Delhi friday, february 3, 2017
www.thehindu.in Regd. DL(ND)-11/6110/2006-07-08 RNI No. TNENG/2012/49940 ISSN 0971 - 751X Vol. 7 No. 29 CITY EDITION 24 Pages Rs. 8.00 ●
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Printed at Chennai, Coimbatore, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Madurai, Noida, Visakhapatnam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Vijayawada, Mangaluru, Tiruchirapalli, Kolkata, Hubballi, Mohali, Allahabad, Malappuram and Mumbai
Will work towards defeating BJP in Gujarat polls: Hardik
There is nothing in Union Budget to boost demand: Chidambaram
Spike in advance I-T payments shows fear of taxman: Adhia
India takes on New Zealand in Davis Cup tie from today
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BRIEFLY
Marans discharged in Aircel-Maxis deal case
Heritage under threat
U.S. NGO to wind up operations in India NEW DELHI: Ten months after it
was put on the government’s “prior permission” list for donations, the U.S.-based NGO Compassion International, the largest international donor in India, said it will shut down its operations in India as it is unable to function because of the strictures on funding. NEWS | PAGE 12
No sufficient proof to frame charges, says special court
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NIRNIMESH KUMAR
Online trading scam worth 3,700 cr. busted NOIDA: The Uttar Pradesh
Special Task Force (STF) on Thursday busted an alleged online trading scam worth over ₨3,700 crore in which around 6.5 lakh people were cheated on the pretext of getting money for clicking on web pages.
J CITY PAGE 4 Bastar police chief asked to go on leave NAGPUR: Shiv Ram Prasad
Kalluri, IG Bastar range, Chhattisgarh, was on Thursday asked to go on “long medical leave.” NATION | PAGE 9
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CLOSE SHAVE: A section of the wall in C-bock of Connaught Place collapsed late on Wednesday night but no one was injured. The NDMC said the structure could have collapsed because of overload. PHOTO: SHANKER CHAKRAVARTY (REPORTS ON PAGE 2)
Security body gets ₨333 crore, a tenfold hike VIJAITA SINGH
FRIDAY REVIEW 4 Pages
NEW DELHI: The National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), which reports to NSA Ajit Doval, has seen a tenfold increase in budgetary allocation this year. Last fiscal, though ₨33 crore was allotted to the NSCS, it ended up spending
₨81 crore; this year the allocation has shot up to ₨333 crore. NSCS works as an advisory group, comprising various experts on security-related matters, and is headed by deputy NSA Arvind Gupta. The body is responsible for advising the Prime Minister on key strategic and security issues, both on do-
mestic as well as international fronts, and consists of academics and eminent professionals. Mr. Doval, who is said to be the final authority on all major security-related decisions, has had a deep interest in reviving the scope of NSCS, which was the brainchild of the former NSA Brajesh Mishra.
Army deployed in Kohima to quell violence over local polls
British MPs vote overwhelmingly for Brexit Bill
KOHIMA: Mobs went on the rampage in the Nagaland capital on Thursday to vent their anger against the ongoing elections to urban local bodies. They vandalised and set on fire government offices and vehicles, prompting the deployment of Army to bring the situation under control. Activists of several tribal groups vandalised the State Election Commission and Deputy Commissioner’s office and set ablaze the Kohima Municipal Council building. The Regional Transport office and that of the Excise Department were also set ablaze by mobs demanding the resignation of Chief Minister T.R. Zeliang and his entire Cabinet for going ahead with the ULB polls despite opposition from powerful tribal groups which are against 33 per cent reservation for women in the municipal bodies,
VIDYA RAM
The Municipal Council building was set on fire by mobs opposing local body polls, in Kohima on Thursday. — PHOTO: PTI sources said. The violent protests forced Mr. Zeliang to call off the elections. Earlier in the day, the Nagaland Tribes Action Committee (NTAC) had served an ultimatum to Mr. Zeliang and his Cabinet to resign by 4 p.m., remove the Dimapur
Commissioner of Police and declare the election process null and void. CM rejects demand Mr. Zeliang rejected the demand for his government’s resignation and appealed to the people to stop the violence. — PTI
Mishra set up the NSCS in 1998 under the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. In 2011-12, only ₨ 17.43 crore was allocated for the body. In 2012-13, it was marginally increased to ₨20.33 crore, going up to ₨26.06 crore in 2013-14.
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NEW DELHI: In a big relief to former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran, his brother Kalanithi Maran and the latter’s wife Kaveri Kalanithi, a special court here on Thursday freed them of bribery and money laundering charges in the Aircel-Maxis deal case. The court did not find sufficient evidence on record to frame charges against the accused in the two cases. The CBI in its charge sheet had alleged that the former Minister entered into a criminal conspiracy with T. Ananda Krishnan, owner of Malaysian company Maxis, and coerced Chinnakannan Sivasankaran, owner of Aircel, to sell his shares to the former in lieu of bribe in the form of investments by the foreign company through another company into Sun Direct TV Pvt. Ltd. (SDTPL) and South Asia FM Limited (SAFL) promoted by Kalanithi Maran. The investigating agency further alleged that the then
Minister had delayed approval to licences for mobile services sought by Aircel to force it to sell its shares to Maxis, and after the transfer of shares, Mr. Maran gave approval for the licences. Dismissing the CBI case, the judge said: “I am satisfied that the entire case is based on a misreading of the official files, contradictory statements of the witnesses as well as speculations and surmises of Sh. C. Sivasankaran. I have no hesitation in recording that no prima facie case warranting framing of charge against any of the accused is made out. Accordingly, all accused stand discharged.’’
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Ruling vindicates my stand: Maran SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT CHENNAI: Former Union Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran said on Thursday that the Special CBI court had vindicated his trust in the judiciary. “The case was fabricated out of revenge. I resigned [from the Union Cabinet] immediately and decided to prove my innocence,” he said in a statement. C. Sivasankaran, promoter of Siva Group, said: “We have to accept the [court] verdict and move forward.”
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LONDON: The British government looks set to comfortably meet its plans of triggering Brexit talks by the end of next month, after winning a clear majority in a vote for the Bill in the House of Commons on Wednesday night. MPs voted by 498 to 114 to support the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill. It gives the government the parliamentary approval necessary to trigger Article 50 that gives EU members a two-year period to withdraw. The government was forced to bring the legislation in Parliament after the Supreme Court held last month that the executive’s prerogative was not sufficient, and only Parliament could authorise it to trigger Article 50.
J BREXIT PLAN | PAGE 14
A.P. working on system to DNA-tag convicts State drafting legislation that will enable collection of genetic fingerprints to track offenders JACOB KOSHY
this] before the Centre does.” In August last year, the AP government, in an event attended by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, launched a DNA collection-kit developed by IntegenX, Inc, a U.S. company that enables DNA to be extracted from saliva and blood samples within a matter of two hours. The reasoning is that a centralised DNA database on convicts would help track repeat offenders in sexual assault and rape.
NEW DELHI: The Andhra Pradesh government plans to bring in legislation that will allow the State police and investigating agencies to collect and store DNA samples in a centralised database. The move has come in for close scrutiny, as the Centre first prepared a draft bill on the issue in 2012, but the legislation ran into severe opposition from activists on the ground that it violated privacy. It has since been on hold. “We would like to move quickly on this and are consulting international experts to draft a State law,” Dwaraka Tirumala Rao, Additional DirectorGeneral of Police, Andhra Pradesh, told The Hindu over phone. “We will likely ILLUSTRATION: have our law [enabling DEEPAK HARICHANDAN
CM YK
Tim Schellberg, president, Gordon Thomas Honeywell, a U.S.-based firm that governments are consulting on setting up DNA databases, said he had held discussions with Andhra Pradesh and “several other State governments” six months ago. The Centre’s Human DNA Profiling Bill, 2015, was prepared by the Department of Biotechnology and the Hyderabad-based Centre
for DNA-Fingerprinting and Diagnostics but is yet to be cleared by the Union Cabinet. Several organisations and individuals, however, raised concerns that the Bill gave sweeping powers to government to mine the database and use it for purposes beyond just solving crime. “So far, about 70 million samples have been collected in 54 countries over 20 years, and there have been no instances of databases being compromised,” said Mr. Schellberg. Other experts in Andhra Pradesh familiar with the use of DNA databases for forensic purposes, said State officials were relying on “extremely expensive technology” and a database wouldn’t be useful without supportive Central legislation. ND-ND
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THE HINDU FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2017
Metro pushes Magenta Line launch to Dec.
Elderly couple wins lawsuit against builder
The deadline for launch of the Magenta Line, connecting west Delhi to Noida, has been pushed back Page 4
A retired govt. official has won a legal battle over maintenance charges on their apartment Page 5
Alarm bells ring as part of CP building collapses No one hurt; shopkeepers blame civic authorities for taking too long to permit repairs SHUBHOMOY SIKDAR NEW DELHI: A part of a building
Eyewitnesses said a few workers had been at the spot minutes before the incident happened
NEW DELHI: The collapse of a portion of a building in Connaught Place’s C-Block on Thursday prompted the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) to set up a team to inquire into the incident. The team, comprising an expert from IIT-Delhi, a representative of the Central Public Works Department, the NDMC’s Chief Engineer, Chief Architect and the Director of the EnforcementBuilding Regulation Department, will not only inquire into what happened on Thursday, but also suggest preventive measures.
LOST HERITAGE: The incident happened in C-Block on Thursday. PHOTO: SANDEEP SAXENA safety of others) of the IPC,” said DCP (New Delhi) Braja Kishore Singh. Although the incident did not affect business in the city’s favourite shopping destination, the damage attracted the attention of visitors throughout the day. Many had to be cautioned to stay at a safe distance for the remaining portion of the
building was vulnerable too. Besides Jain Book Depot, C- Block houses several apparel stores of famous brands. In state of neglect Shopkeepers in C-Block as well as other parts of CP blamed civic authorities for taking too long to allow to carry out even minor repairs.
A shopkeeper said a wall in his shop needed repair but permission had not been granted to fix it. He said if something similar to Thursday’s incident were to happen, he would be booked by the police. Atul Bhargava, president of the CP Market Association, said all buildings in the area were restrengthened by
the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) before the 2010 Commonwealth Games. The police, meanwhile, are trying to trace the owner of the building. A WhatsApp message doings rounds stated that the owner had sent a letter to NDMC seeking permission for repairs.
Autonomy will lead to commercialisation of education: DUTA STAFF REPORTER NEW DELHI: The Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) has criticised Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s Union Budget by calling it a “backdoor implementation of the discredited Draft National Education Policy”. “The proposal to grant
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NGT slaps ₨25 lakh fine on Okhla energy plant
DAMINI NATH
in Connaught Place collapsed in the early hours of Thursday, raising concerns about the structural safety of the iconic commercial centre. The incident happened around 1:45 a.m. on the first floor of C-Block above the famous Jain Book Depot. The police said the roof came down first., followed by a wall. Fire and New Delhi Municipal Council officials visited the spot to inspect the damage. The process of removal of the debris continued till evening. Close shave A security guard, Raj Bahadur, said he had gone to relieve himself at a public utility nearby minutes before the floor collapsed. Nobody was, however, hurt in the incident as the floor had been vacant for a long time, said a Delhi Fire Services officer. Eyewitnesses said a few workers had been at the spot minutes before the incident happened. The police are verifying these claims. “We have registered a case under Section 336 (endangering lives or personal
Team formed to probe matter
DELHI CONNECT
autonomous status to colleges identified on the basis of accreditation and ranking is to incentivise commercialisation in the form of self-financing,” it said in a statement. ‘Social exclusion’ The association further said that the commercialisa-
tion of public institutions along with greater reliance on privatisation would lead to social exclusion and decline of educational standards. It felt that the government was trying to peddle the idea that the quality of education would only improve by letting educational structures
be determined by market forces. “It is neither interested in addressing the real issues that ail education, specifically higher education, nor sensitive to the inequalising effect of such a move,” the statement read. DUTA felt universities and colleges across the country were already suffer-
ing due to inadequate infrastructure and abysmal teacher-student ratios. It said Delhi University colleges were already finding it impossible to offer CBSC since the UGC refused to sanction adequate number of teaching posts, but the Finance Minister did not address that problem.
Cause of collapse According to senior officials of the NDMC, the preliminary report of the inquiry found that there had not been any new or ongoing construction activity at the site. The expert found that the ageing structure coupled with additional load on the roof could have been the cause of the collapse. Looking at other buildings next to the site that had mobile towers and diesel generator sets installed on the roofs, a senior NDMC official said the structure could not take the extra weight. The official added that the NDMC would be asking all building owners in Connaught Place to submit certificates of structural safety, after having experts to verify the same.
ENVIRONMENTAL COMPENSATION: The fine has been imposed on the plant for causing air pollution. FILE PHOTO: BLOOMBERG STAFF REPORTER NEW DELHI: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has allowed the Okhla waste-toenergy plant to function while imposing an environmental compensation of ₨25 lakh on it for causing pollution. A Bench headed by NGT Chairperson Swatanter Kumar, while passing a slew of directions in the “interest of public health and environment”, said the fine would be paid to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) in equal shares for controlling air pollution in the area. The Bench, in its 142-page judgment, said the fine had been imposed under provisions of the NGT Act for “pollution resulting from deficient functioning of the plant and its stack emissions being in excess of the prescribed parameters up to the period of December 18, 2014”.
Plant to operate The Tribunal, however,
said the plant should not be directed to either shut down or shifted to another site as there was definite evidence before it to arrive at a finding that the project proponent was compliant and non-polluting. “The waste-to-energy plant would be permitted to operate till further orders of the Tribunal and/or CPCB/ DPCC, as the case may be. The plant shall operate to its optimum capacity and would not cause any environmental pollution,’’ it said. Residents’ health affected The Tribunal’s verdict came on a petition filed by the residents of Sukhdev Vihar alleging that the plant was releasing “toxic”emissions which had affected their health. The residents had submitted that the plant had obtained environmental clearanceon the condition that it would use refuse-derived fuel and biogas technology to convert waste to energy. But contrary to its promise, it has allegedly been incinerating mixed waste.
JNUSU steps up agitation, seeks rollback of UGC rules
‘Cattle smuggling aiding terror activities’ AYAN SHARMA NEW DELHI: Members of the Dhyan Foundation on Thursday organised a car rally in the city to highlight the issue of cattle smuggling. The rally, which started at Baba Kharak Singh Marg, proceeded to Bihar Bhawan before concluding at Bikaner House. The activists were clad in yellow clothes to show solidarity with animals. Extending support to the members were activists of the People For Animals.
Smuggling on the rise “The camel has been declared as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. The animal, which is indispensable to the economic life of the locals in Rajasthan and Kutch, is being increasingly smuggled across the border to Pakistan and Bangladesh for its skin and meat. Cattle, too, face the same fate,’’ the protesters said. Over the last couple of years, the Dhyan Foundation has been petitioning State
governments and police agencies of Rajasthan, West Bengal, Meghalaya and Bihar, Home Ministry, Prime Minister’s Office and the Border Security Force in the matter. Animals rescued Volunteers of the organisation have also rescued hundreds of animals from places such as Malda and Islampur in West Bengal, Kishanganj in Bihar, Jodhpur and Kotputli in Rajasthan, and even Gurgaon and Ghaziabad. Nikita Anand, spokesperson of the Dhyan Foundation, said: “Apart from violating animal rights, the trafficking racket aids in funding terror activities in the country. The price of an animal shoots up once it crosses the border, thus generating a humongous amount of black money.’’ Citing an example in this regard, Ms. Anand said, “In 2013, the NIA nabbed a cattle smuggler in Malda for raising funds for the banned Hizbul Mujahideen through circulation of fake Indian currency notes.”
Jamia invites applications, six new courses on offer NEW DELHI: Jamia Millia Islamia has invited online applications for admissions to UG, PG, Diploma, Advance Diploma, and Certificate courses for the academic year 2017-18.
Pharmacy (Unani), Bachelor of Hotel Management , Bachelor of Tourism and Travel Management and Master and Tourism and Travel Management (all selffinanced) and MA (International Relations-West Asian Studies) Regular.
Forms available online In a statement issued on Thursday, the University said admission forms were available on www.jmicoe.in. Online applications are also available for admission to six new courses- LL.M (Executive), Diploma in
Deadline on March 3 The last date for filing online applications for all courses is March 3, the University said. Filing of online applications for admission to B.Tech and B. Arch courses has been underway since December 10.
STAFF REPORTER
CM YK
UP IN ARMS: Members of JNUSU protesting outside the HRD Ministry in New Delhi on Thursday. PHOTO: SHANKER CHAKRAVARTY STAFF REPORTER NEW DELHI: The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) on Thursday organised a protest outside the Ministry of Human Resource Development demanding a rollback of the University Grants Commission’s notification on M.Phil/Ph.D admissions.
Demands submitted The students also submitted a memorandum to HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar, highlighting how the imposition of the notification would destroy the character of the institute with a “one-sizefit-all” model. “The adoption of the
UGC notification will undermine JNU’s unique and decades-old deprivation point system in admissions, the Nafey Committee recommendations to reduce viva weightage in M.Phil/Ph.D admissions and other provisions,” the students wrote. In the backdrop of the UGC laying down strict rules regarding the eligibility of “research supervision”, the students outlined the dangers of a massive seat. Autonomy at stake At a meeting held on Wednesday, the Standing Committee in JNU had rejected any attempt to tamper with the existing admission policy of the university. The meeting
was held in the wake of JNU Vice-Chancellor pushing the UGC notification by sabotaging the AC and EC of the university. Sources said the Standing Committee had decided that the administration needed to ensure that the autonomy of the university was not compromised. Registrar Pramod Kumar said the University “resolves to safeguard social justice in its admission policy within the parameters of UGC regulations and the Standing Committee meeting on admission policyconcluded with suggestions to uphold its progressive policies within the UGC regulations”.
CINEMA ENGLISH: THE GREAT WALL: PVR (Rivoli, Anupam, Sangam, Shalimar Bagh, Vasant Kunj, City Walk, Naraina, Sangam), Wave (Noida, Raja Garden), Movie Time (Raja Garden), DT (Saket), Satyam (Janakpuri, Nehru Place, Patel Nagar), SRS Cinemas.
HINDI: KUNG FU YOGA (Hindi – New Release): Ritz, G3S (Rohini), PVR (Saket, Sangam, Shalimar Bagh, City Walk, Naraina, Vikaspuri, Prashant Vihar, EDM, Mahagun, Opulent), M2K (Pitampura), Satyam (Janakpuri), Movie Time (Pitampura, Raja Garden), Wave (Kaushambi), Cinepolis, Spice (Noida), Star X (Vaishali), SRS Cinemas, Movie Palace. RESIDENT EVIL: THE FINAL CHAPTER (Hindi – New Release): PVR (Naraina, Prashant Vihar, Opulent, EDM), M2K (Pitampura),
Satyam (Janakpuri, Patel Nagar), Movie Time (Pitampura, Raja Garden), Wave (Kaushambi), Cinepolis, SRS Cinemas, Spice (Noida), Silver City (Ghaziabad). KAABIL (Hrithik Roshan, Yami Gautam, Ronit Roy, Rohit Roy): Shiela, Amba, Delite, Eros One, Batra Reels, G3S (Rohini), PVR (Plaza, Rivoli, Priya, Saket, City Walk, Naraina, Vikaspuri, Prashant Vihar, EDM, Mahagun, Opulent), M2K (Rohini, Pitampura), DT (Saket, Shalimar Bagh, Vasant Kunj), Movie Time (Raja Garden, Pitampura), FUN (Moti Nagar, Pitampura, Laxmi Nagar, Karkardooma), Satyam (Patel Nagar, Nehru Place, Janakpuri), BIG (Odeon, Vaishali, Kaushambi, Noida), Wave (Raja Garden, Kaushambi, Noida), Cinepolis, Movie Palace, Movie Magic, Galaxie, Star X (Vaishali), Spice (Noida), Chaudhary (Ghaziabad), Movie World and Silver City (Ghaziabad), Inox and Q Cinemas (Faridabad).
RAEES (Shah Rukh Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Mahira Khan): Abhishek Cineplex, Ritz, Amba, Liberty, Milan, Gagan, Seble, Suraj, G3S (Rohini), Eros One, Batra Reels, PVR (Plaza, Rivoli, Priya, Saket, City Walk, Naraina, Vikaspuri, Prashant Vihar, EDM), M2K (Rohini, Pitampura), Movie Time (Raja Garden, Pitampura), FUN (Moti Nagar, Pitampura, Laxmi Nagar, Karkardooma), DT (Saket, Shalimar Bagh, Vasant Kunj), Satyam (Patel Nagar, Nehru Place, Janakpuri), BIG (Odeon, Vaishali, Kaushambi, Noida), Wave (Raja Garden, Kaushambi, Noida), Galaxie, Star X (Vaishali), SRS Cinemas, Movie Palace, Movie Magic, Chaudhary (Ghaziabad), Movie World and Silver City (Ghaziabad), Inox and Q Cinemas (Faridabad). (BOOKING ENQUIRIES: PVR 51513391; Spice Gold 012043890000; Satyam Cinemas 25797385; Delite 23272903; Wave 51832222) ND-ND
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Online fraud worth ₨3,700 cr busted Noida-based company duped around 6.5 lakh people; owner, two others held, bank accounts sealed tors among others. To win the confidence of the customers, the company used to ask for online funds transfer and paid the money back into their account online. According to the police, the company initially stopped payments to the customers, but when it noticed that returning some money was helping them lure more people, it started paying back some of them. “The company avoided dealing in cash, so I confidently invested my money. The company had big plans, which sounded possible. The police action has been a shock for us. Like me, lakhs of other people invested their money in the company,” said Rahul Kumar, a Noida-based professional.
PURUSHARTH ARADHAK NOIDA: A Special Task Force (STF) of Uttar Pradesh police on Thursday busted an alleged online trading scam worth over ₨3,700 crore in which around 6.5 lakh people were cheated on the pretext of getting money for clicking on web pages. The task force has arrested three persons so far and sealed the bank accounts of the company -- Ablaze Info Solutions Limited, located in Noida Sector-63 -- which had a total balance of ₨500 crore. “We have arrested the company’s owner, Abhinav Mittal, its COO Sridhar Prasad and technical head Mahesh Daya. Mittal has a B.tech degree and Sridhar is an MBA degree holder,” said Special Task Force SSP Amit Pathak. “The company has accounts in several banks and some bank employees are also under scanner. We will soon initiate action against these officials. We have informing ED, SEBI and RBI about the fraud," Mr. Pathak added.
Tall claims The victims of the fraud said that the company’s owner portrayed himself as
The company has accounts in several banks and some bank employees are also under the scanner
SDMC mulling Aadhaar-linked attendance system
the “Mark Zuckerberg” (Facebook owner) of the country. He had launched a social networking site to lure the customers. The victims said that the company even claimed to be starting its own private bank to deal with the customers as the size of its transactions was growing rapidly. ‘Earn per click’ scheme According to the SSP, the company has so far done the business of over ₨3,700 crore. “We have written a letter to the authorities concerned to stop transaction of ₨524 crore of the company. We wanted to continue our probe for another week, but the information of our investigation reached the company top brass and they had started to transfer money to other accounts,” Mr. Pathak
said. The company made only ₨1 lakh in 2011, but between 2012 and 2016, its business grew from ₨1.5 lakh to ₨3700 crore. Preliminary investigation revealed that Ablaze Info duped around 6.5 lakh people with its ‘earn ₨5 per click’ scheme. “The accused started a web portal — socialtrade.biz — where an investor had to pay an amount, from ₨5,750 to ₨57,500, in the company's account to become a member. Each member was promised ₨5 per click on links provided by the company," said a senior police officer. Changing identity The accused constantly changed their company’s name to evade arrest. Some of the companies they floated to dupe people are
socialtrade.biz, freehub.com, intmaart.com, frenzzup.com, 3W.com. The police said they received a complaint against the company that it was cheating people under ponzi scheme. “The criminals used public money to buy properties and luxury cars. They regularly partied at five-star hotels in the name of promotional activities. They had also planned to visit Australia with their important customers, who brought huge business," Mr Pathak said. Educated investors Not only semi-literate people but also highly educated ones, invested their hard-earned money in the company. The victims of the fraud included many IT, media professionals and doc-
The fraud plan The police said that the company asked people to buy their package after which they would get online add links in their email accounts. For visiting these add links, the company used to give handsome money to the customers. The company used to claim that it gets outsourced work of publicity of products from other companies and it distributes the work and profit among its customers. The company had also offered incentives to the existing customers on making more clients based on multi-level marketing. The police said that the company used to make adds and share them with the customers, who believed that they were genuine promotion material outsourced by other companies.
In a blur
NEW DELHI: Soon, employees of
NEW DELHI: The Opposition
Congress on Thursday lashed out at the ruling BJP in the North Delhi Municipal Corporation for amending budget proposals without the approval required and for failing to achieve targets for income and expenditure. Final budget on Feb 10 Initiating a discussion of the 2017-2018 budget in the House, Leader of Opposition Mukesh Goel said that the standing committee chairperson, Parvesh Wahi, had changed allocations and expenditure for certain sectors without the approval of the committee or the House. With elections slated for April this is the last budget to be presented in this term. The final budget will be presented by the Leader of the House on February 10. “The budget as passed by the Standing Committee was changed by the CM YK
AI pilot, cabin crew grounded after failing alcohol test NEW DELHI: A woman pilot and another crew member of the State-owned Air India have been grounded for three months after they failed a pre-flight alcohol test. The crew members, who have been taken off from flying for failing to clear the pre-flight medical test were to operate Air India’s Rajkot flight from New Delhi on January 25, sources said.
Violating safety As part of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) safety regulations, all pilots and cabin crew must undergo a breath analyser test before and after flights. Incidentally, the airline’s head of
The staff, who were to operate a flight to Rajkot, have been grounded for three months operations, himself a senior executive pilot, is facing a probe for allegedly skipping the mandatory test. “The woman pilot and cabin crew, along with other operating crew were rostered for Air India flight AI-9631 on January 25 for Rajkot from New Delhi. After they reported for duty, as per norms, they were told to undertake breath analyser test. However, the findings were positive,” a source said. The matter was
reported to the DGCA and the two crew members were taken off for flying for three months, the source said. No comment from AI The Air India spokesperson, meanwhile, was not available for comments. Aircraft rules prohibit crew members from taking any alcoholic drink 12 hours prior to the commencement of a flight. Any crew member who tests positive in the preflight medical check or refuses to take a breathanalyser test is required to be taken off flying duty for at least four weeks and the airline is required to initiate disciplinary proceedings. —PTI
L-G seeks to make Delhi safer
HC notice to Centre, ECI on plea against pre-poll freebies
STAFF REPORTER
Court asks for reply, lists matter for May 24
NEW DELHI: In a move to ensure
STAFF REPORTER
the security of women and children in the Capital, Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal has proposed the formation of a standing committee, which will comprise officers of the Delhi Police, the Women and Child Development Department and the Education Department. In a high-level meeting held at Raj Niwas on Thursday, the L-G met senior officers of the Delhi Police and the Delhi government and issued directions like providing adequate number of public toilets and night shelters for women and adequate number of crèches for children, particularly in slums and JJ clusters.
NEW DELHI: The Delhi High
Court on Thursday asked the Centre and the Election Commission of India (ECI) about their stand on a petition seeking to restrain political parties from making promises of, or distributing, freebies before elections. “You (ECI) will have to file your response and inform this court whether the guidelines issued by you are in conformity with the directions given by the Supreme Court,” said a Bench headed by Chief Justice G. Rohini. ‘Affects level-playing field’ In July 2013, the Supreme Court had said that, “although the law is obvious that promises made in an election manifesto cannot be construed as a ‘corrupt practice’ under Section 123 of the Representation of the People Act, the reality is that distribution of freebies of any kind undoubtedly influences all people and affects level-playing field.” The Bench was hearing a petition seeking directions to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to restrain all
The plea sought directions restraining political parties from making promises of freebies before polls political parties from offering or distributing freebies ahead of the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur. The petition alleged that the promise of freebies by political parties, if voted to power, had become a common feature during elections. It also said that the ECI had not taken necessary steps to stop political parties from distributing freebies at the expense of the government exchequer in the upcoming Assembly elections. ECI nullified SC order The plea also said that the ECI in its recent guidelines had nullified the Supreme Court’s directions, which had directed it to frame guidelines in consultation with all recognised parties. The Bench has now fixed the matter for hearing on May 24.
Metro pushes Magenta Line launch to December NEW DELHI: The deadline for
SUNSCREEN: The Capital woke up to a cold and foggy Thursday. The minimum temperature was recorded at 8.6 degrees Celsius, normal for this time of the year, while the maximum temperature settled at 23.2 degrees Celsius, a notch above the season’s average. PHOTO: AFP
Congress upset with North corporation budget STAFF REPORTER
THE HINDU FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2017
‘Forensic facility’ The Delhi Police was instructed to share a list of ‘vulnerable routes and dark spots’ with agencies concerned, who would give a status report on corrective action taken. Further, the L-G discussed the possibility of setting up dedicated a ‘forensic facility’ to deal with cases of offences against women. Also, the L-G instructed the Chief Secretary to ensure action and submit a report within one month.
STAFF REPORTER
the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) will mark their attendance via a biometric system linked to their Aadhaar information. With an investment of ₨1.33 crore, the SDMC would become the first civic body in Delhi to have such a system, said Mayor Shyam Sharma. The civic body plans to install 1,348 of the Aadhaar-enabled biometric devices in all of its offices, including the headquarters at the Civic Centre and the four zonal offices, said Shailender Singh, chairperson of the Standing Committee, on Thursday. Though the SDMC already has a biometric attendance system in place at its headquarters and most other offices, there have been allegations of fraud in the past. The new system would not be restricted to the offices, as tablet computers equipped with fingerprint scanners would be used to mark attendance for those working in the field. Employees will be able to register by giving fingerprints and iris scans, which will be verified using their Aadhaar numbers.
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Party says the standing committee chairperson changed allocations without required approval chairperson, but this is something only the House has the power to do. He is in contempt of both the House and the Standing Committee. The budget should be referred back,” said Mr. Goel.
increasing deficits. “In 2017-2018, the deficit is estimated to be ₨3,610 crore. What happened to the surplus we had left in 2007?” asked Mr. Goel. With regard to the financial crisis the corporation faced, Mr. Goel said the reason was not the splitting up of the MCD into
corporation increases expenditure in the budget. But, these promises remain on paper,” said Mr. Goel. About property tax, one of the biggest sources of revenue, he said the corporation had failed to increase the number of properties in the tax net.
The line missed its 2016 deadline due to delay in completion of depots and encroachment Botanical Garden to Kalkaji have already started from October 27, 2016. The line is targeted for completion in December 2017,” says the progress report prepared by the DMRC. No deadline for Pink Line However, the metro has not set any deadline for the completion of the 59-kmlong Pink Line, the longest upcoming corridor under Phase III, as it remains beset by unavailability of land in few pockets. The Pink Line or Line 7, built parallel to the arterial Ring Road, will connect Majlis Park to Shiv Vi-
har. Once operational, it will considerably reduce the travel time between east and south Delhi. On Line 7, train trials between Majlis Park and Mayapuri are now planned in April, and between Mayapuri and Lajpat Nagar by July, an official said. “Progress of civil works up to December 2016 is 89.66 per cent. Land at few locations is still not available. The targets will be worked out when these land pockets are available,” the progress report says. DMRC chief Mangu Singh had earlier said that both these lines, part of Metro’s Phase III expansion, will be launched in a staggered manner, meaning small sections will be made operational instead of the entire corridors being thrown open together. —PTI
AAP calls budget ‘callously written’ STAFF REPORTER
‘Deficits rising’ Mr. Goel also spoke about how the corporation had seen deficits rise and income fall in the past five years. The BJP has been in power in the municipality since 2007, when, Mr. Goel said, the outgoing Congress had left with an opening balance of ₨905.78 crore. However, instead of surplus, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, till 2012, and subsequently the North Delhi Municipal Corporation had seen
three separate entities, but “financial mismanagement” by the BJP. He said that not only had the corporation failed to achieve targets set for annual income, but had also been inflating targets every year to score political points. “Just to please voters and councillors, the
the launch of Delhi Metro’s Magenta Line, connecting west Delhi to Noida via IGI Airport, has been pushed to December while the ITOKashmere Gate ‘Heritage Corridor’ is likely to be thrown open in March. The Magenta Line, where trial runs are underway in stretches, had missed its December 2016 deadline mainly due to delay in completion of train depots and encroachment in few areas, a DMRC official said. A small section of the line (Line 8), running between Noida, Botanical Garden and Kalkaji, may be opened a month or two after March, before its launch in entirety in December, the official said. “Progress of civil works up to December 2016 is 95.97 per cent. Train trials between
NEW DELHI: Ahead of the municipal polls slated for April, AAP leaders on Thursday ridiculed the budget presented by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation.
‘Absurd joke’ “They (BJP) heaped miseries on the people of Delhi. The budget presented by the North Corporation is an absurd joke. It has been callously written without addressing the financial crisis faced by the civic body,” said
AAP’s Delhi convenor, Dilip Pandey. Mr. Pandey said that the North Corporation budget made promises of a project like Medicity and investments in solar energy. “They cannot afford it even if the entire budget is invested here,” he said. The North and East corporations in the Capital are reeling under a severe financial crisis that has led to salaries of the staff being delayed. Mr. Pandey also said that the budget exposed the double standards of the BJP,
which has been opposing the salary hike for MLAs in Delhi, but was building offices for its own councillors and offering them drivers and health insurance. “The AAP government is not asking for luxuries like a driver since there is no car allowance for MLAs. It shows the mentality of the BJP, which assumes that its councillors with monthly salaries of ₨3,000, have cars. The BJP is not asking for a hike in salaries of councillors because they make money out of corrupt means,” he alleged.
PROJECT UNDER WAY: The Delhi Metro has not set any deadline for the completion of the 59-kmlong Pink Line, the longest upcoming corridor under Phase III. FILE PHOTO: SHANKER CHAKRAVARTY ND-ND
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Retired health department official took on a Gurugram developer over illegal maintenance charges
Audi accident: Owner gets clean chit from the police
STAFF REPORTER
PURUSHARTH ARADHAK
GURUGRAM: Faced with an un-
GHAZIABAD: The Ghaziabad po-
compromising developer and a hostile residents' welfare association, a retired health department official has won a legal battle over a tripartite agreement on maintenance charges on their apartment in Sohna Road in Sector 48. Dr. V.K. Jindal (83), a retired deputy director, health department decided to wage a lone battle against the building developer against what he believed was illegal and emerged victorious against all odds. In 2008, when Dr. Jindal, along with his family, moved into his flat in Vipul Greens apartments on Sohna Road in Sector 48, he was forced to sign a tripartite agreement with the builder imposing a maintenance authority on the residents. “We had to sign the agreement under duress as the developer said
lice have given a clean chit to the owner of the Audi Q7 car that rammed an auto at Indirapuram on January 28, killing four people. A person had later come forward claiming to be the driver of the car at the time of the incident and the police have produced him in the court as accused. The owner of the car is a doctor at Safdarjung city hospital.
83-yr-old wins lawsuit against builder
We signed the deal under duress as the developer said he would not allow the possession of the flat any other way
siderable financial strain. At last, the High Court dismissed the developer’s plea for arbitration and the case was remanded to the civil court with a direction to dispose of it in six months.
UNITED : Dr. V.K. Jindal said he found support in his wife Dr. Chander Mohini when other residents refused to join his fight. PHOTO: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT he would not allow the possession of the flat without the maintenance clause. The maintenance was fixed at ₨1.25 per sq. ft but a year later it was hiked to ₨2.84 per sq. ft without any justification. Though the other residents gave in, I found it unacceptable and decided not to pay the enhanced charges,” said Dr. Jindal. Intimidation attempts Several attempts were then allegedly made by the builder to make him fall in line and when nothing worked, the power supply to
his flat was snapped. “For nine days we were forced to live without electricity. Those were difficult times. My son even offered to pay the maintenance, but I refused to be cowed down and found support in my wife,” said Dr. Jindal. He then decided to approach the Punjab and Haryana High Court but none of the residents came out in support for fear of being targeted. His wife Dr. Chander Mohini, a retired gynaecologist, recalled how the fellow residents even poked fun at them asking them to move to
Maruti violence: ‘Arrests made before witnesses gave names’ STAFF REPORTER GURUGRAM: Arguing on behalf
of the workers in the Maruti violence case at lower court here, senior advocate Vrinda Grover has argued that as per the records of the prosecution, the 89 accused in the case were arrested by the police even before their names came from the witnesses and strongly urged that “the investigation in the case was committed at the behest of and dictated by the Maruti Suzuki India Ltd.(MSIL)”. FIR number inconsistent Appearing pro bono in the case, Ms. Grover said that the FIR had named only 55 workers in the case, but the arrest memos and the documents of
the prosecution clearly and conclusively established that 89 workers (not named in the FIR) were arrested by 11 a.m. on July 19, 2012, before the first set of four prosecution witnesses named them in their statements to the police later at noon. List from Maruti Alleging that these 89 workers were arrested at the behest of Maruti company, Ms. Grover said that as per the evidence and documents placed on record by the Assistant HR manager of MSIL Nitin Saraswat, a prosecution witness, he went to the company at 3 a.m. on July 19 and brought two lists carrying names of 55 and 89 workers and handed them over to the
police around 6 a.m. the same day. “The SHO, a proseuction witness, said he formed an SIT prior to 8 a.m. on July 19 of six police officers. All those officers have stated in court that those 89 accused were arrested before 12 noon on July 19, 2012 on the basis of the lists given to them by the SHO,” said Ms. Grover. It clearly shows that these arrests could only have been made as per the list provided by Nitin Saraswat... to show that a major incident took place where workers of the factory went on rampage, and destroyed property, she added. She also asked how not a single accused in the case was arrested at the time of the incident despite heavy police presence.
DDA flats if they could not afford the maintenance charges. He even got anonymous calls threatening him and was also denied the common facilities extended to the other residents such as services of the plumber. Financial strain The court decided in his favour, but the developer filed a revision petition in the High Court. Dr. Jindal had to travel to Chandigarh several times in connection with the case, along with his daughter Deepika and this put their family under con-
Court decision in favour After a long battle, the elderly, with support from many elderly couples, they got a favourable decision from the court on December 22, 2016. The court ruled in favour of Dr. Jindal by holding the tripartite agreement null-andvoid, and also directed the developer to constitute a valid RWA of flat owners and handover the management of the society and the collection made under various heads to them. Dr. Jindal regretted that though a majority of the condominiums in Gurugram faced similar issues, not all showed the courage to fight it out. The spokesperson of Vipul Ltd., the developer, said that the company had availed legal remedy against the impugned judgment before a competent court of jurisdiction and would await the outcome thereof.
Techie among dead Four people, including a woman techie and an autorickshaw driver, were killed when the high-end SUV rammed their auto at Indirapuram on a narrow road that runs parallel to the Hindon canal. Police identified the auto driver by his first name, Sanjeev (25). The others were identified as Yajuvendra Singh Sengar (40), his cousin Vishal Singh (25), and their family friend Rinku Yadav (38), who worked with HCL in Noida. All hail from Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh. Vishal had come to appear for a job interview, the police said. Following the incident, the police had seized the SUV as the occupants fled the spot. After an investigation, the police claimed that the car
RECKLESS DRIVING: Four people were killed when the high-end SUV rammed an auto in Indirapuram. FILE PHOTO was registered in the name of one Manish Rawat, a doctor with Safdarjung Hospital’s neurology department in Delhi. Man surrenders After the incident the police had conducted a raid to nab the SUV owner. Meanwhile one Ishaq Ahmed from Hafizganj, Bareilly appeared before Ghaziabad CJM court, claiming that he was behind the wheel at the time. Ahmed got bail from the court. Ishaaq Ahmad, from Labhera village under Hafizganj police station area of Bareilly, submitted his surrender application through his lawyer on Monday. Ahmad also appeared before the chief judicial magistrate court on Tuesday afternoon. The deceased’s family say
they are unhappy with the police investigation. “The police are treating the case casually. I believe the police are buying time so the family and the media forget the followup over time. We are suspecting that Ahmed is a ‘dummy’ accused. He is being used... We want a fair probe by a top agency as we do not trust the police,” Sudesh, cousin of the auto driver Sanjeev told The Hindu. Following the incident, the family of the victims lodged a police complaint and an FIR was registered under sections 279 (rash driving), 304a (causing death by negligence) and 427 (causing damages) of the Indian Penal Code at Indirapuram police station. Unidentified persons were named in the FIR.
Two decamp with jewellery bag from wedding SHUBHOMOY SIKDAR NEW DELHI: In the second
such case reported in less than 24 hours, two women posing as guests at a a wedding ceremony decamped with a bag containing jewellery and an i-Phone from a five star hotel in Lutyens' Delhi on January 29, said the police. Caught in CCTV The complainant, Shreeram Khaitan, hosted the marriage ceremony of his daughter at Hotel Shangri-La's Eros Hotel on January 29 at their ballroom. The accused women, dressed in wedding finery, entered the ballroom where the function was happening
and were captured in CCTV cameras. Mr. Khaitan told the police that his wife, Rekha, raised an alarm around 11:30 p.m., when she informed him and others present that the bag she was carrying was missing. A senior police officer said that Ms. Rekha told them that the bag contained a gold chain, a diamond ring, the i-Phone 6 and 20-25 pieces of silver coins. The family then brought this to the notice of the hotel security staff, who told him that they might have seen two women stepping out with the same bag out of the ballroom, the police said.
The bag contained a gold chain, a diamond ring, an i-Phone and 20-25 pieces of silver coins The hotel security made efforts to trace them or verify their identity but to no avail, Mr. Khaitan told the police. No breakthrough has been acheived but the police suspect that both the incidents could be the handiwork of a gang of women and children. Similar modus operandi The incident came less than a day after a group of ten-year-olds pulled off a similar heist by
decamping with jewellery worth ₨40 lakh at a wedding at India Islamic Cultural centre adopting the same modus operandi. Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Braja Kishore Singh said that a few days before these incidents a similar one was reported Civil Services Officers' Club at KG Marg where the women posing as Mehendi artist entered and later decamped with a bag and were captured on camera. The police are also probing if the gang that targets wedding parties and had decamped with jewellery, ₨7 lakh cash and a phone of a judicial officer in Juvenile Justice
Board from his nephew's wedding in Civil Lines area in December is behind the aforementioned three incidents. The police are also planning to issue an advisory to those hosting such events. Screen guests “Most of the weddings are private functions and the onus lies with the hosts also to screen their guests and make sure uninvited ones are not allowed. For some functions we issue permission and we will warn them about the activites of these gangs. Now, our focus is on identifying the women,” said Mr. Singh.
‘Budget a major disappointment for SC/STs’
Strutting their stuff
Tribal rights activists say that contrary to govt.’s claims, the budget is not pro-Dalit or pro-Adivasi SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT NEW DELHI: The move to do
PECKING ORDER: A peacock and a peahen seen at the Patiala House courts on Thursday. PHOTO: SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA.
away with the sub-plans for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) following the merger of the Plan and Non-plan expenditure has resulted in severe shortfall in allocations for schemes dedicated to SC/ STs, according to the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR) and tribal rights activists. With the Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan (SCSP) and the Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) allocations turning into ‘Allocations for welfare of Scheduled Castes’ and ‘Allocations for welfare of Scheduled Tribes’ in the 2017-18 Budget, the government was expected to follow the Jadhav Guidelines, which had laid
out the percentage amounts for welfare schemes targeted to SCs and STs. These had recommended 4.62% of the total budget expenditure (equivalent to the 16.6% of the erstwhile Plan expenditure mandated for SCSP) for SC allocations, and 2.32% of total budget expenditure (equivalent to 8.6% of the Plan expenditure mandated for TSP) for ST allocations. Due amount denied For the 2017-18 Budget, this works out to ₨96,847 crore for SCs and ₨49,992 crore for STs. But in reality, the total allocation for SCs this year was only ₨52,393 crore, while STs received only ₨31,920 crore. “The government has denied a due amount of ₨44,246 crore for SCs and ₨18,073 crore for STs,” said
Student death: school denies negligence, parents file complaint PURUSHARTH ARADHAK GREATER NOIDA: Two days after the death of a 7-year-old student of DPS World School in Noida Extension, the school authorities on Thursday denied the allegations that the child suffered injuries during karate session. The student’s parents, however, lodged a complaint against the school authorities, demanding a fair probe.
‘Incorrect’ allegations “The news reports regard-
ing any other cause of death due to any negligence of school are wholly incorrect. The fact that there was no external injury on the body can also be confirmed from the hospital’s medical records,” school principal Jyoti Arora said in a press release. “Allegation that the student met with an accident during the optional basic Karate training, which was imparted with written consent of her parent and conducted by certified professionals, are wholly unfounded and far
from reality, and this has been verified with documentary evidence and camera recording. All the school staff acted in a responsible manner, took timely action, and is grieved at the loss of one of our students,” the release read. The student, Gazhal Yadav, was taken by the school to a private hospital in Greater Noida, where she died on arrival. Headache complaint Her father, Lal Chand Yadav, told The Hindu that he
was initially told that his daughter had a “headache”. "After half-an-hour, the school authorities informed me that Gazhal was bleeding from the nose and was being taken to a hospital," said Mr. Yadav, who is a general manager with a private company. “Initially, I believed the school that my daughter died of natural causes but during cremation, I noticed swelling on her face," he said. No post-mortem When asked why the post-
mortem was not conducted, Mr. Yadav said, “I believed the words of school authorities. The post-mortem examination would have left cuts on my daughter’s body, hence we avoided it.” “There was a judo competition on the day of incident. I have lodged a complaint with the Greater Noida police against school authorities, demanding a fair probe,” Mr. Yadav said. “In the afternoon on January 31, around 12:50 pm, student Ghazal Yadav ap-
proached her class teacher complaining of a severe headache. The student had also informed the class teacher of a similar headache around two weeks back, when the parents had been duly informed. That she was suffering from frequent headaches has also been confirmed by her neighbours,” the school principal said in the release. Gautam Budh Nagar superintendent of police (rural) Sujata Singh told The Hindu that a committee has been set up to probe the matter.
Mr. Paul Divakar of the NCDHR. Total schemes reduced “Contrary to the claim that this is a pro-Dalit and proAdivasi budget, it has actually reduced the total schemes for SCs from 294 to 256, and those for STs from 307 to 261,” he added. “A critical scheme for rehabilitation of bonded labourers – the bulk of whom are SCs and STs – has been scrapped, while funding has been severely slashed for the National Scheduled Caste Finance Development Corporation (NSCFDC) and the rehabilitation scheme for manual scavengers,” said Mr. Abhay Xaxa, a tribal rights activist. “Also, the total allocation for Dalit-Adivasi women
amounted to only 0.99% of the total Gender Budget categorisation, with budgeted expenditure on schemes for SC and ST women forming only 1.19% of SC schemes, and 1.68% of ST schemes respectively.” The Dalit and tribal rights activists have made four demands regarding the Budget: to remedy the combined shortfall in allocations to SC/STs amounting to ₨62,319 crore, by allocating this amount to targeted SC/ST schemes; to reinstate the SCSP and the TSP through a legislation to ensure better accountability; to increase the allocations for schemes targeted to Dalit and Adivasi women; and to release the backlog of Rs12,000 crore that is due as scholarship to Dalit and Adivasi students.
DELHI TODAY Talk: ‘The Idea of ASEAN’ by Ambassador Rajiv Bhatia, moderated by Shakti Sinha, Director, NMML at Seminar Room, Library Building, Nehru Memorial Museum & Library (NMML), Teen Murti House, Teen Murti Marg, 3 p.m. Music and Talk: Cultural Annual Kala Pravah Magazine (Volume-8) will be released by Grammy Award winner Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt and other eminent artistes, followed by Indo-German Jugalbandi of Satvik Veena and Guitar by Pt. Salil Bhatt and Mathias Mullar (Germany). Pranshu Chatur Lal on Tabla accompaniment at The Stein Auditorium, India Habitat Centre (IHC), 7 p.m. Dance: Odissi recital by Madhur Gupta from Delhi at C.D. Deshmukh Auditorium, India International Centre (IIC), 6:30 p.m.
Exhibition: “Mapping Cultures” paintings and silk-screen prints that focus on the lost cultures of Rajasthan exhibition by artist Madan Meena at Triveni Gallery, Triveni Kala Sangam, 205, Tansen Marg, Mandi House, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Exhibition: `Art by Fire’ - E’thaan presents a group exhibition wood and bamboo by Ritu Varuni at Open Palm Court Gallery, India Habitat Centre (IHC), 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Paintings: `Elements eliminated’ solo painting show by Jaspreet Gujral at Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre (IHC), 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Photography: `Enigma - Street stories of Delhi’ - solo photography show by Ahmed Firoz, at Delhi 'o’ Delhi Foyer, India Habitat Centre (IHC), 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. (Mail your listings for this column at
[email protected])
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).
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Rights groups call for resources for MGNREGS to provide work on demand SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT JAIPUR: Civil rights groups spearheading a campaign for employment guarantee have demanded allocation of adequate resources to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) for work to be provided on demand in the light of the Union Budget's allocation of ₨48,000 crore for the flagship scheme. Social activists Aruna Roy and Nikhil Dey, representing the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan, said while 22 of the 34 States had negative balances, a total of ₨3,469
p
crore in pending liabilities had already piled up as per the Finance Ministry’s own data. Even as the States had spent 93% of the funds available for this financial year, this was likely to dramatically go up over the next two months, as traditionally demand for work has peaked during this season, said the groups, including the Jan Jagaran Shakti Sangathan and the National Federation of Indian women, in a statement. Ms. Roy said the increase in the allocation to MGNREGS was a mere one per cent, as two supplementary allocations after the last
year's funding of ₨38,500 crore had taken the total budget to ₨47,500 crore in 2016-17. Distress The rights groups pointed out that MGNREGS, intended to provide livelihood security the poor, could help out the casual workers suffering from the distress of demonetisation. “But with pending liabilities already piling up, the situation is likely to get worse in the next two months as the Budget releases will only be made in April.” “At present 54% of the wage payments continue to
be delayed, and as a result ₨231 crore of compensation to workers also remains due,” said Ms. Roy. On the other hand, the Supreme Court has emphatically stated that delayed wages were unacceptable and amounted to violation of workers' rights. Besides, the notification for requirement of Aadhaar cards for accessing work under MGNREGS from the next financial year, in violation of repeated Supreme Court orders to not make Aadhaar mandatory, was likely to have massive disruptive and exclusionary effects.
- PHOTO: A.M. FARUQUI
Pak move unnerves militants PEERZADA ASHIQ SRINAGAR: Pakistan’s move to
freedom movement of Kashmir. India always wanted to suppress this voice and others
who exposed their real face,” said LeT chief Mehmood Shah.
place Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed under house arrest has invited sharp reaction from militant outfits in J&K, with many warning of “dire consequences for Kashmir”. “Kashmiri movement is at a critical phase and Mr. Saeed would support it. Pakistan’s action is a sign of weakness, which is painful. It has sent depressing signals. It also depicts the weak role of Pakistan in Kashmir’s freedom struggle,” said United Jehad Counicl chief Syed Salahuddin, while asking Pakistan to rescind the decision. The jehad council is a group of more than 10 militant outfits active in Kashmir. Several militant outfits have issued a series of statements in Srinagar to express their “anger and disgust” over the decision, hinting at growing anxiety with the Pakistan Army. “Detaining Saeed will prove a fatal blow to the ongoing
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Ugandan woman stabbed to death in Bengaluru SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT BENGALURU: A 26-year-old woman from Uganda was stabbed to death in her house in Kothanur, allegedly by an M. Tech graduate from Himachal Pradesh, in the early hours of Thursday. The victim, student of a city college, had met the accused, Ishan (30), on Wednesday night. According to police, the two left for her house in Thimmegowda Layout. “As per our investigation, upon reaching her house, the two had an argument over money and the woman threatened Ishan at knife point. Ishan allegedly snatched the knife and stabbed her to death,” said a police officer. Neighbours alerted the police. By the time Bagalur police inspector Anjan Kumar arrived, a group of African students — who lived in that area — gathered at the house. The police said the students cornered Ishan and demanded that he be handed over to them. When Mr. Anjan tried to take the accused into custody, the students allegedly attacked him. In the melee, the police inspector suffered minor injuries. The situation was brought under control after the arrival of additional police force. The police arrested Ishan on the charge of murder and detained the students who allegedly attacked the police officer. Inquiries revealed that Ishan had come to Bengaluru in search of a job and was staying in a rented house.
Sarpanch, panel member beat up woman in A.P. STAFF REPORTER ANANTAPUR: A woman was al-
legedly beaten up by two men — the sarpanch and a Janmabhoomi committee member — in the Jallipalli village of Kudair mandal in Anantapur district on Thursday. Sudha urged sarpanch Nagaraju and Janmabhoomi committee member Chandrasekhar to heed her request of shifting the construction of a water tank in the village a little away from her house as it was obstructing entry to her house. As the sarpanch and Janmabhoomi panel member rejected her appeal, a verbal altercation ensued between them. The duo allegedly dragged the woman to the road, assaulted and kicked her, a video of which has gone viral on social media. The woman subsequently went to the Kudair police station and registered a complaint. Nagaraju and Chandrasekhar were arrested but soon let off on a bail. Reacting to the news, aired by news channels, Anantapur SP S.V. Rajasekhara Babu directed the DSP to ensure that the woman’s rights were protected and all procedures followed.
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Uber says ride-share service will continue in Bengaluru Aggregator not to follow Karnataka government’s order on Friday deadline will consider it since we are in favour of ride-sharing [services], but they cannot ply illegally.”
STAFF REPORTER BENGALURU: In direct opposition to the Karnataka Transport Commissioner’s Friday deadline for aggregators to halt ride-sharing services, Uber has announced that it will continue with its UberPOOL service, claiming that it is legal. Justifying the continuation of UberPOOL, Christian Freese, general manager, Uber, Bengaluru, said: “We believe UberPOOL is within the law. So, right now, there is no push to stop the product. We have always said ride share is something that is very much welcome for a city like Bengaluru.”
Will take action: Officials Government officials, however, said there was no legal framework for ride-
NO STOPPING: Uber has claimed that the UberPOOL service is legal. — FILE PHOTO: K. MURALI KUMAR share services. “If they decide to ply on Friday, we will take action against them,” Transport Commissioner M.K. Aiyappa told The Hindu. Uber has also started an online petition to gather signature from supporters of UberPOOL, stating that it will present them to officials
as proof of the service’s popularity. At a meeting with Mr. Aiyappa on Thursday evening, Uber tried to get the ban lifted, but was unsuccessful. Mr. Aiyappa said: “We again explained our stand to them, reiterating that share rides are illegal for now. If they submit a representation, we
Company’s justification However, Uber stuck to its stand that pool rides were not illegal. It justified this on Thursday with the statement: “UberPOOL is a product that enables driver partners to pick up and drop identified riders through the Uber app under a single contract. When a rider chooses UberPOOL through the Uber app, he/she consents to another person sharing the trip.” As of Thursday evening, Uber’s competitor Ola was offering ride-sharing services. The company did not respond to a request for a comment on whether it will halt Ola Share from Friday.
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THE HINDU FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2017
‘Police didn’t expect Maoists to strike in Sunki-Koraput region’ SUMIT BHATTACHARJEE VISAKHAPATNAM: Ever since 30 Maoists were killed by Greyhounds in an exchange of fire in the cut-off area of the Andhra Odisha Border (AOB) in October 2016, Left Wing Extremists (LWE) have been waiting to strike back. They killed eight members of the Odisha State Armed Police in a landmine blast on Wednesday at Mungarbhumi, about 2 km from Sunki on the AOB. While in October, the Greyhounds killed top Maoist leaders, including Bakuri Venkata Ramana alias Ganesh, Shyamala Kistayya alias Daya, and Munna, son of Central Committee member Ramakrishna alias RK, Maoists on Wednesday killed unarmed trainee drivers who were moving from a camp in Koraput to a training centre in Angul. The police were certain that the Maoists would strike
On Karnataka-Kerala border, harmony flows with water Every year, villagers of Manila and Puttige build a barrage across Shiriya river to face summer
MOVING FAREWELL: A guard of honour being presented for the security personnel killed in Koraput. — PHOTO: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT back but did not expect them to choose a soft target like trainee drivers. While eight policemen died on the spot, five were critically injured. Tactical blunder Although on August 27, 2013, four BSF jawans were killed in a similar landmine blast at a culvert between Pottangi and Sunki, the police were complacent in the Sunki-Koraput region, as Maoist activity has been low
in this region, especially on the A.P. side. Top sources said it was a tactical blunder to transport the drivers in a police mini bus. The Maoists would have surely conducted a series of recces before the attack. This pointed to an intelligence failure. The landmine was triggered by a wire, indicating that the extremists were present at the site.This was a worrying factor, said a senior police officer.
E. Ahamed laid to rest with State honours
Good Samaritan Bill awaits Governor’s nod
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
BENGALURU: On average, Karnataka records 30 road accident deaths every day. But the Good Samaritan Bill enacted by the State government still awaits Governor’s assent to become law. During the Belagavi session of the State legislature, the government passed the Karnataka Good Samaritan and Medical Professional (Protection and Regulation During Emergency Situations) Bill, 2016. The Bill is aimed to provide protection to Good Samaritans and ensure quick medical aid for road accident victims, and encourage people to offer first aid to victims without fear of legal wrangles. In the absence of an established Emergency Medical Services system in India, bystanders can play a crucial role in ensuring timely help for victims. However, bystanders often refrain from helping due to the fear of legal and procedural hassles, the Bill said.
NAGESH PRABHU
ANIL KUMAR SASTRY MANGALURU: Two neighbouring
villages, in Karnataka and Kerala, on Thursday almost completed this year’s ‘annual ritual’ — something they have been doing for three decades. The ritual is nothing but the construction of a katta (temporary barrage) across the Shiriya River, which acts as the border between Karnataka and Kerala. In a rare display of bonhomie, the villagers — belonging to Manila in Karnataka and Puttige in Kerala — join hands to build this barrage to face the summer. The barrage is built at the Balekallu village of Bantwal taluk, about 56 km from Mangaluru. 30-year-practice According to Rajesh Padekallu, Manila gram panchayat president, the practice has been on for about 30 years. For about eight years, the Puttige panchayat has been providing labour under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme while Manila villagers too provide men and material. His brother, Jayaprakash Padekallu, said the water
LIVE & LET LIVE: People constructing a barrage using boulders, sandbags and plantain trunks at the Balekallu village across Shiriya river on Thursday. — PHOTO: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT stored in the barrage helps irrigate about 300 acres of land comprising areca nut gardens and paddy fields of both the States. It recharges the groundwater in the region. The 50-metre long barrage is built using boulders, sandbags and plantain trunks, he said. Hemavathi, a member of the Puttige gram panchayat, told The Hindu that though the river flows in Karnataka abutting her ward, the panchayat facilitates the
barrage work for the benefits provided by it. This year, 538 man days of work had been completed so far, costing about Rs. 1.29 lakh, she said. Appeal to governments Usually, work starts in the first week of February. But this year, it was nearing completion because MGNREGA grants were made available early in January, Ms. Hemavathi said. This, she said, would help in storing more
water this season. Mr. Rajesh Padekallu said the panchayat had been urging the Karnataka government to build a permanent barrage. He said the panchayat as well as residents were willing to share water with their neighbours in Kerala as was being done at present, and wanted both the governments to act in this regard. River Shiriya has its origin near Kolthige village in the Puttur taluk of Karnataka.
KANNUR: The body of Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) national president and former Union Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed, MP, was buried with full State honours at the Kannur city juma masjid khabarstan near his ancestral home here on Thursday. Thousands of people paid homage to the deceased leader when the body was brought to his residence at Thana. The body was kept for public viewing near the Kannur Corporation office and the Deenul Islam Sabha Girls Higher Secondary School near the masjid on Wednesday morning. The body of Ahamed, who passed away in New Delhi in the early hours of February 1 following cardiac arrest,was brought to his residence late on Wednesday night. There was a large turnout of people, including political leaders, to pay the last respects to the deceased leader. An all-party condolence meeting was held after the burial. The district observed a dawn-to-dusk hartal on Thursday as a mark of respect.
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THE HINDU FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2017
Bastar IG asked to go on ‘long leave’ Alleged acts of rights abuse during Kalluri’s tenure made it difficult for govt. to defend the officer PAVAN DAHAT NAGPUR: Shiv Ram Prasad Kal-
luri, Inspector-General of Police, Bastar Range, Chhattisgarh, was on Thursday asked to go on a “long medical leave.” According to sources in the Chhattisgarh police in Raipur, Mr. Kalluri may not return to his current post. He may be transferred to Raipur when he returns from medical leave. Speculation about Mr. Kalluri’s transfer was triggered when the Chhattisgarh government on Wednesday posted senior IPS officer P. Sundar Raj as the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Dantewada Range, and included all districts of the Maoist-hit Bastar Range in the Dantewada Range.
A file photo of Shiv Ram Prasad Kalluri “Mr. Kalluri had asked for medical leave and his leave was sanctioned today. P. Sundar Raj is a good officer and was working in ANO (anti-Naxal operations). Now he will be posted as DIG, Dantewada,” said D.M. Awasthi, Special Director-
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General of Police, ANO, Chhattisgarh. Chhattisgarh Home Minister Ramsevak Paikara, however, maintained that Mr. Kalluri would remain the Bastar IG. Mr. Kalluri was posted as Bastar IG in July 2014. His
tenure witnessed large-scale surrender of Maoists and encounter killings. But questions were raised about the ‘surrenders’ and ‘encounters’ as villagers from many districts of Bastar accused the police of faking them. Last year, the security forces were accused of sexual violence against tribal women in Bijapur district. The National Human Rights Commission upheld the allegations last month. Mr. Kalluri’s tenure also saw the arrest of four journalists from Bastar. Tribal activist Soni Sori was attacked with an acid-like substance. A legal aid group of women lawyers and a woman journalist were evicted from Bastar last year. An FIR was filed against Delhi Univer-
sity professor Nandini Sundar and some communist leaders when Maoists killed a tribal man in Bastar. According to sources in Raipur, the recent attack on the house of activist Bela Bhatia in Bastar and the NHRC order confirming the rape of Bijapur women made it difficult for the government to defend Mr. Kalluri. ‘Bela Bhatia wins’ Mr. Kalluri did not speak to reporters about his “long leave.” But he wrote on social media: “I am under orders to proceed on leave for an unspecified duration. I am grateful to everyone for the support extended to me.” In another post, he wrote: “Bela Bhatia wins. Going on long leave. Sorry for failing you.”
ED official issued summons in Rose Valley case SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT KOLKATA: The Kolkata Police issued summons on Thursday to Enforcement Directorate (ED) Assistant Director Manoj Kumar, who has been taken off the investigation of the Rose Valley Group of Companies after a video footage surfaced showing him with company chairman and managing director Gautam Kundu’s wife. Senior officials of the Kolkata police told journalists that Mr. Kumar had been asked to appear at the Lalbazar police headquarters on Friday. The ED official, however, denied receiving any summons. Speaking to journalists at the ED regional office, Mr.
Video footage surfaced showing him with company chairman and MD Gautam Kundu’s wife Kumar said he had handed over all the files pertaining to the investigation of the companies to senior officials, who were scrutinising the documents. He said the Kolkata police was behind the videos. He was a victim of the “cross fire” between investigating agencies, he said. Kolkata police said it had recovered a computer hard drive with two folders named Rose Valley and Madam Rose Valley during a search at an office in the
Scientist says international journal violated Man, daughter rescued from debris of collapsed Kanpur building ethics on Bihar’s ‘litchi disease’ report R. PRASAD CHENNAI: The scientist who in-
vestigated the mystery disease that proved fatal for many 15-year old children in Muzaffarpur, Bihar at the instance of the State government has raised ethics issues about the way the research has been published by the journal Lancet Global Health on January 30. “Not giving due credit for work done by others is not acceptable in science,” Dr. T. Jacob John, a virologist who was earlier attached to the Christian Medical College, (CMC) Vellore says. “They quote our study but don’t honestly say what we have found. If they did that then they can’t claim originality. They have done a large case-control study but borrowed all important information connected with the ill-
ness from us,” he argues. Dr. John published in 2014 evidence of a link between a fruit in Jamaica, the ackee, from the same family as litchi, and a disease called acute encephalopathy in Jamaicans. He showed the close clinical similarity between ackee poisioning and the Muzaffarpur illness, where litchi consumption and skipping the evening meal could result in very low blood glucose and acute encephalopathy, leading to seizures and coma, and death in many cases. Authors refute claim The Lancet authors, however, refute this. “We have acknowledged and cited all three of Dr. John and his colleagues’ papers in Current Science,” Dr. Padmini Srikantiah at CDC Atlanta and the corresponding author said in
Dr. Jacob John’s team said the illness was due to non-infectious encephalopathy and not viral encephalitis an email. “There are a few key findings in our study that have not been, to our knowledge, reported previously. First: the evidence of the metabolites of hypoglycin A and methylenecyclopropylglycine (MCPG) in the specimens of affected children, and the demonstrated metabolic abnormalities that resulted due to the effects of these toxins. And, second, a statistically significant epidemiological association between illness and litchi consumption, as well as the modifying effect of the absence of an evening meal.” Dr. John’s team had in a
May 2014 paper in Current Science pointed out that the illness was due to non-infectious encephalopathy and not viral encephalitis as was widely suspected. That it was a form of encephalopathy associated with low blood sugar was again emphasised in a August 2014 paper in Current Science. A December 2015 Current Science paper reported presence of MCPG in litchi ; but not MCPG or hypoglycin A in samples of children. But the study strongly suggested the role of MCPG. “Our finding provides the much needed evidence for biological plausibility that litchi consumption by undernourished children, especially after prolonged fasting, triggers the hypoglycaemic encephalopathy,” early in the morning, the paper says.
KANPUR: A father-daughter duo was rescued from the debris of an under-construction building which collapsed in Kanpur’s Jajmau area on Wednesday, with police booking a local SP leader and a contractor for negligence. Army and NDRF teams on Thursday morning rescued the girl and her father from the building’s debris. The duo received minor injuries in the incident, a senior official said, adding that totally seven persons were killed in the incident and 18 injured. Kanpur Development Authority OSD D.D. Verma on Wednesday complained to Chakeri police that Mehtab Alam was getting the building illegally constructed. For this, the KDA had served a notice on him on November 23, 2016, Senior Superintendent of Police Aakash Kulhari said.
city’s central business district from where demonetised currency notes were seized. Police claim the folders contained information about the transfer of ₨15 crore through different accounts. According to agencies investigating the chit fund scam, the Rose Valley group had illegally raised ₨1700 crore from the market. Company’s chairman and managing director Gutam Kundu was arrested by the ED in March 2015. The CBI recently arrested two Trinamool Congress MPs in connection with the scam. During the day, a team of the city police questioned Gautam Kundu’s wife Subhra Kundu.
Bihar introduces third gender category in school exams AMARNATH TEWARY
File photo of Rose Valley Group chairman Gautam Kundu. — PHOTO: PTI IN SAFE HANDS: A girl who was rescued from the collapsed building in Kanpur on Thursday. — PHOTO: PTI But as Mr. Alam did not reply to the notice, the building was sealed on December 26 last year. However, on Wednesday construction was again started after illeg-
ally breaking the seal, he said quoting the complaint. On the basis of the complaint, an FIR was registered against Mr. Alam and his contractor. — PTI
PATNA: For the first time since the Supreme Court recognised transgender people as a third gender in 2014, as many as 18 students in Bihar have been allowed to appear for the Board exams conducted by the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) under the third-gender category. The exams for Class 12 begin on February 14 and for Class 10 from March 1. According to board officials, 10 third-gender students will be taking the Class 12 exams and eight would be writing the Class 10 exams. So far, the BSEB did not allow students to take Board exams under the ‘third gender’ category because the exam form specified two categories, male and female.
It’s BJP which is blocking quota: Hardik Patel MAHESH LANGA AHMEDABAD: “Defeating the BJP in the Assembly polls in Gujarat has become as important as seeking quota for the Patidar community in the State because it is the BJP which is coming in the way of Patidars getting quota in education and jobs,” said 23year-old Hardik Patel, who spearheads a quota agitation in the State. After returning to the State from a six-month exile in Rajasthan where he was sent by the High Court while granting him bail in two sedition cases before he was ar-
CM YK
Hardik Patel rested by the Gujarat police in September 2015, Mr. Patel has been criss-crossing the State to revive his agitation ahead of the Assembly polls scheduled to be held later this year.
“Our primary goal is to get quota for the community and to achieve that, we have to first defeat the BJP, which has denied us the benefits under the quota. What happened in the panchayat polls in 2015 when the BJP was wiped out will be repeated in the Assembly polls,” Mr. Patel told The Hindu in an interview. According to him, the ruling BJP will pay a heavy price for the ‘excesses’ during the agitation in which a dozen persons were killed in police firing and women beaten up. “A dozen people were killed in police firing. We were sent
to jail on sedition charge. Police thrashed our women in our own homes. In every village, people ask me to fight for justice for those who were killed and for the atrocities the police inflicted on us. Nobody has forgotten anything.” Stressing that the Patidars are still angry with the BJP, Mr. Patel said that a few days back, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel was not allowed to speak by the community in his own constituency, while on Tuesday, State youth BJP president was booed in Surat and targeted with eggs and tomatoes.
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EDITORIAL
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THE HINDU FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2017
A season to repair relations It’s time for a comprehensive, open dialogue between India and China to promote communication and connectivity in diverse spheres and preserve the peace on our shared borders F R I D AY , F E B R U A RY 3 , 2 0 1 7
Neither transparent nor accountable
I
n the public mind, political corruption is the source of most forms of corruption. No doubt, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was seeking to address this concern about the lack of transparency and accountability in the funding of political parties when he announced measures in the Union Budget to cleanse the process of making donations toward election expenses of parties. But his proposals are doomed to fail, not because they do not go far enough but because they go in the wrong direction. The ceiling of ₨2,000 on cash donation by any individual to a party, slashed from the existing ₨20,000, might inconvenience parties to some extent but is unlikely to stop the disguising of huge, off-the-books cash donations from corporate houses and vested interests as small contributions from ordinary party workers and sympathisers. All that the parties will now have to do is find more people to lend their names to these donations, or better still, find more names of unsuspecting people to be listed as cash donors. The proposal does not disrupt the flow of illicit political donations but only channels it differently, and will not reduce the proportion of cash from unverifiable sources in the total donations received. If Mr. Jaitley was indeed intent on getting the political class to truly account for their donations, he should have placed a cap on the amount a party may receive in cash as a donation. In any case, the declared income is only a small part of their funding, much of which is spent during elections and mobilisation efforts without coming under the radar of the Election Commission or the Income Tax Department. The proposal to allow donors to purchase electoral bonds from banks against cheque and digital payments to be given to registered political parties for redemption, meant to cater to donors’ need to remain anonymous to rival political parties, hardly contributes to transparency. Indeed, donors should not enjoy any anonymity, before tax authorities or the general public. The absence of such anonymity, of course, will bring down the level of contributions from corporate houses and other entities to parties, not such a bad thing. Far from aiding transparency, the proposal only clouds the funding process. The Budget makes it mandatory for political parties to file returns within a time limit, but in the absence of extreme penal provisions compliance is likely to be low. Mr. Jaitley, while raising visions of a crackdown on illicit funding, seems to have left the issue untouched in real terms. Half-measures will not go even halfway in achieving the purpose of bringing about transparency and accountability in political donations.
NIRUPAMA RAO
The Chinese Ambassador to India, Luo Zhaohui, recently put forward some suggestions for improvement of bilateral ties between China and India. The suggestions are timely since relations between the two Asian giants have looked tired and worn in recent months. The voices from the gallery have been worrisome. China’s obduracy on India’s Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) bid, its incomprehensible stand on the listing of known terrorist-progenitor Masood Azhar under the U.N. Security Council’s 1267 Committee, the deployment of Chinese military and engineering assets in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and the development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) are all pointers to a complex and tension-riddled relationship. Absence of trust On the CPEC, the Prime Minister himself, speaking at the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi, implicitly criticised the Chinese actions saying, “Connectivity in itself cannot override or undermine the sovereignty of other nations.” While the border areas between the two countries have remained conflict-free, the Line of Actual Control continues to be subject to conflicting interpretations by both India and China and the scene of intermittent transgression. Commentators have suggested that India’s Tibet policy is also being recalibrated, drawing conclusions from the Dalai Lama’s projected visit to Arunachal Pradesh and his being “seen at Rashtrapati Bhavan, sitting beside President Pranab Mukherjee”. As expected, the nationalist Chinese media condemned it. What did Mr. Luo say? The remarks were obviously prepared as the Chinese do not speak off-the-cuff in public spaces. He suggested a ‘friendship and cooperation treaty’ and a free trade agreement (FTA) to boost bilateral relations and joining of hands on China’s One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative, and added that the time is ripe for both countries to reap some ‘early harvest’ outcomes (based on negotiations held so far) on the unresolved boundary question. That the Ambassador chose to make these remarks at the newly-established Ji Xianlin Centre for India-China Studies at the University of Mumbai campus lent some symbolism to the occasion. Ji Xianlin was one of China’s foremost modern Indologists and a protagonist of friendship and civilisational understanding between India and China. Could the Ambassador's statement be
ILLUSTRATION: SURENDRA
A true indicator of Chinese positivity would be approval for India to open a Trade Office in Lhasa in place of the old Consulate General that operated there till ’62 part of an effort within the Chinese establishment to review relations with neighbours like India, given the strategic uncertainties generated by the advent of Donald Trump’s administration in the U.S. and his unabashed negativity towards China? Mr. Trump’s phone call with the Taiwanese President, Tsai Ing-wen, before he took office; his proclaimed intention to impose punitive tariffs on Chinese goods; and the new U.S. Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson’s thinly disguised threats against China’s building of artificial islands in the disputed areas in the South China Sea have all generated concern in Beijing. It is not known whether these ideas articulated in Mumbai by the Chinese envoy have been discussed at the government-togovernment level previously. It is possible that some of them, particularly the ‘early harvest’ concept relating to the boundary, may have been broached in some form or other by the Chinese side. Sectors of the boundary, like Sikkim and the middle sector (Uttarakhand/Himachal Pradesh), are by and large free of the disputes that one sees in the western (Jammu and Kashmir) and eastern (Arunachal Pradesh) sectors. But ‘solutions’ that segment the border instead of ensuring an overall comprehensive settlement of the boundary may be difficult to accept, especially for India. Devil in the detail A treaty of friendship and cooperation between the two countries recalls the 1954 “Panchsheel” Agreement which essentially tied up the status of Tibet but also outlined
the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence — principles that became empty words over the ensuing years as the relationship slid into conflict and then took years to revive. The 1993 and 1996 agreements on peace and tranquility and confidencebuilding in the India-China border areas reiterated the five principles and also spoke of the non-use of force and the concept of mutual and equal security. While India need not spurn the latest Chinese overture made by Mr. Luo, and would do well to explore what the proposal entails, the devil is always in the detail. Given the state of bilateral relations, and the extent of unresolved political and security issues that bedevil the relationship, not to mention the disparity in economic strength, a treaty of friendship and cooperation may only be an inventory of good intentions but not a transformative document. As for trade and economic relations, Mr. Luo’s idea of an FTA is no doubt forwardlooking. Trade between India and China has grown to an annual volume of $70 billion (2015-16). India has made a strong pitch for Chinese investments under Make in India in infrastructure development, solar energy and smart cities. Recent reports, however, also suggest security hurdles faced by Chinese firms seeking to invest in India. An FTA that is goods-centred will obviously not benefit India given the huge trade in goods imbalance that favours China. An FTA that is comprehensive, covering goods and services, cross-border investment, R&D, standards and dispute resolution would be worth exploring. As some Indian scholars have observed, “An FTA with China may have benefits that escape quantification and transcend economics.” Connectivity builds the sinews of successful diplomacy today. Our own region of South Asia with its poor inter-country connectivity only buttresses the poor state of diplomatic cooperation in much of the subcontinent. The rigour of borders and sovereignties has triumphed over any consensusbuilding on connectivity and cooperation beyond borders. India’s own reaction to China’s OBOR has been hedging and tentative, mainly because of the CPEC through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. At the same time, India is a part of the frontline membership of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) that is bolstering OBOR. The Chinese have today chosen to disregard the sovereignty issues surrounding the dispute between India and Pakistan over the State of J&K, despite the provisions of the 1963 China-Pakistan Boundary Agreement which conceded the disputed nature of the territory (in what Pakistan now calls Gilgit-Baltistan but what India claims as part of Jammu and Kashmir) covered under the agreement. This is a crucial reason for
CARTOONSCAPE
H-1B visa in the spotlight
T
here are disconcerting signals from the Trump White House and Capitol Hill of likely changes to the H-1B non-immigrant visa programme in the U.S. for skilled workers in tech jobs. Indian IT firms have been among the top recipients of the 65,000 such visas made available annually via a lottery system, in some years garnering well in excess of 80% of them. However, President Donald Trump, driven by his campaign promise of “Buy American, Hire American”, now has this “specialty occupation worker” visa in his crosshairs. Shares in Indian IT majors took a nosedive last week when an unconfirmed draft executive order leaked to U.S. media houses appeared to call for reform of immigration rules for skilled foreign workers that would raise the salary eligibility for such visas to $130,000, reverse the extensions granted by the Obama administration to the Optional Practical Training programme for foreign graduates in the U.S., and institute a rigorous monitoring system for companies employing L-1 visa holders, intra-company transferees. Any hope that India Inc. may have of such executive orders not gaining the requisite support in Congress is likely to come to naught: at least two bills with bipartisan backing were introduced in the House of Representatives last month, both urging tightening of conditions for skilled-worker visas that are, in the government’s view, costing Americans jobs. Notwithstanding the shadow of protectionism that it would cast on the bilateral relationship with New Delhi, this visa crackdown in the making raises troubling questions for the U.S. tech sector and the broader economy as well. Any significant hike in the minimum salary levels for the specialised jobs held by H-1B visa recipients will hit not only Indian IT firms but also the tech titans of Silicon Valley, including Microsoft, Google and Facebook. This will inflict pain on the U.S. economy. Similarly, unless skill-based criteria are used in addition to wage-level restrictions, numerous U.S. firms will struggle to fill mid-level jobs with qualified Americans. Indian firms have for years been the most rapidly growing investors in the U.S. economy. If IT companies within this group are impacted by onerous new restrictions, they would likely prefer to entirely offshore their operations to India. Ironically, that could lead to job losses for American workers. While Mr. Trump was elected into office campaigning for economic revitalisation and job-creation for Americans, his administration would be wise to think through all the possible outcomes that could result from ham-fisted policies in the immigration space. CM YK
India’s reservations about OBOR. The Chinese are seen by India to have acted in disregard of Indian sensitivities on this matter, which is a cause for legitimate concern. Connectivity, connectivity, connectivity The question however is, whether despite this, India should as a test of the Chinese approach, and with reference to OBOR, explore the development of connectivity between Tibet and India, especially through the Sikkim sector into Bengal. The old route between Lhasa and Kolkata via Nathu La was the most easily traversed route — and may still be, despite the road networks constructed by the Chinese in Tibet — between Tibet and mainland China, via land and sea, up until the mid-20th century. This is a road that provided for the transport of goods and services between Tibet and the outside world through India. The case for its revival requires a serious examination and should not be dismissed cursorily. Nathu La is already the crossing point for border trade between India and the Tibet Autonomous Region. A true indicator of Chinese positivity would also be approval for India to open a Trade Office in Lhasa in place of the old Consulate General that operated there until 1962. An opening of ties between India and the Xinjiang region of China is also worth examining. Providing for air connectivity between Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang province, and New Delhi as one of the OBOR linkages, for instance, would help the promotion of people-to-people ties and trade and commercial contact and could also help open a new chapter in counterterrorism cooperation between India and China. The two countries have a common interest in curbing religious radicalism and terrorism. Kashmir and Xinjiang, both contiguous neighbours, have similar challenges posed by terrorism and separatist movements. New thinking necessary India-China relations can definitely do with some new thinking and new ideas, and from that point of view, the Chinese Ambassador has done well to articulate his outlook, however modest, on how more bilateral cooperation can be promoted. The long peace between the two countries, stretching from the 1970s to the present day, deserves preservation and not disturbance. It is entirely in the self-interest of each country to ensure this. Competitive coexistence, with a clear delineation of areas of difference and how to manage them, the promotion of business and people-centred connectivity, and mutual confidence-building with tension-reduction measures cannot do any harm. The border problem, by virtue of its complexity and size, will take its time to resolve. Maturity of approach, and strategic patience while each country is preoccupied with the demands of internal and external equilibrium and balancing, offers a constructive way forward. The modus vivendi of the last few decades are easily disturbed as recent events have shown. China as the larger neighbour must take the initiative to ensure that this trend is halted. Its approach on NSG, Masood Azhar, the activities in PoK, to name a few, have cast long shadows on the relationship. China cannot expect India not to pursue her legitimate interests in ensuring the security of its periphery, and to promote ties with countries like the U.S. and Japan and ASEAN partners in the Indo-Asia Pacific. All these countries have extensively evolved and developed relationships with China. Likewise, our cooperation with them need not hinder a productive, comprehensive, open and frank dialogue between India and China that is aimed at preserving and promoting good contact, communication and connectivity in diverse spheres as also the peace on our shared borders of the last few decades. Nirupama Rao is a former foreign secretary and ambassador to China.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters emailed to
[email protected] must carry the full postal address and the full name or the name with initials.
Budget 2017-18 Budget 2017-18 is a desperate attempt to blend political priorities with economic imperatives (“A fine balance”, Feb.2). Keeping an eye on the upcoming Assembly elections, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has tried to heal the wounds of the poor and the lower middle class who were hit by the demonetisation move. The reduction in income tax rate from 10% to 5% for those earning between ₨2.5 lakh and ₨5 lakh is one such pro-people announcement. Raising agricultural credit to ₨10 lakh crore is an apparent bid to woo farmers. The highest-ever allocation for MGNREGA, the promise to pull one crore people out of poverty, and the boost for rural housing will all erase the Modi government’s antipoor image. Providing more than 1.5 lakh gram panchayats with highspeed broadband Internet is in line with the government’s thrust on digitisation. Thus, it is clear that increase in rural spending has been carefully thought out against the backdrop of the Assembly elections. On the other hand, fiscal deficit has been kept to 3.2%. Measures to boost infrastructure may encourage
The health sector has not got adequate impetus. While a series of ambitious targets have been set for the health sector (eliminating leprosy, measles, tuberculosis, reducing infant mortality, reducing maternal mortality, and so on), the allocation does not match the targets. Saurav Kumar,
₨20,000. As laundering of highvalue notes showed earlier, such curbs are easily evaded. Political managers can simply raise the number of bogus donors tenfold. Mr. Jaitley has proposed electoral bonds to attract legitimate political donations, but the truth is that donors may not want the legitimate route any more than political parties do. But having said that, the Opposition parties must be heaving a sigh of relief as the government has refrained from using the Budget as a platform to woo the electorate in the poll-bound States with a direct cash transfer in the wake of the demonetisation. The Budget proposals are not likely to benefit the Bharatiya Janata Party in States such as U.P. given the heightened expectation of direct cash incentives after the hardship caused by the demonetisation. J.S. Acharya,
Muzaffarpur
Hyderabad
Mr. Jaitley has proposed measures to improve transparency in political funding, but these are toothless. He has slashed the maximum donation from an individual to any political party to ₨2,000 from the previous
It was hoped that there would be far-reaching changes in the tax structure. But Mr. Jaitley’s Budget has been a great disappointment to income tax payers. The 5% relief for those who earn up to ₨5 lakh, which
local industrialists. The decision of doing away with the Foreign Investment Promotion Board will ease foreign direct investment. The government seems apathetic to growing non-performing assets and debts in banks. The initiative to create employment has been severely neglected in this Budget. Surprisingly, there is little boost for the government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative. In this Budget, politics dominates economics. Buddhadev Nandi, Bankura
has been unnecessarily overhyped by the electronic media, can at best be considered as mere tokenism. The surcharge of 10% on those earning more than ₨50 lakh is a good measure. However, most of those earning above ₨50 lakh have the ability to leverage income which does not attract tax. The Finance Minister rightly expressed anguish over large sections of people evading payment of income tax, but the Budget does nothing to force them to pay their taxes. K.R. Jayaprakash Rao, Mysuru
The most appreciable factor in the Railway Budget is that there are no new lines or trains. This lays emphasis on the maintenance of existing lines and coaches rather than building new ones. Also, given the number of railway accidents that occur these days, it is some solace that the Budget dwells more on safety. As for passenger amenities, the most important improvement needs to be in the maintenance of toilets in coaches. D. Sethuraman, Chennai
I liked The Hindu’s thrust on the
Budget. It had plenty of data and conservative wisdom, but what was absent was some critical analysis, which is quite unlike the newspaper. Authors of the columns called ‘First Take’ were mainly drawn from the corporate world. There were few voices of the common people. This was rather disappointing. M. Rajeev, Thrissur
RIP Nirmal Shekar Nirmal Shekar wrote insightful pieces on sports but what struck me about his writing was that it transcended sports in the most seamless manner and entered the domain of philosophy (“Nirmal Shekar passes away”, Feb.2). I just read his last article “Getting ready for Sports 3.0?” in which he talks about Virat Kohli and Chris Woakes but I can easily recall so many other pieces, about Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Muhammad Ali and other greats. In his passing away, we haven’t just lost a sports columnist, but a complete and captivating writer. Sathyadev K., Hyderabad ND-ND
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PERSPECTIVE
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THE HINDU FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2017
HERITAGE
Monumental mistakes Without architecture, we cannot remember.”— John Ruskin, ‘The Seven Lamps of Architecture’ When the British occupied Shahjahanabad (Old Delhi), they remodelled the city and the Mughal Red Fort to suit their convenience. Around 80% of the buildings inside the Red Fort were demolished to make way for military barracks. ManRANA sions and havelis were brought down to make way for SAFVI broader, new roads so that the British had easy access for defence purposes, in case the people decided to ‘rebel’ against them again. Perhaps everything would have got demolished but for a horrified Charles Canning who tried to preserve our heritage. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) was formed in 1861 by a statute passed into law by Canning, with Alexander Cunningham as its first Archaeological Surveyor, to excavate and conserve India’s ancient built heritage. Preserving heritage In 1904, a Cambridge classics scholar, who was the Director General of ASI, formulated the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act, 1904 (modified on September 1, 1949). Since much damage had already been done to our rich built heritage, control “over traffic in antiquities and over excavation in certain places” and checks for “mining, quarrying, excavating, blasting and other operations of a like nature” were put in place. The aim of the Act was to preserve monuments as archaeological ruin on an “as is where is” basis. John Marshall also drew up a conservation manual in 1922, which combined the best conservation practices from around the world and adapted them to the Indian context. It was one of the most comprehensive documents written on conservation at that time. A monument is all The job of the ASI, under the Ministry of Culture, is to protect the cultural heritage of our but stifled when nation. it’s surrounded by The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Valunchecked idation) Act, 2010 was passed with provisions construction to protect ancient monuments and antiquities and regulate all construction activity around them. It specified a ‘prohibited area’, which meant that no construction activity (erection or a building, including any addition or extension thereto either vertically or horizontally) could take place within 100 m in all directions of a monument. There was another regulated area, which was 200 m beyond the prohibited area where persons may undertake construction, reconstruction, repairs and renovation, but only after obtaining permission from the competent authority on the recommendation of the National Monuments Authority. Professor Syed Ali Nadeem Rezavi of the Centre of Advanced Study in History, Aligarh Muslim University, says, “Any tinkering with its provisions, especially the laws around its maintenance and prohibitions in allowing any encroachment or building around it, would create loopholes to undo the watertight protection which has been provided for them by law. Once you allow constructions around it, the monuments can be easily suffocated. We have already been witnessing this in heritage cities like Delhi.” He also bemoans the destruction of many medieval monuments such as Kos Minars, dams, barrages and bridges in the path of development. World heritage sites are listed as category A monuments while other ticketed monuments are category B. The most vulnerable are those marked category C, around which dense habitation has taken place. In many cases, a monument is all but stifled as it’s surrounded by unchecked construction. The Culture Ministry’s proposal A few weeks ago, I had shared a coloured lithograph from Syed Ahmed Khan’s 1847 seminal work on Delhi monuments, Asar-us-Sanadid, on social media with the caption, “Can you identify this monument?” Nobody could. The lithograph showed the beautiful octagonal tomb of Mubarak Shah Sayyid, the second ruler of the Sayyid dynasty of Delhi, who died in 1434 A.D. and was buried there in an area named after him, Mubarakpur Kotla. However, sometime in the past century, people from neighbouring villages occupied this place. Today it is smothered by multi-storey houses on all sides and barely has room to breathe. If I had found that with great difficulty, the search for its companion mosque was even worse. It’s now a dump yard which has to be approached through a narrow passage in one of the tenements surrounding it. One jumps onto a rubbish heap to get inside as its access has been blocked on all sides by construction. There are numerous other heritage sites which are already under threat or have been destroyed even when stringent rules were in place. What will happen if these rules are amended to accommodate future construction, as is the plan being mulled by the Culture Ministry? Priyank Gupta, a junior research fellow at the Department of Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology, Gurukula Kangri Vishwavidyalaya, Haridwar, says: “It’s going to disturb the water table of the land and the ancient sewage system of a monument. The ancient foundation, which was built of wood, will be most affected. Continuous vibration of heavy vehicles will affect its strength.” I asked eminent historian Professor Irfan Habib what he thought. “This is against all recognised rules of conservation and it should be opposed by all people who want to protect our heritage,” he said. One of the monuments said to be affected by a proposed elevated road within the prohibited area is Akbar’s tomb in Sikandra, Agra. Syed Jamal Hasan, who recently retired as Director of Archaeology from ASI, said: “Akbar’s tomb in Sikandra has monumental importance as it was here that we see the first example of a minaret in north India in the gateway built by Jahangir. This was later successfully copied by Shah Jahan.” Not only will the proposed elevated road hide the tomb’s gateway but it will also damage the structure during construction, and later because of traffic within the 100 m prohibited zone. Do development and our future have to be at the cost of our past? Rana Safvi is a historian, author and blogger documenting India's syncretic culture via its history, monuments, cultural traditions and food.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
First among allies? The pressing urgency of post-Brexit trade agreements is forcing the British government into a closer embrace of the Trump administration despite protests policies on Monday. During Prime Minister’s Question Time in Parliament, another MP pointed to Ms. May’s visit to Turkey just after a trip to the U.S. “Will it be the policy of post-Brexit Britain to put arms deals before human rights abuses?”
VIDYA RAM
The visits of U.S. presidents to Britain have often been accompanied by public protest. In 1982, when Ronald Reagan visited, tens of thousands of people gathered to protest against his nuclear policy. In 2003, thousands turned out against George W. Bush, reflecting strong public opposition to the war in Iraq, and the strategy of the U.S. President and then British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Still, the public outcry being seen since the extension of an invitation for a state visit to President Donald Trump is unprecedented. At the time of writing, nearly 1.8 million people — U.K. residents and citizens — had signed a petition calling for the state visit not to take place, while thousands took part in demonstrations across the country to oppose the visit, and stand against the travel bans and halting of the refugee programme brought in by the new President. Britain’s close relationship with the U.S. is of course nothing new: as early as 1946 Winston Churchill used the phrase “special relationship” to describe the alliance between the U.S. and Britain that he hoped would ensure the “sure prevention of war” and the “continuous rise of world association”. This and European Union (EU) membership have been central to British foreign policy over the past few decades. Inevitably, as Britain embarks on the process of extricating itself from the EU, its relationship with the U.S. has gained more and more importance. Brexit blowback While Prime Minister Theresa May, in her recent speech that finally set out the contours of Brexit, pledged to be the “best friend and neighbour” to Europe, there’s little doubt that exiting will fundamentally change Britain’s relationship with the trading bloc, well beyond its access to the single market. A recent clip of Ms. May standing awkwardly by at an EU summit as other leaders chatted to each other animatedly went viral, symptomising to many the political isolation that she faces even before Britain has triggered exit talks. Britain’s lack of success when it comes to forging relations elsewhere has added to the pressure. While it may be unsurprising that India has made it clear that a free trade agreement with the U.K. is unlikely to happen without a decisive loosening of Britain’s immigration policy, a similar signal has been sent by other countries such as Australia, which is also keen to ensure greater access for its workers to Britain. In the immediate aftermath of the
A FRIEND IN NEED: “The willingness of the U.K. government to cooperate with controversial administrations in its quest for post-Brexit deals is going to be a running theme.” U.S. President Donald Trump with British Prime Minister Theresa May in Washington, D.C. PHOTO: REUTERS Brexit vote last year, there were concerns that exiting the EU would leave the U.K. a decisively less attractive partner for the U.S. This was certainly the impression given by former President Barack Obama who, in an intervention weeks before the referendum took place, warned that Britain would be at the “back of the queue” for any trade deal with the U.S. should it opt to leave the EU. By contrast, Mr. Trump expressed great admiration for Brexit, often dubbing himself ‘Mr. Brexit’ in the course of his electoral campaign. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the U.K. government was quick to welcome the new U.S. regime, with Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson criticising the global “whingeo-rama” that accompanied Mr. Trump’s election. In defence of Trump The recent political developments seem to have done little to change its stance: Ms. May initially declined to condemn the travel ban and only did so several hours afterwards in the face of strong public pressure. It fell upon Home Secretary Amber Rudd to give a more candid assessment: on Monday, when pressed, she told a parliamentary committee that the travel ban was a potential “propaganda opportunity” for the Islamic State. Nevertheless, the government has stood firm by its plans to maintain a state visit, despite calls from across the political spectrum — Liberal Democrat, Labour and even Conservative MPs —
There are concerns that Ms. May’s visit won’t prevent Mr. Trump from negotiating a deal heavily skewed in the interests of the U.S. to withdraw the invitation until the travel ban was rescinded. Some MPs questioned why Mr. Trump had been invited on a state visit so soon after his inauguration, whereas every other President was invited only after at least a year in power. In a letter to The Times, a former senior Foreign Office civil servant advised that it would have been “far wiser” for the Prime Minister to have waited to see “what sort of president he would turn out to be before advising the Queen to invite him. Now the Queen is in a very difficult position”. This week, Ms. May defended Mr. Trump as the “democratically elected head of state of our most important ally” while Mr. Johnson said the U.S.-U.K. relationship was “overwhelmingly to our benefit”. Still, the government has struggled to throw off accusations that its appetite for post-Brexit trade deals was clouding its foreign policy. “I understand the need for a trade deal with the United States but we cannot on the basis of our eagerness to get a trade deal shrink from speaking truths to the most powerful man in the world,” said former Labour Party leader Ed Miliband during an emergency debate on Mr. Trump’s
President Johnson to-day [Feb. 2] announced the allocation of an additional five million tons of food to India for the calendar year 1967. Two million tons of this are to be given immediately. The rest of the three million tons would be made available provided that quantity is matched “appropriately” by countries who are members of the Aid India Consortium and by others who are in a position to provide either
food or allied agricultural aid. The President said the immediate shipping of 2 million tons of grain was intended to help India tide over while Congress considered his conditional allocation of 3 million tons. Sources here [Washington] said that Under-Secretary Eugene Rostow, who recently visited Delhi and seven other capitals, had received assurances “in principle” that they would assist India substantially with either food or other agricultural aid such as fertilizers, shipping to carry food. etc.
CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS >>The infographic titled “Tax Scenarios” (Feb. 2, 2017) on tax slabs erroneously gave the tax rebate for FY 2016-17 for income upto ₨4,50,000 as ₨2,000. It should have been ₨5,000. It is the policy of The Hindu to correct significant errors as soon as possible. Please specify the edition (place of publication), date and page. The Readers’ Editor’s office can be contacted by Telephone: +91-44-28418297/28576300 (11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday); E-mail:
[email protected] The Terms of Reference for the Readers’ Editor are on www.thehindu.com CM YK
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Looking back to look forward January 30 should also be a day to reflect on the spirit of the freedom movement When he returned, like most of sane India he was distraught. In his memoir he remembers his conversation: Gandhiji asked me, ‘Did you see a group of people in front of the house?’ ‘Yes’ ‘Those poor people are from Bannu. They have come all the way to see me. One of them was quite angry with me today. He told me, “Gandhi, you should die”. I said I will not die until my inner voice says I should. And do you know, Sreenivasan, what he said?’ Gandhiji raised his hand in a characteristic gesture and said, ‘He said, “My inner voice says you should die!”’ I was aghast. ‘I pity them,’ he continued. ‘I am sorry for them. Would you not be angry if your house had been burnt and looted, your women beaten up or violated in your presence?’ he asked. ‘They think I am responsible,’ he continued calmly; ‘I am full of sympathy for them. I can well understand their being so angry.’ How could I have known that, on the very day I was motoring to Delhi to meet Gandhiji, Nathuram Godse and Narayan Apte were in Parchure’s house in Gwalior on a secret quest, and that they had travelled by that evening’s train to Delhi, carrying with them the pistol and the bullets that killed the Mahatma — as the police found later?
DEVAKI JAIN
January 30, Martyrs’ Day, is gradually losing significance just like some of the other days related to our freedom struggle. There was a time in the ’50s and ’60s when we truly mourned the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. It not only seemed monstrous, but it foreboded a kind of evil, also that despite all the talk about non-violent struggle, violence was in our blood. It created not only shock and sorrow but also fear about India’s future, her civilisation and ethic, and her fame for a non-violent freedom struggle.
(dated February 3, 1967)
Urgent food aid to India from U.S.
Continental drift The government’s policy is likely to do it few favours, alienating it even further from its neighbours in Europe: Mr. Trump has made clear his opposition to the EU, while EU President Donald Tusk has highlighted the threat he believes the U.S. President poses to the bloc, as did the European Parliament’s chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt. There are also concerns about the terms of any deal that Britain would reach, with politicians fearful that Mr. Trump’s mixed messages on issues such as free trade (after repeatedly rubbishing it, Ms. May said he had agreed with her that he was “100% behind NATO”), and his continual emphasis on America First, mean that whatever rhetoric he may have employed during Ms. May’s visit won’t prevent him from negotiating a deal heavily skewed in the interests of the U.S. It is notable that even during his press conference with Ms. May in Washington, D.C., when asked about Brexit and a trade deal, he spoke of an America “ripped off by the world”, and while raving about how fantastic Brexit would be, steered clear of discussing the prospects for such a deal. In fact, he spoke of how difficult he had found EU bureaucracy and regulations to work with in his business empire — suggesting that he would be looking for decidedly more relaxed terms for any trade deal. This could pose huge problems for Europe’s manufacturing industry should it have to cater to weaker requirements from the U.S. while at the same time attempting to trade with the EU, with its strict regulations governing the quality of imports. Concerns have centred on two issues in particular: likely U.S. demands that the U.K. National Health Service be opened up to American companies, and that Britain relax food safety standards. Ms. May has reacted saying the NHS “is not up for sale and will never be”. Would Britain have taken such a decisive stance on U.S. relations had Brexit not been imminent? It’s impossible to say and a moot point: the government looks all set to start the two-year process of extricating itself from the EU after a decisive win for its Brexit legislation in the House of Commons this week. What is clear, however, is that the willingness of the government to cooperate with controversial administrations in its quest for post-Brexit deals is going to be a running theme as preparations to leave the EU take shape.
The day that shocked India I was 15 years old when it happened. We were living in Gwalior, as my father, M. A. Sreenivasan, was the Dewan. On the evening of January 30, 1948, his personal secretary rushed into our house and said: “Please stay indoors. We are putting the house under security.” My mother asked: “What is happening?” He said: “Gandhi has been shot and a Hindu nationalist has shot him. We fear that they may attack this house also as Dewan Sahib has been against their communally motivated activities.” Communal hatred and violence fuelled by the Hindu Mahasabha and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, powerful organisations whose antiMuslim and anti-Gandhi stand had won them considerable popular support, was a common feature in Gwalior. It was well known that these organisations had the sympathy and support of some of the rulers in that region. These groups hated Gandhi’s concern and support for Muslims. When my father reconstituted the Gwalior cabinet in 1946 and did not include their representatives, among the banners festooning the streets of Gwalior there were two that said: ‘Nehru ke agent Sreenivasan ko nikal do (Sack Nehru’s agent Sreenivasan)’, and ‘Shanti ke poojari Sreenivasan ko hata do (Remove peacenik Sreenivasan)’. Hence the fear that our house would be targeted.
MINUTES BEFORE: “A two-minute silence on Martyrs’ day and naming the road on which Birla House is located Tees January Marg are not enough.” The photograph published in the book ‘The Men Who Killed Gandhi’ shows Gandhi walking towards the lawn for his last prayer meeting. PHOTO: PTI/ COURTESY: ROLI BOOKS
Gandhi’s assassination showed that despite all the talk about non-violent struggle, violence was in our blood In his memoir Of the Raj, Maharajas and Me, written in 1991 and published by Ravi Dayal, my father recalls a visit by Dr. D.S. Parchure, a medical practitioner and a prominent leader of the RSS who came with Narayan Apte (a conspirator who was later hanged) to
express his anger against the exclusion of RSS from the cabinet. “You are not a Hindu,” his voice rose in anger, “You are an agent of Jinnah”, “You are a betrayer of Hinduism, you and your Gandhi”, “We shall finish you both. We have hand grenades.” Gandhiji had sent for my father, and the appointment was on January 29, 1948 at 2.30 p.m. at Birla House in New Delhi. My father had been an effective negotiator, as the convener of the Chamber of Princes. The negotiations were to persuade and nudge the princes to join the Republic of India.
A day of reflection It is time now for India not to remember this day only as Martyrs’ Day but as a day to reflect on the spirit of the freedom movement. There should be much more discussion, public meetings, a kind of eventful day that enables the new generation to recall what was the politics, and who were those who rebelled against it at that time, and what have we landed in by forgetting those histories. Just as we have endless panels on the bickering by political parties or the fallibility of gigantic corporates, we should have discussions on January 30 invoking the history of the freedom struggle. A two-minute silence on the day and naming the road on which Birla House is located Tees January Marg are not enough. Devaki Jain is a feminist writer and economist. ND-ND
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NEWS
FROM PAGE ONE
Court discharges Marans in case Discharging the Maran brothers, Kavery Kalanithi, wife of Kalanithi Maran, K. Shanmugam, director of South Asia FM Ltd. (SAFL), Sun Direct TV Pvt. Limited (SDTPL) and SAFL in the money laundering case, the judge also ordered release of the property valued at ₨742.58 crore attached by the Enforcement Directorate. “If any property has been attached in the instant case, legal consequences shall follow as per the the provisions of Section 8 (6) of the Prevention of the Money Laundering Act, resulting in the release of such property to the person entitled to receive it,’’ Mr. Saini said. “Vide my separate order dated today in the case of schedule offence (CBI’s bribery case), accused have been ordered to be discharged. In such a situation, there is no existence of proceeds of crime. When there is no existence of proceeds of crime, there is no question of same being laundered or projected as tainted. Accordingly, there is no ground to proceed against the accused persons,’’ the judge said. The ED complaint alleged that ₨742.58 crore was paid for Mr. Dayanidhi Maran by two Mauritiusbased companies through SDTP and SAFL. The two companies are owned and controlled by Mr. Kalanithi Maran, brother of Mr. Dayanidhi Maran, and the money was utilised by these companies for their business, the complaint alleged. Krishnadas Rajagopal adds: The discharge comes on the eve of a decisive hearing in the case before the Supreme Court. A Bench led by Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar had, on January 6, given Malaysia-based Maxis
ED to appeal against order NEW DELHI: The Enforcement
Directorate will appeal against a special court ruling on Thursday discharging all the accused in the money laundering case connected with the Aircel-Maxis deal. “Since it is a Supreme Courtmonitored probe, we will seek legal opinion to decide on the appropriate forum for appeal,” said a senior official. The CBI has not taken any decision yet. group of companies’ controlling owner, T. Ananda Krishnan, M/s. Astro All Asia Networks Limited, M/s. Maxis Communications and Augustus Ralph Marshall, a director in Maxis and Astro, an opportunity to show their bona fide by appearing before the SC. The Bench had then scheduled the hearing on February 3. The SC had warned that in case they do not turn up, it would be forced to pass a restraint order against Aircel-Maxis from using its spectrum or earning any revenue from it. The apex court had further stayed an alleged move by Aircel-Maxis to sell its 2G spectrum. The SC’s stay order was on the basis of an application filed by Centre for Public Interest Litigation, represented by advocate Prashant Bhushan. The discharge by the trial court would now render it difficult to stop AircelMaxis from selling off the spectrum. “The discharge without even a trial in a case which had strong evidence of quid pro quo (payment of bribes) seems absurd,” Mr. Bhushan said.
THE HINDU FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2017
Govt. faces Opposition fire in Rajya Sabha Congress, SP, Trinamool slam Centre’s policies SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT NEW DELHI: The Opposition at-
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
NOIDA/DELHI
tacked the government in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, accusing it of being a “failure” on all fronts, particularly in tackling black money, terrorism and fake currency. The ruling side, on other other hand, contended that “metamorphosis of India is happening now.” Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said the government had imposed an “undeclared emergency” and criticism was being suppressed. Participating in a debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s ad-
dress, Mr. Azad said 2016 had been “a year of depression, recession, regression and suppression.” Members of the other Opposition parties such as the Samajwadi Party and the Trinamool Congress also attacked the government on demonetisation, the state of the economy and aspects of governance. From the ruling side, Minister for Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad said the country had seen widespread corruption and the economy had been in a dire condition during the previous Congress rule. ‘Information leaked’ Mr. Azad said demonetistion had had no impact on black money or fake currency. It was an “ill con-
Chidambaram pats FM for not being ‘reckless’ SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
“Why were they informed about it?... They were in the know. Lakhs and crores of rupees were deposited in the banks,” he said.
WAR OF WORDS: Rajya Sabha session underway in New Delhi on Thursday. — PHOTO: PTI/TV GRAB ceived” move as 135 circulars were issued to implement a single policy. “This may find a place in the Guinness Book of World Records,” he said. He alleged that information about the demonetisation move had been leaked to BJP leaders beforehand. He
said a BJP leader knew about the ₨2,000 note two days before the Prime Minister announced the demonetisation of old ₨500 and ₨1000 notes. Some BJP members, he said, bought huge tracts of land using cash just before the old notes were scrapped.
AIADMK wants Bharat Ratna for Jayalalithaa
Compassion International to shut down India operations
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
SUHASINI HAIDAR VIJAITA SINGH
NEW DELHI: Former Finance
Minister and senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram said here on Thursday that the Union Budget had nothing to boost demand, something that would have been possible if indirect taxes had been slashed. Mr. Chidambaram, however, commended the budget for not trying to be reckless. “The tried, tested and the best way to boost aggregate demand is to cut indirect taxes, especially excise duty and service tax, that is paid by every consumer of goods and services — poor, middle class and rich,” he told reporters. “Such a cut would have also given immediate relief to crores of people. The government has foolishly rejected this option. I am afraid the country will pay a heavy price in terms of poor demand, lower sales, fewer jobs and closures of micro, small and medium enterprises.” Mr. Chidambaram said that gross fixed capital formation (GFCF) — meaning net investment — had constantly shrunk under the Modi government and was minus 0.2% in 2016-17. “GFCF has declined since the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) assumed office. According to the Economic Survey, it was 4.9% in 2014-15, 3.9% in 2015-16 and
P. Chidambaram has precipitously fallen to minus 0.2% in 2016-17,” he said. “There is absolutely nothing in the budget in terms of either new strategy, or policy measures to revive private investment.” Mr. Chidambaram said that the budget speech of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley did not even mention the term Minimum Support Price at a time of “acute distress in the farm sector”. He said that employment was down and as against the two crore jobs promised per year, all that the government could achieve was 1.5-lakh jobs a year in 2015-16. “The sections of people most affected by demonetisation are farmers, farm workers, manual labourers, self-employed, artisans and micro, small and medium businesspersons. They lost crores of rupees in the form of wages, incomes and capital. There is absolutely nothing for these sections. We had demanded that the government offer them compensation,” he stressed.
Political vendetta Trinamool Congress leader Derek O’Brien, while attacking the government on demonetisation, said its impact was such that may were driven to suicide. He accused the government of indulging in political vendetta. “You can arrest all the 46 MPs of the TMC and also [party supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister] Mamata Banerjee. But you cannot stop us from opposing the anti-people policy. Political vendetta is not a solution in a democracy,” Mr. O’Brien said. Referring to the image of
Prime Minister Narendra Modi replacing Mahatma Gandhi’s in the Khadi calender, Mr. O’Brien said: “PM means ‘photo mantri’.” Photo opportunities were not a solution to any problem. The demonetisation had adversely affected tea gardens and the leather industry among others. Crores of people had lost their jobs and it had resulted in reverse migration. “Auto sales are down to a 16-year low and MSME growth has declined. A 40 per cent drop is in the FMCG sector,” he said. On Digital India, Mr. O’Brien said it should rightly be called ‘divisive India’ as there were about 26 Twitter handles spreading hatred and two such handles had been suspended by Twitter.
NEW DELHI: The AIADMK on Thursday asked the government to posthumously confer India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, on former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa for her “exemplary” public service of over 32 years. It also wanted the Centre to recommend her name for the Nobel Prize. Raising the issue during Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha, AIADMK member Vijila Sathyananth said 10 crore people affectionately called her ‘Amma.’ “Amma cannot be replaced. She is the personification of love and compassion... [she] worked tirelessly till her last breath for the uplift of the poor.” The “iron lady” had brought about allround development in Tamil Nadu, she said. Ms. Jayalalithaa, also called Puratchi Thalaivi (revolutionary leader), died on December 5. For “intelligence and governance,” Amma could not be compared with any leader in the world, the AIADMK member said. “We urge the Centre to install her life size bronze statue in Parliament complex and also recommend her name for the Nobel Prize for her work for the uplift of women and the child,” she said.
NEW DELHI: Ten months after it was put on the Government’s “prior permission” list for donations, U.S.-based NGO Compassion International (CI), the largest international donor in India, says it will shut down India operations as it is unable to function with the strictures on funding. The Christian charity has been at the forefront of a clash between the Modi government and the Obama administration. The Trump administration’s Secretary of State Rex Tillerson sworn in on Wednesday said in his Senate confirmation hearings that he would “look into the issue.” When contacted this week, government officials made it clear there would be no change in their position, despite a last-ditch effort by CI’s Senior Vice-President Stephen Oakley. He flew to Delhi to meet Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar at a meeting attended by U.S. Embassy officials and asked for strictures to be removed on the organisation that has operated in India for over 30 years, bringing in approximately ₨292 crore per year and funds 344 NGOs here. “Compassion International has been told it will not be taken off the watch
ON A MISSION: The NGO says it aims at helping poor children to become ‘responsible Christian adults’. — FILE PHOTO: S. SUBRAMANIUM list. The representatives were here a few days ago and they were shown evidence of religious conversions being done by NGOs funded by them. There is no rescinding the decision,” a senior Home Ministry official said. India sticks to stand The ‘adverse’ reports of two NGOs funded by CI — Chennai-based Caruna Bal Vikas Trust and Compassion East India — were instrumental in putting the foreign donor on the Home Ministry’s watch list, said the official. At the meeting, the Indian side had made it clear that CI, which had been accused of funding NGOs unregistered for religious activity, would get no exemption from the FCRA ruling for ‘prior permissions’, various sources confirmed to The
Hindu. Among other regulatory issues, sources said, CI’s own mission statement on its website, which says its aim is for “children in poverty to become responsible and fulfilled Christian adults” had raised a red flag with the government. In a letter to its sponsors for children in India last month, CI, which insists it has not broken any Indian laws, said, “Due to a lack of funding resulting from government restrictions, we will likely be forced to shut down our sponsorship program in India in the next 60 days. It deeply grieves us to think about what it would mean to end all of the relationships between Compassion children in India and their sponsors,” adding that it would give time until March 15 for a ‘resolution.’
Customs law reform seeks flyers’ records BSF scraps VRS of jawan SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT SOMESH JHA NEW DELHI: All airlines flying to
Ruling vindicates my stand, says Maran Mr. Maran maintained that the Enforcement Directorate had no evidence against him, his elder brother Kalanithi Maran and the latter’s wife Kaveri Kalanithi. “There was no truth to this case. Therefore, I be-
lieved that justice will come,” he said. According to him, he trusted the court to deliver justice throughout the six years of legal proceedings. “I always believed truth prevails. This vindicates my trust in courts,” he said.
Airlines flying in and out of India will be fined ₨50,000 for not submitting the information on time
and from India will soon have to compulsorily submit passenger records to the government a few days in advance of every flight departure or arrival, according to an amendment to the country’s customs law proposed in the Finance Bill of 2017 tabled in Parliament on Wednesday. Airlines will be fined ₨50,000 for not submitting the information on time, as per the proposal to insert a new Section 30A and 41A in the Customs Act, 1962, to make it “obligatory” for air-
lines to give “passenger and crew arrival manifest” and “passenger name record (PNR) information” to the customs authority before arrival or departure of the flight to, or from India. The Central Board of Excise and Customs would be authorised to decide the kind of passenger information that needs to be submitted by the airlines.
Geelani in ICU due to chest pain, condition stable
Call for strike on Feb 8 in Tripura’s tribal areas SYED SAJJAD ALI
₨333 crore for security council secretariat After NDA-II came to power in 2014-15, the allocation for NSCS was increased to ₨44.46 crore but it could spend only ₨25 crore. A subsidiary The National Security Advisory Board (NSAB), which draws experts from all fields, is a subsidiary of NSCS and so is the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC). The allocation for the office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Prime Minister has also increased substantially from ₨5.19 crore to ₨34.83 crore. “The funds being allotted for NSCS were always CM YK
insufficient and the increase in funds is a welcome step. It does security analysis, war-gaming etc. and advises the government on key security issues,” said a former member of NSCS, on condition of anonymity. NSCS has about 100 staff of all scales. “The increase has got to do with activities. There is much more activity than ever in the past,” said a senior official. Limited ambit Another official pointed out that NSCS has a limited ambit, so it was surprising to see such a dramatic budget hike.
At present, airlines are required to submit basic details of passengers such as their name, date of birth, nationality, among other things to customs authority. The final passenger information has to be submitted 15 minutes before the flight takes off. With this move, India will join a select international league of 15 countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, which ask airlines to submit PNR details of passengers to government authorities. This is also a subject of a new
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT AGARTALA: Political parties in SRINAGAR: Hurriyat faction chairman Syed Ali Geelani (86) was on Thursday hospitalised and admitted to ICU after he complained of chest pain. “He [Mr. Geelani] complained of chest pain about 2 a.m. and was driven to a hospital. After conducting some tests, the doctors admitted him to ICU. His condition is stable,” said Mr. Geelani’s younger son Syed Naseem. A Hurriyat spokesman said Pakistan High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit also called Mr. Geelani on telephone at 5 p.m. and enquired about his health and prayed for his speedy recovery. Hurriyat faction chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front Yasin Malik visited the hospital.
Tripura adopted varied stands on the general strike called by a consortium of tribal parties in areas that fall under the tribal autonomous district council. The All Tripura Indigenous Regional Parties Forum (ATIRPF) announced its intention to enforce the strike on February 8 to protest against the union government’s decision to adopt a new citizenship policy that allows the ingress of religious minorities from neighbouring countries. The Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT), the Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) and the Nationalist Council of Tripura (NCT) are constituents of the forum and they, too, resolved to work beyond the citizenship issue. Many termed its creation a bar-
gaining tool to work out a deal with the national parties over the 20 tribal reserved seats in the 2018 Assembly elections. Citizenship policy The Communist Party of India (CPI-M) said it does not support the new, communally motivated citizenship policy of the Central government, but also cannot support the strike as the parties involved in the call practice divisive politicsto create ethnic tensions in the State. The State BJP unit said it completely supports the citizenship amendment and opposed the strike. The BJP, however, lauded the tribal parties for uniting under one umbrella. Party president Biplab Deb said they would engage with regional parties to try to dispel ‘confusion’ over the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016.
European Union Regulation and most EU states are planning to introduce PNR requirements. Even Indian airlines are required to submit the PNR data of passengers to such countries typically three days before the flight, up until the day of travel. IATA’s appeal Global airline body International Air Transport Association (IATA) has asked the government to hold consultations with the airlines and follow United Nations’ International Civil Aviation Organisation Standards and Guidelines on PNR data.
NEW DELHI: The Border Security Force (BSF) has cancelled the voluntary retirement plea of constable Tej Bahadur Yadav who had posted a video complaining about the “poor quality” of food served to jawans in forward locations. Yadav’s application for voluntary retirement was accepted last year. After he posted a video in January that went viral on the social media, the BSF and the Home Ministry ordered an inquiry into the allegations. A BSF official said Yadav was to retire on January 31, but considering the inquiry pending against
him, his voluntary retirement has been cancelled. Yadav’s wife, however, alleged that the trooper was being “threatened and tortured mentally”. She claimed that her husband had called her this morning and claimed that he was being threatened and harassed and that he had been put under arrest. Officials said as per laid down procedure, all witnesses in a case are questioned by a probe team till the investigation is completed. Also, if a jawan is facing charges of indiscipline on various counts, the privilege of granting VRS is disallowed.
MEA looks into curious case of Chinese soldier
ED attaches ₨100 cr assets of ex-Minister, wife
NEW DELHI: The External
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
Affairs Ministry is ascertaining the details of a case involving a Chinese soldier, who crossed over to India in 1963, and is looking into how best the matter could be handled. “We are aware of the matter. We are in touch with the Ministry of Home Affairs to ascertain the details and how best it could be handled,” MEA Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said. According to reports, Wang Qi was nabbed along India’s eastern frontiers in January 1963, weeks after the Indo-Sino war. Mr. Wang (77) has been seeking permission from New Delhi as well as Beijing, to allow him to
travel to China to meet his three brothers and two sisters, the reports said, adding that he was recruited in the Chinese Army in 1960 and fought the war against India in 1962. To another question why Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas, who recently visited Pakistan and Bangladesh, did not travel to India, Mr. Swarup said it was “ridiculous” to suggest that every visitor who travels to India’s neighbours should visit the country too. Asserting that India and Palestine have robust ties, he said an invitation had already been accepted by Mr. Abbas and a visit was expected this year. — PTI
NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate has attached assets worth over ₨100 crore belonging to former Union Minister Matang Sinh and his estranged wife Manoranjana, accused in the Saradha Group chit-fund scam. The agency has so far attached properties worth ₨700 crore in the case. This is the fifth attachment order pertaining to properties located in Lutyens’ Delhi under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. “Although the value of the assets on paper, as of April 2013, was about ₨63 crore, it is currently worth more than ₨100 crore. Mr. Sinh and his estranged wife are facing trial for money laundering before a special court in Kolkata,” said an official. ND-ND
ELECTIONWATCH
NOIDA/DELHI
THE HINDU FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2017
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UTTAR PRADESH, UTTARAKHAND, PUNJAB, MANIPUR, GOA
Congress’ big hurrah in Gandhi bastion Alliance with SP may spare the party’s blushes in Amethi and Rae Bareli, where the Assembly elections are a different game altogether SMITA GUPTA RAE BARELI: In the Rae Bareli
Lok Sabha constituency, Congress president Sonia Gandhi is unassailable. Voters cutting across communities say the seat is hers as long as she contests it. “We defeated Indiraji [former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi] once — that was a mistake we won’t make again,” says Umakant Chowdhury, a Kurmi, recalling the historic post-Emergency
INFOCUS elections of 1977. But that Gandhi magic does not extend to the Assembly constituencies in Rae Bareli. The party currently does not hold even one of the five seats. Nor does it extend to the neighbouring Amethi, where Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi is MP. In 2012, the party won only the Jagdishpur and Tiloi seats, but lost the other three seats in the constituency. Today, in an electoral alliance with the ruling Samajwadi Party, the Congress is trying to regain lost ground by demanding all 10 seats in the two Gandhi pocket boroughs, apparently in exchange for not fielding candidates in the districts of Mainpuri, Etah, Etawah,
Mirza Ayub Beg, a merchant at Rae Bareli Sadar, says a majority of Muslims will vote for the Congress in the constituency to see Akhilesh Yadav as Chief Minister again. — PHOTO: SMITA GUPTA Kannauj — the traditional Yadav bastion — and Azamgarh, which SP leader Mulayam Singh represents in the Lok Sabha. SP strong here But since the SP holds seven seats in Rae Bareli and Amethi, the party’s leadership is finding it hard to convince its cadres to renounce their claims. Inside the Congress, with victory in sight, claimants for the party ticket have swelled, even as sitting SP MLAs have announced they will stand as Independents or on other party symbols. In Bachrawan, for in-
The deluge and the discontents
stance, over 20 aspirants are seeking the Congress ticket, even as the party’s leadership is considering an “outsider”, Sushil Pasi, a recent entrant from the Bahujan Samaj Swabhiman Sangharsh Samiti of R.K. Chaudhury. The sitting SP MLA, Ram Lal Akela, a Shivpal Yadav associate, is contesting as an Independent. A local Congress worker, Ankur Shukla, explains the logic: “Sushil Pasi got 30,000 votes as an Independent last time. No one in the Congress has that much ‘face value’. So he is being preferred.” But in the messy and com-
plicated politics of U.P., at the Pasi-dominated village of Babhuriakheda, Ram Naresh Pasi, an avowed Bahujan Samaj Party supporter, trying his luck on the Peace Party ticket, says, “The Congress should give the ticket to a local Congressman — then he would win in the name of Sonia Gandhi. An outsider is a mistake here.” In the Harchandpur Assembly constituency, there are two main aspirants for the Congress ticket: Sudha Dwivedi, for whom fellow Brahmins are rooting, and Rakesh Singh, brother of the powerful Dinesh Pratap Singh, the Congress’s sole
MLC in the Legislative Council. If the Brahmins of Purepanditkapurwa claim that only Ms. Dwivedi can win the seat, the Thakurs of Tenghana village are playing their cards close to their chest — they have two Thakur options: Rakesh Singh, and the BSP candidate Manish Singh, also from a powerful family, and one political option, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the party whose politics they favour these days. “We will see who is winning closer to the date of polling and we will go with that candidate,” Dev Narain Singh says. But if the Congress presence in the alliance is making the upper castes and some sections of the most backward castes and Dalits reconsider their options, two communities blindly voting for the SP-led combine are the Yadavs and Muslims. In the village of Gojhawa in the Bachrawan constituency, the Yadavs, after bitterly complaining about the pockmarked stretch that leads to their village, and notebandi, turn to the current election. “We are all with the Con-
gress, whoever the candidate is,” Ramesh Yadav says. “There was no development here because this is a Congress area, but if the Congress joins the government, this place might improve.” In the 2012 Assembly polls, he says, the village voted for the SP; in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, it voted for Sonia Gandhi. SP-Congress ahead? And in the busy shopping area of Rae Bareli Sadar, Mirza Ayub Beg, who runs a store selling paint, says Muslims will largely vote for the Congress’ Aditi Singh, rather than the BSP’s Shahbaz Khan. Those words are repeated by cloth merchant Imran. While both say it is partly because Ms. Singh’s father, Akhilesh Pratap Singh, a local ‘Robin Hood’, who held the seat earlier, worked for everybody, they both mention that they would like to see Akhilesh Yadav as the next Chief Minister. The signs are propitious for the alliance but only if the two parties can end the squabbling over seats and candidates. The people are willing to do their part.
For a clean sweep
POLLDIARY Varun gets the call at last NEW DELHI: The BJP issued a second list of star campaigners (party leaders whose campaign bills are not footed by the candidate but by the party) for the third and fourth phase of Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, this time including Sultanpur MP Varun Gandhi who was absent from an earlier list. Mr. Gandhi’s inclusion has been explained by the BJP top brass (which is never comfortable with him) as related to the fact that Sultanpur, Amethi and Rae Bareily, the Gandhi family pocket boroughs, are to go to the polls in the third and fourth phases on February 19 and 23. “That is his area and that is why he is in this list,” said a senior general secretary of the party. Mr. Gandhi has had run-ins with the BJP top brass, as his push ILLUSTRATION: SATHEESH VELLINEZHI to be projected as the chief ministerial candidate during the Allahabad national executive of the party was not appreciated by party president Amit Shah. — Special Correspondent
No print ads in Goa, Punjab without EC nod NEW DELHI: The Election Commission on Thursday
directed the political parties to ensure that no newspaper advertisements are published in pollbound Goa and Punjab without clearance from the monitoring committees set up by the poll panel. The EC stated that it had come across instances of advertisements of an offending and misleading nature in the past. Holding that such advertisements in the last stage of the election vitiated the process, the Commission said the affected candidates and parties would not have any opportunity of providing clarification or rebuttal in such cases. — Special Correspondent
Campaign ends; Punjab, Goa ready for polls CHANDIGARH/PANAJI: The high-voltage campaign for the
February 4 elections in Punjab and Goa came to an end on Thursday evening after hectic canvassing by various political parties. Congress vicepresident Rahul Gandhi wrapped up his campaign in Punjab during which he kept up the offensive against the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-BJP combine and other rivals who gave back in equal measure. The SAD-BJP combine is up against the Congress and the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party. The electioneering ended peacefully in Goa. Several star campaigners of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) spoke at gatherings. — Special Correspondent & PTI
Compensation yet to reach many flood-hit KAVITA UPADHYAY UKHIMATH (UTTARAKHAND): In a
village 60 kilometres from Kedarnath, a former businessman, Prakash Lal, shows a letter dated November 25, 2013 marked to a government official about compensation for the losses he suffered in the Kedarnath deluge. Over three years after the letter was typed, the issue of pending compensations remains unresolved. Mr. Lal is a Dalit belonging to Sirvani village in the Kedarnath constituency. He becomes teary-eyed when he is asked about his two sons who died in the disaster. “I won’t be able to speak about my children’s death,” he said. However, he did mention that the compensation he received for the hotels and shops he lost to the Mandakini flash floods was negligible. Mr. Lal is joined by Pradeep Kumar, a Dalit from Pithora village near Siruvani. He too got no compensation, he says. “I owned a medical store in Rambara [in Kedarnath Valley] and had taken a bank loan to set it up,” he says. The medical store, he says, was his only source of income. Support for Congress After the deluge, the Kedarnath Anusoochit Jaati Deviya Aapda Sangharsh Samiti was formed. It has among its members Dalits who either received partial compensation or no compensation at all. The Samiti is supporting Congress candidate Manoj Rawat, a new face in the party. “Had anyone else in the Congress contested the seat, we would have boycotted the polls,” says Mr. Kumar, who is himself a member of the Samiti. “But we have faith in him [Manoj Rawat].” Kedarnath, which falls un-
Tough fight Former Congress MLA Shaila Rani Rawat is the BJP candidate here and former BJP MLA Asha Nautiyal is contesting as an Independent after she was denied BJP ticket. Pitted against them are Mr. Manoj Rawat and an Independent, Kuldeep Rawat, who has worked in the deluge-hit area for the past three years. Kedarnath is poised to witness a tough battle. Ms. Nautiyal won the seat in the 2002 and 2007 Assembly polls as a BJP candidate. “Asha Nautiyal is respected in the region and it is being speculated that a lot of BJP voters will vote for her instead of for Shaila Rani,” said Atul Jamloki from Phata in Ukhimath. Ms. Shaila Rani won the seat in the 2012 polls as a Congress candidate. She was among the nine Congress MLAs who rebelled against the Harish Rawat-led Congress government last year and initiated a political upheaval that eventually brought the State under President’s Rule. People who believe they received a fair compensation for their losses are expected to vote for Ms. Rani. “If we don’t vote for her, then who will we go to with our problems? She got us compensation,” said Madhav Singh from Badasu village, which lost 23 persons in the deluge.
LONG WAIT: Though the government promised a job to Neeta Devi, whose husband died in the 2013 deluge, it never came. She works as a helper in an anganwadi. — PHOTO: KAVITA UPADHYAY CM YK
Don’t disturb level playing field: EC tells govt.
der the Ukhimath tehsil, has 247 villages and a population of 65,000. The villagers’ income is dependent on the Kedarnath yatra. As the deluge unfolded, 584 people from the Ukhimath villages died and 296 women were widowed. Of the 82,571 voters in the Kedarnath constituency, 19% are Dalits. Brahmins make up about 23% and the remaining are Rajputs.
NEW DELHI: The Election Commission on Thursday
reiterated that all government references proposed to be placed before the Cabinet or any committee of the Cabinet must be routed to the poll panel through the Cabinet Secretariat. Despite its standing orders beginning March 2014, there was a tendency to flout the instructions, the EC noted. Matters related to the Cabinet were being directly sent to the Commission, that too at the last moment, leaving no time for the EC to appropriately consider the issue. Last month, the EC had written to the Cabinet Secretariat stating that the Ministries of Defence and Finance, besides the NITI Aayog, had taken certain decisions that disturbed the level playing field in poll-bound States. — Special Correspondent
THE MOHALI PITCH: Aam Aadmi Party supporters carry their party symbol, broom, during a roadshow in Mohali in Punjab on Thursday. — PHOTO: AKHILESH KUMAR
Ansaris say Akhilesh Yadav has broken trust of Muslims them,” Mr. Afzal said. Though the Ansaris are today largely portrayed negatively by the national media, mainly due to the notorious reputation of and criminal cases against Mukhtar Ansari, they command substantial clout and support in their region.
The brothers joined the BSP after being snubbed by the Chief Minister OMAR RASHID
Accusing Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav of having “broken the trust” of Muslims, which his father Mulayam Singh had skilfully built and sustained over the years, former MP Afzal Ansari says the Yadav scion wants Muslim votes but while “keeping them at a distance” to appease “BJPminded” Hindu voters. Speaking to The Hindu, the leader from Ghazipur in eastern Uttar Pradesh also says that the “mindset” of the Samajwadi Party under Akhilesh Yadav is different from that under Mulayam. Afzal Ansari is the elder brother of tainted MLA from Mau in eastern U.P., Mukhtar Ansari. The Ansari brothers — Mukhtar, Afzal and Sibgatullah (also MLA) — along with Mukhtar’s son Abbas joined the BSP last week after being snubbed by the imageconscious Akhilesh Yadav, who was not only opposed to their joining the SP but who also denied them ticket. The Ansaris vow they LUCKNOW:
Afzal Ansari and his brothers enjoy considerable clout in eastern Uttar Pradesh. — PHOTO: RAJEEV BHATT would teach Akhilesh Yadav a lesson for the betrayal. Mr. Afzal says Mulayam Singh had confided in him about Akhilesh’s apathy towards Muslims. Citing the patriarch’s remark that his son has “no interest in Muslims,” Mr. Afzal said, “Akhilesh believes that if he displays even a little soft corner for Muslims he will lose the BJP-minded votes he is chasing. In many meetings, Mulayam himself told me that his son was out of control.”
Mr. Afzal said that Mulayam Singh had told him that Akhilesh was “under the wrong impression that by trying to appease voters angry with demonetisation, he would be able to win them over.” He said Akhilesh Yadav was desperate for an alliance with the Congress just “to balance” the indifference he was displaying towards Muslims. “He is extending his hand to the Congress just to get minority votes, through an indirect route, without directly engaging
Hidden legacy Mr. Afzal rues that the media and political parties have maligned their image, while disregarding their background. “Our background is concealed because if people come to know of it, our haters will have to shut up. We have had 18 freedom fighters from our family. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari, our grandfather, was the president of the Indian National Congress in 1926. He was among Gandhi’s close friends,” says Mr. Afzal. Other prominent ancestors were Faridul Haq Ansari, one of the foundermembers of the Praja Socialist Party and member of Rajya Sabha, Brigadier Usman [Mahavir Chakra], who was martyred in action against Pakistan during the battle for Kashmir, and Shaukatullah Ansari, ambassador to seven countries and later Governor of Odisha. “But who talks about them?” he says. ND-ND
14 |
WORLD
Donald Trump puts Iran on notice U.S. President attacks the ‘terrible’ nuke deal his predecessor and other nations reached with it the Yemen area and the Red Sea. The Houthis have claimed credit for the January 30 attack on a Saudi military vessel and an attack this past October on an Emirati leased vessel. This past fall, the Houthis attempted attacks against U.S. naval vessels in the Red Sea,” the official said, putting the onus on Iran to contain them. Saudi Arabia accuses Iran of supporting the Shia Houthi rebels in Yemen.
VARGHESE K. GEORGE WASHINGTON: The U.S. on Wednesday said it was “putting Iran on notice” for conducting a ballistic missile test that it described as a violation of a UN resolution. Blaming Iran for a range of other “destabilising activities” in the region, a senior administration official did not rule out the military option. The official, who did not want to be named, indicated that the Trump administration would put its entire weight behind Saudi Arabia and the UAE, while upending the breakthrough with Iran, a key foreign policy achievement of the previous Obama administration. “Iran has been formally PUT ON NOTICE for firing a ballistic missile. Should have been thankful for the terrible deal the U.S. made with them!” tweeted President Donald Trump. “Iran was on its last legs and ready to collapse until the U.S. came along and gave it a life-line in the form of the Iran Deal: $150 billion,” he said. Asked whether the U.S. response could “include a military option”, the official said: “We are considering a whole range of options. We’re in a
NO RETREAT: People continue to protest in lower Manhattan on Wednesday against the polices of President Donald Trump. — PHOTO: AFP deliberative process.” The official sought to delink the action being contemplated against Iran now from the operation of the nuclear deal with it, agreed upon by the four other permanent members of the UNSC and Germany. He said Iran’s obligations under the nuclear deal would stay intact, even as the U.S. considers new punitive measures for missile
No executive order on H-1B on cards: Kumar SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT WASHINGTON: The Trump administration has no plans of issuing an executive order to curtail H-1B visas, said prominent Indian-American Trump supporter Shalabh ‘Shalli’ Kumar. On the contrary, he said, there will be more demand for skilled professionals as the American economy begins to grow at a higher rate under the new President. Supporting the recent travel ban on visitors from seven Muslim-majority
countries, Mr. Kumar said Hindu-Americans are targets of “radical Islamic terrorists” twice over. “The terrorists target Hindus and Americans,” he said. He said he would prefer an Indian-American with knowledge and experience to be the next Ambassador to India, without ruling himself out as a potential candidate. Refusing to discuss the possibility of him being appointed, Mr. Kumar said he would be open to taking up any responsibility in order to improve bilateral relations.
test and other activities. Pursuing a collision course with Iran will have a spiralling effect on the U.S.’s relations or plans with several other countries, such as Mr. Trump’s attempt to reset ties with Russia and to arrive at some settlement for the crisis in Syria. Significantly for India, a renewed conflict with Iran will pre-empt the possibility of a fresh U.S.
Trump castigated refugee accord during call with Australian PM SYDNEY: U.S. President Donald Trump ripped into the Australian Prime Minister during their call last week, reports said, castigating a refugee accord he later described on Twitter as a “dumb deal”. The Washington Post said Mr. Trump abruptly cut short the fiery conversation after criticising the agreement to re-settle people kept in Pacific camps, sparking a war of words with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Thursday after the report surfaced. Australia is considered a
Nun gets death threats for telling that Mary, Joseph were a ‘normal couple’ SAM JONES MADRID: A nun in Spain who says she received death threats for suggesting that Mary probably had sex with her husband, Joseph, has apologised for any offence caused but accused her critics of deliberately misunderstanding her point. Sister Lucia Caram, a wellknown Dominican nun, appeared to contradict church teaching when she appeared on Spanish TV on Sunday to discuss sex and faith. “I think Mary was in love with Joseph and that they were a normal couple — and having sex is a normal thing,” she said, adding: “It’s hard to believe and hard to take in. We’ve ended up with the rules we’ve invented without getting to the true message.” Sister Caram, who was born in Argentina but lives in
Sister Lucia Caram a Catalan convent, said sexuality was a God-given, basic part of every individual and a means of self-expression. However, she said it was something the church had long struggled with. Her views were quickly disowned by the Bishop of Vic, who responded with a statement reminding people that Mary’s virginity had been an article of faith since the church’s inception. On Wednesday, Sister Caram issued a statement in
strategy in Afghanistan that is less dependent on Pakistan. While Mr. Trump appears eager to overturn Mr. Obama’s Iran rapprochement, he has abandoned his own criticism of the Gulf states during campaign and embraced Saudi Arabia, particularly its bombing of Yemen — which is a continuation of the Obama policy. “In recent days, we’ve had violence in
Netanyahu’s visit Israel and Saudi Arabia have been critical of the nuclear deal with Iran, and the U.S. hostility towards Iran is renewed days ahead of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington on February 15. “In my upcoming meeting with President Trump I intend to bring up the renewal of sanctions against Iran ,” Mr. Netanyahu said on Twitter hours before the White House statement. Meanwhile, Iran termed Mr. Trump’s warning “provocative”. Claims made by the U.S. are “baseless, repetitive and provocative”, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said, quoted by state news agency IRNA.
which she said she had received death threats after her TV appearance. “When asked about the Virgin Mary, I said that, as I see it, Mary obviously loved Joseph... I wanted to say that it wouldn’t shock me if she had had a normal couple’s relationship with Joseph, her husband. “This shocked a lot of people... But I think that my fidelity to, and love for, the church, the gospel and Jesus’s project are clear — as it the certainty that sex is neither dirty nor something to be condemned, and that marriage and sex are a blessing.” She added that while she apologised to anyone who felt offended, she was worried by the “fragmented, ideological and perverse” way in which her remarks had been interpreted. — The Guardian
close U.S. ally — one of the so-called “Five Eyes” with which the U.S. routinely shares sensitive intelligence — and the call might have been expected to be smooth sailing. But, according to the Post, Mr. Trump’s assessment was the opposite. Of his four conversations with world leaders that day, “this was the worst call by far,” it cited him as telling Mr. Turnbull, shortly before he terminated the telephone meeting. Australian government sources told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
the report was “substantially accurate”. Mr. Turnbull said he was disappointed that details of the “very frank and forthright” exchange had been leaked. “As far as the call is concerned I’m very disappointed that there has been a leak of purported details of the call in Washington,” he told Sydney radio station 2GB. “But I want to make one observation about it — the report that the President hung up is not correct. The call ended courteously.” — AFP
NOIDA/DELHI
THE HINDU FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2017
U.K. lays out Brexit plan, to leave single market VIDYA RAM LONDON: The British government has published a white paper setting out the 12 principles that will govern its negotiations with the European Union (EU) as it prepares to leave the union. The paper was published the day after MPs voted by a large majority to triggering Brexit talks. The legislation will continue to progress through the House of Commons and the Lords. The government had initially been reluctant to publish a white paper. When Prime Minister Theresa May gave her closely-watched Brexit speech, she said the unveiling of too much detail would harm Britain’s ability to negotiate in the best interests of the country. The 75-page document elaborates on 12 principles that Ms. May pointed out in her January speech, including providing “certainty and clarity” by pledging a white paper on the Great Repeal Bill that will convert the body of EU law into domestic law. The paper also outlines plans to forge “ambitious free trade relationships across the world”, including with India. “While we cannot agree new trade deals until after we have left the EU, there is much we can do to prepare and to achieve now,” says the paper. It also covers issues such as the transitional arrangements — and a phased process of implementation — for exiting the union. It reiterates plans to leave the EU customs union and single market, and reach new agreements that would ensure as “free and frictionless” trade in goods as possible. “The government has made clear that it will honour the choice made by the people,” said David Davis, the Brexit Secretary. However, the presentation of the white paper faced criticism from the Labour Party. Keir Starmer, the Labour spokesperson on Brexit, pointed to the length of time the government took to produce the paper, which was es-
YES WE LEAVE: British Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union (Brexit Minister) David Davis speaking in Parliament on Wednesday.— PHOTO: AFP sential if Parliament was to have a meaningful role in holding the government to account. “What matters now are the terms agreed under Article 50, and the extent of our new relationship with the EU,” he said referring to the EU article, which outlines the process governing how a member state can leave the union. Vote on legislation In Parliament, the government’s Brexit legislation was passed by 498 votes to 114 on Wednesday evening. With Labour and the Conservatives backing the legislation, it fell to other parties and the rebels in the two major parties to oppose the bill. While many Conservatives had been critical of the government’s approach in the run-up to the legislation, opposition within the party melted away, leaving only Ken Clarke, a former Chancellor of the Exchequer, to oppose the bill. “It is with a heavy heart, and against my long-held belief that the interests of this country are better served by being a member of the European Union, that I shall support the bill,” said Conservative’s Anna Soubry, a longstanding critic of the government’s plans to leave the single market. Former Chancellor George Osborne warned of a “constitutional crisis” if the House did not
pass the legislation. However, Owen Smith, who stood against Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn in the party’s leadership race last year, was one of 47 Labour MPs who voted against the legislation. “I do not believe that the Brexit course we are set on will make Britain a more prosperous, fairer, more equal and more tolerant country. To the contrary, it will make our politics meaner and our country poorer,” he said during the two-day debate. The Labour’s position, which has been to support the legislation but push for reforms to ensure single market access and protections for workers, at later stages of the bill, has drawn criticism from across the parties. “They are not an Opposition, they are cheerleaders,” tweeted Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron, following the vote. Long process The legislation will now pass to the committee stage where amendments will be considered and then voted on. The bill will also have to make its way through the House of Lords, where it is expected to face considerable opposition. Still, the development is a victory for the government and Leave campaigners, eager to instil certainty into the Brexit process and to ease a jittery market, and global audience.
Trump threatens college after speech cancellation
U
.S. President Donald Trump threatened on Thursday to cut funding to the University of California at Berkeley after protesters smashed windows and set fires at the liberal-leaning school, forcing the cancellation of an appearance by Milo Yiannopoulos, a far-right Breitbart News editor. “If U.C. Berkeley does not allow free speech and practices violence on innocent people with a different point of view — NO FEDERAL FUNDS?” Mr. Trump wrote on Twitter at 6:13 a.m. EST (1113 GMT). He did not elaborate. It was not immediately clear, however, what action Trump could take without authorisation from Congress, or without risking legal action. — Reuters
Putin heads to Hungary, hoping to capitalise on divisions in Europe RICK LYMAN (HUNGARY): When President Vladimir Putin of Russia last paid a visit to Hungary, Prime Minister Viktor Orban was under siege for his autocratic style, Russia was isolated for its seizure of Crimea, and both men were called xenophobes for their hard-line stance on immigration. Two years later, as Mr. Putin landed Thursday for his first foray into Europe in the Trump era, it was a different story. Both men feel vindicated. There is talk of lifting the economic sanctions placed on Russia for its land grab in Ukraine. Their brand of nationalism has moved from the fringe to the mainstream. There was a note of triumphalism, even a bit of swagger, in the air. “Putin is not in his hole anymore,” said Balazs Orban, director of research for the Szazadveg Foundation, a BUDAPEST
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RIGHT MARCH? Russian President Vladimir Putin with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Budapest. — PHOTO: AFP think-tank that advises Hungary’s ruling right-wing party, Fidesz. Even so, beneath the triumph lies a strain of uneasiness. The visit is expected to be fairly low-key, an indication of the uncertainty surrounding the new Trump administration, analysts say. President Donald Trump’s intentions remain unclear, and the prospects of a grand bar-
gain between Washington and the Kremlin are highly uncertain. In the meantime, leaders across Europe have been forced to recalculate the best way to balance pressures in the East and West. Nowhere is that challenge felt more keenly than in Central and Eastern Europe, historically torn between Russia and the West. That means the visit is
being closely scrutinised by European and global leaders. They are looking for hints of how aggressive Mr. Putin and populist leaders like Mr. Orban will be in capitalising on this new international climate. It was not clear how significant a role, if any, the thorniest issue between Russia and the West — the sanctions imposed by the EU and the United States after the seizure of Crimea — would play in the meeting. But Mr. Putin is clearly eager to have the sanctions lifted, and to sow divisions in the EU on that policy and others. Mr. Trump has said that it is “too early” to revisit the issue, but that he remains open to easing sanctions. In separate phone conversations he had last weekend with Mr. Putin and Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, who strongly supports the sanctions, the subject did not even come up. — New York Times News Service ND-ND
THE HINDU FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2017
It is better the Budget does not have big bang reforms and delivers what it promises Bibek Debroy, Member, NITI Aayog
Banks must focus on information security: Mundra
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INTERVIEW HASMUKH ADHIA
Tax dodgers should fear the consequences
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT MUMBAI: Reserve Bank of In-
dia Deputy Governor S.S. Mundra has asked banks to articulate the role of chief information security officers (CISO) clearly as the central bank was not comfortable with banks’ approach to the significance of the role. “The involvement of the board/senior management in appointing chief information security officers is becoming increasingly crucial,” Mr. Mundra said in a speech, which was put on RBI’s website on Thursday. “It is important that CISO is sufficiently senior in hierarchy; understands technology well; appreciates the security aspects of all the technologies adopted by the bank; is responsive and is sufficiently enabled to stall launch of unsecure products, whenever necessary. However, ground realities do not provide the needed comfort,” he said adding that the role of CISO needs to be clearly articulated and reinforced immediately. Banks, which are increasingly focussing on the digital mode of transactions, have faced several recent breaches of cybersecurity both in India and globally. Recently, banks had to change debit card pins after security breach was detected at some ATMS of a particular bank. “The scare that was created during the recent ATM/ Debit card incident clearly indicates that cybersecurity requires top attention by the Board,” Mr. Mundra said. Mr. Mundra said there had been a phenomenal push towards digital payment, following the withdrawal of ₨500 and ₨1,000 notes in November. “We need to be conscious of security aspects as well,” he said.
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TCA SHARAD RAGHAVAN VIKAS DHOOT
People are now more alert about the tax authorities, Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia said on Thursday, citing the record 34% spike in advance personal income tax payments this year. He also defended the Budget’s conservative estimate of 12% growth in tax revenues in 2017-18, compared with 17% this year, and said this had nothing to do with the prospect of a lingering impact of demonetisation on growth in the coming year. Edited excerpts:
• What’s the message from the Union Budget for tax payers and evaders? One clear message is that the government is very serious about black money. We are quite concerned that the proportion of direct tax in the total tax kitty is very low. There is a very high amount of tax evasion and it is only for this reason that all these measures are being taken, including demonetisation and also the subsequent measures to stop the future flow of black money in terms of changes for methods of political funding, the proposal to put a cap of ₨3 lakh for cash transactions, putting a cap of ₨10,000 for business expenditure. For a trust also, we are saying they can only accept donations of up to ₨2,000 in cash. All these are some of the measures to prevent the future flows of black money.
• How do you explain the surge in advance personal income tax collections that have
grown a record 34% in the first three quarters of the year? People are now more alerted. We do not want to harass anybody but at least there is a fear that the government is watching us and if we don’t pay, then there will be larger consequences. That’s why the advance tax figures have come in at 34%.
• Has most of this spike happened postdemonetisation? All the three quarters of the current year, we see an upward trend. We started with the Foreign Black Money Act and then gave the Income Declaration Scheme (IDS) for (tax evaders). So some people would have thought why pay so much in IDS, why don’t we simply declare normal income? So some people started showing more turnover in the books and started paying advance tax without participating in the IDS.
• You have granted sops for lower income groups, but the tax slabs were left untouched… The benefit of tax reduction is given to all taxpayers. Ultim-
ately, these are the people that are paying taxes… people who are declaring more than ₨5 lakh income are 76 lakh, out of which 56 lakh are salaried people. Now there was no option for them, those who get a salary. So this was just a message to the honest taxpayer that you have been paying taxes for all this time, we would like to benefit you. So every taxpayer is being benefited a little bit. But ultimately, we should be able to have a more rational taxation system in which even the slabs can be increased, provided people don’t evade taxes. If people have the opportunity to evade taxes, they try to do so. So we are trying to bring them into the tax net. We want more people to pay taxes honestly.
• You have pegged gross tax revenue growth at just 12.2% for 2017-18, compared with 17% this year. Is that an admission that there might be some lingering effect of demonetisation on growth and tax collections? No. We are just being conservative on indirect tax. That is the main reason. Secondly, in direct tax, we are showing
some 15.3% growth. And that also, we expect to exceed, not fall below, because the revenue will definitely increase on the direct tax side, mainly on the personal income tax front. So that is our attempt, but this is only a conservative estimate. Growth will not slow down. Corporate income tax income may not go up so much. It will remain at whatever is the nominal GDP growth rate. But the personal income tax collections will go up next year. So I expect both numbers to go up next year. 8.8% growth in indirect taxes is also conservative and 15.3% growth is also conservative.
• There was an expectation of a lower corporate tax rate. It will happen over a period of time. Right now, what we can afford, we have given and that will really take care of the competitiveness of the MSMEs. They are worst affected. Their effective rate of taxation is 30%, as the FM mentioned. Whereas the big companies asking for a tax reduction, their effective rate is only 25%.
• Is that a balm for the adverse effects of demonetisation on MSMEs? No, the aim was to increase the competitiveness of MSMEs compared to large companies. They have to have an edge. And that edge will help them survive and flourish in the market. They are the ones creating maximum employment. And this will encourage firms to migrate to the company format, because on firms, the tax rate is 30%.
• Were you considering some incentives for the ₨5 lakh- ₨10 lakh income bracket as well? The demand from the market was something very unexpected. They asked for an exemption limit up to ₨5 lakh. Now, you have seen the numbers. If I exempt people up to ₨5 lakh, my entire tax base will go! 75% of the people will go away. Out of 3.7 crore, 1.95 crore are in the bracket of ₨2.5-5 lakh and 99 lakh people are below ₨2.5 lakh a year (but filed returns). So we would be left with only 70 lakh people to pay taxes then. Now, is it possible? The second demand was a 10% tax on the ₨5 lakh – ₨10 lakh bracket, 20% tax on the ₨10 lakh – ₨20 lakh bracket, and 30% for ₨20 lakh and above. We had done a rough calculation and this would have required a ₨70,000 crore sacrifice by us in our revenue. It’s not easy to do it, because the tax base is so narrow! The people who are paying are the ones who can’t escape it. Those who can escape it, will escape. We also had this other challenge. People were demanding that we increase spending and reduce taxes drastically in this Budget. How is it possible to do both? We increased expenditure substantially on infrastructure and in desirable social projects like education and health. Some economists had this advice: increase your spending and reduce the tax rate and they also demanded that we maintain the fiscal deficit. Now, who can perform such a miracle?
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Mistry moves appellate tribunal against Tata Sons’ February 6 EGM NEW DELHI: Days after the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) refused him relief, ousted Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry on Thursday moved the Appellate Tribunal seeking a stay on the February 6 shareholder meeting of the group’s holding company. Shareholders are set to vote on a proposal to remove Mr. Mistry from the board. The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) has listed the petition for hearing on Friday, according to its agenda listing. Two investment firms backed by the Mistry family have moved the NCLAT through their law firm ‘Jaitley and Bakshi’. On January 31, the Mumbai Bench of the NCLT had refused to grant a stay on the
February 6 Extraordinary General Meeting. “This issue was already decided in the last hearing when the contempt petition filed by two Mistry family companies was dismissed. There are no roadblocks for Tata Sons to hold the EGM,” a division Bench of NCLT comprising B.S.V Prasad Kumar (Member-Judicial) and V. Nallasenapathy (MemberTechnical) had said. On January 18, NCLT had dismissed a contempt plea filed by the Mistry family’s companies alleging violation of NCLT directives in taking steps to remove Mr. Mistry from the Board of Tata Sons. However, while dismissing the plea, NCLT had allowed the firms to file an affidavit on the issue of Tata Sons holding an EGM. — PTI
‘25 coal mines to be auctioned in 2017-18’ SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT NEW DELHI: The Centre will auction 25 coal mines in 2017–18, four of which will be reserved for commercial mining, Coal Secretary Susheel Kumar said on Thursday. The details of the locations of the mines and the rules for the auctions will be disclosed soon, Mr. Kumar told the media. Mines Secretary Balvinder Kumar said he hoped that 250 non-coal mining areas will also be put to auction in the next financial year. The Centre had so far held three rounds of coal mine auctions after the Supreme Court cancelled in 2014 the allotment of 204 coal blocks.
“We have allocated 25 mines to be on the block next year, 2017-18,” the Coal Secretary said. “Of these 23 are to be auctioned and two will be directly allocated.” “Out of the 25, four have been reserved for commercial mining, where the end use is not specified. The formula and the rules are ready. The discussion paper is also ready and will be made public for comment soon,” he said. “We hope that nearly 250 mining areas will be put to auction in coming year by the major mineral producing states,” said Balvinder Kumar. Some of the areas would be in Karnataka, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.
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BUSINESS
16 | RBI cautions against virtual currencies
Rcom-Aircel deal hinges on SC Hearing on plea seeking to bar Aircel from selling spectrum slated for Friday
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
PIYUSH PANDEY MUMBAI:The Reserve Bank of
India (RBI) has cautioned the users, holders and traders of virtual currencies (VCs), including Bitcoins, about the potential financial, legal and security risks. “RBI advises that it has not given any licence/authorisation to any entity / company to operate such schemes or deal with Bitcoin or any virtual currency. As such, any user, holder, investor, trader, etc. dealing with virtual currencies will be doing so at their own risk,”it said.
‘Jio ahead in coverage but trails in 4G speed’ NEW DELHI: Reliance Jio network coverage is significantly ahead of the other operators but the newcomer trails Airtel in 4G speeds given the high load on its network during the free offer period, says a report by Credit Suisse. “Our conclusion is that Jio’s network coverage is significantly ahead of the other operators,” it said. However, Jio did not fare as well in speeds – it found Airtel offered the best 4G speeds while Jio was “probably bogged down by load.” — PTI
Brokers told to liquidate Mallya’s F&O positions MUMBAI: SEBI has directed brokers to square off all existing open positions in the equity derivatives segment they hold for Vijay Mallya and six former officials of United Spirits who were banned from the market last week. “Trading members are advised to square off existing open positions in the futures and options segment, if any, for the persons/entities mentioned in the above order and also ensure that no fresh positions are created for the said persons/entities,” according to a NSE circular.— PTI
Centre to divest ₨11,000 cr. stake in PSU insurers NEW DELHI: The government
plans to divest ₨11,000 crore worth of stake in PSU general insurance companies to meet the steep disinvestment target of ₨72,500 crore next fiscal. Of the total target, ₨46,500 crore will be mobilised through minority stake sale and ₨15,000 crore from strategic disinvestment. The goal of ₨72,500 crore is higher than ₨45,500 crore the government has estimated to raise in the current fiscal. A sum of ₨11,000 crore is budgeted from the listing exercise. — PTI
Exchange Rates Indicative direct rates in rupees a unit except yen at 4 p.m on February 02
Currencies U.S. Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Jap Yen (100 Units) Chinese Yuan Swiss Franc Singapore Dollar Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swedish Kroner Danish Kroner New Zealand Dollar Hongkong Dollar Malaysian Ringgit Kuwaiti Dinar UAE Dirham Bahraini Dinar Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal Omani Riyal
TT TT Buying Selling 67.17 67.49 72.59 72.94 85.02 85.43 59.72 60.02 9.80 9.86 67.94 68.28 47.66 47.91 51.53 51.78 51.67 51.92 7.71 7.75 9.76 9.81 49.14 49.39 8.66 8.70 15.18 15.26 219.29 221.79 18.29 18.38 178.17 179.11 18.50 18.51 17.96 17.97 174.47 175.39
Source:Indian Bank
Bullion Rates February 02 rates in rupees with previous rates in brackets
Chennai Bar Silver (1 kg) Retail (1 g) 24 ct gold (10 g) 22 ct gold (1 g) Delhi Silver Standard Gold Sovereign
MUMBAI: A proposed merger
of Reliance Communications Ltd. (Rcom)’s wireless business and Aircel Ltd. – the Indian unit of Malaysia’s Maxis Communications Berhad – cleared a vital hurdle on Thursday after a special CBI court discharged former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran, his brother Kalanithi Maran and others in corruption and money laundering cases connected with Maxis’s 2006 acquisition of Aircel. The fate of the deal now hinges on the outcome of an ongoing matter in the Supreme Court, where the next hearing is set for Friday. Lawyer Prashant Bhushan had petitioned the Supreme Court in December asking the court to restrain Maxis from selling Aircel’s spectrum as it was already facing charges in relation to the Aircel-Maxis deal. The Supreme Court had, in its last hearing on Mr. Bhushan’s petition on January 6, barred Aircel from
(41,900) (44.80) (29,420) (2,795)
42,650 (41,900) 29,600 (29,550) 24,400 (24,300)
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transferring the ownership of its airwaves, and had threatened to cancel the airwaves permits if the two accused Malaysian nationals – Ralph Marshall and T. Ananda Krishnan – did not appear before the court on February 3. Billionaire Ananda Krishnan is the majority shareholder of Maxis. The latest special court ruling may weaken the case, according to industry watchers. “Obviously, the impact is inevitable and that’s a natural consequence,” Ranjit Prakash, managing partner of Archeus Law firm told The Hindu. “Let us wait for
TRAI gives clean chit to Jio’s tariff offers SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT NEW DELHI: Reliance Jio’s promotional tariff plans comply with existing regulations and tariff orders, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has said in response to complaints from leading telcos. Bharti Airtel, Idea Cellular and Vodafone had urged TRAI to examine Jio’s voice and data offering, free till March 2017, terming it ‘predatory’ and ‘discriminatory.’ TRAI conveyed its decision after Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi opined that Reliance Jio’s tariff plans
did not violate any existing regulation or order issued by TRAI, and that it should not intervene in the matter. “RJIL (Reliance Jio Limited) had implemented a promotional offer as Welcome Offer, (valid for 90 days effective September 5, 2016). Subsequently, it had implemented another... offer as Happy New Year Offer (valid from December 4, 2016, up to March 3, 2017),” TRAI said in its note. It clarified that the Happy New Year offer could not be treated as an extension of the earlier offer as the benefits under both sets of promotional offers differ.
more clarity tomorrow.” Echoing a similar view, Paras Bothra, president – equities, at Aashika Stock Broking, said, “The special court order will have a positive impact on the Aircel case as well and the impending deal with Rcom may go through.” In September 2016, Rcom had announced that it would separate its wireless business and merge it with Aircel to create a telecom operator that would rank among the top four phone companies in India. Rcom and Maxis would own 50% each in the merged entity. Aircel, in its impleadment
‘No liquidation’ ‘The company said that it had not issued any dividends so far and that it was misleading to say that there was any attempt to liquidate the assets and move them out of India. On its merger plans with Rcom, the Aircel petition said that no sale of spectrum was involved in the transaction and no cash was involved as Aircel was acquiring assets in merger, not selling assets.
Smartron buys stake in e-bike firm Volta K.T. JAGANNATHAN CHENNAI: Smartron, a Hyderabad-based start-up, has picked up undisclosed stakee in the city-based Volta Motors, another start-up engaged in creating electric mobility solutions for the masses. Mahesh Lingareddy, Founder and Chairman, Smartron, said the alliance would help the company provide IoT (Internet of Things) and AI (Artificial Intelligence)-based product development support to Volta in its e-bike initiative. Volta Motors will be
christened as Tron Motors, a Smartron company. “This marks a collaboration of two start-ups with the same ideals and aspirations of building an Indian brand in the global product market place,” he said. Volta Motors has so far designed and developed India’s first cross-over electric bike ‘VOLTA ZAP.’ Under the aegis of the new company, the team will accelerate development, manufacturing and commercialisation of the vehicles. The firm intends to bring out IoTenabled electric vehicles that will be designed, engineered, and manufactured in India for the global market.
THE HINDU FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2017
Tata Motors unveils TAMO to develop futuristic vehicles
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT MUMBAI: Tata Motors has in-
troduced TAMO, a subbrand that will act as an incubator to develop new range of technology–heavy mobility solutions for the Indian and global markets, as part of its transformation journey TAMO, a start up established under the Tata Motors umbrella, will act as an incubating centre of innovation for developing new technologies, business models and partnerships to define future mobility solutions, according to top officials of Tata Motors. “The introduction of TAMO will help us to co– design India’s automotive footprint by taking new technologies and mobility concepts as a new ecosystem to market,” said Guenter Butschek, managing director and chief executive officer, Tata Motors. Low investment As a new and separate vertical, TAMO will operate on a low volume, low investment model to provide fast tracked proves of technologies and concepts. TAMO will act as an open platform to network with global start-ups and leading technology companies to get access to trends, innovations and solutions for the design of exciting future products and services, the officials said. As the automotive environment changes rapidly with disruptive technologies and customer behaviour, TAMO will transform the experience of interfacing and interacting with customers and the wider community. The new entity will provide a digital eco-system which will be leveraged by Tata Motors to support the mainstream business in the future. TAMO will have a
NPS subscribers can prematurely withdraw 25% of corpus tax-free
Guenter Butschek small team of specialists who can imagine the future and they will be supported by personnel from Tata Motors to develop new passenger vehicles. The first product developed by TAMO will be showcased at the upcoming 87th Geneva International Motor Show to be held in March. Tata Motors had been working on the TAMO project for two years and the new product that will be introduced under the TAMO brand developed within 18 months. The vehicle was manufactured in India. Tata Motors’ Passenger Vehicle (PV) unit has embarked on a new strategy to turn profitable in 2019 by which time it aims to be among the top three passenger vehicle companies in India. New platforms As part of this strategy, Tata Motors, in 2018, will introduce two new platforms based on which several types of vehicles be introduced at short notice at lower development costs. Then, Tata Motors will gradually phase out its current range of vehicles which are based on six platforms. “Our strategy is to deliver 7-8 product variants from two platforms, for greater coverage and sizeable economies of scale. Our goal is not to just comply with the emerging regulations but be ahead of the requirement,” said Mayank Pareek, President, PV Business, Tata Motors.
NEW DELHI: The National Pension System or NPS has become a more attractive option for retirement savings with Budget 2017-18 allowing its members to withdraw up to 25% of their accumulated corpus before retirement without tax, according to the Finance Ministry. Self-employed individuals have also been allowed to invest up to 20% of their income into the NPS as opposed to 10% earlier. “There was a demand - in the case of employers and employees; 10% (of income) each is allowed to be invested,” Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia explained. “If you are self-employed, only 10% of income is allowed. Why should he not be allowed to put 20% of income, subject to the ₨1.5 lakh ceiling of Section 80C (of the Income Tax Act)? So, we have allowed that.” “Secondly, if the NPS Trust allows you to withdraw prematurely after five or ten years as per its rules, there will be no tax on that. This is beneficial to the NPS,” he added. “In order to provide further relief to a subscriber of NPS, it has been proposed to insert a new clause (12B) in the section 10 of the Income Tax Act, 1961 to provide exemption on partial withdrawal not exceeding 25% of the contribution made by an employee,” the finance ministry said. This benefit will be effective on partial withdrawals made by the subscriber after April 1, 2017. “Further, contribution up to 20% of the gross income of the self-employed individual (individual other than salaried class) will be deductible from the taxable income under Section 80CCD (1) of the Income Tax Act, 1961, as against 10% earlier,” the statement added.
The triple agenda - Budget 2017 N. K. Singh
T
he Budget presented on Wednesday marks a paradigm shift in multiple ways. For one, it seeks to reconcile the consequences of international headwinds with domestic economic compulsions. The international headwinds of rising protectionism, reinventing globalisation and interest rate behaviour by leading central bankers necessitate adherence to continued macroeconomic stability. Mitigating the consequences of demonetisation particularly employment in the informal sector and lifting sagging investors’ sentiment would, inter alia, need fresh stimulus. Stimulus both in terms of regulatory framework, ease of doing business and enhanced public outlay. Triggering green shoots Seeking synergy between agriculture and the corporate sector is an important initiative. A sharp decline in corporate rate taxes for small and medium industries, which covers 97% of all corporates, would enhance their profitability and trigger investment green shoots. This would be supported by enhanced agricultural credit, crop insurance, rural skill development leading to significant rise in rural demand. At any rate, markets have applauded the budget package in no uncertain way. Perhaps after a long time sentiments have improved so decisively after the budget speech. What does this imply? First and foremost, it is a thumbs up for adherence to
the path of macroeconomic stability. This is also a coherent response to some debilitating features of adverse exogenous circumstances. The centrepiece of the macro stability is adherence to the path of fiscal consolidation. However, there is a paradigm shift. Debt and not fiscal deficit, is being recognised as the principal stabilisation anchor. Indeed, this was the quest during the debate in the constituent assembly to place fetters on executive discretion and borrowing. Ambedkar had finessed the debate by saying “we hope
COMMENT that Parliament will take this matter seriously and keep on enacting laws so as to limit the borrowing authority of the Union. I go further and say that I not only hope but I expect that the Parliament will discharge its duties under this Article”. In essence, the new approach can be a seen as the realisation of Ambedkar’s vision. In the new fiscal framework it is recognized that India in relation to other emerging markets is among the most debt ridden nations in the world, with a debt to GDP of 70%. The Finance Minister mentioned the FRBM Committee’s recommendation on optimum debt to GDP ratio for India of 60%, consisting of 40% for Central Government and 20% for State Governments. The fiscal deficit is only an enabling instrument for achieving this optimal debt GDP target. The Finance Minister has not resorted to the provision of ‘escape clause’ suggested by the Committee which has an upper ceiling of 0.5% of GDP in
any fiscal year. He has preferred a fiscal target of 3.2% instead of 3% to provide for “higher public expenditure in the context of sluggish private sector investment and slow global growth”. There is, however, a clear commitment of returning to 3% and thereafter. Decisive commitment Markets have perceived this as government’s decisive commitment towards macroeconomic stabilization. This has spurred investor sentiment, found favour with rating agencies and augurs well for congruence of monetary and fiscal policy. There are other initiatives too like, encouraging labour intensive industries, going beyond leather and textiles packages, by taking a fresh look at the regulatory framework for labour and to harmonize their conflicting regulations. Similarly, public private partnership was a breeding ground for crony capitalism. The recommendations of the Vijay Kelkar committee on a new act for dispute resolution as well as an ombudsman is sought to be implemented through an amendment to the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1997. This can rekindle innovative financing and public private partnership. We know that the budget is not a panacea for all economic ailments. Policy making must be a continuing process and equally, the agility to readapt policy responses to new challenges. Overall, this budget is a decisive response to our sagging growth sentiment and prospects. (N.K. Singh is chairman of the FRBM Committee and a former Revenue Secretary)
Sundram Fasteners net profit rises by 63% SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
42,835 45.80 29,540 2,809
LEGAL TANGLE: The latest special court ruling may weaken the case before the Supreme Court. — FILE PHOTO
application before the Supreme Court in the spectrum attachment matter, said that the firm was not owned by any individual, directly or indirectly, and that it had invested more than ₨40,000 crore since 2005-2006. Aircel argued that the petition seeking attachment of assets was based on ‘incorrect facts’ as the applicants had not been accused in the charge-sheet filed in October 2014 and no summons had been received from the trial court as accused in the 2G spectrum case.
NOIDA/DELHI
CHENNAI: Sundram Fasteners Ltd (SFL), a part of the $6 billion TVS group, has posted a 63.14% increase in its standalone net profit for the third quarter ended December 31, 2016 at ₨75.34 crore on
volume growth, product mix and specific cost reduction initiatives of the company. The Chennai-based auto component manufacturer posted a net profit of ₨46.11 crore for the corresponding period a year-earlier. During the period under review, the
company reported a revenue of ₨709.32 crore against ₨613.90 crore. Export sales stood at ₨260.50 crore against ₨211.41 crore. Earnings before interest, depreciation and taxes increased to ₨135.62 crore from ₨96.53 crore, according to a release. ND-ND
| 17
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THE HINDU FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2017
Telecast schedule
Lampard retires
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy: STAR Sports 1 & HD 1, 9.20 a.m. & 1.20 p.m. Davis Cup: India v New Zealand, DD Sports, 3 p.m.; World Group, Neo Sports, 8.30 p.m. HIL: STAR Sports 2, 3 & HD2, 3, 7.10 p.m. La Liga: Sony Six & Six HD, 1 a.m. (Saturday) NBA: Sony Six & Six HD, 6.30 a.m. (Saturday)
Former England and Chelsea midfield star Frank Lampard, 38, says he is retiring after turning down “a number of exciting offers.” He has scored 211 times for the Blues and won every major club honour.
Bhambri ready for a sterling show KAMESH SRINIVASAN
A
Crouch hits century
Yuki Bhambri to play first singles Vishnu Vardhan replaces injured Saketh Myneni, to partner Leander Paes KAMESH SRINIVASAN
PUNE: He may not have the rank
to back this claim, but Yuki Bhambri will hold the key to India’s performance in the Davis Cup Asia-Oceania tennis match against New Zealand, starting on Friday. The quality of tennis that the 24-year-old, a former World No.1 junior, has played at the Chennai Open and the Australian Open has given a fair indication that he is right on track. From being ranked a careerbest 88 by the end of 2015, after winning a Challenger here in Pune, Bhambri has had a difficult time, grappling with a painful tennis elbow that kept him away from the courts for more than six months. He is now ranked 368. Feeling good “I am feeling good. I have had enough matches. I am hitting the ball well,” said Bhambri, confident that all the sweat in training would bear fruit in the coming weeks. He has the best credentials to open the tie against New Zealand, particularly after having toyed with almost the same team two years ago in Christchurch. There is room for improvement despite the sharpness he showed in whipping Ramkumar Ramanathan 6-1, 6-1 in the first round of the Chennai Open. Bhambri said, “It was an one-off thing. Ramkumar is a much better player. I was very sharp that day. He has the game to get to the next level.” And, Bhambri is ready for another springboard performance here to launch his career into a fresh orbit.
dismissal of Eoin Morgan with a googly hastened the end of the visitor’s chase on Wednesday. From here, the Englishmen lost another seven wickets for the addition of just eight runs. Chahal took six for 25 — the best for an Indian in Twenty20 internationals — and claimed the Man-of-the-match and Man-of-the-series awards. The 26-year-old said he plotted Morgan’s end with the help of Virat Kohli. “The way Morgan was batting — he could have scored more runs from my over. I had to come up with something special. Kohli and I had planned to bowl on the off-
London Olympics, Vishnu Vardhan made a dramatic entry into the Asia Oceania Davis Cup tie against New Zealand on Thursday, as Saketh Myneni withdrew with a foot injury that he had suffered during training. With Leander Paes gunning for a doubles world record in Davis Cup, life came another full circle for Vishnu Vradhan
who had started playing after seeing Paes win the Olympic bronze at Atlanta in 1996. The officials tried hard for the services of the country’s No.1 doubles player Rohan Bopanna, who had argued his case strongly when he was overlooked originally, but he reportedly refused to budge from Bengaluru. The 29-year-old Vishnu Vardhan , who was contacted by Paes on Thursday, was training in Hyderabad, having missed the visa deadline for competing in tournaments in Kazakhstan. “That is the best mistake I have ever done. We keep playing the Futures and Challengers all the time, but Davis Cup is rare, it is a honour,” said Vishnu Vardhan. In an impressive draw ceremony held under a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji at the Balewadi Sports Complex,
stump. I continued the same plan for the next two overs and it delivered results,” said Chahal. The leggie, who represents Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL, stated that the Chinnaswamy Stadium feels like a home ground. “Whenever I come to Bangalore. You may go for runs because it’s a small ground, but at the same time, you have more scope to get wickets,” he said. The Haryana cricketer, whose incredible two-over second spell yielded five wickets for six runs, added, “Mishy bhai (Amit Mishra) varied his pace pretty well. He was getting a lot of turn, which gave me confidence. I planned my second spell watching Mishy bhai bowl.”
Take Five H
ere are excerpts from Nirmal Shekar’s vast repertoire of sports writing for The Hindu over three decades. These are reproduced as a tribute to The Hindu’s former sports editor and former editor of Sportstar, who passed away on February 1.
players and other assorted experts, you can never be certain that you have the right answer — although taking the easy way out and saying “I don’t know,” is a cop out, for sure.
Is No. 18 a peak too steep for Federer? (Feb. 18, 2016)
For much of 2016, we have read quite a bit about how Virat Kolhi is the next Sachin Tendulkar. It looks as if that it was only the other day that Sachin started his famous, even legendary, farewell speech — the-half-an-hour-plus tour de force amidst never before seen emotional outpouring in front of over 30,000 spectators and millions watching on television — and now we want to find someone his equal. Poor Kohli. He has not even had the time to establish his own identity and come to terms with what is — and will be — demanded of him as a batsman and as a captain. And now he has to aspire to be the equal of the country’s cricketing god, who made his Test debut in Pakistan at the age of 16, about the time Kohli was a year old — all this because a few of us already think
Does Roger Federer have another Grand Slam title left in him? On the face of it, it is not a mind-bogglingly difficult question to answer for a person who has closely followed tennis for four decades and has covered over 50 Grand Slam championships. But then, only when you are alone and sit and ponder the question does it strike you that you would be better off telling people that you have no idea if Federer is capable of winning another Major or two. This is because no matter how deeply involved you have been in the game, no matter all the past examples, no matter the comments made by former
CM YK
Petroleum, West Bengal paddlers reign RAKESH RAO
Kohli and I plotted Morgan dismissal, says Chahal BENGALURU: Yuzvendra Chahal’s
TABLE TENNIS
PUNE: Like he had done for the
CRICKET
PRINCIPAL CORRESPONDENT
Stoke City’s Peter Crouch, playing his 419th Premier League match, became the 26th player to net 100 PL goals in his team’s 1-1 draw against Everton on Wednesday.
A
Leave Virat alone for now, and Sachin, forever (Oct. 17, 2016)
ROYAL TREATMENT: The Indian team of Anand Amritraj, Leander Paes, Yuki Bhambri, Ramkumar Ramanathan and Vishnu Vardhan arriving for the draw ceremony.— PHOTO: R. RAGU where the teams arrived in in chariots, the Governor of Maharashtra, Ch. Vidyasagar Rao, hailed Paes as the “Roger Federer of Indian tennis,” before drawing the name of Yuki Bhambri. It meant that Bhambri would play the first rubber on Friday against the 414th ranked Finn Tearney. Ramkumar Ramanathan, elevated to the status of No. 1, will play the second singles against the 417th-ranked but experienced Jose Statham.
“It is the draw I would have liked. Yuki playing first is good. We have a new doubles entry. I know that three people talked to Rohan, and I was not one of them,” said captain Anand Amritraj. “We will put our best foot forward. I am sorry for Saketh. I had enjoyed playing with him against Spain,” said Paes, who recalled that he had started his Davis Cup career on the same day in 1990 with Zeeshan Ali as a doubles player.
Paes expressed pride at Yuki’s willingness to take the load of playing two singles and a doubles, if required. “I am confident. I hope Yuki wins and we get the lead on the first day,” said Ramkumar. The New Zealand camp stated that it was not concerned about the change in the Indian team and was best prepared to try and win the tie and reach the next round to play the winner of the match between Uzbekistan and Korea.
THE DRAW O Friday: Yuki Bhambri vs.
Finn Tearney (3 p.m.); Ramkumar Ramanathan vs. Jose Statham O Saturday: Leander Paes &
Vishnu Vardhan vs Artem Sitak & Michael Venus (6 p.m.) O Sunday: Ramkumar vs.
Tearney (3 p.m.), Bhambri vs. Jose Statham
MANESAR (HARYANA): A sense of relief was writ large on the faces of Petroleum players after National champion A. Amalraj put the finishing touches to a successful campaign against Haryana. What should have been a moment to rejoice, the champion team was thanking its stars for having overpowered a fighting host 3-2 and defending the title in the National table tennis championship here. There was added pressure on G. Sathiyan, Amalraj and Harmeet Desai because its fancied women’s team was stunned in the semifinals by Maharashtra ‘A.’ For Haryana, Soumyajit Ghosh twice levelled the match by beating Amalraj and Sathiyan. But, in the deciding match, Amalraj bounced back from 8-10 in the fourth game against Sourav Saha to seal the title. “In the previous finals, we never felt any pressure. But with Sharath Kamal not included in our team and Ghosh playing for Haryana, it was a tough call,” were the words of a relieved player from the Petroleum camp. In the women’s final, Maharasthra ‘A’ failed to reproduce the magic that had left Petroleum in a trance. Last year’s runner-up Bengal went on to win 3-0 and regain the title won in January 1998 in Jammu. Krittwika Sinha Roy’s fiveset victory over Pooja Sahasrabudhe virtually ended Maharashtra’s chances since the
team had expected their key player to pull of two singles like she did against Petroleum in the morning. Sutritha Mukherjee and veteran Anindita Chakraborty, 39, gave little away against Charvi Kawle and Shruti Amrute to complete a resounding victory. In the semifinals, Pooja upstaged Madhurika Patkar and Mouma Das to script Petroleum’s exit. Mouma did bounce back from 3-9 in the deciding set to make it 8-9 but Pooja held her nerves and closed out the match. Petroleum paid heavily for Manika Batra’s expressing her inability to play the semifinal owing to a sprained knee. With an inspired Pooja in full flow, Petroleum found itself short of resources to escape the biggest upset of the team championship. The results (team championship): Men: Final: Petroleum bt Haryana 3-2 (G. Sathiyan bt Sourav Saha 11-9, 10-12, 11-6, 11-9; A. Amalraj lost to Soumyajit Ghosh 9-11, 5-11, 4-11; Harmeet Desai bt Jubin Kumar 12-10, 11-9, 9-11, 11-5; Sathiyan lost to Ghosh 8-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-13; Amalraj bt Saha 7-11, 11-8, 12-10, 13-11). Semifinals: Petroleum bt Gujarat 3-0 . Haryana bt West Bengal 3-0 . Women: Final: West Bengal bt Maharashtra ‘A’ 3-0 (Krittwika Sinha Roy bt Pooja Sahasrabudhe 11-5, 11-9, 4-11, 11-13, 11-7; Sutirtha Mukherjee bt Charvi Kawle 11-4, 1210, 11-6; Anindita Chakraborty bt Shruti Amrute 11-6, 11-9, 11-5). Semifinals: Maharashtra ‘A’ bt Petroleum 3-2 . West Bengal bt Airports Authority of India 3-0.
Amitabh Chaudhary attends A massive boost for Indian cricket, says Kohli ICC CEC meeting ASHWIN ACHAL BENGALURU: After completing a clean sweep against England across formats, a thrilled Virat Kohli described the achievement as a “massive boost for Indian cricket.” “Winning all three formats feels really good, because we were up against a top-quality side. It is great, since we didn’t have that much experience in our teams. “The Test team is almost as good as new. In the ODIs, we had three-four experienced guys, but the rest who stepped up were youngsters. This is a massive boost for Indian cricket.” Kohli, who tasted success in his first full tour as skipper, stated that he relied on his predecessor M.S. Dhoni for advice. “I take a lot of advice from
M.S. (Dhoni), and from Ashish Nehra too.” “The way we batted was a revelation. Even after I got out early, Raina and K.L. (Rahul) didn’t stop their instincts,” he said. The 28-year-old explained that the success of spinners like Yuzvendra Chahal and Amit Mishra has vindicated the team management’s decision to rest R. Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. “Having guys like Chahal, Mishra, Jayant and Rasool gives us an opportunity to rest Ashwin and Jadeja whenever we want.” The star player finished the interaction with some goodnatured ribbing of a journalist who questioned his form as an opening batsman. After a brief pause, Kohli replied (in Hindi) “What do I say, sir? We won the series, and
still you are saying this? In the IPL, I opened the innings, hit four centuries — everyone said that it was a revelation. Now that runs haven’t come, it is a problem. Sir, focus on the 10 other players too. If I do everything, what will the others do?” Morgan at a loss for words A dejected Eoin Morgan was left without answers to explain his side’s astonishing batting collapse. “I can’t explain it. We haven’t produced a batting performance as bad as that in two or two-and-a-half years,” Morgan said. “In the ODIs, there was only 15-20 runs between us winning and losing the series. That hurts us more than losing this Twenty20 series. Today, we weren’t good enough,” Morgan said.
G. VISWANATH PUNE: On the basis of a communication from BCCI CEO Rahul Johri, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has updated the BCCI’s nominee to the ICC Board as Vikram Limaye (one of the four BCCICommittee of Administrators) and the nominee to the ICC CEC as Rahul Johri on its website. This was done immediately after the decision was taken at the first CoA meeting in Mumbai. But on Thursday, Amitabh Chaudhary (BCCI joint secretary, performing the duties of the BCCI secretary) — who received the green signal from the Supreme Court — attended
the ICC CEC meeting. The ICC stuck to its rule book though and allowed only the BCCI representative to the CEC meeting. On Wednesday evening the Chairman of the CoA, Vinod Rai, informed the decision of the Surpreme Court that — all three are equal (Limaye, Amitabh Chaudhary and BCCI treasuer Anirudh Chaudhry) and that all three may be allowed to attend all meetings. But it is learnt that ICC chief executive Dave Richardson, who is the chairman of the ICC CEC, informed the CoA chief of the formalities to be followed by the BCCI in nominating its representative for the ICC Board and that only one
HOCKEY INDIA LEAGUE
Jackson excels for Ranchi
Remembering Nirmal Shekar through his columns we know what the new Indian Test captain’s preordained destiny is, or what it ought to be.
of the sport. Senna won 41 Grands Prix from 161 starts and was the world champion in 1988, 1990 and 1991.
Ayrton Senna — champion nonpareil (April 24, 2004)
Ali and the illusion of immortality (June 8, 2016)
Dying young provides an ethereal halo to these legendary heroes and sets them far apart from the survivor-heroes who live to tell and retell their oftrepeated tales. Then again, even before the tragic end at Imola 10 years ago, Ayrton Senna was the rarest of heroes in an area of activity - sport where champions are commonplace but heroes are hard to come by. His strength of will and fierce motivation saw him stretch human limits like no other driver had done, or even dreamed of doing, before. The most consistently fast driver in Formula One history in the pre-Schumacher era, Senna was well on the road to creating records that would have made extraordinary demands on the German genius, who is now the undisputed king
Even he had to pass on, depart this life, go the way of all flesh? Even the great, seemingly immortal gladiator, Muhammad Ali, had to meet his end, an often mundane process that all of us have to go through at some time or the other; unless you believe in what pseudo-science’s snake oil salesmen have to say — that immortal human beings would walk the earth by 2045. With all the revolutionary advances in medicine, they tell us that death may become optional in a few decades. But that belief seems like a desperate attempt to turn daydreaming (to stop thinking about the terrifying certainty of eternal demise) into a form of science — gerontology. But a few lesser mortals like some of us — who harbour no illusions and know
official would be allowed to attend the meetings. It is gathered that the BCCI officials in Dubai now — Amitabh, Anirudh, Johri and M.V. Sridhar — have been told about the process to be followed. It’s also understood that Limaye has not arrived in Dubai for the ICC Board meeting on Saturday. Hopefully the chief of the BCCI-CoA, Rai, or BCCI CEO Johri will be able to make matters clear on Friday whether it would be Limaye or someone else who would be nominated to the ICC Board. The ICC CEC will continue to meet on Friday and it is believed the Future Tour Programme (FTP) would be discussed.
SJFI condoles Shekar’s death CHENNAI: The Sports Journal-
that death is the end of everything for the individual — who have no access to multi-million dollar laboratories, and even less access to the latest findings that are being tested out do believe that we are all in queue, that one day we might have to vacate the tiny space that we occupy in a planet that the late, debonair scientist Carl Sagan called “The Pale Blue Dot.” McEnroe gets back his magic touch (March 11, 1989)
McEnroe has a vision of the game. And he wanted to articulate it although the great man is not half as eloquent in front of a microphone as he is on the court where every shot is a declaration of sorts, every match a statement about himself, a definition of his personality. When he is on court, playing at the peak of his abilities, it is as if you are being addressed by Mark Anthony in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. For sheer vitality and spell-binding character, the effect is similar. An artist totally committed to his canvas, he elevates the game to a level few others can take it to.
FLEET-FOOTED: Ranchi Rays’ skipper Ashley Jackson struck twice to help the home side prevail over Dabang Mumbai.
ists’ Federation of India (SJFI) condoled the death of Nirmal Shekar, former Sports Editor of The Hindu and Editor Sportstar, here on Wednesday night. In a message, the SJFI said, “the entire sports journalists’ fraternity across the country is saddened by the untimely demise of Mr. Nirmal Shekar. “Nirmal Shekar was a writer par excellence, often lifting the mundane to the exotic,” the message said. — Special Correspondent
— PHOTO: MANOB CHOWDHURY
RANCHI: Ranchi Rays banked on its captain Ashley Jackson’s double strike to beat a fighting Dabang Mumbai 7-3 in the Hockey India League here on Thursday. After two disappointing performances, Rays gave a solid display to ensure its second win. It was Mumbai’s second consecutive defeat. With both sides getting engaged in fast exchanges, Mumbai drew first blood through captain Florian Fuchs. An unconventional pass from the right ended up as a goal as Fuchs hammered in from a rebound. Exhibiting more energy and quick release of the ball, Ranchi made an impact even after conceding a goal. Manpreet Singh’s searing slapshot from about 40 yards into the Mumbai circle was deflected in by Jackson. Ranchi produced some top class action to double its lead. Sarvanjit Singh relayed the ball on to Flynn Ogilvie from the right and lat-
ter dashed into the circle and executed a shot. Mohammed Amir Khan tapped in a rebound to make it 4-2. Missed chance Fuchs, who put up tremendous hard work, had a fine chance to level the scores in the third period. He launched a surprise raid after beating a home defender but could not get past the lonely Ranchi custodian Tyler Lovell. Mumbai received a heavy blow when Robert Kemperman got hit on his head off a deflection while defending a penalty corner. Jackson converted the resultant stroke to extend Ranchi’s lead. Mumbai reduced the margin through Affan Yousuf’s penalty corner conversion, but Imran Khan’s 57th minute field goal stopped Mumbai. The result: Ranchi Rays 7 (Ashley
Jaskson 2FG 5, PS 49, Mohammed Amir Khan 2FG 16, Imran Khan 2FG 57) bt Dabang Mumbai 3 (Florian Fuchs 2FG 2, Affan Yousuf PC 51). ND-ND
18 |
SPORT
Second ODI washed out
NOIDA/DELHI
THE HINDU FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2017
EUROPEAN LEAGUES
City routs West Ham, United disappoints
NAPIER: Rain and a damp out-
field forced the abandonment of the second ODI between New Zealand and Australia without a ball being bowled here on Thursday. — AFP
Manchester City turned on the style to dismantle West Ham United 4-0 and revive its fading Premier League title aspirations even as Manchester United’s hopes suffered a potentially fatal blow with a goalless home draw against struggling Hull City on Wednesday. City produced a scintillating first-half display, scoring three times before the break through Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva and new boy Gabriel Jesus, before Yaya Toure’s penalty capped a one-sided romp at the London Stadium. Clinical finishing was in short supply as United came up against an inspired perLONDON:
Cavaliers win LOS ANGELES: NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers delivered an overwhelming offensive performance in a 125-97 defeat of Minnesota Timberwolves. The results: Dallas 113 bt Philadelphia 95, NY Knicks 95 bt Brooklyn 90, Boston 109 bt Toronto 104, Miami 116 bt Atlanta 93, Detroit 118 bt New Orleans 98, Cleveland 125 bt Minnesota 97, Indiana 98 bt Orlando 88. — Agencies
COMMANDING: Delhi sauntered past its 132-run target in just 13.3 overs against Services
Jhulan, Sukanya ruled out MUMBAI: Jhulan Gowswami and Sukanya Parida have been ruled out of the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifiers due to injury, according to the BCCI medical team. The team: Mithali Raj (Capt.), Harmanpreet Kaur, Mona Meshram, Thirushkamini M.D., Veda Krishnamurthy, Devika Vaidya, Sushma Verma, Mansi Joshi, Shikha Pandey, Soni Yadav, Poonam Yadav, Ekta Bisht, Rajeshwari Gayakwad and Deepti Sharma. — Special Correspondent
India tops pool HONG KONG: Indian boys blanked Pakistan 3-0 after beating Iran by a similar margin, and topped Pool A in the Asian junior team squash championship on Thursday. The results: Boys: Pool A: India bt Iran 3-0; India bt Pakistan 3-0. Girls: Pool B: Hong Kong bt India 3-0; Japan bt India 3-0. — PTI
Swashbuckling knock by Dhawan CRICKET / Punjab beat Himachal to finish with three wins in five games DHARAMSHALA: An imperious
Shikhar Dhawan steamrolled a hapless Services bowling, smashing 82 runs in just 47 balls as Delhi sauntered past its 132-run target in just 13.3 overs in the final match of the North Zone T20 League here on Thursday. This was by far the most dominant performance by any team in the competition as Delhi, with the most star-studded line-up on paper, finally lived up its reputation. Dhawan dealt mainly in boundaries, taking the aerial route for both his fours and sixes. Delhi did lose wickets early and the other batsmen did find it tough to counter the cold,
seaming, swinging conditions but Dhawan couldn’t care less. 62 of his 82 runs came in boundaries and every bowler went for more than 10 runs an over. His three sixes – over square and midwicket – were sheer muscle. Even of the 11 fours he hit, half missed the rope by inches. Earlier, the Delhi bowlers did their bit to restrict Services scoring and only an unbeaten 56 from Amit Pachhara helped the team reach a respectable total. With captain Gautam Gambhir sticking to fast bowlers – only four overs were by spinners, three of them by Manan Sharma — the Services batsmen were unable to handle the relentless pace.
Their problems were compounded by the seamers bowling close to the stumps and maintaining a length that forced them to play. Vikas Tokas – coming for Ishant Sharma who had to leave for personal reasons – mixed his line to keep the batsmen guessing and picked up three wickets while Navdeep Saini and Pradeep Sangwan kept the pressure up from the other end before Pachhara threw his bat around after being 86 for six in 15 overs. In another match, Punjab beat Himachal by 23 runs to finish with three wins in five games. Put in to bat, Punjab managed 162 for seven before restricting Himachal to 139 for nine. At Amtar, Jammu & Kashmir bowlers, defending 156, kept their nerves to register a narrow
S. Africa routs Sri Lanka
TENNIS
Purav, Divij exit
DURBAN: South Africa captain
QUIMPER (FRANCE): Top seeds
4-6, 10-6.
Purav Raja and Divij Sharan were beaten by Ariel Behar of Uruguay and Andrey Golubev of Kazakhstan 10-6 in the super tie-break of the doubles quarterfinals in the Challenger tennis tournament here on Thursday. The results: €43,000 Challenger, Quimper, France: Doubles: Quarterfinals: Ariel Behar (Uru) & Andrey Golubev (Kaz) bt Purav Raja & Divij Sharan 7-6(0),
$15,000 ITF men, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt: Doubles: Quarterfinals: Chandril Sood and
Lakshit Sood bt Michiel de Krom & Roy Sarut de Valk (Ned) 6-4, 6-3. $15,000 ITF women, Cairo: Singles: Pre-quarterfinals: Helene
Scholsen (Bel) bt Natasha Palha 6-3, 6-4. Doubles: Quarterfinals: Natasha Palha & Rishika Sunkara w/o Dana Kremer & Lisa-Marie Maetschke (Ger). — Sports Bureau
Gehlot stuns top seed NEW DELHI: Divesh Gehlot knocked out top seed Maksim Shin of Uzbekistan 6-3, 6-1 in the boys’ quarterfinals of the Asian under-14 tennis tournament at the DLTA Complex here on Thursday. In fact, three Indian boys made the semifinals, as V.M. Sandeep set it up against Hon Chun Lee of Hong Kong. In the girls’ section, however, Sarah Dev, the last of the three Indian girls in the draw, was beaten in the quarterfinals. Sarah and Malikaa Marathe made the doubles final. The results: Boys: Quarterfinals: Divesh Gehlot bt Maksim Shin (Uzb) 6-3, 6-1; Nishant Dabas bt Tim Thomas Gauntlett (Hkg) 6-4, 6-3. V.M. Sandeep bt Samandar Abdu-
MOTORSPORT
Rana back in the lead M.R. PRAVEEN CHANDRAN JAISALMER: Suresh Rana (navig-
UTHRA GANESAN
malikov (Uzb) 6-2, 6-0; Hon Chun Lee (Hkg) bt Tamir Ankhbavar (Mgl) 6-0, 6-1. Doubles: Semifinals: Nishant Dabas & V.M. Sandeep bt Nauvaldo Jati Agatra & Azmi Januarsyah (Ina) 6-4, 6-2; Tim Thomas Gauntlett & Hon Chun Lee (Hkg) bt Taym Alazmeh & Pierre Diaroueh (Syr) 7-5, 1-6, 10-5. Girls: Quarterfinals: Priska Madelyn
Nugroho (Ina) bt Lanlana Tararudee (Tha) 6-3, 6-1; Alexandra Eala (Phi) bt Sarah Dev 6-3, 6-3; Tharnonpan Jonglertrakul (Tha) bt Elsa Wan (Mas) 6-1, 2-6, 6-3; Salakthip Ounmuang (Tha) bt Sheena Jade Masuda Karrasch (Hkg) 6-2, 6-7(3), 7-6(4). Doubles: Semifinals: Sarah Dev & Malikaa Marathe bt Thamonpan Jonglerakul & Lanlana Tararudee (Tha) 7-6(1), 6-2. — Special Correspondent
A.B. de Villiers hailed an “almost perfect performance” after his team crushed Sri Lanka by 121 runs in the second One-Day International at Kingsmead on Wednesday. He singled out Faf du Plessis and David Miller, who both hit centuries as South Africa recovered from a poor start and piled up 307 for six after being sent in on an unusually dry, slow pitch. du Plessis (105) and Miller (117 not out) put on 117 for the fifth wicket off 136 balls after South Africa had been struggling at 108 for four. South Africa’s total always seemed likely to be too many for the tourists to chase and so
it proved, as Sri Lanka was bowled out for 186, giving South Africa a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. “It was a fantastic effort by Faf and David, an incredible partnership after being four down early on,” said de Villiers. The batting was backed up by good bowling and lively fielding. Sri Lanka made a quick start, with Niroshan Dickwella and Upul Tharanga putting on 45 for the first wicket off 46 balls. But both openers fell to outstanding catches, by du Plessis and de Villiers.Sri Lanka captain Tharanga rued the failure of his other batsmen to make more than Dinesh Chandimal’s top score of 36. — AFP
SCOREBOARD South Africa: H. Amla lbw b Lak-
mal 15, Q. de Kock c Lakmal b D. de Silva 17, F. du Plessis c Mendis b Kulasekara 105, A.B. de Villiers c Chandimal b Sandakan 3, J-P. Duminy c D. de Silva b Pathirana 11, D. Miller (not out) 117, C. Morris c Mendis b Lakmal 26, W. Parnell (not out) 2; Extras (lb-5, w-6): 11; Total (for six wkts. in 50 overs): 307. Fall of wickets: 1-19, 2-65, 3-71, 4-108, 5-225, 6-285. Sri Lanka bowling: Kulasekara 10-0-76-1, Lakmal 7-0-54-2, D. de Silva 8-0-42-1, C. de Silva 4-0-23-0, Sandakan 10-0-51-1, Pathirana 4-019-1, Gunaratne 7-0-37-1. Sri Lanka: N. Dickwella c du Plessis b Parnell 25, U. Tharanga c de Villiers b Parnell 26, K. Mendis c du
Plessis b Phehlukwayo 20, D. Chandimal c de Kock b Morris 36, D. de Silva st. de Kock b Tahir 1, A. Gunaratne (run out) 18, C. de Silva c sub b Duminy 14, S. Pathirana c Parnell b Duminy 26, N. Kulasekara c du Plessis b Rabada 12, S. Lakmal (not out) 2, L. Sandakan lbw b Tahir 0; Extras (lb-1, w-5): 6; Total (in 37.5 overs): 186. Fall of wickets: 1-45, 2-52, 3-74, 4-75, 5-119, 6-132, 7-152, 8-181, 9-184. South Africa bowling: Rabada 8-0-47-1, Parnell 6-0-34-2, Morris 60-27-1, Tahir 8.5-1-26-2, Phehlukwayo 4-0-21-1, Duminy 5-0-30-2. Toss: Sri Lanka Man-of-the-Match: du Plessis. South Africa won by 121 runs.
four-run victory against Haryana. The scores: Punjab 162 for seven in 20 overs (Manan Vohra 60, Gurkeerat Mann 34) bt Himachal 139 for nine in 20 overs (Ankush Bains 57, Baltej Singh three for 33, Harbhajan Singh two for 25) by 23 runs. Points: Punjab 4, Himachal 0 . Services 131 for seven in 20 overs (Amit Pachhara 56 not out, Vikas Tokas three for 23, Manan Sharma two for eight) lost to Delhi 134 for four in 13.3 overs (Shikhar Dhawan 82 not out) by six wickets. Delhi 4, Services 0. J&K 156 for three in 20 overs (Shubham Khajuria 68, Mithun Manhas 31 not out, Ian Chauhan 27) bt Haryana (Shivam Chauhan 43, Rajat Paliwal 31, Shubham Rohilla 28, Ram Dayal two for 27) by four runs. J&K 4, Haryana 0
formance from Hull keeper Eldin Jakupovic, who made a string of superb saves to keep Jose Mourinho’s side at bay. While City’s victory moved it level on 46 points with fourth-placed Liverpool and kept leader Chelsea just about in its sights, United’s slip-up left it sixth, four points adrift of City and 14 off the summit. The results: Premier League: Manchester United 0 drew with Hull 0; Stoke 1 (Crouch 7) drew with Everton 1 (Shawcross 39-og); West Ham 0 lost to Manchester City 4 (De Bruyne 17, Silva 21, Jesus 39, Toure 67-pen). Serie A: Pescara 1 (Caprari 15) lost to Fiorentina 2 (Tello 68, 90). — Agencies
ator Ashwin Naik) bounced back into the lead in the Xtreme category at the end of the third leg of the Maruti Suzuki Desert Storm Rally here on Thursday. Rana, who slipped to third after the second leg, made up for the 15-minute penalty he incurred by pacing his drive well on the longest stretch of the rally. He went at full throttle in the first 20 minutes, overtook the second-placed car, and never looked back. After taking the lead, Rana eased up in the final 50km as he wanted to save fuel. The 200km stretch on the sand dunes, rock, gravel and tarmac tested the skills of the drivers and some of them got stuck in the sand and lost time. Overnight leader Sanjay Agarwal had problems with his car
and dropped out of the race. Sandeep Sharma and Karan Arya made good headway in the third leg to finish second. For the third straight day, C.S. Santosh maintained his lead in the Moto category. R. Nataraj and Tanveer Abdul Waheed were second and third respectively at the end of the third leg. Meanwhile, Ali Ajgar and Mohammed Musthafa, driving a Maruti Suzuki Swift, won the Xplore title. The standings: Xtreme: 1. Suresh Rana & Ashwin Naik (6:37.29); 2. Sandeep Sharama & Karan Arya (6:42:47); 3. Niju Padia & Nirav Mehtra (6:44.34). Moto: 1. C.S. Santosh (5:26.00); 2. R. Nataraj (5:26.42); 3. Tanveer Abdul Wahid (5:46.36). Xplore (final): 1. Ali Ajgar & Mohammed Musthafa (0:25:13); 2. Karthick Maruthi & Sankar Anand (0:37:16); 3. Anupam Chandra & Adheesh Agarwal (1:23.11).
RACING
New Prince may score an encore in the Sprinters Trial Stakes BENGALURU: New Prince, who maintains form, may score an encore in the Sprinters Trial Stakes (1,200m), the chief event of the races to be held here on Friday (Feb. 3). False rails (width about 3m from 1,600m to the winning post) will be in position. 1 MURUDESHWARA PLATE (1,400m), rated 00 to 20, 2-15 p.m: 1. A Crown (1) M. Kumar 60, 2. Bold Runner (9) B. Nayak 60, 3. Skybound (5) A. Imran Khan 60, 4. Cashmere (2) Rayan Ahmed 59, 5. Bay Sunday (7) R. Manjunath 58.5, 6. Red Cedar (8) Jagadeesh 57, 7. Slightly Blonde (10) P. Trevor 56.5, 8. Noble Princess (4) Ashok Kumar 55.5, 9. Braveheart (6) Raja Rao 53.5, 10. Aakhri Dao (12) M. Prabhakaran 53, 11. Dontworrymonday (11) Mukesh Kumar 52 and 12. Thalassa (3) I. Chisty 51.5. 1. Slightly Blonde, 2. Red Cedar, 3. Noble Princess
2 IIKAL PLATE (1,600m), rated 30 to 50, 5-y-o & over, 2-45: 1. Frenemee (4) Mukesh Kumar 60, 2. Noble Sapphire (8) I. Chisty 57.5, 3. Liege Lord (3) David Allan 54, 4. Proudprince (6) Sai Vamshi 54, 5. Tuscano (2) Neeraj 54, 6. Only Prince (1) Yash Narredu 53.5, 7. Attractive Bay (7) Sahanawaz 52 and 8. Active Grey (5) Vinod Shinde 50. 1. Liege Lord, 2. Only Prince, 3. Proudprince
3 TOPMOST CUP (1,400m), maiden 3-y-o only, (Terms), 3-15: 1. Amazing Prince (2) Ashok Kumar 55, 2. Botswana Bolt (5) Srinath 55, 3. Dynamism (12) M. Prabhakaran 55, 4. Mulholland (9) Suraj Narredu 55, 5. Nicaragua (11) R. Marshall 55, 6. Noble Splendor (7) A. Imran Khan 55, 7. Shivalik Crown (8) A. Ramu 55, 8. Star Carnation (1) P.S. Chouhan 55, 9. Track Striker (6)
Mukesh Kumar 55, 10. Implicit Trust (4) P. Trevor 53.5, 11. So Mi Dar (3) P.P. Dhebe 53.5 and 12. Winsome (10) Jagadeesh 53.5. 1. Botswana Bolt, 2. Mulholland, 3. Implicit Trust
4 CHAMUNDI HILL PLATE (Div. I), (1,200m), rated 15 to 35, 3-45: 1. Country’s Bloom (8) Neeraj 60, 2. Grecian Light (6) S. John 58.5, 3. Varsha (1) Suraj Narredu 58, 4. High Hawk (2) Md. Shoaib 57.5, 5. Internal Affair (4) Sahanawaz 57, 6. Galaxy Pegasus (5) Vinod Shinde 56.5, 7. Idealist (12) S.K. Paswan 56.5, 8. Nishan (10) Md. Hesnain 56.5, 9. Island Pearl (9) Mukesh Kumar 56, 10. High Admiral (11) A. Imran Khan 55, 11. Konigin (3) R. Pradeep 55 and 12. Nijlon (7) Jagadeesh 55. 1. Grecian Light, 2. Varsha, 3. High Admiral
5 SPRINTERS TRIAL STAKES (1,200m), 4-y-o & over, (Terms), 4-15: 1. Constantine (3) K.G. Steyn 59, 2. Havelock Prince (4) Neeraj 59, 3. Mickey Mouse (6) I. Chisty 59, 4. New Prince (1) Suraj Narredu 59, 5. Shivalik Star (11) S. John 59, 6. Smile Stone (5) Srinath 59, 7. Solomon (8) Yash Narredu 59, 8. Dubai One (7) A. Imran Khan 57.5, 9. Satellite (10) P. Trevor 57.5, 10. Arvak (2) P.P. Dhebe 56.5 and 11. Fabulous Touch (9) P.S. Chouhan 55. 1. New Prince, 2. Satellite, 3. Mickey Mouse
6 GALLOPING ACRES STUD PLATE (1,400m), rated 45 to 65, 4-45: 1. Honour (8) P. Trevor 60, 2. Native Elements (1) Suraj Narredu 59, 3. Shining Magic (6) Mukesh Kumar 58, 4. Amazing Redd (12) P.P. Dhebe 57.5, 5. Iceglow (9) David Allan 57, 6. Royal Rein (3) M. Prabhakaran 57, 7. War
Envoy (11) Srinath 57, 8. I’ve Got Clout (7) S. John 56.5, 9. Colossal Moments (5) Janardhan P 56, 10. Hidden Soldier (2) Praveen Shinde 56, 11. African Emperor (10) R. Marshall 55 and 12. Blue Blazer (4) R. Girish 52.5. 1. War Envoy, 2. Honour, 3. Iceglow
7 CHAMUNDI HILL PLATE (Div. II), (1,200m), rated 15 to 35, 5-15: 1. Iron Man (7) A. Ramu 60, 2. Stella Mari (5) M. Naveen 60, 3. Final Destiny (4) T.M. Prashanth 59, 4. Vision Of The Sky (12) Rayan Ahmed 58.5, 5. Arabian Promise (2) Praveen Shinde 58, 6. Blessed One (10) Jagadeesh 58, 7. Peppa (8) R. Manish 57.5, 8. Divino (9) Yash Narredu 57, 9. Sponge Bob (11) Anjar Alam 57, 10. Princess Holly (1) Sahanawaz 56.5, 11. Spectre (3) Adarsh 55.5 and 12. Hit Again (6) Tauseef 55. 1. Blessed One, 2. Divino, 3. Arabian Promise
8 BRAHMAPUTRA PLATE (1,400m), rated 15 to 35, 5-y-o & over, 5-45: 1. Freestyle (7) P. Trevor 60, 2. Blazing Faith (9) Mukesh Kumar 58, 3. Hidden Deal (4) Suraj Narredu 56.5, 4. Summer Star (3) A. Ramu 56.5, 5. Goat (2) R. Pradeep 55, 6. Golden Nimbus (8) P.P. Dhebe 55, 7. High Profile (6) A. Imran Khan 55, 8. White Snowdrops (10) Raja Rao 55, 9. Tree Lounge (5) I. Chisty 54.5, 10. Emancipation (1) Md. Hesnain 54, 11. Dancing Princess (12) P.S. Chouhan 53.5 and 12. All By Myself (11) R. Girish 53. 1. Hidden Deal, 2. Golden Nimbus, 3. Freestyle Day’s best: War Envoy Double: Botswana Bolt – Hidden Deal Jkt: 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8; Tr (i): 3, 4 and 5; (ii): 6, 7 and 8.
Bangladesh cricketers arrive
Shakib Al Hasan arriving at the hotel. — PHOTO: NAGARA GOPAL SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT HYDERABAD: Bangladesh cricket team, led by Mushfiqur Rahim, arrived in the City on Thursday evening for the oneoff Test match against India to be played at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium here from February 9 to 13. Bangladesh will be playing its first-ever Test match India though it played its inaugural Test in November 2000 against India at home. The visiting team, which is here after a winless trip to New Zealand recently, will also play a two-day practice match against India-A at Gymkhana Ground here from February 5 to 6.
Training session According to HCA officials, the team will have a fullfledged training session at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium on Friday evening and on Saturday morning.
India hammers England by 10 wickets NEW DELHI: Defending champion India crushed England by 10 wickets in the Blind Cricket World Cup here on Thursday. Electing to bat, England scored 158 in 19.4 overs, thanks to useful knocks from Edward James Hossell (57) and Justin Hollingsworth (24). In reply, India reached the target in just 11 overs with Sukhram Majhi scoring an unbeaten 67 with 12 boundaries and Ganesh Babubhai Mundakar smashing an undefeated 78. The scores: England 158 in 19.4 overs (Justing Hollingsworth 24, Edward James Hossell 57, Ketan Patel two for 40) lost to India 159 for no loss in 11 overs (Sukhram Majhi 67 n.o., Ganesh Babubhai Mundakar 78 n.o.). New Zealand 168 for one in 20 overs (J.H. Dunn 52 n.o., M.L.K. McCaskill 83) lost to Australia 172 for two in 10 overs (Ned Adam Charles Brewer Maiga 82 n.o., Steffan Francesco Nero 41 n.o.). Sri Lanka 164 for seven in 20 overs (Chandana Deshpriya 46) lost to Pakistan 165 for five in 17.2 overs (Badar Munir 49, Amir Ishfaq 36, Muhammad Akram 31, Suranga Sampath two for 25). South Africa 146 for five in 20 overs (Dominic Scott Adriaans 33, Sonwabile Bidla 57 n.o., Buhle Bhidla 32, Sunil Rana Magar two for 26) lost to Nepal 149 for four in 17.3 overs (Sunil Rana Magar 38, Sunil Subedi Chhetri 46 n.o.). West Indies 195 for six in 20 overs (Kevin Andrew Douglas 112, Gregory Lee Stewart 57) lost to Bangladesh 196 for two in 19.4 overs (Tanzjlur Rahman 90 n.o., Mahbubul Hasan Emon 52 n.o.). — PTI
VARIETY
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1 Analyse currency once before (7) 2 Missing island, monster returns to German city (5) 3 Correspondence with a favourite guard (7) 5 Corrupt heartless gremlin at carnival (6) CM YK
6 Uncompromising patron to ring specialist (9) 7 Siblings have subtle RSS ties (7) 8 Ratings seemed to cause arguments (13) 14 Spellbound, two Englishmen shout at editor (9)
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17 Laments one getting into factories (7) 19 Lures to moor for crime, … (5,2) 20 …draws into sailors’ circles (7) 21 Shred last document in office (6) 24 Cognac holder has chip (5)
22 Be put into exhibition of Eden (8) 23 Penalize press protecting Northern Ireland (6) 25 Sets up academies (10) 26 Fish returns from practice (4) 27 Creeps relax in ship (6) 28 Fishes in southern corners (6)
Result of past actions Can all our wishes be fulfilled? We sometimes pray for many things. Some of our wishes are fulfilled, but others are not despite our prayers, said M.A. Manickavelu in a discourse. So of what use then are prayers, we might ask. There is a story about a man who was deeply devoted to Lord Narayana. He had few wants in life and spent his life in a small hut at the foot of a hill. The Lord and His Consort decided to pay him a visit. When They arrived, he was stitching one of his torn garments. He was glad to see the Divine Couple and offered them a glass of buttermilk. Having welcomed them, he resumed mending the torn garment. The Goddess asked him what boon he wanted. He replied, “I want nothing.” But when the Goddess insisted that he ask for something, he replied, “I want the thread to follow the needle!” “That will happen, anyway, since you have threaded the needle. It’s only natural,” said the Goddess. “In the same way, what must happen will happen. I will only get what I am destined to get. I have got what I deserve and I am happy and content. Why should I ask for anything?” said the man. The Divine Couple were not surprised by his reply because they knew the kind of man he was — a man who believed in karma and therefore believed that God gave to each according to his karma. That is the attitude of the true devotee. He does not blame God for what he does not have. Nor does he accuse God of being partial. He knows that whatever he faces in life is a result of his own past actions. He, therefore, spends his time praying to God for moksha.
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12 A model caring for auditor (8) 13 Bill to embark on escapade (9) 15 Initially step in to thump animal (5) 16 Walks from back to front of room (5) 18 Let a broth cook at engagement (9)
M P T A R A A I P E N T U
1 Grant immunity to former secretary from beginning to end (6) 4 Understands market index almost with final lessons (6) 9 Chooses to stop at sea (4) 10 Feint roars disquieted wet woodland (10) 11 Plant extract in Decatur nipa (6)
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THE HINDU CROSSWORD 11921
Sudoku is a mind game and a puzzle that you solve with reasoning and logic. Fill in the grid with digits in such a manner that every row, every column and every 3x3 box accommodates the digits 1 to 9, without repeating any. ND-ND
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SPORT
NOIDA/DELHI
THE HINDU FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2017
PSPB clinches title in style BADMINTON / Has an easy outing against AAI K. KEERTHIVASAN PATNA: Since 1999, Petroleum has been unstoppable in the National badminton championships. And the 72nd interState and inter-Zonal championship at the Patliputra Sports Complex here was no different. Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB) bagged the mixed team title, in grand style with a facile 3-0 win over Airport Authority of India (AAI) in the final on Thursday. The first two matches, the men’s and women’s singles
were one-sided and uninteresting, to say the least. And it took the men’s doubles pairs of V. Diju-K.Tarun (PSPB) and Chirag Shetty-M.R. Arjun (AAI) to enliven the proceedings. Diju and Tarun won 21-17, 21-13. Sourabh Varma defeated Pratul Joshi 21-15, 21-16 in the men’s singles, and Rituparna Das scripted a comfortable 21-9, 21-14 win over Raje Rasika in the women’s singles that was slow-pace. Tarun is a tireless worker, with a workaholic approach.
And with a senior player in Diju, the duo was near-flawless. While Tarun was effective and consistent in well-directed smashes, Diju was brilliant at the net, especially in interceptions. The only time the PSPB pair was in trouble was when it trailed 11-15 in the first game. The men’s singles saw Sourabh take control against Pratul Joshi. Whether it was drops, crosscourt smashes or court coverage, Sourabh was a notch above Pratul. Briefly in the second game, Pratul showed
glimpses of his potential playing an array of shots at the backcourt and the forecourt, but Sourabh was always ahead. For around half an hour, the men’s doubles match was stopped midway in the second game due to a short-circuit in one of the floodlights of the Sports Complex. Officials, however, quickly rectified it. However, the organisers have come in for criticism from players and coaches for providing poor accommodation and making inadequate travel arrangements. It is learnt that most of the teams have moved out of the hotel that was provided by the organisers.
“They aren’t good enough. So we have shifted to another hotel. And moreover, we are using cabs to come to the venue as travel arrangements aren’t up to the mark,” said a Maharashtra player. The Badminton Association of India allotted the National championship a year ago to the Bihar Badminton Association and the host had a lot of time to plan and prepare. But it is clear that it hasn’t done its job properly. The results : Final: PSPB bt AAI 3-0 (Sourabh Varma bt Pratul Joshi 21-15, 21-16; Rituparna Das bt Raje Rasika 21-9, 21-14; V. Diju & K. Tarun bt M.R. Arjun & Chirag Shetty 21-17, 21-13).
UNSTOPPABLE: The PSPB team which won the mixed team event in the inter-State & inter-Zonal badminton championship at Patna on Thursday. — PHOTO: RANJEET KUMAR
SNOOKER
CRICKET
Advani and Amee complete rare triple
DDCA awaits new administrator
G. VISWANATH PUNE: Pankaj Advani and Amee
Kamani completed the unique triple National crown by winning the men and women’s snooker title in the 84th Manisha National billiards & snooker championship here on Thursday. They had won National 6Red snooker championship in Mumbai in December 2016 and the billiards title here. Advani pole-axed Railways’s E. Pandurangaiah 6-0 on Thursday while Amee beat Maharashtra’s Arantxa Sanchis 4-2. A large number of spectators had assembled to see the clash between a champion cueist Advani and a relatively unknown player like Pandurangaiah. He was one of the four Railways players who had virtually wiped out presence of the PSPB players from the quarterfinals. ‘Panduranga’, competing in his second Nationals, was clueless against an ace, whom he was playing for the first time. His safety tactics and slow and steady approach resulted in a long second frame, but Advani put up a commanding show running up five half-century breaks. “I did not play well,’’ said the vanquished Pandurangaih. Lavishing praise on his op-
CM YK
ponent Advani said: “He (Pandurangaih) has been phenomenal. This is his second Nationals and he reached the final.” It was the eighth National snooker title and a fifth double (billiards and snooker) for Advani, while Amee won her second National snooker title. Not knowing if any other women has won a triple, a delighted Indore girl, Amee said: “This is a triple for me. I won my first snooker title at Kolkata in 2015. Even if you are leading 3-0, the match is no way over because your opponent can always come back.’’ Meanwhile, it was announced that India has been chosen as the host for the World billiards championship for the next four years and the next Nationals would be held at Visakhapatnam. The results: Men: Final: Pankaj Advani (PSPB) bt E. Pandurangiah (Rlys) 6-0 [83(50)-1, 52-34, 76(75)-0, 65 (64)-18, 82(50)-25, 79(78)-28]. Third place: Malkeet Singh (Rlys) bt Sundeep Gulati (Del) 65-51,67-46,16-59,74-44. Women: Final: Amee Kamani (MP) bt Arantxa Sanchis (Mah) 4-2 [43-52, 79-40, 71-28, 38-48, 7219, 54-34]. Semifinals: Arantxa bt Vidya Pillai (Kar) 3-2 [45-71, 54-15, 60-65, 56-28, 60-3; Amee bt Varshaa Sanjeev (Kar) 4-1 [49-71, 6023, 69-32, 63-39].
VIJAY LOKAPALLY NEW DELHI: A thorough scrutiny
of the last three year’s accounts is the key to the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) redeeming its lost reputation as Justice (Retd.) Vikramajit Sen prepares to assume his responsibility as the High Court-appointed Administrator. The court has ordered the auditing of the accounts from 2013 to 2015 by an external agency. The preferred agency to do it, observed a DDCA official, would be Deloitte, which has undertaken the exercise in
some of the Board’s affiliated units. The DDCA has not submitted its balance sheet for three years and is under pressure to come clean on this front. According to a veteran official, the challenge for the administrator would be to amend the constitution and usher in transparency in the running of the DDCA. “There is an urgent need to reconstitute the Sports Working Committee (SWC) which has been responsible for a large part of the mess at the Ferozeshah Kotla,” insisted the official. The SWC consists of 10 members elected by the 111
clubs of the DDCA, which has a staff of over 100 employees. “There is not a single sportsperson in the SWC. It should have three cricketers from men, women and para sections, two nominated representatives from the Institutional Clubs, two from the affiliated clubs (picked by the Players’ Association). “The SWC should submit its recommendations (to pick coaches and selectors) to the Chief Executive Officer and the Executive Committee to make the final list. This will ensure transparency and credibility to the whole process.”
The immediate task for the Administrator would be to get the rooms occupied by the disqualified officials vacated and scrutinise the electoral roll. “Payments overdue to coaches and selectors too have to be fast tracked. Only two international cricketers have managed to get their payments sanctioned through the BCCI, but there are many who have been waiting for their dues to be cleared,” said the official. The DDCA was run by Justice (Retd.) Mukul Mudgal in a most efficient manner from November 2015 to January 2017, during which it conduc-
Djokovic, Kyrgios in lead roles at Davis Cup ted the India-South Africa Test, World T20, IPL and the India-Zealand ODI. During his tenure, which ensured fair selection by a panel picked through interviews, Delhi won the senior women’s T20 championship and the North Zone T20 championship apart from finishing runner-up in the Cooch Behar (under-19) tournament. Justice Mudgal, who donated all payments made to him to the Delhi Police Martyr’s Fund, had relinquished the post due to his engagement with FIFA (International Football Federation).
HOCKEY INDIA LEAGUE
Upbeat Warriors geared for hectic schedule ahead Y.B. SARANGI BHUBANESWAR: Jaypee Punjab Warriors hardly had any time to celebrate its first win in the fifth edition of the Hockey India League after it routed Ranchi Rays 7-0 on the latter’s home turf on Wednesday night. Punjab will do some training on Friday morning before taking on Kalinga Lancers at the Kalinga Stadium in the evening. For Punjab, this is just the
beginning of a tough phase, where the defending champion needs to balance between playing matches, travelling and ensuring its players’ speedy recovery. “It is very hectic for us now. We started late in the competition and we finish before most teams finish. Our next eight matches are very concentrated and we have matches, rest, travel. “A lot of matches in a very short period. But every team has a different challenge with
the schedule,” said Punjab coach Barry Dancer. Dancer was happy with Punjab’s massive win. Great progress “We made great progress. We had a bad performance in our first match against Mumbai. “This was much better, but we have a lot more progress to make.” The foreign players, especially Mink van der Weerden and Jake Whetton, had a fine
outing against Ranchi as they not only scored goals but also played their roles on the field to perfection. Among Indian players, Sardar Singh showed his competence all over the pitch, while the fast-moving S.V. Sunil scored two field goals to it a one-sided affair. Punjab will look forward to improve its performance against Lancers, which has secured three wins including one against table-topper Dabang Mumbai.
According to Dancer, Lancers is a quality opponent. “They are near to the top of the table and they have shown in the early part of the competition that they have a strong chance of making it to the semifnals.” Lancers, studded with overseas stars like Glenn Turner, Moritz Fuerste and Billy Bakker and accomplished Indians such as Dharamvir Singh and S.K. Uthappa, will be spurred by its fans to give Punjab a run for its money.
PARIS: Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios hope the Davis Cup heals the wounds of their painful Australian Open exits this weekend when they will be the only two men in the top 15 taking part. World No. 1 Andy Murray has opted out of Britain’s trans-Atlantic trip to Ottawa where Canada will be without fourth-ranked Milos Raonic for the World Group opener. Meanwhile, Australian Open champion Roger Federer and World No. 3 Stan Wawrinka miss Switzerland’s tie in the United States. Rafael Nadal, the runner-up to Federer in Melbourne, will sit out Spain’s match in Croatia, which will be missing Marin Cilic, while Japan and France meet in Tokyo with Kei Nishikori, Gael Monfils and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on the sidelines. Tomas Berdych is out of the Czech Republic team to face Australia in Melbourne while David Goffin skips Belgium’s short hop to Germany. Despite seeing all of his Grand Slam rivals take a breather, World No. 2 Djokovic — stunned in the second round in Melbourne by unheralded Denis Istomin for his earliest exit at a Major in nine years — is relishing leading 2010 champion Serbia against Russia in Nis. — AFP
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LIFE
NOIDA/DELHI
THE HINDU FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2017
Callouses may signal oesophageal cancer
Levine on Hollywood Walk of Fame
Huge shipment of pangolin scales seized
Callouses, or thickened skin in palms and soles, may be a sign of oesophageal cancer, a study from Queen Mary University of London has warned.
Singer-songwriter Adam Levine will soon get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Maroon 5 vocalist is set to receive the honour on February 10.
Almost three tonnes of scales from endangered African pangolins, hidden in sacks, have been seized at Bangkok’s main airport.
Gene variants can add 2 cm to your height
STAR TREK
Bird lovers help scientists uncover secrets behind evolution of beaks ‘Mark My Bird’ is a website that invites the public to send their findings strophes like volcanic explosions possibly opened up opportunities for local evolution as well. “In these cases, we find high rates of evolution, meaning when we compare sister species, they tend to be very different from one another,” Thomas said. But often, the different bill shapes that evolve are similar to those that already exist elsewhere in the world.
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TWO EXTREMES: Turkey’s Sultan Kosen, who stands at 8 feet and 3 inches, greets Nepal’s Chandra Bahadur Dangi whose height is about 1 foot and 10 inches. — FILE PHOTO: AFP PARIS: Researchers have un-
veiled 83 rare gene variants which exert a strong influence on human height, with some capable of adding or subtracting more than two centimetres (0.8 inches). The discovery could lead to drugs to make short people taller or vice versa, or tests to identify people at risk of developing growth disorders, the team reported. More than 300 researchers from five continents trawled through genetic data from 711,428 people to find the variants. Previous research had shown that genetic inheritance determines more than 80 percent of a person’s height. Non-genetic influences include nutrition, pollution and other environmental factors. “Our latest discovery means that we can now explain over a quarter of the
heritable factors involved in influencing a person’s height,” said Andrew Wood of the University of Exeter, a co-author of the study, published in the journal Nature. Twenty-four of the 83 newly found variants can affect height by more than 1 centimetre, the team reported. Genes are sections of DNA which carry codes or instructions to build the proteins an organism needs to function. The team found that “one gene of particular interest, STC2, had two different DNA changes that both had larger effects on height,” said a statement from the Boston Children’s Hospital, which took part in the study. Only about one in a thousand people carry one of these variants, and were 1-2 centimetres taller than noncarriers. — AFP
hen the ancestors of Darwin’s finches arrived on the Galápagos 2 million years ago, they gained access to a world of new morsels, untapped by other animals. In a relatively short period, 14 species of finches evolved, specializing in different diets through different beak shapes: short for crushing seeds, sharp for catching insects, long for probing cactus flowers and so on. This rapid diversification in the presence of new opportunity is called adaptive radiation. Studies of small island bird and lizard populations describe a fast burst of evolution, followed by a slowdown. But broader research has failed to find this fast-then-slow pattern of evolution on a global scale. Adaptive radiation An international team of researchers set out to investigate this seeming paradox through a particular trait: the shapes of birds’ bills. Analysing more than 2,000 species of birds, the researchers suggest in a report published in Nature that even though evolution does not slow down globally, the theory of adaptive radiation holds up. In the case of birds, it is not that evolution slows over time, but rather it switches from generating major changes in beak shape to producing smaller iterations of the same basic shapes, said Gavin Thomas, a professor of animal and plant sciences at the University of Sheffield in Britain and an
Birds are believed to have evolved diverse beak forms rapidly in the presence of new food opportunities. — FILE PHOTO: K.V.S. GIRI author of the paper. In their study, Mr. Thomas and collaborators collected 3D scans of bird beaks from museum specimens representing more than 97 percent of present-day birds. Through a website called Mark My Bird, they asked the public to help mark out specific features on the scans, including the tip, mid-line and curvature of each bill. By combining these beak shape measurements with the latest DNA-based evolutionary trees, the scientists were able to infer ancestral bill shapes and rates of evolution going back more than 80 million years. Their data suggested that most of the
variation we see in beaks today evolved long ago, in a relatively short period of time. “Very early on, in the first 20 million years or so of modern bird evolutionary history, you develop a wide range of bird morphologies, with all kinds of extremes,” Mr. Thomas said. After this early proliferation, the scientists believe, there was a switch to finetuned evolution, which can still be fast-paced. In Hawaii, a single ancestor exploded into at least 54 species of colourful songbirds called honeycreepers. In Madagascar, 22 species of vanga birds emerged. Cata-
LinkedIn tracks overused buzzwords
British singer Vera Lynn to release new album at 100
MUMBAI: ‘Specialised’, ‘leader-
ship’ and ‘expert’ are the most used career buzzwords in India, according to a latest report by professional networking website LinkedIn, which analysed the profile summaries of 39 million members in the country. Running for the sixth year in a row, the word tracking campaign encourages professionals to sharpen their profiles using language that is simple yet effective in describing their professional journey. The top ten India buzzwords are: specialised, leadership, expert, strategic, passionate, certified, responsible, excellent, experienced and focused. ‘Specialised’, a new addition to the top 10 list, is this year’s most used buzzword both globally and in India, the company said. ‘Leadership’ has moved up two notches from last year, while ‘passionate’ which was in the top three in 2016 closes the top five list for 2017. Some new additions to the list include words such as ‘certified’ and ‘excellent’, while ‘organisation’ which was the most used buzzword in 2016 is not on the list this year.
REYKJAVIK: The wind blows in
New blood “With over one million people entering the workforce every month, the Indian job market continues to get more competitive,” said Deepa Sapatnekar, head of communications, LinkedIn India and Hong Kong. “So, it’s essential for professionals to show up differently and create a compelling professional brand,” said Sapatnekar. The company said those looking to improve their LinkedIn profile this year should “mind their language” as profile summary is one of the first things people look at, so it was important to get it right. The company also advised people to take a professional tone and be assertive and direct when they talking about achievements. Previous roles relevant to the career path should be described in everyday language, the report added. — PTI
icy gusts and the rain gently melts the snow in Iceland. Far from their hometown Damascus, Joumaa Naser and his family don’t mind the Arctic cold, they’re just happy to be living in safety. With 3,30,000 inhabitants surrounded by volcanoes, glaciers and geysers, Iceland is an unusual destination for refugees fleeing war in Syria. But since 2015, 118 Syrians have found hope for a new and tranquil life in the Nordic nation. Many of them lived in Lebanon for several years before coming to the land of ice and fire, sent by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Most of them have settled in the capital Reykjavik and its surroundings, while others are beginning their new lives in Akureyri in the north of the country, 70 kilometres south of the Arctic Circle. Akureyri is where Mr. Naser, his wife and their five children now call home. The
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Earliest variations This explains how, even though beak forms experienced the greatest increase in variation in the early days of birds, rates of evolution stayed relatively stable through time: Isolated groups can still evolve rapidly, just without adding much that is substantially new to the range of bill shapes found around the world. A remaining question is why bird beaks have not diversified much beyond the same major forms, said Luke Harmon, a professor of biology at the University of Idaho who was not involved in the research. It may be that genes constrain how birds can develop, or that the niches birds could fill with different beaks are already occupied by other animals. “This is one of the first studies to build on these huge trees of bird evolutionary relationships, and to lay upon them the story of this key structure, the beak,” said Bhart-Anjan Bhullar, an assistant professor of geology at Yale University who did not participate in the research. — New York Times News Service
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LONDON: Renowned World War II singer Vera Lynn will celebrate her next birthday by becoming the first singer in history to release a new album at age 100, her record label said on Thursday. Vera Lynn 100 will feature Lynn’s original vocals set to re-orchestrated versions of some of her most famous songs including The White Cliffs of Dover and Auf Wiederseh’n Sweetheart. The album is being released on March 17, three days before the singer’s milestone birthday. “It’s truly humbling that people still enjoy these songs from so many years ago, reliving the emotions of that time,” Ms. Lynn said in a statement released by Decca Records. “It’s so wonderful for me to hear ‘my songs’ again so beautifully presented in a completely new way,” she said.
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Vera Lynn Known as the “forces’ sweetheart”, Ms. Lynn famously boosted troops’ morale during World War II, travelling thousands of miles to Egypt, India and Myanmar to entertain soldiers with her songs. Ms. Lynn, who started performing at the age of seven, has won many accolades during her illustrious career. She became the first British artist to top the U.S. charts in 1952 as well as the oldest living artist to feature
in the UK top 20 chart at the age of 97. Honoured many times by Queen Elizabeth II, Ms. Lynn was made a dame in 1975. Asked on Thursday if she thought her new album could surpass the previous one and reach number one in UK charts, Ms. Lynn told BBC radio: “I doubt that.” “It might seem quite tame to these young people, the music. But for us it was very exciting and very meaningful and it meant a lot to people.” The singer has described reaching her 100th birthday as “an incredible adventure of song, dance and friendship”. It will be celebrated in a charity concert, held at the London Palladium on March 18. Ms. Lynn will not join in the singing, telling the BBC: “It’s best I can remember me as I was.” — AFP
Iceland, an unexpected Arctic asylum for refugees fleeing war Since 2015, 118 Syrians have found hope for a tranquil life in the Nordic nation, which pays them rent and an allowance for one year state finances their rent for one year and pays them an allowance for daily expenses. The Red Cross meanwhile finances Icelandic language classes and cultural courses. Speaking Icelandic is the main obstacle for Mr. Naser, sporting a finely trimmed moustache and bundled up in a down jacket, his words translated by an interpreter. Does the harsh Nordic climate bother him? Not so much. “We’re able to adapt to any conditions here, whether they’re easy or difficult, we can live with them,” he says. “It’s only the language that is a bit complicated. We need time to become fully adapted,” he adds. Friends and football But Mr. Naser’s children, including his son Amjad, are picking up the language faster. Making friends and playing local sports like football have helped them adapt to their new homeland.
a very nice way,” says 30year-old Mr. Akra.
FINDING HOME: A photo dated January 19, 2016, shows Iceland’s then Prime Minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson (second right) posing with Joumaa Naser (right) and members of his family upon their arrival in Iceland. — PHOTO: AFP “I like Iceland because it’s very nice and there are very nice people. Here we like the snow because in Syria, maybe you’ll see the snow but maybe not,” Amjad says. On the other side of the
North Atlantic island, in a residential suburb of Reykjavik, live Mustafa Akra and his wife, Basma. In their modern and soberly decorated two-room apartment, located just a
stone’s throw from the ocean, the couple enjoy their new-found security, far from the chaos of Latakia, the Mediterranean port city in Syria which they fled. “They (Icelanders) welcomed us in
Child of exile Mr. Akra says some people he has met in Iceland are “racist”, but fewer than in other countries. Support for the anti-immigration Icelandic National Front, founded in early 2016 when the first Syrian refugees began arriving, remains minimal. The party garnered only 0.2 percent of votes in October’s snap election. And according to a survey carried out for Amnesty International in September, more than 85 % of Icelanders want to take in more refugees. “People are shy to advertise their opposition against refugees. It’s not a popular view here,” says Linda Blondal, the Syrian couple’s neighbour who is helping them integrate into Icelandic society. The couple knew little or nothing about their new home before coming. “We
had never heard of Iceland before arriving here. We barely knew where it was!”, explains Basma, who wears a hijab. Mr. Akra, a strapping man willing to work hard, ended up finding a job. But it wasn’t easy — he speaks neither Icelandic nor English. In Syria he worked as a taxi driver, a car mechanic, a cook, a house painter and an electrician. He now works for Ali Baba, a Middle Eastern restaurant in the centre of Reykjavik. The family is set to grow, as Basma is expected to give birth to their first child, a boy, in the coming weeks. “I’m proud that he will be born in Iceland, as safe as possible in a beautiful country,” the 28-year-old motherto-be says. Iceland registered 791 asylum applications last year, mostly from Balkan countries. Only 100 have been granted refugee status, including 25 Iraqis, 17 Syrians and 14 Iranians. — AFP ND-ND
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