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Calcutta High Court judge C.S. Karnan retires from service
Hearing on extradition of Vijay Mallya will take place today
French President Macron’s party sweeps parliamentary elections
Sarfaraz, Amir put Pakistan in Champions Trophy semiinal
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P rin ted at . C he nna i . C o i m bato r e . Be n g a lu ru . H y d e r a b ad . M a du ra i . Noida . Visa khapat n am . T hiru vanant hapu ram . Kochi . V i j ayawada . Ma n ga lu ru . T i ru c hi r a pa l li . Kol kata . Hu b ba l li . Moh a l i . Ma l a ppu r a m . Mu m ba i . Ti ru pat i . lu c kn ow
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NEARBY
Slogging it out
Says RBI is preparing list of debtors for insolvency process
NHRC notice to Bihar government The National Human Rights Commission on Monday issued a notice to the Bihar government after a man was forced to transport the body of his deceased wife on a motorcycle as a government hospital failed to provide a mortuary van. The NHRC termed the incident a violation of the right to life and dignity.
Arun S New Delhi
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday reiterated that the States going in for farm loan waivers will have to generate funds from their own resources. He was speaking to reporters after a meeting with public sector bank chiefs, where among other things, the situation on bad loans was discussed.
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Cow vigilantes attack T.N. oicials Special Correspondent JAIPUR
Daily drudgery: A migrant girl works at her family’s blacksmith shop on the Cuddalore-Chidambaram Road in Tamil Nadu on Monday, the World Day Against Child Labour. The 2011 census estimated that India had 8.3 million child labourers. T.SINGARAVELOU *
BJP forms panel to hold talks on presidential poll
Modi to meet Trump in no-frills visit
Group of three Ministers to reach out to allies, Opposition
Suhasini Haidar Varghese K. George
Nistula Hebbar
In yet another incident of cow vigilantism, about 50 miscreants at Barmer in Rajasthan attacked staff and officials of the Tamil Nadu government’s Animal Husbandry Department on suspicion of cattle smuggling on Sunday. The team of five assistants and a vet from T.N. had purchased 50 head of cattle of the prized Tharparkar variety for ₹50 lakh, and were transporting them in five trucks to Chettinad to improve cattle breeds. (With inputs from Tamil Nadu Bureau) CONTINUED ON 쑺 PAGE 10
Loan waivers are on you, FM tells States
NEW DELHI
BJP president Amit Shah on Monday constituted a threemember committee, comprising Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley and M. Venkaiah Naidu, to reach out political parties for a consensus on the alliance’s candidate for the presidential poll. The last date for nominations is June 28, with the polls scheduled for July 17. With the setting-up of the committee, the BJP has kicked off the process for the poll. Earlier, Mr. Shah postponed his trip to Arunachal Pradesh, scheduled for June 12, as Prime Minister Naren-
Amit Shah.
dra Modi asked him to stay in Delhi for consultations. What is significant is that the committee’s remit is to talk to all parties, not just those in the NDA.
Committed support Among the NDA partners, the Shiv Sena has been giv-
NEW DELHI/WASHINGTON
ing the BJP jitters as their relationship has been strained. The BJP has already got support from the YSR Congress, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi and both factions of the AIADMK, which it hopes will make up for any shortfall if the Sena defects. The Opposition parties have also decided to field a common candidate and will begin consultations on June 14. They have been waiting for the ruling party to announce its candidate, though the Opposition has formed a 10-member subgroup to co-ordinate the candidate selection.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the U.S. to meet President Donald Trump on June 26, the government announced on Monday. This first interaction is being described as a “nofrills,” business-only visit, aimed at breaking the ice, and building a relationship between the two leaders. Announcing the dates, the Ministry of External Affairs said the discussions will “provide a new direction for deeper bilateral engagement on issues of mutual interest between India and the U.S.”
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Growing clamour The remark comes in the backdrop of farmers’ agitations over the demand and some States, such as Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh — both BJP-ruled — announcing waivers. There are also demands for waivers in States such as Madhya Pradesh and Haryana (both BJPruled), Punjab (Congressruled), and Tamil Nadu ( under AIADMK government). This is the second time Mr. Jaitley has spoken on these lines. In March, speaking in the Rajya Sabha, he had said: “This issue of loan waiver has cropped up in several States. The Centre has its policies for the agriculture sector, under which we provide interest subvention and other support. We will continue to give all that. If a State has its own resources
and wants to go ahead in that direction, it will have to find its resources. The situation where the Centre will help one State and not the others will not arise.” On bad loans, Mr. Jaitley said the Reserve Bank of India is at an advanced stage of preparing a list of debtors whose cases will be considered for speedy resolution through the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) process. CONTINUED ON 쑺 PAGE 10 THE ROT IN FARMING 쑺 EDITORIAL
RSS body plans stir Special Correspondent JAIPUR
With more farmers’ groups joining protests in Rajasthan, the RSS-affiliated Bharatiya Kisan Sangh has said it will stage a sit-in on June 15. BKS general secretary Kailash Gandolia said Agriculture Minister Prabhu Lal Saini refused to lift the tax on farm produce in mandis. 쑺 PAGE 10
SC clears the decks for NEET results Press Trust of India New Delhi
The Supreme Court on Monday paved the way for the declaration of results of a national examination which would decide the fate of around 12 lakh students seeking to join medical and dental colleges across the country.
The apex court stayed a May 24 interim order of the Madras High Court which had restrained the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) from publishing the results of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) of 2017. The top court said it was inclined to grant a stay on
the High Court’s order which was indirectly “diluting” the schedule for NEET 2017 earlier fixed by the apex court. It directed the authorities concerned to proceed with the process for declaration of results. CONTINUED ON 쑺 PAGE 10
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Beeline for mating habits of peafowls Rajasthan HC judge’s remark brings Kerala sanctuary into limelight K. A. Shaji Choolannur (Palakkad)
Justice Mahesh Chandra Sharma of the Rajasthan High Court earned his fifteen minutes of ‘fame’ by remarking that peahens get pregnant after gulping the tears of peacocks. A fortnight later, his views on immaculate conception among peahens still reverberate in a small and little known peafowl sanctuary in Choolannur in Kerala’s Palakkad district. The number of people visiting this sanctuary, from within and outside Kerala, has spiked sharply following the retired justice’s observations about the mating habits of peafowls – from an average of a mere half-a-dozen every day to more than 200. “Few birds are capturing our collective imagination like the peafowls. The sanctuary has been low profile all these years and it attracted hardly half a dozen visitors till the justice made the interesting remark,” says forester T.G. Babu.
Clearing doubts Adds forest guard M. Surendran: “With more than 200 people visiting the sanctuary daily over the last one week, we have the additional task of clearing doubts about the reproductive behaviour of peafowls.” CM YK
Peacocks move around at a sanctuary at Choolannur in Palakkad. K. K. MUSTAFAH *
Home to over 300 peafowls and spread over a modest 3.42 sq km, the park located near Alathur was established in 2007 as a memorial to legendary ornithologist Induchoodan alias K. K. Neelakandan, who hailed from nearby Kavassery. Addressing a bunch of visitors, Mr. Babu is at pains to explain how peafowls mate. “During courtship, peacocks spread their tail feathers into a large fan-shape and strut about to attract peahens. The peacock then mounts the peahen and transfers its sperm into the peahen’s uterus to fertilize the egg via muscular spasms.” Environmentalist S. Guruvayurappan estimates that the peafowl population has increased due to the prohibition on hunting and the lack of predators in the area. He says that peafowls are crucial for the ecosystem as they feed on insects. A ND-ND
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Timings
Tuesday, June 13
RISE 05:23 SET 19:20 RISE 22:13 SET 08:27 Wednesday, June 14
RISE 05:23 SET 19:20 RISE 22:54 SET 09:21 Thursday, June 15
RISE 05:23 SET 19:21 RISE 23:34 SET 10:15
Punjab farmers launch stir, demand farm loan waiver Protesters tell Cong govt to take deinitive action in upcoming budget session CHANDIGARH
State-wide protests by farmers rocked Punjab on Monday as they took to the streets to demand waiver of farm loans and implementation of the Swaminathan Commission report for fixing minimum support price for produce. Activists of seven farmers' outfits, including Bharatiya Kisan Union, Kisan Sangharsh Committee and Kirti Kisan Union staged agitations in almost every district of the State in a bid to put pressure on the ruling Congress government to fulfill its election promise on farm loan waiver.
Haryana Roadways strike today CHANDIGARH
The Haryana Roadways Employees’ Union has decided to go on a one-day strike on Tuesday, protesting against the State government’s policy of granting permits to private operators. The strike will inconvenience thousands of commuters who depend on Haryana Roadways buses for commuting.- PTI
Man beheads wife, takes head to police post
SAD, BJP join protest The farmers were joined by Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and BJP workers, with SAD president Sukhbir Badal leading demonstrations in Ludhiana. "No State government has lost the confidence of the people as quickly as the Congress government has. The peoples' anger came out on the streets today," tweeted Mr. Badal. Besides debt relief, the SAD-BJP combine also protested against farmer suicides and “mining mafia”, and demanded the sacking of Cabinet Minister Rana Gurjit Singh, who is facing al-
Heroin, pistol and pounds seized from his residences Special Correspondent Chandigarh
The Special Task Force of the Punjab Police on Monday arrested inspector Inderjit Singh for allegedly providing protection to smugglers of narcotics and organising smuggling and trafficking of drugs through his associates.
VIKAS VASUDEVA
IN BRIEF
Police inspector arrested for protecting drug smugglers
Action time: Farmers holding a demonstration in Patiala on Monday as part of their State-wide agitation for loan waiver. SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT *
legations of impropriety in sand mining contracts. Leader of the Kirti Kisan Union, Nirbhay Singh, told The Hindu that they had taken to the streets to "remind the government of its election promise of loan waiver to farmers". Mr. Singh said that if the government fails to take steps towards fulfilling its promise in the upcoming budget session, then the farmers would be compelled to intensify their agitation. Punjab Assembly's budget
session is slated to start from June 14 and will end on June 23. "We will hold a meeting on July 7, if by then the government fails to take action, we will take a call on future strategy of our struggle," he said, adding that the government should give compensation of ₹10 lakh to the family of farmers who committed suicide due to debt burden. Mr. Singh added that the government should also implement the Swaminathan Commission report, which
had recommended fixing the minimum support prices (MSP) for crops at levels at least 50% more than the weighted average cost of production.
Case registered STF chief Harpreet Singh Sidhu told reporters here that after registration of case against the accused, joint raids were conducted by various STF teams. “Based on the investigations an FIR was registered under section 59 (2) (b) of the NDPS Act, 1985, and under section 218, 466, 471, 120-B IPC at STF Police station SAS Nagar on June 12 against inspector Inderjit Singh and DSP Jaswant Singh,” he said. Mr. Sidhu said that during search operations, live cart-
Raids were conducted by STF teams at the residences of Inspector Inderjit Singh leading to the drug haul. FILE PHOTO *
ridges, one 9 mm pistol, cash to the tune of ₹16.50 lakh and 3,550 British pounds were recovered from Inderjit Singh’s residences. “On initial interrogation and his (Inderjit) disclosure statement, further recovery of 4 kg of heroin and 3 kg of smack was made from his second residence at Phagwara. Based on these recoveries FIR under section 22/
61/85 of the NDPS Act, 1985 and 25/54/59 of Arms Act have been added to the FIR,” he added. Mr Sidhu said reliable source have provided information to the STF that Inderjit Singh, who was under transfer to Ferozepur Range, had earlier worked in Tarntaran for a long period and was involved in nefarious activities with some narcotics smugglers.
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For a greener earth
‘Frivolous attempt’ Meanwhile, the Congress hit back at the SAD-BJP combine and termed the protests by it as a "frivolous attempt" to divert public attention from the failure of their own erstwhile government to protect the interests of the Sikh community.
UP man ined ₹2 lakh for triple talaq
LAKHIMPUR KHERI
In a shocking incident, a man allegedly beheaded his 50-year-old wife in a fit of rage following an argument on Monday, the police said. The 52-year-old man then walked to a nearby police outpost, carrying the severed head of his wife in his hands, and surrendered, officials said. - PTI
Press Trust of India Sambhal
Striking a blow for gender equality in the triple talaq debate, a panchayat here has fined a man ₹2 lakh for divorcing his wife by uttering ‘talaq’ thrice in one go and asked him to pay ₹60,000 as mehr to his wife.
In its verdict delivered on Sunday, the Turk community panchayat, attended by members of 52 villages, at the Madarsa Khalil-ul-Uloom in Sambhal’s Raisati area, also helped the bride’s family get back dowry given to the groom. The couple, a 45-year-old man and a 22-year-old wo-
man, had been married for barely 10 days. There was a fight, prompting the man to pronounce talaq thrice in a fit of rage and asking his wife to return to her parental village. “The family of the bride then approached the Turk panchayat. The panchayat in its decision took strong cog-
nizance of the utterance of triple talaq in a single go and unanimously slapped a fine of ₹2 lakh on the groom who gave the money in cash immediately,” Shahid Hussain, coordinator of the Turk community panchayat, said. “The panchayat also facilitated the return of the items given in dowry ,” he added.
Tree plantation drive:: Dawoodi Bohra community members taking part in a tree plantation drive at MSB Educational institute in Bhopal on Monday. A.M. FARUQUI *
Atmosphere of fear prevails under Modi’s rule: Bansal Security situation is bad, says Congress leader pushed the state to the present position of confrontation.
Press Trust of India Srinagar
The national and internal security of the country following three years of rule by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is worse than what it was 20 years ago, senior Congress leader Pawan Bansal said on Monday, adding an atmosphere of fear prevails, posing a grave risk to democracy. He also expressed concern over “growing incidents of vigilantism” in the country. “The security situation across the country is bad. Our national security, internal security is worse than it was in the last 20 years. “The BJP Chief Ministers and senior leaders give statements which are implemented by the vigilantes on the ground without waiting for
Rawat refuses to wear robe at convocation
Pawan Kumar Bansal
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the government. All this has created an atmosphere of fear in the country which is a danger to the democratic set up and freedom (of a citizen),” he said. The former Railway Minister was speaking to reporters on the completion of three years of the NDA government at the Centre. He said the failure of BJP to rise above personal and party considerations in Jammu and Kashmir had
‘Political vacuum’ “There is political vacuum in the state and no vision to work out a solution to the present unrest and alienation,” Mr Bansal said. “There is want of initiative to convert the anger of youth to hope and to draw them into a position where they consider themselves as stakeholders in a process of peace, stability and development. They (BJP) have no idea as to how to address the issue. Various ministers give different statements,” he said. The former Union Minister also alleged that the left extremism had grown in the country and the government had no control over it.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat *
Press Trust of India Dehradun
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Mondayt refused to wear a robe at a convocation ceremony here and suggested that a “purely Indian” attire be worn on such occasions. Politely turning down the customary attire at the 15th convocation of the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies here, mr Rawat described it as a relic of the colonial era.
‘Don’t give up roots ’ “The country should take pride in its ancestors, its ancient wisdom and culture and should not give up its roots,” he said. However, the other dignitaries attending the event, including Uttarakhand Governor K. K. Paul and Union Minister for Human Resource Prakash Javadekar, readily wore the robe. ‘Strong India’ Congratulating the students of the university on attaning their degrees, Mr Rawat said the young generation is the foundation of a strong India. He said the youth should serve their country with the same dedication as Hanuman served Lord Ram. 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. 140 ●
CM YK
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IN BRIEF
Meghalaya opposes cattle sale ban Demands withdrawal of the Centre’s notiication as it would ‘impact the State economy, food habit’
Past rivalry could be the reason: police
Press Trust of India
Assembly passes GST Bill
Shillong
Acharya shocked at ‘haivaan’ preix to Jesus KOHIMA
Governor of Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh P. B. Acharya has expressed shock and dismay over reports that in the Class IX Hindi language textbook published by the Gujarat Board, the word haivaan (devil) was used before Jesus Christ. In a letter to Gujarat Governor Om Prakash Kohli, Mr Acharya said “such action by irresponsible employees not only hurt the sentiments, but also jeopardise communal harmony.” PTI
Four, including cop, held for raping woman KOKRAJHAR
Four persons, including a police constable, were arrested in lower Assam’s Kokrajhar district for allegedly raping a woman, a senior police officer said on Monday. The woman was allegedly gang-raped near her home when she was coming back from a neighbour’s house at Tarinipur village on June 3 night, Kokrajhar SP Rajen Singh said. PTI
ASI arrested for accepting bribe BHAWANIPATNA (ODISHA)
Anti-corruption vigilance officers in Kalahandi district have arrested an ASI of police for allegedly taking a bribe of ₹5,000 from a man for releasing him on bail. The vigilance squad laid a trap on Sunday following a complaint and arrested ASI Sibnarayan Dip of Dharamgarh police station while he was accepting the bribe from the man, vigilance sources said. The complainant, who was facing a criminal case, was entitled to be released on bail under relevant provision of CrPC. But the ASI was demanding ₹5,000 for the same, they said. PTI
The Meghalaya Assembly on Monday unanimously passed a resolution opposing the Centre’s notification banning the sale and purchase of cattle at animal markets for slaughter and demanded its withdrawal as it would “impact the economy of the State and the food habit of its people”.
Press Trust of India Shillong
Mukul Sangma
Unanimously passed Cutting across political lines, the members of the Assembly supported the resolution tabled by Chief Minister Mukul Sangma. “This House takes a strong note of the shortcomings and infirmities in these Rules (Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Regulation of Livestock Markets Rules, 2017), as notified and resolves that the same may be withdrawn by the Government of India with an immediate effect, so as to maintain the federal and secular character of our Constitution or be faced with a situation where the law prohibits some activity, while the everyday life practices it on a large-scale due to harsh economic realities, a situation surely to be avoided at all costs,” the resolution read. The notification, it said, “travels way beyond the scope and object as set out in the Preamble of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960”, thus infringing the rights of the states to regulate the items enlisted in the State List (List-II of VII Schedule to the Constitution of India). The Ministry of Environ-
ment, Forest and Climate Change had issued the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules, 2017 on May 23.
‘Will affect people’ Mr Sangma, introducing the resolution, alleged that the notification was “designed to affect” the people of the Northeast in general and Meghalaya in particular. It suffered from “serious shortcomings and infirmities” and could have an “adverse impact on the economy and culture” of the State of Meghalaya, he added. Mr Sangma said beef was an “integral part” of the dietary habit of the tribals of Meghalaya and its demand in the State in 2015-2016 was 23,634 metric tonnes. Beef production in the State was only 12,834 MT and 10,800 MT was purchased from outside, he added. He told the House that to balance the demand and supply of beef, the government had put in place the Meghalaya State Livestock Mission for 2017-2022 to augment the livestock
The Meghalaya Assembly on Monday unanimously passed the Meghalaya Goods and Services Tax Bill-2017, paving the way for the roll out of GST regime from July 1. The Bill was introduced by Taxation Minister Zenith M. Sangma in the special session of the Assembly. Speaker A. T. Mondal declared that the Bill was passed by a voice vote. Earlier Mr Zenith said, “It is the desire of all States
production.
Will hit livelihood The prohibition on the sale and purchase of cattle at animal markets for the purpose of slaughter would affect the livelihood of over 5.7 lakh (79%) households, which were currently involved in cattle-rearing, he added. “It will also affect the right of the people to have food of their own choice and celebrate the religious, cultural and social ceremonies in practice since time immemorial,” said Mr Sangma. Referring to the India Health Report on Nutrition 2015, which surveyed undernutrition in children (the national average is 38.7%), Mr Sangma said, “The prevalence of stunting in children under five years of age is rampant in Meghalaya at 42.9 %.”
and the Government of India since long time back to see the light of the day when GST is rolled out and also see a balance act of sharing the revenue.” He said under the new tax regime, the commodities used by the poorest section of the society will be considered at the lowest rate while the food grains and vegetables will be tax free. On the members demanding more clarity on the pros and cons of the GST and its implementa-
The State, he said, was addressing the issue of nutrition security by providing a mixed diet in the mid-day meals in schools, which as of today lacked non-vegetarian food. The Rules were in contravention of section 38 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 as they went “ beyond its scope”. They were also in contravention of section 28 (of the same Act), which contemplated the killing of certain animals, subject to the provisions of the Cattle Preservation Act, said Mr Sangma.
Shared borders Referring to rule 8 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules, 2017, which prohibited the functioning of an animal market within 25 kms of a State border or 50
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Mascot rally
tion in the State, Mr Zenith said the government had protested the proposed taxes on the State’s own forest produce such as areca nut or dry fish, which is a popular food item among the tribals in the region. He said, “The GST Council later accepted that green areca nut will be tax-free while processed areca nut or ‘supari’ will be taxed at 5% only. So is also the case with dry fish in which the Council has agreed to bring down the tax from 12 to 5%.”
kms of an international border, Mr Sangma said Meghalaya shared a 443-kmlong international border with Bangladesh and an over 800-km-long inter-State border with Assam. “This will result in large scale disruption of the economy, including livelihoods at the border areas, since Rule 2(e) specifically defines ‘cattle’ to include bovine animals, bulls, bullocks, cows, buffaloes, steers, heifers and camels,” he added. Referring to Rule 22, which placed restrictions on the sale and purchase of cattle and prohibited bringing of cattle to the animal market for slaughter, Mr Sangma said it was a “major embargo crippling the economy of a predominantly tribal society” with an over 85% indigenous population.
Agartala
IMPHAL
Sports time: Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik unveiling the jerseys for the 22nd Asian Athletics Championship at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Monday. BISWARANJAN ROUT *
Searching for clues: Policemen outside the residence of Berhampur ex-mayor on Monday. LINGARAJ PANDA *
Staff Reporter BERHAMPUR
Some bike-borne miscreants hurled two bombs at the house of BJP leader and former Mayor of Berhampur Siba Shankar Dash on Monday. Mr. Dash is now lodged in Berhampur Circle Jail as several criminal cases are pending against him. The police have started investigation to track down the miscreants involved in the incident. The exact reason for the bomb attack was not clear, said an investigating police official. But it is suspected that past rivalry could be a reason. According to police sources, some miscreants reached the area on bikes, hurled two crude bombs at Mr. Dash’s house and escaped. No one was injured and no damage was reported as both the bombs hit the wall and exploded. Security guard Sankarsan Padhi said he heard two loud blasts outside the house around 5 a.m. By the
time he came out of the guard room, the miscreants had escaped. According to the police, CCTV footage at the house was being analysed to identify the miscreants. Mr. Dash was arrested in New Delhi on July 7, 2016, and brought back to Berhampur. Several criminal cases, including murder conspiracy, are pending against him. He had left the BJD and joined the BJP before the polls in 2014. The BJP had fielded him for the Berhampur seat in the 2014 Assembly polls. But he was defeated. He was with the BJD during his stint as Mayor of the city.
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Cong to protest Shah’s comments on Gandhi Syed Sajjad Ali
Three IEDs detected in Imphal West district Three Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) were on Monday found in the Mantripukhri area in Imphal West district, the police said. The IEDs were detected near the show room of an automobile company around 8.45 am. Police commandos and bomb squad experts retrieved and detonated the devices, said a police officer.
Bombs hurled at BJP leader’s house
The Congress in Tripura will hold a ‘satyagraha’ on Wednesday to protest BJP president Amit Shah’s ‘offensive’ comments on Mahatma Gandhi. State Congress chief Birajit Sinha on Monday said the four hour-long sit-in stir will be held at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi near Raj Bhavan in Agartala. Mr Shah, while addressing a meeting in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, called Gandhi as a “bahut chatur baniya” in
the context of the latter’s willingness to dissolve the Congress after attaining independence. The comment sparked a controversy with many condemning it. “His (Amit Shah) attribution to our father of nation to show him in bad light is highly objectionable. This was outrageous,” Mr Sinha stated. He said the party demands an apology from Mr Shah for the ‘insult’ to Mahatma Gandhi. He, however, did not say if the agitation was part of a nation-wide programme of the party.
PTI
Farmers demand law to protect share croppers’ rights ‘Not consulted during formulation of the draft of the Bill for the purpose’ Staff Reporter BERHAMPUR
Members of the All India Kisan Mazdoor Sabha (AIKMS) held a demonstration in front of the Revenue Divisional Commissioner’s office in Berhampur on Monday, demanding that the State government formulate a strong law to protect the rights of share croppers. Led by AIKMS national secretary Bhala Chandra Sarangi, the protesters alleged that the State government’s recent effort to formulate a law to recognise share croppers was only an administrative exercise.
They criticised the State government for not consulting farmers’ organisations during formulation of the draft of the Bill for the purpose. They handed over a memorandum addressed to the Odisha Chief Minister at the office of the RDC. The memorandum contains suggestions related to the new Act being formulated for share croppers.
Identify share croppers The peasants’ organisation wants the Odisha government to identify share croppers through a strict approach. “Like West Bengal,
Transgender assaulted in train, two arrested
Odisha should also put the ‘burden of proof ’ of share cropping on land-owners and land-owners should be penalised if they suppress information about share cropping on their land,” said Mr. Sarangi. They are opposed to the Niti Aayog’s recommendation that sharing of yield between land-owners and share croppers should be through mutual understanding between the two without any intervention of the government. The AIKMS supporters want the State government to play a key role to protect the rights of share
croppers on the yield. They want the total yield to be divided into three parts. One of it should go to the landowner, while the other two parts should be the income of share croppers, who invest and toil on the land.
Legal documentation The AIKMS suggested legal documentation of share cropping through a lease deed between land-owners and share croppers, where the local revenue inspector could be the arbitrator. Lease time of the land under share cropping should be at least five years and at the
time of sale of agricultural land, share croppers should get first preference to buy it. They also want identity cards for share croppers to enable them to avail of government facilities like bank loans, crop insurance and sale of yield in government mandis. Mr. Sarangi said the greatest irony was that till now no survey had been conducted in the State to assess the total land under share cropping. But unofficial sources claim that agricultural land under share cropping in Odisha is more than 50%.
OBITUARY & REMEMBRANCE DEATH
A woman made ofensive remarks Staff Reporter Kolkata
A day after a transgender was allegedly assaulted inside a moving train at the Tribeni station in Hooghly district, two persons have been arrested by the Government Railway Police [GRP].
Incident on Saturday The incident took place on Saturday morning when Atri Kar, a school teacher, arrived at the Tribeni station. “Soon after, a woman started making offensive remarks at me,” said Ms. Kar. When she boarded the train, the accused blocked her path and [again] made offensive comments. Ms. Kar alleged that she was tarCM YK
geted for transgender.
being
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Abused and pushed “After the train left the station, she started hurling abuses at me. When I protested, she pushed me so hard that I almost fell from the running train,” said Ms. Kar. After the accused got down at the Bandel station, Ms. Kar lodged a complaint with the local GRP. On Monday morning, the accused was arrested from the Bandel station. Ms. Kar further alleged that she was threatened by the son of the accused inside the GRP office, following which he too was arrested. A ND-ND
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IN BRIEF Ban on lantern kites near Dabolim airport PANAJI
South Goa District Magistrate on Monday imposed a complete ban on use of lantern kites/wish kites and laser beam with high intensity lights within two km of Dabolim airport to ensure safety of aircraft during landing and take off. The ban, for 60 days, will come into effect from Sunday. The Ministry of Civil Aviation, during its periodic meetings had flagged, according to a press release issued by the State government.
Beef vendors move HC over cattle trade ban PANAJI
The all- Goa Qureshi Beef Vendors Association has filed a petition in the Bombay High Court at Goa challenging the recent Central notification banning cattle trade for slaughter. The petition will come up for hearing on Wednesday, Manna Bepari, president, told The Hindu. It says the ban will make it difficult to get supply of cattle even with proper documents.
Mohsin murder: Nikam steps down as public prosecutor We were certain of justice when Mr. Nikam agreed to ight this case,: father Shoumojit Banerjee Pune
In yet another setback to the case of murdered IT professional Mohsin Shaikh, noted lawyer Ujjwal Nikam stepped down as special public prosecutor on Monday. A government notification from the State Law and Judiciary Department that was given to the Shaikh family, said, “in view of the request made by Advocate Nikam seeking cancellation of his appointment as special public prosecutor in the [Mohsin Shaikh murder] case pending before the Pune Sessions Court, the government of Maharashtra cancels the appointment with immediate effect”. Shaikh, 28, was beaten to death — allegedly by activists of the fringe right-wing Hindu Rashtra Sena (HRS) — on June 2, 2014 in Hadapsar after derogatory pictures of
Ponzi scam: ED attaches property of main accused Special Correspondent Pune
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday attached movable and immovable properties of Mahesh Motewar, the chairman and managing director of the scam-hit Samruddha Jeevan Foods India Ltd. The ED attached plots, apartments, three hotels (in Pune), commercial premises and one helicopter (at Santacruz Airport, Mumai) belonging to Mr. Motewar. The value of all is said to exceed ₹200 crore In January 2016, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) too had carried out
are the most < > You capable public prosecutor in this country Mohammed Sadiq Shaikh Father
King Shivaji and late Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray were uploaded on Facebook, sparking communal tensions across the city. The prime accused in the case, HRS chief, Dhananjay Desai, is lodged in the city’s high-security Yerwada prison. While Mr. Nikam could not be reached for comment on the reasons for stepping down, Mr. Shaikh’s father, Mohammed Sadiq Shaikh, has written to the advocate, urging him to reconsider his decision. “It is a shock for us. We were certain of justice when Mr. Nikam agreed to fight this case on our behalf,” said
Sadiq Shaikh, speaking to The Hindu. His letter to Mr. Nikam, says, “You are the most capable public prosecutor in this country. There could be various reasons for delay in the trial and we are not blaming you for these. Please do not pay heed to the allegations made by others.”
Credentials questioned The ‘allegations’, referred to in the letter, concern accusations made by certain Muslim social groups who had cast aspersions on Mr. Nikam’s ‘credentials’ to fight the case in the wake of the murder. In late 2014, the Rashtrapremi Kruti Samiti (RKS), an outfit working for the rights of minority and backward groups, had in a letter to the then Chief Minister opposed Mr. Nikam’s appointment as
special public prosecutor, alleging that the advocate had close affinity with extremist right-wing organisations.
‘Not fit to prosecute’ Activist Anjum Inamdar, president of the RKS, had alleged that Mr. Nikam was ‘not fit’ to prosecute Mr. Shaikh’s killers as he ostensibly enjoyed cordial relations with the right-wing Hindu communal forces casting grave doubt on his secular credentials. “Mr. Nikam has been felicitated by a number of Hindutva and fringe rightwing organisations including the Abhinav Bharat, allegedly responsible for the Malegaon bomb blasts,” said Mr. Inamdar. Till date, 17 of the 23 accused in Mr. Shaikh’s murder have been released on bail, withdelays holding up the framing of charges.
It’s oicial, monsoon is here Heavy rains in Pune; monsoon covers entire Konkan Special Correspondent Pune
The southwest monsoon kept an early date with the State this year reaching Pune and Nashik districts, and also covering other parts of Maharashtra, including Mumbai. Pune witnessed steady showers since noon. The rains disrupted the functioning of the Regional Transport Office (RTO) as the test driving area was flooded causing officials to temporarily putoff the driving licence tests for those assembled at the building. Last year the rains arrived in Pune on June 20. Private weather forecaster Skymet predicted moderate to gusty winds accompanied by showers for the next 48 hours in the city. “The southwest monsoon has covered the entire Konkan region, including Mumbai. In North Madhya Maharashtra, it has reached up to Pune and Nashik districts. In Marathwada, its reach is restricted to Parbh-
Sudden downpour catches people unaware in Pimpri, Pune, on Monday DATTATRAYA ADHALGE *
ani district only,” according to Sunitha Devi, director of India Meteorological Department (IMD). The monsoon is yet to cover the rest of Maharashtra, she added. “The conditions are not yet favourable for the monsoon for its further progress. It would take three-four days to advance towards the north. Hence, the IMD has also not issued any specific alerts or warnings accordingly,” she said. Heavy showers affected commuters and the traffic in some districts. Solapur saw relentless downpours since
Goa advisory asks tourists to stay of water Follows drowning of two children last week
raids on properties owned by Mr. Motewar and 58 places linked to the Samruddha Jeevan group, including 40 in Pune, and offices in Nashik, Aurangabad, Solapur and Odisha. A high-profile businessman who frequently hobnobbed with local politicians, Mr. Motewar also owned a couple of vernacular TV channels. Mr. Motewar is under arrest since last year, for his alleged role in the multi-crore ponzi scam. Mr. Motewar and his kin, including his wife, are accused of cheating thousands of small investors across Maharashtra.
Monday night with water flooding several residential areas in the main town. According to authorities, the district has already received more than 110 mm rainfall since the past week. Nanded and Parbhani districts, too, were lashed by heavy rains since Monday afternoon. In Beed district, the rains led to the collapse of Nizam-era bridge on the Bindusara River. The bridge has been shut due to repairs since last year and the alternate route is riddled with ruts and potholes. (With PTI inputs)
State SSC results today Special Correspondent Pune
Prakash Kamat Panaji
The Goa government has asked tourists visiting Goa to stay safe and follow guidelines issued for the monsoon season ( JulySeptember). Tourists have been advised to keep a close eye on their children and not allow them into the waters unattended. Last week two children drowned in a water-logged pit in south Goa where they had gone swimming. P. N. Pandey, general manager (operations), Drishti Lifesaving Pvt. Ltd., the tourism department’s contractor that
EDUCATIONAL
EDUCATIONAL
oversees the coastline, has urged tourists and locals, to not venture into the sea under the influence of alcohol. Red and yellow flags have been placed on all beaches indicating the no-swim zones. “Goa’s coastline is complex and requires mapping every morning. If the weather conditions are favourable, we may open up the zones on some of the beaches for visitors. However, even in such conditions, swimming is not advisable due to under-water currents and rip tides” said Mr. Pandey.
He further advised those visiting the beach to stay a minimum of 10 meters from the waterline and to listen to the instructions of the lifeguards. In the event of a dry spell or no rainfall, it is recommended not to enter the water above knee level if the zone is marked with red and yellow flags. Tourists have also been instructed to avoid secluded beaches unmanned by a lifeguard. It is recommended to pick a populated beach and to never swim alone. It is not advised to venture into the water during lightning and thunder.
The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Educationsaid on Monday that results to the Secondary School Certificate or Class X will be announced on Tuesday. The delay in results has been a source of anxiety for the 17 lakh-odd students, who appeared for the exams in March this year. The results will be declared by 11 a.m. and students would be able to access them online by 1 p.m. by logging on to the official website http://mahresult.nic.in/
SITUATIONS VACANT GENERAL
EDUCATIONAL
PERSONAL CHANGE OF NAME I,PUSHPENDER S/o Santosh kumar R/ oA182 gali no3 Rama Garden Karawal nagar Delhi94 will be known Pushpender Kumar in future for all purposes
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IN BRIEF
Probe begins into mid-sea collision Amber L was approaching Kochi for refuelling when it rammed ishing boat whether it was a hit and run case,” Mr. Thachankary added. The search for Motti Das, the missing fisherman from Assam, continued on Monday. “The search, which was stopped on Sunday night, resumed at 5 a.m. on Monday,” said an official statement.
Staff Reporter KOCHI
Mahesh Babu asked to appear in court
VIJAYAWADA
The probe into the mid-sea collision off the Kochi coast began on Monday with officers of various law-enforcement agencies, including the police, Customs, Coast Guard and Directorate General of Shipping, entering Amber L, the suspect vessel. Presently, the ship is at the anchorage off the Kochi port. The port has denied permission to the vessel to sail out. Amber L, the Panamaflagged merchant vessel carrying fertilizer to China from Israel, was approaching Kochi for refuelling when it collided with the ill-fated fishing boat on Sunday.
A.P. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has given the nod for the constitution of a SIT to enquire into the major land scandal that surfaced in Visakhapatnam. The team will comprise officials of the Police, Revenue & Law Departments.
‘Continued refuelling’ According to Tomin J. Thachankary, Additional Director General of Police, Coastal police, Kerala, the vessel was heading towards a fuel bunker located eight nautical miles off the Kochi
HYDERABAD
Actor Mahesh Babu, who pleaded to be exempted from personal appearance in a court of law in a plagiarism case related to the film Srimanthudu, cannot exempt himself, directed a city court on Monday. Mahesh Babu was dragged to the court over a complaint from writer R.D. Wilson @ Sharatchandra, who claimed that a major portion of the film was copied from his novel.
A.P. sets up SIT on Vizag land scam
Taking stock: The probe team inspecting Amber L on Monday. *
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
coast when it reportedly rammed on the fishing boat. “The suspect vessel continued its inward movement even after the collision, berthed at the bunker here around 8.15 a.m. and continued refuelling till around 11.30 a.m. Had it begun its onward journey, it would not have been easy for the agencies to locate and detain the ship,” the officer said. As part of investigation, a joint team of enforcement agencies on Tuesday
boarded the vessel and examined its navigation records as well as other evidence pointing to its involvement in the collision. “We have seized the voice data recorder, log book and movement registry of the vessel to ascertain the route, speed and direction of the ship when the collision took place. “They will be sent for a forensic examination to decipher the data which will be crucial in determining
HC directive The Kerala High Court on Monday directed the Director-General of Shipping and the Principal Officer, Mercantile Marine Department, Kochi, to take into custody the original official log book and other documents, including the voyage data record and GPS chart, of the cargo vessel. The directive was passed on a writ petition by Sujatha, wife of Antony John Jesu Alexander who was killed in the accident, and another fisherman. WHO ENFORCES THE LAW AT SEA? 쑺 PAGE 11
C. Narayana Reddy passes away Special Correspondent HYDERABAD
Noted poet, lyricist and Jnanpeeth award winner C. Narayana Reddy, 85, died following a brief illness after he was shifted to a corporate hospital here on Monday morning. Popularly known in literary circles as ‘CiNaRe’, he penned over 3,000 songs for Telugu feature films. Though a poet, he was also known for writing lyrical and musical ballads. He metered poetry, free verses, prose and songs for films, wrote travelogues, folk songs and literary criticism. A philosophical long poem ‘Viswambhara’ won him the highest literary honour of the country ‘Jnanpeeth’ in 1988. He received the Padma Shri in 1977, the Padma Bhushan in 1992 and several other national awards. He was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 1997.
Yet another vigilante attack in Karnataka
Info panel upholds right to inspect court registers
Second incident reported this year
S. Vijay Kumar
Raghava M. MANGALURU
In yet another vigilante attack in Karnataka’s coastal belt, four youths allegedly attacked a man and a woman from different religions, who were going on a motorcycle in the Kadaba police station limits of Dakshina Kannada, last week. The police are on the lookout for the attackers. According to the Kadaba police, Mr. Balaraj was riding from Uppinangady to Kudlur with a Muslim woman when the rear tyre of the motorcycle got deflated. He then took the vehicle to a
workshop, where four Muslim youths gathered and started questioning them. They allegedly beat them up and fled the spot when the police arrived. The police have registered a case under Section 354 (assault or criminal force on a woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and Section 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) of the IPC against the youths. This is the 10th vigilante attack reported in Dakshina Kannada since 2015 and the second under the Kadaba police limits.
Under RTI Act, the term ‘inspection’ means perusal, it says CHENNAI
In a significant ruling, the Tamil Nadu Information Commission has permitted a petitioner to inspect registers maintained by the district and its subordinate courts, thereby setting aside the contention that the Madras High Court alone had to the right to do so. The Commission made the decision while disposing of the plea of Giles Ravichandran who petitioned the Public Information Commissioner (PIO), Office of the Principal District Judge, Madurai, to “inspect the register containing the list of succession original petitions under the Indian Suc-
cession Act, 1925, for 1991 and 1992 of the District Court, Sub-Court and Munsif Court at Madurai.” In his reply, the PIO rejected the request on the grounds that the Madras High Court alone was the competent authority to inspect the registers of the District Court, and the Principal District Judge, Madurai, was the competent authority to inspect the registers of the Sub-Court and the Munsif Court at Madurai. The petitioner was asked to submit an application under the Right to Information Act to the Registrar-General of the Madras High Court and obtain permission if he still intended to inspect the
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Salt matters
registers. “No individual has any right to inspect the registers, as seeking in your petition under the Right to Information Act, 2005, without the permission of the Madras High Court,” the PIO said. Claiming that an appeal sent to the RegistrarGeneral of the High Court did not elicit any response, the petitioner filed his second appeal before the Information Commission. State Chief Information Commissioner K. Ramanujam ruled that the PIO’s stand was not sustainable. “Under Section 2( j) of the Act, right to information includes the right of inspection of work, documents and records. The term ‘inspection’
here means perusal, and it is not in the nature of an inspection by a superior official.” He said the rejection of the petitioner’s request was not sustainable. Requesting the PIO to grant permission for perusal of the records mentioned by the petitioner, Mr. Ramanujam said the petitioner might also be allowed to take notes and copies of specific pages/documents requested by him. Mr. Ramanujam said the perusal should be done under the supervision of the PIO without disturbing the functioning of the office. The order should be complied with before June 15.
A royal ride, from Kerala to Goa Maharajas’ Express to roll out from July 1
Opulence on wheels: A ile picture of the Maharajas’ Express, the luxury train run by IRCTC. KAMAL NARANG *
S. Anil Radhakrishnan THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
The Maharajas’ Express, an analogue to super luxury travel that combines princely opulence with modern amenities, will embark on its maiden tour of the southern States from here on July 1. Billed as the ‘World's Leading Luxury Train,’ it will depart from the Kochuveli terminal at 9.15 p.m. on July 1 and visit Chettinad, Mahabalipuram, Mysuru, Hampi and Goa during its eight-day/seven-night tour. The ‘Southern Jewels Monsoon Special’ will cover the alluring lands of the south, several magnificent monuments and palaces of historical importance, while exploring the rich cultural heritage of the region before winding up the journey in Mumbai.
First from the south Managed by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd. (IRCTC), it will be the first trip of the Maharajas’ Express from the south. The IRCTC has tied up with the tourism departments to
entertain passengers with a host of cultural activities and serve regional cuisine at each stop. In Karaikudi, passengers will visit Chettinad mansions, Athangudi tilemakers and one of the Chettinad Heritage Hotels for activities, including Chettinad cuisine demo, mundu/dhoti draping, saree draping and henna art. During their visit to the historical port town of Mahabalipuram, the passengers will get to see the 5 rathas, Arjuna’s Penance and Shore Temple — UNESCO World Heritage site — and the Sea Shell Museum. In Mysuru, the holidayers will be taken to the Wodeyar Palace, popularly known as the Mysore Palace, and Srirangapatnam, Tipu Sultan’s capital. There will be a doctor on board along with paramedical staff, and tour escorts to assist the holidayers in addition to security personnel and valets. The 23-coach train, with a capacity of 88 guests, has bar-cumlounges, two restaurants and state-of-the-art features.
‘Back to School’ programme launched in A.P. Krishna Collector warns of action against those who engage child labourers partments and NGOs would make door-to-door visits, identify children who were out of school and dropouts, and admit them to nearby schools, the Collector said. NCLP district project director D. Anjaneya Reddy said more than 20,000 children were brought to the mainstream in the last 12 years (after the project was launched) after admitting them in NCLP Schools. At present, 650 students were studying in 17 schools run under the project, he said.
Staff Reporter VIJAYAWADA
Soluble solid: A man hurriedly packs harvested salt as rain looms large at Kothapatnam in Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh. KOMMURI SRINIVAS *
Telangana’s GDP grows 10.1% ‘A clear indication of proactive measures taken by TRS regime’ Special Correspondent HYDERABAD
The Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of Telangana grew 10.1%, at constant prices, in 2016-17 to ₹5.11 lakh crore, thus clocking a rate of growth higher than the national average for the third consecutive fiscal. “Telangana achieved a 10.1% year on year growth in GSDP compared to a national average of 7.1%,” Industries and IT Minister K.T. Rama Rao said here on Monday. The Minister, releasing the Department of Industries & Commerce’s annual report, said the pick up in growth rate was “clear indication of the proactive measures of the government to boost economic growth, after the formation of the State.” The growth rates of 10.1%, 9.5% and 8.7% in the last three fiscal were in sharp contrast to the 2.7% CM YK
share of the < > The State’s economy in the national GDP also increased by 7 basis points K.T. Rama Rao Industries and IT Minister
Telangana had posted in 2012-13. The share of the State’s economy in the national GDP also increased by 7 basis points to 4.28%, he added. The Minister also launched the logo and website of Telangana Industrial Health Clinic Ltd and presented performance awards to industrial units.
Brand ambassadors Noting that entrepreneurs were the biggest brand ambassadors, Mr. Rao attributed the progress to the investor and industries-friendly TS-iPASS policy of the State government. In the two years since
the industrial policy was launched, a total of 3,820 proposals entailing an investment of ₹73,000 crore had been received with a potential to create 2.46 lakh jobs. Over 50% of the projects approved had got into commercial production, he said. The policy emphasis on self certification, time-bound approvals, penalising officials delaying the clearance process as well as an approach of minimum inspection and maximum facilitation had earned it global acclaim. The State was also ranked first in the Ease of Doing Business 2016 rankings. Stating that TS-iPASS had become an international role model, Principal Secretary to the Department Jayesh Ranjan said textiles, food processing, automotive and chemicals would be the focus areas in the next 2-3 years.
Krishna District Collector B. Lakshmikantham has warned of severe action against those who engage children as labourers and as domestic help. Inaugurating a week-long campaign against child labour and ‘Back to School’ programme here on Monday, the Collector said all children aged below 14 years should be in school under the Right to Education Act, 2009, and stern action would be taken against those who violated the Act. Persons having information on child labour could alert the officials by calling ‘100’ or ‘1098’, the Collector said. The programme was organised as part of the “World Day Against Child Labour” by the National Child Labour Project (NCLP), Krishna district unit, in association with Labour, Women Development and Child Welfare, Educa-
Yes, we can: Collector B. Lakshmikantham and children take a pledge to stop child labour in Vijayawada. CH. VIJAYA BHASKAR *
tion, Police, Revenue, Municipal Corporation, Juvenile Welfare and other departments in association with the non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
Appeal to parents “I request parents to admit their wards in schools and not to send them for work
and spoil their childhood,” said Mr. Lakshmikantham and warned that cases would be booked against those who employed children in shops, hotels, restaurants, garages and in homes. Under ‘Back to School’ programme, teams comprising various government de-
Vocational training “We are running NCLP Schools in the slums, labour colonies and at the workplaces in Vijayawada, Machilipatnam, Pedana, Donababda, Penuganchiprolu, Chillakallu, Mylavaram and Gudivada areas. Vocational teachers have been appointed for imparting training to the students in these schools,” Mr. Reddy said.
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Kochi Metro thanks migrant workers with ‘sadya’ Coming from across the country, they did not strike work for even one day in the last four years John L. Paul KOCHI
The stoic look on their face embodies the daily toil they go through within barricades erected on the Kochi Metro corridor, sweating it out even during the rains. And they earn little by Kerala standards — between ₹400 and ₹500 a day for working on a 12-hour shift amid dust, slush and the incessant noise of vehicles whizzing past roads. And it goes to their credit that the migrant workers did not strike work for even a single day during the four years when the metro construction was under way. In comparison, only a small number of their counterparts from the State were part of the workforce. Around 400 migrant workers engaged in civil and related works in the metro
Taking home memories: Migrant workers at a function organised for them in Kochi on Monday. THULASI KAKKAT *
corridor were invited for a ‘sadya’ organised by the KMRL at a hall near M.G. Road. The migrant labourers, from States such as Assam and Bihar, were present to savour the ‘sadya’. The youth from among them loved Bollywood music, which was rendered by two singers
arranged by an eventmanagement firm. They also signed/jotted their names, interestingly in English, on a message board kept there.
‘Beautiful Kochi’ Even as the background was rife with songs like ‘Pehla nasha pehla khumar’ and ‘Musafir hoon yaaron’, 19-
year-old Mithilesh Kumar from Bihar spoke of how he managed to send home over ₹5,000 a month to his family comprising five brothers, a sister and parents. “I feel that working in Kochi is worth it since it is greener and beautiful than other Indian cities. I sometimes take a ferry ride in the backwaters with friends,” he said. Simon from Assam is engaged as a helper at a work site. “The daily grind is hard, but there is no other go. I have to send money to my family. The rain has brought some respite from the heat.” Older workers, like Gokul Ram and Moolchand Ram, intend to return to Bihar for Durga Puja. “The sole break we get in between work is one hour for lunch,” they said. Asked whether they
caught up with Hindi movies released here, they said they preferred to watch them on cell phones. Once they got familiar with being in the media glare and camera persons recording them eating and dancing, they took out their cell phones and began to record the event, swaying to Bollywood dance steps. “Those who attended the event were just a small group from among the 4,000-odd workers who braved the elements and worked to complete the metro’s 13 km AluvaPalarivattom corridor in a record four years. They were deployed at work sites and also at casting yards in the suburbs,” said an official. “It goes to our credit that there were no worker casualties, thanks to the strict safety norms.” A ND-ND
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NHRC notice to Bihar government
IN BRIEF
Weather Watch Rainfall, temperature & air quality in select metros yesterday
Over failure to provide mortuary van to a patient; man forced to transport body of his wife on bike Staff Reporter New Delhi
Naqvi hails performance of Modi government PAKUR (JHARKHAND)
Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Monday said here that the last three years of the Modi government have been years of “development, transparency and efficiency”. The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Minority Affairs said the three years of the Modi government are a reflection of “empowerment without appeasement” policy. PTI
Three persons dead after clay rock caves in DHANBAD
Three persons were killed and two others injured when a mass of clay rock caved in at Bastacolla colliery area of Bharat Coking Coal Limited near here. A police official said that the cave-in occurred at around 5 p.m. on Sunday, trapping five persons. Two persons were found dead and three injured were admitted to a hospital where a woman succumbed to her injuries. PTI
Muslim body threatens to boycott Eid festivities ALLAHABAD
The AIMIM’s city unit on Monday demanded that “alternative arrangements” be made ahead of the Eid festival by the U.P. government for those adversely affected by the recent crackdown on illegal slaughter houses. It said that if the government failed to act, then all party workers here would boycott Eid celebrations. PTI
Missing Rajasthan official found dead KOTA
A 29-year-old patwari, who went missing on June 7, was found hanging from a tree in the forests of Ganeshpura area in Baran district of Rajasthan on Monday, the police said.
The National Human Rights Commission on Monday issued a notice to the Bihar Government after a man was forced to transport the body of his deceased wife on a motorcycle as a government hospital failed to provide a mortuary van. Terming the incident a violation of the right to life and dignity, the NHRC took suo motu cognisance of media reports that said the man, a labourer, was asked for ₹2,500 for an ambulance to transport the body of his wife, Susheela Devi, after she passed away on June 2 at the District Purnia Sadar hospital.
Own arrangement Unable to pay, he was then asked by the hospital staff to
make his own arrangements. With the help of his son, he managed to carry his wife’s body riding pillion on a motorcycle. Stating that the case pointed towards negligence and lack of infrastructure on the part of the hospital, the NHRC issued a notice the Bihar Chief Secretary, asking for a report within four weeks. The NHRC observed that similar “shameful” incidents have happened in other parts of the country earlier. “It seems that the authorities are lacking on their part in understanding the sensitivity involved in such situations,” the NHRC observed. “At several places across the country, such shameful incidents have happened and the commission has also taken cognisance in some of
A woman’s body being taken on a bike in Purnia. *
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
these cases. It seems that authorities are lacking on their part in understanding the sensitivity involved in such situations,” the commission said today. “Reportedly, the man, a poor labourer, approached the driver of an ambulance, who demanded ₹ 2,500, which he (husband) could
not afford. Ultimately, with the help of his son, the man had to carry the body on a motorcycle, holding it as a pillion rider,” the commission said. “This amounts to violation of right to life and dignity of the persons and is also indicative of negligence by the hospital administration and lack of proper infrastructure,” it said.
No van available As per the media report published on June 4, the hospital’s civil surgeon had said that no mortuary vans were available at the hospital and that patients’ families have to make their own arrangements. The district magistrate has ordered an inquiry, the NHRC said. The Purnia incident serves as a painful reminder
to similar cases reported in other parts of the country. Last August, the country was shocked to see images of Dana Majhi carrying his wife’s body slung over his shoulder for 10 km to reach his village in Odisha’s Kalahandi district after being denied help from the hospital authorities. Last month, 45-year-old labourer Udayveer had to carry his teenaged son’s body on his shoulders as he was allegedly denied an ambulance by a hospital in Etawah district of Uttar Pradesh. In a video which had then gone viral on social and electronic media, the labourer had alleged that doctors at the Etawah government hospital did not treat his son Pushpendra and turned him away.
Ferry service at Ardh Kumbh mela on the cards
Police prevent girl’s body from being transported on a stretcher
‘73 U.P. highways to be converted into national highways’
Staff Reporter
Special Correspondent New Delhi
The Centre may launch steamer services between Allahabad and Varanasi to ferry pilgrims during Ardh Kumbh Mela to be held in Uttar Pradesh in 2019, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said here on Monday. “Fifteen crore people are expected to visit Allahabad on a single day for Kumbh Mela in 2019. The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister requested to explore waterways transport facilities for pilgrims. We may start steamer services, along with private sector participation, to ferry passengers between Allahabad and Varanasi,” Mr.
Gadkari said. Mr. Gadkari held a press conference with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath after a meeting at the Transport Bhawan here to review pending road and waterway projects in the State.
Road projects Road projects worth Rs. 10,000 crore were given the go-ahead at the meeting, Mr. Adityanath said. “In UP, 73 State highways with 6,260 km length will be converted into national highways. The Centre has assured us to convert another 15 State highways into national highways,” Mr. Adityanath said. He said the U.P. government and the Central gov-
ernment agreed to construct ring roads in major towns such as Allahabad, Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Bareilly, Kanpur, Moradabad and Meerut.
Six-lane expressway “A six-lane expressway will be built on the BundelkhandJhansi section. Mr. Gadkari has also given instructions to construct a four-lane highway from Jhansi to Allahabad,” Mr. Adityanath added. During the meeting, NHAI chairman Yudhvir Singh Malik raised the issue of slow disbursement of compensation by the state for land acquisition in highways projects, a senior Road Transport and Highways Ministry official said.
A free hearse facility was arranged BERHAMPUR
Due to the long delay in arrival of a government hearse, the family members of a minor girl, who died at a hospital in Phulbani, tried to transport her body to their village on a wheeled stretcher on Monday. However, the police intervened on receiving information and a free hearse facility was arranged for transportation of the body. Kandhamal District Collector Brinda D has ordered the District Rural Development Agency project director to enquire into the delay in arrival of the hearse. The deceased girl was from Bedangpaju village in Khajuripada block. She had drowned in a village pond on Monday. She
was rescued and brought to the district headquarter hospital in Phulbani, where she was declared dead.
Several hours Family members of the deceased alleged that even after waiting for several hours and making continuous requests, they could not get a hearse to transport the body to their village for funeral. So they used a wheeled stretcher of the hospital to carry the body to Bedangpaju, which is about 15 km from Phulbani. But they could not roll the stretcher out of Phulbani town. A police team stopped them on the way and arranged for a hearse for proper and dignified transportation of the body.
Temperature Data: IMD, Pollution Data: CPCB, Map: Skymet
Forecast for Tuesday: Heat wave conditions likely at isolated places over Uttar Pradesh. Heavy to very heavy rain likely at isolated places over sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, central Maharashtra, Marathwada, Konkan & Goa, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala and Lakshadweep city rain max min Agartala.............56.4.... 26.2.... 25.0 Ahmedabad............ —.... 39.8.... 27.2 Aizawl ....................6.... 24.9.... 12.0 Allahabad .............. —.... 44.3.... 30.0 Bengaluru ............1.8.... 25.2.... 20.2 Bhopal................... —.... 39.3.... 25.8 Bhubaneswar .......0.8.... 36.0.... 26.9 Chandigarh ............ —.... 38.5.... 24.2 Chennai ................. —.... 38.7.... 30.4 Coimbatore..........0.1.... 32.5.... 22.5 Dehradun.............5.3.... 35.0.... 20.4 Gangtok.............32.8.... 23.4.... 18.0 Goa ...................17.4.... 28.3.... 24.7 Guwahati .............0.2.... 30.4.... 24.6 Hubballi................. —.... 25.0.... 21.0 Hyderabad ...........3.9.... 32.5.... 23.4 Imphal..................23.... 26.4.... 22.3 Jaipur .................... —.... 39.6.... 25.7 Kochi.................13.7.... 30.6.... 24.8 Kohima..............10.2.... 27.4.... 17.6 Kolkata................2.9.... 34.1.... 26.3
city rain max min Kozhikode ...........30.6.... 29.0.... 23.8 Kurnool .................2.6.... 35.1.... 26.0 Lucknow.................. —.... 41.7.... 28.4 Madurai................... —.... 38.4.... 28.0 Mangaluru.........100.4.... 27.0.... 23.0 Mumbai...............70.6.... 31.9.... 25.5 Mysuru.....................2.... 26.0.... 19.8 New Delhi ............... —.... 39.6.... 25.9 Patna ...................... —.... 37.4.... 27.2 Port Blair ................ —.... 31.3.... 25.8 Puducherry.............. —.... 38.0.... 27.3 Pune ....................... —.... 33.1.... 24.2 Raipur ..................... —.... 36.0.... 27.5 Ranchi..................... —.... 35.5.... 24.3 Shillong...............44.5.... 19.8.... 15.1 Shimla..................... —.... 24.9.... 15.5 Srinagar .................. —.... 28.2.... 11.5 Trivandrum ...........0.8.... 31.2.... 24.2 Tiruchi .................... —.... 38.2.... 28.2 Vijayawada ............0.4.... 37.1.... 28.0 Visakhapatnam .......0.8.... 32.0.... 26.6
Particulate matter in the air you are breathing CITIES
Yesterday
SO2 NO2 CO PM2.5 PM10 CODE
Ahmedabad ......... ....—.....— ...— ....... — .......—.......— Bengaluru ................9 ...71 ..58 ....... —......68 ......* Chennai....................6 ...27 ..32 .... 198 .......— ......* Delhi......................26 ...46 ..65 .... 177......65 ......* Hyderabad .............45 ...21 ....6 ...... 29......34 ......* Kolkata ..................24 ...41 ..25 ....... —......38 ......* Lucknow ..................5 ...38 ..47 .... 304 .......— ......* Mumbai .................11 ...45 ..18 ...... 31......44 ......* Pune ......................13 ...27 ..70 ....... —......20 ......* Vishakhapatnam .....31 ...31 ..60 ...... 71......74 ......*
In observation made at 4.00 p.m., Thane, Maharashtra recorded an overall air quality index (AQI) score of 279 indicating an unhealthy level of pollution. In contrast, Vijayawada recorded a healthy AQI score of 45
Air Quality Code: * Poor * Moderate * Good SO2: Sulphur Dioxide. Short-term exposure can harm the respiratory system, making breathing difficult. It can affect visibility by reacting with other air particles to form haze and stain culturally important objects such as statues and monuments. NO2: Nitrogen Dioxide. Aggravates respiratory illness, causes haze to form by reacting with other air particles, causes acid rain, pollutes coastal waters. CO: Carbon monoxide. High concentration in air reduces oxygen supply to critical organs like the heart and brain. At very high levels, it can cause dizziness, confusion, unconsciousness and even death. PM2.5 & PM10: Particulate matter pollution can cause irritation of the eyes, nose and throat, coughing, chest tightness and shortness of breath, reduced lung function, irregular heartbeat, asthma attacks, heart attacks and premature death in people with heart or lung disease (Individual pollutant data for various cities are averages for the previous day)
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CM YK
PUBLIC NOTICES
PUBLIC NOTICES
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THE HINDU
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IN BRIEF
Why was Dutt let out early, court asks Maharashtra
Darjeeling bandh peaceful Government oices remain open amid heavy security deployment Special Correspondent Kolkata
₹100 cr. penalty planned for Ganga pollution
‘How did jail authorities assess his good behaviour?’ Special Correspondent
Justice V. K. Tahilaramani about this.
Mumbai
NEW DELHI
The National River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Bill 2017, prescribes seven years in jail and a fine of up to ₹100 crore for anyone who pollutes the Ganga, blocks its flow, illegally mines its banks or constructs jetties without permission. PTI
Husband’s slap kills woman KRISHNAGAR (WB)
A man slapped his wife hard during a quarrel leading to her death, the police said on Monday. The incident occurred at Baliura in Nadia district last night. Shobha Biswas and her husband were quarrelling over an issue and he slapped her. She fell down unconscious and was declared dead on arrival at the hospital. PTI
Clarification This is to clarify that the advertisement published on April 16, 2017 on behalf of Pothys was not intended to outrage the religious beliefs of any class or sect.
Months after actor Sanjay Dutt walked out of Yerwada Jail, the Bombay High Court on Monday directed the Maharashtra government to file an affidavit on what grounds he was let out eight months before his sentence got over. A Division Bench of Justices R.M. Sawant and Sadhana Jadhav was hearing a public interest litigation petition filed by Pradeep Bhalekar, chairperson of Samajik Karyakarta Saurakhan Samiti. The petition alleged that Mr. Dutt was given special treatment by being released early. There are 27,740 prisoners in the State who deserve to be released on the same ground. The petition also said the actor had already benefited a lot because of furlough and parole. The actor was released on grounds of inequality and was given preferential treatment throughout his tenure, the petition states. Further, the PIL states, “The remission granted to
Sanjay Dutt
Dutt is wrong and illegal.” Appearing for petitioner, advocate Nitin Satpute said, “What is the good behaviour and conduct that has been held as a ground for granting him remission? What about all the other convicts especially in petty offences who are rotting in jail? They have also filed applications seeking remission but there has been no order on those.” A day after the jail superintendent announced Mr. Dutt would be let out on February 25, 2016, Mr. Bhalekar had also written a letter to the Acting Chief
OPS will come back to our fold soon: Dhinakaran Says he has high regards for ‘annan’ who is a good friend
Affidavit sought The court directed the government to file an affidavit on “what defines good behaviour” and “who is the sanctioning authority of the premature release”. The court asked, “Was the Deputy Inspector-General of Police consulted or did the jail superintendent directly send his recommendations to the Governor? How did the authorities assess good behaviour?” The matter has been adjourned to July 3. The actor was convicted for illegal possession of an automatic assault rifle, a part of cache of arms and ammunition that landed ahead of 1993 Mumbai serial blasts in which 257 people were killed. According to the Maharashtra Home Department, he was given remission (reduction of sentence) on account of good conduct. When in jail, Mr. Dutt was granted parole of 90 days in December 2013 and later again for 30 days.
Court reserves order in coal block case CBI has booked PSPL, its directors Special Correspondent NEW DELHI
sponsibility now to make sure that the factions unite. I met party general secretary Sasikala in Bengaluru (central prison) on June 4 and said that I would actively work for the merger after 60 days. She agreed with my view,” he said.
S. Vijay Kumar Chennai
A day after former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam poured cold water on the merger plans of the AIADMK factions, T.T.V. Dhinakaran, deputy general secretary of the ruling AIADMK (Amma), expressed the hope that Mr. Panneerselvam would review his stand. Mr. Dhinakaran, who has been credited with identifying Mr. Panneerselvam and promoting him in the party, told The Hindu: “I am sure he will reverse his stand and come back soon. I have high regards for annan (elder brother) OPS and he is my good friend too. I am sure he will come back soon. 90% of the party and its functionaries are with us.” Asked why
T.T.V. Dhinakaran
he returned to party affairs after stepping aside before going to New Delhi recently, Mr. Dhinakaran said some party leaders opined that his continuance in the party would not augur well for the merger. “But after I returned I found nothing had happened here. Things have only got worse … it is my re-
Search on for Mexican who fell of ship Special Correspondent NEW DELHI
The Navy has launched a search and rescue operation for a woman cadet who reportedly fell overboard from a Mexican sail training ship Cuauhtemoc. The incident occurred at 2 p.m. west of Goa on Sunday. A P-8I long range patrol aircraft is conducting sorties over the area, and two ships have been diverted to join the efforts.
CM YK
“It has been reported that the woman cadet was not wearing lifesaving gear when she fell overboard. No success has been reported yet on sighting/recovery of the lady cadet,” the Navy said in a statement on Monday. The P-8I had undertaken two sorties on Sunday night and Monday morning. The Navy has also pressed in two ships for the SAR efforts.
‘Will sort it out’ Mr. Dhinakaran said many Ministers or MLAs who either met him or spoke over the phone expressing their solidarity with him seemed scared of something. “I don’t know what they are scared of. They will all unite and meet me soon. I have no idea why Mr. Panneerselvam spoke against the possibility of a merger on Sunday night. But we will sort it out soon.”
Barring stray incidents of arson, the shutdown called by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) in Darjeeling hills on Monday passed off peacefully. Government offices remained open in Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts with a massive deployment of police and security forces. Despite the bandh call, government employees reported for duty, including in offices located in Darjeeling town. Employees arrived outside heavily guarded offices and were allowed in after showing their identification cards. The State government had issued a circular warning that absence would be treated as a break in service. While transport and tourism sectors were kept out of the purview of the strike, thousands of tourists were stranded in the hills. The State government arranged transport to help those who wanted to return to the plains in Siliguri sub-division. Meanwhile, locals allegedly having allegiance to the GJM set fire at an office of the PWD department in Dar-
A special court has reserved for July 31 orders on framing of charges against a private firm, its two directors and another person in a case of alleged irregularities in the allocation of the Dhadhu coal block in Jharkhand. The CBI is prosecuting Pawanjay Steel and Power Limited (PSPL), its two directors, Gyanchand Prasad Agarwal and Umesh Prasad Agarwal, and S.K. Kanungo, chief manager (Marketing) of Hari Machines Ltd (HML) in the case. The court reserved the order on conclusion of arguments by counsel for the accused and the prosecution. The court had on September 28 last year summoned them for criminal conspiracy and cheating, saying “prima facie there were suf-
ficient incriminating evidence on record against them.” They had been later granted bail after they appeared before the court on November 9 in pursuance to a summons. The CBI had registered a case of cheating and criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act against PSPL, its directors, Mr. Kanungo and other unknown persons, including public servants.
Criminal conspiracy PSPL and its two directors along with Mr. Kanungo hatched a criminal conspiracy with a view to deceive the Ministry of Coal (MoC) to induce it to allocate a captive coal block in favour of the accused firm, the charge sheet said.
High alert: Army personnel deployed in Darjeeling during a shutdown called by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha on Monday. AFP *
jeeling. Earlier in the day a similar attempt was made at the office of Block Development Office ( BDO) office at Bijonbari. Three persons were arrested in connection with the incident. GJM general secretary Roshan Giri denied the party’s involvement in these incidents and said they were attempts to defame it. “We could have mobilised thousands of our supporters
and ensured that government offices were closed,” Mr. Giri said. “We want the Centre to intervene and take concrete steps for our demand of Gorkhaland,” he said. The GJM general secretary told The Hindu that party president Bimal Gurung had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh seeking the Centre’s intervention.
The GJM has called an allparty meeting on Tuesday to discuss the issue. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said in Kolkata that she would not be intimidated by “GJM’s threats.” Addressing a public meeting, she said, “They [GJM] said they will not let me enter the hills... but I went there, held meetings and safeguarded peace.” She urged people in the hills not to be misguided by a few people.
Panel to study free movement along Myanmar border Facility being misused by militants and criminals: Rajnath came to power, this is the second time a committee is being constituted to study the free movement across the Myanmar border.
Special Correspondent New Delhi
The Union Home Ministry has constituted another committee to examine methods to curb the misuse of free movement along the Myanmar border, indicating a significant shift in India’s policy towards Myanmar, a friendly country, with which it shares unfenced borders and unhindered movement of people across the border. Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who is on a two-day visit to Mizoram, said a committee headed by Rina Mitra, Special Secretary-Internal Security, was being constituted to “examine the present rules and regulations adopted by the border States for implementation of free movement regime.” Mr. Singh said on Twitter, “Free movement regime is
India and Myanmar share an unfenced border of 1,643 km.
being misused by militants and trans-border criminals who smuggle weapons, contraband goods and fake Indian currency notes. Taking advantage of the free-movement regime, occasionally they enter India, commit crimes and escape to their relatively safer hideouts.” Since the NDA government
‘Change misnomer’ In 2015, a high-level committee report submitted by Joint Intelligence Committee ( JIC) chief R.N. Ravi suggested changing the “misnomer” related to “free border movement” and asked the government to replicate the model prevalent in villages and areas along the Bangladesh border. The report has suggested dedicated crossing points in border villages, where policemen would be made in charge of regulating the movement of people. India and Myanmar share an unfenced border of 1,643 km.
Indian techie forced to work as cleaner in Saudi Arabia rescued Press Trust of India Kolkata
West Bengal CID on Monday brought back a software engineer who was forced to work in Saudi Arabia as a cleaner. Asraful Halque, a BSc (I-T) degree holder and a resident of Bhalugram in Burdwan district’s Mongalkote, was brought back from Daman after he sent an e-mail to the State police detailing his plight, a senior officer of the
force said. Asraful had gone to Saudi Arabia through a Mumbai-based agency, Akbar Overseas, to join a bank’s I-T support team. On reaching Riyadh, his documents including passport and visa were snatched and he was forced to work for Saudi Credit and Savings Bank as house keeping staff by recruiter Al Mufti, another agency that supplies labour to banks, the officer said.
“He was tortured when he refused to work. We contacted the Ministry of External Affairs and local authorities after receiving an e-mail from Ashraful. After prolonged persuasion, the CID successfully arranged for his return,” he said. Ashraful thanked West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and said he would “remain grateful to her for giving him a new lease of life.”
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8 EDITORIAL
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THE HINDU
TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 2017
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The road from St. Petersburg Nostalgia may be useful, but it cannot make up for a lack of substantive drivers in India-Russia ties
The rot in farming shyam saran here has been a certain depressing pattern in India-Russia relations over the past decade. Annual summit-level meetings have been marked by expressions of nostalgia for the glory days of Indo-Soviet friendship , declarations of solemn intent to take contemporary relations to new heights and highlighting common perspectives even as the two countries mostly go their respective ways. The St. Petersburg Declaration issued at the end of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Russia appears not much diferent in this respect.
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Convergences, divergences This is not to say that the two countries do not continue to have important convergent interests. Certainly there are speciic areas such defence hardware and technology, nuclear energy and oil and gas where their cooperation is of mutual beneit. There may even exist longer-term convergence in helping shape a multipolar international political and security architecture. However, these shared interests must be balanced against divergences that are inherent in the very dramatic transformations which have taken place in the two countries themselves, and in the regional and global situation since the end of the Cold War, which have inevitably altered the overall context of our relations. This altered context has to be acknowledged by both sides, and rather than cling to the assumptions of a very diferent past, there should be an unsentimental reckoning of both the challenges and opportunities that could deine India-Russia relations in the new millennium. It is ine to say that our relations
While Nadal sealed his greatness at the French Open, Ostapenko announced her promise
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n sport, there aren’t many tests tougher than playing Rafael Nadal on Parisian clay. For over a decade, the Spaniard has reduced nearly every player, regardless of reputation, Roger Federer included, to an unrecognisable heap of dust. On Sunday, when he did the same to Swiss Stan Wawrinka to win an unprecedented 10th French Open title and his 15th major overall, it was just a reiteration of the same. Nadal lost only 35 games all tournament, a number second only to Bjorn Borg’s 32 in the 1978 French Open, and did not concede more than four games in any set he played. Coming as it did after two years of under-performance, troubled by a creaky wrist and stripped of his aura, it might well be his most signiicant title. This does not mean that Nadal’s status as the greatest of all clay-courters was ever in doubt. As the 31-year-old himself said after thrashing Dominic Thiem in the semi-inal, “I think I don’t need to make more history. It’s enough. Nine are more than good.” Rather it should highlight, more vividly than ever before, that Nadal is no ordinary dirtballer. When he won for the irst time at Roland Garros in 2005, he was seen as yet another of those cautious, risk-averse, immovable objects the clay-court specialists were. Through 15 Grand Slam titles, including two Wimbledon titles, he has proved that his tactical nous and regenerative powers are second to none. The last fortnight perhaps ofered a glimpse of what a devastating blend a happily married ofence and defence is. On the women’s side Jeļena Ostapenko, the 20-yearold Latvian, sent out the same vibes with her triumph as a teenaged Nadal had done in 2005. If Nadal had won his maiden title in his irst attempt in Paris, for Ostapenko the 2017 win was the irst trophy of any kind and helped her become the irst unseeded woman to win at Roland Garros since 1933. Like when Maria Sharapova, all of 17, mowed down Serena Williams at Wimbledon in 2004, Ostapenko played with a panache that belied her experience. She was up against Simona Halep, the favourite, in the inal but so nerveless was her performance that even being a set and 0-3 down did not afect her poise. She lived by the sword, making 54 winners and as many errors in the inal. It’s a tactic that does not always fetch the right dividend on clay but credit should go to Ostapenko for persisting with her attacking mindset. Admittedly, the women’s draw was shorn of stars with Williams, Sharapova, Victoria Azarenka all absent, Petra Kvitova just about recovering from a knife attack, and World No.1 Angelique Kerber anything but that. Regardless, the competitive quality on the women’s side was a notch above the men’s, and Ostapenko, playing ive thrilling three-set matches out of her seven, was a testament to this. CM YK
Shared China concerns One, it is the shared perception of a Chinese threat which brought Delhi and Moscow together. The end of the Cold War changed this, with Russia no longer looking at China as a current security threat. The early settlement of their border dispute, the expansion in their economic and trade relations and the emergence of China as a major recipient of Russian weapons and defence technologies brought about an asymmetry in perceptions of China between India and Russia. But Russian perceptions of a long-term Chinese challenge to its interests persisted, and still do. For example, Russian nuclear experts have been reluctant to deep
Defence, nuclear, energy ties Three, India and Russia should focus on maintaining and expanding their already considerable cooperation in the defence hardware and nuclear energy sector. Both sectors are important to Russia as well as to India. The loss of the Indian market in these two areas would be a blow to Russia and they would deprive India of advanced technology not always accessible elsewhere. However, there is no need for India to accept terms and conditions which are onerous merely because of sentimentality. During the recent visit, one heard nothing about the ifthgeneration ighter aircraft that the
two sides had agreed to co-develop and produce almost a decade ago. It is probably just as well since whatever one had heard about the Russians constantly changing goal posts and revising costs did not augur well for India’s long-term interests. We should not have to go through another Admiral Gorshkov episode, which has left such a bitter taste. Four, since the end of the Cold War, India sought to establish a strong, long-term energy partnership with Russia. While some important deals like the Sakhalin oil and gas project have been a success, the early promise of expanding cooperation in this sector has been mostly belied. Russia has seen its interests better served by giving priority to Western Europe and China. India has been rather low on the radar. In St. Petersburg, there was a reference to India and Russia setting up an “energy corridor” and another reference to the use of natural gas as a relatively clean and climate-friendly fuel. One hopes that this statement of ambitious intent is followed up with some concrete and practical steps. India has been reluctant to use gas for power generation. Does the joint statement signal a rethink in this regard and will Russia play a role as a major supplier? One will have to await details. This 18th annual India-Russia summit appears to have been more substantive than the previous ones, and one hopes that in a rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape, India and Russia ind a more realistic basis and more compelling reasons to work together. One’s assessment of Russia’s foreign policy remains: its current closeness to China is tactical; its long-term interest both globally and in its neighbourhood are not aligned with China. India should pursue its relations with Russia keeping this reality in mind. Shyam Saran is a former Foreign Secretary and currently Member, Governing Board, Centre for Policy Research
Upholding Chavismo The Venezuelan Opposition needs to support democracy and help in drafting a new Constitution
Abdul Nafey
Feats on clay
cuts in nuclear weapons in bilateral negotiations with the U.S. precisely because the gap with China’s expanding and qualitatively better nuclear arsenal is diminishing and this heightens Russian concerns. Chinese inroads into Central Asia and Eastern Europe are also a concern for Russia, which regards both these regions as part of its strategic periphery. These concerns may currently be muted because Russia needs Chinese support in confronting a hostile U.S. and Western Europe. What this means for India is that we need to adjust to a new and more positive phase in RussiaChina relations, learn not to rely on Moscow to confront Chinese hostility towards India or support India against Pakistan, but seek to build a broader framework of relations based on the longer-term Russian concerns about the emergence of China. Russia, like India, prefers a multipolar world and is unlikely to accept a junior league status in a Chinese-dominated world. The St. Petersburg Declaration describes India and Russia as “great powers”. That is signal enough that neither is about to succumb to Chinese pretensions to singular dominance. For the same reason, Russia may welcome a higher-proile role by India in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. In this context, India should pursue the proposed Free Trade Agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union and seek to
are “immune” to the changes in the geopolitical situation. This is good political packaging but we should accept that in reality this is simply not true. India-Russia relations today are very diferent precisely because we are very diferent countries today and the world is very diferent from the 1960-1990 phase of the India-Soviet strategic partnership. The cordiality and mutual trust of the past may be leveraged to fashion a new relationship but they cannot substitute for a lack of substantive drivers in the relationship. Let us look at how the key assumptions underlying the Indo-Soviet strategic partnership, preCold War, has changed.
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emocracy is said to stand consolidated when no one challenges the legitimacy of the process to access power. In Venezuela, the Opposition wants a restoration of the old order, one in which power and privilege came as inheritance. Political actors of different hues, who were united in their common distaste for late President Hugo Chávez, have been determined to strip President Nicolás Maduro of the presidency ever since the Opposition gained a majority in the national legislative elections held in December 2015. The National Assembly was particularly incensed by the Supreme Court order of March 29, 2017 which upheld the power of the President to make energy deals with international oil irms. Crude exports bring in 95% of the country’s foreign exchange, and, with prices remaining low for three years, it is never easy to ind joint venture partners for the heavy and
extra-heavy crude production. The National Assembly has obstructed every joint venture between the state-owned oil company and foreign oil irms. With its no-holdsbarred politics, it has opposed even steps such as establishment of ‘fair price’ shops to sell essential food items at ixed rates. Major bills and other presidential initiatives have remained stalled. Further, the legislature has rather brazenly sought to encroach upon the powers of judiciary and the President through measures such as ordering the release of political detainees.
A way out With all ofers of dialogue, including through papal mediation, having been rebufed, Mr. Maduro has inally taken recourse to the Constitution to restore peace and overcome the politics of hatred and intolerance. Article 347 of the 1999 Constitution allows “the people of Venezuela” to convene a Constituent Assembly with the aim of “transforming the state” through a new legal framework. The National Electoral Council (CNE) has validated the election to a 540-member National Constituent Assembly (NCA) to be held on territorial and sectoral basis before the end of
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Expensive way out Populist interventions such as farm loan waivers are very serious and expose rural and agricultural lending institutions to considerable risk (“Maharashtra capitulates to grant farm loan waiver”, June 12). A striking example is Thailand where the populist Thaksin government announced a debt moratorium for small farmers in 2001 that seriously afected the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC). More than two million farmers owing over $1.7 billion — a third of BAAC’s portfolio — enrolled in the programme. As a result, BAAC’s loan write-of rate jumped from 3% in 2001 to 12% in 2002, and its reserves for bad debt rose to 21% of its loan portfolio, according to Christen and Pearce, 2005. Another recent case occurred in India in February 2008 when the government announced a
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o say it is a domino efect of the loan write-ofs for small and marginal farmers by the Uttar Pradesh government may be simplistic, but farmers in different parts of the country have begun agitating for waivers. In Tamil Nadu, they have given the State government two months to meet their demand for a full waiver or face a fresh agitation. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, in the face of protracted protests by farmers, has announced a blanket loan waiver for ‘needy’ farmers, with an estimated outgo of ₹35,000 crore. In Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has resisted announcing a waiver, but unveiled a ‘package’ that includes a ‘settlement scheme’ to bring loan defaulters back into the credit net with interest-free loans. Farm groups in Punjab also began dharnas on Monday for loan waivers and other interventions. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has categorically said States must generate their own resources to fund such largesse, and the Reserve Bank of India has warned of inlationary risks from iscal slippages caused by large farm loan waivers. However, it would be short-sighted to see the rising angst in the farm sector as simply the desire of farmers around the country to keep up with U.P. There are deeper reasons that must be addressed holistically. The problem is price discovery. In fact, there is delation in pulse and vegetable prices. The RBI has acknowledged that already falling vegetable prices dipped more sharply because of ‘ire sales’ following demonetisation, and pulses are cheaper because of high output on top of imports. Prices for eggs, oils, cereals and milk are moderating, and while the sharp fall in food prices has kept consumer price inlation tepid, rural distress has been aggravated. The new cattle trade rules threaten the viability of livestock and dairy farming. Banks are awash with funds since the note ban, but rural lending growth collapsed to 2.5% in the second half of 2016-17 and even shrank in several States, including Punjab and Maharashtra. Prices of fuel used by rural households have surged for three successive months. It is this squeeze on several fronts that seems to have pushed farmers to the brink. In consultation with the States, the Centre must reconsider whether it is prudent to narrowly target low food inlation. If India wants to be the world’s food factory, its farm policy needs to recognise farmer requirements for state support. If consumers and producers can beneit from a single national market in the GST era, farmers should also have the freedom to sell their produce where and when they want — with a predictable policy framework (no lip-lops in export-import stances, for instance) that enables farm-to-fork supply chains independent of local mandis and traders. Labour and land reforms also need to be revisited to create more opportunities beyond farming, and irrigation and other infrastructure projects speeded up to boost farm productivity.
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We must enable a sustainable price discovery for agricultural produce
play a more active role in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation as a member. Two, it is in India’s interest to see an improvement in relations between Russia and the U.S. and Western Europe. It is the coordinated support of these three major partners of India which enabled us to overcome Chinese opposition and obtain the unprecedented waiver from the Nuclear Suppliers Group in 2008. This is no longer the case. The U.S. under President Donald Trump appeared to be moving in the direction of normalising relations with Russia, but this now seems unlikely as reports of Russian involvement in the American electoral process become more compelling. However, the very unpredictability of Mr. Trump and his roiling of the Western alliance confronts both U.S. allies and adversaries with the need to avoid misunderstanding and misperceptions. A more united and coherent European Union may well be open to re-engaging with Russia, and this should be encouraged by India. In an increasingly luid international situation, an India which has strong relations with the U.S., Western Europe and Russia is in a unique position to play a larger geopolitical role. It can use its enhanced relations with each to upgrade its relations with the other major powers. This will also diminish Chinese pressures on India.
July. To write the new Constitution, 364 members would be elected by the municipalities; the remaining 176 will represent the diversity of the nation, which includes local communities like those of the workers, the peasants and ishermen and the indigenous communities. It will be a participatory body — representative and multicultural in its composition. A registered voter, above 18 years in age, can contest for the NCA, which will be a non-partisan body. The NCA will be bound by the ‘guidelines’ enshrined in the Constitution. It will lay down the necessary statute for its working by remaining within the ambit of the principles that deine the Republic and the framework of the 1999
Constitution. The new Constitution, like the present one, will also, most likely, be put to referendum. Until then, all existing constitutional bodies, including the National Assembly, will remain in oice. The stipulation under Article 349 that existing constitutional authorities “shall not be permitted to obstruct the Constituent Assembly in any way” does not mean the NCA assuming the legislative powers. Tibisay Lucena, president of the National Election Council, has assured the people that all regional and presidential elections will be conducted as scheduled for 2017 and 2018.
Ushering in change When Hugo Chavez won the presidency in 1999, 50% of the Venezuelans were poor and another 20% indigent. When he died in 2013, only 24% of the population was poor, to quote the UN. He built one million homes for the poor; and gave land title to millions of squatters in and around Caracas. The country has the highest percentage of university enrolment in Latin America; likewise, the ratio of doctors remains higher than elsewhere in the region. Several hundred thousand emigrated from southern European and Latin
America countries to take advantage of the improved health and housing conditions ofered by the Bolivarian regime; besides, Venezuela sheltered some 2,00,000 refugees who led the conlict in Colombia. In essence, Chavismo changed the social equilibrium; it has left no scope for the conservative, predominantly white oil patriarchy to return to power. The expected ‘Caracas spring’ has not arrived. Protests are conined to the posh areas of Caracas and the other big cities. Slingshots and steel bullets, and not the much-hyped ‘medicines-in-shortage’, have become the most smuggled items. The streets of Caracas are witness to politics of cynicism aimed at precipitating conditions for a military coup. Democracy stands consolidated when the given set of institutions become the only game in town. The Opposition in Venezuela must know this; it should support democracy even if it is opposed to the regime, and participate. The new Constitution will seek to make democracy the only game in town. Abdul Nafey is professor, Latin American studies, at the Jawaharlal Nehru University
Letters emailed to
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comprehensive loan waiver for small farmers. Preliminary data indicate that approximately 369,000 farmers beneited from debt forgiveness. One of the immediate impacts was a steep drop in recovery rates. Moreover, it negatively afected the overall credit culture, says a report. A recent survey showed that one out of every four respondents wants to wait for another loan waiver. K.M.K. Murthy, Secunderabad
Ripple efect It is interesting that this year’s Economic Survey has a detailed chapter on the leather and apparel sector. Here, the Chief Economic Adviser tries to highlight the importance of this sector as a key solution for rising unemployment. In this context, the decision of the government to put checks on the sale of cattle for slaughter is paradoxical. This is the same government whose Prime Minister was
endorsing the famous Kolhapuri chappal in Maharashtra. It is to be understood that the economic repercussions of the cattle ban are not only limited to the issue of freedom of food choice but also the livelihoods of the minorities and Dalits. Nithin Suresh Puthiyapurayil, Bengaluru
Distasteful Instead of focussing on eradicating poverty and promoting peace in these tense times and when there is farmer unrest in some parts of India and rights violations in Kashmir, it is disturbing that BJP President Amit Shah has chosen to make a distasteful comment about the Father of Nation, who showed the world that non-violence is an absolutely powerful weapon. I think that rather than give the Mahatma labels, we need to recognise him as the leader who was able to defeat the British, lead us to Independence,
and all this in a non-violent way. Has Mr. Shah forgotten this? Anamika Bahuguna, Dehradun, Uttarakhand
Think renewable There is absolutely no doubt that there is an urgent need to follow the path of sustainable development, especially in the context of climate change (“Expensive, hazardous and inequitable”, June 7). But the approval of 10 nuclear power plants by the government raises many concerns and questions, a major one being the risk factor. We honestly know that Japan is leaps and bounds ahead of us in terms of infrastructure and technology but even then was unable to deal with Fukushima. If this is the case with a country such as Japan, how will our country, so highly populated, deal with even a small disaster? There are also questions regarding the viability of nuclear power plants. India is very lucky being a tropical
country and with abundant sunshine. There is huge potential for solar energy production. Hydroelectric power has also not been fully tapped. There is also wind energy. Karan Choudhary, Pathankot, Punjab
Nadal on a roll After Roger Federer at the Australian Open, it is now Rafael Nadal at the French Open. These two legends have raised the bar and given their fans so much joy over the years that it may come as no surprise if the two of them dominate the sport in the coming months and rekindle the great rivalry. Nadal’s 10th title at Roland Garros is a tribute to his resilience and a itting reply to all those who wrote him of a few years ago. Never underestimate these two icons of tennis and let us sit back and enjoy another era of their titanic battles which we were fortunate to see (‘Sport’ page – “Nadal returns as the
king of clay with La Decima”, June 12). C.M. Umanath, Marikunnu, Kozhikode, Kerala
The signiicance of this milestone in as competitive a sport as tennis and during an era when two other all-time greats, Federer and Djokovic, are competing will be better appreciated in times to come. More than Nadal’s ferocious forehand, stamina or athleticism, it is his unshakeable self-belief when playing on clay that makes him invincible. One struggles to ind examples of such domination in other racquet sports. Rudy Hartono in badminton with eight All England titles, Jahangir Khan with 10 consecutive British Open squash titles or Jansher Khan winning the World Open squash eight times are the only names that come to mind.
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Chandramohan Nair, Ernakulam, Kerala
more letters online: www.hindu.com/opinion/letters/
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THE HINDU
OPED 9
NOIDA/DELHI
TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 2017
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More to it than MSP
Marching into a binary
Price increase alone won’t beneit farmers. Issues of procurement and credit need to be addressed
Forcing them to play to the gallery is doing the security forces a huge disservice
Agricultural distress is often viewed as a short-term phenomenon in which farmers look for support from various quarters on account of being unable to get a gainful return due to price crash, poor marketing facilities, rising credit burden, increasing cost of inputs and frequent occurrence of natural calamities. A prolonged unrest in rural India — such as the decision of Andhra Pradesh farmers not to sow in the 2011 kharif season and mark a ‘crop holiday’ protest — will have serious consequences for food security. Agricultural distress has become a permanent feature due to the failure of not only elected governments to find a lasting solution but also local institutions such as community or social networks which are supposedly weakening because of increasing individualisation. The consequence is that helpless farmers are increasingly pushed to the brink of committing suicides.
RITU RAJ KONWAR
Elumalai Kannan
A tipping point The distress seems to have reached a tipping point, with scenes of dejected farmers throwing agricultural produce such as vegetables and milk on the roads becoming a routine feature in recent years. Rather than addressing the genuine problems of farmers, politicians are unfortunately busy scoring points over the deaths of innocent farmers. Are demands of our farmers unjust? Not really. They want a reasonable price for their produce, better marketing facilities, institutional credit, irrigation, quality seeds and fertilisers, procurement during times of market glut and a social safety net during natural calamities. These are the basic inputs and services farmers need to continue to engage in agricultural production. Many committees and commissions constituted in the past have looked into India’s farming conditions. Their recommendations have been shelved by successive governments. The non-availability of remunerative prices to farmers on agricultural produce is a vexed issue and emerges as the prime issue in various research studies wherein farmers are
asked to rank production constraints. Will a rise in the minimum support price (MSP) solve the problem? Some critics argue that a rise in the MSP will lead to increase in food inflation, while others that it will augment farmers’ income. Both arguments rest on the mistaken notion that the MSP is a remunerative price. It is actually an insurance price, a floor price of sorts. Besides, a vast majority of the farming population is unaware of its existence. The Government of India has an MSP for 23 crops, but official procurement at the MSP is effectively limited to rice and wheat, and that too concentrated in a few States only. Awareness about the MSP is limited to States such as Punjab, Haryana and Andhra Pradesh where such procurement takes place. According to the National Sample Survey’s (NSS) Situation Assessment Survey of Agricultural Households 2013, even for paddy and wheat, less than one-third of farmers were aware of the MSP; for other crops, such awareness was negligible. Further, a substantial proportion of crops are sold to local private traders and input dealers to whom the resource-poor marginal and small landholders are obligated to sell their crops due to tie-up with credit. Since 2004, successive governments claimed to have increased institutional credit flow to the agricultural sector through increased budgetary allocation on crop loans. According to NSS data, over 40% of farmers still rely on non-institutional lenders, who mostly happen to be moneylenders-cum-traders and in-
put dealers. Further, analysis of credit disbursement data from the Reserve Bank of India reveals that out of total advances to agriculture, the share of indirect finance has increased substantially over time, while that of direct finance to farmers has declined. This means that at the macro level, it would appear that there is an increase in credit flow to the agricultural sector but this has actually accrued to agro-business firms/corporations and not directly to the farmers. Consequently, marginal and small farmers continue to rely on traders and input dealers. Unless the fundamental problems of crop and regional bias of MSP policy, government procurement and access to institutional credit are addressed, mere increase in MSP will not benefit most farmers in the country. Further, the response of various State governments to a glut in the market appears to be muted. There exist intervention schemes to undertake the procurement of commodities whose market prices go below the MSP, but on most occasions the marketing season of bumper crops gets over by the time a bureaucratic decision on procurement is taken. Ultimately, the farmers are left at the mercy of unscrupulous traders to sell at whatever price they offer, with resultant repercussions such as the burning of the entire crop or throwing the harvested produce on roads in protest. Various studies show an increasing divergence between agricultural and non-agricultural income. And the rising aspirations among rural youth to emulate urban lifestyles put
Dipping income Analysis of data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare reveal that income from cultivation of many cereals and pulses has declined between 2004-05 and 2013-14 despite a considerable increase in MSP during this period. In the case of paddy, out of 18 major rice-growing States, net income has declined in five, and it is negative in six States. In seven States, it has increased only marginally. Income from the cultivation of even horticultural crops is uncertain due to the heavy investment involved and the high volatility in market prices. Most acute is the rise in prices of fertilisers: between 199192 and 2013-14, while the price of urea increased by 69%, that of DAP (diammonium phosphate) and potash rose by 300% and 600%, respectively. Recent policy pronouncements have added to the woes of already beleaguered farmers. The promotion of traditional farming at this juncture of agricultural development will take the sector to where it was decades ago. Most existing modern crop varieties will not respond to these practices in the medium term; consequently, yield and income will decline. Further, facilities to produce adequate organic inputs have not been developed either. Animal husbandry has been practised as a supplementary activity since time immemorial. Livestock acts as a cushion against crop loss during times of drought. The new rules on animal markets will put poor farmers and landless labourers in a fix. These developments do not augur well for rural youth whose interest in farming is already dwindling. While other developing countries are moving towards modernisation of agriculture which would reduce dependence of labour force and enable a rise in productivity, Indian agriculture is cluelessly plodding ahead. Elumalai Kannan is an associate professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Views are personal
broke ethical rules of engagement but, equally, he was an ordinary young man functioning in extraordinary circumstances. It is surprising the Army should have reacted by honouring him rather than acknowledging it as an aberration, but one wonders how much such reactions are forced by a climate where military-political lines are being calculatedly blurred, and by the shrillness of debate that insists on black and white answers to murky grey questions. Sophisticated cynicism regardless, for an overwhelming majority, the abstraction of ‘nation’ will always be represented by the easy symbolism of soil, flag and anthem. These sentiments drive the soldier too. Quoting Tolstoy calling patriotism “stupid and immoral” might be intellectually correct, but it is facile and ignores the soldier. This person has undergone years of intense training, a reconditioning of a person into an automaton to succeed in war. Ideals of flag and country have been drilled in so deep that he is willing to lay down his life unquestioningly for these. How do you invoke a borderless world or the idea of ‘nation as sham’ for this person?
Vaishna Roy A year or so ago, I was in Hussainiwala, in Punjab’s Ferozepur district, on the IndiaPakistan border where the Sutlej flows. Until the 1970s, there used to be a flourishing trade in dried fruits and nuts across the border here. All that’s over now. What we have instead is a Retreat Ceremony along the lines of Wagah. The evening I was there people crowded into the stands on both sides, waving flags and singing songs. The soldiers did their little dramatic routine, playing to the galleries with grimaces, boot-stomping and hoisted rifles. They were cheered raucously, the more aggressive the posturing, the louder the applause. Except perhaps for two or three people, everybody else was thrilled with all this display of ‘patriotic’ belligerence.
A duality For the Army, the performance is just another day at work. Backstage, soldiers from both sides rehearse together, exchange snacks and movie CDs, and peaceably send back goatherds who stray across the border. The amity as well as the swagger at sundown are real, and if war breaks out tomorrow, the killing will be as real. It’s a duality they live with. But for a gullible audience that does not have the benefit of nuance, viewing a faux skirmish such as this is to imagine an always hostile enemy. It actively stokes bloodthirstiness. On a larger scale, on mass and social media platforms, just such a stoking is going on — a crude and constant invoking of a bogeyman, a rage always kept at boiling point. Soldiers, who had so far stayed away from political grandstanding, have today been hauled into television studios and Twitter timelines and forced into the same false binary as everyone else — with us or against us, nationalist or anti-national, patriot or traitor. Forcing them to play to the gallery is doing the security forces a huge disservice, and this government has dragged them into the very public and simplistic ‘us versus them’ debate just as cynically as governments down the years have dragged them into conflicts planted and watered by politicians. Unfortunately, in the Kashmir Valley today, as elsewhere, it is precisely an easy, populist binary that is not available to the armed forces. Who are ‘us’ and who are ‘them’? Citizen, terrorist, insurgent, provocateur, informer — they are all mixed up in one bag. That eventful day, Major Leetul Gogoi
AP
enormous pressure on them to find ways to increase income through various agricultural activities. Unfortunately, income from crop cultivation, which is a major segment of agriculture, is not growing enough to meet the expected level. On the contrary, the increasing market orientation and reforms in the input sector have resulted in a substantial rise in input costs.
Every argument that intellectualises the idea of nationhood without contextualising it enough drives the wedge deeper into the false binary. Worse, it plays into the hands of the jingoistic, desk-bound patriot-politicians who have conveniently made the armed forces the face of the dispute. And it’s a role the forces are increasingly and naively accepting because it seems like ‘recognition’ after decades of bureaucratic neglect and mistreatment. Faced with cinematic posturing on one side that claims to ‘respect’ the soldier and by a dissociated condescension on the other, no prizes for guessing where the soldier imagines salvation lies. The discussion around the Kashmir Valley has now become so much about theories of nationalism, about grandstanding on one or the other side, that the conflict itself has been normalised. By either constantly foregrounding the soldier’s martyrdom or by casually demonising the soldier, we are conveniently forgetting to ask why the soldier is there in the first place. Surely it would be wise now for the generals to remember that finding solutions in the Kashmir Valley is not the Army’s job, but the government’s.
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FIFTY YEARS AGO JUNE 13, 1967
Chavan assails Shiv Sena An unequivocal condemnation of the unlawful activities of the Shiv Sena was made by the Union Home Minister, Mr. Y.B. Chavan, in the Lok Sabha today [ June 12, New Delhi]. Describing the Shiv Sena as reactionary and harmful, Mr. Chavan pacified an angry Opposition by reiterating his assurance that Government would not allow anyone to seek redressal of his grievances, however justified it might be, through unlawful means. In a half hour discussion initiated by Mrs. Sushila Gopalan (Com.), angry speeches were made by the Communist and D.M.K. members criticising the Maharashtra Government and the Union Government for what they called the apathy towards the unlawful activities of the Shiv Sena which had caused untold hardship and suffering to non-Maharashtrians, particularly South Indians living in Bombay.
Cricket continues to be a marker of the state of India-Pakistan political relations Martand Jha
REUTERS
Last Sunday, the Indian and Pakistani cricket teams played against each other in the Champions Trophy. Emotions ran very high on both sides of the border. This was because people rarely get to see these South Asian rivals play against each other in a sport which is almost followed like a religion
in both the countries. India and Pakistan haven’t been playing bilaterally against each other since the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, except in 2012 when the Pakistani team came for a very short tour to India. The Government of India has taken a irm stand that cricket and cross-border terrorism can’t go side by side and, as a result, normal cricketing ties between the two nations have remained disrupted for nearly 10 years. Cricket has become a marker of the state of political relations between the two countries and has been used as a diplomatic tool by leaders from both the sides. From Rajiv Gandhi to Atal Bihari Vajpayee and from Manmohan Singh to Narendra Modi, leaders have tried to use cricket to improve relations with Pakistan. India’s famous ‘goodwill tour’ to Pakistan in 2004 came after Mr. Vajpayee’s visit to Pakistan the same year to attend the SAARC summit. In 2015, Mr. Modi called his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif and conveyed his best wishes for the World Cup. Mr. Modi said, “Cricket connects people in our region and promotes goodwill. Hope players from SAARC region play with passion and bring laurels to the region.” This led to speculation that bilateral cricketing ties could be resumed. After Mr. Modi’s surprise visit to Pakistan on Mr. Sharif ’s birthday in December 2015, it was almost believed that the Indian cricket team could visit Pakistan for a tour sometime in 2016. All these hopes were shattered after the Pathankot attack, which happened just a week after the visit. This was a breach of trust at the highest level and, with an increasingly deteriorating situation in Kashmir later last year, all talks of resuming cricketing ties came to a full stop. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said ‘no’ to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)’s call to resume cricketing ties, even as the PCB threatened to take legal action over non-compliance of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in 2014. For almost a decade, India has been playing against Pakistan only in ICC tournaments. However, this month, ahead of the match, a new debate emerged on whether India should boycott even that. The argument given was that boycotting Pakistan in international tournaments would be akin to making a irm political statement in front of the international community, much like the boycott of South Africa during the apartheid years. On the other side of the debate were former cricketers. They questioned the singling out of cricket. They said such a boycott should be extended to all ields, like other sporting events and trade. Amidst this, debate, India played and defeated Pakistan convincingly at Birmingham. Martand Jha is a freelance writer based in Delhi
CM YK
ARCHIVES
A HUNDRED YEARS AGO JUNE 13, 1917
Bihar labour committee.
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CONCEPTUAL
ABSTRACT
Client politics
Economics without entrepreneurs
Political science A political situation where government policy is influenced by the interests of a small minority, rather than that of the overwhelming majority. In politics, smaller groups at times can exert a disproportionate influence on government policy by virtue of being more organised than larger groups. Individuals in these smaller groups have more incentive to organise since the benefits they gain from a favourable policy are larger when they are part of a smaller group. In contrast, individuals in larger groups have lesser incentive to organise since the benefits they gain are smaller.
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Rafael Nadal and his Roland Garros la decima http://bit.ly/Nadalinpics
A recent paper suggests that economics has remained silent on the concept of entrepreneurship Prashanth Perumal
Entrepreneurs are said to be the backbone of a market economy, and for good reason. They use their precious savings to acquire scarce resources, which they then transform into various consumer goods according to the market demand. If their judgment about demand turns out to be right, they earn profits; if it’s wrong, they suffer losses. Of course, entrepreneurs engage in the risky business of foreseeing demand only to earn personal profits. But they also end up helping society in two crucial ways. One, in their search for better returns, entrepreneurs look to introduce technology that can help minimise costs. This can not only improve their personal returns, but also increases the overall productivity of the economy. Two, again in the search for profits, entrepreneurs
look to identify and satisfy untapped consumer demand. Being the first to satisfy a new consumer demand can lead to superior returns for an entrepreneur with the foresight. At the same time, such foresight also benefits society by bringing to life several consumer goods that were once unimaginable. Yet, for all these praises sung about entrepreneurs, mainstream economics textbooks largely remain silent about them.
False assumptions “Economics Doctoral Programs Still Elide Entrepreneurship”, a 2017 paper by Dan Johansson and Arvid Malm, provides evidence that even advanced economics courses still remain agnostic about entrepreneurs. The paper provides a survey of readings prescribed to doctoral students in 2014-15 to con-
clude that most of them don’t care to even theoretically define an ‘entrepreneur’, let alone explore his economic function. Firms are virtually assumed to be on autopilot, maximising revenues and minimising costs, without any guidance. In fact, economic models assume an economy where resources have been allocated seamlessly according to consumer demand. Not surprisingly, economists don’t even think about possible errors in entrepreneurial judgment and its implications for the wider economy. How accurate are entrepreneurs generally in their foresight of demand? How do they gauge the likely demand for a product? What, if any, role do past prices play in their investment decision? Clearly, economists are a long way from combating these vital questions.
The duty of the Committee appointed by the Local Government to enquire into the relations between the landlords in Bihar, will be (1) to enquire into the relations between the landlord and tenant in the Champaran district, including all disputes arising out of the manufacture and cultivation of indigo, (2) To examine the evidence on these subjects already available, supplementing it by such further enquiry, local and otherwise as they may consider desirable, and (3) to report their conclusion to the Government stating the measures they recommend in order to remove any abuses or grievances which they may find to exist. The LieutenantGovernor in Council desires to leave the Committee a free hand as to the procedure they will adopt in arriving at the facts. CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
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THE HINDU
TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 2017
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Cow vigilantes attack T.N. team in Rajasthan Police said they had the required documents and permission from the district administration when the cow vigilantes attacked at around 11.30 p.m. The mob thrashed the officials and the drivers and cleaners of the trucks and tried to set one of the trucks on fire. Two of the assistants, Balamurugan and Karuppaiah, and the Veterinarian N. Aravindaraj were severely injured in the attack. The mob then blocked National Highway 15 for close to three hours. Policemen who tried to disperse the crowd were also attacked and pelted with stones forcing a lathicharge to clear the highway. A case has been registered against 50 others on charges of assault, deterring public servants from discharge of their duties and under the National Highways Act. Seven policemen, including a Station House Officer Jai Ram, were sent to the Police Lines in disciplinary action for dereliction of duty and reaching the spot late.
The trucks were later taken to the police station and the animals sent to a cow shelter. In the melee, two of the cows ran away and are now missing. “Though the miscreants initially wanted to set fire to the trucks, they did not do so since they were carrying cattle. Though the veterinarian showed them appropriate documents and the trucks had banners, the men did not believe them and beat them [the officials] up. The staff are badly shaken and scared. However, the [Barmer] district administration has been very helpful and cooperative,” a Tamil Nadu official said. Barmer Deputy Superintendent of Police Om Prakash Ujjwal told The Hindu that preliminary investigation had revealed that the cattle were being taken to the District Livestock Farm, Chettinad, under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission to improve the cattle breeds. The animals were purchased from Changhan, Lathi, Dholia and Bhadaria villages in Jaisalmer district.
Modi to meet Trump in no-frills visit Announcing the dates, the Ministry of External Affairs said the discussions will “provide a new direction for deeper bilateral engagement on issues of mutual interest and consolidation of [the] multi-dimensional strategic partnership.” Prime Minister Modi and President Trump are scheduled to meet on June 26 morning in a delegation level format followed by a one-on-one interaction between the two leaders. “A lot will depend on how the one-on-one meeting goes. It is highly possible that there will be a meeting of minds,” a source in Washington, is familiar with the preparations for the visit, told The Hindu. While both sides have in-
dicated possible talks on closer defence cooperation, counter-terror cooperation and the situation in Afghanistan as well as India’s concerns on visa restrictions and U.S. concerns over trade tariffs and intellectual property, sources familiar with the thinking on both sides say this meeting will be more exploratory in nature than guided by “a defined agenda or targets”. This will be Mr. Modi’s fifth and shortest bilateral visit to the U.S. since 2014, although he did make a twoday trip to attend the multilateral Nuclear Security Summit in March 2016. An earlier plan to travel to Houston to hold a diaspora event was also shelved last month.
Loan waivers are on you, FM tells States “There are already about 81 cases filed under the IBC. Of these 18 have been initiated by financial creditors. These are already before the National Company Law Tribunal and since the bulk of the NPAs — about 70% — are either in consortium or in multiple banking arrangement, the speedy resolution is required,” the Minister said.
RBI Deputy Governor S.S. Mundra said the RBI is discussing the issue of bad loans with banks and that “information has already been collected on such accounts from banks.” The RBI is learnt to be looking at certain large stressed accounts. Guidance from an internal advisory panel is expected soon on the accounts to be referred to the IBC.
BJP forms panel on presidential poll The sub-group consists of Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mallikarjun Kharge, Janata Dal (United) leader Sharad Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien, Samajwadi Party’s Ram Go-
pal Yadav, Bahujan Samaj Party’s Satish Chandra Mishra, DMK leader R.S. Bharathi and Nationalist Congress Party’s Praful Patel. BJP sources said the panel would talk to leaders even in the opposition camp as “the name of the candidate fielded by us could be acceptable to people in that camp as well.”
SC clears the decks for NEET results A vacation Bench comprising Justices P.C. Pant and Deepak Gupta directed the authorities to proceed as per the schedule fixed by the apex court. However, the Bench said the result declaration as well as the subsequent counselling and admission through NEET 2017 would be subject to the decision of the apex court in the matter pending before it. Following the SC green signal, the CBSE on Monday set in motion the process for declaring the results. Images of OMR answer CM YK
sheets and aspirants’ responses will be displayed on the CBSE website for challenge by students only for two days, instead of three as mentioned in the information bulletin, the board said. “The OMR answer sheets and responses will be put on display on June 13 and candidates can challenge them till 5 p.m. on June 14.” The answer keys will be displayed on June 15 and can be challenged till 5 p.m. on June 16. The CBSE will announce the results within a week of the completion of these two processes.
Nitish dares BJP to hold snap polls
‘Chouhan’s fast a drama’
Asks to hold elections in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh; blames Centre for the ongoing farmers’ protests
Press Trust of India
Amarnath Tewary Patna
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday dared the BJP to not only hold fresh Assembly elections in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh simultaneously, but also byelections to the Lok Sabha seats held by NDA members in both the States. Mr. Kumar blamed the Central government for the farmers’ protests in different parts of the country. “If they [the BJP] have the courage, then hold simultaneous polls in U.P. and Bihar… I don’t have any problem… I’m ready for it tomorrow if they want it. But it should be held along with byelections to all the Lok Sabha seats held by the NDA members in both the States,” said Mr. Kumar. He was responding to Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya who on Sunday had challenged Mr. Kumar in Patna to hold fresh Assembly
elections in Bihar “if he [Nitish] has any faith in the development work done by his government”. Mr. Maurya had come to Patna to open the party’s ongoing Modi fest programme.
Farm crisis Addressing journalists on the sidelines of his weekly Lok Samvad programme, Mr. Kumar said there would be more crisis in the agricultural sector in the coming days. “Farmers are in a bad state today but the Central government is indifferent to them… the government’s failure to enforce MSP [Minimum Support Price] for farm produce has forced the farmers to protest… the country has been facing an agrarian crisis due to the low prices of farm produce,” charged Mr. Kumar. “Loan waivers are not the only way to solve farmers’
sider announcing production cost plus 50% as MSP in order to resolve the agrarian crisis,” he suggested.
Nitish Kumar problem, as they have been facing different problems at different places,” he said. “It is ironical that both production and productivity of the farm sector have increased, but farmers are in distress as they are not getting fair prices for their produce with input costs increasing…this has been the real problem.” “The Centre should con-
Maharashtra explores avenues to ofset losses Metro, road projects likely to see 20-25% cut in funding
Insurance scheme Responding to a query on the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), the Bihar Chief Minister said insurance companies were benefiting more from the scheme than the farmers. “The scheme is not meant for farmers, but for insurance companies as they stand to get the biggest benefit out of it.” He demanded that the details of compensation paid by the insurance companies to farmers against the premium paid by the Centre and the State be made public. On presidential poll, Mr. Kumar said the Opposition parties were waiting for the BJP to come out with a consensus candidate and if there was none, then it was the op-
Bharatiya Kisan Sangh joins chorus Special Correspondent JAIPUR
Mumbai
With more farmers’ groups joining protests across Rajasthan in the aftermath of a death in police firing in Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-affiliated Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS) announced its plan to stage a sit-in on June 15. BKS general secretary Kailash Gandolia on Monday took strong exception to Agriculture Minister Prabhu Lal Saini “flatly refusing” to lift tax on agricultural produce levied in mandis. He said the farmers in the State had suffered a loss of ₹2,600 crore because of the government’s failure to procure mustard at minimum support price.
Sonia should apologise, says Minister
Call for celebration: Farmers called of their stir a day after Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis announced a complete loan waiver, in Nagpur on Monday. S. SUDARSHAN *
of it by another year. Dearness allowance of the employees may see cuts,” said a finance department official, who did not want to be named.
Cost the govt. dearly He said ongoing projects such as metro, road will see cuts in funding. The State is constructing a number of memorials such
as a Chhatrapati Shivaji statue in the Arabian Sea and the Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar memorial at Indu Mill. “Whether to suggest cuts here will be a political decision.” The State, however, finds solace in the fact that the Centre will reimburse the existing sales tax collection with 14% addition.
Amit Shah’s remark On BJP president Amit Shah describing Mahatma Gandhi as a “chatur baniya,” Mr. Kumar said the comment was unfortunate. “Mahatma Gandhi is Father of the Nation... It is up to them [BJP] to decide what kind of image they want to create about themselves... does it affect Gandhiji,” he asked.
RSS arm to stage demo on June 15
Alok Deshpande
A day after a conditional farm loan waiver was announced by the State government, sources in the Finance Ministry have warned of a 20-25% cut in funding for development projects, and a delay in implementing the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations. The initial mathematics shows the waiver could cost the government around ₹25,000 crore. The number may change depending on the outcome of the meeting of the joint committee of government officials and farmer representatives to finalise the conditions for the waiver. “To generate ₹25,000 crore, a number of avenues have to be explored. The State is yet to gauge the response from implementation of the GST. The implementation of the pay panel would cost the State over ₹20,000 crore. We will have to delay the implementation
position’s duty to put up its own candidate. “The Centre should take the initiative in this regard… for the opposition parties it will not take much time to decide the candidate as they have already met on many occasions on the issue,” he said. On Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit’s “goon on the street” comment about Army chief General Bipin Rawat, Mr. Kumar said he did not know anything about it.
Special session The BKS has demanded that a special session of the Assembly be convened to discuss the difficulties being faced by farmers and immediate orders issued to
procure farm produce at MSP. Mr. Gandolia said the younger generation of farmers was giving up agriculture because of the government’s “indifferent attitude”. The Opposition Congress has announced State-wide demonstrations in support of farmers’ demands on June 14. In view of the CPI(M)-backed All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) meeting in the Shekhawati region, the Congress plans to hold a massive farmers’ rally at Krishi Upaj Mandi in Sikar two days before that. A delegation of the AIKS will visit Mandsaur and Pipliya Mandi in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday to meet the families of farmers killed in the police firing. AIKS president and former CPI(M) MLA Amra Ram and former MP Hannan Mollah will lead the delegation and take stock of the situation. AIKS joint secretary Sanjay Madhav said the meeting in Sikar on June 16 would highlight the plight of farmers and agricultural workers.
Bhopal
The Congress on Monday said Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan should have met the families of those killed in Mandsaur police firing instead of resorting to the “drama” of going on a “seven-star fast”. Mr. Chouhan sat on a fast on Saturday, appealing for peace to farmers who have been demanding loan waivers for their produce. He ended it the next day while announcing a slew of schemes but issued a stern warning to those engaged in “incendiary activities”. “₹5 crore was thrown down the drain in holding the sheer natuanki (drama) and wasteful event of fast by the Chief Minister. It was a seven-star fast,” State Congress president Arun Yadav alleged.
Inquiry into M.P. iring Press Trust of India Bhopal
The Madhya Pradesh government on Monday appointed a single-member commission to inquire into the police firing in Mandsaur, in which five persons were killed on June 6. Retired High Court judge Justice J.K. Jain will chair this Commission of Inquiry. “The commission headquarters will be at Indore and it will submit its report in three months,” a Public Relations department official said.
Haryana joins stir Press Trust of India Chandigarh
Several farmer bodies on Monday held protests in Haryana over the killing of five persons in police firing during protests in Mandsaur district of Madhya Pradesh. The farmers, who staged demonstrations in Panchkula, Rohtak and other places, demanded the immediate arrest of those responsible for the deaths and adequate compensation for the injured.
Modi forcing nation into silence: Rahul No need to react to Shah’s remark on the Mahatma; concern over Dikshit comment on Army chief
Special Correspondent
Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI
Bengaluru
Union Minister for Commerce Nirmala Sitharaman demanded an apology from Congress president Sonia Gandhi for her partyman Sandeep Dikshit’s remarks likening Indian Army chief Bipin Rawat’s actions to that of a “sadak ka gunda” (street thug). At a press conference here on Monday, Ms. Sitharaman accused Congress leaders of systematically trying to undermine the morale of the security forces “since the time of the Batla house encounter”. “The BJP has spoken several times in the recent past on the condemnable attitude of the Congress especially of its well-known faces, who speak, taking turns, to insult the Indian Army. The aspersions they cast, the shaming, the choice of words they would make — not just now, but since the time of the Batla House encounter are to demoralise the Army,” she said. “The Congress, and its president Sonia Gandhi should make it clear whether they condone these remarks,” she added. Former Congress MP Sandeep Dikshit had, in a sound byte to TV channels, said that Gen. Rawat should have been restrained in his comments on the situation in Kashmir, and not speak in the language of a “sadak ka gunda” or street thug. “I want to know whether it is a strategy of the Congress to undermine the Army in this way,” Ms. Sitharaman said.
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Monday accused the Narendra Modi government of “simply manufacturing the truth” and “forcing everyone into silence with Dalits being beaten up, minorities frightened, and journalists and bureaucrats threatened”. “The power of truth is being completely replaced with the truth of power, and anybody who attempts to speak the truth and stand for it is being pushed aside,” he said, speaking at the launch of commemorative edition of
the National Herald, titled ‘70 years of India’s Independence’.
Scribes feel threatened Mr. Gandhi said: “Journalists tell me that they are not being allowed to write what they want to... Journalists are threatened, bureaucrats are threatened. Everybody knows what the truth is. But they are scared to say it.” Quoting Soviet-era poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko, he said, “when truth is replaced by silence, the silence is a lie,” adding, “this is what the government is trying to do.” Later, addressing delegates of the Karnataka Pradesh
Congress Committee (KPCC), Mr. Gandhi said there was no need to react to the ‘chatur baniya’ remark made by BJP president Amit Shah about Mahatma Gandhi. “The nation knows who Gandhiji is. The Britishers too know and remember who stood against them and who bowed before them, who wrote letters and who went to jail. So, there is no need to react,” he said. Expressing displeasure over a remark made by Congressman Sandeep Dikshit against the Army Chief, Mr Gandhi said, “politicians need not comment about the Army chief.”
Ceaseire violations continue along LoC
Making sense: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah at the launch of the National Herald newspaper in Bengaluru on Monday. BHAGYA PRAKASH K. *
Schools, colleges re-open in Valley Students clash with security forces
Hizbul Mujahideen module busted, two militants held
sPECIAL CORRRESPONDENT Srinagar
Peerzada Ashiq Srinagar
As ceasefire violations by Pakistan continued on the Line of Control in the frontier district of Rajouri on Monday, four people, including two militants, were arrested from north Kashmir as security forces busted a Hizbul Mujahideen module behind recruitment and training of youth in south Kashmir. Pakistan troops, according to the Army, resorted to firing and shelling at two places in Krishna Ghati and Naushera sectors in Poonch district. “A befitting reply has been given by the Indian Army,” said Defence spokes-
Huge haul: Arms and ammunition recovered during the antimilitancy operation near the LoC in Uri sector on Monday. PTI *
man Lt Colonel Manish Mehta in Jammu.
Pak. summons envoy In another development, Pakistan summoned Indian
Deputy High Commissioner in Islamabad J.P. Singh and protested ‘ceasefire violations’ along the LoC. (With inputs from Mubashir Zaidi)
All schools and colleges reopened in the Kashmir Valley on Monday, two weeks after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Sabzar Ahmad Bhat sparked fresh protests on the campuses. Students, however, clashed with security forces in Shopian district. Students of Government Degree College in Shopian, held a demonstration against the killing of a student, Aadil Ahmed Magray, who was hit by bullets during an Army search operation on June 6. The killing of the Hizb commander had fuelled tension in the Valley. The government decided
to re-open institutions in phases and kept most volatile campuses closed. However, academic work resumed in all other colleges and schools, including volatile Sri Pratap Higher Secondary, Gandhi Memorial College and Government Degree College in Pulwama, on Monday.
Mehbooba’s appeal A series of campus protests were sparked by the police action on students on the campus of Government Degree College, Pulwama, on April 15. “Our kids are living in an atmosphere of strain and have very little to cheer about,” Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said. A ND-ND
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THE HINDU
NEWS 11
NOIDA/DELHI
TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 2017
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IN BRIEF
‘Data not hit by ransomware attack’ A.P. DGP says computers in 30 police stations in A.P. were afected due to use of pirated software Vijaita Singh New Delhi
Serial killer Sobhraj undergoes heart surgery KATHMANDU
Notorious serial killer Charles Sobhraj, a Frenchman of Indian and Vietnamese parentage who has been in Nepal’s jail for years, on Monday underwent an open heart surgery and is yet to regain consciousness, a media report said. Sobhraj, 73, was admitted to the hospital after doctors diagnosed leakage in a valve. PTI
Row over 2 Ministers felicitating exorcists AHMEDABAD
Two Gujarat Ministers, Bhupendrasinh Chudasama and Atmaram Parmar, waded into a controversy after they attended a felicitation function of exorcists in Botad district on Sunday. The video of the event , organised by local BJP unit at a temple, went viral on social media, and attracted criticism. PTI
Actor found dead in house; murder suspected MUMBAI
The “ransomware” attack which caused a global scare last month had affected computers at over 30 police stations in Andhra Pradesh as the latter were using “pirated software,” DGP N. Sambasiva Rao said. Mr. Rao, who was in Delhi last week, however, told The Hindu in an interview that not a single bit of data was affected by the ransomware attack and no data was stolen either. “We were very lucky; the Crime and Criminal Tracking Networks and Systems (CCTNS) and the entire data are well protected. TCS is the system administrator. No single bit of data was infected during the attack. The only thing is that in three-
four districts, 30-35 computers out of thousands were affected. One of the reasons was they were using pirated software,” Mr. Rao said. The DGP also said no data was stolen and even if it was “we had the backup.” “Ransomware worked like this — the available data is encrypted and they asked you to pay a ransom. We didn’t get any ransom messages. Their intention was to demonstrate their reach as they asked for only $30 to $300 in some cases. It’s a big global conspiracy,” he said.
‘Isolated incidents’ Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, were the only two States where “isolated incidents” of Ransomware virus attack were reported last month. The Computer Emergency
Karnan retires, lawyer says he is in Chennai Has been evading arrest since May 9
spreads through malicious attachments in emails. Mr. Rao said cyber labs were being set up in each district and three high-end cyber labs were coming up at Vijaywada, Vishakhapatnam and Tirupati as the number of cases of cyber crime has gone up exponentially.
N. Sambasiva Rao Response System-India (CERT-In) had explained that the ransomware called WannaCrypt or WannaCry encrypts the computer’s hard disk drive and then spreads laterally between computers on the same local area network. The ransomware also
Maoist challenge Mr. Rao, who attended a meeting at North Block to undertake coordinated operations in four Maoist affected States — Jharkhand, Orissa, Andhra and Chattisgarh — said that “Maoists were taking advantage of border areas as the administration there was lean.” He said that it was difficult to track the movement of the top leadership of the Maoists, including the Cent-
ral Committee members, as “they moved secretly and [it was] not easy for anyone to know. They don’t use cell phones and their communication mechanism was different,” he said. He said though the central armed police forces (CAPF) were deployed in these areas, it was the job of the local police to lead operations. “CAPFs are ready to help but they have their own limitations. It is the job of the local police, which must lead the operations. We suffered and we learnt. I don’t want other States to suffer,” he said. In April this year, 25 CRPF personnel were killed by Maoists while they provided security to a road construction party at Burkapal in Sukma district of Chattisgarh.
Three booked for ofensive FB post on Yogi Adityanath Police have formed two teams for arrest of the accused
Staff Reporter Kolkata
A small-time actor Kritika Choudhary (30) was found dead under mysterious circumstances at her residence in suburban Andheri on Monday, the police said. Police suspect it to be a case of murder, an investigating official said. PTI
Officer plays porn clip at BSF meet, probe ordered FEROZEPUR
A BSF officer reportedly played a pornographic clip on his official laptop during a presentation on training at Ferozepur in Punjab, embarrassing the force. BSF has ordered a probe into it. According to reports, the officer was supposed to give a presentation, but instead the video clip got played for about 90 seconds. PTI
Controversial Calcutta High Court judge C.S. Karnan, who was slapped with a contempt notice by the Supreme Court, retired on Monday. “He turns 62 today [retirement age for a High Court judge]. [But] technically he has retired on May 9 [Friday] since it was the last working day of his tenure,” Mr. Karnan’s lawyer Peter Ramesh Kumar told The Hindu. Justice Karnan has been evading arrest since May 9 after the Supreme Court sentenced him to six-month imprisonment for contempt of court and ordered his immediate arrest. He served as a judge of the Madras High Court for eight years and was transferred to the Calcutta High
Omar Rashid LUCKNOW
C. S. Karnan Court on March 11, 2016. Asked about his whereabouts, Mr. Kumar said that Justice Karnan is in Chennai. He refused to divulge any information about his location or plans. Mr. Kumar said the judge was not present at the Calcutta HC on Monday as he was banned from performing his judicial duties since February by the Supreme Court.
A criminal case was registered against three persons in UP’s Hathras district on Monday for allegedly posting a morphed picture of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Facebook and declaring a ₹1 crore bounty on his head. The police have constituted two teams for the arrest of the three accused, a spokesperson for the UP Director-General of Police said. The three -- Sushil Yadav, Sunil Kumar Yadav and Sayyad Rehman Ilyas -- have been booked under Sections 295 (injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke
breach of peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC. The FIR, registered at the Kotwali police station in Hathras, also invokes Sections 66 (computer related offences) and 66d (cheating by personation by using computer resource) of the Information Technology Act. Under Section 66 of the IT Act, a person can be punished with imprisonment for up to three years or fine, which may extend up to ₹5 lakh, or both.
Advocate’s complaint The police took action based on a complaint by advocate Rajpal Singh Dishawar. According to Mr. Dishawar’s complaint, Sushil Yadav posted a morphed
photo of Mr. Adityanath on Facebook on June 9. Another person, Sunil Kumar Yadav, allegedly commented on the post in objectionable language and set a reward of ₹1 crore for murdering the CM, a police spokesperson said. Sunil Kumar Yadav’s comment was liked by Sushil Yadav and another person Sayyad Rehman Ilyas, the police said. All three have been booked in the case. This is not the first such case in UP after the Yogi-led BJP formed the government in the State. In March, the Greater Noida police arrested a 22year-old man for allegedly posting objectionable content against the CM.
Mallya extradition case hearing at U.K. court today He was arrested and released on bail Vidya Ram LONDON
The delayed extradition hearing of absconding tycoon Vijay Mallya is set to take place on Tuesday afternoon at the Westminster Magistrates’ Court, in London. Mr. Mallya was arrested by the Metropolitan Police on an extradition warrant in April after India launched formal proceedings earlier this year. He is wanted in connected with a number of charges including defaulting on bank loans amounting to ₹9,000 crore. The businessman was granted bail after paying a bond of £650,000.
Test case While no one had been extradited to India in the first 23 years of the India-U.K. Extradition Treaty of 1993, Britain last year extradited Samirbhai Vinubhai Patel, who was wanted by India in relation to the 2002 Gujarat riots, leading to hopes for the success of future extradition requests. During his visit to London earlier this year, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley highlighted the seriousness with which India took the issue of defaulters, without making a direct reference to Mr. Mallya. However, the extradition is hardly a done deal.The India-U.K. Extradition Treaty, signed in September 1992 and in force from November 15, 1993, allows for a number of circumstances for a person not to be extradited. These include when the court is satisfied that a case was being pursued on the grounds of race, religion, nationality or public opinion, or the accusations were
Vijay Mallya not made on good faith in the interests of justice, or were “trivial in nature.”
Necessary conditions To be successful an extradition request would have to show that the charge over which the person was being pursued would be an offence in Britain, punishable with imprisonment for at least one year, and in keeping with the European Convention on Human Rights. The court’s decision can be appealed. Should the court accept the Indian government’s case, an order for extradition would come from the Secretary of State for the Home Office, currently Amber Rudd. The hearing on Tuesday will likely provide a signal of the court’s approach to the case, and whether it accepts the Indian case prima facie, and if it will seek further guarantees from India, such as on prison conditions, Mr. Mallya’s personal safety, sources familiar with the matters said. Mr. Mallya has made a number of public appearances in London in recent months, including over the weekend when he was jeered while attending the India-South Africa ICC Championship cricket match at the Oval.
‘India-China ties are improving’ Decision to skip Belt and Road Forum an isolated event, says Ram Madhav Atul Aneja FUZHOU (CHINA)
India’s decision to skip the China-led Belt and Road Forum (BRF) is an isolated event, which will not have a major impact on the “steadily improving” India-China ties over the past three years, says a senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader. In an interview with The Hindu on the sidelines of a forum of political parties and think tanks of the Brazil-Russia-IndiaChina-South Africa (BRICS) grouping, organised by the Communist Party of China (CPC), BJP
Ram Madhav National General Secretary Ram Madhav said: “There is no reason to think that our non-participation in the Belt and Road Forum is going to be a major setback in the re-
lationship [with China]. Our non-participation in the BRF was essentially because of certain sovereignty related questions. The Chinese side is well aware of our concerns or objections to that. But you should also know that before the BRF and after, we have been together in many forums. We have now become full members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). The BRF was an exception.”
A unique case Asked to comment on Japan and Vietnam’s parti-
cipation in BRF, despite serious differences on sovereignty issues with China, Mr. Madhav said that India’s case was unique as it also involved a “third country” — a veiled reference to Pakistan. “This argument does not apply to India. Countries you have been talking about have certain issues with China. In our case we have issues with a third country. Here, we cannot make a statement to the third country that we are foregoing our claim over our sovereign territory. So there is no comparison between the two issues.”
Fishermen deaths raise questions over who enforces the law at sea K.A. Martin
The incident on Sunday in which two Indian fishermen were killed when a bulk cargo vessel rammed their fishing boat off Kochi raises questions over jurisdiction, investigation and prosecution of the case just as the Enrica Lexie incident did more than five years ago. What happened?
A Panama-flagged bulk cargo vessel, Amber L, rammed fishing boat Carmel Matha around 2 a.m. on Sunday, killing two people on board the boat. One fisherman is missing and 11 were rescued. Thampi Durai, 55, from Colachel in Tamil Nadu, and Rahul, 24, from Assam, died in the accident. The missing person is Moty Das, 26, from Assam. ■
Where did the accident take place? ■ The incident happened in the Kochi-Minicoy
CM YK
shipping channel. The Indian Navy officially confirmed that the accident occurred 30 nautical miles northwest of Kochi coast. The ship was headed for bunkering to a location eight nautical miles from the coast. After the incident, the ship proceeded for bunkering without stopping, say the police said. How does this case compare to the Enrica Lexie case? ■ In the Enrica Lexie case, in which two Indian fishermen were shot dead by Italian marines on an anti-
piracy mission in February 2012, the incident happened some 20 nautical miles from the coast of Kerala. UN Convention on the Law of the Sea says 12 nautical miles constitutes territorial waters of a country. From 12 to 24 nautical miles, it will be considered contiguous waters. Beyond that, up to 200 miles is a country’s Exclusive Economic Zone. In the Enrica Lexie case, the Supreme Court ruled that Kerala did not have jurisdiction in the contiguous waters and only the Union had. The Indian Maritime Zone Act, 1976, lays down that the Central government may exercise powers and take measures in relation to security in contiguous waters. In June 2016, the Union government decided to extend the jurisdiction of selected police stations on land from 12 nautical miles to
200 nautical miles into the high seas. As many as 10 police stations in eight States had been notified at that time. Kerala police say that the Fort Kochi police station is among those with jurisdiction up to 200 nautical miles. As per Indian law, the Kerala coastal police can proceed with the investigations. What have the police done? ■ The coastal police in Fort Kochi have registered cases against the vessel’s crew under IPC section 427 (mischief causing damage), 280 (rash navigation of vessel), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 304 (causing death by negligence). The captain is a Greek national. The ship has been detained within Kochi port limits with its 28 crew members. The probe is under way.
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Conservatives rally behind a contrite Theresa May An apologetic PM tells the 1922 Committee of the party’s backbench MPs that she would get them out of the mess she has created Reuters London
Jef Sessions to testify in public hearing WASHINGTON
U.S. Attorney General Jef Sessions will testify in a public hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday, the panel chairman said. A Justice Department oicial said Mr. Sessions had requested the open setting. REUTERS
Venezuela to go ahead with Constitution rewrite CARACAS
Venezuela’s Supreme Court has rejected the chief prosecutor’s motion to stop President Nicolas Maduro’s push to rewrite the Constitution. The court announced on Monday it has declared Luisa Ortega Diaz’s request inadmissible because she did not present sufficient legal grounds. AP
Singapore police arrest woman IS suspect SINGAPORE
The police in Singapore have detained a preschool assistant who shared proIslamic State group materials online and intended to travel to Syria, their first arrest of a female Singaporean citizen alleged to be a sympathiser of the radical group, the Home Affairs Ministry said on Monday. AP
Appeals court refuses to reinstate travel ban SAN FRANCISCO
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals here on Monday dealt President Donald Trump another setback, refusing to revive his travel ban on people entering the U.S. from six Muslim-majority nations. The Richmond, Virginia-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on May 25 upheld a similar ruling. REUTERS
Theresa May told Conservative lawmakers on Monday she would serve as Prime Minister as long as they wanted her after a botched election gamble cost the party its majority in Parliament and weakened Britain’s hand days before formal Brexit negotiations. With British politics thrust into the deepest turmoil since last June’s shock Brexit vote, EU leaders were left wondering how divorce talks would open next week.
Briefly cheered Despite her party’s expectations of a landslide victory, Ms. May lost her majority in Parliament, pushing her into rushed talks on a support agreement with a small eurosceptic Northern Irish Protestant party with 10 parliamentary seats. Ms. May faced her lawmakers at a meeting of the 1922 Committee on Monday. Despite anger at the election, she was cheered briefly at the start of the meeting, Reuters reporters said. “She said ‘I am the person who got us into this mess and I’m the one who is going to get us out of it,’” one Conservative lawmaker said after the meeting. “She said she will serve us as long as we want her.” Lawmakers told Reuters that there were no dissenting voices and that the party had no appetite for a leadership election. Ms. May appeared contrite, sought to apologise for her failed election gamble and gave an explanation of what went wrong. While some members of her party have said she will have to go eventually, Ms. May is expected to stay on as Prime Minister at least for now. Earlier in the day, the 1922 Committee chairman, Graham Brady, told BBC: “I don’t detect any great appet-
ite amongst my colleagues for presenting the public with a massive additional dose of uncertainty by getting involved in a self-indulgent Conservative Party internal election campaign.” The Prime Minister’s most prominent potential rival, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, sought to quash any suggestion that she would be ousted imminently. Writing in the Sun tabloid, Mr. Johnson stressed that the Conservatives won more votes than at any time since Margaret Thatcher and are still the largest party in Parliament. In another move designed to show she was willing to listen to critics, Ms. May has restored former Justice Secretary Michael Gove to the Cabinet. Mr. Gove, a longtime opponent who was dismissed when Ms. May became Prime Minister last year, will now serve as Environment Secretary. Conservative leaders are now trying to shift the debate towards the complex Brexit talks.
Delay in Queen’s Speech Meanwhile, government officials suggested both the announcement of the Prime Minister’s agenda, known as the Queen’s Speech, and talks over Britain’s divorce from the European Union could be postponed. Sky News reported the speech would be delayed a few days a highly unusual circumstance in a country where the monarch’s schedule is determined months in advance. The possible delays come as critics urge crossparty discussions to reach a consensus on Brexit. Ms. May’s failure to get a majority has undercut her tough Brexit strategy, which had raised fears that Britain was heading for a so-called “hard Brexit”, which could potentially see tariffs slapped on British exports to the bloc. (With AP inputs)
Sirisena meets kin of disappeared Promises to release list of persons who surrendered to Army Meera Srinivasan Colombo
The Sri Lankan government will soon release a list of persons who surrendered to the Armed forces in final phase of the country’s civil war, President Maithripala Sirisena assured families of disappeared persons in Jaffna on Monday. His promise comes 112 days after hundreds of relatives of missing persons, said to be forcefully disappeared, began a protest in Kilinochchi in the Tamil-majority Northern Province. On May 30, the 100th day of the agitation, families blocked a key highway connecting the island’s south to the north to draw attention to the government’s perceived inaction on their numerous complaints. They had also sought a meeting with President Sirisena. On Monday, the President, along with and a team of senior ministers and bureaucrats, met eight representatives of the protesting families at the Governor’s secretariat and held discus-
sions for 40 minutes, those present at the meeting told The Hindu.
Top agenda Responding to the families’ demands, President Sirisena said he would take up the matter in Tuesday’s National Security Council meeting in Colombo, participants said. An estimated 65,000 persons have petitioned the government about their missing loved ones. At least six commissions have been set up by the different governments since 1990 to address the problem but there has been little progress. In August 2016, the Sri Lankan government passed a legislation to set up an office on missing persons, but it is yet to be operationalised. “We have been in great anxiety for years without any information about our disappeared children. The President’s assurance today [Monday] is a first step and raises our expectations again. But since the authorities have failed to keep promises in the past I don’t know
whether it will actually happen. In any case our protest will continue until that time,” said Yogarasa Kanakaranjani from Kilinochchi, one of the representatives at the meeting. Her son disappeared during the final phase of the war in 2009 after surrendering to the Army, she said.
Significant move President Sirisena’s assurance is significant, said Jaffna University academic Guruparan Kumaravadivel, who is also a spokesman for the Tamil Civil Society Forum. He attended the meeting as an observer. The National Security Council has President Sirisena, who is also the Defence Minister, and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe at the helm. All three service commanders are its members, along with the Chief of Defence Staff and the Chief of National Intelligence. It takes key policy decisions on matters pertaining to national security.
Businesses wait for govt.’s Brexit stance Vidya Ram London
Uncertain future: Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams and other party members in Belfast on Monday. Many fear that the British government’s role as a mediator will no longer be viable if the Conservative Party enters into a deal with the Democratic Unionist Party. GETTY IMAGES *
DUP deal may impact British role in Northern Ireland peace process Vidya Ram London
The linchpin role that the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) of Northern Ireland is set to play in propping up the minority government of Prime Minister Theresa May has raised many questions about the impact it will have on Westminster and beyond, and crucially on the peace process in Northern Ireland. Speaking on BBC Radio 4 over the weekend Jonathan Powell, former chief of staff to former Prime Minister Tony Blair (and chief British negotiator during the 1998 Good Friday Agreement) noted that allying with any party in the highly divided political landscape of Northern Ireland was one that past governments had avoided for a reason. “The peace process is based on a balance
that the British government has made it clear it is neutral in Northern Ireland. It does not take sides.”
Negotiations on Negotiations are currently ongoing between Northern Ireland’s main political parties to restore power sharing and a devolved executive, following an election in March. The election was triggered by the republican Sinn Fein withdrawing its support for the DUP over a dispute relating to a controversial renewable energy scheme. The deadline for talks have been extended repeatedly, now to June 29 — after which new elections, direct rule from Westminster (or yet another deadline) are potential outcomes. Mr. Powell pointed out that the British government’s
role as a mediator was no longer viable. It will also raise questions relating to Brexit: the DUP was the main Northern Irish party to be in favour of Brexit in a region that otherwise voted heavily to remain in the European Union (55.8% of voters wanted to remain in the E.U. last June). While the DUP is in favour of an open border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, logistically this is one of the most complex issues relating to Brexit, and in the words of one politician “the greatest economic and social challenge for the island in 50 years.” Over the weekend, former Labour Cabinet member Peter Hain too reiterated the importance of the British government remaining neutral in Northern Ireland.
The British general election last week has done little to remove the uncertainty facing the business community and Britain’s international partners as it delivered a shock hung Parliament, forcing the government to turn to the right-wing Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) for support. The government will in all likelihood be able to get its now to-be-delayed Queen’s Speech (the details of the laws it hopes to pass, which will be announced by the government) through the House of Commons, with the backing of the DUP, with which it is in the midst of agreeing a “confidence and supply” agreement. This would essentially mean the DUP will support it in any votes of confidence, and on matters relating to government spending and budgets. However, the business sector remained spooked, with a snap poll of business leaders conducted by the Institute of Directors in the U.K. finding a drop in confidence following the election. Perhaps the most significant of all for businesses, including the 800-odd Indian firms in Britain, will be the government’s stance on Brexit, and whether the result will force the government to revisit its
Macron’s centrist party on course for huge parliamentary majority
private White House dinner in February. Mr. Comey said he believed that Trump, who requested his loyalty during the meal, was trying to “create some sort of patronage relationship.”
New York
Preet Bharara, the former U.S. attorney in Manhattan, said on Sunday that President Donald Trump tried to cultivate a relationship with him in the months before he was abruptly fired in March. Mr. Bharara said the contacts with Mr. Trump made him increasingly uncomfortable because they broke with long-standing Justice Department rules on communicating with the White House. Mr. Bharara, who first publicly disclosed the contacts and his concerns about them after he was fired, said Trump’s communications were strikingly similar to those between the president and those described by the former FBI Director, James B. Comey, who was fired last month. “When I’ve been CM YK
Preet Bharara
reading the stories of how the President has been contacting Jim Comey over time, felt a little bit like déjà vu,” Mr. Bharara said Sunday on “This Week” on ABC. In his Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Thursday, Mr. Comey said he became uneasy with the president’s repeated conversations with him, including a
Call reported Mr. Bharara said he had a similar feeling about his conversations with Mr. Trump. “I was in discussions with my own folks, and in reporting the phone call to the chief of staff to the Attorney General, I said it appeared to be that he was trying to cultivate some kind of relationship,” he told ABC News, calling the exchanges “a very weird and peculiar thing”. The first contact between Mr. Trump and Mr. Bharara took place on November 30, on the 26th floor of Trump Tower in Manhattan. Mr.
Speaking out Since the election there has also been an increased willingness of businesses — a voice little heard from during the campaign. Alongside the IOD report, a study by the Harvard Kennedy School of Business, authored by former Labour Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls and Peter Sands, the former head of Standard Chartered, highlighted the concerns of medium and small business regarding Brexit, and in particularly the persistence of higher tariffs and customs controls on their costs and competitiveness. While any moves for a softer Brexit would be welcomed by Indian businesses — for whom tariff-free access to the EU as well as its talent pool is important — there will also be questions over Britain’s approach to the rest of the world.
Setback for Italian populists in local polls
However, record low turnout raises concerns over strength of mandate
Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Paris
French voters have put President Emmanuel Macron's party on course for a crushing parliamentary majority, though a record low turnout in the first round of voting raised concerns on Monday over the strength of his future mandate. Projections showed Macron continuing his centrist revolution, with his Republique en Marche (Republic on the Move) party and its ally MoDem tipped to win between 400 and 445 seats in the 577-member National Assembly in next Sunday's second round.
Triumphant Philippe Such a share would give Mr. Macron — who founded his party just a year ago — one of the biggest parliamentary majorities the modern French state has seen. “France is back,” Prime Minister Edouard Philippe de-
Emmanuel Macron
clared triumphantly, calling the result a vote for the President’s “confidence, will and daring”. But government spokesman Christophe Castaner admitted the 49% turnout — the lowest for six decades in such a vote — was “a failure of this election” and that Mr. Macron’s team would need to reach out to those who stayed away. Former Prime Minister Alain Juppe of the rightwing Republicans said the mass stayaway by voters was a
sign of “deep malaise” in the electorate and that a clean sweep by Mr. Macron would be bad for democracy. “The stakes of the second round are clear,” said the Bordeaux Mayor, calling for Republican voters to turn out in force on Sunday. “Having a monochrome Parliament is never good for democratic debate.” Ifop pollster Frederic Dabi said a virtual monopoly on power would up the ante for Mr. Macron. “The French will expect results,” he warned. Only four MPs — two of them from Mr. Macron’s slate —topped the 50% mark needed for election at the first round. Official final results showed his year-old REM and allies MoDem winning 32.32%, ahead of the right-wing Republicans and its allies on 21.56% and the far-right Front National of Marine Le Pen on 13.20%. The Socialists and their allies secured just 9.51% while the
radical left and communists were on 13.74%. Mr. Macron's camp is expected to significantly boost its score in Sunday’s second round with voters fed up with mainstream politics keen to try out his team, half of which is composed of rookie politicians. The Republicans — who had hoped to rebound from their humiliation in the presidential vote — are shown trailing in second with a predicted 70-130 seats. The Front National, which has long complained that France’s winner-takes-all system discriminates against small parties, is meanwhile forecast to garner only between one and 10 seats. The result showed it struggling to rebound from Ms. Le Pen’s bruising defeat in May’s presidential run-off. The FN’s deputy leader Florian Philippot called on FN voters to turn out in force for the second round.
‘Trump tried to cultivate relations with me’ Plane lies back to Sydney Former U.S. attorney in Manhattan says the exchanges were ‘a very weird thing’ with hole in engine casing
MATTHEW HAAG
plans to deliver on a socalled “hard Brexit”, moving out of the customs union and single market. The Conservative party has long been divided on this issue, and with the resignation of Ms. May’s two senior aides, as well as the renewed confidence of those in favour of a softer Brexit, the chances of customs union membership remains higher than ever before. This is all the more so, given the alliance with the DUP, for whom an open border with the Republic of Ireland is a priority.
Trump, then the Presidentelect, praised his work and asked for him to stay on, Mr. Bharara said. About two weeks later, Mr. Bharara said he missed a call from Mr. Trump, leading him to consult with his senior aides about whether it was appropriate to return the call. Because Mr. Trump was not yet President, Mr. Bharara said he believed it was fine to call him. “He called me in December — ostensibly just to shoot the breeze — and asked me how I was doing and wanted to make sure I was OK,” Mr. Bharara said on Sunday. “It was a little bit uncomfortable.” “To this day I have no idea why I was fired,” he said. “You know, it doesn’t bother me. I’m living a great good life, and very happily.” NYT
The China Eastern Airlines jet had taken of for Shanghai
Rome
Italy’s anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) suffered a big setback in local elections on Sunday after failing to make the runoff vote in almost all the big cities being contested. It is a stark reversal of fortunes for the populist party and reduces its chances of leading the national government after parliamentary elections next year. The anti-euro and antiimmigration M5S emerged as a major political force in 2013 and went on to score stunning local victories, including taking control of Rome and Turin last year. But this time round, M5S candidates have failed to reach the second round in several major cities including Palermo, Verona and Genoa, the home town of comic Beppe Grillo, who co-founded the movement in 2009. “In Parliament and at the municipal level, Five Star has demonstrated that they are stronger when it comes to winning votes than governing,” said Ettore Rosato of the ruling centre-left Democratic Party (PD). “They do not make choices, they don’t make decisions, or assume their responsibilities.”
Associated Press SYDNEY
A plane heading to Shanghai returned safely to Sydney after an in-flight problem left a gaping hole in an engine casing. China Eastern Airlines said the crew on Flight 736 noticed damage to the air inlet on the left engine after take-off Sunday evening and the captain decided to return. The airline said that the plane landed safely and the airline was taking care of passengers’ needs. The Airbus A330 plane has two engines. Passengers told Australian media they heard a massive noise and smelled
Close call: The hole in the engine casing of China Eastern Airlines Flight 736. The crew noticed it after taking of. AP *
something burning. Passenger Ashley Beck told Australia’s Channel Nine television that after the
passengers heard the loud noise, the crew started moving everyone from the left side of the plane.
Beset by divisions Nationally, M5S is the second biggest party behind the PD in Parliament and opinion polls suggest the two parties are running neck and neck on around 30%. Legislative elections are due to be held by February 2018. But M5S has been beset by divisions, with this year’s top candidate for Genoa abruptly dismissed by Mr. Grillo for not toeing the party line, prompting a bout of internal squabbling. In Rome, Mayor Virginia Raggi faced a series of resignations from her team and a colleague’s corruption scandal. A ND-ND
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market watch 12-06-2017
% CHANGE
Sensex dddddddddddddddddddddd 31,096 ddddddddddddd -0.53 US Dollar dddddddddddddddddddd 64.44 ddddddddddddd -0.31 Gold ddddddddddddddddddddddddddd 29,300 ddddddddddddd -0.24 Brent oil ddddddddddddddddddddd 48.80 ddddddddddddddd1.47
Index of Industrial Production expands 3.1% in April, output slows from 3.75% pace in March Special Correspondent
NIFTY 50 PRICE CHANGE
ACC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1608.50. . . . . . -10.25 Adani Ports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356.85. . . . . . . . -3.00 Ambuja Cements. . . .. . . . . . 230.65. . . . . . . . -4.40 Asian Paints. . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 1150.70. . . . . . . . -5.05 Aurobindo Pharma . . . . . . 607.65. . . . . . . . -0.95 Axis Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 507.50. . . . . . . . -6.15 Bajaj Auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2824.60. . . . . . -41.20 Bank of Baroda . . . . . .. . . . . . 168.05. . . . . . . . -5.70 Bharti Airtel . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 365.20. . . . . . . . -2.60 Bosch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23914.90. . . . . . . 51.45 BPCL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 701.70. . . . . . . . -2.05 Cipla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 553.35. . . . . . . . . 2.25 Coal India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260.30. . . . . . . . -1.20 Dr Reddys Lab . . . . . . . .. . . . 2630.25. . . . . . . . . 1.45 Eicher Motors. . . . . . . . .. 29353.45. . . -411.40 GAIL (India). . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 381.40. . . . . . . . . 0.25 HCL Tech. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 865.55. . . . . . . . . 4.80 HDFC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1647.50. . . . . . . . . 0.30 HDFC Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1668.75. . . . . . . . . 1.95 Hero MotoCorp . . . . . .. . . . 3773.25. . . . . . . . -6.85 Hindalco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200.60. . . . . . . . -1.55 Hind Unilever . . . . . . . . .. . . . 1099.65. . . . . . . . . 4.30 Indiabulls HFL . . . . . . . .. . . . 1156.05. . . . . . . . . 0.80 ICICI Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315.75. . . . . . . . -6.40 IndusInd Bank . . . . . . . .. . . . 1505.80. . . . . . -21.05 Bharti Infratel . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 384.75. . . . . . . . . 2.10 Infosys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 963.85. . . . . . . 15.25 Indian OilCorp . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 423.65. . . . . . . . . 3.60 ITC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304.40. . . . . . . . -1.60 Kotak Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 976.70. . . . . . . . -8.40 L&T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1736.60. . . . . . -41.60 Lupin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1160.20. . . . . . . . . 0.10 M&M . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1423.55. . . . . . . . -3.15 Maurti Suzuki . . . . . . . . .. . . . 7373.65. . . . . . -91.20 NTPC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157.95. . . . . . . . . 0.15 ONGC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168.50. . . . . . . . -0.70 PowerGrid Corp . . . . .. . . . . . 206.20. . . . . . . . -1.00 Reliance Ind . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 1319.45. . . . . . -16.25 State Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284.95. . . . . . . . -3.60 Sun Pharma . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 532.55. . . . . . . . . 7.85 Tata Motors . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 456.25. . . . . . -10.85 Tata Motors DVR. . . .. . . . . . 283.15. . . . . . . . -7.70 Tata Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78.90. . . . . . . . . 1.10 Tata Steel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 508.40. . . . . . . . . 1.35 TCS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2487.20. . . . . . -19.80 Tech Mahindra . . . . . . .. . . . . . 397.30. . . . . . . 10.50 UltraTech Cement . .. . . . 4045.45. . . . . . -66.50 Vedanta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245.10. . . . . . . . . 0.35 Wipro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 526.35. . . . . . -10.60 YES Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1483.60. . . . . . . . -5.20 Zee Entertainment . . . . . . 513.20. . . . . . . . -8.80
EXCHANGE RATES Indicative direct rates in rupees a unit except yen at 4 p.m. on June 12 CURRENCY
CPI inlation slows to lowest since 2012
TT BUY
TT SELL
US Dollar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 64.24. . . . . . . 64.56 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 72.07. . . . . . . 72.44 British Pound . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 81.41. . . . . . . 81.82 Japanese Yen (100) . .. . 58.46. . . . . . . 58.75 Chinese Yuan . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 9.45. . . . . . . . . 9.50 Swiss Franc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 66.39. . . . . . . 66.72 Singapore Dollar . . . . . . .. . 46.40. . . . . . . 46.64 Canadian Dollar . . . . . . . . .. . 47.78. . . . . . . 48.02 Malaysian Ringitt . . . . . .. . 15.04. . . . . . . 15.14 Source:Indian Bank
BULLION RATES
CHENNAI
June 12 rates in rupees with previous rates in parentheses Retail Silver (1g) . . . . . . . . . . . 42.60. . . . . (42.90) 22 ct gold (1 g) . .. . . . . . . . . . . 2,789. . . . . (2,787)
NEW DELHI
Retail inflation in May, at 2.18%, eased to its lowest level since the Centre began measuring it on a nationwide basis in 2012, driven in large part by cooling food prices, according to a latest government release. Separate data showed industrial output expanded by 3.1% in April. Inflation measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) was even slower than the 2.99% seen in April, the previous record low. Within the index, food and beverages category witnessed a contraction of 0.2% in May, compared with a growth of 1.3% in April.
Pharma sector Growth in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) was spurred by the manufacturing sector within which the tobacco and the pharmaceuticals sectors grew the fastest. “Even though the Reserve
Cheaper food: The food and beverages category witnessed a contraction of 0.2% in May. AP *
Bank of India has revised its estimates of inflation downwards for the first half of the year, these numbers are clearly going further down,” said D.K. Srivastava, chief policy advisor, EY India. “It reflects the crisis the farmers are facing because food prices have crashed as a result of bumper crops. This does provide stronger
grounds for the RBI to revise its interest rates downwards in its next review,” he said. Inflation in the fuel and light segment in May stood at 5.5%, compared with 6.1% in April. Inflation in the clothing and footwear segment eased marginally to 4.4% from 4.6% over the same period. The housing segment saw in-
flation remaining at the same rate of 4.8%. “Food prices could turn around in June due to the farmer agitation in parts of the country,” said Care Ratings. “There is an upside risk to inflation on account of three major factors: the increase in the house rent component in CPI, the implementation of GST, and the announcement of large farm loan waivers and higher deficits of states. “The RBI is expected to maintain status quo until September 2017 as the inflation for next couple of months is dependent upon turnaround of monsoon, increase in the house rent allowances, implementation of GST and farm loan waivers,” Care Ratings added. “We expect only a 25 basis points (bps) cut in October 2017.” “Going forward, CPI is expected to be sub-2% for the next two months before moving up but will stay below 4% till November,” State
Jio blames telcos for inancial stress Operators running the business on debt while not investing in new technologies tainable balance sheets,” the company added. Reliance Jio further alleged that there was reluctance on part of the company promoters to dilute shareholding to raise funds for investment in new technologies, while they invested in “unrelated businesses or overseas acquisitions by borrowing extensively.”
Special Correspondent NEW DELHI
Reliance Jio on Monday said the financial stress in the telecom sector was mainly due to incumbent operators running the business on debt while not investing in new technologies. In a presentation to an inter-ministerial group formed to examine the telecom sectors financial woes, Jio alleged that the financial stress of the telecom sector is mainly due to incumbent operators running the business on debt while not investing in new technologies. The Mukesh Ambani-led firm said the existing operat-
Telecom operators invested in “unrelated businesses,” says Reliance Jio.
ors “made significant returns” over the years but had not invested in equity. Their excessive dependence on debt had led to “unsus-
‘Sign of cartelisation’ It said that there is a “strong sign of cartelisation” in the behaviour of the three big operators “as tariffs were aligned and designed to thwart entry of new operators,” adding that both TRAI
and CCI have found evidence of cartelisation in the behaviour of Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea. The new entrant said that the incumbent operators were not investing in technology, while passing the blame on to Reliance Jio for the sector’s problems. The incumbent telecom operators had attributed declining profits to promotional offers by Reliance Jio which was offering free voice and data services to users since its September start till March end under two different plans. Reliance Communications, too, met the interministerial group.
Bank of India said in a report. “For FY’18, CPI inflation average could thus be 3.5% with a significant downward bias.”
Industrial production The manufacturing sector grew 2.6% in April compared with 2.7% in March, while growth in the mining sector slowed drastically to 4.2%. Electricity output grew 5.4% in April, slower than March’s 6.2%. The consumer durables segment saw a drastic contraction of 6% in April, from a growth of 13.8% in the same month of the previous year. The capital goods segment also witnessed a contraction of 1.3%, compared with a growth of 8.1% in April 2016. “The performance has been mixed in April with negative growth rates in capital goods and consumer durables which are the focal points for future growth,” Care Ratings added.
Reliance General’s IPO plan wins nod Promoters to dilute at least 10% stake SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT Mumbai
Private-sector insurer Reliance General Insurance (RGI) has received the board’s approval for an initial public offering (IPO) in which the promoters will dilute a minimum 10% stake. Reliance General Insurance is a wholly owned subsidiary of Anil Ambani’s Reliance Capital. “We are planning to dilute minimum 10% in the current financial year and by 25% by FY’21, as regulation mandates,” Rakesh Jain, executive director and CEO, Reliance General Insurance, said while addressing the media on Monday.
Double digit growth “The general insurance industry is slated to grow in the economy where affluence-led consumption will act as its primary growth driver. The coming years are
Rakesh Jain likely to witness a double-digit growth in the sector largely due to disproportionately low penetration of insurance,” Mr. Jain added. The insurance company has been scouting for a partner for sometime. Officials said the possibility will exist post IPO as well. RGI, which had a networth of ₹1,257 crore as of March 2017, reported a net profit of ₹130 crore during the financial year FY’17.
‘Working to resolve NPA issue in non-wilful default cases’ Progress made in reviving stalled hydro projects: Goyal the relevant stakeholders, including banks and financial organisations like Power Finance Corporation,” Mr. Goyal told the media. “We are close to resolution of stressed thermal power projects soon where developers are not wilful defaulters.”
Special Correspondent New Delhi
The Ministry of Power has been working closely with all relevant stakeholders, including banks and financial institutions, to bring out a policy soon to resolve nonperforming asset issues in cases where the default was not wilful, Power, New and Renewable Energy, Coal, and Mines Minister Piyush Goyal said. Mr. Goyal also said his Ministry was working with NITI Aayog on an energy security policy for the next 25
Piyush Goyal
years and that progress had already been made in reviving stalled hydro projects. “We have been having extensive engagements with all
Hydro electricity “We are very interested to develop hydro electricity.We are working towards resolving all the issues that were stalling hydro projects,” Mr. Goyal added.
CDSL to hit market on ‘Tap newer markets June 19 to raise ₹521 cr. to boost agri exports’ Price band set at ₹145-149 per share SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT MUMBAI
The initial public offer (IPO) of Central Depository Services (India) Ltd. (CDSL) will open on June 19 in which the depository will offer a total of 3.52 crore shares in the price band of ₹145-149 pegging the offer size at ₹521 crore.
First by depository The public issue — the first by a depository in India — will see the company's shareholders such as BSE, State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda and The Calcutta Stock Exchange offering their shares to the public. In terms of market share, CDSL is the second largest depository in India after NSDL. As of April 30, it had over 12.4 million investor accounts. The company earns revenue from various opera-
tions, including transaction charges, account maintenance charges and settlement charges paid by depository participants and annual fees, corporate action charges and e-voting charges paid by companies whose securities are admitted to its systems. The IPO constitutes up to 33.65% of the fully diluted post-offer paid-up equity share capital of the depository. The offer comprises a net offer of 3.45 crore equity shares to the public and a reservation of seven lakh equity shares for subscription by eligible employees. The merchant bankers managing the offer are Axis Capital, Edelweiss Financial Services, Nomura India, SBI Capital Markets, Haitong Securities India, IDBI Capital Markets and YES Securities (India). The issue will close for subscription on June 21.
APEDA working on market access Special Correspondent New Delhi
Commerce Secretary Rita Teaotia said on Monday that while India had emerged as the seventh largest exporter of agri-products globally, opportunities in newer markets had to be found to further growth. Ms. Teaotia said Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) of the Ministry of Commerce in association with the concerned line Ministries is addressing issues relating to market access. She said it was important to maintain traceability and accountability in value addition chain. Goods exports during 2016-17 stood at $276.28 billion of which agricultural exports comprised $33.38 billion, representing 12.08% of the total exports, according to an official statement.
Rita Teaotia Exports of food products monitored by APEDA during 2016-17 stood at $16.28 billion, representing 48.77% of agri exports from the country. Vietnam, UAE, Saudi Arabia, USA, Iran, Iraq and Nepal were the major destinations for export of food products from India. Ms. Teaotia asked organic goods exporters to certify their products as it would help boost competitiveness in the global markets.
Uber adopts Holder’s recommendations Report follows probe into allegations of sexual harassment at ride-hailing irm Reuters SAN FRANCISCO
The Uber Technologies Inc. board of directors voted unanimously to adopt all recommendations from a report stemming from allegations of sexual harassment at the company and other employee concerns, a board representative said on Sunday. The board, at a meeting on Sunday, adopted a series of recommendations from former U.S Attorney General Eric Holder following a sprawling, multi-month investigation into Uber’s cultures and practices. The recommendations will be released to Uber employees on Tuesday, said the representative, who declined to be identified. Mr. Holder and his law firm were retained by Uber in February to investigate company practices after former Uber engineer Susan Fowler published a blog post CM YK
Uber CEO Travis Kalanick
detailing what she described as sexual harassment and the lack of a suitable response by senior managers. The recommendations in Mr. Holder’s firm’s report are expected to force greater controls on spending, human resources and other areas where executives led by Chief Executive Travis Kalanick have had a surprising amount of autonomy for a company with more than 12,000 employees, a source
familiar with the matter said. The meeting, which Uber did not publicize, is a pivotal moment for the world’s most valuable venture-backed private company that has upended the tightly regulated taxi industry in many countries but has also run into legal trouble with a rough-and-tumble approach to local regulations and the way it handles employees and drivers. Uber’s image, culture and practices have been largely defined by Mr. Kalanick’s brash approach, company insiders and investors previously told Reuters.
Stepping away Also at the meeting on Sunday, board members were expected to discuss Mr. Kalanick temporarily stepping away from the embattled ride-hailing firm — possibly returning to a role with less authority — and other changes to executive
leadership. The company also plans to appoint Wan Ling Martello, an executive vice president at Nestle SA, to the board, B loomberg reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter. The board’s decisions follow a series of public-relations crises for Uber.
Alphabet lawsuit The company faces a criminal probe related to a technology it created called Greyball that was used to deceive regulators in cities where it was operating. Uber’s self-driving car program is in jeopardy after a lawsuit from Alphabet Inc. alleging trade secrets theft, and the company has suffered an exodus of several of its top executives. One Uber investor called the board’s decisions on Sunday a step in the right direction, giving Uber an “opportunity to reboot.” A ND-ND
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IN BRIEF
INTERVIEW | LONEY ANTONY
‘CRMs, the true future of ATMs’ Machines that can accept, validate and dispense cash will be a better alternative
‘Slowdown in ATM deployment more among private banks’
Oommen A. Ninan
Fuel demand rises in May, petrol sales surge NEW DELHI
India’s oil demand bounced back in May, surging 5.4% on the back of highest growth in petrol consumption in nine months and the fastest rise in diesel use since November. Fuel consumption in May was 17.79 million tonnes compared with 16.87 million tonnes in May 2016, according to the Oil Ministry. Diesel demand expanded 8% to 7.51 million tonnes. Petrol consumption rose 15.3% to 2.4 million tonnes. PTI
Give priority to those shifting to GST: UIDAI NEW DELHI
Unique Identiication Authority of India (UIDAI) on Monday said it advised all its enrolment agencies to give priority to taxpayers who were required to migrate to GST for updating mobile numbers. The government plans to roll out GST from July 1, 2017. Ajay Bhushan Pandey, chief executive oicer, UIDAI, said taxpayers had to be present for mobile update in Aadhaar as biometric authentication would be needed.
U.S.FDA nod for Parry microalgae facility
Hitachi Payment Services provides cash and non-cash payment solutions and services to financial institutions, merchant aggregators and new age companies driving the digital economy. In an interview, Loney Antony, managing director of the company, shares his thoughts about the future of the payment industry. Post demonetisation, what has been the increase in digital transactions that Hitachi Payment Services has seen? ■ Post demonetisation, we witnessed almost a 100% rise in our PoS (point of sale) transactions. This is a result of banks aggressively deploying more PoS machines. Also, customers are opting for digital payments as cash (in denominations as required) is not easily available.
How many ATMs and PoS machines has the company deployed in India?
We have cash and noncash platforms and manage over 53,000 ATMs and over 5.75 lakh PoS and mobile PoS devices. The deployment of PoS machines has witnessed a rise post demonetisation as there has been a tremendous increase in demand from all strata of society, including SMEs, retail stores and small shopkeepers, among others. ■
CHENNAI
Parry Nutraceuticals received U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (U.S.FDA) approval to cultivate and process organic microalgae at its Pudukottai facility in Tamil Nadu. Muthu Murugappan, the irm’s business head, said, “We are a preferred supplier of microalgae health supplements to several leading nutraceutical brands. This approval will enhance our reputation as a leader in microalgae technology.”
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Will transactions lean more towards non-cash, going ahead? ■ At least for the foreseeable future, our view is that transactions will be a mix of cash and non-cash. The choice should be left entirely to the customer, provided the infrastructure for both cash and non-cash is available across the country.
Will non-cash
Demonetisation impacts NCR’s revenue growth Mumbai
transactions accelerate the pace of financial inclusion? ■ The pace would be dependent on many factors, including penetration of noncash infrastructure (currently penetration of ATMs are much higher as compared to POS), and how quickly customers adopt these new technologies. Availability of necessary infrastructure - whether for cash or non-cash transactions - will enable easy access to banking services. All these will determine how quickly we can get the unbanked population into the banking system.
What is the future of ATM machines in India?
We think that the cash recycling machines (CRMs) are the true future of ATMs in India. The CRM has emerged as a better alternative to the traditional ATM as it can accept and validate cash as well as dispense the same cash to customers. ■
Is the advent of mobile transactions transforming the payment industry? ■ Increasing penetration of smartphones and use of mobile Internet in the country coupled with favourable government policies have opened up many new payment options such as mobile wallets/mobile app-based payments. These new age payment technologies provide ease of use, speed, convenience, en-
and projects the number of ATMs to touch 4.07 lakh by 2021, representing a CAGR of 11%.
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
and < > Smartphones mobile Internet have opened up new payment options hanced customer experience, and are redefining the way banking is done in the country. How can cash recycling machines become a game changer?
For financial institutions, the cost of handling cash represents a significant part of ATM operating costs. A CRM is an ATM designed to recycle deposited cash for use in subsequent withdrawal transactions. The benefit of deploying a cash recycler is enhanced efficiency — both in terms of operations as well as costs. It minimises the cash handling costs with lesser number of cash replenishments, enables 24 X 7 availability for deposits and withdrawals and better utilisation of branch teller time. Also, deployment of CRMs in areas that do not have physical bank branches will go a long way in easing transactions that would otherwise have to be conducted at the physical branches,
■
What is the solution for ATMs continuing to run dry in key parts of India?
■ Currently, close to 20 to 25% of our ATMs are running dry due to non-availability of cash. Additionally, it seems that the cash that is going out is not coming back into the system, which is a cause of concern. People are withdrawing more money which is evident due to increase in average withdrawal per ATM transaction. The solution would be to increase the pace of remonetisation.
What is your outlook for 2017?
While digital transactions are picking up, we feel that cash transactions will also continue to grow in the future. This is considering that cash is still the convenient form of payment option for many low value transactions. Even in developed markets such as the U.S., which has higher penetration of digital payments, cash transactions still account for a decent chunk of the overall retail transactions. ■
What is your view on Unified Payment Interface (UPI)? ■ For Hitachi Payment Services, the growing importance of UPI would further increase the non-cash transactions as we enable transaction processing to facilitate such payments.
The withdrawal of highvalue banknotes announced in November impacted the business of automated teller machine manufacturer NCR Corp., according to a top company official. Revenue growth at NCR, which accounts for 50% of the ATMs deployed in the country, slowed from 15-18% (pre-demonetisation level) to 8-9% in 2016-17. “The slowdown in revenue growth is largely because of demonetisation,” NCR’s India managing director Navroze Dastur said while addressing the media. The slowdown in deployment of ATMs was more prominent among private sector banks. The company used to deploy more than 25,000 machines every year, which
Centre seeks to defer GST e-way bill PRESS TRUST OF INDIA
Navroze Dastur
slowed down to 16,000 in fiscal year 2016-17 as a result of the demonetisation exercise. Out of the 2.2 lakh ATMs in the country, 1.06 lakh are deployed by NCR. More than 200 banks use NCR products and services. However, NCR expects growth to revive in a quarter
Prioritising branches Asked about reasons behind the recent shortage of cash, Mr. Dastur indicated that this could be because banks were prioritising branches over the ATMs when it came to allocation of cash. On Monday, NCR unveiled a line of ATMs, which can additionally perform functions such as Aadhar-based account opening and dispensing personalised debit cards instantly. “These will do 90% of the transactions done in a bank branch at a fraction of the cost. A 2,000 square feet branch reduces to 200 square feet,” Mr. Dastur said. The machines would cost ₹30 lakh - ₹50 lakh.
IRDAI’s R.K. Sharma to administer Sahara Life Move aimed at serving policyholders
NEW DELHI
With just a few days left for Goods and Services Tax (GST) rollout, the Union government is in favour of postponing by a few months the implementation of the e-way bill, which requires movement of goods above ₹50,000 to be pre—registered online. However, with states unwilling to defer the provision, the GST Council agreed to rope in the National Informatics Centre (NIC) to work along with the GST-Network to assess if an all India e-way bill system can be created in a short timeframe, an official told PTI.
Special Correspondent HYDERABAD
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has appointed one of its officials as administrator for managing the affairs of Sahara India Life Insurance Company Ltd. with immediate effect. Announcing the appointment of R.K. Sharma, general manager (F&A-NL), the regulator said the administrator shall “conduct management of the business of the insurer as per applicable provisions under the Insurance Act, 1938.” The regulator has directed the administrator to file
a report on the most advantageous course of action in the interest of the holders of life insurance policies, as soon as may be possible. IRDAI has reasons to believe that Sahara India Life “is acting in a manner [that is] likely to be prejudicial to the interests of holders of life insurance policies,” it said in a statement. The regulator reassured policyholders that the affairs of the insurer would be managed by the administrator to ensure the continued servicing of their policies and to manage the firm’s affairs in as smooth a manner as feasible.
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‘Lack of swing making it harder for bowlers’ Bhuvneshwar says altering of the length is imperative CHAMPIONS TROPHY Shreedutta Chidananda LONDON
Sometimes, Virat Kohli admitted, there was a need to “say things that hurt”, to be honest in criticism in defeat. After India’s shock loss to Sri Lanka, he had asked his players for greater intensity in the field, a conscious effort individually, he said. On Sunday, they responded, exerting unrelenting pressure on South Africa with the ball and watching it snap. Between them, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Japsrit Bumrah sent down 15.3 overs for 51 runs, taking four wickets. Sharing the new ball, they helped restrict South Africa to 35 runs in the first 10 overs, Hashim Amla and the generally aggressive Quinton de Kock struggling to break free. It was this early pressure, both sides felt later, that had swung the game India’s way.
Effective Bhuvneshwar is a remarkable bowler. Mild-mannered and slight of build, he does not fit the stereotype of a medium-fast bowler but there is no debating his effectiveness. Last month, when Muttiah Muralitharan called him “the best bowler in IPL history”, it didn’t sound unreasonable. In and out of the one-day team since his debut in December 2012, Bhuvneshwar has emerged as a force in T20 cricket. Still, a career economy rate of 4.93 in ODIs would suggest that he hasn’t been too shabby in this format either. He proved his worth again at the Oval, tying South Africa down notwithstanding the fact that the ball barely swung on Sunday. Indeed, it hasn’t swung all fortnight — except a little in Cardiff — and even Bhuvneshwar was unable to provide an explanation. “It’s hard to say why the ball is not swinging,” he said.
Change in strategy: Bhuvneshwar Kumar, along with Jasprit Bumrah, let the pressure build on the South African top-order by bowling a bit ‘back’ in the absence of deviation of the white ball. AP *
ded. “It’s difficult (when you rely on swing and the ball is not swinging). “The only thing you have to change is length. Everyone is bowling a bit ‘back’, compared to what they normally bowl. Generally we always look for wickets in the first 10 overs when the ball swings, but now we look to contain them and then take wickets when pressure builds. These are the few things we’re changing,” he said. “Generally, the wickets in England are not hard. We’ve toured here before. “The wickets were soft; not so soft that the batsmen have a problem but enough for the ball to swing. So I don’t know if that’s the reason or if there’s a difference in the quality of the balls. Hard to say. But everyone can see that it’s not swinging and it’s hard work for the bowlers.” There may have been fears that this lack of swing could turn Bhuvneshwar — even with his improved pace — into a sitting duck, but they were proven unfoun-
Bumrah revels Bhuvneshwar has the experience of 62 ODIs behind him, but Bumrah is relatively new to international cricket. He made his debut only last year, when M.S. Dhoni called him the find of the Australian tour, and it is amazing how quickly the 23-year-old has risen to become an integral part of India’s limitedovers bowling units. Ahead of the Pakistan tie in Birmingham, Shahid Afridi had singled him out as a threat, marvelling at his ability to bowl what he called ‘the Pakistani yorker’ — presumably one that tails
CoA asks Kumble to continue The ofer is for India’s West Indies tour concluding on July 9 Vijay Lokapally NEW DELHI
The Committee of Administrators (CoA) on Monday asked Anil Kumble to continue as coach of the Indian team for the forthcoming one-day series in the West Indies. The offer, however, is subject to Kumble accepting the position, since he was required to apply afresh for the job and he has done so. His contract expires on June 30. India is scheduled to play five ODIs and a T20I in the West Indies ( June 23 to July 9), following the ongoing Champions Trophy. According to the CoA, it has conveyed the offer to Kumble. The CoA chairman Vinod Rai told The Hindu, “We would like Kumble to continue as coach for the West Indies tour. It depends on his acceptance.”
Anil Kumble.
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PTI
Kumble, in recent times, has been subjected to criticism on his alleged rift with skipper Virat Kohli. Both the individuals have maintained a dignified silence on the subject. “I have not noticed any rift,” emphasised Rai, who was in England on a private visit and used the opportunity to interact with Kumble and Kohli. Selective leaks in the me-
dia have painted a grim picture of the Indian dressing room with reports targeting Kumble. Before the alleged rift surfaced in the media, Kumble had recommended increased payment to the support staff and the players apart from a 25% special hike for Kohli because he performs extra duties as captain. Observers believe in the possibility of Kumble opting out of the short-term offer. Being asked to send in a fresh application for the coach’s job, on a technicality, has left Kumble disappointed. Should Kumble decide to take a break from the West Indies, a senior Board official observed that assistant coach Sanjay Bangar may be asked to take over the responsibility.
in at pace, like the delivery to dismiss Andile Phehlukwayo — at will. In the IPL, Bumrah has earned a reputation as a notoriously tough death-overs bowler; at the Oval, he showed he was handy with the new ball too. “We (Bhuvneshwar and I) don’t focus on that when you get labelled as death bowler or a swing bowler,” he said afterwards. “You always try to contribute whenever you are given the ball. You have to bowl according to the situation, be it at the death or in the beginning.” They had quickly realised, Bhuvneshwar said, that this was not a pitch for wickettaking but for drying runs up. “All they did was to try and hit the top of the off stump with a nice, tight fielding unit around, squeezing a lot of dot balls out of us and not allowing us any easy boundary options,” A.B. de Villiers felt. They make for two unlikely leaders of India’s pace attack but, as South Africa found out, Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar are rather formidable.
Anand draws with Wesley So Sports Bureau STAVANGER (NORWAY)
Viswanathan Anand’s search for his first victory in the Norway Chess 2017 continued as he drew with Wesley So in 33 moves in the fifth round here on Sunday. Like the third round, all five games ended in draws. The sequence of results kept Hikaru Nakamura in the lead with 3.5 points. The results: Fifth round: Viswanathan Anand (1.5) drew with Wesley So (USA, 2.5); Vladimir Kramnik (Rus, 3) drew with Hikaru Nakamura (USA, 3.5); Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (Fra, 2) drew with Levon Aronian (Arm, 3); Magnus Carlsen (Nor, 2.5) drew with Anish Giri (Ned, 2.5); Sergey Karjakin (Rus, 2.5) drew with Fabiano Caruana (USA, 2.5).
AB’s run-out my fault, says du Plessis Special Correspondent LONDON
And so, South Africa’s search for a global trophy continues. This latest defeat was not so much a choke as a cock-up but the questions continue to linger. South Africa’s players continue to look for answers. “I don’t know, to be honest with you,” said Faf du Plessis, when asked why the team always seemed to fail on the big stage. “We’ve confronted it and we’ve spoken about it. Obviously there’s a lot of (South African) teams that have gone through the same thing. The only way you’re going to get people to stop talking about it is if you actually win an event. Right through the tournament, we didn’t play our best cricket, so we don’t deserve to be in the semifinal.” The last major tournament South Africa won was the inaugural ICC Knock-Out (now the Champions Trophy) of 1998; personnel have changed and a new generation has arrived, but the wait does not seem to end. At the Oval on Sunday, South Africa shot itself in the foot, the run out of de Villiers a turning point in the game. “Look AB’s run-out is completely my fault,” du Plessis admitted later. “I accept responsibility for it; it was a big turning point in the game. The Indian bowlers would have been very scared of bowling to AB. But what happened after that was also not great, because that changed the game. Dave (David Miller) ran himself out and India just didn’t give us anything.” Was South Africa perhaps trying too hard to destroy its image of being a ‘choker’? The side seemed overly cautious in what was effectively a quarterfinal tie. “I don’t know. I’d like to go in the future and ask someone that gets on the other side what they did,” du Plessis smiled. “We’ve tried quite a few things, camps and psychologists, whatever you want to call it,” he said. “There’s been quite a few game plans around that. It wasn’t a mental thing. We didn’t play well.”
Pakistan ights its way into the semiinals Sarfaraz, Amir combine to dash Sri Lankan hopes Agence France-Presse Cardiff
Sarfaraz Ahmed produced a superb captain's innings following a top-order collapse to see Pakistan into the semifinals of the Champions Trophy with a three-wicket win over Sri Lanka here on Monday. Pakistan, chasing a seemingly modest 237 to win, collapsed to 162 for seven. But an unbroken stand of 75 between Sarfaraz, dropped twice [both off Lasith Malinga] on his way to 61 not out, and Mohammad Amir (28 not out) saw Pakistan complete a thrilling win. Pakistan will return to Sophia Gardens for a lastfour clash with England on Wednesday. Earlier, Pakistan induced a middle-order collapse as Sri Lanka slumped to 236 all
SCOREBOARD
Captain’s knock: Sarfaraz Ahmed kept his cool even as wickets tumbled and guided Pakistan home. MICHAEL STEELE/GETTY IMAGES *
out. Sri Lanka, sent in, was making steady progress at 161 for three while Niroshan Dickwella (73) and skipper Angelo Mathews (39) were at the crease. But the loss of Mathews sparked a middle-order collapse that saw four wickets
SRI LANKA V PAKISTAN
Sri Lanka: N. Dickwella c Sarfaraz b Amir 73 (86b, 4x4), D. Gunathilaka c Malik b Junaid 13 (20b, 2x4), Kusal Mendis b Hasan 27 (29b, 4x4), D. Chandimal b Fahim 0 (2b), A. Mathews b Amir 39 (54b, 2x4, 1x6), Dhananjaya de Silva c Sarfaraz b Junaid 1 (6b), A. Gunaratne c Fakhar b Hasan 27 (44b, 1x4), T. Perera c Babar b Junaid 1 (5b), S. Lakmal b Hasan 26 (34b, 3x4), L. Malinga (not out) 9 (14b), N. Pradeep c & b Fahim 1 (3b); Extras (b-1, lb-5, w-12, nb-1): 19; Total (in 49.2 overs): 236. Fall of wickets: 1-26 (Gunathilaka, 5.1 overs), 2-82 (Mendis, 14.5), 3-83 (Chandimal, 15.1), 4-161 (Mathews, 31.2), 5-162
(Dhananjaya, 32.3), 6-162 (Dickwella, 33.1), 7-167 (Perera, 34.6), 8-213 (Lakmal, 44.3), 9232 (Gunaratne, 48.1). Pakistan bowling: Amir 10-053-2, Junaid 10-3-40-3, Imad 8-1-33-0, Ashraf 6.2-0-37-2, Hasan 10-0-43-3, Hafeez 5-0-24-0. Pakistan: Azhar Ali c Mendis b Lakmal 34 (50b, 2x4, 1x6), Fakhar Zaman c Gunaratne b Pradeep 50 (36b, 8x4, 1x6), Babar Azam c Dhananjaya b Pradeep 10 (18b, 1x4), Mohd. Hafeez c Pradeep b Perera 1 (5b), Shoaib Malik c Dickwella b Malinga 11 (20b, 1x4), Sarfaraz Ahmed (not out) 61 (79b, 5x4), Imad Wasim c Dickwella b Pradeep 4 (3b, 1x4), Fahim Ashraf
TEAM Group A England Bangladesh Australia New Zealand Group B India Pakistan South Africa Sri Lanka
M
W
L
NR
PTS
NRR
3 3 3 3
3 1 0 0
0 1 1 2
0 1 2 1
6 3 2 1
+1.045 0.000 -0.992 -1.058
3 3 3 3
2 2 1 1
1 1 2 2
0 0 0 0
4 4 2 2
+1.370 -0.680 +0.167 -0.798
*Final standings after the group stage
SHOOTING
Jitu, Heena clinch mixed gold
Feeling high: Sunil Chhetri says the mood in the Indian dressing room is upbeat ahead of its match against Kyrgyz Republic K. MURALI KUMAR *
CM YK
India and Kyrgyz Republic, the two best sides in the group, face each other in a 2019 AFC Asian Cup (third round) qualifier, at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium here on Tuesday. On paper, India (FIFA world ranking 100) looks the stronger side, but Kyrgyz Republic (FIFA world ranking 132) could spring a surprise. The home team is on a seven-match winning streak dating back to June last year. In its opening group match, against Myanmar, a Sunil Chhetri injury-time goal gave the unit a 1-0 victory. More recently, the Indians got past Nepal 2-0 in a friendly outing. Coach Stephen Con-
West Indies levels series
Sports Bureau
Agence France-Presse
Gabala (Azerbaijan)
Gros-Islet (Saint Lucia)
Heena Sidhu and Jitu Rai won their second successive gold in the mixed air pistol competition in the shooting World Cup here on Monday. Guided by coach Ronak Pandit, husband of Heena, the Indian pair sailed through from the qualification stage to the semifinals to eventually win the gold medal with a touch of assurance. The best teams from the semifinals clash in the final, while the second placed teams from the two semifinals fight for the bronze. Heena (242) and Jitu (243) had topped the qualification stage with 485 points, ahead of Serbia (482), Ukraine (482), China (482), Germany (481), Iran (480), France (480) and Russia (479). India, with Heena (121.1) and Jitu (119.6) had topped
West Indies overcame a mini collapse on its way to a series-levelling fourwicket victory in a lowscoring second One-Day International against Afghanistan here on Sunday. Afghanistan struggled against the extra pace and bounce of the home seam attack, making just 135 in 37.3 overs. Shai Hope then scored a patient unbeaten 48 to stave off the threat of Afghan leg-spinner Rashid Khan and take the home side across the finish line.
Successful pair: Heena Sidhu and Jitu Rai were on target in the mixed air pistol competition . COURTESY: ISSF *
the semifinals with a total of 240.7 ahead of France (236.5), Ukraine (194.4) and Germany (153.8). In the other semifinal, Russia topped with 239.4 ahead of Iran (233.9), China
(194.3) and Serbia (154.2). Ceine Goberville and Florian Fouquet of France beat Golnoush Sebghatolllahi and Vahid Golkhandan of Iran 7-6 for the bronze medal.
stantine chose not to dwell on the difference in the world rankings between the two outfits. “The outcome of the game does not depend on the ranking, it depends on who has more desire,” he said, at the pre-match press conference here on Monday. Chhetri, who sat out of the Nepal encounter to recover from a hamstring injury, returns to action.
Missing out His Bengaluru FC mates C.K. Vineeth and Udanta Singh, however, will miss the tie due to injuries. The skipper spoke about the upbeat mood in the dressing room — a result of recent successes. “It’s been a while since an Indian team
has felt this sort of confidence. Our guys are not sulking, we aren’t pointing fingers at each other. This is always a good feeling,” Chhetri said. Kyrgyz Republic, on the other hand, has built a reputation of being a tough defensive unit. In the last five matches, the visitor has conceded just the solitary goal. The back-line is led by Viktor Maier, who represents FC Emmen in the Netherlands second-tier club competition. Experienced captain Edgar Bernhardt plays for SV Rodinghausen in the German semi-professional circles. A few others compete in Bahrain. The Indians can take comfort from the fact that none of the opposition
The scores: Afghanistan 135 in 37.3 overs (G. Naib 51) lost to West Indies 138 for six in 39.2 overs (E. Lewis 33, S. Hope 48 n.o.t, Rashid Khan three for 26).
Spain downs Macedonia Agence France-Presse Skopje
The home team is on a seven-match winning streak dating back to June last year Bengaluru
run out 15 (15b, 1x4, 1x6), Mohd. Amir (not out) 28 (43b, 1x4); Extras (b-4, lb-6, w-13): 23; Total (for seven wkts. in 44.5 overs): 237. Fall of wickets: 1-74 (Fakhar, 11.2), 2-92 (Babar, 15.4), 3-95 (Hafeez, 16.5), 4-110 (Azhar, 19.2), 5-131 (Malik, 24.5), 6-137 (Imad, 25.4), 7-162 (Ashraf, 29.5). Sri Lanka bowling: Malinga 9.5-2-52-1, Lakmal 10-0-48-1, Pradeep 10-0-60-3, Perera 80-43-1, Gunaratne 5-0-19-0, Gunathilaka 1-0-2-0, Dhananjaya 1-0-3-0. Toss: Pakistan. Man-of-the-match: Sarfaraz. Pakistan won by three wickets with 31 balls remaining.
POINTS TABLE
Chhetri returns as India takes on Kyrgyz Republic Ashwin Achal
fall for just six runs. Only some late tail-order hitting, with the last three wickets adding 69 runs, got Sri Lanka past 200 in an innings where Pakistan pacemen Junaid Khan (three for 40) and Hasan Ali (three for 43) did the damage.
players turn out for big clubs. Despite holding all the aces, Constantine was happy to concede that it was Kyrgyz Republic which started as the favourite.
Favourite This was readily accepted by his opposite number, Aleksandr Krestinin. “Yes, we are the favourite. We want to do well and finish first in our group,” Krestinin said. These are still early stages in the race to book a spot in the 2019 UAE AFC Asian Cup main draw. Both sides have another four matches remaining after this, but a hefty early push — in the form of the three points on offer here — will do no harm.
Spain kept its nose in front of Italy in the fight for automatic qualification for next year’s World Cup as David Silva and Diego Costa were on target in a 2-1 win in Macedonia on Sunday. The results: Europe: Group D: Republic of Ireland 1 (Walters 85) drew with Austria 1 (Hinteregger 31); Moldova 2 (Ginsari 15, Dedov 36) drew with Georgia 2 (Merebashvili 65, Qazaishvili 70); Serbia 1 (Mitrovic 73) drew with Wales 1 (Ramsey 35-pen). Group G: Macedonia 1 (Ristovski 66) lost to Spain 2 (Silva 15, Costa 27); Israel 0 lost to Albania 3 (Sadiku 22, 44, Memushaj 71); Italy 5 (Insigne 35, Belotti 52, Eder 75, Bernardeschi 83, Gabbiadini 90+1) bt Liechtenstein 0. CONCACAF: Mexico 1 (Vela 23) drew with United States 1 (Bradley 6). A ND-ND
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NOIDA/DELHI
THE HINDU
TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 2017
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IN BRIEF
Special No. 10 means so much to Nadal
Annacone joins Wawrinka’s team
‘I did not have any diicult moments during the fortnight’
PARIS
French Open runner-up Stan Wawrinka has added American Paul Annacone to his coaching team for the upcoming grass-court season, the World No. 3 announced on Sunday. Annacone coached Pete Sampras from 1995-2001 and for a short period in 2002. “Paul’s experience speaks for itself having worked with some of the greatest players of all time. His knowledge can only better our understanding of the grass. ”
Reuters PARIS
A year after probably the lowest point of his career, Rafa Nadal sat in the same news conference seat on Sunday and described his 10th French Open title as one of his most special. The fact that he had to wait three years to claim a 15th Major title made it all the sweeter —as did the fact that uncle Toni — his coach since he was six — handed him a replica of the Coupe des Mousquetaires in an emotional ceremony. Nadal was forced to pull out of last year’s French Open — the tournament he cherishes most — after potential career-threatening damage to his left wrist tendons. At that time, and with his ranking sliding, his Grand Slam-winning days seemed to be numbered. But in an astonishing resurgence the Mallorcan reached this year’s Australian Open final, losing a classic to old sparring partner Roger Federer, and has steamrollered through the European claycourt season, winning a 10th title in Monte Carlo and Barcelona and a fifth in Madrid.
REUTERS
Ruhaan continues to do well LONATO (ITALY)
India’s Ruhaan Alva, the 10-year old schoolboy from Bengaluru, continued his stupendous run in the Italian Easykart Championship as he won one race and finished third in the back-to-back rounds 4 and 5, here. Ruhaan, supported by Italian kart manufacturer Birel Art, is currently placed second in the championship with 90 points, just 13 behind his MLG Racing teammate Patrese Lorenzo. PTI
Minor blip Defeat by Austria’s Dominic Thiem in Rome was a minor blip as Nadal went on to enjoy total domination at Roland Garros, emulating his 2008 and 2010 titles when he did not drop a set. Nadal had played down La Decima. But there was no
TV PICKS Football: India vs Kyrgyzstan, STAR Sports 1 & 1 HD, 7 p.m.
Remarkable resurgence: Rafael Nadal produced a stirring comeback to regain the French throne, after a careerthreatening wrist injury seemed to have ended his Grand Slam-winning days. AP *
doubt what reclaiming the title on his beloved Parisian clay meant. “There have been magical things that happened in this tournament for me. So happy for everything,” he told a throng of media in a room alongside Court Philippe Chatrier. “Today was a very important day for me. (There) have been some tough mo-
ments with injuries, so it’s great to have (a) big success like this again. I’ve been working a lot to be where I am today.” Asked what the most difficult moments were during the past fortnight, Nadal was stumped. There really were not any. “Obviously the semifinals and finals, the nerves are there, you know, more than before,” he said.
Puducherry stuns PNB Sports Bureau
Jamshedpur and Bengaluru new additions to ISL
Lucknow
Minnow Puducherry upset a fancied Punjab National Bank side by a lone goal in the dying minutes of the game to finish on top of Pool G as the quarterfinals line-up for the men’s National hockey championships B Division was finalised here on Monday. The results: Pool F: Assam 9 (Punnet Kumar 3, Suvarn Khandakar 3, Salman Khan 2, Harvir Singh) bt Gujarat 1 (Krishna Dhomse). Madhya Pradesh 2 (Prakash Singh Rawat, Meet Singh Thakur) bt Bengaluru 1 (Deepak Bejiwad). Pool D: Central Secretariat 3 (Felix Baa, Vinayak Bijwad, Jayesh Jadhav) bt Manipur 1 (Jenjen Singh). Madhya Bharat 5 (Prabal Pandey 2, Jagmohan Kushwah, Susheel Gupta, Vaibhav Chourasiya) bt Goa 2 (Dattesh Priolkar, Pandurang Sankhalkar). Pool G: Puducherry 1 (R. Ragu 57 pc) bt PNB 0. Dadra & Nagar Haveli 9 (Mohit Singh Thakur 3, Navpreet Singh, Ved Prakash, Hera Singh, Nitesh, Mohd. Tabish, Sanjit Toppo) bt Kerala 4 (Jonoy Varghese 2, CR Remesh, Rishad Mohd.). Pool E: Bengal 4 (Saurabh Kumar Singh, Rakesh Barman, Gurdeep Singh, Shariq Mohammed) bt Bihar 1 (Jony Kumar); Himachal 24 (Sumeet Pal Singh 9, Kamal Chand 8, Naurvi Ram 3, Vinod Kumar 2, Deepak Singh Bhalru, Vishal Dhawan) bt Tripura 0. Pool H: Tamil Nadu 5 (G. Gnanavel 2, G. Saravanakumar, S. Manoj, T. Raghuram) bt SSB 1 (Arif Ansari). Chhattisgarh 5 (Ravi Pareek 2, Mohd. Ajaz Qureshi 2, Mohd. Atiq Qureshi) bt J&K 0.
Special Correspondent MUMBAI
Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) announced the addition of two new clubs, owned by Tata Steel Limited and Jindal South West ( JSW) Group, respectively, to the Indian Super League. The inclusion of the two new clubs came through the ‘Invitation To Bid’ tender process floated by FSDL last month. Tata Steel, which won the bid to participate from Jamshedpur, has been promoting football since 1987 through the Tata Football Academy. JSW Group, owner of two-
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\ DELHI ROUND-UP \
Rana on song India under-19 player Himanshu Rana slammed a quickfire unbeaten 123 as Sporting Club beat LB Shatri Club by seven wickets in the first Admiral Super League. Hiten Dala’s fighting 83 for Sporting went in vain. The scores: LB Shastri CC 215 all out in 40 overs (Hiten Dalal 86) lost to Sporting Club 217 for three in 33.5 overs (Himanshu Rana 123 not out, Vision Panchal 54).
RRG wins big Sachin Sharma scored an unbeaten 49 and picked up two wickets to help Rohtak Road Gymkhana beat Mount Club by 82 runs in the 5th ACE under-14 cricket tournament. The scores: RRG 259 for seven in 30 overs (Sachin Sharma 49 not out, Kamender Singh 46) bt Mount Club 177 in 29.1 overs (Yograj Punia 57, Abhishek Govenkar 32 not out; Deepanshu Gulia three for 32).
Nikhil, Keerat shine
Delhi HC appoints ad hoc panel to govern carrom To exist till AICF secretary’s petition is disposed of
BADMINTON
Special Correspondent Special Correspondent
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The Delhi High court has appointed, through an order by Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Najmi Waziri, a fivemember ad hoc committee with the Director of the Union Sports Ministry as chairman and two former players — two-time World champion Maria Irudayam and Kunja Phanse — to run the game in the country. After losing more than a year owing to its derecognition by the government, and not being able to conduct any of the National championships, the secretary of the All India Carrom Federation (AICF) V.D. Narayan had pleaded the court not to punish the players who were losing out in terms of job, promotion, scholarship, cash awards, etc. However, during the period of inaction, the AICF had managed to send a team for the World Championship
B
Narayan, along with Udayakumar of the rival faction, will be members of the ad hoc committee The former has been given the authority to deal with ICF
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in England and win five gold, six silver and two bronze medals in November, 2016. The court had allowed Narayan to deal with the International Carrom Federation, which would not accept entries from the Sports Authority of India (SAI). It was another matter that the players had to take care of their expenses individually or through their employers, as the government had stopped funding the game long before de-recognising the national federation. V.D. Narayan, along with S. Udayakumar of the rival faction, will be members of the ad hoc committee, with Narayan being extended the
authority to deal with ICF. “The decisions shall be taken by the committee, preferably unanimously. However, in case there is a tie, the decision shall be taken by the chairman, the Director (Sports), who shall have the casting vote,” the court order stressed. The order also made it clear that the functioning expenses of the Committee should be borne by the federation. The committee, according to the order, would exist till the writ petition was disposed of. Most importantly, the Court categorically stated “the Federation shall be deemed to be recognised in respect of the decision taken by the Committee on its behalf. In accordance with the decision taken by the Committee, Mr. V.D. Narayan shall issue Railway Concession Forms and Prospectus to the players.”
Nikhil Kumar picked up four wickets and Keerat Veer Singh top-scored with 48 as Vikaspuri Coaching Centre beat West Delhi Cricket Academy by 11 runs in the 4th Master Daal
BAI squads announced NEW DELHI
The selection committee of the Badminton Association of India (BAI) met in Bengaluru on Saturday and chose the players for participation in three Grand Prix events and the Badminton Asia junior championship. The squads: Chinese Taipei GP Gold (June 27-July 2): Men: Sourabh Verma, Harsheel Dani, Siril Verma; Women: Sri Krishna Priya, Uttejitha Rao Canadian Open GP (July 11-16): Men: Singles: Sameer Verma, H.S. Prannoy, P. Kashyap; Doubles: Manu Attri & Sumeeth Reddy. Women: Singles: Rituparna Das, Ruthvika Shivani, Sri Krishna Priya, Sai Uttejitha Rao; Doubles: Poorvisha Ram & J. Meghana, Kuhoo Garg & Nancy Hazarika. Mixed doubles: N. Sikki Reddy & Pranaav Chopra. US Open GP Gold (July 19-23): Men: Singles: Sameer, Prannoy, Kashyap; Doubles: Manu & Sumeeth Reddy, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy & Chirag Shetty. Women: Singles: Saina Ne-
hwal, Rituparna, Ruthvika; Poorvisha & Doubles: Meghana, Sikki Reddy & Ashwini Ponnappa, Kuhoo Garg & Nancy B. Hazarika; Mixed doubles: Sikki & Pranaav, Ashwini & Satwiksairaj. Badminton Asian junior championships (July 22-30): Boys: Singles: D. Jaswanth, Lakshya Sen, Karthikey Gulshan Kumar, Arintap Das; (Reserves: Swarnaraj Bora, AryamanTandon); Doubles: Dhruv Kapila & Krishna Prasad, Swarnaraj & Sai Pawan Karri, Krishna Podili & Vishnuvardhan Gaur. Aakarshi Girls: Singles: Kashyap, Prashi Joshi, Ashmita Chalia, Ira Sharma; (Reserves: Kanika Kanwal); Doubles: Rituparna Panda & U.K. Mithula, Ashwini Bhat & Apeksha, Anugraha & Reza Farhath. Mixed doubles: Tapaswini S. Roy & Sanjay Srivastav, Dhruv & Mithula, G. Krishna Prasad (partner to be decided by coach). Sanjay Coaches: Mishra, Arvind Bhatt, Anshuman Hazarika, Trupti Murgunde. Manager: Bamang Tago and Sukant Das.
time I-League champion team Bengaluru FC, won the right to participate from Bengaluru. Sunil Bhaskaran, vicepresident, Corporate Services, Tata Steel and Chairman TFA, said: “This is a momentous occasion for Tata Steel, a pioneer in the development of sports in the country, especially football. “Our entry into the coveted ISL reinforces our commitment to provide a fillip to the development of football. We are extremely excited to have won the bid for our home town Jamshedpur and will provide the best of facilities.” Parth Jindal, CEO, JSW
Chand memorial under-14 cricket tournament. The scores: VCC 136 for four in 40 overs (Keerat Veer Singh 48) bt WDCA 125 in 28.3 overs (Aryan Tandon 34, Aviral Sharma 32; Nikhil Kumar four for 16).
IAF lies high Indian Air Force (IAF) rode on a double strike from Mandeep Singh to win the inaugural Umesh Sood memorial football tournament, with a 3-0 win against Indian Nationals in the final, at the Ambedkar Stadium. The eight-team tournament was organised by the Delhi Soccer Association in memory of former president Umesh Sood who passed away recently. The organisers plan to upgrade it to a national level event from 2018. The organising committee honoured four members of the Delhi Junior team that won the Dr. BC Trophy in 1963 and 1965 — Hakikat Singh, Syed Maqbool Ali, Aziz Qureishi and Pyare Lal. The result: IAF 3 (Mandeep Sigh 10, 69; Ashok Kumar 17) bt Indian Nationals 0.
Bengaluru FC said: “A lot of time and thought has gone into our decision of wanting to be part of ISL. The biggest factor has been the interest of the longterm future of Indian football. A longer league is the right road ahead.” AIFF general secretary Kushal Das expressed satisfaction on the bid evaluation process, saying: “The interest shown by India’s two large corporates is an indication of the growing popularity of the sport in the country. “Their contribution to Indian football has been immense and will set high standards in ISL.”
Paes-Lipsky in last eight Sports Bureau s-Hertogenbosch
India’s Leander Paes and Scott Lipsky of the US made the doubles quarterfinals with a 7-5, 6-4 victory over Steve Darcis of Belgium and Gilles Muller of Luxembourg in the €660,375 Rico Open ATP tennis tournament here on Monday. The results: € 660,375 Ricoh Open, sHertogenbosch, the Netherlands: Doubles (prequarterfinals): Scott Lipsky (US) & Leander Paes bt Steve Darcis (Bel) & Gilles Muller (Lux) 7-5, 6-4. €127,000 Challenger men, Nottingham: Doubles (prequarterfinals): Brydan Klein & Joe Salisbury (GBr) bt Luke Saville (Aus) & Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan 6-1, 7-6(5). $15,000 ITF men, Hua Hin, Thailand: First round: Sidharth Rawat bt Nernardo Saraiva (Por) 6-3, 6-4; Hady Habib (US) bt Karunuday Singh 4-6, 6-1, 6-4. Doubles (pre-quarterfinals): Michael Kwwong (Hkg) & Ryota Tanuma (Jpn) bt Niki Poonacha & Sidharth Rawat 6-4, 6-4.
Nandini sets new steeplechase mark Sports Bureau LUCKNOW
Nandini Gupta of Uttar Pradesh set a National junior record in girls 3000m steeplechase with a time of 10 minutes 53.91 seconds in the Junior Federation Cup athletics championships at the PAC Stadium here on Monday. The 20-year-old beat the mark of 11:04.80 set by Parul Chaudhary at Vijayawada in November 2014. The results: Boys: 200m: 1. Ravinder 21.62s, 2. Akshay Nain 22.02, 3. Harsh Rana 22.21; 800m: 1. Abhijeet Hirkud 1:53.84, 2. Ankit 1:54.06, 3. Abin Sajan 1:54.67; 10,000m: 1. Arjun Kumar 31:00.35, 2. Shyam 31:22.20, 3. Vijay Rathi 31:57.55; 3000m steeplechase: 1. Raj Kumar 9:29.54, 2. Balkishan 9:31.02, 3. Vikas Poonia 9:31.50; 400m hurdles: 1. Pratik Pandey 52.82, 2. Gautam Gupta 53.25, 3. K. Manikandan 54.01; 4 x 400m: 1. Haryana
Nandini Gupta. 3:17.23, 2. Punjab 3:17.93, 3. Delhi 3:20.15. Triple jump: 1. K. Kamalraj 15.80m, 2. Ramdeo Tigga 15.19, 3. Anil Sahoo 15.19. Pole vault: 1. Aniket Kumar Patel 4.60, 2. P. Gowtham 4.60, 3. Dharmendra Kumar 4.50. Javelin: 1. Abhishek Drall 71.23, 2. Rishab Nehra 66.44, 3. Vijay Lakra 65.42. Hammer throw: 1. Pradeep Kumar 66.82, 2. Alimuddin 63.02, 3. Gurkirat Singh
62.58. Girls: 200m: 1. Anwesha Roy Pradhan 25.11, 2. K. Rama Lakshmi 25.14, 3. Chaitrali Gujar 25.29; 800m: 1. Divya Pandey 2:16.23, 2. Sunita 2:16.74, 3. J. Gowthamee 2:17.19; 5,000m: 1. Kavita Yadav 17:21.35, 2. Suman Rani 17:48.28, 3. Reena Patel 17:49.80; 3000m steeplechase: 1. Nandini Gupta 10:53.91 (NR, old: 11:04.80, Parul Chaudhary, Vijayawada, 2014), 2. Komal Jagadale 11:29.57, 3. Astha Ojha 11:31.80; 400m hurdles: 1. Tiyasha Samadder 1:01.11, 2. Anurupa Kumari 1:03.27, 3. S. Arshitha 1:04.34; 4 x 400m: 1. Delhi 3:55.92, 2. Kerla 3:57.11, 3. Telangana 4:00.25. Triple jump: 1. Renu 12.82m, 2. Lizbeth Karoline Josseph 12.54, 3. Priyanka Kerketta 12.43. Hammer throw: 1. Bhateri 47.25, 2. Manpreet Kaur 45.89, 3. Divya Shandilya 45.01; Heptathlon: 1. Vanshika Sejwal 4308 points, 2. Trisha Dhar 41666, 3. Shivangi Rawat 3987.
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THE HINDU CROSSWORD 12032 1
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13 Bitter drink brought back son's misery (8)
3 Chooses izzy soda over port (6)
15 Cafeteria's temperature gets cooler before evening (7)
4 Extremely difficult for bowler to save runs when basic skill's absent (7)
FAITH
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Vali’s realisation
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17 Discarding the old rule at cricket ground for dismissal? (7)
5 Parcels regularly tested for heaviness (8)
20 Quiet place by shed to the left, for recreation break (8)
6 Experienced guy scores century (4)
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23 Hotel’s serving tea to native (6)
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22 Determined to train overcoming resistance (6)
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25 Hear test is conducted for auditoriums (8) 26 Engaged partners to attract new sponsors (8)
■ ACROSS 8 Complained vehicle’s speed crossed safe limits (6) 9 A group of East Europeans carries black tumblers (8) 10 Ran around corner beaten (8) 11 Small evergreen shrub providing cover (6) 12 Undergarments made from ibres (6)
CM YK
7 Position Indians immediately on top (6) 14 Document describes channel one as being proitable… (10) 16 …therefore not hard to receive fund from bank (8) 18 Interview spectators (8)
27 Plan relects reporter's shortcoming (6)
19 Liberal's inclination to carry English daily (7)
■ DOWN
21 Pulse is fast and at ifty-one rising (6)
1 Bugs Bunny's irst production broadcast endlessly all around (8)
22 Small returns, yet Bill's invested in irm (6)
2 Pane partly damaged on the outside (10)
24 Partly open letters Maharajah's got back (4)
Solution to puzzle 12031 R E S P O A T V T E A G A E T T S E R I S O R OMA N E A G E N T L U A L E T I T A I R T U T S I E A N D A N C E
N S A R D I E S T T I C Y B E A S Y R
E U E N D O C W M I S E A E C R N E
MU M P T N E E I N S P A A R S O N I O P
N I C H N O S A L M N E S E L F R D I G O T N R I N T N N E R R H D A R Y R P H Y T E
Solution to yesterday’s Sudoku
Though surrounded by controversies, the Vali-Sugriva combat is an eye opener into the quality of boundless compassion that is the hallmark of Rama, pointed out Srimati Jaya Srinivasan in a discourse. The valiant Vali is bewildered when he is shot unexpectedly by the deadly arrow that sends him crashing to the ground. He is eager to identify the archer who must have shot it. He is unable to pluck it out of his body and, ignoring the pain and torture, he strains to scrutinise it and finds the name of Rama in it. He cannot but be cynical about the supposedly great hero who stands for Dharma. He then sees Rama walking towards him and he does not mince words when he accuses the Lord of the unbecoming and unjust act of killing him. How unbelievable it is to accept that Rama should belong to the family of Dasaratha whose vow of upholding his word is beyond compare. More incredible is Rama’s claim to be called the elder brother of the impeccable and pure Bharata. Does Manu sastra sanction the killing of a vanara in Kishkinta for Rama losing His wife to the cunning plot hatched by a rakshasa in Lanka, he asks. But Rama’s benign presence and straight responses to his many charges bring about an intuitive realisation in him. Vali is now overwhelmed by the Lord’s compassion as he is most fortunate to have the Lord with him as his life ebbs out. To think of Rama, to chant His name during one’s last moments, is the aspiration of realised souls seeking salvation. He prays to the Lord to grant him the grace by which he would always be devoted to Him and remember Him at all times. He calls Angadha to his side and tells him that the Rama standing before them is the very Supreme Brahman in human form. A ND-ND
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THE HINDU
SPORT 17
NOIDA/DELHI
TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 2017
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Hamilton’s reign continues at Canadian GP Mercedes driver completes hat-trick of wins at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve; Vettel’s lead cut to 12 points Reuters
FORMULA ONE
Montreal
Lewis Hamilton’s love affair with the Canadian Grand Prix reached new heights on Sunday as he won the race for a sixth time and slashed Sebastian Vettel’s Formula One championship lead to 12 points. After watching Ferrari sweep to a one-two finish two weeks ago in Monaco, Mercedes hit back with a dominating display as Hamilton cruised to his 56th career win, a leisurely 19.7 seconds in front of teammate Valtteri Bottas.
CM YK
It was Hamilton’s third victory of the season and also his third in a row at the sunbathed but windswept Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. “I had my first pole here, I had my first win here 10 years ago and to repeat it this weekend is incredibly special,” said Hamilton. “I really have to thank my team for making this possible. “The guys back at the factory have worked so hard to really fix what we had in the last race, bring it here and
really give it to the Ferraris. I’m over the moon.” The Briton might have cut Vettel’s lead further if not for an inspired charge by the German who fought his way to fourth after a damaged front wing forced a pitstop and dropped him to the back of the field early on. Red Bull’s Australian Daniel Ricciardo came home third, for the third race in a row, to complete the podium. That gave his team something to cheer after young Dutchman Max Verstappen had his race come to a pre-
mature end with mechanical problems while running second and challenging
Hamilton for the lead. Force India enjoyed a great weekend in Canada
with Mexican Sergio Perez taking fifth ahead of French teammate Esteban Ocon.
RESULTS & STANDINGS 1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 1hr 33min 05.153sec, 2. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) +19.783, 3. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) +35.297, 4. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) +35.907, 5. Sergio Perez (Force India) +40.476, 6. Esteban Ocon (Force India) +40.716, 7. Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) +58.632, 8. Nico Hulkenberg (Renault) +1:00.374. 9. Lance Stroll (Williams) 1 lap, 10. Romain Grosjean (Haas)
1 lap, 11. Jolyon Palmer (Renault) 1 lap, 12. Kevin Magnussen (Haas) 1 lap, 13. Marcus Ericsson (Sauber) 1 lap, 14. Stoffel Vandoorne (McLaren) 1 lap, 15. Pascal Wehrlein (Sauber) 2 laps, 16. Fernando Alonso (McLaren) 4 laps. DNF: Felipe Massa (Williams), Carlos Sainz Jr (Toro Rosso), Max Verstappen (Red Bull), Daniil Kvyat (Toro Rosso). Standings: Drivers: 1. Vettel 141 pts, 2. Hamilton 129, 3. Bot-
tas 93, 4. Raikkonen 73, 5. Ricciardo 67, 6. Verstappen 45, 7. Perez 44, 8. Ocon 27, 9. Sainz Jr 25, 10. Massa 20. 11. Hulkenberg 18, 12. Grosjean 10, 13. Magnussen 5, 14. Wehrlein 4, 15. Kvyat 4, 16. Stroll 2. Constructors: 1. Mercedes 222 points, 2. Ferrari 214, 3. Red Bull 112, 4. Force India 71, 5. Toro Rosso 29, 6. Williams 22, 7. Renault 18, 8. Haas 15, 9. Sauber 4.
MY Day! Lewis Hamilton is all joy as he celebrates with fans after winning the Canadian Grand Prix. AFP *
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18 LIFE
NOIDA/DELHI
THE HINDU
TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 2017
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IN BRIEF
Microsoft challenges Sony Surf’s up: a Syrian refugee’s new love with powerful new Xbox 17-year-old Ali Kassem says that he feels free when he is riding the waves The video console will be available worldwide from Nov. 7
Yeh Ballet at London Indian Film Festival
Agence France-Presse
MUMBAI
Microsoft has unveiled Xbox One X — calling it the most powerful video console ever made, and escalating a battle with market king PlayStation. The $499 (₹25,800) product was built with the muscle for seamless play on ultra-high definition 4K televisions and will be available worldwide on November 7, according to Xbox team leader Phil Spencer. He introduced the much anticipated Xbox One X, called Scorpio during development, at a Microsoft event on Sunday. Aiming at the hearts of gamers, Microsoft also showed off 42 coming games, with 22 titles being tailored for exclusive play on Xbox One consoles. Independent publishers tend to make blockbuster titles available for play on Xbox, PlayStation and personal computer hardware in an effort to sell creations to
Yeh Ballet, a virtual reality (VR) documentary, directed by Sooni Taraporevala, is set to be screened at the London Indian Film Festival. The film, by the director of Little Zizou, documents the journey of two boys living in the chawls of Navi Mumbai, pursuing their dream of becoming top dancers. PTI
Irrfan’s Doob to première in Shanghai, Moscow MUMBAI
Bangladeshi director Mostofa Sarwar Farooki’s bilingual film Doob: No Bed Of Roses, starring Irrfan Khan and Bangladeshi actor Nusrat Imrose Tisha, will have its world première at the 20th Shanghai International Film Festival. The film has also been selected to compete at the 39th Moscow International Film Festival. PTI
Los Angeles
Gamer’s delight: XBox One X has a free 4K update to adventure game Minecraft. MICROSOFT/AP *
as broad an audience as possible. Keenly-anticipated new games shown off here include a new instalment of “Assassin’s Creed” from France-based Ubisoft, intended to reboot the long-running franchise by taking players back to the “origins” of the storyline in ancient Egypt. Game play on 4K screens is expected to be among
themes at E3 this week. Enabling ultra-rich visuals also tunes into the budding trend toward virtual reality games. PlayStation has become the prime driver of revenue at Japan-based entertainment giant Sony, according to executives. “We are selling every single one we can make,” Sony Interactive Entertainment worldwide studios chairman Shawn Layden said of PS4.
Agence France-Presse Jiyeh
Ali Kassem had never seen the sea before he fled his home in Syria for Lebanon, but now he’s a regular in the waves and dreams of his own surf school. Dressed in a purple wet suit, the 17-year-old confidently coats his board with wax and smears sunscreen on his face before dashing into the sea. He disappears behind one wave and another until his small figure is barely visible from the beach at all, as though he were headed for the horizon. “When I’m on my board, I feel free. I feel like I’m in another life,” the teenager says shyly at a beach in Jiyeh, 30 kilometres south of Beirut. Mr. Kassem is from Aleppo city, though he says he remembers little from his childhood in Syria. His father has worked in Jiyeh for the past 25 years, and after Syria’s conflict erupted in March 2011, he decided to bring his family to Lebanon as well. Mr. Kassem has two broth-
Life lessons: Ali Kassem on a beach in Jiyeh, Lebanon.
ers and three sisters, but speaks little about his family and his life before he became a refugee. A third brother died in the conflict, “killed in Aleppo at the beginning of the war”, he says, without giving more details.
Sport as art His life now is dominated by surfing. “Surfing is like an art. It allows me to express my personality,” he says, his eyes sparkling in his tanned face. Mr. Kassem’s entry into surfing came through Ali el-
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AFP
Amine, who became his mentor after meeting him in 2015. At the sandy Jiyeh beach, a popular spot for surfers, Mr. Amine spotted Mr. Kassem trying his luck in the waves with a makeshift board. “He was trying to surf with a piece of polystyrene he had cut into a plank shape,” says the 34-year-old, who runs a surf school in Jiyeh. Mr. Kassem had spent long hours observing surfers in the water at Jiyeh before deciding to try himself. “I didn’t know this sport exis-
ted. The first time I saw the surfers, I wanted to try it,” he says. Mr. Amine decided to take Mr. Kassem under his wing, offering him a spot at his surf school and giving him a wet suit and board “on the condition he was good in class and behaved with his parents”. And two years later, the guidance has borne fruit, says Mr. Amine, who considers Mr. Kassem “a son”. “He’s better than some people who have been surfing for years,” he says. Mr. Kassem has stuck with the sport, convinced it can help him “build a better life”. During the summer, he works at Mr. Amine’s school, repairing boards, welcoming customers and helping during lessons. But, while Mr. Kassem says he has become used to life in Lebanon, he still dreams of returning home. His ultimate goal is “to become the first professional surfer in Syria and open a surf school in Latakia when the war is over”.
Three new sites recognised as biodiversity hotspots in Goa Bombay Natural History Society publishes updated list with Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary, Navelim Wetlands and Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary Prakash Kamat Panaji
Tale of millennial angst scoops up Tony Awards An edgy new tale of millennial angst won six Tony Awards, including the honours for best musical and lead actor at Broadway’s equivalent of the Oscars for U.S. theatre. Dear Evan Hansen tells the story of a high school student with social anxiety whose life changes after a classmate commits suicide. AFP
BirdLife International, a conservation organisation, has recognised three new sites in Goa as hotspots for protection. The sites have been added to their list of “Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas”. The inclusion of these ecological hotspots in a new book come after systematic data collection by the Goa Bird Conservation Network (GBCN). The book is authored by noted ornithologist Asad Rahmani, along with two other co-authors, and is pub-
lished by the Bombay Natural History Society. Now, seven areas in Goa have been termed important biodiversity areas by BirdLife. GBCN president Parag Rangnekar said Goa earlier had four recognised biodiversity areas: Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary and Mollem National Park, Carambolim Wetlands, Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary and Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary.
Larger extent The list has now added Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary, Navelim Wetlands and Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary.
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Panda-monium in Tokyo
Nilgiri wood pigeon, endemic to the Western Ghats.
The extent of Carambolim Wetland has been increased to include the fragile ecosystem of Dhado, which has recently become a wintering ground for many species of
migratory birds. “While analysing data on birds of the State we realized that we have two species of critically endangered, eight species of vulnerable and 11 species of near-threatened birds that have been documented,” says Pronoy Baidya, vicepresident of GBCN and one of the contributors to the Goa chapter in the new book. “Goa harbours a good population of the lesser adjutant and the Nilgiri wood pigeon in certain pockets of the State apart from the identified sites,” said Mr. Baidya. “Goa probably has more
are signiicant < > Areas for conservation on a global platform Harshada Gauns Goa Bird Conservation Network
sites than the seven identified but a lack of systematic effort in the past to document birds created a void of data because of which we could not propose more sites to BNHS, which coordinates the programme in India,” said Mr. Rangnekar. He recalled that in 2012-13, zoology students from Government College, Sanquelim, in north Goa monitored the Navelim Wetlands for an en-
tire year documenting birds and their population. “It was primarily a marsh land with paddy fields bordered by mangrove growth that is under the local community’s control. It was important to highlight the significance of this area for conservation on a global platform” says Harshada Gauns, an office-bearer of GBCN, who led the team that monitored the wetland. “Declaring a site as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area does not ensure that the site gets legal protection or becomes inaccessible to people. Instead BirdLife In-
ternational encourages national and State governments to recognise the areas as sites of vital importance for conservation of wildlife and to empower local communitybased conservation initiatives,” said Mr. Baidya. “In Goa, the Forest Department has already provided support to GBCN in setting up the long-term bird monitoring project, which has completed one year in Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary. The information will help the Forest Department in planning their management strategies,” said Mr. Rangnekar.
Much ado about a murder scene Press Trust of India New York
Exciting news: An employee of a department store in Tokyo’s Ueno shopping district distributes paper masks to celebrate the birth of a baby panda at a nearby zoo, which celebrated the irst birth of a baby panda in ive years on Monday. AFP *
Delta Air Lines is pulling its sponsorship of New York’s Public Theatre for portraying Julius Caesar as a Donald Trump lookalike, who gets knifed to death on stage in a play. The Atlanta-based airline released a statement saying the graphic staging of Julius Caesar does not reflect its values and had “crossed the line on the standards of good taste”. The play is part of the city’s free ‘Shakespeare in the Park’ festival in Central Park. Its director, Oskar Eustis, says the production “in no way advocates violence toward anyone.” Messages seeking comment from The Public Theatre weren’t immediately returned.
Harnessing the solar spectrum Three-way split of sunlight can meet food, energy and water needs, says study The proposed photovoltaic designs transmit photons responsible for plant growth while reflecting remaining photons in the solar spectrum to specially designed solar cells that can help generate electricity and collect heat for energy recovery and water purification.
Press Trust of India Washington
Using different parts of sunlight’s spectrum to produce crops, generate electricity, collect heat and purify water could provide food, energy and water resources for the world’s growing population, a study has said. “Increase in population, coupled with rising per capita income and associated change in consumption habits, will put unprecedented stress on food, energy and water resources,” said Rakesh Agrawal, professor at Purdue University in the U.S. “The grand challenge before us is to sustainably meet the needs of a full Earth using scarcer resources, and the sun is the key energy source to achieve this goal,” said Prof. Agrawal. He led a study that talks of a system that would use the entire solar spectrum to maximise resource production from a given land area. The concept, described in CM YK
Solar panels can be put to multiple purposes.
the journal Scientific Reports, works by separating and harvesting the three specific segments of the solar spectrum that are best suited to facilitate the production of food, energy and clean water. In current practices, much of this spectrum is wasted because all of the sunlight falling on a given spot is used for one purpose: agriculture, energy production or water purification.
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S. JAMES
The new approach would instead use the same land mass for all three purposes simultaneously through innovative technologies that split the spectrum into three segments and efficiently harvest sunlight. A typical photovoltaic panel, when installed on farmland, casts a shadow and dramatically reduces plant growth and crop yield from the shadowed area.
Global resilience Solar spectrum splitting to maximise electric power generation and heat recovery is well-known, said Muhammad Ashraful Alam, a professor at Purdue University. The proposed system could create solar-powered, self-sufficient communities, said Peter Bermel, an assistant professor at Purdue University. “Implementing this approach across agricultural land areas could supply extra electricity to the power grid, as well as freshwater supplies to other areas in need, thus improving global resilience,” he added. A ND-ND
tuesday 앫 june 13, 2017
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20 years since Uphaar tragedy
Winning hearts and souls
Learn from the masters
Let’s get growing
Case crusader Neelam Krishnamoorthy says she has lost her faith in the judiciary Page 2
Though Diljit Dosanjh is making an impact in Hindi ilms, his focus remains on Punjabi ilms and music Page 4
In Dean Jones’ Cricket Tips, the Australian legend gives some important advice on batting Page 5
Tech startups are coming up with innovative systems to bring farming to the urbanite Page 6
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IN BRIEF
DU invites applications for 72 postgraduate courses Registration to be closed on June 22; entrance exams to begin from July 7
Former MLA attacked over property dispute
Staff Reporter
NEW DELHI
New Delhi
Former Congress MLA Asif Mohammad Khan was allegedly shot at by several men in south-east Delhi’s Zakir Nagar on Monday. A case has been registered. The MLA claimed he was shot at because he was trying to solve a property dispute for a friend’s wife. CITY
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Women thrash ‘molester’ in Gurugram NEW DELHI
A Hindi news channel, on Sunday, ran a video claiming that three women beat up a man with their footwear on Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road here after he allegedly misbehaved with one of them. The video of the incident, which has not been veriied, has gone viral. CITY
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L-G: take action against open burning of garbage NEW DELHI
Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal on Monday directed government agencies to generate awareness on the prohibition of open-air burning of waste. He also asked for strict enforcement of dust pollution norms. CITY 쑺 PAGE 2 DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
Undergraduate admissions: 2 lakh apply for 56,000 seats Registration window closes; irst cut-of list on June 20 Jaideep Deo Bhanj New Delhi
Long process: List of selected candidates will be released on July 16, after which applicants will have to get their documents veriied. FILE PHOTO
dates of portal re-opening,” said a university official. On July 16, the university will declare the selected candidates of both the “merit” and “entrance” category together after which applicants will have to get their documents verified at the “reporting centre”. The admission of an applicant will be completed only after payment of the online admission fee “Having the name appear in the admission list alone does not entitle an applicant for admission. Admission to the course shall not be considered complete until the documents are verified and the payment of admission fee is realised,” said an official. For students who have qualified via the entrance exam but have not received their qualification exam marksheet during the verification process, the university will allow them 20 days from the date of announcement of the admission list to get the admission approved.
cannot change the centre. Results of the entrance exam will be released between July 7 and July 12 after which selected candidates will be called for a group discussion/interview, if any, between July 12 and July 14. The first list of candidates selected for admission will be released on July 16.
Fellowship M.Phil and Ph.D aspirants who have fellowship from UGC, CSIR or NET or any Central government institute need not take the entrance exam, however, they will have to sit for the interview. The university said that the exact number of Ph.D seats will be finalised soon.
Delhi University (DU) on Monday began its admission process for 72 postgraduate courses. Candidates seeking admission to PG/Master’s courses can now register themselves online on the DU website. Once registered, candidates can use their login details to fill the form. Candidates who wish to apply to more than one programme will have to fill separate forms for each course and pay the registration fee separately as well. The registration fee per course is ₹500 for unreserved students.
Two modes of admission University officials informed that there are two modes of admission for postgraduate courses. For merit or direct admission, which comprises 50% of the total intake, only students of DU will be eligible. The remaining 50% intake will be filled through an entrance exam and interview/ group discussion, if any, to enable students from other universities to join. The university on Monday said that the closing date for online registration is June 22 and the entrance exams will be conducted between July 1 and July 6 at Chennai, Delhi, Guwahati, Kolkata, Nagpur and Varanasi. Once an applicant chooses a centre, they
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After registering themselves on the portal, applicants will have to update their information regarding their qualification exam. “The PG admission portal will be reopened for this purpose again once results are declared and applicants are requested to keep checking the DU website for further details related to
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Right to childhood
The online application process for admission to meritbased undergraduate courses offered at Delhi University (DU) closed on Monday evening. The university informed that 3,20,262 students registered themselves on the portal and 2,07,751 applicants completed the application by paying the fee. The number of applicants this year has seen a drop compared to last year when 2,50,914 students completed the application process.
Popular courses B.A (Programme) and B.A (Hons.) English were the most sought-after courses this year with over 1.34 lakh and 1.24 lakh applicants respectively. In the science stream, B.Sc (Hons.) Mathematics was the most sought-after with 70,684 applications. The least popular course was B.A (Hons.) Bengali for which 21,306 students applied. The majority of the applications were received from Delhi, followed by Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. A total of 1,20,514 applied from Delhi, 62,024 from U.P. and 38,702 from Haryana. Most number of applications have been received from students who studied under the CBSE curriculum (1,86,936 applications).
Next step: Document veriication and payment of fees for those seeking admission under the irst list will be conducted between June 20 and June 22. SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA *
The first admission list will be declared on June 20 followed by five more lists to be released on June 24, July1, July 7, July 13 and July 18 respectively. Document verification and approval of admission and payment of fees for those seeking admission under the first list will be conducted between June 20 and June 22.
Carry these documents The applicants will be required to produce the following documents in original with two sets of self-attested photocopies at the time of admission: Class
X Board Examination Certificate, Class X marksheet, Class XII marksheet, Class XII provisional certificate/ original certificate, recent character certificate, SC/ST/ PwD/CW/KM certificate (in the name of the applicant) issued by the competent authority, OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) certificate (in the name of the applicant) as in central list, and two passport size self-attested photos. Students who have passed senior secondary exam from outside Delhi will need to provide a transfer certificate from school/college as well as a migration certificate from the Board/university.
History a matter of debate at SAU Contesting interpretations of South Asia’s history delay eforts to introduce course member at SAU, adding that the university was yet to come to a consensus about the syllabus for History at the post-graduate level. “We are aware of the debates over South Asian history. It will take sometime to resolve it,” added the faculty member.
Kallol Bhattacherjee NEW DELHI
United front: The Delhi Police, BSF and NGO Child Rights and You organised a “Let’s Join Our Hands” campaign to mark World Day Against Child Labour on Monday. As per the 2011 census, there are an estimated 83 lakh child labourers In India. SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR *
Contesting interpretations of the history of South Asia has prevented South Asian University (SAU), which is the only university functioning under the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), from offering a course on the subject. The university organised its second convocation on Monday, which was addressed by Minister of State for External Affairs M. J. Akbar and Deep Kumar Upadhyay, Nepal’s envoy to India. Nepal is the current chair of SAARC. As many as 185 students from various South Asian countries were awarded degrees covering subjects like International Relations, Sociology, Computer Science, Development Economics, and Applied Mathematics. “There is a sentiment
Minister of State for External Afairs M. J. Akbar addressed the university’s second convocation on Monday.
about competing interpretations of South Asian history among the stake-holding countries. SAU is a new university and we need the support of all SAARC members. The introduction of History at this stage might impact the prospects of the university, which is why there is a feeling that it would be better to introduce the subject later,” said a senior faculty
‘National interpretations’ SAU began operating in 2010 and held its first convocation in 2016. At present, the university functions from Akbar Bhawan in Chanakyapuri. “The academic committees at SAU, which include members from each SAARC country, will frame the syllabus after collective discussion,” said Dr Kavita Sharma, SAU president. Ms. Sharma expressed confidence that a History course would eventually be framed after overcoming na-
tional interpretations over key events that shaped modern South Asia. “We will introduce history as a discipline in the way that we teach International Relations and Sociology,” she added. According to Dr. Sharma, Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences and Mathematics are among the disciplines that have been delayed due to lack of infrastructure, but will be offered by 2019. History also found considerable emphasis during Mr. Akbar and Mr. Upadhyay address. While the Minister referred to the history of SAARC, which has faced challenges in the last 32 years, Mr. Upadhyay referred to South Asia’s rich history. “It was in this region that early civilisation developed. Few regions have a history as rich as South Asia’s,” said Mr. Upadhyay.
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Cops to felicitate neighbours who helped elderly couple ight of robber grandson Victims’ family says they are ‘humiliated’ as one of their own was allegedly involved in the crime, will not take part in any event connected to the incident Hemani Bhandari New Delhi
The Delhi Police on Monday said that it will honour the neighbours who came to the assistance of an elderly couple who had raised an alarm after their grandson and his accomplice allegedly entered their house to rob them on Saturday in Rohini. The family of the couple, however, told The Hindu that they did not want to be associated with any event related to the incident as “one of their own” had committed the crime. Frustrated with mediapersons camping in front of their house, the elderly couple’s younger daughter Vidhi Rana told The Hindu that her father is a heart patient and wants to be left alone. “People are coming in every hour and we are receiving so many calls. CM YK
Main accused Rajat. *
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
They are both old and can’t deal with this emotionally or physically. As it is, the crime has been committed by one of our own, which has left them shocked”. On being told of the plans to felicitate the neighbours who helped her grandparents, Ms. Rana said: “They can do what they
want. We don’t want to talk about it further.” Gesturing towards her visibly exhausted mother, who sat on a sofa at the entrance of their house, Ms. Rana said that reporters were talking to their neighbours: “All of them helped us but it’s humiliating that everyone on the street is
talking about us,” she said.
Robbery attempt On Saturday afternoon, 76-year-old Ram Lal Muglani answered the door and confronted a man who told him that he was from the gas agency and needed to check their connection. “I asked him for an ID, to which he
replied that he wasn’t carrying one but would do so the next time... I allowed him in and took him to the kitchen,” Mr. Muglani said. Once in the kitchen, Mr. Muglani heard some muffled voices coming from the drawing room and rushed to check on his wife. He saw a man wearing a helmet
holding his wife, Devi Shakuntala, hostage. Meanwhile, the other man emerged from the kitchen and caught hold of Mr. Muglani. “I shouted for help a couple of times and thankfully a lot of my neighbours came in no time. They caught both of them
and when the helmet was removed, we were shocked to see my grandson,” Mr. Muglani said. The accused were identified as 20-year-old Rajat, a student of Bachelors of Law from Indraprastha University and son of the couple’s elder daughter Geeta. Rajat’s accomplice
was his school friend Rishabh, said the police. The elderly couple were taken for a medical check-up where it was revealed that Ms. Shakuntala had lost one of her teeth during the scuffle with her grandson. Rajat was carrying a hammer in his bag and had placed a pistol on his right leg which was later found to be a toy. “We have recovered the toy pistol and have booked the duo on charges of attempt to robbery,” said a senior police officer. During interrogation, Rajat told the police that his grandfather had recently sold the house in which he was living in to shift to Rohini Sector 11. “He knew they had ₹5-10 lakh in their possession so he hatched the plan to rob them with his friend because he wanted to travel,” said the officer. B ND-ND
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Mishra says anti-graft crusaders joining him NEW DELHI
Sacked Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra on Monday claimed that a number of anti-graft volunteers, who formerly worked with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, have joined hands with him. “Former anti-graft volunteers are joining hands with us,” said Mr. Mishra. PTI
20 years on, Uphaar ire still raging in hearts of kin
JNUSU members protest closing of dhabas at night
AVUT chairperson Neelam Krishnamoorthy relects on the long legal battle and how the victims’ families have lost faith in the judicial system
NEW DELHI
Jatin Anand
Members of JNUSU organised a ‘tea protest’ on Sunday against the shutting down of dhabas at night. “The JNU administration has adopted all possible means to scuttle the rights of students, teachers and workers,” JNUSU general secretary Satarupa Chakraborty said. PTI
New Delhi
No encroachment of water bodies, says HC NEW DELHI
The Delhi High Court has made it clear that water bodies cannot be encroached upon in the Capital and have to be preserved. The observation came during the hearing of a PIL seeking preservation of a ‘jauhad’ (water body) in Badarpur in south Delhi. PTI
Correction In the story headlined ‘Haryana’s Sarvesh grabs top rank’ in JEE Advanced examination of the edition dated June 12, 2017, the Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad, should have been referred to as the Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad.
Unnati would have been 37 and Ujjwal 33 years old now had the Ansals, the owners of Uphaar theatre, cared about the safety of the cinemagoers visiting their property. Neelam Krishnamoorthy, the mother of the two teenagers who died in the June 13, 1997, fire that claimed 57 more lives, is spearheading a longdrawn fight for justice with no end in sight. Jatin Anand speaks to her on the eve of 20 years of Uphaar tragedy. It’s been two decades since the Uphaar incident. Do you wish to share any thoughts about what you feel? It seems like yesterday when my children — Unnati and Ujjwal — were with me. But reality kicks in when I come across anything related to the arduous legal battle that began after June 1997. There was some hope as the Association (Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy or AVUT) and I had waged this struggle over two decades, until last year when the courts decided that the Ansals could go free on account of their age. What I feel this evening is not just the pain because of the loss of my children and the lives of several others, but also the pain
Tuesday, we < > On will pray together to seek forgiveness from the souls of our departed family members because we have failed them, because praying is the only option left Neelam Krishnamoorthy AVUT chief
Travesty of justice: (From left to right) Neelam Krishnamoorthy, who lost her two children in the incident; Uphaar cinema during the ire; the theatre as it stands today. *
FILE PHOTOS
of the faith shattered in the judiciary. It is a very sad day for each of us. Tomorrow [Tuesday] we will pray together to seek forgiveness from the souls of our departed family members because we have failed them, because praying that they rest in peace is the only option left. Given a chance, would you have done anything differently in your pursuit for justice over the last 20 years? Certainly. I wish I had picked up a gun and shot those responsible for the
deaths of my children and 59 others instead of going to the courts and relying on them for justice. I wouldn’t have even bothered to go on the run afterwards, I would have pleaded guilty and preferred to serve a sentence for murder. I would have been out of jail by now had this happened. In your opinion, have any lessons been learnt to prevent a similar incident? I remember Uphaar each time there is a fire incident. For me, many Uphaars have
happened since 1997, and many more may happen because we still compromise on safety laws. In fact, I feel more pained and anguished every time I see television discussions revolving around proposed laws against the killing of animals, even as repeated pleas to bring in a stringent law against manmade disasters fall on deaf ears. Twenty years on, do you feel the city is better equipped to deal with an incident like Uphaar?
There is a long, long way to go before one can even think of making such a statement. The Fire Department definitely needs to be better equipped, besides being given better training. Also there must be more transparency when it comes to the fire safety condition of buildings. In Goa, for instance, a software has been developed to check the [fire] safety status of buildings online. A similar facility is needed in Delhi. People have a right to know how safe the building
they are visiting actually is. You were recently tendered an apology for an incident related to the case back in 1997. The so-called apology is vague. Those accused of threatening me aren’t even admitting that they did something wrong. I’m seeking legal opinion in the matter. It has been listed for hearing on July 1. The accused have filed a mercy petition with the President. What are you views on this and its pos-
DDA ordered to compile data on British-era leases
Armed with tablets, SDMC staf to ight dengue
Action awaited on 6,000-7,000 properties, says CIC
New Delhi
Press Trust of India New Delhi
The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) does not have a consolidated list of properties that were leased out during the British era. This surfaced during a hearing before the Central Information Commission, which directed the civic and land management body to prepare the list within six months. The Old Scheme Branch of the DDA has admitted that there are 6,000-7,000 properties, given on lease during the British era, on which deliberations are going on whether to continue with their lease or take action. “Such an information was expected to be available with the DDA, considering the fact that planned devel-
opment of Delhi is one of the primary functions of the DDA under Sections 7-11A of the DD Act of 1957,” said Information Commissioner Yashovardhan Azad. He said it transpired during the course of hearing that officials, including Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal, had indicated his keenness on the subject and directed the DDA and other land management and civic bodies to devise a mechanism of identifying, segregating, tabulating and compiling information about such leases.
‘Queries unanswered’ The Commission noted that it is impossible to answer the queries because of nonavailability of any compiled information, as it transpires from the above deliberations
MLAs demand more funds for east Delhi ₹10 crore sought for each constituency Damini Nath New Delhi
East Delhi MLAs have asked for more funds to carry out works under the TransYamuna Area Development Board, with officials saying that a minimum of ₹10 crore for each of the 16 Assembly constituencies to be considered.
Board revived After a period of being defunct, the Board was revived by the Aam Aadmi Party government last year. At a meeting on August 23, 2016, the members had unanimously agreed that east Delhi required more funds for development, with a minimum of ₹500 crore to be allocated annually. However, there has been no progress on that account so far. At a meeting on Monday, the members again reiterated the need for more funds. They said a minimum CM YK
of ₹10 crore, and up to ₹20 crore, should be given for each constituency. Cabinet Minister and Seemapuri MLA Rajendra Pal Gautam, who is a member of the Board, said: “Currently, the Board has been allocated ₹20 crore, which is not enough for all of east Delhi. We have agreed that more funds need to be allocated.” The Board’s decision will now be sent to the Finance Department for approval. Apart from the funds allocated to the Board, the 16 MLAs of east Delhi have ₹4 crore each in the form of MLA LAD funds. The Board can use its funds to have development works carried out by the East Delhi Municipal Corporation as well. North-east Delhi MP Manoj Tiwari and east Delhi MP Maheish Girri, who are members of the Board, did not attend the meeting on Monday.
and also it is not possible to hold any one PIO as custodian of the information. “The Commission finds that given the circumstances there was no compiled information to furnish and also the information sought was huge and could not have been given in the given period of time," he said.
‘Citizens’ rights denied’ Keeping in view that the citizens of the country should have access to information about leased out public properties and drainage of public revenue with respect to the same, the Commission, in exercise of powers conferred under Section 19 (8) of the RTI Act, deems it appropriate to issue guidelines in this regard, he added.
New app to allow data collection on vulnerable areas, ines issued and fogging app will help < > The in developing a
Staff Reporter
South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) Mayor Kamaljeet Sehrawat on Monday launched an app that will allow mosquito-control staff to effectively collect data on dengue and chikungunya. The app will also help in organising data on 16 vulnerable areas, fines issued and fogging.
Keeping tab Domestic Breeding Checkers (DBCs) will also be able to upload photos of mosquitobreeding sites on the app. The civic body officials said the app would come loaded on tablets, which the DBCs would carry with them during inspections. “The app will help in developing a micro-plan for the future and save residents from the menace of mosquitoes,” said SDMC Commis-
micro-plan for the future and save residents from the menace of mosquitoes Dr. Puneet Goel SDMC Commissioner
at fixed intervals.
A step forward: SDMC Mayor Kamaljeet Sehrawat (centre) launches the tablets on Monday. SHANKER CHAKRAVARTY *
sioner Dr. Puneet Goel, adding that the DBCs would be trained in operating a tablet and the app. The municipality also distributed uniforms and ID cards to its DBCs, which will
Baijal wants action against open burning of garbage Seeks enforcement of pollution norms at construction sites
help them gain easy access to colonies for inspections. The officials said that though the DBCs had been collecting data in paper registers since 1996, there was no plan to cover every house
North body digitises property tax records E-mutation facility made available Staff Reporter
He was also apprised of the proposal to introduce eco-friendly vehicles to provide last-mile connectivity with metro stations. Mr. Baijal then suggested involving the Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning & Engineering) Centre in the matter.
Staff Reporter New Delhi
Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal on Monday directed government agencies to generate awareness on the prohibition of open-air burning of waste. Speaking at a review meeting held to discuss the status of air pollution in the Capital, Mr. Baijal also asked the officials concerned to enforce dust pollution norms at construction sites.
‘PCCs flouting norms’ The L-G was apprised that the Delhi Transport Department had taken action against 19 pollution checking centres (PCCs) for allegedly flouting norms. The Capital has around 970 PCC centres, which are certified to check the emission of around 70 lakh vehicles that ply on its roads. An EPCA audit has found
Anil Baijal that lakhs of vehicles in the city operate without the mandatory ‘pollution under control’ certificates, while the emission testing centres are severely understaffed.
1,000 buses impounded During the meeting, Mr. Baijal was also informed that the department had impounded around 1,000 unauthorised buses since January.
Cleaning of roads The L-G also directed the authorities concerned to devise standard operating procedures for disposal of dust collected through mechanical sweeping of roads. “All three municipal corporations said they would receive the first lot of mechanical road sweepers by July 15. The PWD said six such machines were functioning under it, while a global tender has been floated for additional six machines,” a statement issued by the Raj Niwas read.
Setback overcome “The DBCs would often miss the progress of houses checked. This was a major setback, considering that mosquito larvae have to be destroyed before seven days,” Ms. Sehrawat said. It was also suggested that women DBCs be recruited to gain easy accessibility inside houses. Since in most houses women stay alone during the day, they do not allow male DBCs to enter their houses for inspections due to safety reasons.
New Delhi
The North Delhi Municipal Corporation on Monday added a new feature to its website that will allow residents to apply for mutation or change of name on property tax documents. Mayor Preety Agarwal said the move was aimed at curbing corruption and promoting e-governance. “The new features will increase administrative efficiency and reduce scope for corruption as they will cut down on human intervention and promote e-governance,” said Ms. Agarwal. North Commissioner Praveen Gupta said the idea was to go from “in line to online” to offer more ease to people.
Important links The website also carries links to important platforms such as the mayor helpline,
call centre help line, online parking lot management system, and online unauthorised construction management system.
Reaching out to public Ms. Agarwal said the website would soon be linked with social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to reach out to more people and to promote interaction. It has been designed using the latest technology, and can also be accessed from a smartphone, added the officials. The civic body had recently launched a mobile application which allows residents to lodge parkingrelated complaints with the municipality. The South Delhi Municipal Corporation had also re-launched its website on May 17, with added features and easier directions.
sible outcome? A government considering life for killing an animal will consider clemency for those responsible for the deaths of 59 persons and injuries to countless others? How and why must they even consider a petition as blatant and undeserving as theirs? Do you still plan to file a curative petition in relation to the verdict in the main case? We will definitely file a curative petition. Also, another case, one of breach of trust related to the tampering of evidence, is under way. I just hope that after the final conviction in this case, the courts don’t say that the accused are too old to go behind bars. After all, this a crime against the court and seemingly more grave than their crime against me.
LLB seats: BCI asked to re-examine DU plea Press Trust of India New Delhi
The Delhi High Court on Monday asked the Bar Council of India (BCI) to examine afresh Delhi University’s (DU) representation to induct 2,310 students into its LLB course as against 1,440 fixed by the lawyers’ body. A Bench of Justices S. Muralidhar and C. Hari Shankar told the BCI that its Legal Education Committee (LEC), scheduled to meet from June 17-19, shall “independently” consider the university’s representation and the report of its inspection, to decide how many students can be inducted this year. The court said the LEC would take a decision “uninfluenced” by the BCI’s rejection of the representation. It told the lawyers’ body that the LEC would communicate its decision in writing to the Dean of the Law Faculty of DU on or before June 24, along with a copy of the inspection report.
Report on June 27 It said the decision and the inspection report should also be placed before the court on the next date of hearing on June 27. The order came after the BCI told the Bench that its committee inspected the three centres of the Law Faculty on June 9 and had given a report. . The court had on June 7 told the lawyers’ body that if the varsity had paid the fees for inspection of its centres, then the BCI should carry out the exercise. It had also noted that the BCI had not dealt with the claims made by the DU while rejecting its representation to induct 2,310 students into its law course. The court had said the BCI’s rejection letter was not a reasoned order as it failed to deal with DU’s claim that the university had improved its infrastructure. B ND-ND
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Road not to be taken
Dog killed; residents cry foul Staff Reporter NEW DELHI
Will make Delhi safe for children: Delhi Police NEW DELHI
The Delhi Police will work to ensure the Capital is a secure place for children as the force stressed on Monday that locating missing kids is a "high priority" task for them. At an event here to mark World Day Against Child Labour, the police joined hands with NGO Child Rights and You with a pledge to protect and ensure the rights of underprivileged children. “We are committed to making the city safe for children,” said spokesperson Dependra Pathak. PTI
Woman’s body found in north-east Delhi NEW DELHI
The body of a woman was found on the carriageway leading towards north-east Delhi’s Khajoori Chowk and Signature Bridge on Monday. The police said they received the PCR call informing them about the body around 6 a.m. “She is aged between 30 and 35. She was wearing a white suit, green salwar and an orange dupatta,” said a senior police officer. In another incident, the body of a ninemonth-old infant was found near a canal in south-east Delhi. STAFF REPORTER
2 held for stabbing man who fought sister’s stalker NEW DELHI
The Delhi Police have arrested two men -- Imran and Moin Khan -- for allegedly stabbing a man who protested against the stalking of his sister in south-east Delhi’s Govindpuri. As per the victim’s statement, one of the duo had allegedly been stalking his sister for some time. On June 7, they had barged into his house demanding to see her. When he protested, they abused his mother and sister and attacked him with a knife. STAFF REPORTER
DELHI TODAY Talk: Discussion on “Gender and Transit” Speakers: Heather Allen, Consultant, FIA; Jagan Shah, Director, NIUA; Kamaljeet Sehrawat, Mayor, SDMC; Shreya Gadepalli, Director-South Asia, ITDP; Soumini Jain, Mayor, Kochi (T); Sunita Sanghi, Advisor, NITI Aayog (T); and Swati Maliwal, Chairperson, Delhi Commission of Women (T). Moderator: Kalpana Viswanath, Co-founder, Safetipin at C.D. Deshmukh Auditorium, India International Centre (IIC), 9 a.m. Discussion: Book discussion on “Conserving Architecture”, edited by Kulbhushan Jain. Discussants: Amita Baig, Heritage Management Consultant, New Delhi; Dr. Nalini Thakur, formerly with the School of Planning & Architecture, New Delhi; and Divya Gupta, Principal Director, Architectural Heritage Division, INTACH, New Delhi. Chair: Ashok Chatterjee, former Executive Director, National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad at Conference Room – I, India International Centre (IIC), 6:30 p.m. Exhibition: Indian civil aircraft at various airports and Indian military aircraft at various air bases - solo photography exhibition by Vijay Seth at Convention Centre Foyer, India Habitat Centre (IHC), 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Screening: "Les Contes De La Nuit" French animation ilm screening with English subtitles at M.L. Bhartia Auditorium, Alliance Francaise De Delhi, 72, Lodhi Estate, 10 a.m. Screening: "Giuseppe Verdi: Il Trovatore" ilm screening as part of Summer Sonata at C. D. Deshmukh Auditorium, India International Centre (IIC), 6 p.m. (Mail your listings for this column at
[email protected])
Attack over property dispute in S. Delhi Staff Reporter NEW DELHI
Former Congress MLA Asif Mohammad Khan claimed that shots were fired at him at the house of a friend in southeast Delhi’s Zakir Nagar on Monday afternoon. The police have registered a case and have begun investigation. Mr. Khan told The Hindu that he, along with residents of Zakir Nagar and members of Residents’ Welfare Association, had a narrow escape when they went to meet his long-time friend Babu Bhai’s 78-year-old wife Mehrunisa. Identifying the alleged attackers, he said they opened fire at him and others because they were trying to help Ms.Mehrunisa, who was allegedly being forced out of her home by a couple who claimed to be Babu Bhai’s relatives.
‘Couple claimed share’ “Babu Bhai died last month and in his will, he gave Ms. Mehrunisa the flat she is living in and two shops located below her house. A couple, Mohd Nasir and his wife Sadaf, entered her house on Saturday and claimed a share in the property,” he alleged. Mr. Khan said that an argument broke out between the two parties and residents and members of RWA intervened after which the police were called. “The police came and told the couple to leave and they left the premises. But after the police left, a couple of men came and attacked all the people who were helping Ms. Mehrunisa. In the attack, RWA member Parvez Alam Khan was injured and had to
Asif Mohammad Khan
be hospitalised,” he said. On hearing this news, the ex-MLA decided to visit Ms. Mehrinisa on Monday to discuss what had be done about her situation. However, as soon as he stepped out of the home, the couple started fighting with him and people around him, he alleged.
Four men on bikes “They made a few phone calls and four men on two bikes came with pistols and fired at least 20 rounds in our direction. Thankfully, no one got injured,” he alleged. Based on his complaint, the police have registered an FIR under Section 307 (attempt to murder) against unknown persons. “Further investigation is in progress,” said DCP (South East) Romil Baaniya. Talking about the plight of the widow, Mr. Khan said: “In Islam, a woman doesn’t step out of the house for four months in Iddat (a period of mourning after the husband’s death) and the poor woman is sitting in the police station because she is scared for her life. She doesn’t want to go home,” he said.
Joy ride: A man rides a scooter between parked vehicles at a corridor along Asaf Ali Road on Monday.
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SHANKER CHAKRAVARTY
Man arrested for ‘faking’ robbery 24-year-old alleges theft of ₹6 lakh; tells police he wanted to buy a house Staff Reporter New Delhi
The Delhi Police have arrested a 24-year-old man for allegedly faking a robbery of ₹6 lakh in order to be able to buy a house in the city. He was caught after the police identified contradictions in his version of the incident. The accused, Ramdev, hails from U.P. and lives in Tilak Bazar. He works as a driver with a goods carrier firm near Novelty cinema. On Saturday, Ramdev told his employer — Jyoti Traders — that he had been robbed near Shanti Van. He also
showed the employer injuries he claimed were inflicted by the alleged robbers. According to the police, Ramdev said he had collected two cartons of money from Lado Sarai in return for goods supplied and put them in the boot of the car. He claimed that four people in a car intercepted him at a crossing near Shanti Van. According to Ramdev, the four demanded that he hand over the keys of the vehicle. He added that they attacked him with a knife when he refused to do so, leaving him with an injury on the neck. The alleged rob-
bers then took away the keys and fled with the cartons.
Tilted number plate “Ramdev said he couldn’t note the car’s number because the number plate was tilted. He then informed his employer, who took him for a medical examination before approaching the police,” said DCP (Central) Mandeep Randhawa. The police then scanned CCTV footage along the route to identify the car that was following Ramdev. However, they failed to spot any such vehicle. “He was questioned
again, which is when certain contradictions aroused suspicion,” said the DCP. Later, Ramdev admitted to having faked the robbery, said the police. He told the police that he wanted to own a house in Delhi, but was unable to do so with his current job. “He knew that a big amount had been collected. He kept the carton at his sister’s house in Geeta Colony and hurt himself before meeting his employer,” he added. The police have recovered the money and booked Ramdev under relevant sections of the IPC.
A street dog was allegedly killed by an unidentified person at a posh colony in east Delhi’s Anand Vihar on Sunday. The locals alleged that it was done by one of the families in the area who disliked the dog, said the police. The incident came to light when locals saw the dog’s body lying on the street when they went to feed it. The residents of Surya Niketan then called the police and animal welfare organisation. When the police reached the spot, they found the dog’s head had been crushed and based on the complaint of a resident Rahul Kapoor, registered an FIR under Section 429 of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (mischief by killing or maiming cattle). The police said the locals believed the dog was run over by a family that did not like it. The locals alleged the dog used to sleep below the family’s car and they may have intentionally killed it. The locals also alleged that the family in question also asked the mourners to not create a ruckus and allegedly expressed happiness at its death, said the police. The police are verifying the claims and checking the CCTV footage in the area.
Man jailed for sexually Three held for stealing goods Court grants bail ‘brothel owner’ assaulting mother worth ₹80 lakh from godown to Woman claims she is HIV positive Court describes ofence as a ‘vile act’ Press Trust of India New Delhi
A Delhi court has sentenced a man to four years in jail for sexually assaulting his septuagenarian mother, describing the offence as a “vile act” that is universally held as “morally and physically reprehensible”.
Property dispute The court rubbished the defence of Raju (48), who claimed he was framed in a property dispute. “No mother would implicate her son in such a heinous offence,” it observed. The court, stating that the accused had committed the “vile act” under the influence of liquor five years ago, rejected the contention of the convict's counsel that there was a delay in lodging an FIR. “We should not forget that... the victim is none else but the real mother of the accused. She might have thought a number of times before reporting the matter to the police against her son for such an offence,” it said in a recent judgment.
Additional Sessions Judge Sanjiv Jain said in a conservative society, “an indelible stigma” is attached to a victim. The court sentenced Raju to four years in jail for molestation, voluntarily causing grievous hurt and insulting the modesty of a woman under the IPC. “It is true that the convict is 48-yearsold but the court cannot lose sight of the fact that he committed the said act with his mother and such an offence is universally considered to be among the most morally and physically reprehensible crimes in society and an assault on the body, mind, privacy and the entire fabric of the victim,” it said. According to Mohd Iqrar, the public prosecutor in the case, Raju, who was drunk, abused his mother on September 23, 2012. He dragged her from the staircase in their house into his room, bolted it from inside, assaulted her and grievously injured her. Because of the injury, her uterus had to be removed.
The accused were arrested from their residence in Bihar
Nirnimesh Kumar New Delhi
Staff Reporter NEW DELHI
The Delhi Police have arrested three persons for allegedly stealing goods worth ₹80 lakh from a godown in south-east Delhi’s Pul Prahladpur. The accused were arrested from their residence in Bihar. The police became aware of the incident when victim Nitin Kumar, a resident of Faridabad’s Green Field Colony, told them that 250 cartons containing garments that were to be exported to different States had been stolen from his godown in Vishwakarma Colony.
CCTV footage Upon analysing CCTV footage from near the godown, the police obtained the registration number of the vehicle used by the accused. “We found the vehicle belonged to a person in Bihar. On Friday, the three were arrested from Motihari in Bihar and the goods were recovered,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police
Nabbed: The three men had robbed a godown in south-east Delhi’s Pul Prahladpur. SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT *
(South East) Romil Baaniya. The accused — who have been identified as Upender Yadav (22), Sandeep Saha (26), and Anil Saha (22) — told the police that the plan was hatched by Upender in Bihar and the other two were roped in. “They met in Faridabad on May 25 and conducted a recce before committing the burglary,” said the officer. The police said Upender already had a criminal case against him and all the three
are labourers.
Carjackers held In another arrest, the Delhi Police nabbed three gangsters-cum-robbers and carjackers and recovered three firearms, along with live cartridges and two robbed motorcycles. The accused — identified as Ankit Jangra (25), Yogesh Sharma (22) and Servin Kumar (24) — were arrested after the police recieved a tip-off on their movement.
A Delhi court has granted bail to a woman charged with running a brothel and pushing women into sex trade, referring to the special concession given to women accused under Section 437 of the Criminal Procedure Code. “Keeping in view the fact that the applicant is a woman, on the basis of corollary drawn from Section 437 Cr.PC, regarding special concessions being given to women by legislature with respect to matters regarding bail, she is entitled for bail,” Special Judge Sanjay Kumar Aggarwal said allowing her bail plea.
Bond of ₹15,000 The court granted her bail on furnishing a personal bond of ₹15,000 and a surety of a like amount. The court also made it clear that if the woman was found indulging in sex trade again, the prosecution might seek cancellation of her bail. The accused woman had sought bail claiming that she was an HIV positive patient,
and also filed a certificate issued by the Delhi State Aids Control Society in support of it.
‘Fake certificate’ However, the prosecution opposed her submission stating it was found that the certificate, on being verified by the Delhi State Aids Control Society, was not in the woman’s name and could also not be found in their original records. The name had been faked on the certificate by someone else, the prosecution further alleged. The court also observed that as per the police and jail authorities, the woman could not bring any record of her claimed disease. According to the prosecution, the police had raided a brothel on G. B. Road in Central Delhi and rescued a 20-year-old woman, who claimed that she was brought here by someone 11years ago and left with the accused. The accused used to force the victim to indulge in immoral activities and take money from customers, the FIR alleged.
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Sale of loose cigarettes makes it tough to quit: survey Women thrash ‘molester’ in As many as 69% Indians were not convinced that warning images on cigarette packs discouraged smoking Bindu Shajan Perappadan NEW DELHI
Fifty-nine per cent Indians feel that banning the sale of loose cigarettes will discourage smoking, a survey has revealed. The survey, titled ‘Pulse of the Nation Poll’, covered 8,179 respondents in the age group of 18-25. It was jointly conducted by news app Inshorts and global research firm Ipsos and covered topics like the effectiveness of warning graphics on cigarette boxes, ban on sale of loose cigarettes, and the motives behind smoking. While 55% of the participants felt that tobacco users should not have the freedom to consume what they want, 68% said the government should take stringent steps to discourage tobacco consumpCM YK
tion. Incidentally, 61% of smokers agreed that the sale of loose cigarettes made it difficult for smokers to quit.
Stringent rules Around 69% Indians were unsure of the impact of warning images on cigarette packs in reducing smoking. While 60% of non-smokers supported no freedom of choice for smokers, 52% of smokers rebuked the idea. Validating the role of healthcare professionals in reducing smoking, 83% agreed that “smoking is injurious to health”. When it came to discouraging chewing tobacco products, 68% Indians who participated in the poll felt that a lot more can be done in the same regard. About 63% of smokers felt that the gov-
ernment should come up with stringent rules and awareness programs to discourage use of tobacco products. “The survey was conducted to spread awareness on tobacco consumption patterns,” said Azhar Iqubal, an InShorts employee. “Our survey shows that health experts’ advice on the ills of smoking are taken more seriously visà-vis warning visuals on cigarette packs,” added Parijat Chakraborty, executive director, India, Ipsos public affairs. “Interestingly, there is some convergence among smokers and non-smokers on the key motivation for smoking – both attribute it to stress relief,” added Mr. Chakraborty.
Gurugram, video goes viral
The police say the have not received a formal complaint Staff Reporter GURUGRAM
A Hindi news channel, on Sunday, ran a video claiming that three women beat up a man with their footwear on Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road here after he allegedly misbehaved with one of them. The police, however, said that they had not received any complaint in this regard.
Scuffle breaks out The video purportedly shows a young man in a white shirt involved in a scuffle with a woman, both of them trying to push the other away. Soon, two more women and a man appear on the scene and confront the young man. The two women
hurl abuses at the young man and are seen hitting him with sandals. The television journalist who claimed to have shot the video said that the incident took place on MG Road on Saturday night.
Picked up by TV channel Station House Officer, Sector 29, Inspector Vikas Kaushik told The Hindu that the police had not received any formal compliant in this regard. “There was neither a call to the police control room nor a formal complaint in this connection. The police also got to know about the alleged incident through a news channel. I was present at MG Road on Saturday
night at around the time the incident is said to have taken place but did not notice any such thing. Even the man who claims to have shot the incident did not come forward to lodge a complaint in this regard. The police cannot vouch for the authenticity of the video,” said Mr. Kaushik. The SHO claimed that he sent some policemen in plain clothes to speak to auto-drivers and vendors in the area on Sunday, but no one confirmed the incident. Assistant Commissioner of Police, Manish Sehgal, said that no one from the television channel spoke to him about the incident before running the story. B ND-ND
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Winning hearts and souls
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SHORT TAKES
Swara to learn Telugu
Though Diljit Dosanjh is making an impact in Hindi ilms, the singer-actor’s focus remains on Punjabi ilms and music madhur tankha
For the youth in North India, he is clearly one of the rockstars who is slowly but surely making his presence felt from big stage shows to houseful screens in cities and satellite towns. Diljit Dosanjh understands what the youth craves for and whatever he does – whether coming up with a hilarious one-liner or breaking into an impromptu Punjabi song – he does it in his own inimitable way. Fame has not gone to his head as he speaks matter of factly with absolutely no trace of condescension or tantrums that we associate with celebrities. His latest Punjabi film Super Singh , which is releasing this week, is about a village boy from Punjab, whose life undergoes a metamorphosis after he attains superpowers. The film went through a trial by fire as nobody was willing to back the project. “The wait is finally over. It seemed risky when the film was not being released. Thanks to Balaji, especially Ektaji who decided to back it. It was decided at one go,” says Diljit.
Gutsy Decision Ekta Kapoor made another superhero story A Flying Jatt starring Tiger Shroff. “But its storyline is different from ours. I would like to give credit to her for making another film of the same genre. It was a gutsy decision and I have tremendous respect for this lady who takes risks in her stride,” counters Diljit. In fact, the singer, whose
Actress Swara Bhaskar, the powerhouse performer of films like Tanu Weds Manu, Raanjhanaa, Nil Battey Sannata and Anaarkali of Aarah, is keen on learning Telugu. She watched Baahubali2: The Conclusion in Telugu and is motivated to learn the language. “My dad is from Andhra, so I’m half Telugu. However, since, we lived in Delhi, we never spoke the language at home and I couldn’t pick it up well. It was a shortcoming that I used to feel bad about. I always had a desire to learn, as the language is a part of my cultural heritage. The obsession for the film acted as a catalyst,” says Swara.
Vijender Singh in a rap The boxer joined Riteish Deshmukh in a rap battle between Mumbai and Delhi for Y-Films (an offshoot of Yash Raj Productions) Bank Chor. The rap battle is a musical bout between two sides, and the Bank Chors have cashed in on the age-old rivalry between Mumbai and Delhi. Riteish Deshmukh plays Marathi Manoos Champak Chiplunkar in the movie and leads the Mumbai side in the rap, while the Delhi side is led by India’s Olympic medal-winning boxer Vijender Singh. Vijender has traded rap punches delivered to the voice of underground rapper Pardhaan, while Riteish’s voice is given by the Mumbai gully rapper Naezy. Music is by Shameer Tandon and lyrics by Varun Likhate. Driven by emotions: Diljit Dosanjh; (below) with Sonam Bajwa at the event in New Delhi
handsomeness was enhanced with his colourful turban and casual clothing revealing his athletic built,
has almost hermit like calmness when he strode into Delhi’s PVR Plaza recently to launch the merchandise of Super Singh . “I understood the concept of superhero when my film Jatt and Juliet was released. Somebody had made a troll in which he placed my face over Superman’s muscular body. From then onwards, I had made up my mind that one day I would be superhero,” he quips. Interestingly, the singeractor has a hero in real life. “As you are aware that a group of Punjabi singers who went to Canada were arrested and deported to India. In the same country we now have brave and self respecting men who is safeguarding its borders. It is a matter of
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SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
pride for all of us that Harjit Sajjan is the Defence Minister of Canada. When I first met him I was inspired by his personality, way towards life and sincerity in his mission. He came all the way to meet me while I was shoot for Rising Star and in one of my concerts.” Cocking a snook at critics who make uncharitable comments about his range, Diljit says: “People often dismiss my work by stating that I am capable of doing only certain kind of roles. To counter their response, I merely say okay I will be able to do only limited roles. But I am able to showcase my talent in those kind of roles.”
Role in “Phillauri” Explaining why he agreed to
play a smallish role in Phillauri, Diljit says, “Right from day one I was clear that it was Anoushka’s film all the way. She told me that my role would be small yet interesting one. I did the film because it had something about Jallianwala Bagh. My career started from the hallowed place. The album made at that pious place was never released but the connection with that historic place remains till this day. ” The lad from Ludhiana is dividing time between films and music. “Basically I am an emotional guy. If I like something or someone I immediately give my nod.”
Breaking stereotypes Sikh characters are coming out of one-dimensional im-
agery in Bollywood and Diljit has played a part in it by doing films like Udta Punjab . “Udta Punjab broke stereotypes by not presenting a Sikh as a loud character but I never thought on those lines. It was offered to me and director Abhishek Chaubey narrated the entire script from A to Z to me, and not just my character. He told me that police inspector hai par costume tight nahin mile gi . No stardom! He said, ‘We will tone down your colourful turban look. It looks great but here we want the film should look great.’” Even though he is playing interesting and impactful parts in Hindi films, Diljit is clear where his priority lies. “For me, it is Punjabi films and Punjabi songs.”
Horror short film Nivedita Basu who has been directing a series of horror short films for the digital medium, returns with a new horror story titled Friend Request, starring Kanchi Singh in the lead. The actress is excited and says, “This is the first time I have done anything in the horror genre.” The trailer will be launched this week to give a sneak-peak into the short film.
‘There isn’t a wrong way of being ourselves’ Author-artist Khushnaz Lala, through her “silly” books, hopes to let us recognise the nonsense in our lives and celebrate everything weird and wonderful about all of us bhumika k
Dear beach sand, I will always remember our time together, but it has been three weeks! I think it’s time you let go. *** ---- claims he has spoken to aliens. But that’s a silly fib. They told me that they have never even seen him before! **** These two are extracts from Khushnaz Lala's books Dear Left Sock and Other Letters and I’m With Silly. These two, along with This Is A Very Silly Book (Harper Kids), a series of three picture books released late last year, have piqued the curiosity of many. The 20something author-illustrator signs off her books as “by Lala”. She even gave a TEDx talk at the Mallya Aditi International School titled, “I am a god but I am also garbage: how to con your way through adulthood while eating Cheetos in your underpants.” Her quirky characters, letters to the moon, the sun, the blue sky, and her itsy-bitsy stories and character sketches, though, all point towards accepting each other, and loving each other, so what if “we’re different”? Bengaluru is where it all began, when she started turning in picture books when handed out assignments! Read on to begin to know more about the young artist who believes “the silliest thing we do is believe in normalcy”.
ter was good at art and I’d just copy everything she did. Eventually I had to find my own style because she had this beautiful natural skill that my fat hobbit fingers couldn’t imitate. Shel Silverstein’s work has been such a huge part of my childhood and in shaping my identity, and I find that his influence is present in every single stage of my artistic evolution. I also love the work of David Shrigley, John Baldessari, Ben Vautier and Miranda July. I find myself drawn towards work that isn’t afraid to not take itself seriously, and art that doesn’t feel the need to get pretty for anyone else.
● Why and when did you start doodling? Any particular influences or influencers? What are the kind of things that catch your fancy? I started drawing because my elder sis-
● What role does your art play in your life? It’s feels like such a natural part of my life that it is weird for me to think of it romantically. Although, ever since I started writing and drawing about my
CM YK
doesn’t just mean pulling faces and goofy dancing, it is that radical act of learning to love and embrace everything you are taught to hide about yourself.
Quirky characters, itsy bitsy stories and character sketches Colour Khushnaz’s world
everyday observations and frustrations and my twisted daydreams, I feel it has helped me become more honest and less apologetic about having them.
● What inspired you to work on these three books? Tell us a little more on the format you've chosen...text and doodles. I think the silliest thing we do is believe in normalcy. All these three books were written as recognition of the nonsense in our lives and celebration of everything weird and wonderful about all of us. Now more than ever, I feel that kids need to grow up in a kinder, more compassionate world, and all it requires is a strong sense of self worth, acceptance and empathy towards others. Growing up is a specially confusing time and so it’s important to realise that there isn’t a wrong way of being ourselves.
I don’t see my writing and drawings as separate because they both make up my art for me, so picture books is the most obvious form of literature I’d take up. I love how each page can tell an entire story and contain its own universe in just two lines. Also I don’t have the discipline or the attention span to write a novel.
● Do you never ever take yourself seriously? As adults, do you think we take ourselves too seriously sometimes? I’m just constantly aware of how ridiculous our world is, that I don’t have a choice but to have a sense of humour about it. I think it is all right to hold on to our convictions and own ideas of truth; just as long as we can acknowledge the bizarre reality of how seven billion people living on a floating rock are all experiencing their own crazy ver-
sion of Truth.
● “Silly” is the crux of your work? Why is it so important for you? We’re taught right from the beginning what labels we fall under and how to act appropriately within them. It is terrifying to stray away from those rules because it leaves you vulnerable to judgment, but in doing so it also disrupts the hold of power that all those establishments have over us. For me being silly
● You divide your time between Mumbai and Bengaluru. How has Bengaluru shaped your artistic sensibilities? It is through Bangalore’s incredible music scene I’ve been able to find a new love for creating artwork for musicians. We have an incredible support for local talent as well as for International artists, many of whom I’ve been very fortunate to meet and collaborate with, including Mike Posner, which was very exciting. Before studying contemporary art, I did my undergrad in Communicative Studies, which is really where I discovered my “voice.” It was there that I started turning in my assignments as picture books because that is what made most sense to how I wanted to express my ideas. I was encouraged to constantly question and analyse everything around me and find a way to either make sense of it or figure out why it didn’t. There is nothing more thrilling than to have your world view shattered and then opening up your mind up to new ideas and perspectives and experiences. B ND-ND
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IN BRIEF
Learn from the masters In Dean Jones’ Cricket Tips, the Australian legend stresses on the importance of striking a balance between attacking and defensive batting vijay lokapally
Endorsing campaign Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez has now launched a campaign against animal testing. Explaining the reason for extending support to The Body Shop’s initiative, the actress says: “Real beauty cannot be achieved at the cost of harming anyone especially animals. The concept of animal testing for cosmetic brands should be banned. I request you all to sign the petition and save our animals.”
Noble cause A number of people turned up for a blood donation camp conducted at Select Citywalk over the weekend. The fifth camp was organised to encourage visitors to mall to become donors as there is incessant demand of blood for patients undergoing treatments and surgeries. Speaking on the occasion, Nimish Arora, Director Aarone Group said, “Through these initiatives in the past four camps over 1,200 units of blood has been collected.”
It was Dean Jones’ splendid show of endurance in extremely hot and humid conditions at the Chepauk that made the Madras Test in 1986 part of cricket folklore. His 210 in 502 minutes and 330 balls was a striking feature of that Tied Test. The spirited Australian has come up with an 85-page piece of contribution to the game titled Dean Jones’ Cricket Tips (the things they don’t teach you at academies) . “This book is about onepercenters, and finding the edge. It is targeted at absolutely every cricketer, from eight-year-olds to internationals, boys and girls,” writes Jones in his introduction. The book is laced with illustrations by John Spooner and covers all aspects of the game — batting, bowling, fielding, wicket keeping, strategy, mindset, tactics, fitness and diet. Jones is a traditionalist, who respects the modern trends. Is there space for traditionalists in contemporary cricket? “Absolutely,” he affirms. “We need to look after
Test cricket though.” He argued in his Sydney Morning Herald column, “If Test cricket continues on its current descent it will be dead within a decade. TV ratings in Asia are declining at a rapid rate and the interest in this format is becoming nonexistent with Asian youth. If the Asian fans are not interested, then the Test format will be finished. I can hear many people say Test cricket will always survive. Well, when the best players leave Test cricket to play T20, which is already happening, this will leave us with mediocre Tests. Test cricket needs to become more exciting, it needs more marketing.” The book, published by Westland, is embellished with enlightening conversations with stalwarts like Ricky Ponting, Wasim Akram, VVS Laxman, Waqar Younis, Rahul Dravid, Ian Healey, Kevin Pietersen, Michael Clarke and Sourav Ganguly. “The major secret for me was that I wore three very thick socks on each foot. Socks are the key,” says
Akram on the importance of boots and protection of feet for fast bowlers. Laxman reveals his penchant to tend the pitch. “I always tried to keep the pitch clean of any debris when I batted. Proper maintenance of a pitch and the bowlers’ footholds is imperative to making consistently big scores. I recommend that a batsman cleans it properly, and makes it a part of his routine. Also just bat session to session.”
Insight into adapting Sachin Tendulkar offers insight into adapting. He tells Jones, “You need to adapt to the conditions and play the right strokes accordingly. What I learned to do when feeling uncomfortable was to change my stance. So if you don’t feel right at the crease, be proactive and don’t be scared to change your stance to give yourself a better feeling from within.” Credit to Jones for extracting this gem from the master technician. How did Jones view the essence of technique given the rapid demand of a different game in the shape of T20? “Forget about large size bats,
Burmese fest Food lovers of Delhi and NCR were in for a pleasant surprise when they attended The Thingyan Festival (Burmese New Year) at Burma Burma eatery in DLF Cyberhub in Gurugram cently. A specially curated menu of traditional dishes was prepared. The menu consisted of an extensive array of soups, salads, starters, main course and deserts that are an integral part of the Burmese New Year celebrations. This included dishes such as Kachin, White Fungus Salad and Majyeet Thoke.
need to adapt < > You to the conditions
major secret for < > The me was that I wore
always tried to > Ikeep < the pitch
and play the right strokes accordingly
three very thick socks on each foot. Socks are the key
clean of any debris when I batted
Sachin Tendulkar
Wasim Akram
VVS Laxman
the biggest changes around the world is the agronomy of Test pitches around the world. It’s amazing how flat pitches are now in Test and ODI matches. India, of late, have prepared some interesting pitches. I like them. Batsmen now have to use their bat instead of using their pads due to DRS. So, batsmen can't just throw their pad to defend and get away with it now as they will be given out LBW. What batsmen of today will have to do and go back to the way past batsmen did 70-80 years ago and use their feet more on pitches that turn. Either get to the pitch of the ball on the full or half volley or play the ball off the back foot,” responds Jones. The book is replete with anecdotal teachings, a must for junior cricketers. Does he believe the coaching standards at the junior level have deteriorated? “They have a little in Australia as dads are too busy at work,” he says candidly. “Normally it’s the family who firsts coaches a young cricketer on how to play. Sure the kids have their heroes who they try to copy or mimic, but it’s a dad, uncle or brother who helps the young player. I still love the techniques of young Indian batsmen playing today and coming through. They seem so conventional, so balanced and not rushed in anyway. Their defensive skills look far better than others around the world.” Jones makes another interesting observation. “Interestingly, all the best players in the world are predominantly back foot players now compared to my era and that’s a good thing. Many of them have split grips on the bat as did (Don) Bradman e.g., (David) Warner, AB (de Villiers), (Kane) Williamson, and
Pointers from the pitch: Dean Jones gives practical guidance to budding cricketers *
V.V. KRISHNAN
so on.” Finally, Jones shares his thoughts on writing this very useful and different coaching book? “I feel that we needed a coaching book with icons showing what worked for them. There is no real right and wrong as pointed out by many of the icons in this
book. Most of the game is played between the ears. What I do see is that when we look at all the legends in this book we all know how good they are. We all know they all had amazing offensive or attacking skills. The big thing people forget is that it was their defensive skills that
made them the player they were. Sachin took on average 170-180 balls to make a Test 100. The 120-130 balls faced by Sachin were defensive shots. So, in conclusion, if you want freedom to play, you will need to discipline as well to keep the good balls out. It's a two-way street.”
Enjoying her health journey In love with humanity Recently in the news for the ‘Mast Mast’ song, Kiara Advani reveals how she kick-boxes and dances her way to itness Sonia Chopra
In the film industry, with fresh, young faces introduced every day, it’s literally the survival of the fittest. Which is why Kiara Advani decided to do just that—get fit.
Kicks, punches, jives and dives Advani says that she follows a threefold exercise formula comprising kick-boxing, gymnastics and dance. “Kick-boxing happened to me a yearand-a-half ago. I remember seeing a video of it and wanting to learn the sport. It’s now my no. 1 workout form. I love the challenge—it’s like learning and mastering a new skill. Who knows—I might put this skill to use in a movie someday.” Advani says kick-boxing is a sport that needs as much mental strength as physical. “Focus is extremely important; one slip and your opponent could win.” She’s happy the sport has
developed her back and shoulder muscles, keeping her upper body toned. Having trained in Bharatanatyam and Kathak, she also loves contemporary and hip-hop. “As for gymnastics, I love how it brings out the flexibility of my body.”
Diet does it Kiara has gone off gluten, sugar and dairy (the latter is an “almost”). A cousin took a food intolerance test that made her take it as well. “My cousin lost a lot of weight and became healthier after she took this
love non-dairy, < > Isugar-free dark chocolate, and it’s been a while since I’ve had gluten. My only weakness is curd...
test, and realised she was intolerant to gluten. After the test, I discovered that dairy and gluten didn’t suit my body at all. So I began phasing them out. I feel so much lighter and healthier today.” How hard is it to be vegetarian, and go off sugar and gluten at the same time? “Not that difficult. I love non-dairy, sugar-free dark chocolate, and it’s been a while since I’ve had gluten. My only weakness is curd, for which I wish I could find a non-dairy alternative. Other than that, Advani, who flits between script narrations, shoots and workouts, makes it a point to eat every two hours. Clearly, whether it’s exercise or food, she believes in challenging herself and enjoying the journey to health, rather than depriving or overworking the body. “For me, internal health is just as important as outward appearance.”
A TYPICAL DAY ON KIARA ADVANI’S DIET PLAN
MEAL 1: Hot water and lemon. Oats with fruit. MEAL 2: Coconut water with chia seeds/fruit. MEAL 3 (LUNCH): Ragi rotis with two vegetables, palak dal, sprout salad. MEAL 4: Apples with peanut butter. MEAL 5: Oats chilla/Black cofee with a few walnuts. MEAL 6 (DINNER): One ragi roti with palak dal or grilled ish. POST-DINNER: Green tea.
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An event in the memory of people’s poet Nida Fazli vedika kaushik
An evening of poetry was organised at Mavalankar Auditorium in the memory of Nida Fazli this past weekend. The event was decorated with shayari and dohe of Nida Fazli recited by Tom Alter. The veteran actor said Fazli guided him, supported him and taught him Urdu very humbly. “Nida Sahab never used to recite shayari, he used to live shayari. He will always be remembered.” Alter talked about ‘adabi cocktail’, the word itself perplexed him initially but when he got the essence of it, he loved working with Fazli. “Nida Sahab ehl-ezubaan bhi the, ehl-e-dil bhi the” (Nida Sahab was the one who knew the language inside-out and had a generous and loving heart).” Reciting Fazli’s “Allah hai Quran mein, Ramayan mein Ram, jitni jag mein boliyaan, utne uske naam”, Alter said, “These dohe have the elixir of life, they make me teary-eyed.” Later in a conversation, Alter said, “Nida Sahib’s ghazals had a certain kind of
Intrigued by life: Tom Alter and Malti Joshi Fazli
innocence and simplicity attached to them. Film industry never intrigued him but film people were surely lucky to have Nida Sahab contributing a share of his immense wealth to the industry. What actually intrigued Nida Sahab was life and humanity, these two things caught his attention always.” Jazim Sharma, the Sa Re Ga Ma Pa singer, took the centre stage introducing audience with the best of Fazli’s ghazals such as “Kabhi kisi ko mukkammal jahaan nahin milta” and “Garaj baras pyaasi dharti.” Jazim and Parul Mishra’s album Suno Tum, which was released at the event by the poet’s wife, Malti Joshi Fazli, is a celebration of Fazli’s work. Jazim said, “Nida Sahab
was very down to earth, very subtle and soft spoken. He used to write in a language which everybody understood. He was a ustaad in Urdu but he never used heavy Urdu words as he wanted common man to relate and connect with his ghazals. Straight forward, he would speak from the heart, without applying filters, irrespective of the fact that people like it or not.” When asked about young generation’s diminishing interest in this genre of music, Jazim said, “My album is in contrast with what youngsters like these days, so maybe they’ll find it different. I think that youngsters should pay more attention to ghazals as it is a divine genre which values meaningfulness. Ghazal is part of our heritage.”
5 EVENTS WORTH-YOUR-WHILE
FILM
FILM
COMEDY
MUSIC
EXHIBITION
Les Contes De La Nuit
Giuseppe Verdi: Il Trovatore
Abijit Ganguly and Gaurav Gupta
Acoustic session
Oxy-generation
Alliance Française de Delhi-Cine-Club will screen “Les Contes De La Nuit” a French animation film with English subtitles. Directed by Michel Ocelot it weaves together six exotic fables each unfolding in a unique locale, from Tibet, to medieval Europe, to the Land of the Dead. Venue: M.L. Bhartia Auditorium, 72, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi Time: 10 a.m.
In its Summer Sonata-A Festival of Opera and Ballet Films curated and introduced by Dr. R.P. Jain, India International Centre will screen a 143 minute duration film with English subtitles. It will feature the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Marco Armiliato with Donald Palumbo as the chorus master. Venue: C.D. Deshmukh Auditoruim, New Delhi Time: 6 p.m.
The Turquoise Cottage will be hosting a event which is bound to keep you smiling throughout the week. The Punchliners will feature a standup comedy show feat by well known stand-up artists Gaurav Gupta and Abijit Ganguly who are sure to keep you laughing through the act. Venue: G arden Galleria, Sector 38, Noida Time: 8.30 p.m.
The Flying Saucer Cafe promises to provide a grand musical session as its premises. It will be hosting a live acoustic session with Yathartha. Yathartha is a professional singer based out of Delhi and has learnt classical vocals for more than 16 years. Over a period of time he has performed at many cafes and bars. Venue: Nehru Place, New Delhi Time: 2 p.m. onwards.
The Art Life Gallery is holding a group art exhibition. The exhibition will be showcasing art works by three senior artists Premila Singh, N.P. Pandey and Neelam Sachan. All the works by the artists are acrylic on canvas and focus on environment and how it needs to be protected. Venue: C 97, Sector 44, Noida Time: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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6 TECH
NOIDA/DELHI
THE HINDU
TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 2017
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Let’s get growing Tech startups are creating systems to bring farming to the urbanite, growing food everywhere from rooftops to living rooms
ranjani rajendra
Remember the days when we’d sit glued to the train window as vast expanses of fields whizzed past? Fast forward to the present day and we now know that those fields are laden with factory-produced pesticides, insecticides and fertilizers and growing one’s own food leaves us feeling like we’ve lost our connection to the soil to such an extent, we don’t know where to begin. But there’s good news: It turns out we don’t have to choose between living in urban spaces and giving up your smartphone to move to the countryside. Technology, it seems, has the answer. Tech entrepreneurs across the country are creating a whole subset of agriculture: urban farming. The focus today is on bringing the farming lifestyle to cities, within individual apartments, housing societies, even offices. Techniques such as hydroponics, aquaponics and aeroponics are words that are now as common as composting and rainwater harvesting. Planters, the size of aquariums, are being designed to occupy pride of place in living rooms, even as rooftop farms are becoming integral parts of building design.
Farm at home Future Farms, for instance, has a slew of technology solutions aimed at kitchen gardens at home and urban farming systems for large commercial projects. Says founder and CEO Sriram Gopal, “We’ve tied up with large global brands and represent them in India. We also develop indigenous
solutions for rooftop and urban farming.” The three-year-old startup stumbled upon hydroponics on YouTube, while researching a project on green buildings. “It was during the course of this that we realised that most solutions towards this area in the country were more ‘jugaad’ in nature. There was no engineering involved. We thought it was a great place to start and we began to work towards better technology to implement in the sector.” The systems are designed to enable people to grow anything, from something as simple as leafy greens such as mint and spinach (commonly grown near gutters or railway tracks) to broccoli, tomatoes, strawberries and lettuce. Most of these systems are both water and energy-efficient as well, with the indoor planters designed by Crofters consuming as much energy as it would take to run two ceiling fans. Says Deepak Srinivasan, co-founder of the Chennai-based startup, “Our scaled-down indoor planter system can be easily fit in any urban living room. With an aquarium at the bottom and grow area on top,
SMALL SCALE FARMING
While agriculture is usually considered a human activity, certain types of ants and beetles have been observed performing similar tasks.
Farming made easy: The Crofters planter system and (above) Future Farms’ grow area
the system is connected via pipes to transfer water and can be controlled via a smartphone app. This lets you set timers to control the lights and water transmission, apart from providing information on the types of plants that can be grown and how. The app also has a marketplace for related accessories. There is no soil involved; just clay particles that are more water-efficient, and it also has inbuilt sensors to gather temperature and humidity data, which help identify plant issues.
The idea is to provide better solutions for plant growth.” All one needs, he says, is a good wifi connection. Today, the company, which was one of the early movers in the space, has a 4,000 sq ft rooftop farm using hydroponics in Perungudi, Chennai, and are mapping climate, technology and crops and their viability. They identify plants that can grow better indoors and are working with large corporates such as the Adani Group to set up smart farms for
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them. In 2016 alone, the company sold 1,000 units, with sizes ranging from 20 sq ft to 5,000 sq ft and capacities of 15-200 plants; some going up to 7,000 plants on rooftop spaces. “This year, we’re looking at selling close to 5,000 units,” says Gopal.
A growing market While techniques such as aquaponics and hydroponics are not new, the technology aspect involved is. Remember Hollywood mafia movies, with the bad guys
growing illegal substances under grow lights? What is relatively new, however, is the scaled-down version combined with the Internet of Things. In fact, these are great ways to address other issues, such as rapidly expanding cities and shrinking farmlands. In countries such as Singapore, there are entire indoor farms spanning massive buildings, where food is grown to meet the demands of the populace. Anjal Salman, co-founder of Bengaluru-based startup Farm Dimensions, says, “We’re currently working towards developing indoor planters that look like mini refrigerators. The idea, is to enable people to grow clean food in a controlled environment. We’re running pilot projects to get the technology right, and in the next 10 months plan to move into engineering and production of the product that we call Fable.” Salman, who co-founded the company with fellow engineers Julu Ahmed and Sanjay Krishna, adds that Fable is but a baby step towards change and addressing food-safety issues. For many of these entrepreneurs, the idea is to visualise a world of urban farmers. “We want to appliance agriculture. If people can dedicate, say two hours a day each day, it’ll be easy to produce clean food. In fact, homemakers in large apartment complexes can get together to adopt these methods. They can cut down water consumption by up to 90% using recirculating systems, and the food is of superior grade, since our systems use RO water,” says Gopal. “Branded fresh food is the way forward. Currently, awareness about these options is rather low in our country. Certified clean food is still a long way off, but once people understand and are sensitised towards clean food, things will change,” he says.
TECH-A-BYTE ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Malware with new technique for controlling devices Researchers with security solutions company Kaspersky have reported the discovery of what they say is an unusual new Trojan, which can not only get root access rights to an Android smartphone, but also take control of the device by injecting malicious code into the system library. If successful, it can then delete root access, which helps to avoid detection. Kaspersky Lab reported the Trojan to Google, and it has now been removed from the store. According to the company, the Trojan was downloaded more than 50,000 times since March 2017. Researchers say the introduction of codeinjection capability is a dangerous new development in mobile malware. Dvmap was distributed as a game. To bypass the store’s security checks, the malware creators uploaded a clean app to the store at the end of March 2017. They then updated this with a malicious version for a short period of time, before uploading another clean version. In the space of four weeks, they did this at least five times, the company said.
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GAMESPOT
Opposite worlds
MXGP 3
After the adrenaline rush of MXGP 3’s dirt biking, soak yourself in the Zen calm of Monument Valley 2
PUBLISHER/DEVELOPER: Milestone PRICE: ₹2999 on PS4 and Xbox One
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA julian almeida
MONUMENT VALLEY 2 PUBLISHER/DEVELOPER: UsTwo Games
Fashion world on fingertips in virtual exhibition Google has opened a virtual exhibition project, ‘We Wear Culture’, bringing together around 3,000 years of fashion and style, in collaboration with 183 renowned cultural institutions from around the world, including India. The project, which is backed by state-of-the-art technology, including virtual reality experiences and high-resolution gigapixels, will allow viewers to learn about fashion and the stories behind the clothes — everything from the ancient Silk Road to the fashions of Versailles and the elegance of the Indian sari. The exhibition by Salar Jung Museum, for example, brings alive the Sherwani and how it became the royal fashion of the Nizams from 19th-century Hyderabad. The We Wear Culture exhibition is available online at g.co/wewearculture and through the Google Arts & Culture app on iOS and Android. CORRECTION In the story ‘No child’s play this!’ published on June 6, the Atari Lynx was incorrectly referred to as the irst handheld game console instead of the irst handheld colour game console. The error is regretted.
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PRICE: ₹400 on iOs
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA Games on mobile are usually free-to-play monstrosities riddled with micro transactions, or they are ports of older games that were successful on other consoles. With one forgettable game after another, mobile gaming, sadly, does not have the same legacy as console or PC games do. That was until Monument Valley came out. It has singlehandedly given mobile gaming its first real classic title. To the surprise of everyone watching, Monument Valley 2 was revealed at the Apple Worldwide Developer Conference. Let’s see how the sequel fares.
What’s it about? Monument Valley 2 drops you into a desolate, colourful world, filled with exotic architecture. This time around, you
play a featureless character called Ro, who along with her daughter, has to navigate through levels of movable or crumbling structures. Devoid of any semblance of a story, the game is just a straightforward series of puzzles that you have to complete. The main differentiation that makes this better than the original is the relationship between the mother and daughter.
How does it play? The developers have described Monument Valley 2 as a meditative puzzle game, and with good reason. Each level makes use of optical illusions in mind-bending and beautiful levels. It’s set in an isometric world, straight out of an M C Escher painting. The game allows you to rotate and move not only roads, but entire structures, to form hidden paths. It forces you to see beyond what your eyes tell you and decipher what your brain makes of each puzzle. Each level has soothing colours making use of the most unusual palette, with influ-
ences touching on tech and the design world in general. And each level is set to soothing music. While the game will take no more than a few hours to complete, you will find yourself stretching out or replaying each level, admiring how the game is constructed just like you would do a painting, or marvelling at a sculpture or architecture. As mentioned earlier, the mother-daughter dynamic plays a big role in the game. Ro frequently finds herself separated from her little one, and you have to pull the right levels or rotate the proper sequence of building parts to reunite both. I really enjoyed not only playing this, but watching my wife and four-year-old collaborate on the puzzles, as if they were separated.
Should you play it? Yes, without a doubt. Right now, it’s available only on iOS devices, but should hit Android soon. Monument Valley 2 is like a mental walk in a soothing zen garden after a soak in a hot spring.
There’s something raw about dirt bikes: that buzzing engine sound and the power that lets it cut through dirt like a chocolate cake at a kiddie birthday party. Back in the day, Excitebike was a hot favourite on 8-bit gaming consoles, that’s still sold in package deals. Fast forward to today, and we are ready to hit the dirt with the latest incarnation of the Official MXGP game.
What’s it about? It’s all about pushing your dirt bike across rollercoaster-like tracks that are recreated from real-world tracks from around the globe. You can kick off your career mode, letting you manage everything from your sponsors to customising your bike to suit every track. You can also take part in several of the free-form modes, where you select and customise your bike and practise on the track. The career mode is fairly straightforward and geared towards motocross fans. There’s no story in this game, like most EA sports titles. How does it play? Riding your dirt bike in MXGP 3 in first-person view is flat-out one of the best parts of the game. The experience is visceral, as you feel your bike traverse the dirt, thanks to the controller’s rumble feature. There are third-person and behind-the-bike camera angles, but somehow the developers have really brought out the core of the sport in the firstperson view. The physics engine is amazing, as your bike slips and slides realistically. There’s nothing like feeling the elation of nailing that one big jump, and there’s nothing more frustrating than crashing splat into an advertisement
hoarding. Speaking of which, these hoardings are everywhere on the track. Kudos to the developers for recreating each circuit, down to the last detail. But did they have to be that many, and did they really have to be so close to the track? Another downside to MXGP 3 are the many menus you have to wade through before you get to a race; though there is detail in it, especially in the customisation options. The bike customisation brings that technical angle to the game, allowing gear heads to get knee-deep in over 300 licensed parts. You also have several licensed two-stroke bikes from manufacturers like KTM, Yamaha, Kawasaki and more. You can spend some time on your rides, and take them online in the multi-player modes. The graphics look fantastic, and while dirt generally does not look beautiful, somehow MXGP’s makes it so. It’s got a pulp to it and you can see your tires make deep tracks.
Should you get it? If you are an MXGP fan or just
love getting your hands on a great dirt biking experience, then this game is right up your dirt-sodden track, with greatlooking tracks and superb bike physics to keep you tweaking well into the wee hours of dawn. Julian Almeida is a tech and gaming enthusiast who hopes to one day inish his sci-i novel
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