie up with global Original Equipment Manufacturers in critical military systems and platforms. Officials said several consultations had been held over the last month. Arun

Jaitley, after he took additional charge of the Defence Ministry, was briefed on it and he was keen to approve it at the earliest. “It could unlock some of the big projects that are stalled, including the new line of submarines and single engine fighter aircraft. It should be out in the next two months,” a defence official told The Hindu. An interaction between the defence ministry and industry representatives was scheduled for May 11. It would be attended by Mr. Jaitley and Defence Secretary G. Mohan Kumar. Major industry bodies and Indian private sector companies which would take the lead in the SP model had been invited. The final clearance would be accorded by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) and the meetings had been slotted.

China ofers to rename OBOR to allay India’s fears Outlines a four-point solution to ‘manage diferences’ Suhasini Haidar NEW DELHI

China is prepared to consider renaming the ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) if it would end India’s reservations over its One Belt One Road (Or Belt and Road Initiative) passing through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), the Chinese Ambassador to India said here, insisting that the OBOR has no connection to “sovereignty disputes.” The offer was made by Luo Zhaohui on Friday during a closed-door interaction at the United Services Institution, a military think-tank in Delhi. Mr. Luo outlined a 4-point solution to “manage differences” between India and China, including a new treaty on cooperation, restarting talks on a free trade agreement (FTA), an early

Luo Zhaohui

resolution to the border issue and aligning the B&R with India’s “Act East policy.”

Territorial dispute “China has no intention to get involved in the sovereignty and territorial disputes between India and Pakistan,” Mr. Luo told the audience of mostly retired armed service officers. “The CPEC is for promot-

ing economic cooperation and connectivity. It has no connections to or impact on sovereignty issues. Even we can think about renaming the CPEC,” Mr. Luo said, referring to India’s public opposition to the inclusion of projects that lie in PoK’s area of Gilgit-Baltistan. Contacted by The Hindu, the MEA did not respond to the ambassador’s comments. India has thus far refused to confirm or regret its attendance at China’s Belt and Road Forum to be held in Beijing on May 14-15. According to the Chinese government more than 100 countries will participate, and all SAARC countries minus India have already signed on to the 60-nation infrastructure initiative first proposed in 2013. No official Indian participation has been indicated so far.

Press Trust of India

President Abbas visit to boost ties: envoy

New Delhi

The CRPF will soon deploy a fresh squad of about 2,000 commandos from its special guerrilla warfare CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) battalions in and around the Sukma district of Chhattisgarh to defang the Maoists and their arsenal. Sukma and its adjoining areas have witnessed some of the deadliest ambushes on security forces recently like the one where 25 CRPF men were killed in the Burkapal area of the district on April 24. A top official privy to the development said the paramilitary has prepared a blueprint to mobilise at least 20 to 25 companies of the CoBRA from their present locations in West Bengal, Bihar, Telangana and Madhya Pradesh to the Bastar region that has some of the worst Maoist violence-hit districts.

Committee tasked with scouting palaeo-channels across the country to revive ancient rivers

The Centre plans to tap rural employment guarantee funds to recharge remnants of ancient rivers — including the mythical Saraswati — in a bid to boost groundwater reserves. Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti, told The Hindu in an interview last week that a committee of secretaries — from the Water, Environment and Rural Development CM YK

ministries — had been constituted to see how the ₹48,000 crore MGNREGS (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme) fund could be harnessed. “Reviving such palaeochannels may not be useful for irrigation but it could improve groundwater storage,” said Ms. Bharti.

Uma Bharti

Paleo-channels Palaeo-channels are old rivers that have dried up and

filled with sediment. Last October, a committee of hydrologists, geologists and

archaeologists — as part of study commissioned by the Water Resources Ministry — reported evidence on the course of the Saraswati, mentioned in the Rigveda and Hindu mythology. K.S. Valdiya of the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research ( JNCASR), who led the team, concluded that the Sutlej river “represented the western branch of the Saraswati.” The Markanda and the

Sarsuti (now called the Ton-Yamuna rivers) watered the eastern branch of the river. The branches met in Shatrana, 25 kilometres south of Patiala and “flowed as a large river” emptying into the Rann of Kutch, the report said.

Across the country Building on this, a committee was tasked with scouting palaeo-channels across the country. Wherever these channels

tortured me and threatened to kill me if I do not sign the Nikah Nama (marriage papers). They took my signature on gun point. They made me marry forcibly for which I was not mentally ready,” she said in her statement before the judge. She said she realised it after coming to Pakistan that Mr. Ali was already married and also had four children. Ms. Uzma also said if the court sends her with Mr. Ali it will endanger her life. “If I go to Tahir’s village only my dead body will come. My immigration papers were snatched by Tahir in front of the High Commission. I will stay inside the High Commission,” she said. Later, she told reporters that she want to return to India.

‘India can play great role in peace eforts’

Centre to tap MGNREGA funds to make Saraswati low again NEW DELHI

High

2,000-strong CoBRA force for Sukma

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Jacob Koshy

Unified command Addressing the conclave, Mr. Singh said Central armed police forces would actively coordinate with the States. The Minister stressed that there

‘To stay put in High Commission till papers are recovered’

India to reopen API office in China after 3 years

The Government has accelerated efforts to finalise the ambitious Strategic Partnership (SP) model, which would give a major boost to private sector participation in defence manufacturing.

No Army role Ruling out Army assistance in anti-naxal operations, Mr Mehrishi said there will be more coordination between the States and central forces after removing all differences. “There is no question of

involvement of the army in the anti-Naxal operations, not even for training purposes,” he said. Mr. Nitish Kumar in his address pointed out that Centre had declined Bihar’s request for a helicopter for quick deployment of forces in antiMaoist operations and suggested that the State share a chopper with Jharkhand.

Forced into marriage in Pak., says Delhi girl

CUTTACK

NEW DELHI

Bihar sought exemption from payment of the central forces. Bihar Chief Minister suggested that the Prevention of Money Laundering Act needed a review to make it more effective in choking funds to the Maoists,” Mr. Mehrishi said.

was a “need to depute shadow intelligence officers” to track prominent targets associated with LWE. Intelligence agencies don’t have fresh photographs of the top Maoist leadership, he said. Mr. Singh also asked the CAPF personnel to learn and respect the local customs and traditions of tribals, wherever they are posted. As of now 118 battalions of CAPFs, a little over a lakh, are posted in LWE affected states. While Chief Ministers of West Bengal, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh stayed away, the heads of seven other States were present. . Calling for an aggressive approach, Mr. Singh said, “The whole country is agitated over the martyrdom of 25 CRPF personnel in Sukma. LWE groups are trying to weaken democracy in the country.” “Unified Coordination and Command is needed on the LWE front. We need to consider whether to react only after the occurrence of any incident or we should be more proactive.” (With inputs from PTI)

were located, the soil was generally soft and therefore, it was easy to direct surface waters towards them and raise the water table, Ms. Bharti added. K.B. Biswas, Chairman, Central Groundwater Board said his department had been proposing the use of MGNREGA funds for aquifer recharge. . “There is greater interest to build percolation tanks and ponds that will contribute to groundwater recharge,” he said.

Suhasini Haidar NEW DELHI

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will arrive in India on Sunday, and will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a visit aimed at “strengthening old ties”, Palestine’s envoy to India Adnan Abu Alhaija said here. He also expressed the hope India will play an “important” role in the Israel-Palestine peace process. “India is a great nation, with an important role in Asia, and the world. Especially under Prime Minister Modi, the government has a strong character, and they could play a part in the (Israel-Palestine) resolution,”Ambassador Alhaija told The Hindu in an interview ahead of the visit. The timing of President Abbas’s visit is significant for a number of reasons, said officials, as he will be travelling to Delhi from Moscow after meeting Russian President Vladmir Putin, and met with U.S. President Donald Trump last week in Washington, and would be able to share the two world leader’s visions with Mr. Modi. Saying that he was keen on “getting it (the Middle East peace process) done”, President Trump announced he will make his first visit to Israel and the Palestinian Authority on May 22-23. President Abbas visit to India also comes two months ahead of Mr. Modi’s visit to Israel in the first week of July. While the government has made no comment on the issue, reports suggest the Prime Minister

Adnan Abu Alhaija will not travel to Palestine during the visit, as has been customary for other dignitaries including President Mukherjee and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. When asked if it will damage ties between India and Palestine if the Prime Minister visits Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, but not Ramallah, Ambassador Alhaija said that Palestine doesn’t ever “interfere in India’s bilateral relations with any country.” “We will take it that India’s relations with Israel could allow Mr. Modi to speak about the Palestinian cause and to find a solution to our problems.”

Two-state solution “(I hope) India will keep the focus on the two-state solution, a focus on (Israel’s) plans to build and expand ( Jewish) settlements, and I hope they will raise the issue of Palestinian detainees in (Israeli) jails,” he added on the issues Palestine hopes will be raised by PM Modi when he visits Israel. Mr. Abbas, who last visited India in 2012, is expected to hold bilateral talks in Delhi on May 16, with six MoUs being discussed for announcement after his talks with Mr. Modi. A ND-ND

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ELSEWHERE

After decisive win, Macron to take over on Sunday President-elect lays the groundwork for his transition to power, announcing a visit to Germany and a new name for his political movement Agence France-Presse Associated Press

Tough EU challenges lie ahead

Paris

No UN monitors for de-escalation deal: Syria DAMASCUS

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said on Monday his country would reject any UN role in monitoring the implementation of four “de-escalation” zones. “We do not accept a role for the United Nations or international forces,” Mr. Muallem said. AFP

Chinese lawyer Xie Yang pleads guilty BEIJING

Chinese human rights lawyer Xie Yang pleaded guilty on Monday to charges of incitement to subversion and disturbing legal proceedings and asked the court to grant him a lenient sentence based on his repentance. The trial in the central city of Changsha was wrapped up without any witnesses called. AP

Iran makes veiled threat against Pakistan TEHRAN

Iran on Monday said it would attack “terrorists wherever they are” after an attack on the Pakistan border in April by a Sunni militant group left dead 10 Iranian guards. Iran and Pakistan had recently agreed to work together to boost border security. AP

Sikh man stabbed to death in U.S. NEW YORK

Jagjeet Singh, a 32-year-old Sikh man, has been stabbed to death by an unidentified person allegedly over cigarettes outside a grocery store in California, the third Indian-origin victim to be killed in a week in the U.S. State. PTI

Everest climber fined $22,000 by Nepal KATHMANDU

Ryan Sean Davy, a 43-yearold South African attempting to climb Mount Everest alone and without a permit, has been ordered off the mountain, had his passport confiscated and will be fined $22,000, an official said on Monday. AFP

After a resounding victory in Sunday’s runoff, Emmanuel Macron will be sworn in as France’s next President at the Elysee palace on May 14, outgoing President Francois Hollande said. At 39, the pro-EU former investment banker will become France’s youngest-ever President. On Monday, Mr. Macron laid the groundwork for his transition to power, announcing a visit to Germany and a name change for his political movement and appearing with his predecessor at a solemn World War II commemoration, even as the focus shifted to the challenges ahead for his administration. His party is changing its name to La Republique En Marche (Republic on the Move) as it prepares a list of candidates for next month’s parliamentary elections. Mr. Macron has promised that half of those candidates will be new to elected politics, as he was before his victory on Sunday. Mr. Macron won the presidency with 66% of votes against his far-right rival Marine Le Pen’s 34%, show the final numbers released by France’s Interior Ministry. “I know the anger, the anxiety and the doubts that a large number of you have expressed,” Mr. Macron told thousands of cheering and flag-waving supporters at a victory party in the courtyard of the Louvre museum. “I will fight with all my strength against the divisions that are undermining us.” Mr. Macron has proposed an ambitious domestic reform agenda. He wants to ease rigid labour laws he believes fuel high unemployment, cut state spending, improve education in deprived areas and increase welfare protection to the self-employed. World leaders from Donald Trump of the U.S. to Angela Merkel of Germany congratulated him. “Macron carries the hopes of millions of French people and also many in Germany and across Europe,” said Ms. Merkel. THE CENTRE HOLDS 쑺 EDITORIAL

Agence France-Presse Brussels

What does Marine Le Pen do now? James Reynolds

“It’s the people who decide,” Marine Le Pen said during the final days of the run-off campaign. The people have now decided that they don’t want her as their President. Ms. Le Pen lost this election comprehensively. But at her campaign headquarters, she and her supporters chose to define success in a different way. The National Front is a movement which measures its progress over decades. The party began in 1972 as a fringe, extremist group; for years, it was ignored or boycotted by much of the rest of the country. Its founder Jean-

Marie Le Pen influenced the national debate, but was incapable of winning power. In the 2002 presidential runoff, Mr. Le Pen’s progress was blocked by a so-called Republican Front — the decision by all mainstream parties to stick together and back Mr. Le Pen’s opponent, President Jacques Chirac. Fifteen years on, Ms. Le Pen has fractured the front, which once united against her father. In winning more than 30% of the run-off vote, she has taken a significant step towards her goal of making her movement respectable and electable. In 2002, Ms. Le Pen’s op-

ponents refused to appear on stage with him — for fear of legitimising him as a politician. In 2017, Ms. Le Pen took part in debates, and came across as an accepted member of the political class. Her runoff endorsement by a small party candidate — Nicolas DupontAignan — gave her further legitimacy. But all this only took her so far in this election.

New movement Ms. Le Pen may now try to broaden her party’s approach. In her concession speech, she announced plans to form a new move-

ment, in alliance with Mr. Dupont-Aignan and others. Ms. Le Pen also insisted that hers was now the main opposition force in the country. But the far-right politician faces serious problems ahead. Her widely criticised performance during the runoff debate calls into question her ability to win over a greater share of the electorate in the future. Investigations into alleged financial misconduct relating to the way she runs her European parliamentary office may continue to cause her problems. What’s more, Ms. Le Pen’s party only has two MPs in

the National Assembly (out of 577). She’ll have a chance to improve this in parliamentary elections in June. But it is a meagre base from which to build a true opposition force. At the party’s campaign headquarters on election night, supporters carried blue-coloured roses, Ms. Le Pen’s favoured symbol. The heavily defeated candidate even danced to I Love Rock and Roll. It may have been a strange way for a beaten presidential hopeful to spend the night, but this party has long-term plans. Supporters will save their blue roses for 2022. NYT

France’s choice of proEU Emmanuel Macron over eurosceptic Marine Le Pen has sparked euphoria in Brussels, but analysts warn his ambitions for profound change in the European Union will prove challenging. Praise for Mr. Macron poured in from Brussels, with top EU officials hailing his win as a much needed check to a populist wave that delivered Brexit and the election of Donald Trump in U.S. “Happy that the French chose a European future,” said European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker as EU observers noted triumphantly that Mr. Macron had the EU anthem “Ode to Joy” play as he took the stage for his victory rally. Despite widespread doubts, analysts agreed that the sheer scale of his victory gave one of the EU’s most powerful member States a small window to change the bloc. The first and crucial step will be to get Germany, the bloc's most powerful member, onside. To do that, Macron is banking on delivering to Germany what it has always wanted from France: meaningful pro-market reforms.But Mr. Macron's willingness to placate Germany has led critics at home to portray him as the puppet of Chancellor Angela Merkel. Mr. Macron will get his first taste of the challenges ahead on Thursday when the European Commission delivers it economic forecasts for EU states.

Ports Authority concerned over Hambantota

Banksy unveils irst Brexit mural

‘Proposed agreement between Sri Lanka govt. and Chinese irm is not in sync with existing rules’

It shows a workman chipping away at a star on the EU lag Agence France-Presse

Meera Srinivasan Colombo

It is not just New Delhi or Washington that is worried about Colombo’s proposed deal to sell a deep-sea port in Hambantota to a Chinese company. Sri Lanka’s ports authority has “fundamental concerns” over the proposed deal, its Chairman Dammika Ranatunga said. While the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) appreciates the importance of foreign investment, it would only “go by the book”, Mr. Ranatunga told The Hindu. “We took a careful look at the [draft] agreement — it violated the SLPA Act, and the terms were not conducive to us,” he said, adding that even

after 10 revised drafts of the agreement, factoring in some of SLPA’s observations, many concerns remained.

Contentious clauses Last week, the SLPA raised the matter again with a ministerial committee overseeing the agreement, flagging key clauses that reportedly ignored the Authority’s observations. The chairman’s remarks come ahead of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s scheduled visit to Beijing. Mr. Wickremesinghe is keen on signing the agreement and the latest version of the concession may come up for discussion at Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, polit-

Dammika Ranatunga

ical sources told The Hindu. “Just because someone puts a billion dollars in front of you it doesn’t mean you give everything away,” said Mr. Ranatunga, brother of Ports Minister and former cricket Arjuna Ranatunga. Critics have in the past questioned his qualification to be

Obama warned Trump against Flynn as NSA, says former oicial He made his views known during their meeting on Nov. 10

appointed chairman. After signing a framework agreement with the Sri Lankan government in December 2016, the staterun China Merchants Port Holdings was expected to pay $1.12 billion for a 99-year lease, on an 80% stake in the Hambantota port. The port, built with Chinese loans in 2010, was part of Beijing’s plans to create a Silk Route across Asia. Finalised and completed when ex-President Mahinda Rajapaksa was in power, the port was termed a “white elephant” by his successor government that came to power in 2015. Government politicians negotiated a new deal and pitched it to the public as

one aiming to reduce the burden of the $8 billion-debt Sri Lanka owes China. However, observing that the proposed deal gave sweeping powers to the Chinese company to handle operations near the port, Mr. Ranatunga asked: “What does that mean? Can that be a military base,” pointing to Chinese investment in African countries that had spared “similar concerns”. Colombo and Beijing also agreed to develop a 15,000acre industrial zone near the port, and Beijing is now willing to sign the port deal, only if land for the industrial zone is made available. However, locals have been resisting the project.

Dover

British street artist Banksy has created his first mural inspired by Brexit, showing a workman chipping away at one of the stars on the European Union flag. The work appeared on the side of a house on Sunday in Dover, a port town just across the Channel from France that is Britain's closest point to mainland Europe. It depicts a man in overalls armed with a chisel and hammer on a ladder, cancelling out one of the 12 stars, causing cracks across the entire blue flag. An image of the mural also appeared on Banksy’s official website, confirming its authenticity

WASHINGTON

Former U.S. President Barack Obama warned thenPresident-elect Donald Trump not to give the post of National Security Adviser (NSA) in his administration to Michael Flynn, who was eventually fired in a controversy about ties to Russia, a former Obama aide said. Mr. Obama gave the warning in an Oval Office meeting with Mr. Trump just days after the Republican’s election win last November 8. White House spokesman Sean Spicer, responding to the reports, told a news briefing: “It’s true that the president, President Obama, made it known that he wasn’t exactly a fan of General Flynn’s” during a oneCM YK

Barack Obama.

*

AFP

hour meeting on November 10 with Mr. Trump. Mr. Flynn has emerged as a central figure in probes into allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election and possible collusion between Mr. Trump’s campaign and Moscow. He had been pushed out by Mr.

Information withheld A former U.S. deputy Attorney-General, Sally Yates, is expected to tell a Senate Judiciary subcommittee later Monday that she had warned the White House counsel after Mr. Trump took office that Mr. Flynn had not told the truth about conversations he had held with Russia’s ambassador to Washington. Mr. Trump fired Mr. Flynn in February for failing to disclose talks with Ambassador Sergei Kislyak about U.S. sanctions on Moscow and then misleading Vice President Mike Pence about the conversations.

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even though the elusive artist is still anonymous. Britain is set to leave EU in 2019. Negotiations with Brussels are expected to begin after a snap general elec-

tion on June 8. Passers-by stopped to look at the mural, which has a large anchor in front of it and is on the seaside near a terminal with ferries for northern France.

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Things get ‘Messi’ for football star’s Iranian lookalike Reza Parastesh almost landed in jail after he brought traic to a standstill in the western city of Hamedan jersey when he goes out. It has paid off — he is fully booked with media interviews and has even landed modelling contracts. “Now people really see me as the Iranian Messi and want me to mimic everything he does. When I show up somewhere, people are really shocked,” he said.

Agence France-Presse

Obama in 2014 from his job as director of the Defence Intelligence Agency.

Reuters

Stinging statement: The mural by the elusive graiti artist appeared on the side of a house on Sunday in Dover. AFP

Tehran

Iranian student Reza Parastesh looks so much like his sporting hero Lionel Messi that it almost landed him in jail for disrupting public order this week. So many people came out to take selfies with Mr. Parastesh in the western city of Hamedan over the weekend that police rushed him into a station and impounded his car to stop the chaos and clear traffic. The resemblance is so uncanny that Eurosport UK reportedly used his photo by accident on Twitter recently when talking about the real Messi. The furore began a few months ago when Mr. Parastesh’s football-mad father put pressure on the

Spot the diference: Reza Parastesh, a lookalike of football star Lionel Messi, poses for a picture with a fan in Tehran. AFP *

25-year-old into posing in a No. 10 Barcelona jersey and sending the pictures to a sports website. “I sent them one night and by morning they had called me and said I should

come in quickly for an interview,” he said. Despite his early reluctance, Mr. Parastesh soon grew into his new role, cutting his hair like Messi and often donning the Barca

Obsessed with football Iranians are obsessed with football, and Mr. Parastesh finds himself constantly besieged by fans looking for a selfie. “I’m really happy that seeing me makes them happy and this happiness gives me a lot of energy,” he added. Mr. Parastesh loves football but has never played professionally, though he is working on some tricks so

he can better play the role. He remembers very well the last game between Iran and Argentina during World Cup 2014, when Messi’s 91stminute goal robbed the Islamic Republic of a place in the last 16. His dad was furious. “After the game, my dad called me and said don’t come back home tonight... why did you score a goal against Iran? I said: ‘But that wasn’t me!’” Mr. Parastesh said, laughing. His goal now is to meet his hero in Barcelona, and maybe even land a job as his understudy. “Being the best player in footballing history, he definitely has more work than he can handle. I could be his representative when he is too busy,” he said. A ND-ND

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THE HINDU

BUSINESS 13

NOIDA/DELHI

TUESDAY, MAY 9, 2017

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market watch 08-05-2017

% CHANGE

Sensex dddddddddddddddddddddd 29,926 ddddddddddddddd0.23 US Dollar dddddddddddddddddddd 64.31 ddddddddddddddd0.10 Gold ddddddddddddddddddddddddddd 28,550 ddddddddddddd -0.61 Brent oil ddddddddddddddddddddd 49.10 ddddddddddddd -0.30

Centre to raise with U.S. non-tarif barriers

‘Decision on NPAs still lies with banks’ However, RBI scrutiny and committee advisories will help, says Ministry oicial Special Correspondent NEW DELHI

NIFTY 50 PRICE CHANGE

ACC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1711.25. . . . . . . 51.10 Adani Ports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340.50. . . . . . . . -4.45 Ambuja Cements. . . .. . . . . . 260.75. . . . . . . 14.20 Asian Paints. . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 1167.35. . . . . . . 20.55 Aurobindo Pharma . . . . . . 604.65. . . . . . . 15.65 Axis Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 511.20. . . . . . . . . 6.70 Bajaj Auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2856.95. . . . . . -30.70 Bank of Baroda . . . . . .. . . . . . 188.85. . . . . . . . . 1.45 Bharti Airtel . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 351.30. . . . . . . . . 6.55 Bosch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23392.10. . . . . . -61.30 BPCL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 715.60. . . . . . . . -9.15 Cipla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 551.55. . . . . . . . . 1.60 Coal India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279.10. . . . . . . . . 0.60 Dr Reddys Lab . . . . . . . .. . . . 2600.50. . . . . . . . -2.50 Eicher Motors. . . . . . . . .. 26919.45. . . 1086.05 GAIL (India). . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 418.15. . . . . . . . -0.65 Grasim Ind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1184.70. . . . . . . . -7.40 HCL Tech. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 840.20. . . . . . . 10.60 HDFC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1529.50. . . . . . -17.35 HDFC Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1534.80. . . . . . . . . 2.60 Hero MotoCorp . . . . . .. . . . 3401.25. . . . . . . 24.70 Hindalco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184.20. . . . . . . . -1.60 Hind Unilever . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 954.85. . . . . . . . . 0.95 Indiabulls HFL . . . . . . . .. . . . 1119.95. . . . . . . 13.95 ICICI Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302.95. . . . . . . . . 4.40 IndusInd Bank . . . . . . . .. . . . 1424.85. . . . . . . 16.80 Bharti Infratel . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 364.45. . . . . . . . -2.15 Infosys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 945.50. . . . . . . 14.00 Indian OilCorp . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 428.50. . . . . . . . -4.60 ITC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272.95. . . . . . . . -4.20 Kotak Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 907.35. . . . . . . . -0.95 L&T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1709.60. . . . . . -14.80 Lupin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1279.80. . . . . . . 27.45 M&M . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1333.35. . . . . . . 12.10 Maurti Suzuki . . . . . . . . .. . . . 6630.55. . . . . . -23.60 NTPC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160.60. . . . . . . . . 0.90 ONGC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185.95. . . . . . . . . 2.15 PowerGrid Corp . . . . .. . . . . . 210.00. . . . . . . . . 1.00 Reliance Ind . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 1321.40. . . . . . . . -6.85 State Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299.40. . . . . . . . . 3.40 Sun Pharma . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 637.15. . . . . . . . . 6.95 Tata Motors . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 422.65. . . . . . . . . 3.05 Tata Motors DVR. . . .. . . . . . 261.30. . . . . . . . . 2.35 Tata Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83.10. . . . . . . . -0.30 Tata Steel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 431.90. . . . . . . . -1.70 TCS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2342.45. . . . . . . 21.95 Tech Mahindra . . . . . . .. . . . . . 421.15. . . . . . . . . 8.15 UltraTech Cement . .. . . . 4426.25. . . . . . . 96.30 Wipro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 502.30. . . . . . . . . 3.00 YES Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1615.45. . . . . . . . . 6.70 Zee Entertainment . . . . . . 501.65. . . . . . . . -3.95

EXCHANGE RATES Indicative direct rates in rupees a unit except yen at 4 p.m. on May 08 CURRENCY

TT BUY

TT SELL

US Dollar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 64.10. . . . . . . 64.42 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 70.13. . . . . . . 70.48 British Pound . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 83.01. . . . . . . 83.43 Japanese Yen (100) . .. . 56.94. . . . . . . 57.22 Chinese Yuan . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 9.28. . . . . . . . . 9.33 Swiss Franc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 64.47. . . . . . . 64.79 Singapore Dollar . . . . . . .. . 45.63. . . . . . . 45.86 Canadian Dollar . . . . . . . . .. . 46.79. . . . . . . 47.03 Malaysian Ringitt . . . . . .. . 14.77. . . . . . . 14.86 Source:Indian Bank

BULLION RATES

CHENNAI

May 08 rates in rupees with previous rates in parentheses Retail Silver (1g) . . . . . . . . . . . 40.50. . . . . (40.70) 22 ct gold (1 g) . .. . . . . . . . . . . 2,708. . . . . (2,711)

‘Curbs afecting exports of goods made in India’ ARUN S NEW DELHI

India is planning to take up with the Trump administration the “barriers” imposed by the U.S., which are hurting Indian goods exports to that country in sectors including agriculture, pharmaceuticals and other industrial products. The U.S. “non-tariff/Sanitary & Phyto-Sanitary (SPS) barriers” include those imposed under laws concerning bio-terrorism, child-labour, national security, ‘Buy America’ norms preferring U.S.-made items and American suppliers in U.S. Government purchases, registration fee hikes (in sectors such as pharma), food safety as well as animal and plant health regulations, according to the Indian Commerce Ministry. India will raise this issue soon after the new U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) takes charge, official sources said. They said this issue would also be on the agenda of the next India-U.S. Trade Policy Forum (TPF) — the main bilateral platform for discussing and resolving trade and investment issues. The date for the next TPF meeting will be fixed after the new USTR assumes office.

Child labour According to the Indian Commerce Ministry, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has “arbitrarily” listed 23 items produced in India on the ‘List of Goods Produced by Child Labour or Forced Labour’ — which is in effect a ban on their import. The Ministry said Indian industry is worried as the reports that the DOL relies upon are “not always accurate.” The Ministry has also referred to the U.S. Govern-

A bitter pill: Indian pharma exports to the U.S. have been hit by the increase in approval delays. ment measures envisaged within an initiative to counter potential terrorist threats to the international maritime container trade system. This included X-ray scanning of containers exported to U.S., a measure, the ministry said would cause additional costs for Indian exporters across sectors. In addition, the Ministry has cited a law (the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 of the U.S.) allowing American manufacturers to petition for curbing imports from third nations on national security grounds without providing proof from industry. This is a major Non-Tariff Barrier (NTB) of the U.S. affecting Indian exports across sectors as the law — allowing invocation of ‘national security exceptions’ without having to apply any detailed criteria — in effect restricts foreign competition, the Ministry added.

Pharma exports Indian pharmaceutical exports to the U.S. are hit by the increase in registration fees, approval delays and low approval rates for registrations mandatory for sale

of all new drugs in the U.S. Also, ayurveda and traditional Indian medicines are hit by the U.S. requirement of clinical trials while the practice of traditional Indian medicine systems such as Siddha and Unani are not allowed by the U.S. Federal Government. On market access barriers for Indian rice, the ministry said until the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency registers, approves and fixes a tolerance level for certain pesticide residues, Indian Basmati Rice exports will be hurt owing to import alerts due to the presence of such pesticide residues. The Ministry has also opposed the U.S. requirement of irradiation treatment and inspection of mangoes prior to shipping from India. The Ministry said this is a timeconsuming and costly certification process hurting the competitiveness of Indian mangoes in the U.S. market. Indian grapes, litchis, pomegranates, honey, marine and meat products are also impacted by various U.S. “NTBs”. Besides, the U.S. has imposed countervailing duties on Indian exports, including those by steel and paper industries.

Banks would still be responsible for taking commercial decisions on non-performing assets weighing down their balance-sheets, including possible haircuts, but scrutiny from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and advisories from oversight committees on the processes they adopt should comfort bankers, a top Finance Ministry official said on Monday. The Centre felt the need to empower the RBI to direct banks to take more effective action for unwinding bad loan accounts as NPA resolution efforts failed even in cases where lenders reached an agreement, the official said. As much as 70% of nonperforming assets in the banking system stem from accounts where multiple banks have lent to a borrower, as a consortium or individually, said Anjuly Chhib Duggal, secretary in the department of financial ser-

‘Only 60 million tonnes added in the past decade’

Press Trust of India

Special Correspondent NEW DELHI

The government’s ambition to add 182 million tonnes of new steel capacities over the next 14 years under the National Steel Policy is unlikely to be achieved, rating agency Crisil said in a report. Only 60 million tonnes of capacity has been added in the past decade and stagnant demand in the past five years had aggravated the debt position of the sector, it added. Several global steel majors such as POSCO and ArcelorMittal have scrapped

‘More steps needed to ix black money’

Reuters

Steel sector proves a drag on quarter-on-quarter numbers

Press Trust of India New Delhi

age ratio has increased to 55.62% from 52.52% in the last quarter. The global steel industry was under pressure, we have significant exposure to this sector and much of the NPA happened there,” he said.

BENGALURU

Canara Bank reported a net profit of ₹214.18 crore for the fourth quarter ended March 31, 2017 as against a net loss of ₹3,905.49 crore in the same period last year. The total income of the bank for the January–March period stood at ₹12,889 crore as against ₹ 12,116.14 in the same period last year. The net interest income witnessed a growth of 14.08% to ₹ 2,708 crore when compared with the same period last year. However, on sequential basis, the bank’s net profit witnessed a decline of about 33% in the fourth quarter mainly due to higher

Rakesh Sharma

provisioning. “Our net interest income and other come has witnessed a growth in the quarter,” said Rakesh Sharma, managing director and CEO, Canara Bank. “However, because of NPAs, the provision cover-

Higher provisions The provisions during the quarter stood at ₹ 2708.74 crore against ₹ 1,484.57 crore in the previous quarter. For the full year, the net profit stood at ₹1,122 crore as against a loss of ₹2,813 crore in the previous fiscal. For the quarter, the gross NPA ratio declined to 9.63% from 9.97% in the previous quarter and the net NPA ratio to 6.33% (6.72%).

New JLF norms As per the new norms for JLFs notified by the RBI, just 60% of lenders by value of the loan have to reach a consensus on the course of action to be adopted for an NPA compared with a 75% consensus requirement earlier. The rest of the lenders are required to follow suit in such cases.

Ambuja, ACC rise on merger plans

Canara Bank fourth quarter net proit at ₹214.18 crore Staff Reporter

vices under the finance ministry. All such bad loan cases above ₹100 crore are to be taken up by a joint lenders’ forum ( JLF) as per norms.

bankers should go back and look at it in their own interest, (but) it’s an advisory. This entire system is to supplement the bankers in the process.” “If so many people have together taken a decision, it is very difficult for anyone to game the system. The numbers offer protection… and opening up this process to the OC and the RBI… that is where the comfort comes,” Ms. Duggal said. “What happened was that even though loans had been resolved through JLF and a corrective action plan worked out, it could not be effectively resolved,” she said, citing delays in paperwork by individual banks. “There has been a delay in coming back – if a decision has been taken to restructure a loan or sell an asset to an asset reconstruction company, it applies for a particular point of time. If the timeline passes, the decision has to be renegotiated all over again,” she said.

Steel production target tough to meet, says Crisil

UBI net rises 13% as bad loans ease Union Bank of India Ltd. on Monday posted a 13% rise in its fourth quarter net profit as the gross badloan ratio eased sequentially, but fell short of analysts’ expectations. The country’s sixthbiggest public sector lender by assets said net profit for the March quarter stood at ₹108 crore. Analysts, on average, had expected a fourthquarter net profit of ₹189 crore, according to Thomson Reuters data. Gross bad loans as a percentage of total loans stood at 11.17 % at the end of March, compared with 11.7 % in the preceding quarter, and 8.70% a year earlier.

Anjuly Chhib Duggal

“If 60% of the bankers come to the conclusion that due process has been followed, and now it is time to take action, the decision on the haircut is implicit in that decision. RBI is coming into the process but the commercial decision is still taken by the banks,” Ms. Duggal said. Stressing that an ‘overemphasis on the haircuts’ banks might take in the process can create a scare for professionals who these decisions, Ms. Duggal said “it takes a certain amount of courage to do it and the only protection is you did it transparently, recording the decisions to explain ten years down the line.” The oversight committees for JLFs, which the RBI has been enabled to constitute, could look into the processes adopted by lenders to arrive at a corrective action plan for specific NPA cases. But their recommendations would be advisory, she said. “If the committee says the process is not followed, then

Demonetisation will not stop the generation of black money on its own and more initiatives are needed to unearth all kinds of undeclared wealth, says a UN report. On November 8, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had scrapped old ₹500 and ₹1000 notes, flushing out 87% of the total currency in circulation. The United Nation’s ‘Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2017’ said that while estimates of the size of the black economy in India vary at about 20-25% of the GDP, cash is estimated to make up only about 10% of that value.

various greenfield steel projects, owing to land acquisition and raw material linkage issues, the report said. “Crisil Research expects 24-26 MT of steel capacities to be added over the next five years, leading to aggregate steel capacity to rise to 140-145 MT by 2021-22,” the report said. “Beyond this, the trajectory of demand growth, continued government support, and pricing environment in backdrop of global over-capacity led by China would be key determinants of pace of capacity addition.”

The ratings agency has also projected a 6-6.5% growth in steel demand in India over the next five years, lower than the 7% annual growth rate projected by the government till 2030. “A similar trajectory of growth is expected to continue even in long run, subject to continuation of government’s initiatives,” the report added. “Also, the policy is expected to encourage in-house production of flat and alloy steel products, reducing their share in overall imports.”

New Delhi

Shares of Ambuja Cements and ACC Ltd. settled with almost 6% gains on Monday after both the companies decided to explore a potential merger between them. Ambuja Cements’ scrip surged 5.89% to end at ₹260.80 on the BSE. During the day, it jumped 9.82% to ₹270.50. Shares of ACC gained 3.57% to close at ₹1,714.40 on the BSE. Intra-day, it soared 5.95% to ₹1,753.85. The boards of the two firms on Friday decided to commence an evaluation of a potential merger.

Govt., WIPO to set up tech centres Special Correspondent New Delhi

The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) and World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) have inked an agreement to set up Technology and Innovation Support

Centres (TISC), an official statement said on Monday. The WIPO’s TISC programme provides innovators in developing countries with access to locally-based, high quality technology information and related services, helping them to exploit their

innovative potential as well as to create, protect, and manage their intellectual property (IP) rights. Over 500 TISCs operate worldwide and establishing TISC in India will give the host institutions access to the global network, it said.

The ‘Sage of Omaha’ on job cuts, Apple, Google, IBM At annual shareholders’ meeting, Bufett says he underestimated the brilliance of Amazon’s execution Reuters

Warren Buffett on Monday said 3G Capital, its controversial partner on multiple transactions, follows a “standard capitalist formula” when it sweeps away thousands of jobs and imposes deep expense cuts to make the companies it buys more efficient.

‘My defect’ Speaking on CNBC television, Mr. Buffett said, “It’s a defect of mine” that he doesn’t focus as closely on the efficiency of business units at Berkshire Hathaway Inc., the conglomerate he has run since 1965. Berkshire and 3G control Kraft Heinz Co and recently tried to merge it with Unilever NV for $143 billion, but was rebuffed. The Brazilian firm is known for “zero-based budgeting,” where it requires managers to periodically defend all of their expenses, and cut waste where possible. CM YK

Power games: Warren Bufett and Microsoft founder Bill Gates at the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway. REUTERS *

“They have followed the standard capitalist formula ... of trying to do the same business with fewer people,” Mr. Buffett said. “People live better when there is more output per capita.” Nonetheless, he acknowledged that cutting jobs can be a “painful process.” Separately, Mr. Buffett expressed regret over his failure to invest early in Internet search company Google, now part of Alphabet Inc,

saying “I should have some insight into” what became an “extraordinary business” with attributes of a monopoly. He said he was more comfortable buying shares of Apple Inc, in which Berkshire has disclosed a 133 million share stake. Mr. Buffett noted that many iPhone purchasers are repeat customers who know a new phone will be introduced regularly, or buy them

for such occasions as graduations. “I can very easily determine the competitive position of Apple now and who is trying to chase them,” he said. He said “the shares, when we bought them, were much more reasonable” in price. Separately, on Amazon, he said, “I was too dumb to realise what was going to happen. I did not think ( Jeff Bezos) could succeed on the scale that he has ... I underestimated the brilliance of the execution. It takes a lot of ability.” “It always looked expensive ... and I never thought he would be where he is today.” Mr. Buffett said he was not bothered by initial U.S. data showing the economy grew at just 0.7 % in the first quarter, saying it was “more or less” growing at 2% a year. At the Berkshire annual shareholders’ meeting on Saturday, Mr. Buffett admitted he was wrong to think International Business Machines Corp “would do better” six years ago, when

he started amassing an 81 million share stake. He disclosed last week that Berkshire had sold about one-third of the IBM stake, even as it bulks up its holdings in Apple Inc.

Succession planning Mr. Buffett has said Berkshire could have a new chief executive within 24 hours if he died or could not continue, and that nothing had changed just because he praised fewer managers than usual in his February shareholder letter. He said it may have been harder to single people out because “we have never had more good managers.” But he also said it would be a “terrible mistake” if capital allocation were not the “main talent” of his successor. Mr. Buffett did lavish much praise on top insurance executive Ajit Jain, who some investors believe could be that successor, saying “nobody could possibly replace Ajit. You can’t come close.” A ND-ND

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14 BUSINESS

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THE HINDU

TUESDAY, MAY 9, 2017

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IN BRIEF

INTERVIEW | SAM PITRODA

Social media is misused to propagate lies, hatred: Pitroda Online media companies don’t take responsibility for their content, he says

Sweden’s Escenda to become part of Tata Tech Acquisition to boost the Tata group irm’s global operations Through this acquisition, Tata Technologies will leverage its global expertise in engineering services to support key accounts in Sweden and the European market and help them create better products for their customers, the company said.

Special Correspondent MUMBAI

Ex-Tata Sons’ Nirmalya Kumar joins SMU MUMBAI

Dr. Nirmalya Kumar, former group executive council member of Tata Sons and a close conidant of former Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry, has joined the Singapore Management University (SMU) Lee Kong Chian School of Business as professor of marketing. Dr. Kumar left the Tata Group the very day Mr. Mistry was replaced as chairman of the group holding company Tata Sons in October last year.

Natco Pharma unveils generic Hepatitis C drug HYDERABAD

Natco Pharma unveiled a generic version of Gilead Sciences’ sofosbuvir 400 mg/velpatasvir 100 mg ixed dose combination drug used in treating chronic hepatitis C. It will be marketed under the brand name Velpanat. Natco has a licensing agreement with Gilead Sciences to manufacture and sell generic versions of the chronic hepatitis C medicines in 101 developing countries, according to a release.

Tata Capital unveils ‘Salaam Loans’ MUMBAI

Tata Capital introduced ‘Salaam Loans,’ a special product to extend loans to deserving individuals who may not have access to organised credit. Either these individuals or somebody who knows them need to write a story on the urgency and reason for requiring the loan which would then be approved based on the likes (Salaam) of people in general for such a story. The irm said it would provide loans at interest rates in the range of 9.5% to 10%.

CM YK

Peerzada Abrar BENGALURU

Sam Pitroda, regarded as the father of India’s telecom revolution, says that he is deeply concerned with the way social media is being misused globally to propagate lies, hatred and false ideas. In an interview, Mr. Pitroda says that in India also, social media has not been used effectively and technology is not meant to be misapplied. He says that media technology companies such as Facebook and Google don’t take responsibility for the truthfulness of their content and that globally there has to be a movement on social media and ethics. Edited excerpts: How do you see technology initiatives like Aadhaar and digital banking shaping up in the country? ■ We have come a long way in IT and telecom in India. When I started my work in India in telecom, we had about two million telephones, it used to take 10 years to get telephone connection. Now we are a country of a connected billion; we have billion phones [and] at the same time we generate $130 billion worth of software export and services. IT and telecom have given us a great deal of global recognition, confidence, new industries, wealth and wealthy people. But at the same time, we have a long way to go. We still don’t have broadband connectivity in large parts of India, especially rural India. We still don’t use IT effectively in our education, health, governance. Aadhaar was a really great initiative to take

all our residents and identify them. Now the challenge is to use Aadhaar to provide various services, whether banking, pension, employment, you name it. So one aspect is to use IT to do the same things that we do today. Another aspect is to use IT to do things that we have never done before. That is a bigger challenge, that requires change in the mindset, that requires new governmental organisation architecture. Could you explain how?

Take for example, judiciary. Today, we have 32 million court cases pending. It takes 10 years sometimes to get justice, a lot of useless paper work. Of course, it is important from the view point of how we have done it. But in today’s terms, it doesn’t make sense. Every case just takes its own time. Can we use IT effectively to reduce this back log from 32 million to 3,00,000? Can we get justice in a year? Technology is there but the will to use technology and change our processes is lacking. Today, the real challenge is process reengineering. Our processes are obsolete and not suitable for the need of the hour. A lot of these processes were designed 50, 70, 100 years ago. Today, we are using computers to computerise age-old processes as opposed to say, for the era today. We need new processes and then we can computerise it.

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Are there any other challenges in the use of technology?

Right now, one of my concerns relates to how do we use social media. To me, social media is misused

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In India, start-up companies are starving for risk capital

globally to propagate lies, hatred, false ideas. The other day, I saw somebody writing about Motilal Nehru, that he had five wives and Akbar was his son, all that kind of [nonsense], all lies. But somebody would tweet that, put that on WhatsApp, it would go to four million people and all of sudden it would become the truth. Who are these people? They propagate a message which is totally false, but they get a hearing. Nobody takes responsibility for it. Today you can start tweeting that Sam Pitroda is corrupt, that you and I met and you gave me ₹10 lakh, it will sell because lies sell. You take Facebook, Google and all the others. They don’t take responsibility for their content but they are media companies. They want more clicks, because they get paid on clicks; there is more gossip, there are more clicks. This is a great concern for me. We have started a notfor-profit initiative out of Paris (to address this challenge). I am one of the directors. Globally there has to be a movement on social

media and ethics, social media and truth. In social media, anybody can hide and say anything. The amount of hatred that goes on in social media against minorities, all kinds of people, women, children, pictures of children... it is just pathetic. Is that what the technology is supposed to do? In India also, social media has not been used effectively. And you don’t know where to go. You can write anything about anything and get away with it and people would start spreading this. We need to be conscious of it. You headed the India Inclusive Innovation Fund and the government had announced a ₹10,000 crore start-up fund. What has been the impact of these initiatives?

In this country, start-up companies are starving for risk capital. Risk capital is not available here because a lot of our business people don’t want to venture out into risk capital. They want a sure return, short-term return and without risk capital, it is difficult to build new businesses. The idea (India Inclusive Innovation Fund) we had then in the UPA government time was to create risk capital and we had already launched the ₹5,000 crore fund. What you have today is a fund mainly managed by the government. And according to me, you can’t have government officers manage risk capital; they don’t have experience, they have never managed risk capital. This is not a job that anybody can do. You need people who have invested in new ventures in the past.

Tata Technologies has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Escenda Engineering AB, a Gothenburg, Sweden-based automotive product engineering and design firm, for an unspecified amount. “The acquisition of Escenda is another boost to our international footprint as well as our capabilities in the automotive sector, where we already support a range of global OEMs,” said Warren Harris, chief executive officer, Tata Technologies. “The deal showcases Tata Technologies’ ability, confidence and commitment to continue to grow and enhance our international operations,” he said. The acquisition is aimed at helping Tata Technologies accelerate its growth plans in Europe which now offers

Warren Harris

increasing opportunities for the automotive and industrial machinery sectors. After the closure of the deal, Escenda Engineering will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Technologies Europe Ltd. The company will maintain the same management team and full workforce under the new ownership, according to a statement from Tata Technologies.

Focus on Europe “We are delighted to become a part of the Tata Technologies’ family and support their ambitious growth strategy in Europe. We look forward to working together and supporting pioneering projects through our combined deep industry knowledge and innovative approaches to product development,” said Stefan Wedin, chief executive officer of Escenda. Escenda’s revenue has grown by approximately 230% in the last four years, Tata Technologies said without disclosing details.

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Paytm may pump $30 mn into Insider.in

Gati Q4 net falls 40% on slowdown

Firm eyes larger pie of event business

Special Correspondent HYDERABAD

PRESS TRUST OF INDIA NEW DELHI

Alibaba—backed Paytm is in discussions with Insider.in to pick up a stake in the Mumbai—based events platform for about ₹193 crore. According to sources, Paytm could pump in as much as $30 million to pick up a majority stake in Insider.in. They added that the deal could be announced in the next few weeks. Mails sent to Paytm and Insider.in did not elicit any response. Insider.in is a leading tick-

eting platform for events and properties, which includes the likes of Bacardi NH7 Weekender and TV series The Dewarists.

Events business If the deal fructifies, the digital payments and commerce platform will be able to strengthen its presence in the online ticketing business. The sources said Paytm had scaled up its operations in the movie ticketing business and now, it was looking at a larger share in the events business as well.

Express distribution and supply chain solutions provider Gati Ltd. saw consolidated net profit fall 40% to ₹9.29 crore for the quarter ended March 31, 2017. Total income declined 3.4% to ₹418.37 crore. For the full year 2016-17, total income remained flat at ₹1,704.1 crore, while net profit fell about 20% to ₹29.51 crore. The post-festive season slowdown in ecommerce and the slow tapering down of the aftereffect of demonetisation had an impact, said CEO Mahendra Agarwal.

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THE HINDU

SPORT 15

NOIDA/DELHI

TUESDAY, MAY 9, 2017

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Sunrisers coast to victory Dhawan and Henriques shut out the Mumbai Indians bowlers IPL-10

Champions Trophy squad: selectors plump for experience No surprises in 15-member list; Rohit and Shami make a comeback

V.V. Subrahmanyam HYDERABAD

Defending champion Sunrisers Hyderabad dished out a brilliant, all-round performance to clinch a sevenwicket win in a crunch game against table-topper Mumbai Indians and stay in the race for a place in the playoffs of the Vivo-IPL at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium here on Monday night. Needing a modest 139, Sunrisers shrugged off a dismal start — a rare failure by captain David Warner — to romp home. The free-stroking duo of opener Shikhar Dhawan and Moises Henriques put on a 91-run stand for the second wicket off 66 balls which effectively shut Mumbai out of the contest. The win saw Sunrisers take its tally to 15 points from 13 games and move to fourth in the points table. Earlier, captain Rohit Sharma was the only batsman to show the required class and the technical competence against a very disciplined bowling attack, apart from the typically flamboyant start by southpaw Parthiv Patel. Mumbai was off to a dismal start with David Warner’s gamble of opting for Afghan off-spinner Mohammad Nabi to share the new ball with Bhuvneshwar Kumar paying off — Lendl Simmons (1) bowled, going for the big heave. In fact, he was so impressive that Nabi completed his quota of four overs at a stretch conceding just 13 runs. Soon, a double blow by

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New Delhi

Leading the way: Shikhar Dhawan was the mainstay in Sunrisers’ chase.

the ever-improving pacer Siddarth Kaul in the space of two overs — sending back Nitish Rana, who mistimed a pull, and Parthiv Patel, deceived by a slower one and still going for the slog to be caught brilliantly by David Warner in the deep — saw Mumbai struggling at 36 for three in 6.1 overs. Then, a 60-run stand off 49 balls between captain Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya kept the bowlers at bay. A phase which saw Rohit cart leggie Rashid Khan over long-on and hit three classy fours in Moises Henriques’ first over. But, it was Rashid who put Sunrisers back in the game luring Pandya into a big heave to be caught in the covers. In fact, the Afghan duo of Nabi and Rashid gave away just 35 runs and claimed a wicket each.

SCOREBOARD

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R. RAGU

SUNRISERS VS MUMBAI INDIANS

Mumbai Indians: Lendl Simmons b Nabi 1 (5b), Parthiv Patel c Warner b Kaul 23 (17b, 1x4, 1x6), Nitish Rana c Bhuvneshwar b Kaul 9 (11b, 2x4), Rohit Sharma b Kaul 67 (45b, 6x4, 2x6), Hardik Pandya c Henriques b Rashid 15 (24b), Kieron Pollard c Vijay Shankar b Bhuvneshwar 5 (9b), Karn Sharma c Ojha b Bhuvneshwar 5 (5b, 1x4), Harbhajan Singh (not out) 1 (3b), Mitchell McClenaghan (not out) 2 (1b); Extras (b-2, lb-1, w-7): 10; Total (for seven wkts. in 20 overs): 138. Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Simmons, 1.4 overs), 2-22 (Rana, 4.1), 336 (Parthiv, 6.1), 4-96 (Hardik, 14.2), 5-126 (Rohit, 18.1), 6-132 (Pollard, 19.1), 7-136 (Karn, 19.5). Sunrisers Hyderabad bowling: Bhuvneshwar Kumar 4-0-29-2, Mohammad Nabi 4-0-13-1, Mohammed Siraj 3-0-32-0, Siddarth Kaul 4-0-24-3, Rashid

Khan 4-0-22-1, Moises Henriques 1-0-15-0. Sunrisers Hyderabad: David Warner lbw b McClenaghan 6 (6b, 1x4), Shikhar Dhawan (not out) 62 (46b, 4x4, 2x6), Moises Henriques c Rohit b Bumrah 44 (35b, 6x4), Yuvraj Singh c Hardik b Malinga 9 (11b, 1x4), Vijay Shankar (not out) 15 (12b, 1x4); Extras (lb-2, w-2): 4; Total (for three wkts. in 18.2 overs): 140. Fall of wickets: 1-7 (Warner, 1.1), 2-98 (Henriques, 12.1), 3112 (Yuvraj, 14.4). Mumbai Indians bowling: Harbhajan Singh 4-0-23-0, Mitchell McClenaghan 4-026-1, Lasith Malinga 4-0-33-1, Jasprit Bumrah 3.2-0-24-1, Karn Sharma 2-0-19-0, Hardik Pandya 1-0-13-0. Toss: Mumbai Indians; Man-ofthe-match: Dhawan; Sunrisers won by seven wickets with 10 balls to spare.

The whole country may be in the grip of the Indian Premier League (IPL), but the selectors stuck to their task of striking the best balance for the Champions Trophy, keeping in mind the conditions in England for the event scheduled from June 1 to 18. The chairman of the selection committee, M.S.K Prasad, who fielded questions from the media here on Monday, emphasised that various aspects were taken into consideration, and that experience was paramount. Quite understandably, there were no surprises in the 15-member squad, as Prasad stressed that the team combination had been regularly discussed for the past “three to four months”. To start, from the top, the openers’ slots were taken by Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma, with Ajinkya Rahane ready to step into the role if required. M.S. Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, Kedar Jadhav, Hardik Pandya were named thereafter, while the chairman expressed his gratitude to the franchise of R. Ashwin (Rising Pune Supergiant) for giving him the much needed rest during the IPL, to recover and be ready for the challenge ahead. Ravindra Jadeja was felt to be “extremely fit” and thus the selectors were confident that he would “cope with the demands.” Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar

The squad 앫 Virat Kohli (capt.), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, M.S. Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, Kedar Jadhav, Hardik Pandya, R. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah and Manish Pandey.

Mohammed Shami

Rohit Sharma

Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah took the medium-pacers’ slots, with Manish Pandey closing the list of the 15member squad. “We feel that it is a balanced, experienced, and, from our view, the best team,” said Prasad.

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Surprise package The 22-year-old Kuldeep Yadav, the chinaman bowler who has caught everyone’s imagination, came in for praise from Prasad, but clarified that he was viewed as a “surprise package” and came “very close” to selection. However, with Yuvraj Singh and Kedar Jadhav bowling spin, if required, it was felt that another spinner could not be fitted into the team, without compromising its balance. In fact, Prasad had no hesitation in reeling off the names of Rishabh Pant, Shardul Thakur, Suresh

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India’s schedule B

June 4: vs Pakistan

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June 8: vs Sri Lanka

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June 11: vs South Africa

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(all matches begin at 3 p.m., IST)

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Raina and Dinesh Karthik, apart from Kuldeep Yadav, as the players who were discussed at length will be kept as reserves. They will be training at the NCA and be ready. “We are impressed with the way Pant is playing. He is our solution for the future. We will groom and back him,” he said. When queried about Sanju Samson and Basil Thampi, the chairman was prompt in saying that they were being watched as “good prospects”. Prasad was profuse in his praise of the IPL, “the best in

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the world, as a premier domestic event.” “It is a wonderful platform for the youngsters to showcase their talent. “We bring them under the radar and groom them,” he said.

Dhoni indispensable Dhoni was hailed for his wicketkeeping even though his batting may at times give some room for concern. “We all know that Dhoni is the best wicketkeeper in the world. There may be a question about his batting. “We feel that he is indispensable and the best person to guide Virat. “In the last few years that he has played, MSD has never had a bad day as far as his ‘glovework’ is concerned. “His phenomenal wicketkeeping goes unnoticed,” Prasad remarked.

Basil Thampi — bowling fast, rising faster

‘We have to mend fences’

The Kerala speedster has been one of the emerging stars this season

Choudhary, however, insists BCCI is ighting for a just cause

P.K. Ajith Kumar KOZHIKODE

“Take a look at this new pace bowler,” said Chandrakant Pandit one cold, December morning at Krishnagiri, Wayanad, a couple of years ago. The former India wicketkeeper was the director of cricket with the Kerala Cricket Association at the time. He was talking about a few exciting new talents he had started working with. The genial Pandit took you along to the nets at the picturesque Wayanad Cricket Stadium, and asked to watch a curly-haired, strong youngster, who hadn’t made his First Class debut yet. What struck you first was his pace. The world came to know of Thampi’s pace when the South Zone Twenty20 tournament was televised live from Chennai earlier this year. The Indian team management, too, had taken note and he was asked to report at Pune for the nets of the Indian Test team against the Australians in late February. Even as he was bowling at

India’s Test batsmen, the auction for the 10th edition of the IPL was on in Bengaluru. Gujarat Lions bought him for ₹85 lakh. That would prove to be one of the smartest buys for any team at this year’s auction.

Prized scalps The 23-year-old has emerged as one of the most impressive bowlers at this IPL with his ability to clock speeds around 140 kmph consistently, his yorkers and his temperament. In his maiden season at the world cricket’s most glamorous domestic competition, he has dismissed some of the biggest names in cricket, like Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli and M.S. Dhoni. “This past one month has been incredible for me. I could not have even imagined that I would be getting an opportunity to bowl at these great batsmen,” Thampi told The Hindu from Mohali on Sunday. “I still find it difficult to believe that I am actually playing in the IPL.”

Lettin’ it rip: Basil Thampi has impressed one and all with his incisive pace bowling. AFP *

He had begun playing cricket with modest ambitions: he just wanted to get picked by Kerala for an agegroup match. That, he reckoned, would allow him to demand higher fees for playing in tennis-ball tournaments. “I am lucky that I belong to the IPL generation of Indian cricket; I don’t think I

would have been able to get this kind of attention if there was only the Ranji Trophy.” Thampi, though, had to wait till his third match to get his first IPL wicket. “But, I didn’t feel under any pressure,” he said. “And I have also got to thank the team management, who backed me completely.” His first wicket was that of

Gayle. “You could not have asked for too many bigger wickets than that,” Thampi said. “Trapping him lbw with a yorker is something that I will never forget. Getting the wickets of Kohli, Dhoni, Manish Pandey and Kieron Pollard was special, too.” The bowler from Perumbavoor (near Kochi) said he was indebted to many people at Gujarat Lions. “Captain Suresh Raina, coach Brad Hodge, bowling coach Heath Streak, fellow pace-bowlers Munaf Patel and Praveen Kumar have all been immensely helpful,” he said. “And it has been a privilege sharing the dressing room with the likes of Brendon McCullum, Dwayne Bravo, Dwayne Smith, Aaron Finch, Jason Roy, James Faulkner and Ravindra Jadeja.” Thampi has now started dreaming of an India cap. And he wants to add more variety to his bowling. “I want to work on swing and reverse swing,” he said. “But, I will never compromise on my pace.”

the BCCI as such. In fact the BCCI is far from it. Let’s consider this. The ICC recommended certain changes which were detrimental to Indian cricket. Shall we not protest? The response [of the BCCI] has been given a kind of context that appears confrontational. The BCCI is fighting for a just cause.” Asked about the relationship between the two bodies, Choudhary said, “The BCCI and the ICC have a dynamic relationship. Both are great institutions. Let’s not reduce this relationship to the interplay of individual personalities. History is replete with examples of the BCCI emerging victorious. It won’t be different this time either.” Choudhary dismissed the view that the BCCI was refusing to emerge from the shadow of one disqualified official. “There is no such thing. If an ex office-bearer offers sensible advice, why should we not give it a thought? We should welcome anyone in the BCCI, past or present, offering help. There is no such thing

Vijay Lokapally New Delhi

Amitabh Choudhary, known to be a tough, no-nonsense cop, has been assigned the most challenging task of his career — guide the BCCI through its troubled relationship with the ICC and restore its image in the cricketing fraternity. “It’s a difficult phase,” the acting BCCI joint-secretary told The Hindu. “The revenue sharing model and the revised governance structure [of the ICC] work against the interests of Indian cricket and our endeavour is to rectify the same. The BCCI is in a period of transition. So is the ICC. It’s not going to be easy as both parties are undergoing fundamental changes. These changes are overlapping. It’s a tricky situation, no doubt.” Choudhary did not agree with the perception that the BCCI is confrontational, in constant conflict with the judiciary and now the ICC. “Unfortunately the BCCI has been perceived to be so. All I will say is that certain interested quarters are projecting

Deliver or despair time for KXIP

Young Indian quicks catch the eye

KKR will seal playof spot if it wins on Tuesday

Proiling the chosen few who have had their moments in IPL-10

S. Dipak Ragav MOHALI

Just when it looked like Kings XI Punjab had turned the corner with its bowling, the team came up with a listless effort that saw it fail to defend a big total of 189 against Gujarat Lions. While century-maker Hashim Amla was more forgiving of his team’s efforts in the field, and gave credit to Dwayne Smith’s knock, skipper Glenn Maxwell termed the loss “devastating” and did not mince words when speaking of his bowlers. The defeat means Punjab has to win all its remaining matches which are against the top three in the points table — Kolkata Knight Riders on Tuesday, followed by Mumbai Indians and Rising Pune Supergiant. Even if Punjab wins the next three, it will need to pray that defending champion Sunrisers Hyderabad loses at least one, if not both, its remaining matches. The well-oiled Knight Riders, despite a hiccup with CM YK

two consecutive defeats, got back on track with a thumping win against Royal Challengers on Sunday.

Sandeep fined After the high of a Man-ofthe-Match-winning performance against RCB, Punjab’s Sandeep Sharma, who lost his cool on Sunday, was fined 50% of his match fee for showing dissent against an umpire’s decision. The incident happened on the fifth ball of the fifth over. After Dwayne Smith took a single off the previous ball, Sandeep decided to come around the wicket to

PLAYING TODAY DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

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

the left-handed Ishan Kishan. Umpire Nand Kishore called it a no-ball as he felt Sandeep did not inform him of the change of angle. Sandeep had an argument and snatched his cap away from the official at the end of the over. The IPL in a statement said, “Sandeep Sharma has been fined 50 per cent of his match fee.

POINTS TABLE TEAM Mumbai Indians Kolkata Knight Riders Rising Pune Supergiant Sunrisers Hyderabad Kings XI Punjab Gujarat Lions Delhi Daredevils Royal Challengers Bangalore *After the SRH-MI match

M 12 12 12 13 11 12 11 13

W 9 8 8 7 5 4 4 2

L 3 4 4 5 6 8 7 10

NR 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1

PTS NRR 18 +0.903 16 +0.858 16 -0.060 15 +0.565 10 +0.242 8 -0.369 8 -0.660 5 -1.454

S. Dinakar Chennai

The Indian domestic pacemen have been among the wickets and in the headlines in the ongoing IPL. It’s not the established seamers alone, men such as Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah, who have swung games. Many lesser names too have had their moments. Jaydev Unadkat: Rising Pune Supergiant, 17 wickets, Economy Rate 7.71: Seems to have been around for a long time but is still only 25. He has mixed his length capably in this IPL and sent down cutters effectively, bowling with a semi side-on action. Unadkat brings the odd one back, can also operate with control from round the wicket. He has grown in belief and is holding his nerve at the Death. Sandeep Sharma: Kings XI Punjab, 16 wickets, ER 8.23: A clever seamer, he makes up for a lack of pace with the manner in which he

Jaydev Unadkat.

*

AFP

uses the crease to create angles. Impressive in the PowerPlay where he gets the new ball to dart around, the accurate Sandeep possesses a useful yorker too. His head was earlier falling away at the point of release owing to the limited use of the non-

bowling arm and Sandeep got the problem fixed at the MRF Pace Foundation, as its head coach M. Senthilnathan revealed. Siddarth Kaul: Sunrisers Hyderabad, 15 wickets, ER 8.34: He gets the ball to skid around, again the release is semi side-on, and can take the pace off his deliveries when he wants to. Kaul has been impressive in the end overs this IPL and some of his toe-crushers have been on target. An efficient, if not a menacing bowler. Basil Thampi: Gujarat Lions, 10 wickets, ER 9.29: A bit of a slinger, Thampi has got two elements that lend a cutting edge to his bowling — speed and a stinging yorker. A good athlete, he runs in with momentum and can send down an effective short-pitched delivery, too. His slower delivery is a good variation. There are times though when he sprays the ball around. A product of the MRF Pace Foundation, Thampi will only get better with experience.

Mohammed Siraj: Sunrisers Hyderabad, 6 wickets, ER 9.47: His rag-toriches story captured our imagination. This lanky 23year-old is a seamer with serious ability. Siraj has a whippy, quick-arm release and the batsmen often find his action hard to pick. He can hit the bat hard with his speed, brings the ball in sharply and has a quick yorker. Clearly someone for the future. Aniket Choudhary: Royal Challengers Bangalore, 5, ER 8.55: Perhaps the leftarm paceman the Indian team is looking for, Aniket combines velocity with ‘work’ on the sphere to regularly unleash what is known in cricketing parlance as a ‘heavy ball.’ Someone who developed at the MRF Pace Foundation, Aniket can achieve steep lift. Needs some more work on his control though. In an otherwise gloomy scenario for the Bengaluru side, he has created a few bright moments.

like being under an individual’s influence. Nobody can dominate me or, for that matter, others in the BCCI. If that were true, then the notice to the ICC would have gone. We went by the directive of the CoA (Committee of Administrators).” He assured fans that the cricketers would not be impacted by the issues between the BCCI and the ICC. “They may not have been materially affected, but then they also get affected emotionally and psychologically. It will help the BCCI and the players if the hype surrounding this issue is brought down. We delayed the announcement of the team [for the Champions Trophy] because we had taken a position.” The senior BCCI functionary agreed that India has lost some friends. “It appears to be so. We have to mend fences and have a job at hand. I appeal to the cricket firmament to please understand why we took the position we took in context of the ICC. We have to strategise our responses.”

BCCI’s SGM surprise G. Viswanath Mumbai

Many in the BCCI were surprised when former president N. Srinivasan ‘appeared’ in Sunday’s SGM via a Skype call. “Kasi (Viswanathan) had represented the TNCA at the meeting with the CoA and some of us saw him inside the hall before the SGM. All of us were surprised when Srinivasan appeared through Skype,” said a member. Although the appearance was shrouded in secrecy — there were no hints from the BCCI top brass — it doesn’t appear to have breached any norms. Srinivasan might have been disqualified as an office-bearer by the Supreme Court, but the Committee of Administrators specifically told members that it was not giving any directions on the matter. This was because the Court had not responded to its status report seeking clarity on the eligibility of disqualified members. A ND-ND

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16 SPORT

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THE HINDU

TUESDAY, MAY 9, 2017

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IN BRIEF

Sindhu and Saina hold sway playing together

India drawn in Group C

The Rio silver medallist cites their busy schedules for not sharing a close relationship with the latter

Special Correspondent

Ashwin Achal Bengaluru

Maradona named coach of UAE club Al-Fujairah PARIS

Argentine football legend Diego Maradona has been appointed coach of seconddivision Emirati side AlFujairah. “These are my new colours,” Maradona, 56, wrote on his Facebook page alongside a picture of himself holding the club’s red and white jersey with his name and number 10 on the back. AFP

D’Antoni, Spoelstra share new coaches award NEW YORK

Houston Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni and Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra were named on Sunday as corecipients of the inaugural National Basketball Coaches Association ‘Coach of the Year’ Award. AFP

Spectators at the Karnataka Badminton Association (KBA) were treated to a rare sight, when P.V. Sindhu and Saina Nehwal joined forces during the PSPB inter-unit badminton championship here on Monday. The two popular stars represented BPCL in a doubles rubber against IOCL’s Sikki Reddy and Aparna Balan, in an outing marked by a few fine rallies. Despite a game effort, Sindhu and Saina lost a close encounter. “It has been quite a while since Saina and I played doubles together. In the initial stages of the match, we were both a little confused about our roles. We lost 20-22 in the deciding game, but I’m happy that the audience enjoyed the show,” Sindhu said.

The 2016 Rio Olympics silver medal-winner stated that due to their busy schedules, Saina and she do not share a close personal relationship. “When we play against each other, the goal is to win, so there has to be a rivalry between us. Off the court, we are normal. “We meet only during tournaments, and say ‘hi’ and ‘bye’. We don’t really talk, because she lives in Bangalore and I stay in Hyderabad. A few years ago, when we were both training at Gopi Chand Badminton Academy (in Hyderabad), she was a senior, while I used to train with the juniors. So again, we didn’t talk to each other,” Sindhu said.

Central contract The 21-year-old stated that badminton players and coaches held a meeting with

made by actor-producer Sonu Sood. “Sonu and his team have been doing research for the last eight months now. “My father is helping them by telling them stories from my life. When people see the movie, they will understand the hard work that I have put in to reach this level. “ I’m sure that the movie script will stay at least 95 per cent true to my life story,” she said.

Special moment: In a rare sight, the spectators were treated to the presence of Saina Nehwal and P.V. Sindhu on the same side of the court. G.P. SAMPATH KUMAR *

new Badminton Association of India (BAI) president, Himanta Biswa Sarma, a few days ago. A central contract system, similar to that given to crick-

Devender makes the grade Sports Bureau Patiala

WASHINGTON

Two-time Major champion John Daly won his first PGA-sanctioned tournament since 2004, capturing the 50-and-over Champions Tour’s Insperity Invitational at The Woodlands in Texas on Sunday. Daly has been a fan favourite for his outspoken style and zest for life. AFP

Jayawardene to play for Lancashire LONDON

Sri Lankan batting great Mahela Jayawardene will play for Lancashire in this year’s T20 Blast competition, the English county announced on Monday. Jayawardene, 39, has previously turned out in England for Sussex and Somerset. AFP

Devender Singh threw the javelin to a distance of 84.57 metres at the first domestic Grand Prix meet here on Sunday to clinch an improbable spot for the World Championship. After the initial throws of 77.03 and 76.87, and a “no mark” in between, Devender came up with throws of 83.42 and 84.57 that saw him outclass the field, as briefly reported on Sunday. He wound up with 79.61. Samarjeet Singh of Rajasthan had a best of 76.85 to win the silver. Devender became the second Indian javelin thrower to go past the qualification mark of 83 metres for the World Championship. World junior champion Neeraj Chopra had won his ticket to London with a

Great efort: Devender Singh became the second Indian to go past the qualiication mark of 83 metres for the World Championship. FILE PHOTO *

throw of 83.32 in the Asian Grand Prix recently. The results: Men: Long jump: 1. Ankit Sharma 7.68; 2. M. Silambarasan 7.35; 3. Bikramjith Singh 7.33. Discus: 1. Kirpal Singh 56.57; 2.

Baljinder Singh 56.48; Prashant Malik 54.14.

3.

Javelin: 1. Devender Singh 84.57; 2. Samarjeet Singh 76.85; 3. Rajender Singh 76.30. Women: Discus: 1. Parbati Sethi 43.99.

The England boxer was not present for the launch Special Correspondent

Transfer talk irks Lukaku LONDON

Everton striker Romelu Lukaku has expressed annoyance over the ongoing speculation about his playing future. He announced in March that he would not sign an extension to his current contract, which has two years left to run. He has since been linked with Manchester United and his former side Chelsea, but says the rumour mill has got out of hand. AFP

England’s Olympic boxing medallist and two-time World champion Amir Khan is associated with the Super Boxing League (SBL). Fighters from his gymnasium in England will take part in the July 5-August 12 competition, to be staged involving eight teams at Delhi’s Siri Fort Complex, according to owner and co-promoter Bill Dosanjh. Eight teams named for the first edition are Delhi Gladiators, Mumbai Assassins, Haryana Warriors, Sher-EPunjab, UP Terminators,

on other matters too,” she said. Sindhu said that she was thrilled that her story is set to hit the big screen, through a biographical film to be

Asked if Deepika Padukone — daughter of badminton stalwart Prakash Padukone and a handy shuttler herself — will play her character in the movie, Sindhu said, “The negotiations are still on, so I leave that choice to Sonu. “I’ve met Deepika a few times, but I haven’t seen her play badminton.”

The Asian qualifiers: Group A: China, Korea, New Zealand, Hong Kong. B: Japan, Taipei, Australia, Phillipines. C: Syria, Lebanon, India, Jordan. D: Iraq, Qatar, Kazakhstan, Iran.

Will ight Joshua next year: Fury

Cavaliers enter conference inals Wizards beat Celtics to level series 2-2

Special Correspondent

Amir Khan is associated with Super Boxing League MUMBAI

eters by the BCCI, was one of the proposals made by the players. “It is a good idea to give contracts to the top players. The players spoke their mind

MBSC-Celtic Soccer Academy talent hunt

Joins Neeraj who qualiied recently for the world meet John Daly takes irst win since 2004

HYDERABAD

India has been placed in Group C of the Asian qualifiers for the 2019 FIBA basketball World Cup after the official draw ceremony in Guangzhou, China on Sunday night. Alongside India in Group C are Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. In the opening round, India takes on Lebanon on November 23, Syria on November 26, Jordan on February 23, 2018, Lebanon on February 26, Syria on June 28 and Jordan on July 1.

North-East Tigers, Maratha Yodhas and Southern Super Kings. Each squad will have 12 fighters, including six back-up boxers. Three foreign faces will figure in each team. Bouts will be staged on weekends, six bouts in six weight categories. Asked about Boxing Federation of India’s (BFI) withdrawal of support to the SBL, Dosanjh said professional boxers did not need to take the federation’s permission. “A pro boxer like Vijender Singh is not required to get the okay from the Indian federation,” he said. He also

mentioned NRIs among Indian fighters ready to take part in the event. Amir Khan was not present for the launch as he is undergoing treatment in Dubai for a recent injury. He conveyed a message via video. SBL will be telecast on Sony ESPN, Sony ESPN HD and Sony Pictures Networks India joining as broadcast partner, said the co-promoter. Teams taking part in the league are expected to open five gymnasiums across their respective territory over five years.

NEW DELHI

Agence France-Presse

Madhya Bharat Sports Club (MBSC), in partnership with Celtic Soccer Academy, conducted the first trial to spot talent in the under-13, 15 and 18 age groups at the Thyagaraj Sports Complex on Sunday.

Los Angeles

After a series of trials across the country, 72 young footballers will be selected in three age groups. Three of the best will get a chance to train with the Celtic FC in Glasgow, Scotland, for a month, as part of an exchange programme. MBSC has signed a sixyear deal with Celtic FC for implementing its development model in Bhopal.

Hevia in charge The Academy has appointed Jose Carlos Hevia as the Technical Director. Hevia had worked with Pune City in the Indian Super League for three years and also with Minerva Club. Some of the juniors he had trained are part of the Indian team for the Under-17 World Cup. “I firmly believe that there is a lot of potential here. I am sure that we will be able to spot some good talent at these trials. Given the right exposure and grooming, they can be developed into footballers who go on and represent India at higher levels,” said Hevia. The founder and CEO of MBSC Rishish Dubey said “we are trying to bring in world-class coaching and infrastructure for the young footballers of the country.”

NBA

NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers powered into the Eastern Conference finals on Sunday, downing Toronto Raptors 109-102 to complete a four-game sweep of their playoff series. LeBron James scored 35 points with nine rebounds and six assists as Cavaliers subdued the desperate Raptors to remain unbeaten in eight games in these playoffs. They’re the first team to win eight games in a row over consecutive post-season runs. In the Eastern Conference finals, Cavaliers will play either Boston Celtics or Washington Wizards for a place in the NBA finals. John Wall tallied 27 points and 12 assists as Wizards defeated Celtics 121-102 to level their series 2-2. “The closeout game is always tough,” Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue said. “They came out and competed, took an early lead, went up 11. It was a tough game for us. We knew it would be, coming into a hostile environment.”

But it marked the second straight year that Cavaliers have eliminated Raptors from playoffs on their home floor. They beat them in six games in the Eastern Conference finals last season. Serge Ibaka scored 23 points for Raptors. DeMar DeRozan added 22 with eight assists. But with Kyle Lowry on the bench for a second straight game with a sprained ankle, Raptors couldn’t match the Cavs’ firepower. James will be playing for a seventh consecutive NBA finals appearance, having had four in a row with Miami and the past two with Cleveland, and his eighth overall. James is 3-4 in his trips to the championship series. The results: Eastern Conference: Cleveland Cavaliers 109 bt Toronto Raptors 102 (Cavaliers win series 4-0); Washington Wizards 121 bt Boston Celtics 102 (Series tied 2-2). Western Conference: Houston Rockets 125 bt San Antonio Spurs 104 (Series tied 2-2).

Fight is on: Cavaliers’ Kyrie Irving is about to score past Raptors’ Jonas Valanciunas. AP *

Tyson Fury. AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE LONDON

Tyson Fury has claimed that London’s Wembley Stadium has already been booked for a heavyweight super-fight between him and fellow Briton Anthony Joshua in April next year. Fury, 28, has not fought since dethroning Wladimir Klitschko as world heavyweight champion in November 2015 due to drug issues and depression.

Karman advances Sports Bureau Hua Hin (Thailand)

Karman Kaur Thandi overcame wild card Mananchaya Sawangkaew of Thailand 6-2, 6-7(4), 6-2 in the first round of the $25,000 ITF women’s tennis tournament here on Monday. In the $25,000 ITF men’s Futures in Nigeria, Haadin Bava was beaten in three sets in the first round by Pedja Krstin of Serbia. The results: $25,000 ITF women, Hua Hin (Thailand): Singles (first round): Karman Kaur Thandi bt Mananchaya Sawangkaew (Tha) 6-2, 6-7 (4), 6-2. Doubles (pre-quarterfinals): Emily Webley-Smith (GBR) & Ankita Raina bt Punnin Kovapitukted (Tha) & Si Qi Liu (Chn) 6-4, 6-1; Zhanlan Wei (Chn) & Karman bt Alicia Smith (Aus) & Kyra Shroff 6-3, 6-4. $25,000 ITF men, Abuja (Nigeria): Singles (first round): Pedja Krstin (Srb) bt Haadin Bava 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.

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THE HINDU CROSSWORD 12002 1

2

3

4

7

5

6

(set by xChequer)

11 Addicts in emergency room aboard American ship (5)

FAITH

SUDOKU

With focussed mind

4 Deny record, mail hacked (8)

8

12 Partisan, a Parisian above board? (6) 9

5 Resistance for current in sparking rectiier (8)

10

11

12 13

14

15

16

17

18

20

19

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14 Out to lunch? One pint's common, second dicey (3,6,6)

6 Go missing at draw (5)

17 Fall back on drink to deliver simple speech (6)

8 Back at work, homeworking permitted — one shows alternate medical inding (6,7)

18 Intently focused on bonding group of whales perhaps (5) 22 Occasionally nice to break into laughter for leader (6) 23 Left aside, too cut off (8)

24

13 Smart student exiting without travel permit? Quite the contrary, the other way round (4,5)

25

24 Dirty woman rants, let loose (8)

■ ACROSS 7 One out of several, briely, and singular, primarily (3,3) 8 Egoists frantic to be given love? That's life (2,2,4) 9 Instructive, splendid act, iconic gathering (8) 10 Peeps and runs between counters (6)

CM YK

25 Strip the fat partners, preventing escape (6) ■ DOWN

15 Around time of leaving university, want room (8)

Solution to puzzle 12001 16 Any modem conigured to be ready for contingencies (3,5) 19 Discourses from old judges (6)

1 Bill job in profession (9) 2 Weaken in minutes between 1 and 2 (6) 3 Round igures called lumps of tissue? (5)

20 Loafs around with young ones (5) 21 Tips as a courtesy from the top? (5)

M O N G R E L

O P U A P P H Y L I O V B R E A R E S K N I R O N W G L Y

E D E A L P T H I N S A T R C U G N G L C E

S M

D O H E M S C L L E A E S H R E S Y

F M I R R E F H L Y E V R E T R O L

GM O I S Q S U I N T O S B T R U H I S S E

A T I C H A S I O N C I N K E N E L E S S X MU T T B R I E V E R K J A C K N E T T E R

Solution to yesterday’s Sudoku

Andal, through Her Tiruppavai, shows us the spirit in which we should worship and what our attitude must be when we approach the Lord. She says in one of the verses that the mouth should sing of Him and the mind should think of Him. One might ask why She should talk of the mind’s focus when the mouth is singing His praises. Don’t both happen together? Can the mind be out of tune with what the mouth is doing? Why then does Andal ask for the mind to think of Him while the mouth praises Him? There is a reason for Andal’s special emphasis on both, said Kidambi Narayanan in a discourse. It is possible that while we recite slokas or chant His names the mind is preoccupied with worldly concerns. In fact, this is how most of us worship most of the time. Andal wants to show us the importance of not letting our thoughts run astray, and that is why She says that we must both sing of Him and think of Him. She also talks of having a pure heart, a heart that places its trust entirely in the Lord. We must know in our hearts that He and He alone can and will save us. This kind of complete trust in Him is shown by Sita when Hanuman visits Her in Lanka. She refuses help to leave Lanka, for She knows Rama will come and take Her away. She will not seek or take anyone else’s help. In fact, She can Herself easily escape if She so wishes. But She makes no effort to do so. In a verse in Kamba Ramayana, Sita states that She is quite capable of burning all the worlds with Her words. But She says She will not do so in the case of Lanka, for She is afraid such an act will reflect badly on Rama’s valour. She wants the glory of defeating Ravana to belong to Rama. And so She does not make any effort to free Herself; nor does She let Hanuman rescue Her. A ND-ND

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THE HINDU

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TUESDAY, MAY 9, 2017

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Roma routs AC Milan

Bengaluru puts it past Shillong Mohun Bagan has it easy against DSK Shivajians

Agencies

Sevastova shocks Pliskova

Milan

Edin Dzeko scored twice to help Roma to a 4-1 victory at AC Milan on Sunday and keep the capital side’s title chances mathematically alive. It was his 27th league goal of the season and the Bosnia-Herzegovina forward needs just two more to equal Rodolfo Volk as the Roma player with the most goals in a Serie A season. Volk set the record in the 1930-31 campaign. Dzeko also moved two clear of Torino forward Andrea Belotti in the race for the top goalscorer award. “Coming here and scoring four goals is never easy, we had an almost perfect 90 minutes,” Dzeko said. “It’s a pity we conceded a goal but in general we should be happy. “I’m happy with my season, I’ve worked hard all year and these results give me confidence. But first I look at the team’s results rather than my personal ones.” Roma moved back into second, seven points behind Juventus. The Bianconeri could clinch an unprecedented sixth successive Serie A title at Roma next Sunday. Third-placed Napoli is a point behind Roma with three rounds remaining. The results: La Liga: Deportivo La Coruna 1 (Andone 47) lost to Espanyol 2 (Baptistao 14, Moreno 29). Serie A: AC Milan 1 (Pasalic 76) lost to Roma 4 (Dzeko 8, 28, El Shaarawy 78, De Rossi 87-pen).

TV PICKS Federation Cup football: TEN 2, 4 & 7 p.m.

UEFA Champions League: Juventus v Monaco, TEN 1HD, 11 p.m. NBA: Sony Six & Six HD, 5.30 a.m. (Wednesday)

CM YK

Agence France-Presse Madrid

World No. 3 Karolina Pliskova was dumped out of the second round of the WTA Madrid Open on Monday 6-3, 6-3 by Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova. However, top seed Angelique Kerber fought back from 5-3 down in the deciding set to avoid a similar fate as she overcame Katerina Siniakova 6-2, 1-6, 7-5. Barging through: Balwant Singh, who scored two of Mohun Bagan’s four goals, powers his way past DSK Shivajians defenders in their Group B match on Monday. BISWARANJAN ROUT *

Y.B. Sarangi CUTTACK

Despite missing plenty of chances, Bengaluru FC rode on its luck to beat Shillong Lajong FC 3-2 in an energy-sapping Group B contest of the Federation Cup at the Barabati Stadium here on Monday. Mohun Bagan blanked DSK Shivajians 4-0 in the evening match. The first half was a story of Bengaluru’s complete domination with the former I-League champion controlling possession and maintaining good pace despite the muggy weather. Bengaluru was unlucky not to score off a second minute John Watson corner. Sandesh Jihngan’s well-directed header hit the crosspiece and landed on the line.

Udanta in full flow The ever-active Udanta Singh looked unstoppable on the right flank as he picked Daniel Lyngdoha and Sunil Chhetri to torment Shillong back line. After missing some chances, Udanta stunned the Shillong defence with a long ranger that got deflected off Nimdorjee Tamang into the goal in the 35th minute. BFC doubled the lead soon after resumption when Harmanjot Khabra crossed from right and

FEDERATION CUP Lyngdoh rose to guide the ball in. Shillong opened its account soon after ace striker Aser Dipanda had spoilt a penalty. Yuta Kinowaki hit the target off a Fabio Pena pass in the 72nd minute. Shillong captain Aiborland Khongjee’s poor clearance resulted in an own goal, but the team showed resilience to score from a penalty through Samuel Lalmuanpuia in the closing minutes. In the second match, Bagan overcame a slow start to tame Shivajians. With Sony Norde playing a crucial role upfront, Bagan went ahead through a spectacular goal by a diving Balwant Singh in the 24th minute. Bagan’s string of attacks sank Shivajians. Daryl Duffy finished a Norde corner, Balwant completed his brace

shooting low from 18 yards and Jeje Lalpekhlua joined the party in the end to fetch full points for Bagan.

Too hot for comfort With the mercury hovering around 40 degree Celsius, players are facing the toughest challenge here. Humidity and the tight schedule, in which each team plays three group matches in five days, make the 90-minute affair, especially the ones starting at 4 p.m., a real test of physical fitness. The results: Group B: Bengaluru FC 3 (Udanta 35, Lyngdoh 46, Aiborland Khongjee (OG) 74) bt Shillong Lajong FC 2 (Yuta Kinowaki 72, Samuel Lalmuanpuia 85); Mohun Bagan 4 (Balwant 24, 71, Duffy 65, Jeje 90+2) bt DSK Shivajians 0. Tuesday’s matches: Chennai City FC v East Bengal, 4 p.m.; Churchill Brothers v Aizwal FC, 7 p.m.

The results: ATP Madrid Masters: First round: Marius Copil bt Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 76(6), 4-6, 7-6(9); Grigor Dimitrov bt Philipp Kohlschreiber 7-6(7), 6-4; Robin Haase bt Daniel Evans 7-5, 6-2; Florian Mayer bt Marcel Granollers 7-5, 7-5. WTA Madrid Open: Second round: Anastasija Sevastova bt Karolina Pliskova 6-3, 6-3; Angelique Kerber bt Katerina Siniakova 6-2, 1-6, 7-5; First round: Kerber bt Timea Babos 6-4, 6-2; Maria Sharapova bt Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 4-6, 6-4, 6-0; Svetlana Kuznetsova bt Yaroslava Shvedova 6-4, 6-3; Samantha Stosur bt Sara Sorribes 6-2, 6-0. Coco Vandeweghe bt Anett Kontaveit 6-4, 7-6(7); Caroline Wozniacki bt Monica Niculescu 7-5, 6-7(3), 6-4; Simona Halep bt Kristyna Pliskova 6-1, 6-2; Timea Bacsinszky bt Garbine Muguruza 6-1, 6-3; Johanna Larsson bt Francesca Schiavone 5-7, 6-3, 6-1; Barbora Strycova bt Lucie Safarova 5-7, 6-3, 6-3; Carla Suarez Navarro bt Shuai Peng 3-6, 7-5, 6-0; Dominika Cibulkova bt Jelena Jankovic 6-4, 5-7, 7-5.

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18 LIFE

NOIDA/DELHI

THE HINDU

TUESDAY, MAY 9, 2017

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IN BRIEF

It’s raining gifts for Bieber Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary hitches wagon to star tortoises on maiden India trip Amjad Ali Khan to present travel-friendly sarod to singer

Rehabilitation of rescued reptiles earns kudos for Kerala Forest Department Stan Lee announces Latin superhero

Ignatius Pereira

MEXICO

KOLLAM

Comic book legend Stan Lee is 94 years old and still working on new characters — telling fans they can expect a Latin superhero by the end of the year. The creator of characters like Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and X-Men revealed this to around 20,000 fans at La Conque, the largest comic convention in Latin America. AFP

An ambitious project of the Kerala Forest Department at the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS) to rehabilitate Indian star tortoises (Geochelone elegans) seized from smugglers has turned into a major success. This makes the CWS the only rehabilitation centre for star tortoises in the country. The CWS is the only place in Kerala where star tortoises are known to occur in the wild. The sanctuary is now a haven for at least 450 such tortoises seized from poachers in less than two years. The success of the programme is so overwhelming that the star tortoise has turned into an icon for the sanctuary. It all began in August 2015 when Customs sleuths of the Nedumbassery International Airport seized an out-of-theordinary consignment that contained 200 star tortoises meant for an east Asian des-

Shekhar Kapur to direct young Bruce Lee ilm LOS ANGELES

Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, behind films such as Elizabeth and Elizabeth: The Golden Age, has signed on to cowrite and direct Little Dragon, a film about Bruce Lee’s early days. The film is backed by Chinese investors and will explore the adventures of the martial arts legend in 1950s Hong Kong. PTI

Vulnerable reptile: Star tortoises in the wild face poaching and smuggling risks. SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT *

tination. In these regions, live Indian star tortoises are considered auspicious for gaining wealth. It is the reason why Indian star tortoises, which are protected under the Wildlife Act, are poached and smuggled. Seized consignments have to be handed over to the Forest Department under law but it led to the question of where to release them. Fearing they would perish in a zoo or a forest area

where they cannot adapt naturally, the CWS authorities created a special project under the Wildlife Warden of the Eravikulam National Park G. Prasad, and CWS’ Assistant Wildlife Warden P.M. Prabhu.

Species identification The tortoises were then kept under quarantine for 30 days at Chinnar, where they were scientifically identified as a southern Indian species,

Mr. Prasad said, adding, “This was important to avoid mixing of genetically different populations since there was also a western Indian species inhabiting Gujarat and Rajasthan.” Mr. Prasad said that species identification is done through a molecular genetics process. Rehabilitation partly adopts the ‘soft releasing’ process in which randomly selected tortoises are taken to the wild in an enclosure from which they may enter the forest at will. The enclosures are monitored to prevent attacks by wild animals, and after the entire batch leaves, the enclosures are removed, Mr. Prasad said. He added that during the quarantine period, the natural food preferences of star tortoises were identified and found to include a herb locally known as thazhuthama, and a particular variety of cactus found abundantly inside the CWS.

A smart timekeeper with all the moves The watch face has the ability to turn in 5 diferent directions for various alerts Press Trust of India Washington

Konkona wins accolades at N.Y. Indian ilm fest MUMBAI

Konkona Sen Sharma has been named the best director for her directorial debut A Death in the Gunj and the best actress for Lipstick Under My Burkha at the 2017 edition of New York Indian Film Festival. Shubhashish Bhutiani’s Mukti Bhawan was declared the best film at the annual film extravaganza. PTI

Scientists have developed a new smartwatch with a display that moves in five different directions — dramatically improving functionality and addressing limitations of today’s fixed-face watches. The watch, named Cito, has the ability to rotate and rise.

Disabled-friendly The technology can provide important benefits to wearers with physical disabilities or other impairments, researchers said. “Users want smartwatches that fit their

Wooden ilter removes toxins from water Press Trust of India Washington

Scientists have found a novel use for wood — to remove toxic impurities from water. Engineers at the University of Maryland in the U.S. started with a block of linden wood, which they then soaked in palladium — a metal used in cars’ catalytic converters to remove pollutants from the exhaust. In this new filter, the palladium bonds to particles of dye. The wood’s natural channels, that once moved water and nutrients between the leaves and roots, now allow the water to flow past the nanoparticles for efficient removal of the toxic dye particles. The water, tinted with methylene blue, slowly drips through the wood and comes out clear. “This could be used in areas where wastewater contains toxic dye particles,” said Amy Gong, a

lifestyles and needs,” said Xing-Dong Yang, Assistant Professor at Dartmouth College in the U.S. “The Cito prototype is an exciting innovation that could give consumers even more great reasons to wear smartwatches,” said Mr. Yang. Most smartwatch research primarily addresses how users can more easily input information. Cito aims to remove awkward moments associated with using smartwatches by improving how the device presents data to the wearer. Examples of watch movement include automatically

moving to reveal the watch face from underneath a shirt sleeve.

The watch face tilts for important calls. PHOTO: *

UNIVERSITY OF DARTMOUTH

orbiting around the wristband to allow viewing when the wrist is facing away from the user; rising to alert the wearer of a notification if the user is playing a game; turning to allow a companion to view the watch face; and

Functional and fun “Consumers will question the need for smartwatches if the devices are just not convenient enough. Cito proves the true potential of smartwatches and shows that they can be functional and fun,” said Mr. Yang. “We recognise that our work investigates a radical idea, but our hope is that we also show how a methodical and principled approach can explore any such radical visions,” a researcher said.

Mumbai

Legendary sarod player Amjad Ali Khan is giving an autographed travel-friendly sarod to Canadian singer Justin Bieber, who will give his maiden performance in India here on Wednesday. Asked about the gift, Amjad Ali Khan said, “He’s a role model for the millennial generation and it’s so wonderful to see the love that he has generated. Since it’s his first visit, it’s a welcoming gesture as an Indian artiste.” “It’s a more travel-friendly sarod... More of a memento. It is a left-handed sarod since I understand he’s a lefthanded guitarist.”

Designers to contribute Ace Indian designers like Rohit Bal, Varun Bahl, Anamika Khanna, Krishna Mehta, Amit Aggarwal, Riddhima Kapoor Sahni and Manav Gangwani have also come together to contribute to the set of welcome souvenirs for the Grammy Award-winning singer. Varun Bahl has curated and embellished traditional Indian instruments as a gesture of inter-cultural synergy and India’s hospitality. The instruments have been decorated with fine silk, printed with floral artwork and highlighted with metallic gold. Delicate beaded tassels have been used for detailing. He said in a statement, “The sitar and tabla reflect the core of Indian traditional music, embracing the dynamic culture we hail from. Adorned in signature floral motifs and intricate embroideries, the instruments symbolise the inter-cultural amalgamation of our cosmos.” Rohit Bal has created a biker jacket in cotton velvet for Bieber.

The entire outfit has been handcrafted and hand-embroidered with sequins and crystals from Swarovski. He said, “The jacket is an amalgamation of Justin’s personal style, Indian music and my vision of a cross-cultural fashion statement. I have tried to inculcate elements from the rich music lineage of our country in the form of beautiful classical string instruments like the sitar, sarangi and veena. “These are finely embroidered and handcrafted with over 10,000 crystals from Swarovski on luxurious velvet. Blending in with the instruments are my signature Indian lotus motifs.”

Surprises for mother too While designers have contributed something for Bieber, Anamika Khanna has created a garment for his mother, Patricia Mallette, who will accompany him. The piece is a floor-length jacket in embroidery inspired by tribal India. The base material used is silk chanderi and the embellishment is thread work. She said, “The idea was to give her a flavour of our craft, yet not overwhelm her with the silhouette.” Riddhima Kapoor Sahni

Associated Press Lake Buena Vista

Summer beauty: A Cassia istula tree in full bloom on Sachivalay Road in Gandhinagar.

Ms. Tahhan said. Several young Arab designers have sought to modernise traditional wear and bring the dresses of their ancestors — an increasingly rare sight today — to a new generation.

Agence-France Presse Jerusalem

CM YK

REUTERS

The attraction will open late May

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VIJAY SONEJI

Natalie Tahhan draws patterns digitally and then has them printed on satins and silks before piecing together her garments

Modest fashion: Natalie Tahhan displays her work at her studio in the east Jerusalem neighbourhood of Ras al-Amud. AFP *

family home in Ras al-Amud, east Jerusalem. Palestinians have for centuries painstakingly sewn long black dresses and adorned them with red embroidery, in designs still worn today in rural areas and

*

A peek into Disney’s World of Avatar

Showers of gold

Palestinian fashion designer gives tradition a spin Palestinian fashion designer Natalie Tahhan is hard at work in her Jerusalem studio, replacing the painstaking processes of cross-stitching and embroidery with a laptop computer and printed fabric. Taking inspiration from traditional Palestinian patterns, Ms. Tahhan designs patterns digitally and then has them printed on satins and silks before piecing together her garments. Her modern take on generationsold designs has attracted a keen following both locally and abroad, particularly in the Gulf, where she sells her clothes via the web. “I wanted to do something new, modern, never seen on the market,” the 27-year-old said, as she measured out fabric at her studio in her

Justin Bieber

Khadi flair Amit Aggarwal has created a jacket with khadi with metallic hints with malleable recycled polymer sheet used on the sleeves fusing traditional weaves with industrial waste. He said, “This is a marriage between vintage and modern, the charm of the old and the new world.” Krishna Mehta has created an Indo-western formal shirt with modern, geometric lines with metallic threads. She said: “We have taken a step back from our typically bright colour palette in this particular piece. We wanted to achieve a fierce look, much like the super star himself, and his work — a homage to the singer’s character and stage persona.” “However, his incredibly effervescent personality demands a pop of eccentricity; we, therefore, created a versatile Indo-western look that is just the right amount of edgy, and just the right amount of ethnic.” Manav Gangwani has created special sneakers and caps for the 23-year-old pop star. He said, “Most foreign artistes love peacock feathers and snake symbols in their outfits when they come to India and hence, I created this on the accessories.” Young designer Prasenjit Das has created a handpainted denim jacket with graffiti designs, Dhruv Kapoor has come up with an oversized hoodie and Ragini Ahuja has created a bomber jacket.

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graduate student at University of Maryland. The researchers did not compare the filter to other types of filters; rather, they wanted to prove that wood can be used to remove impurities.

Scaling up “We are currently working on using a wood filter to remove heavy metals, such as lead and copper, from water,” said Liangbing Hu, the lead researcher on the project. “We are also interested in scaling up the technology for real industry applications,” said Mr. Hu. “We found that the wood’s channels are actually slightly bent, and they are connected by pores, which slightly increase the time that the water is in contact with the wood,” said Siddhartha Das, Professor at University of Maryland. The research was published in the journal ACS Nano.

will be gifting a bespoke necklace embellished in ornate rubies and marquise diamonds encrusted in platinum and gold to Bieber’s mother.

Indo-Asian News Service

at marriages and other celebrations. The designs vary from region to region and tend to say something about the wearer. “We can tell where the woman who wears it is from and if she is married or single,”

Embracing the new Ms. Tahhan, who studied in Doha and at the London College of Fashion, is among the few to do so in Jerusalem. She believes she is the only one to have abandoned traditional embroidery for her new method. As the Palestinian territories lack the equipment she needs, she has her fabrics printed in Dubai. They are then delivered to Jerusalem via Qatar and Jordan to circumvent the lack of direct shipments from the Gulf countries to Israel and the Palestinian territories. Maha Saca, Director of the

Palestine Heritage Centre in the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem, says she supports efforts to breathe new life into traditional designs. “Adding Palestinian motifs to modern wear is very important. It means we can wear a modern dress with Palestinian embroidery on it,” she said.

Preserving the old The centre, established in 1991, boasts the largest collection of traditional Palestinian dresses. “Embroidery is part of our identity and our proof of our existence in every Palestinian city and village,” Ms. Saca said. “It shows the beauty and richness of our Palestinian heritage.” She is lobbying for traditional embroidery to be incorporated into Palestinian school uniforms. Ms. Saca

said top-end handmade dresses can cost between $1,500 and $2,000 because of the long hours of labour involved and the cost of materials. She stresses the need to preserve hand embroidering techniques, but accepts that clothes are being produced in new and more modern ways. “We support it 100%,” she said. Ms. Tahhan’s first collection, consisting of five white and violet satin capes with shimmering geometric patterns, sold out completely in less than three months at a price of $550 a piece. Most of the sales were to Gulf clients who bought the items online. Ms. Tahhan’s light fabrics work well in the Gulf market, where heavy black felt or thick cotton can become unbearable under the burning sun.

It’s not a movie set, but visitors to Disney World’s new Pandora: World of Avatar land are in for a cinematic experience. The 12-acre land, inspired by the Avatar movie, opens in Florida in late May at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom. It cost a half-billion dollars to build. The marquee attraction is Flight of Passage, where a 3-D simulator plunges riders into a cinematic world. You feel like you’re riding on the back of a banshee, a bluish, gigantic, winged predator that resembles something out of the Jurassic era. Wearing 3D glasses and straddling what resembles a stationary motorcycle, you’re strapped in, then the lights go out, a screen in front lights up and you’re swooped into a world of blue, gigantic aliens called Na’vi, with moon-filled skies, plunging waterfalls, jumping marine animals and ocean waves. Disney designers are quick to say the new land is the star of the action, not the backdrop. “The character is being portrayed and played by the place itself and that’s different than a set,” said Joe Rohde, the design and production

leader of Pandora: World of Avatar. The enormous blue Na’vi aliens from the Avatar movie appear sparingly, really just on Flight of Passage and a second attraction called Na’vi River Journey. Before going on Flight of Passage, visitors walk through a tunnel in a faux mountain until they stumble upon a laboratory that includes a Na’vi floating in a tank.

A cultural experience “It’s not as simple as a guy in a costume painted blue walking around out here,” Mr. Rohde said of the aliens. “We know they are culturally present around us but we will meet them when we go on an excursion.” The Na’vi River Journey is an indoor river ride in the dark, lit up by glowing creatures and plants. The ride culminates with a Na’vi animatronic woman beating on drums as a chorus of voices reaches a crescendo. Images of the Na’vi riding horse-like creatures appear behind lush foliage, glimpsed in the distance from the river. Throughout Pandora, real plants intermingle with artificial plants that resemble alien pods or Dale Chihuly glass sculptures.

Strange new world: Landscaping consisting of real Earth plant species mixed with sculpted Pandora lora. AP *

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NGT notice to Centre, Delhi

JNU council meet today

‘Films are my lifeblood’

Behind the movie magic

The NGT has issued notices to the Central and Delhi governments over the gas leak in Tughlaqabad Page 3

The JNUSU has accused the V-C of claiming ‘emergency’ powers to push an antistudent agenda” Page 4

Veteran director K. Viswanath relects on his career and the role dance played in storytelling Page 5

Visual effects producer Priyanka Balasubramanian pulls back the curtain on the VFX industry Page 6

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Rebel MLA to record statement before ACB in tanker scam Sources say the complaint may pave the way for the anti-graft unit to question Arvind Kejriwal Jatin Anand Damini Nath New Delhi

Sacked Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Kapil Mishra will record a “detailed statement” with regard to the alleged multi-crore water tanker scam in the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) at the Capital’s antigraft unit here on Tuesday. This, sources said, will pave the way for Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and at least two of his close aides to be questioned.

ACB chief speaks On Monday, Mr. Mishra visited the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) to submit an application to the unit’s chief Mukesh Kumar Meena, requesting him to join the ongoing investigation in the alleged scam as a witness. “Mr. Mishra presented an application stating that he wanted to become a witness in the ongoing investigation related to the water tanker scam. He has been requested to make himself available at any time he wishes tomorrow. His detailed statement will be recorded as and when he chooses to appear on Tuesday,” Mr. Meena told The Hindu. According to sources, the former AAP Minister’s complaint alleging an exchange of cash between Mr. Kejriwal and his Cabinet colleague Satyendar Jain, which was

No holds barred: AAP MLA Kapil Mishra with a copy of his complaint outside the ACB oice on Monday. R. V. MOORTHY filed with L-G Anil Baijal, had not been shared with the ACB. It is likely to be marked to the CBI for investigation on Tuesday.

L-G seeks report After what sources termed was a “brief meeting” between Mr. Mishra and Mr. Meena, the latter called on the L-G as per a scheduled visit. The ACB chief is understood to have been directed

Mishra has < > Kapil been requested to make himself available at any time he wishes tomorrow [Tuesday] Mukesh Kumar Meena ACB chief

to probe the scam intensively and submit a report to Raj Niwas within the next seven to

10 days. A source claimed that Mr. Kejriwal was likely to be questioned about his decision to let “illegally allotted” contracts for tankers to continue offering their services despite the report of a fact-finding committee. An official privy to the investigation claimed that “an understanding between the Congress and the AAP” to maintain status quo in this regard “could not

be ruled out.” At the heart of the controversy are 385 water tankers that DJB hired in 2012 when Sheila Dikshit was Chief Minister and chairperson of the Board. In June 2015, then DJB chairperson Mr. Mishra, who was sacked from the Cabinet on Saturday, had set up a fact-finding committee to look into the allegations that the hiring of tankers was not done as per rules. As per the report of the fact-finding committee, which was submitted to the DJB on July 14, 2015, the rules for floating tenders had not been followed and lower rates had been ignored. On hiring the tankers and on consultancy fee, the DJB had incurred a total loss of ₹360.55 crore. A year after the report was completed, it was forwarded to the then L-G Najeeb Jung, who had marked it to the ACB in June 2016. Since last summer, the ACB has asked for files pertaining to the decision to hire the tankers in the course of their investigation, said a senior DJB official. The official added that there had been no new development in the case, nor had any senior official been investigated. The DJB officials have maintained that there was no wrongdoing in the hiring of tankers.

Mishra ‘repeating BJP’s script’ Staff Reporter New Delhi

Ousted Minister Kapil Mishra is “repeating the BJP’s script”, said Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders on Monday.

‘Greater conspiracy’ Senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh told the media that Mr. Mishra’s allegations made it clear that he was being used by political opponents to harass Mr. Kejriwal and other ministers in his Cabinet. They said that these charges were part of a greater conspiracy. “Mr. Mishra is now speaking the language of the BJP and the Congress. He is saying the same thing the two parties have been saying for months. This makes it clear who is behind all this,” Mr. Singh said. He also asked Mr. Mishra about details of his visit to the Chief Minister’s residence on Friday, which is where the exchange of ₹2 crore allegedly took place. “If such an exchange happened, why isn’t he telling us when he went to

Damini Nath Jatin Anand

AAP MLA has accused the Health Minister of handing ₹2 crore to Arvind Kejriwal

The special Assembly session on Tuesday is likely to be stormy with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal promising to break his silence, two days after a member of his own Cabinet accused him of corruption. Mr. Kejriwal tweeted on Monday that the truth would prevail, and that the one-day Assembly session would mark the beginning. The session would be the second part of the fifth session of the Delhi Assembly. “Jeet satya ki hogi. Kal Dilli

New Delhi

against Mr. Mishra for his baseless allegations.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain, whom AAP rebel leader Kapil Mishra has accused of handing ₹2 crore to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, finally broke his silence on Monday. “There is a limit to lying. I wasn’t at the Chief Minister’s residence on Friday, May 5. I can prove it,” said Mr. Jain. Mr. Jain now plans to file a criminal defamation case

‘Crossed all limits’ Explaining why he chose to speak up, Mr. Jain said, “I wanted to see how far he [Mishra] will go in cooking up these allegations. But he has crossed all limits.” While Mr. Jain said that it was still all right to levy allegations against him, calling an “honest” man like Mr. Kejriwal corrupt was uncalled for.

“I have been accused several times by the BJP. But to drag Arvind Kejriwal into this is unbelievable. He is a man for whose honesty thousands of people have left their lives and families,” he said. Mr. Mishra had alleged that Mr. Jain also facilitated a seven-acre land deal worth ₹50 crore for one of Mr. Kejriwal’s relatives. “He is accusing a person who has died. He isn’t here to defend himself. You can say he was in-

volved in a ₹50-crore scam or a ₹1,000-crore scam now that he is no more,” said Mr. Jain. Mr. Mishra levelled two more charges — that fake bills worth ₹10 crore were cleared for Mr. Kejriwal’s brother-inlaw, and tickets to contest the Punjab and Delhi civic polls were sold at a price. “This is not the Arvind Kejriwal we worshipped. This Kejriwal is hungry for power and wants to cling to his seat,” said Mr. Mishra.

Satyendar Jain

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the CM’s house? We can provide CCTV footage for that time,” Mr. Singh said.

‘Want to silence us’ He said that at a time when the country was facing serious security threats, the BJP and the Centre’s priority was to attack the AAP. “Our only fault is that we are fighting for the rights of the poor and the marginalised, and are raising our voice against the politics of hate. They want to silence our voice,” Mr.

Singh said. Mr. Mishra, meanwhile, replied to these comments during a separate press conference. He said that anyone who questioned the AAP was immediately branded a BJP or a [Narendra] Modi agent. Delhi BJP’s media incharge, Praveen Shankar Kapoor, also reacted to the AAP’s internal conflict. According to Mr. Kapoor, leaders of Arvind Kejriwal’s party were losing their mental balance as the AAP family was disintegrating.

Truth will prevail, says Kejriwal

Satyendar Jain mulling defamation case against Kapil Mishra Soumya Pillai

Fire-ighting: AAP leaders Sanjay Singh and Ashutosh at a press conference on Monday. V. V. KRISHNAN

New Delhi

Vidhan Sabha ke vishesh satr se iski shuruat,” the Chief Minister wrote. Kapil Mishra, who accused the Chief Minister of corruption, was dropped from the Cabinet on Saturday and suspended from the party on Monday.

‘May take on opposition’ While Delhi Assembly officials said that an agenda had not been circulated as of Monday evening, sources close to Mr. Kejriwal said that he was likely to take on the BJP and the ‘opposition’ within the AAP. Among the topics that

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From Wednesday, be prepared to pay more for Delhi Metro ride DMRC hikes fares for the irst time since 2009; base fare to begin at ₹10; maximum fare ixed at ₹50; price set to increase further from October 1

would be up for discussion, sources said, would be the reliability of the Electronic Voting Machines, implementation of the Goods and Services Tax and recent developments in Delhi, including the CBI raid on the Delhi Health Department. The BJP’s strategy for the session, said Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta, would be to hit out at the AAP government by raising questions about the graft allegations against Mr. Jain and demanding his resignation, before taking on Mr. Kejriwal over his “defence of a tainted Minister”.

No decision on 16-yr-old’s custody yet Staff Reporter

Staff Reporter NEW DELHI

Commuters of the Delhi Metro are all set to feel the pinch from Wednesday when the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) increases fares for the first time since 2009.

Change in fare slabs The increase will range between ₹10 and ₹50. Instead of ₹8 at present, the base fare will begin at ₹10 for a distance of up to 2km. Instead of the existing 15 fare slabs, there will be now six slabs of ₹15, ₹20, ₹30, ₹40 and ₹50. The maximum fare will be charged for travelling more than 32 km. “The fare revision will be implemented in two phases. Phase-I will be implemented from May 10, while Phase II will be implemented from October 1,” said a DMRC spokesperson. From October 1, the fare slabs will begin from ₹10 with a maximum fare of ₹60. The hike was given a go-ahead by the DMRC Board CM YK

on Monday based on the recommendations of a Fare Fixation Committee (FFC) set up by the Centre. The 4th FFC was set up in May 2016 to recommend fares for the Delhi Metro as per the Delhi Metro Rail (Operation & Maintenance) Act, 2002. The committee is chaired by Justice M. L. Mehta, retired Judge of the High Court of Delhi, with K. K. Sharma, former Chief Secretary of the Delhi government, and Durga Shanker Mishra, Additional Secretary (Ministry of Urban Development) as the other members.

‘Necessary hike’ “The necessity to revise fares was because of increase in the cost of inputs viz. staff costs, cost of energy and the cost of repair and maintenance,” the spokesperson added. In 2009, the minimum fare was increased from ₹6 to ₹8 and maximum fare was hiked from ₹22 to ₹30. The DMRC has been demanding a hike

New Delhi

The fate of the hospitalised 16-year-old, who was found locked in a Pandav Nagar flat filled with garbage, is unclear. It remains to be decided whether she will be sent to her mother, whom the neighbours have accused of confining her.

Get set: Discounted fares have been approved to encourage ridership on Sundays and national holidays. FILE PHOTO *

for a while citing increasing operational costs. “Since the constitution of the third FFC, there has been an increase in the rate of industrial DA by 95.5% (from 16.9% to 112.4%), rate of Central DA by 103% (from 22% to 125%) and an average increase in the rate of

minimum wages by 156.2%,” the spokesperson said. Further, discounted fares have been approved to encourage ridership on Sundays and national holidays. These fares start from ₹10 and go up to ₹40. After October 1, these fares would be between ₹10 and

₹50. Commuters using smart cards will continue to enjoy 10% discount on every journey. “To avoid overcrowding during peak hours, an additional 10% discount will be given to passengers with smart cards who exit from the metro system during non-peak

hours,” the spokesperson said. The off-peak hours will be from start of services to 8 a.m., 12 noon to 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. to closing of services. “The above discount is applicable from Monday to Saturday. In all, a passenger can avail 20% discount on smart cards while travelling

during non-peak hours,” the spokesperson added. The value of a tourist card with a day and three days validity shall be ₹200 and ₹500, respectively. Fares for the Airport Express Line will remain unchanged. SEE ALSO 쑺 PAGE 3 DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

CWC to take a call This, despite the girl saying that she stayed confined of her own will. The police have said they will wait for the Children’s Welfare Committee (CWC) to take a call. The girl and her mother are both said to be having psychological issues. “A CWC team visited the girl at the hospital. Once her condition improves, the CWC and Delhi Legal Services Authority teams will re-visit and record her statement. They will decide based on her testimony and the circumstances,” said a senior police officer. The girl’s father, meanwhile, has not approached the authorities for custody. B ND-ND

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THE HINDU

TUESDAY, MAY 9, 2017

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Hours after death, CM’s kin Take action against govt: BJP to L-G accused of fraud by Mishra Party iles plea in Delhi Lokayukta, accuses Kejriwal and Jain of corruption

chequer,” Mr. Gupta said.

Staff Reporter New Delhi

AAP rebel leader says Kejriwal’s brother-in-law involved in illegal land deal speaking all written script without any mind. [sic],” tweeted Ms. Sunita. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia also lashed out at Mr. Mishra for making such defamatory remarks against Mr. Bansal, just hours after his cremation. “The funeral pyre was still burning when such allegations were made against him. Mr. Mishra should be ashamed of himself for playing such petty politics over someone’s death,” Mr. Sisodia said.

Soumya Pillai New Delhi

Ousted Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Minister Kapil Mishra named Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s brother-in-law Surendra Kumar Bansal, who passed away on Monday morning, of being involved in corruption. Mr. Bansal, who was around 60 years old, died after a brain stroke. He was admitted to a hospital on Sunday, and breathed his last around 6a.m. on Monday. His cremation, which took place around noon, was attended by senior AAP leaders.

Two more charges Just hours after Mr. Bansal’s cremation, Mr. Mishra revealed that Mr. Bansal was the unnamed “relative” for whom Cabinet Minister Satyendar Jain had allegedly facilitated a land deal of ₹50 crore for a farmhouse in Chhatarpur. “They [AAP leaders] want me to name Arvind Kejriwal’s relative whom I had mentioned on Sunday. It is his brother-in-law,” Mr. Mishra told reporters at his residence in Civil Lines. Mr. Mishra also came out with two more charges on Monday. The AAP rebel leader said that fake bills worth ₹10 crore were cleared

Hitting back: Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said that Kapil Mishra should be “ashamed of himself for playing such petty politics over someone’s death”. SANDEEP SAXENA *

brother in law is < > My no more n this stupid man [Kapil Mishra] is speaking all written script without any mind [sic] Sunita Kejriwal Arvind Kejriwal’s wife

for Mr. Bansal, and that tickets were sold to candidates to contest the Punjab and Delhi municipal elections. He added that he will be producing the evidence before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) around 11 a.m. on Tuesday.

On Sunday, Mr. Mishra had hinted at the involvement of a relative of Mr. Kejriwal’s in the land deal. However, he had refused to name him.

Mishra faces backlash Following the revelation, AAP leaders and sympathisers accused Mr. Mishra of “playing politics over a dead body”. Mr. Kejriwal’s wife, Sunita Kejriwal, took to Twitter to express disappointment over her dead brother-in-law’s name being dragged in mud to “satiate political motives”. “My brother in law is no more n this stupid man is

Road, sewer contracts Mr. Bansal was in the limelight in January this year, after NGO Roads Anti-Corruption Organisation filed a complaint against him and Mr. Kejriwal for corruption. The NGO alleged irregularities in awarding of contracts for construction of roads and sewer lines. It claimed that Mr. Bansal ran dummy companies such as Renu Constructions in order to fraudulently obtain contracts with the help of officials from the Public Works Department. The complainants also claimed that between 2015 and 2016, Mr. Bansal failed to complete certain contracts, but got the whole payment because of the political pressure exerted by Mr. Kejriwal.

Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta on Monday led a delegation to meet LieutenantGovernor Anil Baijal to urge him to ensure “early and strict action” against the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government for its alleged involvement in “serious cases of corruption”. The LoP claimed that the AAP has crossed “all limits of corrupt practices” within a span of 26 months in power. The delegation comprised BJP MLAs O. P. Sharma, Jagdish Pradhan and M. S. Sirsa. Mr. Gupta highlighted how FIRs had been filed against the government on issues pertaining to bribery charges of ₹2 crore, the water tanker

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Ad spending by AAP: HC seeks replies Press Trust of India New Delhi

The Delhi High Court on Monday sought the response of the Centre and the Lieutenant-Governor on the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) plea against an order to recover ₹97 crore from it as the cost incurred on advertisements by the Delhi government. Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva also issued notice to the Delhi government and Congress leader Ajay Maken on the AAP’s plea against the notice demanding payment from it for the money spent by the administration on these advertisements. In its plea, the AAP has sought quashing of the demand notice issued on March 30 by the Delhi government’s Department of Information and Publicity (DIP) on L-G Anil Baijal’s direction. The L-G had ordered the Chief Secretary of the Delhi government to recover the amount from the AAP within a month.

Centre-appointed panel The party has also sought setting aside of a report of a Centre-appointed threemember committee, which had held that the Delhi government had splurged the exchequer’s money on advertisements projecting Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his party in violation of the Supreme Court guidelines. The panel, headed by former Chief Election Commissioner B. B. Tandon, had been constituted by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry on the apex court’s directions to address the issues relating to content regulation in government advertising. The committee’s order of September 16, 2016, had come on a complaint from Mr. Maken accusing the AAP government of splurging public money on ads. The panel had also said that the AAP should be made to reimburse the expenditure for the violation of the apex court’s May 13, 2015, order. CM YK

Another bribery allegation was hurled against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal when ousted Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Asim Ahmed Khan on Monday said that the CM had demanded ₹5 crore from him for a cable network. “The ones who are supporting Kejriwal are his own people. Everybody’s secrets are confided among each other. He is the same Kejriwal who demanded ₹5 crore from me,” Mr. Khan said. “The party needed ₹25 crore to buy a cable network out of which ₹5 crore were asked from me. The rest was asked from four other MLAs...

Asim Ahmed Khan was the Minister of Food and Civil Supply. FILE PHOTO *

They formed a team that went after me to pressurise me to give money. Then they started warning me that if you want to remain a Minister then you will have to give ₹5 crore. I said you can remove

NITI Aayog document inaccessible to blind Activists term situation ‘unfortunate’ Bindu Shajan Perappadan New Delhi

The three-year action agenda document recently released by NITI Aayog is inaccessible to the visually impaired and those who use assistive technology for reading, say activists. The plan proposes several policy changes for shortterm implementation in India, and covers sectors such as agriculture, industry and manufacturing.

Beyond reach The document available on the organisation’s website, however, is inaccessible to many. “The document is inaccessible to the visually impaired and those who use assistive technology for reading,” said Ankit Rajiv Jindal, co-founder and director of Diversity and Equal Opportunity Center, a social enterprise working in the field of disability. He said that although the text appeared to be in English for a sighted reader, it was not recognisable when read using assistive technology. ‘Complex maze’ “The first couple of paragraphs appear to be normal. However, as we scroll downwards, the document turns into a maze of question marks and illogical letters,” said Mr. Jindal, who is himself visually impaired. Further, the document is

Frame charges based on Shunglu panel report, says Maken

irst couple of < > The paragraphs appear to be normal. However, as we scroll down, the document turns into a maze of question marks and illogical letters Ankit Rajiv JindAL Co-founder and director of Diversity and Equal Opportunity Center

not appropriately tagged, due to which users cannot navigate using commands for headings, tables, etc. , Mr. Jindal said. He said it was unfortunate that the document was beyond the reach of the differently-abled, even though the plan impacted every citizen of India. “The action plan is the first major document to released by the government after the enforcement of the New Rights of Persons with Disability Act, 2016, which emphasises on easy accessibility to information,’’ he said.

‘Checks imperative’ Mr. Jindal, who is also an active member of the National Committee for the Rights of Persons with Disability, said it was imperative that NITI Aayog immediately take corrective steps. He also said that the organisation should check every document for accessibility before releasing it. “We hope for a speedy resolution soon,’’ he added.

charges in the Shunglu Committee report.

Staff Reporter New Delhi

The Delhi Congress on Monday demanded that a case be registered against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on charges of “corruption”, and added that if Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal did not give the sanction to prosecute, the party’s leaders would move court. Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken wrote to Mr. Baijal saying that a case under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Criminal Procedure Code should be lodged against Mr. Kejriwal on the basis of

Backs Mishra Extending support to Kapil Mishra, Mr. Khan said: “Mr. Jain is the right-hand of Mr. Kejriwal. The way Mr. Mishra has said that he handed over the evidence to the ACB and CBI, it shows its genuineness. Such things [corruption] have not evolved now. It was there right from the time the AAP formed the government,” Mr. Khan said.

Doc told to pay ₹19 lakh for medical negligence

“Mr. Kejriwal was apprised of the irregularities on August 28, 2015. But he chose to take no action for more than a year. The guilty firms have not been black listed. As a result, the loss of ₹6 crore per month continues to be borne by the ex-

Lodge case against CM, or will move court: Congress to Baijal

me but I will not pay. Then I was framed under false charges and removed from the party. Now when there are allegations against Mr. Kejriwal and Satyendra Jain, why is no action being taken?” he said.

New Delhi

scam and “shameless defence of a corrupt Minister like Satyendar Jain”. The delegation submitted to the L-G that both Congress’ Sheila Dikshit and Mr. Kejriwal were responsible for the ₹400 crore water tanker scam.

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Asim Ahmed Khan says CM demanded ₹5 crore from him Staff Reporter

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All about the chair: During a meeting of the Delhi Congress on Monday, a signature campaign was started to demand that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal give up his seat. V. V. KRISHNAN

Ousted AAP Minister accuses Kejriwal of demanding bribe The AAP has moved a plea against an order to recover ₹97 crore from it. FILE PHOTO

On the ofensive: Senior BJP leader Vijender Gupta after meeting Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal on Monday. SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR

‘Case of illegal income’ Meanwhile, on the directions of BJP Delhi chief Manoj Tiwari, the party’s legal team filed a petition before the Lokayukta of Delhi, Justice Reva Khetrapal, complaining about corruption against Mr. Kejriwal and Mr. Jain. The petition, filed on the basis of “proofs from the statements of Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra and various newspapers reports”, stated that the issue raised by Mr. Mishra was “clearly a case of illegal income by misusing constitutional position”. The plea has asked the Lokayukta to order an inquiry into the case and take legal action if Mr. Kejriwal or Mr. Jain are “guilty”.

‘No action taken’ The Shungu Committee had been set up by former L-G Najeeb Jung to examine the decisions taken by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government on about 400 files. The report, which Mr. Maken obtained through an RTI query, raised questions over certain decisions of the government, including the allotment of property to the AAP and some MLAs. Referring to the report, Mr. Maken asked Mr. Baijal to give his sanction to prosec-

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Heatwave(s)

ute. Mr. Maken said that neither the L-G nor the Centre had taken any action after the report had been submitted to the L-G’s office on November 27, 2016. Mr. Maken added that he had filed a complaint with Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik after receiving the report, but no action had been taken in the three weeks since. He said that he also sent a representation to the ACB on Sunday. “If the L-G does not give the sanction to prosecute Mr. Kejriwal and his Ministers, I will move court as a private citizen,” said Mr. Maken.

IN BRIEF

Press Trust of India New Delhi

NDMC sets up more reverse vending machines

A private hospital and its doctor have been held guilty of medical negligence by the Delhi State Consumer Commission, which has asked them to pay ₹19 lakh to a gynaecologist who suffered vision loss after a surgery. The commission also asked the hospital to deposit ₹20 lakh with the Consumer Welfare Fund, which is maintained by the commission. Taking a stern view of the connivance of the eye hospital, in Greater Kailash, with the accused doctor to escape legal action, the panel asked the Medical Council of India (MCI) to initiate an inquiry against him and the hospital for deficient service.

‘False assurances’ “The hospital was hand-inglove with the doctor and concealed the surgery notes from the complainant as well as from this court,” the commission headed by judicial member N. P. Kaushik said. The complaint, who served with the Army Medical Corps, said she had undergone Intra Ocular Lens implantation surgery, performed by the doctor, at the hospital in 1998 and lost her eyesight. She alleged that the doctor gave her false assurances that her vision would return.

NEW DELHI

As part of its effort to increase recycling, the New Delhi Municipal Council set up ‘reverse vending’ machines that give users cash for depositing plastic bottles and cans at Connaught Place on Monday. The machines at A, E and F Blocks were inaugurated by New Delhi MP Meenakshi Lekhi. STAFF REPORTER

HC may set up panel on dengue, chikungunya NEW DELHI

The Delhi High Court on Monday favoured the setting up of a high-level committee for taking effective measures against recurrence of dengue and chikungunya in the Capital. The court said this year, the authorities have to be ready with their plans in advance so that no such cases occur. PTI

Court concerned over railway water quality NEW DELHI

Shimmering mirage: Delhi reeled under heatwave conditions with the maximum temperature recorded at 42.8°C on Monday. The mercury soared to 44°C in Palam. The MeT oice has forecast overcast conditions with likelihood of rain on Tuesday. SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR *

The Delhi High Court on Monday asked the authorities about the steps they have taken to improve the quality of drinking water at the Northern Railway stations and at their platforms. The court was hearing a plea by NGO Centre for Public Interest Litigation, which has sought "an independent probe” into the neglect of the quality of the drinking water supply. PTI B ND-ND

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THE HINDU

CITY 3

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IN BRIEF

Drunken drivers are like suicide bombers: court

NGT serves notice to Centre, Delhi govt over toxic gas leak Orders pollution panels to conduct inspection, submit report within a week

Govt takes stand, says it opposed Metro fare hike ‘Move will promote use of private vehicles, add to pollution’ Jatin Anand Damini Nath

NEW DELHI

Bindu Shajan Perappadan

New Delhi

Drunken drivers are no less than “suicide bombers”, a city court said while sending an offender to jail for five days. It refused to let off the man on mere payment of fine, saying doing so would convey the message that he can get away by just paying some money. The court said, “Drunken driving is not just a prescribed offence but even a severe social menace.” PTI

New Delhi

The Delhi government on Monday said it had opposed a hike in Metro fares when the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) sought its comments on the proposal. On Monday, the DMRC increased the minimum and maximum fares from ₹8 to ₹10 and from ₹30 to ₹50, respectively. The AAP government, however, said it had opposed the move in June last year, when the DMRC wrote to it seeking comments on the proposal. Responding to a letter, Special Commissioner (Transport) K.K. Dahiya wrote to DMRC’s managing director Mangu Singh, saying that an increase in fares would “result in switching over of the commuters (hailing from lower and middle class) from public transport to personalised vehicles”.

Two women commit suicide in Noida NOIDA

Two women allegedly committed suicide in separate incidents in the city. In the first incident, Mamura resident Sugandha Sharma hanged herself from the ceiling fan at her house on Sunday. The victim’s parents alleged that she was killed over dowry. In the other incident, a middle-aged woman was found hanging at her rented accommodation in Hoshiyarpur village on Sunday. PTI

1 killed after car plunges into Hindon canal GHAZIABAD

One person was killed when a speeding car plunged into the Hindon canal after crashing through a wall. Divyansh, who owned the SUV, was killed in the accident while the other four occupants escaped without a scratch. The incident occurred on May 6, when the five were returning to Vasundhara Colony. PTI

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Monday issued notices to the Central and Delhi governments over the gas leak incident in Tughlaqabad on May 6 in which over 450 students were hospitalised. The notices came a day after senior doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sceinces (AIIMS) said that the Tughlaqabad depot from where the gas leak happened should be shut and immediately shifted out from the high-density population area.

Shifting of depot Taking suo motu cognisance of the incident, a Bench headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar issued notices to the Ministry of Environment and Forest, Delhi government, Railway Board and Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), and asked them to file replies within a week. The Bench also directed the Central Pollution Control Board and the DPCC to conduct an inspection and submit a report on the same. It also issued a showcause notice to the Container Corporation of India (CONCOR) on why environment compensation should not be imposed on its Tughlaqabad depot and why it should not be shifted. The order came after advocates Sanjay Upadhyay and Salik Shafique mentioned the matter, which the Tribunal took note of on its own. “We have gone through

Taking stock: An NDRF member conducts an inspection at Rani Jhansi Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya in Tughlaqabad, where students fell ill after inhaling toxic fumes that had leaked from a container. FILE PHOTO: V. SUDERSHAN *

the newspaper reports...Some emergency mechanism was required to check further environment degradation,” the Bench said.

‘Source of pollution’ The Tribunal will club the matter with a similar one from 2016, where warehousing expert Ajay Khera had claimed that non-Delhi bound operations at the Tughlaqabad depot were contributing to alarming levels of air pollution in the city. The depot should, therefore, be shifted, Mr. Khera had said. The Tribunal also appoin-

Ex-Minister acquitted in graft case

DA case: Virbhadra, wife summoned

Nirnimesh Kumar

Accused to appear in court on May 22

ted advocate I. G. Kapila as amicus curiae and posted the case for hearing on May 15.

Police notice to companies

475 students taken ill On Saturday, noxious fumes leaking from chemical drums imported from China led to 475 students of two girls’ schools in Tughlaqabad falling ill, with complaints of dizziness and headache. The schools were adjacent to the Tughlaqabad depot. According to the Delhi Police, each drum contained 220 l of chloro (methyl) phenylsilane, which is used in the manufacture of pesticides.

Press Trust of India New Delhi

The Delhi Police have issued notices to the various parties to join the probe in connection with the chemical gas leak from the Tughlaqabad container depot. The notices have been sent to the companies involved in the transportation of the container, the customs department and the Container Corporation of India Ltd.

RWAs up in arms Staff Reporter New Delhi

Commuters and representatives of Residents’ Welfare Associations (RWAs) in the National Capital Region have demanded an immediate rollback of the fee hike announced by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). They said the hike was unwarranted and would adversely affect those who were dependent on the Metro for daily commuting. “The new fare slabs are too steep and will burn holes in our pockets,” said Isha Swami, an officegoer. Others said the DMRC should have decreased the fares instead of increasing them. “Except the Metro, Delhi-NCR has no other

Buses yet to be added An official said the AAP government was in the process of “augmenting” its fleet of buses, and till that was done, Metro commuters would not have the option of switching to buses. “There is every likelihood that Metro commuters will shift to personalised vehicles (mostly two-wheelers), which shall lead to more congestion and air pollution,” stated the letter. The official went on to say that the Metro was the “safest mode of public transport for women” and that a fare hike might force some women commuters to switch to other modes.

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Playing it safe

‘Falsely implicated’ In his defence , Mr. Thungon saidhe had been falsely implicated in this case. The prosecution had alleged that his total income earned from known sources during the check period was ₹92,75,847, while his expenditure was ₹58,99,631.

New Delhi

Other accused The other accused who were summoned are LIC agent Anand Chauhan, Tarini Infrastructure managing director Vakamulla Chandrashekhar, Universal Apples Associates (Himachal Pradesh) owner Chunni Lal Chauhan, Prem Raj, Lavan Kumar Roach, Ram Prakash Bhatia and Joginder Singh Ghalta. The CBI has accused Mr. Singh of amassing assets worth ₹10.30 crore between May 2009 and June 2012, when he was the Union Steel Minister. The agency has alleged that the LIC agent helped Mr. Singh invest unaccounted money in life insurance

DELHI TODAY

Talk: Round table discussion on recent developments in the Korean Peninsula: Reactions to North Korean Nuclear and Missile Activities; speakers: Amb. Vishnu Prakash and Dr. Sandip Kumar Mishra, Associate Professor, at the Centre for East Asian Studies, JNU, at Seminar Room, Institute of Chinese Studies, 8/17, Sri Ram Road, 3 p.m.

Nirnimesh Kumar

A court here on Monday summoned Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, his wife and seven others in a disproportionate assets case. Taking cognisance of the charge sheet filed by the CBI, Special Judge Virender Kumar Goyal directed the accused to appear before the court on May 22.

‘Services poor’ Varinder Arora, convener, Delhi Residents’ Forum, said the hike was unwarranted as Metro services were not up to the mark. “During office hours, train coaches are fully packed. Also, there are frequent delays due to technical snags. Why should I pay more?” Mr. Arora said. Syed Mujibur Rahman, president, Aman Committee, Jama Masjid, said the move would have a greater impact on the elderly, differently-abled and low-income workers.

Talk: Lecture on “Triple Talaq and Uniform Civil Code” by Arif Mohammad Khan, former Union Minister, Seminar Room, irst loor, Library Building, Nehru Memorial Museum & Library (NMML), Teen Murti House, Teen Murti Marg, 3 p.m.

New Delhi

A court here has acquitted former Union Minister P. K. Thungon in a 21-year-old disproportionate assets case, saying that the CBI has failed to prove the charges. The CBI had accused him of allegedly possessing disproportionate assets to the tune of ₹1,08,16,532 between June 1991 and April 1996, when he was a Minister in the P. V. Narsimha Rao government at the Centre. “The prosecution has failed to prove on record beyond reasonable doubt that accused P. K. Thungon was having disproportionate assets to the tune of ₹1,08,16,532 beyond his known sources of income,’’ Special Judge Pitamber Dutt said.

reliable public transport facility. The DMRC, therefore, should have made the fares more affordable,” said Ritesh Dewan, secretary, Delhi Residents’ Forum.

Music: Concert by Denis Novato on the accordion, will perform a repertoire of traditional folk songs from Slovenia and wider Europe, at C.D. Deshmukh Auditorium, India International Centre (IIC), 6:30 p.m.

Virbhadra Singh

Music: Centenary celebration of Sarod maestro Pt. Radhika Mohan Maitra - Sarod recital by Pt. Narendra Nath Dhar and sitar recital by Pt. Nayan Ghosh, accompanied by Durjay Bhaumik and Shubh Maharaj on tabla, at The Stein Auditorium, India Habitat Centre (IHC), 7 p.m.

policies. In his annual returns, Mr. Singh later showed the additional amount as income from the sale of apples from his orchard. An MoU was later prepared showing the LIC agent as the orchard manager. Mr. Raj and Mr. Roach were shown as witnesses.

‘Invoices created’ The probe agency further alleged that invoices claiming sale of apples to Universal Apples Associates were created. However, the Income-Tax Department did not buy the explanation, after which an inquiry was launched and the CBI registered the case in September 2015.

Exhibition: “Silent Gestures”, a group painting exhibition by Jaskirat Singh, Jasleena Singh and Sarnjeet Singh, at Convention Centre Foyer, India Habitat Centre (IHC), 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Exhibition: “Beyond Colours”, a group exhibition of painting, sculpture and photography, curated by Amrita Prakash, at Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre (IHC), 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Exhibition: A show of sculptures and paintings by Gurmeet Goldie, at Triveni Gallery, Triveni Kala Sangam, 205, Tansen Marg, Mandi House, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.

No kidding: A child being taught to wear a helmet as part of a road safety drive in New Delhi on Monday.

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R.V.MOORTHY

Celebration: Nrisimha Jayanti Celebrations: Sri Lakshmi Nrisimha Mandir, Guru Ravidas Marg, Karol Bagh, 4-30 p.m. to 7-30 p.m. (Mail your listings for this column at [email protected])

Man freed of attempt Team that probed Nirbhaya case to shoulder new responsibility to murder charges CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

The oicers, who were felicitated on Monday, will train their counterparts on framing charge sheets in complex rape cases On the occasion, like other times, they remembered the nitty-gritty of the case. Mr. Singh said the brutality inflicted by the accused was itself used as evidence, with corroborations from doctors in Delhi and Singapore, where the victim succumbed to her injuries during treatment. Mr. Patnaik lauded his men for “thorough and fullproof investigations”.

Shubhomoy Sikdar New Delhi

Core members of the Delhi Police team that probed the December 16 gang-rape case will soon don a new role – that of training fellow officers on how to frame charge sheets in complex rape cases. The team, comprising 41 officers, was felicitated by Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik on Monday, after the Supreme Court recently upheld the death penalty to four convicts in the case where a 23-year-old paramedic student was raped inside a moving bus in south Delhi in 2012.

Fetching praises The team was also appreciated by the court for collecting “unimpeachable sciCM YK

A fresh start: The team with Delhi Police chief Amulya Patnaik at the Police Headquarters on Monday. SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA *

entific evidence to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt”. Assistant Commissioner of Police Rajender Singh, who

was then an Inspector and a key investigator in the case, said they would now train their colleagues in drafting charge sheets in such sensit-

ive cases. Another officer said they had already held such sessions, which would be made into a regular exercise.

Hard work “Not only did the officers crack the case in a record time, but they also followed it up with collection of scientific evidence, and systematic and painstaking work that led to the conviction in the case,” said the police chief. The then Additional

Deputy Commissioner of Police (South), P.S. Kushwah, recalled how they always felt that they were “racing against time”. He said there were some women officers who had been designated to counsel the victim’s family and assure them that justice would be served.

Forging a bond Their professional commitments aside, some officers said repeated meetings resulted in them forming familial bonds with Nirbhaya’s parents. “Her family was there when I lost my family members. Even on Sunday, her mother visited us. We have forged a strong bond,” said Anil Kumar Sharma, the then Vasant Vihar Station House Officer and the investigation officer in the case.

Two victims turn hostile during trial Nirnimesh Kumar New Delhi

A court here has acquitted a man in an attempt to murder case as the victims, on whose statements the Ambedkar Nagar police had lodged the case in 2016, turned hostile. In his statement to the police, one of the injured said the accused, Vinay, had fired at him. During his evidence, however, he said that it was not the same person.

‘No identification’ “One of the victims said he could identify Vinay. However, after seeing Vinay in court, he stated that he was not the accused. Upon being declared hostile, he said he did not know Vinay prior to the incident and also denied

that Vinay had fired at him,” Additional Sessions Judge Ajay Kumar Jain said. Regarding the evidence by the second victim, the judge said: “During cross-examination, he denied having given Vinay’s name in his statement, and also denied having seen the assailants.”

3 accused juveniles Three of the four accused in the case were juveniles. Seeking conviction of the accused, the public prosecutor submitted that the two witnesses had been won over by the defence. “The prosecution has not been able to prove its case through direct evidence. Hence, accused Vinay stands acquitted of all charges,’’ Mr. Jain said. B ND-ND

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4 CITY

NOIDA/DELHI

THE HINDU

TUESDAY, MAY 9, 2017

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IN BRIEF

JNU Academic Council to take call on admission policy today Jaideep Deo Bhanj

NEW DELHI

New Delhi

Former MLA Jai Kishan has been booked for endangering the safety of others after he accidentally fired a round from his licensed firearm. The incident happened on Monday when he had gone for renewal of his arms’ licence. STAFF REPORTER

Ahead of the 143rd Academic Council (AC) meeting scheduled to be held on Tuesday, the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union ( JNUSU) said the Vice-Chancellor had claimed “emergency” powers to push an anti-student and undemocratic agenda”. JNUSU president Mohit Pandey said, “In the AC meeting’s agenda, the most prominent word is emergency powers. We have written to the V-C as well as teachers to appeal to them to resist any undemocratic move to the admission policy in the name of emergency powers.”

GREATER NOIDA

The police have nabbed one more person in connection with the alleged assault on two farmers by a group of anti-cow slaughter activists last week. With the arrest of Ashok Kumar, who was caught in Jewar on Sunday, the total number of persons arrested in the case stands at three. PTI

Man dies from electrocution NOIDA

A man was electrocuted on Sunday night at a village in Dankaur here after a hightension wire fell on him, the police said on Monday. Vikram died on the spot, the police said. His relatives have lodged an FIR against the staff of the power company for causing death due to negligence. PTI

Staff Reporter

‘Unwarranted’ The union added, “The fact the V-C’s emergency powers were exercised and invoked to give effect to the M.Phil/ Ph.D admission policy announced on March 21 was completely unwarranted. This, when the demand of the entire teaching and student community in JNU was to reconvene the full AC meeting. It’s improper on the part of the V-C to arrogate the powers of the AC, by him being its chairperson, on deciding such critical matters as the university’s

Criminal held after brief encounter Accused carrying a reward ₹75,000 Staff Reporter NEW DELHI

The Special Cell of Delhi Police on Monday claimed to have arrested an alleged criminal named in several cases, including murder and attempt to murder. He was carrying a reward ₹75,000 on his head. Identified as Sombir alias Cheli (23), he was arrested on Sunday after he allegedly fired at a raiding party, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Sanjeev Yadav. His arrest comes close on the heels of the arrest of his accomplice Umesh last month.

Revenge plot “He [Cheli] was arrested from PVC Market, Tikri, around 10.30 p.m. after a scuffle. Cheli took out his pistol and tried to fire at the raiding party. An Italianmade sophisticated pistol loaded with five live cartridges was recovered from his possession,” he said. Cheli allegedly committed several crimes in less than a year as part of a revenge plot hatched by

Tyagi failed to meet us to discuss concerns, says DUTA

‘V-C claimed emergency powers to push an anti-student, undemocratic agenda’

Former MLA booked for ‘endangering safety’

Cow vigilantism: one more held for assault

DU teachers to protest outside V-C oice today

Umesh. “In 2011, Umesh’s paternal uncle Chand Singh was murdered by his relatives Satyawan and others who lived in the same village. Umesh wanted to avenge his uncle’s death and Cheli promised to help him,” said Mr. Yadav. Their first victim was Satyawan’s brother Amit. “Last July they did a recce and Cheli, Umesh, his brother Samir and another accomplice shot at Amit in Mukherjee Nagar. Few hours later, he and Umesh went inside the house of Amit’s paternal uncle Sudhir in Dubbaldhan village and fired at him,” said Mr. Yadav. They struck again in October. “Cheli and Umesh fired at Sudhir’s house with the intention of killing him.” In the three attempts to murder, they were only successful in killing Amit. After Umesh’s arrest in April, Cheli took charge. He was planning to kill Amit’s brother-in-law Anil, who is the complainant and a witness in the Mukherjee Nagar murder case.

New Delhi

Teachers of Delhi University have called for a protest outside the ViceChancellor’s office on Tuesday demanding that he meet them regarding “continuous onslaught on their service conditions”.

Several attempts The protest has been called by the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA), which alleged that V-C Yogesh Tyagi had failed to meet them to discuss the concerns of teachers despite several attempts over the past 10 months. “This is completely unacceptable. In no university of repute can the head of the institution consist-

Up in arms: The JNUSU has urged that Thursday’s meeting shouldn’t be a repeat of the 142nd (A) meeting of the AC held on December 23, 2016. FILE PHOTO: SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA *

admission policy.” Appealing for deliberation in the interest of academic vibrancy, the JNUSU said the meeting shouldn’t be a repeat of the 142nd (A) meeting of the AC held on December 23, 2016, which was “a most brazen display of authoritarianism on part of the administration to push its own agenda of implementing the UGC 2016 Gazette Notification that brought changes in the admission policy”. Both the JNU Teachers’

Association ( JNUTA) and JNUSU have brought to the notice of the administration that Tuesday’s AC meeting was happening in the backdrop of an order by the Division Bench of the Delhi High Court maintaining a stay on a judgment by a single judge Bench of Justice V. Kameshwar Rao in the matter of Shubhanshu Singh & Ors versus JNU. The JNUTA and JNUSU said, “As a result, the admission policy arbitrarily an-

nounced by JNU on its website on March 21, 2017, that effected massive seat cuts and fundamental changes in admission policy for M.Phil/ Ph.D, has in effect been stayed.”

is completely < > This unacceptable. In no university of repute can the head of the institution consistently refuse to meet the elected representatives of teachers

Seat cuts The students said: “This means that JNU can’t carry on with its agenda of implementing seat cuts via its intake announced through eprospectus for 2017-18 Admissions.”

Nandita Narain DUTA president

HC issues notices to Uber, Ola Plea by drivers’ union demands ‘freedom from exploitation, labour law beneits’ Akanksha Jain NEW DELHI

With drivers running cabs for Ola and Uber protesting for better work conditions, the Delhi High Court on Monday sought a response from the two cab aggregators and also the Centre and Delhi governments on a petition moved by drivers’ union demanding “freedom from exploitation” and benefits under labour laws. Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva issued notices to Uber India Systems Limited, ANI technologies, the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment, the Delhi Labour Department and Delhi Transport Department.

Fundamental rights The petition, filed by Delhi Commercial Drivers’ Union that comprises over 1.5 lakh drivers in Delhi and NCR, said the drivers were “being subjected to exploitation everyday with respect to

‘Whimsical changes’: The petitioner’s counsel said there was no clarity whether the drivers were employees of Uber and Ola in India. FILE PHOTO: REUTERS *

their pay and service conditions, and denied benefits under several labour laws as well as their fundamental rights by Uber and Ola. Petitioner’s counsel Shoumendu Mukherji and Akash Vajpai said there was no clarity if these drivers were employees of Uber and Ola in India. The drivers were held as employees in places like California and London. He highlighted how drivers plying cabs for these companies don’t even have

the security of compensation in case of an accident or compensation to their kin in case of their death during the course of employment.

Demand for panel They have demanded constitution of a committee to look into their service conditions and to ensure implementation of labour laws. The petition also sought action against “arbitrary and whimsical alteration in payment terms and service conditions

Honey trap case: judicial custody extended Police said they wanted to record the woman’s voice sample Press Trust of India New Delhi

The woman accused of honey-trapping and blackmailing a BJP MP from Gujarat was on Monday sent to four-day judicial custody by a Delhi court. Special Judge Hemani Malhotra remanded the woman to judicial custody till Friday after the police said they wanted to record her

voice sample and might need her for custodial interrogation later. She was produced in court on expiry of her oneday judicial custody. She was in police custody for five days after her arrest on May 2 by the Delhi Police from her Ghaziabad house. During the hearing, prosecutor Atul Shrivastava submitted that they required

the woman’s consent for taking her voice sample. The judge then marked the case before a magisterial court, where the woman consented to give a voice sample. K.C. Patel, the MP from Valsad in Gujarat, had filed a police complaint alleging that he was drugged by the woman, who had then shot obscene videos and photographs of him.

of the drivers on daily basis without prior notice”. Demanding revision in minimum fares and bringing back of bonuses that were on offer in the initial days, the petition said: “Once the customer makes a booking, respondent no. 5-6 [Uber and Ola] by using their internal systems, searches for registered drivers available around the customer’s location. The respondent no. 5-6 exercise their sole discretion in selecting a driver to service the ride. The element of freedom and independent decision-making on part of the driver is non-existent in the entire sequence of actions. The chargeable fare keeps varying on a daily basis on the whims of the respondent no.5-6. No prior notice is given to the driver in this regard. Drivers’ also have to suffer arbitrary deductions in their payments on vague and unsubstantiated grounds, without even giving them a chance to respond.”

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FILE PHOTO: SANDEEP SAXENA

ently refuse to meet the elected representatives of teachers. We will not leave till our office-bearers are able to meet the V-C,” said DUTA president Nandita Narain.

‘No promotions’ Stating that DUTA had written to the V-C seeking an appointment any time after 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Ms. Narain said they would be forced to spend the entire night at his office gates if he refuses to meet them. The teachers alleged that “no appointments, no promotions and no pension have been granted for

the past several years by the increasingly authoritarian, corrupt and vindictive governance”. DUTA claimed that its office-bearers aren’t permitted to enter beyond the iron gates of the Vice Regal Lodge even to register a request for an appointment at the reception. “Not only is the DUTA not given any appointment, in a break from long-standing convention even elected members of the Academic Council and Executive Council haven’t been included in any of the university committees,” the teachers alleged.

Woman dupes people in name of govt jobs, held Used to charge ₹3 lakh per person Staff Reporter New Delhi

A 53-year-old woman was arrested by the Delhi Police for allegedly conning people to the tune of ₹36 lakh over the past year by promising them government jobs. Anita Panikar, a resident of Nanakpura, was nabbed after South Moti Bagh resident Sunita filed a complaint against her. Ms. Sunita said the accused, who had introduced herself as a government official, had promised a job for her son as lower division clerk or upper division clerk in exchange of ₹3 lakh. Of the amount demanded, Ms. Sunita gave her ₹75,000.

Call records “Ms. Sunita decided to check up on the accused. However, Ms. Panikar was nowhere to be found. She had even vacated the house she was staying in,” said Deputy Commissioner of

Police (south) Ishwar Singh, adding that an FIR has been filed against the accused under Section 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code. The police scanned Ms. Panikar’s call records after her mobile phone was found switched off. The police then discovered that the accused was in constant touch with one Arjun. When questioned, he told the police that she was staying in south Delhi’s Yusuf Sarai.

Address changed “She was arrested from near a guest house,” he said. She allegedly confessed to having cheated several people to the tune of ₹36 lakh and that her targets were poor people looking for government jobs. “She used to demand ₹3 lakh per person. The accused stayed in rented accommodations and kept changing her address to avoid detection,” said the officer.

Wedding party robbed Armed men loot bus passengers of jewellery and cash Hemani Bhandari NEW DELHI

Over 50 people were robbed of their jewellery and cash by armed men in south Delhi’s Neb Sarai in the small hours of Monday when they were returning after attending a wedding in north Delhi’s Swaroop Nagar. The bus was headed towards Sangam Vihar when the robbers on motorcycles and an auto-rickshaw overtook it on a deserted stretch and robbed the passengers at gunpoint. One of the children on the bus managed to note down the auto’s registration number, which was later given to the police. The auto-rickshaw was, in fact, spotted by the passengers a few metres away, but its occupants managed to give the police a slip, said an eyewitness.

Bus changed mid-way Sixty-year-old Shashi Bala, one of the passengers on the bus, told The Hindu that they had left the marriage venue around 1 a.m. on a private bus and the incident happened around 2.30 a.m. near Devli village. She added that the driver of the private bus stopped mid-way and asked all passengers to shift to another bus. “He claimed there was a problem with the engine. He called another bus and CM YK

Pressure point: DUTA said it would be forced to spend the entire night at V-C’s oice gates if he refuses to meet them.

The bus was headed towards Sangam Vihar when the robbers on motorcycles and an auto-rickshaw overtook it on a deserted stretch and robbed the passengers. *

SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

asked us all to move into that one. The second bus had no lights inside and even its windows did not shut,” she said. Eyewitnesses said that the driver of the second bus took a different route towards Devli where a few men on motorbikes started following them and suddenly an auto-rickshaw overtook the bus. Two of the men in the auto-rickshaw then got into the bus with country-made pistols, hit the driver twice and asked the people to get rid of their valuables. “There were mostly women in the bus and all of us were wearing gold and silver jewellery as we were returning from a wedding. Scared, we handed over all our jewellery and cash to the rob-

bers,” Ms. Bala said. Her son Subhash Kashyap said the other robbers on motorbikes were standing guard. “It must have taken them not more than 10 minutes to rob us and flee the spot,” he told The Hindu. The police were called and the bus was allowed to leave after the statements of the passengers were recorded.

Auto spotted again Ms. Bala said on their way, they saw the same auto with two men sitting inside. They called the police again. “The duo started running when they saw the police. The two police officers might have been able to catch them but their vehicle broke down a few metres into the ride ,” alleged Ms. Bala, but the police didn’t confirm. While the guests suspect the involvement of driver in the robbery, the police said they haven’t come across any evidence against him so far. “We have registered a case under Section 395 (punishment for dacoity) and 397 (robbery or dacoity with attempt to cause death). We have rounded up a few suspects for questioning and are likely to make arrests soon,” said Additional Deputy Commissioner Chinmoy Biswal. B ND-ND

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THE HINDU

SHOWCASE 5

NOIDA/DELHI

TUESDAY, MAY 9, 2017

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IN BRIEF

‘Films are my lifeblood’ Veteran director K. Viswanath relects on his illustrious career and how dance played an important role in storytelling in many of his ilms ranee kumar

Celebrating handloom Actress Gauhar Khan came decked up in a crisp and chic outfit as showstopper for designer Rinku Sobti during the Asian Designer Week at Talkatora Stadium. The designer created clean and comfortable look for the graceful and genteel actress by combining complicated ikat patterns with simplicity of Mangalagiri fabric. “The idea behind making this collection is to get youngsters attracted to handloom. I am happy to get Gauahar Khan again to walk for me as she has walked during my first show at Lakme Fashion week. Her grace and elegance is sure to complement the vibe of the design,” she says.

Showcasing their best Pearl Academy hosted Pearl Portfolio, annual graduating event, for its School of Design in New Delhi. Students showcased their work at the event. By using earth, water, air and fire, Shelly Shukla, interior design and styling student, prepared a model for an institute that will provide students suffering from autism with a relaxing learning environment. Raunaq Nanda, student from interior architecture and design, designed a concept for adaptive re-use of a water tank structure as a crafts museum and retail space.

RJs manage traffic Radio jockeys Ashish and Kisna were recently managing the traffic while the traffic cops enjoy a day out watching the IPL match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Daredevils at Feroz Shah Kotla grounds recently. Conceptualised by 93.5 Red FM, the duo who run the show Dilli ke Kadak Launde learnt how to manage traffic.

Albeit the Dadasaheb Phalke Award has come a little late in life, ace director Kasinathuni Viswanath was full of cheer as he landed in the Capital with his family. An icon in the Telugu film industry, the remakes of his popular films introduced him to the Hindi belt. Not much was lost in translation, as films such as Sargam , Kaamchor and Eeshwar went on to become big hits. Though not always commercial money-spinners, his films invariably raised real social issues and drew a huge following of family audience. Excerpts: How does it feel to be bestowed with the highest award in filmdom? Better late than never! I’m more than happy that my contribution to the film industry has been recognised, whatever be the timing. I’m still active enough to make this visit to the Capital which is itself a very precious thing for me. I feel so fulfilled after all the effort that spanned across decades. For me, films were and are my lifeblood, not just a career. It was the first time that the awardee was allowed to make a small speech. Isn’t it? Yes, this new convention started with me and it was a moment of pride for me. I made a brief speech beginning with the lines from Saint-composer Tyagaraja’s ‘Pancharatna kriti’ in Sri raga — endaro mahanubhavulu andariki vandanamulu (my salutations to the legacy of great men ) and that drew an

of my sons < > None are in this line because ilmmaking is not passed over like property; it has to be in the veins

Here are Viswanath’s top five Hindi films “Sargam” (1979) “Kaamchor” (1982) “Jaag Utha Insan” (1984) “Sur Sangam” (1985) “Eeshwar” (1989)

Aesthetic appeal: K. Viswanath says young generation of ilmmakers should know about their cultural heritage

instant applause. I’m indebted to all those prominent people in my life from my masters to my parents, my producers, actors who trusted my skills to my audiences for reposing faith in my films, the corpus of which has bestowed this award on me. You directed the Hindi variants of your films and they were not just dubbed versions... My Hindi directorial ventures like Sargam , Sur

Sangam, Jaag Utha Insaan, Eeshwar , Dhanwan were remakes of my original stories and not dubbed versions. Some of them were produced by Rakesh Roshan while Sangeet was produced by Gulshan Kumar. The cast was of my choice always because as a director I felt I knew who fit the roles I had etched for my stories and I never compromised on certain issues which were vital for me to get my story through the medium of

cinema. Many of your movies are based on dance. Why the preference for this art form? It is like asking why Tyagaraja wrote all his music compositions on Lord Rama (he laughs). I can give a similar reason that classical dance appealed to me more than any other art form. V. Shantaram’s movies were also dance-oriented; yet we never got tired watching them. They were creations of art.

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SHANKARCHINTAMANI

My films are not just dancebased; they have a solid story base over which music or dance took shape. I feel it is very essential for the present generation to know about their cultural heritage, their legacy which is our unique identity. Classical dance has immense scope. To get a canvas was challenging, and I love challenges. Movies are visual by nature and visual art has to be aesthetic. The aesthetic

element prevails in all my films; it lends a finesse to every frame. Why such films are no longer being made? All said and done, cinema has always been a commercial commodity where market determines the subject. We can’t blame anyone. There is no dearth of talent either. But the producer is an investor who needs returns on his investment. Present day movie-making involves huge expenses and the risk element has increased. I have stopped directing because I believe that the producer should be tuned to my wave-length for me to make a film. I would also like my grandsons and their sons to think of me as a grand-father who made valuable films; who has left them proud with his legacy. None of my sons are in this line because filmmaking is not passed over like property; it has to be in the veins. Were you a tough director to your actors? Though I lose my temper at home , I was never one to shout at my actors. I’m surprised at the immense patience I had while on the sets because I always felt that I should bring the best out of my actors and that can be done only under a free environment. It was not a put-on attitude; I genuinely interacted with cheer and gentleness with every one on the sets. May be I have a softcorner for my crew and

artistes! Of late, you have moved over to acting in movies. Is this a deliberate move? My arangetram (entry) into acting was by accident on the sets of my Telugu movie Subha Sakalpam produced by playback singer SP Balasubramaniam and actor Kamal Haasan. They forced me into a role for which they could not (neither could I) find a suitable actor. Then roles kept coming my way and I accepted them sometimes as obligation and sometimes as my preference. Kamal would always quip, ‘Acting is like a paid holiday for you, please continue...’ It is not my mainstay; more of a hobby but now I’ve cut down on them too. You are a legend in your lifetime. Did it not occur to you to pen an autobiography? My life has been pretty normal, simple one. You need drama and adventure in life to make a book of it otherwise how will it sell? (he laughs). There are many people who come up to me wanting to write my biography if only I can talk to them. My answer to all such requests is my films are my life. Though my day-to-day life was like anybody else’s, my convictions, my thoughts were different and they show in my films. If one is a keen observer, well, he can construct the personality of the director from the corpus of my films.

Small town, big secrets Paula Hawkins talks of unreliable narrators and unlikeable characters in her new book, Into the Water mini anthikad chhibber

Paula Hawkins is the high priestess of Grip Lit — a genre born out of protagonist Amy Dunne’s psycho machinations in Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl. Hawkins’ The Girl on the Train — about the sad, alcoholic loser Rachel and the things she might have seen and done — sold more than 18 million copies since its release in January 2015. The British author’s second book, Into the Water, was released on May 2 and looks set to occupy the top of bestseller lists for some time. Talking of the pressure of following up on The Girl on the Train’s success, Hawkins says, “Well, it is mostly self-inflicted (laughs). There is the added pressure of my readers waiting for the second novel. I don’t think about it. I just try and tell the story the best way I can.” While The Girl on the Train was set in an urban milieu, the latest goes the rural route — set in the small English town of Beckford, with a scary river that has been the scene of drownings, suicides and murders. “I chose a gothic atmosphere; the setting depends on the sort of story you are saying,” she shares. On the phone from London, the 44year-old talks of the two main themes of Into the Water. “The main one was family and the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves, and what happens with our reliance on memory. The other was our relationship with water. We usually have good associations — of swimming, having fun. But I wanted to

explore the bad — the phobias, memories and myths.” Interested in exploring the many ways ordinary lives go wrong, the book has three women at its centre: Nel, a journalist with an obsession with the town’s history; Jules, her sister who returns in the wake of a tragedy; and Lena, her secretive teenaged daughter. Much like its predecessor, Into the Water has a surfeit of unreliable narrators, too — there are 11 voices, none of whom can be trusted. “There are versions of the truth. Subjective perceptions don’t necessarily coincide. We all make up stories to some degree at different times. People prefer to avoid the negative in their versions of reality,” says the finance journalist of 15 years, who wrote romantic comedies under a pseudonym, before making it big as a novelist. And in these days of fake news, the unreliable narrator has a scary resonance. “It is incredibly relevant. People prefer to read and believe that which confirms what they already know, rather than the truth, which might be unpalatable.”

Feminist narrative Hawkins, who reads books by Kate Atkinson, Pat Barker and Margaret Atwood — though she doesn’t find much time when she is writing — admits she doesn’t “do heroes and heroines”. Her books are peopled by quite a few unlikeable characters. “I prefer relatable characters, which are more realistic,” she explains. So it isn’t a coincidence that the fortune-teller Nickie, Nel Abbot and the

victims of the drownings in Beckford, all “the troublesome women”, feel like versions of the ‘Mad Woman in the Attic’? “That is an interesting analogy,” says Hawkins, adding, “Bertha Mason in Jane Eyre is presented as this violently-insane villain of the piece. However, when you think of her story, she is a poor woman who was dragged from her home in Jamaica, married off to Edward Rochester who disliked her and locked up in the attic in Thornfield Hall for 10 years. You realise she is a victim more than a villain.” As someone who describes herself and her books as feminist — the novel digs into the town’s deep-seated misogyny and the ‘violence that girls internalise towards their bodies’ — body image is one of the themes. Jules was fat as a child, Katie takes slimming pills and there is mention of girls who will do anything for “the thigh gap.” “As one grows, the body changes from something you use to climb, run and play to

The Girl on the Train < > While was set in an urban milieu, Into the Water goes the rural route with a scary river which has been the scene of drownings, suicides and murders

something that is looked at. That informs the way we look at ourselves and contributes to poor self-image.” It also explores how much we actually know the people we are closest to, our family, parents and children. “That is a great sadness for parents, who realise they do not actually know their child.” Hawkins enjoys crime fiction because she “likes to see the way people behave when confronted with extreme situations”. On why there are so many women writing thrillers and crime fiction, she says, “From a young age, we are told to avoid becoming a victim. We are told not to dress in a certain way, walk in a certain place, be out at a certain time. We have a slightly different relationship to crime, as we are conditioned that way — even though men have as much or even more of a chance of becoming victims to crime.” While the film rights to Into the Water have been bought by DreamWorks Pictures, the company that produced The Girl on the Train, there are plans for her to executive-produce the big screen version. Saying that she is happier writing fiction than non-fiction, Hawkins concludes, “I have a few ideas for my next book, but isn’t it a little too soon to be thinking about that now?”

Plumbing the psyche: (Left top) A still from the movie adaptation of The Girl on the Train, which catapulted Hawkins (above) into the bestseller list KATE NEIL *

5 EVENTS WORTH-YOUR-WHILE

EXHIBITION

MUSIC

Bhutan Echoes

Centenary celebration India Habitat Centre will be celebrating the centenary of sarod maestro Pandit Radhika Mohan Maitra. There will be a sarod recital by Pandit Narendra Nath Dhar. This will be followed by sitar recital by Pandit Nayan Ghosh. Venue: Stein Auditorium, Lodhi Road, New Delhi Time: 7 p.m.

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Bikaner House is holding a solo photography exhibition by Serena Chopra showcasing black and white photographs by the Delhi-based photographer. Serena has made several trips to Bhutan over a period of 12 years and to document the unique landscape and culture. Venue: Pandara Road, India Gate, New Delhi Time: 10.30 a.m. to 6.30 p.m.

PERFORMANCE

SOLO SHOW

MUSIC

Samanvay

Concert

Banaras Art Life Gallery presents “Banaras” a solo art exhibition displaying art works by Pune-based artist Sandeep Chhatraband. The artist works in watercolour and acrylic on canvas especially on ghats and the temples. Venue: C-97, Sector-44, Noida Time: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Piano Jazz Club will host Samanvay’s performance. The singer-songwriter and guitarist from New Delhi is self taught vocalist, guitarist and acoustic percussionist with acoustic pop as one of his strong genres. Venue: B 6, Comm. Complex, Safdarjung Enclave Time: 9 p.m.

IIC in collaboration with the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia will be hosting a concert by Denis Novato on accordion. The artist will perform a repertoire of traditional Solvenia and European folk songs. Venue: 40 Max Mueller Marg, New Delhi Time: 6.30 p.m.

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portfolio The Monuments Men, Ghost in the Shell, and the Harry Potter movies, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them included, and upcoming projects include Alien Covenant. “I’ve worked on medium-sized projects, too, because they tend to have smaller teams and they operate more like a family.”

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Priyanka Balasubramanian has a realistic, yet optimistic, attitude about working in the constantlyevolving, fast-paced visual effects (VFX) industry. Growing up and doing her undergrad in Chennai, followed by a Masters in London, paved the way for her pursuit of a career in the film industry. “I wanted to do my Masters in Film and Television, but not a lot of universities at the time offered scholarships in the arts realm. I aimed to get into producing feature films, but landed in visual effects,” she says, crediting a book a friend, who worked at Moving Picture Company, gave her as the reason she became intrigued with the field. Today, Balasubramanian’s resume includes work on films from the Marvel and Harry Potter universes, The Martian, and The Fate of the Furious.

Gearing up Her beginnings in the industry were humble. “I started by serving tea and coffee and delivering old tapes and hard drives to artists and studios. I think when you work in the London visual effects scene, everybody does start from the very bottom, current managing directors included. And people in the top tier, having gone through that, know how to treat runners, PAs and interns. This would probably be looked at differently in India, but what I liked about the UK industry is that everyone more or less starts out at the same level.” Her time as a runner gave her useful insight into what was ahead and she transitioned into data-wrangling: a key aspect of pre-production that involves copious research, where her potential was noticed. “People saw me as quite organised, and recommended I give producing a shot, where I’d be managing people’s time and budgets and mediating with clients—which I enjoy because I think I am a people’s person. And working with people in this world can be challenging, but it’s worth it.” Balasubramanian then went on to actively pursue production. She returned to India for two years, where she worked with studios in Mumbai on both Bollywood and Hollywood films. She points out that this experience was pivotal in her seeing the best of two very different but successful film domains. “Ultimately, my roots as an Indian were, and

Carving a path: Priyanka Balasubramanian and stills from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2

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Onboarding women In 2015, she founded her own VFX studio in London, Hula Hoop, where she works with artists from India, Turkey and Bulgaria. “On any set, you can see every ethnicity imaginable, and each person comes from a unique background, which really aids in the storytelling process of creating a film.” A strong advocate for bringing women back to the workplace, she explains, “Since the industry is so unforgiving in terms of the number of hours you put in, as well as the nature of the work, it makes it tough to have a work-life balance. This makes it hard for people, especially women, after they’ve had kids, to keep up with the rigours of the VFX industry. And what we’re trying to do at Hula Hoop is keep women in the thrum of the work, while still letting them dedicate time to their families. The Internet’s made it so easy to work from home, and be safe and secure—and if we’ve worked with them before, why not keep them on?”

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Behind movie magic Visual efects producer Priyanka Balasubramanian pulls back the curtain on the VFX industry, to reveal the workings of the community in compositing and animation: “For the bigger projects in Hollywood, though, you would have a bigger team of coders, writing scripts on how to make things more streamlined. But now with projects like Baahubali, India has really landmarked itself.” After a move back to the UK, Balasubramanian added to her

still are, important to me, and I didn’t want to alienate that, either.”

Cultural convergence Thrown into the deep end, her first major project as a producer was Chandni Chowk to China (2009), one of India’s most VFXladen films, with 2,000 shots involving effects. “When I was in India, I didn’t know about the existence of an organised visual effects industry. I had thought it was all probably done in

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Hollywood by a small group of people. The more you get to know an industry, the more you see how little a contribution a

single person makes to a whole industry. When you watch the unending credits of these massive movies, and you see your name in

the midst of it all, it’s delightful.” She says a key similarity between the East and the West is in the tools and technology used

VFX dates back to Eadweard Muybridge famously photographing The Horse in Motion in 1878, where he captured a horse’s gallop, frame by frame.

Integrating VFX You would expect any VFX producer to enjoy the salient projections the most, but Balasubramanian differs, “For me, visual effects is not supposed to be a genre on its own, but a medium that helps you tell a story. I’m a big fan of ‘invisible VFX’—what you don’t see. Say I’m doing a scene set in 1920s or ’30s New York or London—if I can recreate that entire set without anybody knowing it was all computer-generated, I think that’s its own success.” On the transience of art, she says, “A project doesn’t need to be screaming out loud that this is VFX at work. It’s the subtlety where it’s not seen as something artificial. The scale of visual effects is, ultimately, dependent on the audience it goes for. The big feature films, like that of Marvel, which include a lot of extraterrestrial and supernatural aspects, seem to nail the success formula. Great scripts make all the difference, conveying if the visual effects are supplementary or central to the story. And I love juggling between those scales, because each project’s individuality makes it exciting.”

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GAME SPOT

A story-driven, action-packed dream come true Prey pays tribute to some of the best games but retains its originality PREY

Yahoo pages get more modern and cleaner looking Yahoo’s home page has an improved look; besides updates to Yahoo Finance, Yahoo Cricket and Yahoo Lifestyle for users in India. This makes access to the latest news and content, simpler and quicker. There is no need to open individual articles in multiple browser tabs; instead, scroll through related stories in-line. The design is more modern and cleaner. With increased personalisation, the new sites deliver a continuous stream of articles tailored to each user (including original content) and create a more consistent experience on Yahoo properties across devices. Over time, as users click on more content, the Yahoo stream will become more tailored to their interests. The upgraded Yahoo Cricket pages have faster page load, more seamless surfacing of slideshows, videos and original content and a more conformed platform. The new design of Yahoo Lifestyle provides users a modern and fully immersive content experience.

Google Maps upgraded with new features Google too has an India-specific upgrade, for its Maps for Android. As soon as you open the app, you see a directions card with different modes of transportation. Below the directions card, you’ll also see icons highlighting some of the other useful features on Maps – from getting a first impression of a place with satellite imagery, to real-time information about traffic around you, to more details about public transport lines when you’re on the road. In addition, with a tap on the download icon, you can save a specific map area for offline use, so you can trust you’ll get to where you need to go, even when you lose connectivity. CM YK

DEVELOPER: Arkane Studios PUBLISHER: Bethesda Softworks PRICE: ₹2,999 on PC and ₹3,999 on Xbox One and PlayStation 4

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA julian almeida

As a series, Prey has had a troubled existence. At the risk of becoming perpetual vapourware, the game finally saw the light of day in 2006. The same was true with its sequel, which was first imagined as an alien bounty hunter game. This was before Arkane Studios, the makers of the legendary Dishonored series, stepped in. They rebooted Prey and the game’s new incarnation looks fantastic. This is the Half-Life 3 we never got.

What’s it about? You play as Morgan Yu, a scientist and human lab rat in a science experiment on a mysterious space station known as Talos 1. You’re stuck in a Groundhog Day-like situation, going through the same day over and over again, till the cycle is broken by the the reveal of the arachnid aliens, the Typhon. The mysterious race has infested the station, and are capable of shapeshifting and mimicking anything. There are lots of shades of the first Half-Life game in the beginning of Prey, especially with the main character donning his science suit, and the aliens appearing. But the gameplay is best Deus Ex territory, with the eerie space setting reminiscent of the classic System Shock, while the art style and architecture are homage to BioShock. While Prey does borrow elements and pay tribute to several great games, it tells its own original story.

Alone in the dark: Prey puts the player up against enemies with scary abilities *

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The premise slowly unravels while traversing the doomed space station Talos 1. As you move through what is now an opulent junk heap in space, you uncover clues as to what happened to the crew, through recordings and emails. All the while you are guided by voices over the communication links with their own agendas. In Prey, you are alone in a space station filled with dead people, with gaping holes in your memories of how you got here. To top it off, you are being constantly hunted by an enemy that can disguise itself as any-

thing. What you think is a harmless chair, jumps right out at you in a tangle of evil black tendrils with legs. These only get bigger throughout the game; fortunately, you have the firepower to take care of the menace.

How does it play? You start off with a wrench, another parallel to Half-Life’s trusty crowbar.

And as you progress through the game, you pick up guns and other unusual weapons, like the GLOO gun that shoots goo that paralyses enemies. In addition to this, you have powers, courtesy of upgrade tools named neuromods. For instance, there are wicked eye injections that enhance your strength, speed, as well as give you hacking and repair abilities. Essentially, Prey is a sort of a horror action game, a lot like the Dead Space series, but you can also play using stealth. You can pick your weapons, neuromods and items based on your play style. Plus, Prey has a plethora of powers to pick and choose from to craft your perfect character. The graphics of Prey are excellent,

especially Talos, with its glorious gold façades. The sound engineering is a bit odd, as it’s geared towards the jump scares, but there were times when we completely missed them because we were looking elsewhere. While the score design is great, sometimes the soundtrack devolves into a high-pitched set of whines. Another minor quibble is in the interface, where you need the action buttons to interact with the many in-game computer screens, instead of the mouse .

Should you get it? If you loved story-driven first-person shooters like Half-Life and BioShock, you will absolutely love Prey. The game not only feels like a spiritual successor to both, it also carries their legacy while keeping its own identity. A fantastic game with an excellent story packed with a lot of gameplay. Prey should be on your summer shopping list. Julian Almeida is a tech and gaming enthusiast who hopes to one day inish his science iction novel

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