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Why force people to get Aadhaar, SC asks Centre
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Eight killed, six hurt in Bengal bomb blast KOLKATA
Making it mandatory for iling I-T returns is a legislative mandate: AG
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PDP, BJP leaders try to iron out diferences SRINAGAR
Amid fresh sticky issues between the alliance partners, Peoples Democratic Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party, senior leaders from the ruling parties met in Jammu on Friday “to iron out diferences and ind out ways to deal with growing unrest.” 쑺 PAGE 8
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The Supreme Court on Friday questioned the Centre’s logic to make Aadhaar card mandatory for filing income tax returns, asking whether this would act as a remedy to end the generation of fake Permanent Account Number (PAN) and ration cards. “Is this the remedy? Forcing people to get Aadhaar cards?” Justice A.K. Sikri, who is heading a Bench also comprising Justice Ashok Bhushan, orally addressed Attorney-General of India Mukul Rohatgi. Mr. Rohatgi replied that making Aadhaar mandatory for filing income tax returns under Section 139AA was a “legislative mandate.” The court was hearing petitions filed by Ramon Magsaysay award-winner Bezwada Wilson, former Kerala Minister Binoy Viswam and ex-Army officer S.G. Vombatkere, represented by senior advocates Arvind Datar and Shyam Divan and advocate Sriram Prakkat, challenging the constitutionality of Section 139AA inserted in the In-
Govt. plans home delivery of petrol NEW DELHI
Soon, tanking up the car or buying diesel to run the generator may no longer entail a trip to the nearest petrol pump. The government is exploring the possibility of allowing all petroleum products — not just LPG cylinders — to be delivered at consumers’ doorstep. “Options [are] being explored where petro products may be door-delivered to consumers on pre-booking. This would help consumers avoid spending excessive time and long queues at fuel stations,” Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan said on Friday, according to tweets put out by the Petroleum Ministry.
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Ensure safety of Kashmiris, Home Minister tells States Consider J&K youths as your own brethren: Rajnath Singh Vijaita Singh
come Tax Act by the Finance Act, 2017. The provision makes Aadhaar mandatory for getting a PAN. Possession of Aadhaar card is necessary for the continuing validity of an existing PAN and for filing returns under the income tax law. The Bench observed that the Supreme Court had asked the government to make Aadhaar optional until the very validity of the Aadhaar scheme on the basis of right to privacy was decided by the court. The court
was referring to the October 15, 2015 order of a Constitution Bench led by then Chief Justice of India H.L. Dattu, which said “the Aadhaar card scheme is purely voluntary and it cannot be made mandatory till the matter is finally decided by this Court one way or the other.” To this, the top law officer submitted that the October 15 Constitution Bench order had referred to the voluntary use of Aadhaar in welfare schemes and not non-welfare activities like filing re-
turns. Mr. Rohatgi said the Supreme Court itself had agreed to making Aadhaar mandatory in certain fields to protect identity and national security. “You [SC] yourself had recently ordered that Aadhaar should be made mandatory to procure SIM cards,” Mr. Rohatgi contended. He argued that fake PAN and ration cards have flooded the market and jinxed financial transactions. CONTINUED ON 쑺 PAGE 8
Sending out a strong message to those targeting Kashmiri students in other parts of the country, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday that “Kashmiris were respectable citizens of India” and States should ensure their safety at any cost. His statement came in the wake of reports alleging that Kashmiri students were being targeted in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. On Thursday Mr. Singh tweeted: “I have come to know that there were a few incidents of misbehaviour towards Kashmiris in some places. I appeal to all the Chief Ministers to ensure the security of Kashmiris in their States. I appeal to everyone to consider the Kashmiri youths as their own brethren and treat them well.” The Home Minister said an advisory was being sent to all the States in this regard. Mr. Singh’s statement comes at a time when the government is making a second attempt to break the cycle of violence in the Valley, which according to a Home Ministry official was
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A long walk for water
He also said the government was not in favour of petrol pumps being shut on Sundays. The Minister, who chaired a consultative committee meeting with parliamentarians in Srinagar, was reacting to a decision by a section of fuel pump operators to down shutters each Sunday from next month. “The Ministry does not approve of or endorse the move by a section of petrol pump dealers to close down fuel stations on Sundays,” he said. This consortium of dealers, with a presence in eight States, has said its plan to shut down pumps once a week was inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for conserving fuel in a recent Mann Ki Baat radio broadcast.
Pitched battle: Protesters clash with the police in Srinagar on Friday. NISSAR AHMAD *
“vitiated” after the April 9 byelection in the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency.
To meet Mehbooba Opening the door for dialogue for the first time after last year’s visit of an allparty delegation to Kashmir, Mr. Singh will begin afresh next week by meeting J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and BJP’s senior leader Ram Madhav, who stitched an alliance with the PDP government.
The meeting will be held on April 24-25 and the Army’s “human shield” video would be one of the key areas of deliberations. Last year, after Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter with security forces on July 8, the Valley witnessed an an upsurge of violence. CONTINUED ON 쑺 PAGE 8 SINHA GROUP CALLS FOR OUTREACH 쑺 PAGE 8
Cancellation of licence to NGO questioned Gates Foundation refutes allegations
Move to avoid long queues at pumps Special Correspondent
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New Delhi
Krishnadas Rajagopal
At least eight persons were killed and six injured in a bomb blast in West Bengal’s Birbhum district on Friday. The incident took place in Labhpur town. “An explosion took place when some people were making crude bombs,” SP, Birbhum, N. Sudheer Kumar told The Hindu.
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Vidya Krishnan New Delhi
Daily toil: Tribals in Telangana trek a long way to fetch drinking water in Narayankhed, Sangareddy district.
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Denying allegations of influencing India’s health policy, Nachiket Mor, the director of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation-India (BMGF), said that the Indian government’s decision to cancel the licence of Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), one of BMGF’s biggest partners in India and a leading public health think tank, had nothing to do with the Foundation’s work in the country. “I don’t know what the logic behind that decision is. There is no link to anything we are doing,” Mr. Mor said speaking to The Hindu. This comes a week after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) cancelled PHFI’s registration under the Foreign
Nachiket Mor Contribution (Regulation) Act, alleging violations of the law. The NGO was barred from receiving foreign funds, on the grounds that it had used them to lobby parliamentarians and media for stricter tobacco control laws — a key initiative in consonance with the Health Ministry’s policies. INTERVIEW ON 쑺 PAGE 9
BJP MP’s march triggers Freshly brewed aroma of a letter clashes in Saharanpur Stamp enthusiasts can wake up and smell the cofee this Sunday
Last ditch efort to win over voters
Omar Rashid
Ranjani Govind
Staff Reporter
Lucknow
Bengaluru
In a major reshuffle in the police force in Uttar Pradesh, Director General of Police Javeed Ahmed was on Friday shunted out a little more than a month after the formation of the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government. Sulkhan Singh, a 1980batch IPS officer, was appointed the new police chief of UP. Mr. Singh was previously the chief of the State’s Police Training Department. Mr. Ahmed, who held the post of UP DGP since January last year, is the new DGP of the Provincial Armed Constabulary. At that time, the BJP had raised questions about his appointment, alleging he was chosen after “superseding 15 senior officers” and that it reflected the “vote-bank” politics of the SP. During the recently concluded Assembly polls, the BJP had demanded Mr. Ahmed’s sacking. Along with the appointment of the State’s new top cop, 11 other senior police officers were transferred. The government also transferred seven IAS officers.
In a bygone era, young women would spray a little perfume on their letters to their beaus. Nowadays, of course, even getting a handwritten letter in the post is a rarity. But India Post is making it possible to send letters that carry the fragrance of something a large part of India loves deeply: on Sunday, April 23, the Department of Posts will release a ‘coffee stamp’ at the General Post Office, Bengaluru. The stamps have been printed at the India Security Press, Nashik. “The technology involves spraying or embossing the stamps with fine coffee granules, that will retain the aroma for long time,” said Charles Lobo, Chief Post Master General, Karnataka Circle. “Only on the day of the release will we know the colour, texture and design.” The stamp will be released by Minister of State for Communications Manoj Sinha and Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman, with officials of the Postal Department and Coffee
UP top cop J. Ahmed shunted out
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House of police oicial attacked, public properties set aire Mohammad Ali Meerut
Board. “I'm very excited about the coffee stamp,” said Ms. Sitharaman. “It is not just about philatelic interest, but also about the appreciation of coffee. It’s a collector's version priced at ₹100. Coffee deserves a premium price, we should not underprice it.”
One lakh stamps One lakh stamps will be ready for sale to collectors. The stamp, first day cover, miniature sheets and information brochures will be available at the Philately Bureau, Bangalore General Post Office, and all other head post offices. Bhutan first introduced
the concept of aromatic stamps in 1973. New Zealand, Thailand and Switzerland joined in later, among others. Brazil has issued coffeeand burnt-wood-scented stamps, and China has done fruits and sweet-and-sour pork. India introduced its first aromatic stamp in 2006, with a ₹15 sandalwoodscented stamp; thirty lakh of these sold out within two weeks. In 2007, there were rose-scented stamps — in four varieties of the flower, Jawahar, Neelam, Delhi Princess and Bhim — at ₹5 each, and a jasmine fragrance in 2008.
Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh witnessed communal clashes on Thursday after BJP MP Raghav Lakhanpal and other party leaders took out the “Ambedkar shobha yatra,” allegedly without police permission, through the communally-sensitive parts of the city. Senior Superintendent of Police, Saharanpur, Love Kumar, has ordered filing of FIR against Mr. Lakhanpal and over 500 others for the violence, vandalism and attack on the house of the Senior Superintendent of Police and the DM office. Sadak Dudhli village, on the outskirts of Saharanpur, has a mixed population of Muslims and Dalits. No procession had been taken out here in the last seven years. After the Yogi Adityanath government took charge in Uttar Pradesh, Hindu groups, in coordination with local BJP leaders, announced that they would take out a procession, called ‘Shobha Yatra’ in local parlance, through the village. The police denied them
New trigger: Police try to defuse tension following an Ambedkar Jayanti rally in Saharanpur, UP, on Thursday.
permission as it was a communally sensitive area, but the BJP leaders went ahead. The procession was attacked with stones when it was about to enter the Muslim area of the village. The ensuing clash stopped the BJP procession from being taken through the Muslim area. BJP supporters then went on a rampage and attacked the house of the Senior Superintendent of Police. The violent crowd allegedly broke CCTV cameras and furniture and set public properties on fire.
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The western Uttar Pradesh town has been turned into a fortress with huge police deployment.
MP’s threat Mr. Lakhanpal and BJP leaders had threatened that they would take the “shobha yatra” through Sadak Dudhli on April 23. The MP said “he would not allow Saharanpur to become Kashmir,” a comparison which provoked strong condemnation from SP leaders like Sudhir Panwar and Dalit activists like Satish Prakash.
New Delhi
Campaigning for Sunday’s municipal elections in Delhi ended on Friday evening, with political parties pulling out all the stops and organising motorcycle rallies, small corner meetings and road shows. Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal led the Aam Aadmi Party’s voter outreach while several Central leaders hit the streets to campaign for the Bharatiya Janata Party. The Congress wrapped up its campaigning on a more low-key note, with Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken in the thick of many meetings. The last day to woo voters was also marked by media interactions by the three major contestants, the AAP, the Congress and the BJP. The Delhi Police have taken several security measures to ensure smooth polling on Sunday. Spokesperson Deependra Pathak said about 57,000 police personnel would be deployed. SEE ALSO 쑺 DELHI METRO PAGE 1 A ND-ND
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Saturday, April 22
RISE 05:49 SET 18:51 RISE 02:58 SET 14:34 Sunday, April 23
RISE 05:48 SET 18:52 RISE 03:38 SET 15:35 Monday, April 24
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Khattar meets Canadian Minister, talks investment Haryana CM plays down controversy surrounding Sajjan’s visit to India SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT CHANDIGARH
Even as Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh distanced himself from Canada’s Defence Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan’s visit to the State, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday met the visiting dignitary and discussed opportunities for investment in the State. “Canada has expressed interest in investing in Haryana in the fields of civil aviation, skill development, education, defence and smart city projects,” Mr. Khattar told reporters, after meeting Mr. Sajjan at the Chandigarh international airport here. “Follow-up meetings
Warm welcome: Canadian Defence Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan being welcomed by Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in Chandigarh on Friday. PTI *
would be held to facilitate investment by Canadian companies in Haryana, which will help create job opportunities. This will benefit both countries,” the CM said. Mr. Khattar said delibera-
tions were held on execution of the two Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) signed during his visit to Canada in 2015. “It was decided to set up a working group to ensure smooth im-
plementation of the MoU on horticulture, which will be executed jointly by Haryana and Canada,” Mr. Khattar said. Playing down the controversy surrounding Mr. Sajjan’s visit - kicked off after Capt. Amarinder called Mr. Sajjan a “Khalistani sympathiser” and refused to meet him - Mr. Khattar said he does not have any report backing Capt. Amarinder’s claims. Earlier, Mr. Sajjan inaugurated the new office of the Consulate General of Canada at the Elante office complex and appreciated the work done by the Consulate towards strengthening peopleto-people contacts between Canada and Punjab.
Non-bailable warrant against JD(U) MLA Staff Reporter Patna
A local court in Purnia has issued a non-bailable warrant against Janata Dal (United) MLA Bima Bharti in connection with a 12year-old murder case. Additional district judge Vidya Sagar Pandey issued the warrant against the Rupauli MLA and her two aides — Mahavir Mandal and Motka Awadhesh, who have been booked for the murder of Chanchal Paswan. A case in this regard was lodged on May 6, 2005. Ms. Bharti is the wife of gangster Awadhesh Mandal who is currently in the district jail. Earlier, a sessions court had rejected her anticipatory bail petition. Complainant Sonia Devi had charged the JD(U) MLA, who is also a former State Minister, of instigating six others to kill her husband Chanchal Paswan. The accused had been booked under Sections 302 (punishment for murder), 342 (punishment for wrongful confinement) and 120-B (punishment of criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 27 of the Arms Act. Though the local police absolved Ms. Bharti, Mahavir Mandal and Motka Awadhesh, the court issued summons against them on February 13 after witnesses said during the trial that Paswan had been murdered in the presence of the MLA. When they did not comply with the order, the court issued a non-bailable warrant against them on Thursday.
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Eight killed, six injured in Birbhum bomb blast
Committed to solving problems of ethnic group: Sonowal Press Trust of India Guwahati
Explosion took place when some people were making crude bombs Staff Reporter Kolkata
At least eight persons were killed and six injured in a bomb blast in West Bengal’s Birbhum district on Friday. The incident took place at Darbarpur village in Labhpur town. “An explosion took place when some people were making crude bombs,” Superintendent of Police (SP), Birbhum, N. Sudheer Kumar told The Hindu. According to earlier reports, 10 persons were injured and the number of casualties was likely to go up.
Outcome of rivalry? Asked whether the explosion was the outcome of a rivalry between two groups of miscreants from Darbarpur and the neighbouring village of Mirbandh over illegal sand mining, the SP avoided a direct reply. “There are some rivalries in the area and clashes were going on since Friday morning. However, the police quickly reached the spot and brought the situation under control. Eight persons have been arrested so far” the SP said. However, locals said the deaths were the outcome of clashes between two groups over extortion of money from illegal sand mining. “They [those in-
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday said his government is committed to solve all outstanding problems faced by ethnic Sarania Kacharis and help them contribute to the development of the State. Guided by PM Narendra Modi’s ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas’ mission, the State government is working for the welfare of all the 3.20 crore people of the State and solving all outstanding
problems faced by the Sarania Kacharis, Mr Sonowal said while speaking at the 15th biennial conference of Sarania Kacharis at Senduri Gopa near here yesterday. Mr Sonowal said the State government has set up a high powered committee to facilitate allotment of land pattas to the indigenous people of the State. He added that the State government will set up an auditorium after the name of Sarania Kachari novelist Medini Chowdhury.
Lawyers boycott courts in Odisha Press Trust of India Cuttack
Judicial activities in Odisha were hampered on Friday as lawyers including those of the High Court abstained
from courts following a call given by the Odisha State Bar Council. Supporting the call of the Bar Council of India, the State Council decided to ob-
serve the day as All India Protest Day in protest against the proposed Advocates’ (Amendment) Bill-2017 as suggested by the Law Commission of India.
Policemen at the scene of the clash between two groups at Darbarpur village in Birbhum district on Friday that left many dead. PTI *
volved in the clash] were from the TMC,” a local said. Denying the allegation, TMC Birbhum district president Anubrata Mondal alleged that the cadres of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) were behind the clash. “There is no faction feud in the TMC in Birbhum. The CPI-M’s goons are responsible for the incident.” According to local opposition leaders, illegal sand mining has become not only a severe law and order issue in Birbhum, but is also one of the reasons behind the faction feud in the TMC. The Opposition alleged that these
mines were controlled by local TMC leaders.
Mining not illegal However, sand mining is not illegal in Bengal. In Birbhum, such illegal sand mining takes place mainly on the banks of the Mayurakshi and the Ajay rivers. Locals said there were about 80 illegal sand mines in Birbhum, of which about 30 are located on the banks of Mayurakshi, while about 25 are near the Ajay. There are 25 other illegal sand mines located on the banks of Bakreshwar, Chandrabhaga, Dwarka and Bhrahmani rivers.
Odisha sizzles under searing heat Angul town hottest in the State at 44.7 degrees Celsius Press Trust of India Bhubaneswar
The heatwave conditions further intensified in most parts of Odisha, mainly in the western region, with Angul becoming the hottest place in the State at 44.7 degrees Celsius. Angul had recorded 41.7 degrees C on Thursday. As the mercury breached the
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40-degree mark in at least 11 places in the State, the MeT office predicted that intense heatwave conditions would persist for some more days. While Balangir recorded a maximum of 44.5 deg C, it was 44.1 in Talcher, 44 in Jharsuguda and 43.8 in Sonepur, it said. Sambalpur, Hirakud and Titlagarh recorded 43 deg C, while
the mercury stood at 42.5 in Bhawanipatna, 41.2 in Phulbani and 40.1 in Keonjhargarh, the MeT office said. Bhubaneswar recorded a maximum of 36.6 deg C, while mercury stood at 36.4 deg C in Cuttack. However, some areas of the coastal belt got some relief because of a thunder squall and rain.
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IN BRIEF
Patient’s family, doctors ight pitched battle
Cong demands CBI probe into Pehlu Khan’s death
Shri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) in north Bihar turned into a battle ground on Friday following a pitched battle between doctors and relatives of a patient during which two ambulances were set on fire. PTI
Pappu Yadav released from jail after 25 days PATNA
Expelled RJD MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav was on Friday released from Beur jail here after 25 days following his arrest on March 27. The Madhepura MP had secured bail from the Patna High Court on April 19, jail officials said. Mr.Yadav’s supporters, who gathered outside the jail, celebrated his release by distributing sweets. PTI
Teach Sanskrit to school children: Rajnath LUCKNOW
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday laid stress on teaching of Sanskrit to schoolchildren and said without it they will not come to know about the culture, tradition and heritage of the country. “If children are to be introduced to the culture, tradition and heritage of India, it is not possible without the knowledge of Sanskrit literature in detail,” he said at a function here. PTI
Students vandalise Aizawl Circuit House AIZAWL
Agitating students at the Mizoram-Myanmar Champhai border vandalised the government Circuit House on Friday evening, SDO (Sadar) Pachhunga said. The students smashed window panes and damaged furniture, he said. PTI
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Modi to re-launch air services from Jubbarhatti airport
Expresses concern over deteriorating law and order situation in Rajasthan
Staff Correspondent Special Correspondent
MUZAFFARPUR
Flights from Shimla set to take of from April 27
Jaipur
A delegation of the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress, led by State president Sachin Pilot, met Governor Kalyan Singh here on Friday and demanded a CBI probe into the killing of Pehlu Khan allegedly by cow vigilantes in Behror, Alwar district, on April 1. The Congress delegation submitted a memorandum to the Governor and expressed concern over the deteriorating law and order situation in the State.
A Congress delegation led by State party chief Sachin Pilot submitted a memorandum to the Governor. ROHIT JAIN PARAS
CM’s silence Mr. Pilot said the lack of strict action against criminals had led to a situation when they were “taking law into their own hands and fearlessly attacking anyone.”
Mr. Pilot expressed surprise over Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje’s “complete silence” in the matter and also criticised Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria’s immediate response in which he
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Sidhu orders probe into Phagwara projects Municipal Commissioner to submit report
had praised the attackers and blamed the victims. “A CBI inquiry is warranted in the matter to keep the probe free of bias and ensure action against criminals,” he said.
Incidents like this would endanger the future of cattle rearers and destroy the culture of organising huge cattle fairs in Rajasthan, which is a major source of livelihood for the rural people, the State Congress chief said. Mr. Pilot was accompanied by former Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh, former Rajasthan Health Minister Aimaduddin Ahmed Khan and senior party leaders. Meanwhile, leader of the Opposition Rameshwar Dudi has demanded resignation of Mr. Kalyan Singh on “moral grounds” after the Supreme Court exempted him from trial as an accused in the Babri Masjid demolition case. He said Mr Singh will escape trial only because of the constitutional immunity he enjoyed by being the Governor.
SHIMLA
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is coming here on a one-day visit on April 27, will re-launch air services from Jubbarhatti airport in Shimla after a gap of about four years under the Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) scheme. According to officials who successfully conducted the test flights this week, Indian Airlines’ subsidiary Air Alliance will resume operations from next week.
UDAN project The table-top Shimla airport is among the 70 airports short-listed by the Union Aviation Ministry under the UDAN project. The length of the runway on the small airport has been increased from 3,900 feet to 4,300
Narendra Modi
feet. The subsidised ShimlaDelhi air fare would be Rs. 2,500 per ticket and the rest would be borne by the Union government. The airport would be providing ATF filling and night landing facilities, said the officials.
PM to address a rally The Prime Minister is also
Lucknow’s Jaipuria School wins Young World Quiz Institution secures top honours in junior and senior levels; second and third for City Montessori Omar Rashid
Phagwara
Singh to submit a report to him within three weeks.
Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Friday ordered a vigilance probe into the “irregularities” committed by the municipal corporation here into development projects worth ₹61 crore, including the allocation of 60 commercial booths at “throwaway prices” and “bungling” in the water supply and sewerage works. The Local Bodies, Tourism and Cultural Affairs Minister visited the site of the ₹5-crore stadium project at Baba Gadhya and spoke to the officials concerned. He directed Corporation Commissioner Devinder
Warns officials Warning the erring officials of suspension, Mr. Sidhu formed a four-member social audit panel, comprising district Congress chief Joginder Singh Mann, Punjab Congress general secretary Harjit Singh Parmar, block Congress chief Sanjeev Bugga and senior party leader Satbir Singh Sabhi. The civic body here is ruled by the SAD-BJP coalition. A financial as well as a public audit were necessary to unearth the truth, the cricketer-turned-politician added.
Press trust of India
likely to address a rally at the historic Ridge on April 27 afternoon. It would be his first rally in the hill capital after becoming the Prime Minister. The State BJP, which is highly upbeat about the PM’s rally, has condemned the request made by the Shimla Municipal Corporation to shift the venue of the rally from the Ridge. Deputy Mayor Tikender Panwar has written to the Prime Minister about the vulnerability of the more than 100-year-old water storage tank that lies beneath the Ridge. Welcoming the Prime Minister, he said the rally venue should be shifted to some appropriate place as the water tank had developed cracks and its loadbearing capacity has reduced.
Lucknow
The day belonged to Seth M.R. Jaipuria School, Gomti Nagar, as the institution secured the top prize in both the junior and senior levels of The Hindu Young World Quiz held here on Friday. The competition was sponsored by Kokuyo Camlin Limited and organised at the auditorium of the City Montessori School (Alambagh) here. This was the 17th edition of The Hindu Young World Quiz. Lucknow hosted it for the first time. Sarthak Misra and Aditya Misra scored won the first prize in the junior section, while Shivansh Verma and Ayush Singh beat back the competition to take the hon-
Proud moment: Saumitra Prasad, Chief Marketing Manager, Kokuyo Camlin Limited, with students of M.R. Jaipuria School who won the junior and senior levels of The Hindu Young World Quiz held in Lucknow on Friday. RAJEEV BHATT *
ours in the senior category of the quiz, which was hosted by V.V. Ramanan. Each team had two members. Ujjwal Bajpai and Archit Tripathi finished runner-up
ahead of Amogh Anant and Nakshatra Vidyarthi in the junior quiz open for students of Classes IV to VI. The City Montessori School GN-I team of Jay-
antika Gupta and Yatharth Singh, and Avi Sharma and Shashwat Dixit of City Montessori School, Indira Nagar, came second and third respectively in the senior category (Classes VII to IX).
Gifts galore The champions in both sections received trophies, certi-
ficates, a gift hamper and a brand new bicycle sponsored by TI Cycles. The other five finalists took home trophies, certificates and gift hamper. The prizes were given away by Saumitra Prasad, Chief Marketing Manager, Kokuyo Camlin Limited. Mr Prasad expressed happiness at sponsoring the event and said Camlin mechanical pencils were essential for the environment as pencils were made without cutting trees and urged participants to save natural resources. The event was also supported by LIC of India and the venue partner was City Montessori School (Alambagh).
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THE HINDU
NATION 5
NOIDA/DELHI
SATURDAY, APRIL 22, 2017
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IN BRIEF
Navy test-ires land attack variant of BrahMos missile It enables vessels to neutralise selected targets deep inland
Aseemanand allowed to travel out of Hyderabad
Special Correspondent
HYDERABAD
New Delhi
A court here on Friday granted permission till May 17 to Swami Aseemanand, an accused in the 2007 Mecca Masjid bomb blast case, to travel out of Hyderabad. On April 13, Aseemanand filed a petition seeking permission to appear in a court in Panchakula on April 28 in connection with a case. PTI
The Indian Navy on Friday successfully carried out the maiden test-firing of the land attack variant of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from a stealth frigate in the Bay of Bengal. The testfiring is seen as a major capability addition as, so far, the Navy has inducted only the anti-ship variant in many of the frontline vessels. “This variant of Long Range BrahMos Missile was fired from Indian Naval Ship Teg, a guided missile frigate, on a target on land,” the Navy said in a statement. Explaining the significance of the development, the statement said the land attack variant provides the naval ships the capability “to precisely neutralise selected targets deep inland, far away from coast, from stand-off ranges at sea.”
AI lowers senior citizen age limit MUMBAI
Air India has lowered the age limit of senior citizens from 63 to 60 with immediate effect. As per the revised limit, passengers above 60 will be entitled to avail themselves of 50% discount on base fare. The benefit is applicable only on domestic flights and for Indian citizens only, said a spokesperson, confirming the decision.
Community leaders to go ahead with ‘mahapanchayat’ today
Another success: The land attack BrahMos missile, which was launched on Friday. SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT *
Majority of the frontline ships of the Navy, like the Kolkata, Ranvir and Teg classes of ships, are capable of firing this missile. BrahMos, derived from Russian P-800 Oniks or Yakhont missile, is a joint
product of India and Russia. The present range of the BrahMos is 290 km, which is now in the process of being extended up to 450 km following India’s entry into the Missile Technology Control Regime last year.
Most victims had come to Yerpedu police station to complain against sand mining A.D. RANGARAJAN
S.V. Medical College, and the injured were rushed to the S.V.R. Ruia Government General Hospital in Tirupati. The grievously injured were shifted to the Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences, Christian Medical College, Vellore, and a private hospital in Chennai.
YERPEDU
Utter confusion Most of the victims had come to the mandal headquarters town to file a complaint in the police station against rampant sand mining in the Swarnamukhi riverbed.
Out of control: The truck that ploughed through a crowd in Chittoor on Friday. K.V. POORNACHANDRA KUMAR *
As the electric pole came down, live wires snapped and fell on parked twowheelers, which went up in flames leading to electrocution. Some bystanders who rushed to help the victims also suffered electrocution,
earlier this month passed an order in a matter of one Nepal Singh allowing the extension of OBC benefits from the date the SBC quota was struck down.
Special Correspondent JAIPUR
14 killed after truck rams into crowd, hits electric pole in A.P. At least 14 persons were killed when a truck lost control, ploughed through a group of people in front of a police station, hit an electric pole uprooting it, and rammed into a roadside shop at Yerpedu, 25 km from Tirupati on the Srikalahasti highway on Friday. Fifteen persons, including two police officials and three journalists, were injured. The toll is expected to go up as many were injured seriously. Some were mowed down by the truck and some electrocuted after live cables fell on them.
OBC beneits to be restored to Gujjars in Rajasthan
while some were injured by the raging flames. The situation remained chaotic for over 10 minutes as nobody understood whether it was an accident, fire or electrocution. The bodies of the deceased were shifted to the
Accident spot Most of the victims hailed from Munagalapalem village in Yerpedu mandal. The farmers had gone to the Tehsildar’s office for a demonstration, but returned on finding no one. On hearing that Superintendent of Police R. Jayalakshmi was at the Yerpedu police station on a surprise visit, they reached the venue to air their grievance. Yerpedu is at the ‘T’ junction leading to Tirupati, Srikalahasti and Venkatagiri. The accident spot is close to this junction.
Even as the BJP government has assured Gujjars and four other communities that the benefits of Other Backward Classes (OBC) category would be restored to them, Gujjar leaders here on Friday decided to go ahead with a ‘Mahapanchayat’ planned in Sikandra on Saturday to raise the issue of reservation. A Cabinet sub-committee headed by Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Arun Chaturvedi, which met Gujjars on Thursday, said the State government would reinclude five communities in the OBC list from December 9, 2016, when the Rajasthan High Court had scrapped quota for them under the newly created Special Backward Class (SBC).
Quota call: A ile photo of Gujjar community members during an agitation for reservation in Bharatpur district. PTI *
Mr. Chaturvedi said the State government had also appointed a committee to examine how the 1% SBC quota, along with the OBC benefit, given in 2010 could be restored to Gujjars and
others till the matter is settled by the Supreme Court, which is hearing the State government’s special leave petition against the High Court’s judgment. The High Court had
‘Govt. deceived us’ ‘However, Gujjar leader Himmat Singh said a massive public meeting would be organised as scheduled at Sikandra in Dausa district, 70 km from here, on Saturday to launch an agitation for getting 5% separate quota within the 50% cap on reservation imposed by the Supreme Court. “The State government has deceived us every time we opened a dialogue with them. The Sikandra Mahapanchayat will mark a new phase in our agitation for reservation,” said Mr. Singh.
Flash sale for World Book Day
Hyderabad techie held for objectionable FB post
Staff Reporter
It allegedly had derogatory content on Naidu & son Lokesh
CHENNAI
The Hindu Group of Publication is conducting a flash sale on Sunday, April 23, to celebrate World Book Day. The sale will offer the Group’s special publications at a flat 50% off at the counters of all regional offices of The Hindu pan India, as well as online. At the offices, the sale will be on from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Besides the corporate office in Chennai, all regional offices in Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchi, Salem, Tirunelveli, Vellore, Puducherry, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Bengaluru, Mangaluru, Hubbali, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Pune will also keep their office counters open to facilitate readers to visit and avail of the special offer. Readers can make their purchases online on www. thehindugroup.in/ subscribe/.
per month. The Guntur police said he would be produced in the court on Saturday.
Staff Reporter GUNTUR
The Andhra Pradesh police have arrested a Hyderabadbased techie on charges of posting objectionable content on social media site Facebook. The content, posted on the FB page “Political Punch”, reportedly had objectionable pictures with the building of the Legislative Council at Velagapudi in the backdrop. The arrested man was identified as Inturi Ravi Kiran, a graphic designer from Cyberabad.
Shared on WhatsApp The FB page allegedly has pictures of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and his son and Minister for IT Nara Lokesh in the backdrop of a picture of the Legislative Council. Police sources said the page had been shared on WhatsApp. The image was forwarded to the Assembly Secretary by a Telugu Desam Party MLC. Chandrababu Naidu
Ravi Kiran arrested Superintendent of Police (Guntur Rural), K. Narayan Naik said a special police team picked up Mr. Ravi Kiran from his house at Shamshabad. The arrest followed a complaint lodged by State Assembly Secretary K. Satyanarayana.
The police slapped cases under Section 67 of the IT Act and 291 of the Indian Penal Code for posting objectionable and derogatory comments. The accused reportedly said he worked for the social media wing of a political party and was paid ₹25,000
Ministers’ statements The arrest comes in the wake of many statements from Ministers on the need to curb such malicious content on FB. The Andhra Pradesh CID police in the past arrested a man from Hyderabad for allegedly posting defamatory content on Hudhud cyclone on his FB page.
UAV crash-lands in Odisha village Staff Reporter BHUBANESWAR
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Lakshya of the Indian Air Force crash-landed at Chandamani village, about 30 km from Dr. Abdul Kalam Island, the Integrated Test Range missile testing facility, in Odisha’s Balasore district on Friday. The UAV which was on a routine flight landed in an agricultural field. There was no loss to life and property. Although the reason behind the uncontrolled landing was yet to be ascertained, it was believed that some technical glitch affected its normal functioning.
CM YK
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6 EDITORIAL
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THE HINDU
SATURDAY, APRIL 22, 2017
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Courting another political verdict Nawaz Sharif gets a breather from the Pakistan Supreme Court, but he’s been put on notice
Divided they stand
At the crossroads The presidential election will have a profound efect on France’s future. And also Europe’s
F
rench voters have deied predictions time and again. In 1995, Jacques Chirac, a Gaullist conservative who had been trailing in opinion polls, won the presidency. In 2002 they sent Jean-Marie Le Pen, the far-right, Holocaust-denying leader of the National Front, to the second round, only to defeat him there. As they prepare to head to the polls on Sunday, predictions are even more diicult. Of the 11 candidates in the fray, four are seen to be leading contenders for the second round on May 7, when the top two face of against each other. Historically, French politics has been divided between the conservatives and the socialists. This balance between the establishment parties is being tested this time with three ‘outsiders’ among the four leading candidates — independent Emmanuel Macron, the National Front’s Marine Le Pen and leftist Jean-Luc Mélenchon. Some opinion polls still give a chance to the conservative candidate, François Fillon, but he is mired in a corruption scandal. The Socialists, directionless after ive years of François Hollande’s highly unpopular presidency, appear to be out of the race even before polling for the irst round begins. The four-way race ofers a picture of the issues that shape the election agenda. While Mr. Macron promises to launch gradual economic and labour reforms and retain the status quo in foreign policy, Mr. Fillon wants radical reforms, including an overhaul of the labour code and sacking of public servants en masse, and closer ties with Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Ms. Le Pen, a eurosceptic, is consolidating her base on anti-immigration and anti-globalisation rhetoric, much like Donald Trump did in the U.S. elections last year. Mr. Mélenchon, who surged in the polls in the last weeks of the campaign, stays focussed on economic issues with promises to raise public spending and taxes on the rich. The country’s political and business establishment might prefer the victory of Mr. Macron as as the other pro-business candidate is facing corruption allegations. But the outcome is anything but uncertain, given that a substantial chunk of voters remains undecided and that the kind of anti-establishment anger that helped Mr. Trump and Britain’s pro-Brexit camp remains strong in France as well. The unemployment rate is over 20% among the youth, while economic growth never really revived after the 2008 inancial crisis. Besides, security concerns remain paramount after the terror attacks in Paris and Nice over the past 18 months. Thursday night’s shooting in Paris that killed a policeman, and was claimed by the Islamic State, exposes how volatile the security situation is — something that Ms. Le Pen’s campaign is trying to cash in on during the inal stretch. In many ways this will be the most crucial election in France’s modern history. Its results will have profound implications not just on French politics but also on the future of the European Union. CM YK
akistan’s Supreme Court is an arena for politics, not an avenue for resolution of legal disputes. Unlike other countries where the apex court serves as the court of last appeal, Pakistan’s Supreme Court often entertains direct applications from political actors and generates high-proile media noise. In that tradition its judgment in the so-called Panama Papers case is a classic political balancing act. It raises questions about Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ’s property in London, but does not remove him from oice. Opposition politician Imran Khan, currently a favourite of Pakistan’s establishment, initiated the case after Mr. Sharif ’s name appeared in leaked documents about owners of ofshore companies worldwide. The documents indicated that the Sharif family had borrowed money against four lats they own in London’s posh Mayfair district.
P
Show them the money Having an ofshore account is not in itself a violation of Pakistani law, but transferring money from Pakistan illegally is. Hence the case decided on Thursday revolved around the provenance of the money with which the Sharifs became owners of the property in London. In hearings that began in January, the petitioners insisted that the Sharif family’s ownership of this particular property could not have been possible without their possession of undeclared wealth or illegal transfers of money from Pakistan. Instead of insisting on the timehonoured principle that accusers
must prove their allegation beyond a shadow of a doubt and that investigations must precede judicial hearings, the Supreme Court acted politically. It asked the Sharifs to explain the source of money used to buy property abroad, forcing the Sharif family’s lawyers to ofer various (sometimes contradictory) explanations at sensational hearings. One of these explanations comprised a letter from a member of the Qatari royal family who said that he had transferred $8 million to the Sharif family as return on investments made in cash by the Prime Minister’s deceased father, Mian Muhammad Sharif, in the Qatari family’s real estate business in 1980. The Qatar letter did not settle the matter because the Sharif family members had, at diferent times, given diferent explanations for the source of their funds. Moreover, the timelines of the acquisition of the London properties, the formation of the ofshore company that was used to buy them and the apparent cash dealings in Qatar did not always align. In any case, a Qatari royal might be willing to send a letter for his friends, the Sharifs, but could not be expected to testify in person in Pakistan and submit himself to cross-examination, something that would be needed if the case ever
went to proper trial. The Supreme Court’s inal verdict was split 3-2 among the ivejudge bench, with two ruling that Prime Minister Sharif should be disqualiied from holding oice for failing to explain the source of money for his property. The majority said there was insuicient evidence for such a drastic step and instead announced the formation of a Joint Investigation Team ( JIT) comprising ive members. These would include appointees from the Federal Investigation Agency, the National Accountability Bureau, the State Bank of Pakistan, the Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan and one representative each from the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Military Intelligence (MI).
The fallout The Prime Minister’s side breathed a sigh of relief that the court did not disqualify him from holding oice, a decision it has given in the past for the removal of elected civilian Prime Ministers. Imran Khan, who wanted disqualiication, declared victory even with the JIT’s creation. He and other opponents of the government are hoping that Nawaz Sharif will now bleed politically from the thousand cuts that are likely to be inlicted on him through reports emanating from the JIT.
after he is content to parrot the establishment’s views on national security and foreign policy. Nawaz Sharif is being put through the wringer to become more like Mr. Zardari and less like Bhutto. As for the Pakistani Supreme Court, it intervenes to swing politics one way or another by favouring the country’s establishment against politicians or vice versa, to justify patently unconstitutional military takeovers and occasionally to embarrass one party against another. Unlike elsewhere in the world, its function is not just to determine the constitutionality and legality of judgments already given by lower courts. As a victim of one such Commission (ironically, created on Mr. Sharif ’s petition) in the so-called Memogate Case, I know that the principal damage inlicted by its proceedings is to public image. The Memogate Commission’s indings never led to criminal charges, not even an FIR, against me for any crime as none was actually committed. But its proceedings and comments created suicient political noise for some Pakistanis to still think I am a fugitive from Pakistani law.
Signal from the deep state? Generating smoke without ire against persons deemed diicult or uncontrollable by Pakistan’s permanent state establishment, the deep state, is often the greatest accomplishment of inquiries created by the Supreme Court on direct petitions like the one over the Panama Papers. The JIT might still ind nothing deinitive for prosecution but Mr. Sharif is on notice. And that is how Pakistan’s system is designed to work. Husain Haqqani, Director for South and Central Asia at the Hudson Institute in Washington DC, was Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States from 2008 to 2011
Waiting for the Lokpal When will the government operationalise the Lokpal law, even in its diluted form?
anjali bhardwaj & amrita johri
I
n a hearing recently regarding non-operationalisation of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, more than three years after the law was enacted, Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi reportedly argued in the Supreme Court that the court has no powers to direct the government on when and how the law should be enforced. Failure to implement the Lokpal law by the Bharatiya Janata Party government is an indication of how the party is reneging with impunity on its poll promise of a corruptionfree India. A lack of will on the part of the government to implement the anti-corruption law can be inferred from its various actions and inactions in the last three years. With the government’s refusal to recognise anyone as the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) after the general election in 2014, the appointment of the Lokpal became an immediate casualty as the selection committee of the Lokpal includes the recognised LoP. In order to operationalise the law, the government had its task cut out — intro-
duce a Lokpal amendment Bill in Parliament substituting the recognised LoP in the selection committee with the leader of the single largest Opposition party in the Lok Sabha. In fact, a similar amendment was required in the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act for the appointment of the CBI Director; it was introduced by the government and passed expeditiously. However, for the Lokpal law, instead of bringing in a single amendment to alter the composition of the selection committee, the government introduced a 10-page Bill which proposed to fundamentally dilute the original law. Given the controversial nature of amendments, it was referred to a parliamentary standing committee. The Bill continues to languish in Parliament.
Diluting asset disclosure The Lokpal Act stipulated that by July 31, 2016, Section 44 related to disclosure of assets of public servants was to be operationalised irrespective of appointment of the Lokpal. To prevent the asset disclosure provision from taking efect, the government introduced another amendment Bill. This Bill, which completely whittled down the asset disclosure requirement, was resolutely pushed through by the government in Parliament and passed within 48 hours of its introduction. MPs from various political parties,
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Upholding justice The demolition of the Babri Masjid was a watershed moment in the modern political history of India. The communal polarisation since then has intensiied, resulting in communal clashes and riots. The BJP, which seems to have emerged as the primary beneiciary of the incident, cannot run away from its actions. There may or may not be a conspiracy angle, but there is no refuting the fact that the demolition was a direct consequence of communal feelings fanned by right-wing elements. While it is not certain whether the prosecution will lead to conviction — it is cumbersome to prove the conspiracy angle to any crime —the Supreme Court’s order, nevertheless, is reassurance of the secular credentials of the country. Bipin Thaivalappil, Payyannur, Kerala
■
Though it is unfortunate
who expressed concern that the amendments would dilute the original law, were assured by the Minister that once the Bill was passed it would be referred to a parliamentary standing committee for deliberation. It is signiicant that the Bill, pushed through in unprecedented haste, did not modify the composition of the selection committee which was needed to appoint the Lokpal. The law was thus diluted even before it could be operationalised. The Lokpal Amendment Act, 2016, did away with the statutory requirement of public servants to disclose the assets of their spouses and dependent children provided for under the original law. It also dispensed with the need for public disclosure of these statements and empowered the Central govern-
ment to prescribe the form and manner of asset disclosure. This was a critical blow as the Lokpal was established to act on complaints under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA); one of the grounds of criminal misconduct under the PCA relates to a public servant or any person on his/her behalf being in possession of pecuniary resources or property disproportionate to known sources of income. Since illegally amassed assets are often handed over to family members, public declaration of assets of the spouse and dependent children of the public servants was necessary to enable people to make informed complaints to the Lokpal. Further, the response to a query under the RTI Act revealed that the Minister had misled Parliament. Despite the Minister’s assurances on the loor of the House, the Lokpal Amendment Act, 2016, passed by Parliament was never referred to any parliamentary standing committee for deliberation.
Permission for prosecution The government’s intention to subvert the Lokpal law was further conirmed when through proposed amendments to the PCA, it sought to usurp critical powers of the Lokpal. Experience in India has shown that the requirement for seeking prior sanction from the government for prosecuting government oi-
cials is a critical bottleneck and results not only in huge delays but also, and often, in the accused never being prosecuted. To address this problem, the Lokpal Act vests the power of granting sanction for prosecution in the independent institution of the Lokpal. Instead of reinforcing this provision, which insulates the prosecution process from government inluence, the PCA amendments strengthen the requirement to seek the government’s permission before prosecuting a public servant by increasing cover to even retired public oicials. By requiring the Lokpal to seek permission from the government before it can prosecute oicials in cases of corruption, the proposed PCA amendments make a mockery of the independent institution and render the entire exercise of demanding an empowered Lokpal futile. So when can the people of India reasonably expect the Modi government to operationalise the Lokpal law, even in its diluted form? Perhaps not anytime soon, if the statement of the Attorney General in the Supreme Court is anything to go by, wherein he cited the Delhi Rent Control Act which has not been implemented for 30 years. Anjali Bhardwaj and Amrita Johri are members of the National Campaign for Peoples’ Right to Information
Letters emailed to
[email protected] must carry the full postal address and the full name or the name with initials.
that it has taken 25 long years for such a sensitive case to move to a inal stage, it is heartening that our judiciary has stood irm and upheld the majesty of the law. It is also unfortunate that there is immunity to an accused person when he/ she holds a gubernatorial post. If the Prime Minister has any respect for the judiciary, he should advise Kalyan Singh to step down. Yvonne Fernando., Chennai
Now that the Supreme Court has revived the criminal conspiracy charges in the Babri Masjid demolition case against senior BJP leaders, the law must be allowed to take its course. Those found guilty must be brought to justice. Political morality would demand that Kalyan Singh step down and face trial instead of continuing under constitutional immunity available to Governors. It would be equally ■
GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCK
T
he decision of the ruling faction of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in Tamil Nadu, the AIADMK (Amma), to distance itself from members of the V.K. Sasikala family comes at a time when there is an unmistakable and growing public resentment against them. This has been compounded by what is allegedly Ms. Sasikala’s nephew T.T.V. Dhinakaran’s latest folly — a brazen attempt to bribe Election Commission oicials to secure the election symbol of Two Leaves; the AIADMK’s deputy general secretary and other family members were becoming a political liability. At the same time, with the EC freezing the symbol, a section of the AIADMK (Amma) leadership saw a reuniication with the splinter formation headed by former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam as essential to long-term survival. The choice seemed one between swimming together or sinking separately. Interestingly, neither Ms. Sasikala nor Mr. Dhinakaran seems to be putting up any stif resistance to the ouster. Also, many in the group perceived to be close to the Sasikala family went along with the decision without a whimper. Given this, there is suspicion that the ‘ouster’, forced by circumstances and carried out in the larger interest, was not entirely bereft of a little stage management. Ms. Sasikala and Mr. Dhinakaran may well regard what transpired as a strategic retreat rather than an irrevocable order to political exile. Both are aware they have at least a handful of diehard loyalists within the ruling camp — possibly enough to threaten the Edappadi K. Palaniswami government’s narrow majority in the Assembly. Many ministers remain beholden to the family and may well ind it diicult to antagonise their one-time benefactors. It will be no surprise if both strive to retain their political inluence, even while appearing reconciled to being sidelined. The party’s television channels, its publications, and resources remain in the control of the Sasikala clan. A shared desire for political stability, relected in the fact that no MLA would want an immediate election, could ward of a total rupture in the ranks. Indeed, if such stability is to be reinforced and is to sustain in the longer run, a patchup with the rival AIADMK faction is the only viable course. However, for the Panneerselvam faction, merging with the AIADMK (Amma) presents both an opportunity and a cause for dilemma. While they may get to rejoin the government, the worry lies in the risk of being swamped by the rival group. Also, given that the Panneerselvam faction was formed on the basis of opposition towards the Sasikala family, it would be suicidal to merge with the AIADMK (Amma) in the absence of clarity about the real nature of the ouster. The moves and counter-moves currently afoot relect conlicting pulls and pressures — the basic dilemma here being the conlict between relecting the public mood and remaining together for the sake for political power.
husain haqqani
AFP
The two AIADMK groups are confused, being faced with conlicting pulls and pressures
Mr. Sharif has won elections before notwithstanding allegations of personal inancial wrongdoing, but a new wave of charges could make things diicult for him in Punjab’s urban centres when Pakistan goes to the polls in 2018. Ironically, the Supreme Court’s nearly 549-page judgment begins not by invoking some eminent jurist, but with a reference to Mario Puzo’s novel The Godfather, citing Balzac’s well-known words, “Behind every great fortune there is a crime.” But then most Pakistanis, including judges and military oficers, have known for years that the fortunes of Pakistan’s uberwealthy families come from bending or breaking laws or using political connections for private advantage. Why go looking into the origins of wealth now? The creation of the JIT, and including two military intelligence service members who are not trained in matters relating to business and inance, says more about Pakistan’s judicial and political system than it says about the merits of this particular case. The issue in Pakistan is never corruption or failing to explain the source of funds for property. It is where someone its into the permanent state’s scheme of things. Nawaz Sharif was ine when he was picked up by General Zia-ulHaq as leader of a military-backed Punjabi political elite after the coup of 1977. Courts and investigators seldom found anything wrong with the phenomenal expansion of his family’s wealth until he decided to start questioning Pakistan’s military establishment and, in recent years, even assert himself in core policy areas. Politicians can make money as long as they do not seek a role in policymaking. When Benazir Bhutto stood for a diferent paradigm for Pakistan, she and her husband were subjected to longdrawn legal proceedings over corruption. Asif Ali Zardari might have fewer problems on that score now
appropriate for Uma Bharti too to resign or the Prime Minister must dismiss her. She cannot be allowed to face the trial with all the trappings that go with being a sitting Minister. S.K. Choudhury, Bengaluru
Fragile unity move After the bizarre inighting that irst erupted within the two camps of the AIADMK after the demise of Jayalalithaa, the sudden move now to come together again is certainly not born out of any lofty principle, or to uphold any ideology or legacy. Rather, it is a crude attempt to hold on to power when there has been a threat unleashed by a hidden hand. Most MLAs are now strangely not hesitant to disown their godmother to save themselves from being pushed into oblivion by cadres and the electorate. O. Panneerselvam had every opportunity and
authority to order a probe into the demise of Jayalalithaa while he was still the Chief Minister. The Election Commission’s move to freeze the party symbol has only sown the seeds of confusion among the MLAs who are clueless as to how to go about stalling the rise of the DMK. On his part, the DMK’s Stalin should not raise the bogey of corruption against the AIADMK as his party was also instrumental in part for the total rout of the UPA in the 2014 Lok Sabha election after the unearthing of mega scams. Sivamani Vasudevan, Chennai
The Sasikala factor needs to be settled before both the warring factions can think of a merger. It is the complete isolation of her family members from the party alone which can instil conidence in the electorate. Till then, meaningless parleys will ■
continue just to make people believe that there is a solution round the corner. V. Lakshmanan, Tirupur, Tamil Nadu
Managing water As a concept, privatisation of water looks at water distribution as a revenue generator. But the objective of a water distribution system should be to ensure the availability of this basic necessity to every person irrespective of his or her paying power. Better public oversight is needed. Institutional structures with representation from resident welfare associations and social
activists can audit distribution network functioning. Transparency in water supply-related data such as pipelines laid, incremental households served, leakages, treated water, eiciency in water usage through pricing usage above a certain threshold, smart metering, rainwater harvesting and more budgetary support are some other measures to achieve this objective in urban areas (OpEd page, ‘Left, Right, Centre’ – “Should we privatise water?”, April 21). Aaron Geo Abraham, Vashi, Navi Mumbai
more letters online: www.hindu.com/opinion/letters/
corrections & clarifications: In a Life page story headlined “Sachin is my guiding light: Shah Rukh” (April 19, 2017 some editions) it was erroneously mentioned that the ilm Sachin: A Billion Dreams was directed by London-based writer James Erkine. It should have been James Erskine. It is the policy of The Hindu to correct signiicant errors as soon as possible. Please specify the edition (place of publication), date and page. The Readers’ Editor’s office can be contacted by Telephone: +91-44-28418297/28576300 (11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday); Fax: +91-44-28552963; E-mail:
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Matter of shame: “The girls’ lives don’t matter as they come from socially marginalised communities where girls matter little and are seen as a burden on their families.” A traicking victim from Nayatola-Tingheria village of Kursela in Katihar district.
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RANJEET KUMAR
Betrayed by their own blood In Bihar’s impoverished districts close to the Nepal border, sex traicking often masquerades as a marriage proposal, with families ‘selling’ their daughters for a song. Amarnath Tewary proiles victims from Katihar and Araria
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he was only 13 when given away in marriage to a groom old enough to be her father. Pyari Devi* can’t quite remember the day she returned home one evening and saw two strangers sitting on the charpoy placed outside their house. She vaguely recalls her parents, both daily wage labourers, pointing out to one of them, the middleaged man who wanted to marry her. After a hurriedly convened marriage, she was sent off the next day in the company of the two strangers to a strange place far away from her native Katihar. Three years later, Pyari ran away and returned home. The marriage was a sham. She was sold to an abusive man for a sum she is not aware of and made to work like a slave for his family. She is only 17 now but sports the sindoor (vermillion streak) on her forehead — the mark of a married woman — to keep men at bay. “I don’t want to be married again,” she says. Pyari smiles eagerly but breaks into tears when confronted with questions about her marriage. She sells vegetables, making ₹200 on a good day. Pyari Devi is just a number in the list of girls who are trafficked every year from the impoverished districts of Katihar, Araria, Purnia and Kishanganj in Bihar close to the Nepal border. Illiteracy, poverty and lack of employment are the districts’ trademark. Each year, the Kosi river and its tributaries wreak havoc in the villages, flooding the plains and forcing inhabitants to migrate to Rajasthan, Mumbai and Delhi in search of livelihood. There, they come in contact with local touts who promise them not only jobs but — after gaining their trust — assure a good life to their marriageable daughters, many of whom are underage girls. “The touts often visit villages with local migrant people, stay with them for a fortnight, and lure a poor family to sell off their daughter for marriage with the promise of a good life,” explains Dinesh Kumar, a Katiharbased social activist. The promise of marriage with money thrown in as bait tempts the illiterate villagers to sell their daughters. After a sham marriage, and a couple of months of not hearing from their daughters, the parents seek the help of the police to locate them. In police records, they find a mention under the category of missing girls. The stories in this narrative belong to girls sold off by their parents and relatives. There are many who are whisked away by strangers, as money exchanges hands. Their lives don’t matter as they come from socially marginalised communities like Paswan and Dhanuk where girls matter little and are seen as a burden on their families. Quite often, their disappearance goes unlamented. It is also difficult to track them CM YK
down as they are hidden from the public gaze and end up in a prostitution racket from where escape is well-nigh impossible. Last month, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party leader Nand Kishore Yadav flagged the issue of the missing girls in the Bihar Assembly. It was a short-notice question to the Nitish Kumar government, seeking to know the whereabouts of the missing persons. Reading from the National Crime Records Bureau data, Yadav said 3,037 girls have gone missing from different parts of Bihar in 2016 and in 1,587 cases, the police cited “love affair” as the reason. Among the four border districts, the district police records show Katihar at the top of the list with 81 missing cases — 51 girls and 30 boys — since February 2016. A stark reality is the darkness that pervades the district: out of 1,500 villages in Katihar, 970 are without power — the highest number in the country in a district, according to officials.
Sold by her own parents Four years ago when Pyari Devi returned home after a game of hide-andseek with her friends at the NayatolaTingheria village in Kursela block of Katihar, she was asked by her mother Pramilla Devi to get ready for marriage. “I just giggled and thought it was a prank, but my mother was serious. She asked me to pack my favourite dress. No one from the family accompanied me. I had no one to play with,” she says. After two days of travelling by train, Pyari reached Rajasthan, a place unfamiliar to the unlettered girl who had never been to school, let alone step outside her village. “Along with my middleaged husband there were three other people in the family and they were into the business of brewing country-made liquor… I was kept in a room at a roadside dwelling and allowed to come out only in the presence of my husband,” she says. Within a week of her arrival, her ordeal began. She was asked to brew liquor, serve it to people who came to drink and was ordered by her husband to service the men. Her refusal to do so prompted a severe thrashing. Denied food for days, she finally yielded. “One
day, my husband informed me that he had sold me for ₹1 lakh to another man,” says Pyari. She contemplated suicide but the noose prepared from a dupatta (long scarf ) snapped. It was then that Pyari planned her escape and waited for an opportune moment, which came three years later. She stepped out of her house, turned her back on an abusive marriage, and in the cover of darkness made good her escape, while her husband and his family slept in drunken stupor. She was lucky to get home. Sporting a silver nose ring, brown polish on her overgrown fingernails, bangles on hands and rubber slippers on her feet, Pyari says she’s happy with her life today. But what if her husband comes looking for her? “I’ll kill him.” He has not come for her yet. Sixteen-year-old Asha Kumari has a similar story to tell. The eldest of four sisters and a brother, her father Akhilesh Paswan and mother Sunita Devi too are daily wage labourers at Nawabganj Harijan Tola of Sameli block of the district. Six months ago a distant maternal aunt visited her home along with a middle-aged man, Sudhir Rai. Even before she could understand anything, her mother informed her that they would be leaving for a village fair in the Gonda district of Uttar Pradesh, some 600 km from Katihar). “I was excited and started reading names of stations through the train window but Gonda never came,” she recalls, adding that at night, mother, daughter and aunt got off at the Samastipur railway station. Some 10-12 people accompanied them from there. “Brandishing knives and spears they got me married with Sudhir Rai at a makeshift courtyard. My mother abandoned me… possibly fearing for her life,” says Asha. Confined in a dingy room for three
months, Asha was treated like a slave, sexually assaulted by all male members of the family, and forced to do all household chores from dawn to dusk on an empty stomach. She too fled one night and reached the Kishanpur railway station, caught a train for Barauni and onwards to Katihar. For three days she went without food — but hope kept her going. “One day, I just walked out of the house and kept walking. I didn’t know where I was going and hitched a ride on a bicycle after telling the cyclist my story. He dropped me at the railway station and I took a train to Kishanpur. I was lucky that I met some kind people who helped me along and I finally made it to Katihar, where a bus conductor took pity on me and dropped me off at Kursela,” she says. Asha wants to be a doctor. She knows she was sold off for money to feed her siblings, but doesn’t want to confront her mother with the question. Every year, scores of girls go ‘missing’ from the districts after such transactional marriages. Kiran Devi, 18, of Bakhri village in Sameli block too recounts her heart-wrenching travail of marriage followed by physical abuse and regular sexual exploitation. After a year of “unbearable daily abuse” she fled from Delhi when she overheard her husband Kamta (she remembers just the first name) negotiating her price with a pimp. “I don’t want to recall those days… even death would have been welcome. I’m happy today,” she says, “and not a burden on anyone.” Kiran sells cosmetics and earns ₹200 a day on average. In mid-February this year, Neetu Kumari, 16, of Milki Nawabganj village in Kursela block went missing and since then her mother Jeetani Devi has been knocking at every door in a desperate effort to trace her young daughter. She
Jeetani Devi of Katihar district with a picture of her missing daughter, Neetu Kumari, and a copy of a police complaint she iled.
awareness and poor record of law enforcement also contribute to the problem,” explains Shilpi Singh, director of Bhoomika Vihar, a Katihar-based NGO working on human trafficking in the border districts of Bihar.
Pyari Devi from Bakhari village of Sameli block in Katihar district
doubts a woman in the village who may have played a role in her daughter's disappearance. Occasionally, a tragedy is averted in the nick of time. Twelve-year-old Akshita Kumari of Balkhi Maheshpur village, a Class VI student, was lucky that she escaped the trap set for her by a local tout. “Her brother and sister-inlaw had sold her for ₹20,000 to the local tout, but we came to know and, with the help of other villagers, saved her from being put on the bus out of the village,” says Saryu Mahaldar, her grandfather. Akshita, in a green salwarsuit, looks perplexed and speaks little. She now lives at a relative’s house in the neighbouring district of Purnia. “I don’t want to marry early,” she says.
The band of sisterhood Four years ago, the girls of Kursela block formed a group called Kishori Samooh. They meet to share stories, carry placards to alert villagers about trafficking, and encourage them to value the girl child. “Main Hoon Badlao, Mauka, Gyan aur Padhai…trafficking aur bal-vivaah ki safai (I am the change. Opportunity, knowledge and schooling will ensure that trafficking does not happen),” reads one placard. “The brokers or touts can be anywhere, in your family, village or at the village shops,” they say at Nawabganj Purab Tola village in Kursela. “In the last four years there have been over 25 incidents of girls being trafficked from Sameli and Kursela blocks alone… we’ve rescued over 250 trafficked girls from this area in the last 25 years,” says activist Dinesh Kumar, who assists Kishori Samooh. Former head of Raj Muradpur panchayat Suresh Kumar says they have now become vigilant; if a local tout gets caught, he is thrashed before being handed over to the local police station. “It has put a check on things,” he says. “Girls from poverty-stricken families often become easy targets for traffickers but our studies and surveys show poverty is not always the reason behind it… Illiteracy, gender disparity, ignorance, low level of
Waiting for a better tomorrow In neighbouring district of Araria, similar stories abound. Sangita Devi, 25, of Gaiyari-Rampur village, was sold twice on the pretext of marriage, forced into illegal activities and prostitution, tortured on refusal, and starved for days. She fled when she got an opportunity. The first time, she was sold by her maternal uncle who played the role of a tout; the second time, her brother sold her off for ₹6,000. “No one can be as unfortunate as I am. But I have to live for the sake of my daughter,” says Sangita, whose six-year-old daughter Madhulika Kumari studies in Class I at the village school. She runs a makeshift cosmetics shop. “I shudder whenever a marriage takes place in my village.” Farha Khatun and Shabnam Ara, both 35 years old, were similarly forced into fake marriages and taken to Delhi, where they were forced into prostitution. Both fled and somehow made their way back to their village in Araria. Farha has two daughters while Shabnam has a son and a daughter. Farha makes savouries for a living while Shabnam sells vegetables in village lanes to eke out their livelihood. “We pray to Allah every day that nobody should experience what we have undergone,” they say in one voice. District-level child welfare officials in Katihar lay the blame on lax law enforcement, among other things. “There is very low or negligible conviction in trafficking cases,” says Ravi Shankar Tiwari, assistant director of the District Child Protection Unit. “It’s the government’s lackadaisical approach which is responsible for the trafficking of poor girls from the area,” fumes Rajesh Kumar, member of the District Child Welfare Committee. Katihar District Magistrate (DM) Mithilesh Mishra is only two months into his current posting but is aware of the extent of trafficking here. “Out of a total 16 blocks of Katihar, nine get flooded for four months every year leading to displacement and migration, mostly of male members of the family, which leaves girls and women vulnerable to trafficking,” he says. By June, the DM promises, the administration will make a strong intervention. For the likes of Pyari Devi, Asha Kumari, Kiran Devi, Sangita Devi, however, life is all about making peace with the shock of being betrayed by their own blood. (Names of the girls have been changed to protect their identities.) A ND-ND
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Perform, Modi tells civil servants
FROM PAGE ONE
Why force people to get Aadhaar: SC
PM assures oicials that he will stand by them if they take decisions with honest intention New Delhi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said anonymity was one of the greatest strengths of civil services, cautioning government officials that the use of social media should not lead to a decline in this strength, even as social media and mobile governance were leveraged for connecting people to benefits and government schemes. At the Civil Service Day function, Mr. Modi also assured the civil servants that he would stand by them if they took decisions with an honest intention and in public interest.
Debate continues: A farmer gets his retina scanned for an Aadhaar card in Haryana. RAMESH SHARMA *
“A person can get multiple PANs in the names of Mukesh Gupta, then another PAN as Mukesh Kumar Gupta and a third one as M.K. Gupta, so on and so forth,” Mr. Rohatgi said.
Already mandatory He argued that it is already a mandatory requirement under Section 139A of the Income Tax Act to allot PAN. Aadhaar is only being linked to it. “At first they had objected to Aadhaar saying there was no legislation. Then we brought in the legislation. Now they are complaining about this,” Mr. Rohatgi submitted. The government was referring to The Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial
and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act of 2016. The enactment of this Act as a Money Bill is itself under challenge in the Supreme Court on a petition filed by former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh. “Going by the AG’s logic about fake PANs, I get a PAN card on the basis of showing my Aadhaar as proof. By making Aadhaar mandatory under Section 139AA, my PAN becomes invalid. This has serious consequences,” Mr. Datar for Mr. Viswam submitted. He contended that the Aadhaar Act itself does not make obtaining Aadhaar mandatory. The court agreed to hear the petitions on April 26.
Different era He said the conditions prevailing today were quite different from about two decades ago and would evolve much further over the next few years. While earlier the govern-
Package and projects On the table would be a discussion on the ₹80,000 crore financial package announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November 2015. A senior Home Ministry official said that ₹17,000 crore had already been released to the State government and the progress of various projects would also be discussed during the meeting. Following the violence during the April 9 bypoll,
3 Maoists arrested
Press Trust of India NEW DELHI
Pep talk: Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks at the Civil Services Day function in New Delhi on Friday. SANDEEP SAXENA *
ment was almost the sole provider of goods and services, which left a lot of scope for ignoring one’s shortcomings, people now very often perceived that the private sector offered better services than the government. The Prime Minister said with alternatives now being available in several
As Kashmir remains on the edge, a Delhi-based concerned citizens’ group on Friday called for a political outreach, including dialogue, with the separatist leadership. The group, headed by senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha, said in a joint statement: “Nobody in his right mind should want a repetition of the events of 2016 — not the government and certainly not the Kashmiri civilians.” The statement was also signed by retired Justice A.P. Shah, former chairperson of the National Commission for
the Anantnag elections were postponed to May 25. The Ministry said that in the past 20 days, more than 700 incidents of stone-throwing have been reported across the Valley. Another issue that will be on the agenda would be the growing schism between the cadres of BJP and the PDP. “It is a serious issue and the Home Minister is expected to raise it with the J&K Chief Minister. Since Mr. Madhav played a crucial role in the alliance, he is taking care of the political fallout,” said a senior Ministry official.
Stone age: A policeman arms himself during clashes in Srinagar on Friday. Both the ruling parties “weighed options to find a way out.” “We discussed J&K situation,” said BJP vice-president Avinash Rai Khanna. The ties between the two parties — which got together in a rare coalition in 2015 — seem to be under strain. Earlier, the PDP took potshots at Mr. Madhav for his remarks ‘all is fair in love and war’ in an interview, while referring to the video controversy wherein a civilian was tied to the jeep front. “The statement is a move to legitimise a crime that is internationally criticised.
India and South Korea on Friday signed two agreements to build artillery guns for the Army and for collaboration in shipbuilding. One of them is an Inter-Governmental Agreement between the governments while the other is a manufacturing agreement between two private companies. The Inter-governmental Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for defence industry co-operation in
Cementing ties: Secretary (Defence Production) Ashok Kumar Gupta and South Korean Minister Chang Myoung-Jin signing an MoU in New Delhi on Friday. PTI/ PIB *
‘CBI is the one that has conspired’
saying “his statement was misinterpreted.” Independent MLA Engineer Rasheed on Friday urged National Conference working president Omar Abdullah “to offer yet again his unconditional support to [PDP chief ] Mehbooba Mufti.” “Weakening of Ms. Mufti by the BJP only means dividing Kashmiris and threatening them. It’s high time Mr. Abdullah woke up and offered his support again to Mehbooba for formation of a government so that the nefarious designs of Sangh Parivar are defeated,” he said.
suddenly let loose, at least in our [National Democratic Alliance] government, it has become a bull running amok.” On Thursday, Mr. Katiyar created a flutter, partly agreeing with the RJD chief Lalu Prasad, who had said that the revival of criminal conspiracy charges against Mr. Advani was itself a conspiracy to make him ineligible to be the President of India, polls for which are due in July. Mr. Katiyar had responded to Mr. Prasad’s contention with, “There may be some truth in it, I do not know.”
shipbuilding was signed by Ashok Kumar Gupta, Secretary Defence Production from India and Chang Myoung-Jin, Minister of Defence Acquisition and Programme Administration, South Korea. India has already nominated Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Visakhapatnam while South Korea will designate their shipyard soon. The MoU was conceived under the overall umbrella of the ‘Special Strategic Partnership’ between both sides, Defence Ministry said.
Indian engineering conglomerate Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and Hanwa Techwin of South Korea signed a contract on Friday to manufacture the K9 Vajra-T tracked, self-propelled artillery guns for the Indian Army.
₹4,500-crore deal The deal estimated at around ₹4,500 crore is for 100 guns. “The first of the guns should be delivered within this financial year,” said Jayant Patil, head of defence and aerospace, L&T.
‘I regret comments made during Cauvery row’ Sathyaraj requests people of Karnataka to allow the release of Baahubali 2 in these nine years, I now notice that some of my comments may have hurt the people of Karnataka. I truly regret making those comments.”
Staff Reporter CHENNAI
CM YK
Withdraws remarks Meanwhile, BJP leader and State Industries Minister Chandar Prakash Ganga on Friday withdrew his remarks “only bullets for protesters,”
NISSAR AHMAD
India, South Korea ink pacts on artillery guns
Nagpur
Two days after the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) plea to revive criminal conspiracy charges against senior BJP leaders L. K. Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, and Union Minister Uma Bharati, the CBI was accused by the Rajya Sabha MP from the party and one of those mentioned in this charge-sheet, Vinay Katiyar, of “running amok” by reviving the charges. Speaking to the media, Mr. Katiyar said, “CBI is the one that has conspired. It is behaving like a tethered bull
One fails to understand against whom Mr. Madhav has declared war,” said PDP leader Bukhari. He said his party had decided in favour of an alliance with the BJP “to take forward the peace process started in 2002.” “Kashmir is a political problem. Only dialogue with all stakeholders will resolve the issue,” added Mr. Bukhari.
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With pro-Kannada groups opposing the release of director S.S. Rajamouli’s bigbudget blockbuster Baahubali 2: The Conclusion on April 28, citing key character Sathyaraj’s comments against Karnataka during the Cauvery protests nine years ago, the actor on Friday said he regretted the comments. Mr. Sathyaraj, who essays the role of Kattapa in the film, said: “Nine years ago, when Tamils were attacked and Tamil films were stopped from being screened because of the Cauvery issue, I spoke at the protest organised by actors. In response, the Kannada actors had also
Sathyaraj
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spoken strongly against Tamil Nadu. While around 30 films of mine have released in Karnataka, including the first part of Baahubali
‘My responsibility’ Explaining his statement to Tamil activists and pro-Tamil groups with whom he identifies, Mr. Sathyaraj said he did not want the hard work of so many people who worked on Baahubali or those who had invested money to be wasted. “I also have a responsibility to protect the interests of the distributors and theatre owners in Bangalore. Despite this, I will continue to speak out in favour of Tamil in-
terests whether it is about Eelam Tamil issue, or Cauvery issue or farmers issue,” he said, adding, “If producers think that their films might face issues because of my political views, I request them not to cast me in their movies and face losses. “I would rather live and die as a rational Tamil than live and die as an actor. That is my wish.” He requested the people of Karnataka to allow the release of Baahubali 2.
Director distances self Earlier, director Rajamouli sought to distance himself from the actor’s comments, saying that they had nothing to do with the film.
NEW DELHI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled States and members of the party’s parliamentary board on Sunday. The CMs of 13 States and five Deputy Chief Ministers will be in New Delhi for a meeting called by the Niti Aayog, but will make the necessary stopover at the party headquarters after that. BJP president Amit Shah will also address the chief ministers, in the presence of senior Ministers Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj, Venkaiah Naidu and Nitin Gadkari. BJP’s general secretary (organisation) Ram Lal will also be present. According to senior party general secretary Bhupendra Yadav, Mr. Modi will ask the Chief Ministers to focus on the development agenda with an emphasis on the poor.
Suggests political outreach in J&K
Srinagar
MLC seat Sources said Mr. Drabu raised the issue of the PDP losing an MLC seat to the BJP despite the seat sharing arrangement. Of six MLC seats, the BJP has won three seats, while the PDP, the National Conference and the Congress got one each. According to the seat-sharing arrangement, the alliance partners were to get two seats each. PDP MLC Yasir Reshi has boycotted the oath-taking ceremony at the council chairman’s office on Thursday to express the party’s anger. Sources said Mr. Madhav, who also met Governor N.N. Vohra, took stock of growing unrest in the Kashmir Valley.
Special Correspondent
Sinha-led group bats for dialogue SRINAGAR
Amid fresh sticky issues between the alliance partners, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), senior leaders from the ruling parties met in Jammu on Friday “to iron out differences and find out ways to deal with growing unrest.” BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav, the chief architect of the coalition, met senior PDP leader and Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu at the BJP headquarters in Jammu.
Rajnath Singh
CBI running amok, says Vinay Katiyar
Jump in applicants Noting that there was a quantum jump in the applications for Civil Service Day awards, from less than 100 in 2016 to over 500 this year, the Prime Minister said that the focus should now be on improving quality, and making excellence a habit. He also urged senior officials to ensure that experience did not become a burden stifling the innovation of younger officials. Mr. Modi said while “political will” was needed for reform, which he did not lack and may be had a bit extra, the “performance” part must come from civil servants and that “transformation” was enabled by people’s participation.
Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI
Special Correspondent
from a regulator to an enabler, the faster the challenge of competition would turn into an opportunity. Describing the day as one of “rededication”, the Prime Minister said the civil servants were well aware of their strengths and capabilities, challenges and responsibilities.
He said while the absence of government in a sphere of activity should be perceptible, its presence in a sphere of activity should not become a burden.
Peerzada Ashiq
special Correspondent
NEW DELHI
areas, responsibilities of government officials had increased in terms of the challenges, not the scope of work. Emphasising the importance of competition, Mr. Modi said it brought a qualitative change. He said that the sooner the attitude of the government would change
Ram Madhav meets Haseeb Drabu after fresh issues crop up between allies
Pavan Dahat
The Maharashtra police on Friday claimed to have arrested three hardcore women Maoists from the insurgency-hit Gadchiroli district bordering Chhattisgarh. All the three are from Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh and were involved in many violent Maoist activities in the area, Gadchiroli Superintendent of Police said in a statement.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said mobile phones were banned from his meetings because he often found officers checking social media sites in the midst of official discussions. Social media should be used for the welfare of the people and not for self-praise, he told bureaucrats.
PDP, BJP leaders try to iron out diferences, deal with unrest
Ensure safety of Kashmiris: Rajnath The Home Minister led an all-party delegation to Kashmir in August last year but the talks did not bring the situation under control. An official said the government was in no mood to resume talks with separatists. Mr. Singh has also called in security experts and officials from the J&K government to chalk out a strategy to calm down tempers in the Valley.
No mobiles at meetings
Special Correspondent
PM to meet CMs of States ruled by BJP
Minorities Wajahat Habibullah, former diplomats Salman Haidar and Nirupama Rao, social activist Aruna Roy, mediapersons Shekhar Gupta, Prem Shankar Jha and Bharat Bhushan, historians Ramchandra Guha and S. Irfan Habib, retired Air Vice Marshal Kapil Kak, author Badri Raina, and activists John Dayal and Sushobha Barve. Referring to the dismal voter turnout of 7% in the Srinagar bypoll, it added, “An erosion of faith in democratic processes may eventually threaten the legitimacy of the State itself. This process needs to be stemmed and corrective measures taken.”
Action on hoardings
Separatists slam Madhav
Staff Reporter
Special Correspondent
MEERUT
SRINAGAR
A day after dozens of hoardings appeared in Meerut asking people from Kashmir to leave Uttar Pradesh, the police booked Amit Jani, president of the U.P. Navnirman Sena under section 153 (B) of the Indian Penal Code. Senior officials met students from Kashmir and assured them of their safety.
Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday accused BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav of “complimenting the Army for using a civilian as a human shield”. The Mirwaiz was referring to a television interview where Mr. Madhav said “all is fair in love and war” in response to a question on the video.
‘Naming Arunachal towns our right’ Our stand is clear & consistent: China Atul Aneja BEIJING
China on Friday defended its decision to “standardise” the names of six towns in Arunachal Pradesh, reinforcing its claims over territory which it calls South Tibet. In response to a question on India’s rejection of the Chinese move, in the aftermath of the Dalai Lama’s visit to the State, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said: “China position on the eastern section of the India-China boundary is clear and consistent. Relevant names have been used by ethnic Momba and Tibetan Chinese who have lived here for generations. So it is a fact that cannot be changed. ” He added: “To standardise these names and publicise them is a legitimate measure based on our lawful right.”
India slams move On Thursday, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesman Gopal Baglay slammed the Chinese move to name the six towns in Arunachal Pradesh, as part of its official record. “Assigning invented names to the towns of your neighbour does not make illegal territorial claims legal,” Mr. Baglay had observed. “Arunachal Pradesh is and will always be an
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang
integral part of India,” he added. The Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs had said that Wo’gyainling, Mila Ri, Qoidêngarbo Ri, Mainquka, Bümo La and Namkapub Ri are the “standardised” names of its towns in Arunachal Pradesh. On Friday, an op-ed in the Global Times tabloid affiliated with the People’s Daily flagship urged India “to do some serious thinking over why China announced the standardised names in South Tibet at this time.” It warned: “Playing the Dalai Lama card is never a wise choice for New Delhi. If India wants to continue this petty game, it will only end up in paying dearly for it.” The daily pointed out that putting “the Dalai Lama into its toolbox against China is another trick played by New Delhi lately.” A ND-ND
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THE HINDU
NEWS 9
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IN BRIEF
INTERVIEW | NACHIKET MOR
‘Don’t think PHFI issue has anything to do with us’ There’s no evidence that Gates Foundation has inluenced India’s health policies, says India director of BMGF Petition in White House to save Jadhav WASHINGTON
The Indian-American community in the U.S. has launched a White House petition, seeking the Trump administration’s intervention to save Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav, who has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani court. The petition requires at least 1,00,000 signatures before May 14 to qualify for a response from the Trump administration. PTI
Consumers get free hand on paying service charge NEW DELHI
The government on Friday approved new guidelines, giving consumers the right to decide service charge they wish to pay on a hotel bill. The guidelines, which have made service charge “totally voluntary and not mandatory”, will be sent to States for necessary action, Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said. PTI
SC to hear plea alleging killings by BSF personnel NEW DELHI
The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear a plea seeking probe into alleged torture, rape and extra-judicial killings by the BSF personnel in the border areas of West Bengal. The plea has also challenged the constitutional validity of Section 46 of the BSF Act, which provides the situations in which a BSF personnel can be tried by a Security Force Court. PTI
Adityanath orders review of Yash Bharti awards LUCKNOW
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday ordered a thorough review of the prestigious Yash Bharti Awards started by Mulayam Singh Yadav in 1994, saying that giving them to undeserving persons lowers the prestige of such an honour. The Chief Minister directed officials to thoroughly review the criteria for these awards. PTI
Vidya Krishnan New Delhi
Responding to charges of influencing India’s health policies for their own benefit, Nachiket Mor, India director of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), told The Hindu in an exclusive interview that the Foundation was active in India because the government felt it added value. Mr. Mor said that if the government changed its mind, the Foundation will move to countries that need its help. Excerpts: Is the BMGF in India under scrutiny?
can do on our own, and this is where you can help us.
That’s not obvious to me, and I am not hearing anything different from the Health Ministry. In fact, I have pending requests [for various proposals] right now that have not been withdrawn. The government sets the priorities. We are external partners. We are responsive — we don’t set any strategies. I don’t know what people believe about our influence. There are very smart, influential people that run this country. It is they who tell us – this is what we want to do, this is what we
Has PHFI been targeted for its proximity to the BMGF?
■
I don’t think there is any such basis to say this, given that in India, 60-80 per cent of the NGOs have, at some point, received money from the BMGF. The reality is that a large number of NGOs, in India and outside, have been directly or indirectly funded by the BMGF. Globally, agencies such as DFID and USAID are withdrawing funds. There are not that many donors out there. We believe ■
that our role remains technical and not financial. In countries like India, our contribution is technical knowhow, not financial commitment. India has the money. But PHFI has been one of your biggest partners. How do you understand the Indian government’s decision to cancel its FCRA licence?
I don’t know what the logic behind it is. There is no link to anything that we are doing. ■
BMGF has been accused of influencing India’s immunisation programme, especially its vaccination strategies.
At BMGF, we believe that vaccines are a cost-effective way to meet public health challenges. We support anyone who asks for evidence and data. The question to ask
■
Special Correspondent
Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI
AHMEDABAD
India and the European Union on Friday firmed up plans for holding the 14th bilateral summit to be held in India later this year. EU’s High Representative and Vice-President Federica Mogherini met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj here and discussed common concerns like trade, counterterror cooperation, maritime security and defence cooperation.
In a two-day State executive meeting at Somnath, the Gujarat Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has resolved to win “150 Assembly seats in the forthcoming Assembly polls” due to be held later this year. The State executive has passed a resolution to achieve the target of 150 seats out of the total 182 Assembly seats in the State. The ruling party congratulated the Centre and the State government for initiatives such as strengthening the prohibition law and amending the cow protection law to award life imprisonment to those found guilty of cow slaughter.
Reaffirms commitment “The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to deepening their Strategic Partnership. They reviewed progress on the commitments made during the 13th IndiaEU summit in Brussels in March 2016,” said a state-
Down to business: Sushma Swaraj, right, greets Federica Mogherini, the high representative of the EU for foreign afairs and security policy, prior to a meeting in New Delhi on Friday. AFP *
ment issued by the Ministry of External Affairs. Ms. Swaraj condemned the latest terror attack in
Paris and said terrorism was the gravest threat to humanity. “Both India and the EU should strengthen their co-
ernment for not coming out with the agreed directions to improve the condition of destitute widows, despite its direction and granted it four weeks to do so. “You do not care about the widows of India. You file an affidavit and say you are not concerned with the widows of India. You have done nothing... The government does not want to do anything,” the Bench said. The SC had earlier asked the Centre to convene a meeting to consider suggestions mooted by the National Commission for Women and formulate directions to improve the condition of widows.
Says such matters are best left to international diplomacy rather than judiciary are quite < > We surprised that such
Legal Correspondent
The Supreme Court on Friday refused to further dwell on a petition seeking a judicial declaration to bring the Kohinoor diamond back from the United Kingdom, leaving the task to the wisdom and efforts of the government.
Questions petitions A Bench led by Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar questioned how petitions seeking the return of properties lying with a foreign government find their way into the Supreme Court, which has no jurisdiction whatsoever over such matters, that are best left to international diplomacy rather than the judi-
petitions are iled. What kind of a writ petition is this? justice J.S. Khehar, CJI
against the High Commissioner of the U.K.
The SC refused to further dwell on a petition seeking to bring back the diamond.
ciary. The court said it cannot direct the United Kingdom on what to do with the Kohinoor diamond. The court was hearing a petition filed by the All India Human Rights and Social Front
BJP wrests Latur from Congress
Expresses hope that bilateral ties will continue in future
Mumbai
Special Correspondent Bhubaneswar
CM YK
Warm welcome: Nepal President Bidhya Bhandari waves at the crowd after visiting the temple at Puri. BISWARANJAN ROUT *
musk to the temple. The Odisha Chief Secretary had written to the Foreign Secretary in 2014 seeking assistance in procuring musk from Nepal. Observing that India and Nepal enjoyed age-old friendly ties with strong cultural bonds, Ms. Bhandari
operation to fight terrorism and demonstrate resolve to show zero-tolerance for such acts”, the statement said.
Kohinoor not in our jurisdiction: SC
Nepal President to address musk dearth at Puri temple Nepal President Bidhya Devi Bhandari, who visited Shri Jagannath Temple in Puri and offered prayers on Friday, assured the temple administration that she would take up the issue of musk (Kasturi) supply to the temple with her government. Kasturi, the musk obtained from a stag’s navel, is used in some special rituals in the Jagannath temple. The temple administration had last received musk from the erstwhile King of Nepal in 2002, and the stock has almost got exhausted. Talking to presspersons on the sidelines of her visit to the 12th century shrine, Ms. Bhandari said she would urge the Nepal government to resume the supply of
I see no evidence. Our goal is to spend charitable resources on the ground. Pharmaceutical companies that we speak to are reluctant to make vaccines. There is no money in that. They need to be persuaded, and we have to talk to them. The Foundation’s role globally has been to ensure that there is adequate supply. I actually see a reverse problem. Look at the donations pharmaceutical companies have made to GAVI and other organisations. These are not vaccines they are making money on. We enter where markets fail. ■
Make a pitch for strengthening cooperation in ight against terror
NEW DELHI
In a stinging remark, the Supreme Court on Friday said when it passes some directions, it is claimed that the courts are “trying to run the government”, which does not want to act. “You [the government] do not want to do it and when we say anything, you say that the court is trying to run the government,” a Bench comprising Justices Madan B. Lokur and Deepak Gupta said, while castigating the government for not caring about the destitute widows in the country. The SC also imposed a cost of ₹1 lakh on the gov-
whoever is making these allegations is, why is there so much insecurity about your own competence? Ultimately, Indians are taking decisions in India’s best interests. If anybody alleges that they are acting under the influence of foreigners, I’d ask them to take a good look in the mirror. Consider some of the people driving these de-
What about allegations that BMGF has influenced India’s health policy?
BJP ‘resolves’ to win 150 Gujarat seats
Slaps ₹1 lakh as ine on government New Delhi
< >
If anybody alleges Indians are acting under the inluence of foreigners, I’d ask them to take a good look in the mirror
India, EU discuss next summit
Centre does not care for widows, says SC Press Trust of India
cisions in India. Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, Dr. MK Bhan, Dr. Vijayaraghavan — these are fantastic people. By making such an allegation, you are saying you don’t think these people are competent.
expressed the hope that the bilateral relationship would continue in future. She thanked the temple servitors and officials who escorted her on the temple premises. Elaborate security arrangements were made both outside and inside the shrine during her visit.
‘Exploring ways’ “We are quite surprised that such petitions are filed. What kind of a writ petition is this?” Chief Justice Khehar asked, disposing of the petition. In a recent affidavit, the Ministry said it was “continuing to explore ways for a satisfactory resolution” over the diamond with the U.K. The affidavit had said the issue of the Kohinoor was
“taken up time and again since the Independence”. The affidavit said the Antiquities and Art Treasures Act of 1972, which prevents the export of precious articles and treasures from the country, was toothless as the British East India Company confiscated the Kohinoor from the boy king Maharaja Duleep Singh in 1849 — “it is a known historical fact.” Though both India and the U.K. were signatories to the UNESCO Convention on Means of Prohibiting and Preventing Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, the restitution of Kohinoor would require a “special agreement” between both countries.
My brief from Seattle is that we have nothing to hide (sic). But I would not proactively go out and influence political thinking. That’s not our goal here. I cannot speculate on whether the political winds are against us. I don’t know, and frankly I don’t care. I am here because the country feels that I can add value. The day the country feels I cannot add value, well, there are many other countries that would want our help. What will be the BMGF’s role in India, if the government were to change its mind? ■ The ideal role for the Foundation is to have no role. We are here because the government says that there are gaps. If they tell us that there are no gaps, we will leave. Last year, a million babies died. There is an enormous gap going by the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which say that we have to reduce it to half a million deaths in 2030. The BMGF increased its footprint in India because it saw a large gap and the government said they needed help. But that was a different government.
We have worked with different governments — at the State level and at the Centre. No government has told us that they don’t need our help. Whenever there is a proposal that comes to us for support, we always ask the government when they will take over the project. ■
What do you think about PHFI’s work in India?
It is hard for me to say anything specific about the PHFI. Right now, I don’t have the sense that the PHFI issue has anything to do with us.
■
Unite against BJP: Mamata Slams ‘divisive Lord Ram’ rhetoric Staff Reporter Kolkata
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday asked Trinamool Congress workers to stay united and said the regional parties need to form a coalition to collectively fight the rightwing forces. “The country needs regional parties to come together. I am urging the regional parties to be together and be united,” said Ms. Banerjee. The Chief Minister was addressing party workers after an internal election where Subrata Bakshi was re-elected party’s general secretary. Ms. Banerjee asked party volunteers not to “tolerate politics to divide people using Lord Ram.” Accusing the BJP government at the Centre of “targeting Triinamool out of political vendetta,” she said several party leaders such as former Transport Minister Madan Mitra and party MP Sudip Bandopadhyay were put behind bars on the pretext of being involved in a “conspiracy.” Ms. Banerjee asked the Trinamool leaders against whom cases were lodged by the Central Bureau of Investigation to stand up, and said they would not get cowed down as they have done nothing wrong. Recently, the CBI lodged FIRs against 13 senior Trinamool leaders
Mamata Banerjee in the Narada sting case. “They [Trinamool leaders] have nothing to worry about as they have not done anything illegal... the BJP’s strategy is to put [all Opposition leaders] in jail so that no one is left to challenge them in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections,” Ms. Banerjee said.
Armed rallies The CM accused the BJP of indulging in “divisive politics” and cautioned them over the recent armed rallies to mark Ram Navami. “I have never seen armed rallies here. They are taking out armed rallies to incite riots. There is a limit to our patience,” she said. She also accused the Left Front of “colluding” with the BJP. State BJP president Dilip Ghosh denied the allegations and said the Chief Minister was making such “baseless comments” as she was afraid of the “rise of BJP” in Bengal.
Press Trust of India
Continuing its winning streak in Maharashtra, the ruling BJP on Friday emerged victorious in Latur and Chandrapur municipal corporations, out of three civic bodies that went to polls on April 19. Defeat in Latur came as a major embarrassment for the Congress as the district has traditionally been the bastion of the party stalwart and former Chief Minister (late) Vilasrao Deshmukh. The consolation for the Congress was the Parbhani municipal corporation, where the party improved its tally compared to the 2012 polls to retain power. The BJP’s victory in Latur stands out as the saffron party, which drew a blank in the 2012 elections, bagged 36 seats in the 70member civic body. A ND-ND
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U.S. launches probe into China ‘steel dumping’
ELSEWHERE
Ahmadinejad can’t run for presidency
Reuters Washington
TEHRAN
Iran’s former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was barred from standing for presidency. His disqualiication by the Guardian Council was no surprise — he had been advised not to run by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who said it would “polarise” the nation. AFP
500 Baloch rebels surrender to govt. QUETTA
Around 500 Baloch rebel militants on Friday surrendered to Pakistan’s government as Islamabad pursues its development agenda linked to the ambitious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in the southwest province. Some 487 militants from four Baloch rebel organisations laid down their arms at an ceremony in Quetta city. AFP
Turkish opposition appeals against vote ANKARA
Turkey’s main opposition party, Republican People’s Party, said it filed a court appeal on Friday against a decision by electoral authorities to accept unstamped ballot papers in the tightly contested referendum granting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan new powers. REUTERS
50 Afghan soldiers killed in Taliban attack MAZAR-I-SHARIF
More than 50 Afghan soldiers have been killed in a Taliban attack on Friday on their base near Mazar-i-Sharif, said a U.S. military spokesman. U.S. General John Nicholson, commander of NATO’s Resolute Support operation, said in a separate statement that the attack targeted “soldiers at prayer in a mosque and others in a dining facility” of the 209th Corps of the Afghan Army. AFP
Paris attack casts a shadow over elections Far-right leader Marine Le Pen urges govt. to “immediately” reclaim border control from EU; PM assures voters of safety Sriram Lakshman Paris
A police officer was killed in central Paris when a gunman opened fire on a police van parked on the iconic Avenue des Champs Elysees on Thursday, days before France votes in the first round of an increasingly tight presidential election. The attack that injured two other officers and a tourist occurred at about 9 pm local time. The assailant was shot dead as he was trying to escape on foot, according to police. The dead officer has been identified as 37-year-old Xavier Jugele. In reaction to the attack, three of the four top contenders have called off their campaigns on Friday, the last day of campaigning before Sunday’s vote. Marine Le Pen, the far-right candidate and leader of Front National, who’s tipped to be one of the top vote-getters,
said France should “immediately” reclaim control of its borders from the European Union and expel foreigners who were on terror watch lists. Ms. Le Pen also criticised the current Socialist government for its response to the terror threat.
Tight security Prime Minister Bernard Cazaneuve, however, announced that security forces and elite units would be deployed to support the 50,000 police already maintaining law and order during the voting process. “It falls to us not to give in to fear and intimidation and manipulation which would play into the hands of the enemy,” Mr. Cazaneuve told the press after a security meeting on Friday morning. Shortly after the attack, the Islamic State (IS) terror group claimed responsibility through its propaganda
Varghese K. George
CARACAS
Most serious protests Mr. Maduro’s government is so far resisting the pressure of the most serious protests in three years.
agency, Amaq. The group claimed that the attack was carried out by Abu Yusuf alBeljiki, a name with a reference to the attacker’s Belgian roots or residence. A note praising the IS was found next to the body of the attacker. While public prosecutor Francois Molins said the identity of the attacker was known, there was no official confirmation in this regard
Washington
Reuters
Opposition activists and respect the autonomy of the Opposition-led Congress.
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till the time of going to press. The name that is being circulated in the local media is that of a 39-year-old French man, Karim Cheurfi. Several knives and a pump-action shotgun were found in Cheurfi’s car. Authorities continue to search for a second suspect, Interior Ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet told a radio channel on Friday morning. A man in Antwerp,
*
AP
Ruling Socialist Party leaders describe the protesters as violent hoodlums who are damaging public property and disrupting public order to overthrow the government with the support of ideological adversaries in Washington.
The Donald Trump administration is unlikely to upend the nuclear deal with Iran, its lead negotiator has said even as the President’s national security team is reviewing the agreement. Wendy Sherman, the U.S. diplomat who led the negotiations with Iran, said the deal was not merely between the U.S. and Iran as other countries such as Russia and China were also involved. “Many other countries made very difficult economic decisions to impose the sanctions on Iran. Many of these countries did so only because we were engaged in rigorous diplomacy. Some of those sanctions were beginning to fray, as it is very hard to maintain these difficult sanctions over a long period of time. So if it were to be renegotiated all over, you would be at ground
zero again, and would be exceedingly difficult,” she said during a breakfast roundtable at Albright Stonebridge Group, a Washington consultancy firm where she currently works. She pointed out that Russia, China, European countries and India are invested in Iran, and if the U.S. were to consider reimposing sanctions on Iran, these countries may oppose it. “The Iran deal was not made by U.S. alone. It was made with Russia, Germany, the U.K., China, the EU and all 15 members of the UNSC.”
Campaign promise During the campaign, Mr. Trump had promised to scrap the Iran nuclear deal. But the “cooler heads” in the Trump administration have realised the complexities involved, said Prem G. Kumar, who served on the National Security Council under Pres-
Wendy Sherman, who led the negotiations with Iran.
ident Barack Obama. Mr. Kumar, who was part of the White House team for West Asia, said disruption of the deal through other means could also be counterproductive.
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Denver church brings together god and ganja The International Church of Cannabis is meant for people who use marijuana for ‘spiritual purposes’, says founder Jacey Fortin
or the International Church of Cannabis in Denver, there were three reasons to celebrate on Thursday. First, it was opening day. The church, a more than century-old building recently adorned with brightly coloured paintings by artists Kenny Scharf and Okuda San Miguel, welcomed the public early in the afternoon, at which time no cannabis consumption was allowed inside. “It seemed to be a nice steady flow of people,” said Lee Molloy, a founder of the church and a member, who estimated that a couple of hundred people had come by. Second, it was April 20, an unofficial holiday of sorts for marijuana users. There CM YK
F
have been disagreements as to why the number 420 has taken on significance in the cannabis community, but Steve Berke, the church’s media relations director, did not want to worry about that. “It’s a number that everybody’s adopted, and we’re adopting it too,” he said. The church closed its doors to the public after 2 p.m. local time, leaving only invited visitors, who were allowed to light up for a private 4:20 ceremony. And third: A challenge to the church’s legality, in the form of an amendment proposed in the State’s House of Representatives, was shut down almost as quickly as it arose on Thursday morning. All told, it was a good day for the church’s membership, which
National security The unusual step of launching an investigation comes as Mr. Trump is pressuring China to do more to rein in an increasingly belligerent North Korea. Diverging from the Obama administration's approach to the issue, which relied largely on filing complaints to the World Trade Organization (WTO), Mr. Trump ordered a probe under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, which lets the President impose restrictions on imports for reasons of national security.
U.S. negotiator says Tehran reached the pact with a group of world powers, not just with Washington
Local media report looting and street clashes in Caracas
Ongoing unrest: A woman who fell after being overcome by tear gas is aided by fellow protesters in Caracas on Thursday
Security hole: A bullet hole on a shop window of the Champs Elysees boulevard in Paris. AP
Crime record As the day progressed, details of Cheufri started emerging. He had been detained in February for threatening police but later freed due to lack of evidence, The Associated Press reported. Cheufri, according to media reports, served 15 years in prison for a conviction on three counts of murder, including two against police officers. He was out on parole in 2015. Some in the local media speculated that the attacks could push voters towards Ms. Le Pen’s far right Front National but it is not certain how the incident would influence the voters. “In a way, it is too late,
and also we have been living with such fears and events for a long time now,” Oliver Tonneau, an academic at the Cambirdge University who is associated with leftist candidate Jean Luc Melenchon’s campaign, told The Hindu. Mr. Tonneau felt that the attack could have had an impact on the poll if the candidates had the time to position themselves around the event in specific terms, rather than generally condemning it as they have done. Francois Godement of the European Council of Foreign Relations, a pan-European think tank, said there might be a marginal but non-material impact from the attack. “It’s like getting a second shot of a vaccine — it’s a reminder. But it won’t be more than marginally,” Mr. Godement said to The Hindu, adding that “again, this is not anything new.”
‘Trump unlikely to upend Iran deal’
Death toll in Venezuela protests touches nine A man was killed in a protest in the Venezuelan capital on Thursday night, an official said on Friday, marking the ninth death in a wave of sometimes violent demonstrations against President Nicolas Maduro’s government. Melvin Guaitan died of a bullet wound in the slum of Petare, municipal Mayor Carlos Ocariz said via Twitter. Local media reported looting and street clashes with security forces in poor areas of Caracas late on Thursday and early on Friday. Opposition leaders have promised to keep up their protests, demanding that Mr. Maduro’s government call regional elections that have been delayed since last year, free almost 100 jailed
Belgium, turned himself into the police after seeing his name on TV in connection with the attack, but has since been cleared of involvement.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday launched a trade probe against China and other exporters of cheap steel into the U.S. market, raising the possibility of new tariffs and sending shares of some U.S. steel makers up over 8%. Citing concerns about national security, Mr. Trump made the announcement at a White House ceremony with U.S. steel executives from Nucor Corp., United States Steel Corp. and TimkenSteel Corp. alongside Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, a billionaire businessman who made part of his fortune investing in the steel business. “Steel is critical to both our economy and our military,” said Mr. Trump. “This is not an area where we can afford to become dependent on foreign countries.” Mr. Trump won many votes in industrial States like Michigan and Pennsylvania with a pledge to boost manufacturing and crack down on Chinese trade practices.
ballooned to more than 200 people from around 50 this week after increased media attention. Colorado legalised recreational marijuana in 2012 and has been finetuning its regulations ever since. It is still illegal to smoke in Denver’s public spaces. And some decisions on legal usage are still left up to cities, creating a patchwork of laws that legislators are still working to consolidate.
No specific dogma Mr. Berke and Mr. Molloy are founding members of Elevation Ministries, the religious non-profit behind the church. “We thought we could do something different, something unique,” Mr. Berke said, explaining that the church adheres to no specific
An awakening: Visitors check out the artwork at the opening of the International Church of Cannabis in Denver. AFP *
dogma. “We’re building a community of volunteers, and the common thread is that they use cannabis to positively influence their lives, and they use cannabis for spiritual purposes,” he said. Not everyone was happy to hear about the new church. Dan Pabon, a Democrat in the State’s House, had a bill on
marijuana regulation making its way through the legislature. On Thursday morning, he tried to add an amendment banning cannabis consumption in churches. It was, he said, a move inspired by the International Church of Cannabis. Elevation Ministries “is basically leveraging and capitalising on the usage
laws that we have in Colorado,” he said. “I think it offends both religious beliefs everywhere, as well as the voters’ intent on allowing legalisation of marijuana in Colorado.” But some of Pabon’s fellow representatives did not buy it. In the end, the amendment was not formally introduced. Still, Pabon hopes the Senate will consider bringing it up again in the coming weeks. Mr. Molloy said that while church members have done their due diligence abiding by existing laws and meeting with city officials, it would be a constant challenge to stay abreast of changing regulations. But he added that he was proud to see the church open its doors. “It’s a world-class piece of art,” he said of the renovated building. “It’s a masterpiece. And I think the city of Denver is lucky to have it.”
NYT
“If the administration were to put Iran under... sanctions for some other reasons — terrorism, support for Hezbollah etc.— then Iranians will also at some point withdraw from their part of the obligation, the centrifuges will start spinning again, they will keep the heavy water they are not supposed to. As the Trump administration has begun to speaking again, some of the cooler heads have begun to realise it, including Secretary of Defense James Mattis and [NSA] General McMaster... Before they pursue with a more confrontational path, there will be a number of voices in the administration that will advise restraint.” He said the Trump administration was likely to continue with rigorous implementation of the deal while honouring the key provisions of the agreement.
The Trump administration and the U.S. Congress are under tremendous pressure from key U.S. allies Israel and Saudi Arabia to tighten the screws on Iran. The Iran deal was one of the reasons why relations of these two countries with the U.S. frayed under the Obama administration. Michael Oren, Israel’s Deputy Minister for Diplomacy, argued in a newspaper piece this week that Iran is a bigger threat than Syria and North Korea combined. The U.S Congress is considering new sanctions against Iran for alleged state sponsorship of terrorism. “Congress has a major role in the relations with Iran. It has teed up legislation for additional sanctions for state sponsorship of terrorism by Iran, but they are probably going to wait on it until the Iranian election which is on May 19,” Ms, Sherman said.
Madhesis willing to participate in local polls ‘Govt. should address our concerns’ Kallol Bhattacherjee New Delhi
Marking a major shift in strategy, agitators from Nepal’s plains on Friday declared that they would participate in the upcoming elections if Kathmandu addresses “some” of the concerns about constitutional amendments. This was discussed in a meeting between the Madhesi leaders and the government of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, even as five political parties from Nepal’s plains united to form a single platform. “We have begun to negotiate with the government on the elections that will be held in three phases starting on 14 May. We know that government may not address all our demands, but we are willing to participate
in the election if the government addresses at least some of our demands,” said senior Madhesi leader Upendra Yadav after the meeting. The new shift is a significant development in view of the earlier Madhesi position on boycotting the three-tier elections to be held in Nepal. The discussion between two sides that began on Friday is likely to continue on Saturday, said Mr. Yadav. There are unconfirmed reports that a highlevel special envoy from New Delhi has also reached Kathmandu to assist the negotiations. The unification of the political parties took place a few days after Nepal’s Foreign Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat said that the Madhesi parties are unprepared to face the electorate. A ND-ND
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market watch 21-04-2017
% CHANGE
Sensex dddddddddddddddddddddd 29,365 ddddddddddddd -0.19 US Dollar dddddddddddddddddddd 64.61 ddddddddddddd -0.08 Gold ddddddddddddddddddddddddddd 29,800 ddddddddddddd -0.03 Brent oil ddddddddddddddddddddd 51.89 ddddddddddddd -1.61
HDFC Bank net rises 18%, provisions damp
NIFTY 50 PRICE CHANGE
ACC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1495.45. . . . . . -15.60 Adani Ports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326.00. . . . . . . . -6.40 Ambuja Cements. . . .. . . . . . 239.40. . . . . . . . -1.70 Asian Paints. . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 1065.45. . . . . . . . . 6.65 Aurobindo Pharma . . . . . . 633.20. . . . . . . . -1.20 Axis Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 486.25. . . . . . . . -1.75 Bajaj Auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2824.30. . . . . . . . -7.20 Bank of Baroda . . . . . .. . . . . . 175.20. . . . . . . . -4.45 Bharti Airtel . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 342.80. . . . . . . . . 0.05 Bosch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22406.25. . . -192.35 BPCL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 715.80. . . . . . . . -5.50 Cipla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 564.45. . . . . . . . -9.60 Coal India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277.00. . . . . . . . -2.40 Dr Reddys Lab . . . . . . . .. . . . 2609.65. . . . . . . . -2.85 Eicher Motors. . . . . . . . .. 25610.55. . . . . 108.75 GAIL (India). . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 399.50. . . . . . . . -2.25 Grasim Ind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1129.75. . . . . . -17.70 HCL Tech. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 812.75. . . . . . . . -2.15 HDFC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1507.45. . . . . . . . -9.65 HDFC Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1496.60. . . . . . . 34.45 Hero MotoCorp . . . . . .. . . . 3203.20. . . . . . . . . 4.80 Hindalco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188.10. . . . . . . . . 1.65 Hind Unilever . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 906.40. . . . . . . . -9.30 Indiabulls HFL . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 989.90. . . . . . . 10.65 ICICI Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269.15. . . . . . . . -3.60 IndusInd Bank . . . . . . . .. . . . 1435.00. . . . . . . . . 7.40 Bharti Infratel . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 352.85. . . . . . . 10.15 Infosys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 923.70. . . . . . . . -3.60 Indian OilCorp . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 424.75. . . . . . . . -2.55 ITC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274.35. . . . . . . . -5.15 Kotak Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 880.40. . . . . . . . -8.75 L&T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1687.50. . . . . . . . . 6.30 Lupin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1407.85. . . . . . -19.60 M&M . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1258.20. . . . . . -13.50 Maurti Suzuki . . . . . . . . .. . . . 6185.80. . . . . . -87.70 NTPC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167.20. . . . . . . . . 3.50 ONGC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180.25. . . . . . . . . 1.15 PowerGrid Corp . . . . .. . . . . . 205.60. . . . . . . . -3.30 Reliance Ind . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 1402.50. . . . . . . 32.95 State Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282.20. . . . . . . . -2.60 Sun Pharma . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 639.60. . . . . . -16.35 Tata Motors . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 440.60. . . . . . . . -3.35 Tata Motors DVR. . . .. . . . . . 270.45. . . . . . . . -0.90 Tata Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84.15. . . . . . . . . 0.00 Tata Steel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450.85. . . . . . . . -3.55 TCS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2310.80. . . . . . -14.70 Tech Mahindra . . . . . . .. . . . . . 427.65. . . . . . . . . 7.15 UltraTech Cement . .. . . . 3978.35. . . . . . -28.40 Wipro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 491.25. . . . . . . . -8.50 YES Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1544.15. . . . . . . . -1.00 Zee Entertainment . . . . . . 528.60. . . . . . . . -4.85
EXCHANGE RATES Indicative direct rates in rupees a unit except yen at 4 p.m. on April 21 CURRENCY
TT BUY
TT SELL
US Dollar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 64.41. . . . . . . 64.73 Euro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 68.86. . . . . . . 69.20 British Pound . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 82.28. . . . . . . 82.69 Japanese Yen (100) . .. . 59.03. . . . . . . 59.32 Chinese Yuan . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 9.35. . . . . . . . . 9.40 Swiss Franc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 64.48. . . . . . . 64.80 Singapore Dollar . . . . . . .. . 46.08. . . . . . . 46.32 Canadian Dollar . . . . . . . . .. . 47.81. . . . . . . 48.05 Malaysian Ringitt . . . . . .. . 14.64. . . . . . . 14.72 Source:Indian Bank
BULLION RATES
CHENNAI
April 21 rates in rupees with previous rates in parentheses Retail Silver (1g) . . . . . . . . . . . 44.90. . . . . (45.30) 22 ct gold (1 g) . .. . . . . . . . . . . 2,826. . . . . (2,822)
The amount set aside for bad loans doubled to ₹1,261.8 cr. SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT MUMBAI
HDFC Bank on Friday reported fourth-quarter net profit rose 18.3% to ₹3,990.10 crore after a doubling of provisions for bad loans slowed profit growth. Total provisions for the three months ended March 31 surged to ₹1,261.8 crore from ₹662.5 crore in the year-earlier period. This was mainly due to a increase in loan loss provisions to ₹978 crore, from ₹490 crore. “The specific loan loss provisions for the quarter ended March 31, 2017, include provisions on accounts that would have turned non-performing (NPA) during the quarter ended December 31, 2016, but were classified as NPA during the quarter ended March 31, 2017, in line with the additional 60/90 day dispensation provided by the Reserve Bank of India,” the private sector lender said in a statement. Small businesses are facing a cash crunch in the wake of demonetisation and the banking regulator had allowed an additional 60 to 90 days for borrowers to repay dues before a lender could classify the loan as non-performing.
Overdue accounts The bank had classified all such overdue accounts as NPAs during the JanuaryMarch quarter itself, though the RBI’s dispensation allows a lender to make such classification over the next two quarters, Paresh Sukthankar, deputy managing director, HDFC Bank, said in a post earnings teleconference. Gross non-performing assets increased to 1.05% of its gross advances as on March 31, compared with 0.94% a
Deposit mix: The bank contained ixed deposit growth at 7.9%, thus making low-cost CASA deposits 48% of the total. year earlier. The net interest income (interest earned less interest expended) for the quarter rose 21.5% to ₹9,055.1 crore, driven by average assets growth of 19% and a core net interest margin for the quarter of 4.3%, according to the bank. The lender’s other income climbed by 27.6% to ₹3,446.3 crore. Deposits registered a growth of 17.8% year-on-year with both current and savings account deposits showing a growth of more than 30%. At the same time, the bank contained fixed deposit growth at 7.9%, and as a result current and savings account deposits —which are low-cost deposits — were 48% of total deposits as on March 31, 2017. Investors cheered the results, including the stability in asset quality, with HDFC Bank shares climbing 2.4% to close at a record high of ₹1,496.75.
Fund raising plan PTI reports: HDFC Bank will raise up to ₹50,000 crore through debt securities and infrastructure bonds over
the next 12 months. In a filing to the BSE, HDFC Bank said the board had approved the issue of debt instruments, Tier II bonds and long term infrastructure bonds of up to ₹50,000 crore. The securities would be issued on private placement basis, HDFC Bank said, adding that the approval of shareholders for the issuance would be sought in the ensuing annual general meeting. The bank further said that it would pay a dividend of ₹11 on every equity share of ₹2 each out of its net profit for the financial year ended March 31, 2017.
Gopinath reappointed The board also approved the reappointment of Shyamala Gopinath as part time nonexecutive chairperson of the bank for the period January 2, 2018, to June 19, 2019. Mrs. Gopinath had served as a Deputy Governor at the Reserve Bank till June 2011 and handled key portfolios including banking regulation, financial markets and exchange rate.
Jaitley raises H-1B issue with U.S. Commerce Secretary
KKR exits Dalmia Bharat
Highlights contribution of Indian skills to the U.S. economy
Special Correspondent
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA WASHINGTON
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has raised with U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross India’s concerns over the Trump administration’s move to tighten the H-1B visa regime, highlighting the key role played by Indian professionals in boosting the American economy. President Donald Trump this week signed an executive order for tightening the rules of the H-1B visa programme to stop its “abuse” and ensure that the visas are given to the “most-skilled or highest paid” petitioners, a decision that would impact India’s $150 billion IT industry. The Indian IT industry has expressed serious concerns over the U.S.’ move to tighten the rules for grant of the H-1B visa, mainly used by domestic IT professionals for short-term work. During the meeting, Mr.
Arun Jaitley
Jaitley raised the issue of recent executive orders which indicate a possible tightening of the H-1B visa regime. He outlined the significant contributions that skilled Indian professionals have made to the U.S. economy and expressed the hope that the U.S. administration will take this aspect into consideration while taking any decision. During the meeting — the first cabinet-level interaction
between the two countries under the Trump Administration — Mr. Ross is believed to have said that the U.S. has started the process of reviewing H-1B visas issues and no decision has been taken on them yet, they said. Mr. Ross is understood to have said that whatever the outcome of the review process, the Trump administration’s objective is to have a merit-based immigration policy that gives preference to highly-skilled professionals. The executive order signed by Mr. Trump earlier this week calls for a review of H-1B visas by the departments of State, Labour, Homeland Security and Justice. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows U.S. companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in specialised fields.
Ashok Leyland to invest ₹600 cr. To set up facilities in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Africa’s Ivory Coast, Kenya CHENNAI
to touch ₹5,000 crore.” he said.
Ashok Leyland, the flagship of the Hinduja Group, is planning to invest up to ₹600 crore over the next five years in setting up new units, increasing capacity and developing new vehicles, a top official said on Friday. “This amount will be used for capacity building, developing new platform for building modular vehicles, technology development and BS-VI testing among other things,” said Vinod K. Dasari, managing director, Ashok Leyland. “Besides, the capex [capital expenditure] will be used for setting up new units in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Ivory Coast and Kenya. The Ras Al Khaimah, Dubai plant capacity will be doubled,” he said. “The new units in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana will become operational within the next 12-18 months and it would be used for bus body building,” said Nitin Seth, president, LCV, Ashok
BS-III vehicles Due to the Supreme Court ban on sale of BS-III vehicles from April 1, 2017, Ashok Leyland was left with unsold stock of 10,664 vehicles. “There is no major financial impact. It was not fun, but pain. All these vehicles are with us. It will take at least two to three months to convert it into BS-IV vehicles. We have already finished converting 250 vehicles. We are not in a hurry,” he said. Ashok Leyland started making BS-IV compliant vehicles in 2010 but they could not be rolled out for want of BS-IV fuel. However, the firm has already started making BS-VI vehicles. On Friday, the company showcased its range of ‘future-ready’ products based on the indigenously developed Intelligent Exhaust Gas Recirculation (iEGR) technology for BS-IV engines at Ashok Leyland Global Conference 2017 in Chennai.
Special Correspondent
Building capacity: Chairman Dheeraj Hinduja (left) and Vinod Dasari, MD, in Chennai on Friday. BIJOY GHOSH *
Leyland. “We will be coming out with a new product by September to complete our product portfolio for domestic and international markets. For the short term, a capex of ₹400 crore has been planned,” he said. Anuj Kathuria, president, Global Trucks said the new units in Ivory Coast and Kenya would be used for assembling trucks, buses or light commercial vehicles (LCVs). The plants would be set up either as joint ventures or wholly-owned subsidiaries.
Mr. Dasari said one new product will be rolled out every quarter. At the same time, he wanted his team to give a thrust to exports by selling at least one product in the international market for every product sold in the domestic market. The company had won tenders for mine-protected vehicles and bulletproof vehicles from defence forces, he said adding that the revenue from defence sector was almost ₹500 crore last year. “It should grow by 3x in five years and 10x over the next few years
Ease BHIM refund process, IT Minister Prasad tells NPCI
‘Aadhaar system is secure’
Feedback on cumbersome procedure spurs diktat
Special Correspondent
Yuthika Bhargava NEW DELHI
IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has instructed National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to smoothen the refund mechanism for BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money) application. “This follows feedback highlighting that the process of getting a refund in BHIM application is more cumbersome compared to other applications,” a senior IT ministry official said. The issue was raised dur-
ing the second review meeting on digital payments chaired by Mr. Prasad. “In the meeting, it was pointed out that now 56 crore bank accounts have been linked to Aadhaar, of the total 97 crore back accounts,” the official said, adding that the lag was due to some issues in states such as Assam and Meghalaya. According to government data, as on December 2017, Assam and Meghalaya have the lowest Aadhaar penetration at 6% and 9%,
respectively. This means that about 41% of the bank accounts are still to be linked to Aadhaar. Further, the banks have been instructed to invest in and strengthen their IT infrastructure to deal with the rising number of digital payments and improve transaction success rates. Additionally, every bank has been instructed to have at least 30 Aadhaar biometric machines at every branch, and that 50 lakh such devices be installed in the current year.
NEW DELHI
Electronics and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad Friday said that the Aadhaar system of biometric identification is secure and is backed by a law that is tough on the misuse of data. “You need to understand that if a banker is seeking authentication, Aadhaar system does not know for what purpose the bank is seeking authentication… is it for opening bank account or something else? We only authenticate that the person is who he says he is,” he said.
Chennai
Global private equity firm KKR has sold its entire 8.43% stake, or 75 lakh shares, in Dalmia Bharat Ltd. for more than ₹1,500 crore in open market transactions. According to information available on the BSE, KKR’s arm KKR Mauritius Cement Investments Ltd. sold the shares at an average price of ₹2,050 a share in various tranches. Kuwait Investment Authority, Birla Mutual Fund, Franklin Templeton and a slew of other funds were the buyers. In 2010, KKR had invested ₹500 crore in Dalmia Bharat’s unit Dalmia Bharat Cement. Last year, KKR signed an agreement under which Dalmia Bharat bought back the stake for ₹600 crore and issued 75 lakh shares on a preferential basis at ₹825 apiece, making KKR the biggest institutional shareholder in the firm.
Trump is diferent from others: Panagariya India must focus on domestic market and raise its global merchandise exports Special Correspondent NEW DELHI
NITI Aayog vice-chairman Arvind Panagariya on Friday said that U.S. President Donald Trump is different from other politicians who have played the protectionism card in past electoral campaigns, as he is actually “carrying forward” what he had promised ahead of the election. While the U.S. has seen several waves of protectionism over the past decades — directed at Japan in 1980s and China in the 1990s, Mr. Panagariya said the current administration’s approach is “conceptually” different. “One fundamental difference from the past is that typically protectionist sentiments always came to the fore during election camCM YK
paigns as it happens to be more popular than the theme of open markets and an outward looking policy. But once the election has been won, the President who came in basically took charge of global trading system and say, ‘Okay, I will advance it further,’ and backed off from the election rhetoric,” he said.
Campaign promises “That is different this time around. The new President has come in, and at least so far, we have seen what President Trump had said in his election campaign, he is carrying that forward,” he said, though there seems to be some rethink going on on some fronts. India, however, shouldn’t take a “terribly pessimistic
Arvind Panagariya
view of the situation of global protectionism,” he said. While services exports may suffer due to visa curbs, Mr. Panagariya said India must focus on the domestic market as well as increasing the country’s share in global merchandise exports. “The global market is an
extremely large market. Merchandise exports alone are worth about $16-$17 trillion. Another $5-6 trillion dollar is services. Our share in merchandise exports is about 1.7%,” he pointed out. “So what happens to the size of the market, whether it is $16 trillion or $18 trillion, is not of as much consequence as how much share is India able to get of this pie,” he said. “If we can get 4-5% of this pie, regardless of what happens to the size of this pie, we will go places. For that, it is important that we focus on what happens in India than what happens there outside of it,” he said. To spur job creation, Mr Panagariya said that Indian entrepreneurs need to enter sectors such as clothing which are labour-intensive. A ND-ND
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IN BRIEF
Civil Aviation Ministry to check overbooking by airlines Weighs guidelines for situations when ticket holders are denied boarding
Royal Enield opens subsidiary in Brazil
Somesh Jha
MUMBAI
NEW DELHI
Royal Enield on Friday inaugurated its irst direct distribution subsidiary in the Brazilian city of São Paulo apart from opening its irst stand-alone lagship store there. Brazil is the fourth biggest two-wheeler market in the world and this subsidiary makes the second one for the Eicher Motorsowned irm outside the country. The newly-formed Royal Enield Brazil is also present in Colombia. PTI
The Civil Aviation Ministry has swung into action to crack down on the incidence of overbooking on domestic flights which rose by more than 60% in the last eight months despite stiff compensation rules for airlines. Such overbooking has resulted in thousands of passengers being denied boarding despite holding a ticket. “We may issue clear guidelines for airlines to follow in case they deny boarding to passengers on overbooked flights,” said a senior ministry official. Civil Aviation Secretary R.N. Choubey has called a meeting with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) chief B.S. Bhullar and other officials from the DGCA and the Civil Aviation Ministry to discuss the rising number of boarding denial cases in 2016-17.
VW told to pay $2.8 bn. in emissions scandal DETROIT
A judge on Friday ordered Volkswagen to pay a $2.8 billion criminal penalty in the U.S. for cheating on diesel emissions tests, blessing a deal negotiated by the government for a “massive fraud” orchestrated by the German automaker. The judge stuck to the plea deal during the sentencing hearing, six weeks after VW pleaded guilty to conspiracy and obstruction of justice in a scheme involving nearly 600,000 cars in the U.S. AP
PMGKY declaration date extended to May 10 NEW DELHI
The government on Friday said declarations on tax payment and deposits under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana can be made till May 10. “The CBDT has extended the date of iling of declaration under the PMGKY to May 10 in cases where tax, surcharge and penalty... has been paid on or before March 31 and deposit... has been made on or before April 30,” an oicial statement said. PTI
CM YK
Fresh guidelines While an outright ban on the practice of airlines overbooking flights is not being considered yet, the Ministry may issue fresh guidelines for domestic airlines on overbooked flights. Many airlines in India as well as abroad tend to issue confirmed bookings to more passengers than the number of seats available on a flight in anticipation of a few ticket cancellations and to reduce the possibility of departing with empty seats. Airlines may deny boarding even in cases when passengers may be holding confirmed bookings for travel on a flight. Passengers get compensation in form of cash, hotel accommodation or alternative
flight for being denied boarding. Earlier this month, American carrier United Airlines forcefully evicted a passenger on a ‘sold out’ ChicagoLouisville flight but its brand as well as stock value took a hit as the video of the incident went viral on the social media. The cases of overbooked flights have risen sharply since last year even after the government’s steep increase in compensation to passengers in August last year. In the eight months between August 2016 and March 2017, 14,270 passengers on domestic Indian flights were not allowed to board their flights — a 60% increase from the yearearlier period. Jet Airways accounted for the highest proportion of cases related to boarding denial at 84%, followed by Air India with 11.1% of such cases from August 2016-
March 2017 after the higher compensation regulation kicked in. “There are adequate penalties on airlines for denying boarding to passengers. It can be reviewed time to time based on feedback from passengers and other stakeholders,” said Amber Dubey, partner and India head of aerospace and defence at global consultancy KPMG.
Cost versus penalty “At the same time, penalties should not be so excessive that airlines find it cheaper to fly empty seats. Every empty seat comes at a cost. That cost will ultimately be recovered from passengers,” he added. Mr. Dubey said the number of denied boarding cases in 2016-17 stood at about 2 per 10,000 passengers in India — far less than the international trend which is about 6-7 per 10,000 passengers.
“Overbooking is a global phenomenon. It helps maximise capacity utilisation and hence bring down airfares. “Overbooking is done considering statistical trends of last minute cancellations and also availability of alternate flights on that sector,” Mr. Dubey said. Global airline body International Air Transport Association said overbooking of seats helps in keeping fares low as airlines maximise their revenue by filling more seats. “Airlines should be allowed to continue long-established overbooking practices,” the IATA’s position paper on flight overbooking had said. “The airline business is unique in that once a flight takes off, the seats on that flight are no longer available for sale; it’s a time-sensitive, perishable product,” the paper had said.
Berger eyes acquisitions; opts for ‘mother’ brand strategy Target must have distribution reach, product range: CEO Special Correspondent KOLKATA
The city-based Berger Paints India Ltd. (BPIL) may be closing in on an acquisition, which may take place by September 2017, according to sources. “We always look at acquisitions,” said Abhijit Roy, managing director and chief executive officer, BPIL. “If it is an attractive one and meets our requirements we will go for it,” he added. However, he said he would not comment on any acquisition targets specifically. He said Berger would be interested in an acquisition only if the target company offered an opportunity to expand distribution reach, product range and national and international brands. Berger is present in the domestic and industrial paint, powder and protective paint categories. It had
ITC mulls bid for Taj Mansingh Press Trust of India
Brand spectrum: The Kolkata-based paint-maker had diferent brand names such as Berger and BJN Paints India.
made its last acquisition in 2013 when it had bought the decorative or home paints business of the U.S.-based Sherwin Williams’ India unit. It has 12 units now (including its latest unit in Assam and Maharashtra) with a total capacity of six lakh tonnes. He said BPIL would now have a mother-brand called
‘Berger’ encompassing all sub-brands. The Kolkata-based paintmaker had different brand names such as Berger and BJN Paints India. On Friday, BPIL filed with SEBI the draft scheme of amalgamation of BJN Paints India with itself saying that the business of BJN Paints India can now be combined with and carried on with BPIL.
‘Holistic policy must for afordable drugs’ Make medicines afordable to the poor
New Delhi
Diversified conglomerate ITC is learnt to be evaluating options for making a bid for the Taj Mansingh hotel, following the Supreme Court’s decision to allow the NDMC to e-auction the iconic property. The Tata Group hospitality arm, Indian Hotels Company, has already said it intends to participate in the bidding for the property, which it has been running for decades. ITC declined to comment. However, a company source said the company is evaluating its strategy.
Special Correspondent HYDERABAD
A policy framework which seeks to achieve the goal of making medicines affordable and accessible to the poor is necessary for the pharmaceutical industry, according to K. Satish Reddy, Chairman, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd. The framework must be holistic in its approach, involve all the stakeholders and focus on serving the patients, he said addressing a seminar organised by the Bulk Drug Manufacturers Association (India) in
Hyderabad. Mr. Reddy also said there was a need to create a vision where everybody was aligned instead of decisions being taken “arbitrarily.”
Bulk drugs Pointing to how issues concerning the pharmaceutical industry came under the purview of different ministries, he said it was time for action, given that Indian exports were declining. Mr. Reddy said the country had lost the prominence it once enjoyed in bulk drug manufacturing.
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THE HINDU
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SATURDAY, APRIL 22, 2017
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Raina leads Lions to victory
Sunrisers getting into the groove Bowlers hold the key for Supergiant
Knight Riders set a stif target, but succumb to a collective onslaught
G. Viswanath Pune
IPL-10
The time has arrived for a handful of teams that have notched up impressive victories in the last fortnight of the VIVO IPL to take their game plan to the next level, win more and secure their berth in the playoffs. Last year’s winner Sunrisers Hyderabad is one among the three teams that figures in the top half of the table with four wins and eight points from half a dozen matches. On Saturday, Sunrisers will complete its half-way stage when it locks horns with Rising Pune Supergiant for the first time in this year’s league. On current form, the Sun-
Y.B. Sarangi KOLKATA
Suresh Raina led from the front with a valiant 46-ball 84 and an allround show as Gujarat Lions recorded a stunning four-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Eden Gardens here on Friday night. Raina's second half-century enabled Lions to overhaul a target of 188 set by KKR with 10 balls to spare and stop its slide by securing its second victory. Even as KKR handed the new ball to spinners Shakib Al Hasan and Sunil Narine, the Lions openers Brendon McCullum and Aaron Finch gave a breezy response by stealing 42 off just 21 balls. Finch butchered the home attack, hammering four fours and two sixes. McCullum smashed boundaries all around the park and helped Lions to 62 for one in five overs when a drizzle stopped play for halfan-hour. Placed far ahead of the D/L target at the rain interruption, Lions, ironically, lost some momentum due to the break. Even though Lions lost four wickets under pressure, captain Raina, who got a reprieve on one, maintained his composure and smacked nine fours and four sixes, on the leg-side, to keep his team in the hunt. Displaying his breathtaking strokeplay, Raina shared a crucial 31-ball 58-run stand with Ravindra Jadeja. Raina took his team to the threshold of victory before getting out to Kuldeep Yadav.
Narine’s record Earlier, Sunil Narine hit a 17ball 42, containing nine fours and a six over mid-off. It became an IPL record — the highest number of runs scored only in boundaries — and provided KKR another dazzling start.
CM YK
risers seems to have the edge. After two back-to-back defeats against KKR and MI, David Warner’s team got back to winning ways against Kings XI Punjab and Delhi Daredevils. Warner has shown good form, making 239 runs and Shikhar Dhawan 205. However, it was Kane Williamson’s 51-ball 89 which helped Sunrisers set a formidable target of 192 and get the better of Daredevils by 15 runs on Wednesday. The IPL rule of allowing teams to field only four overseas players have made things that much tougher for captains and team managements, but Warner wrote Williamson’s name for the first time in the playing XI
against Daredevils, and the New Zealander showed his class. After turning out to be the key wicket-taker for Sunrisers, leg-spinner Rashid Khan made way for the crafty seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar to come into his own, and lead the bowling honours list with 15 wickets. The home team has leaned heavily on skipper Steve Smith (180 runs), Ajinkya Rahane (119) and Ben Stokes (100). The local talent, Rahul Tripathi, has caught the attention of the discerning with his fearless strokeplay. The bowling pack will have to restrict the Sunrisers and deliver another win for the Supergiant.
Delhi batters have to ire Mumbai will look to take on Daredevils’ attack Nandakumar Marar MUMBAI
In ine form: Gujarat Lions skipper Suresh Raina came up with a 46-ball 84 to put paid to Kolkata Knight Riders’ hopes.
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The pinch-hitter cleanly drove the ball into the gaps and made room to slot it over the infield to plunder runs on both sides. The Lions bowlers struggled to find the right length, leaking 44 runs in the first three overs. Narine contributed 42 off his 45-run opening-wicket stand with Gautam Gambhir before being caught at midwicket in Suresh Raina's first over and the team's fourth. Gambhir (33) and Robin Uthappa forged a 69-run stand in which Uthappa played a dominant role. After Gambhir's dismissal, Uthappa joined hands with
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KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS VS GUJARAT LIONS
Kolkata Knight Riders: Sunil Narine c Faulkner b Raina 42 (17b, 9x4, 1x6), Gautam Gambhir c Raina b Faulkner 33 (28b, 2x4, 1x6), Robin Uthappa c McCullum b Praveen 72 (48b, 8x4, 2x6), Manish Pandey b Thampi 24 (21b, 2x4), Yusuf Pathan (not out) 11 (4b, 2x4), Suryakumar Yadav run out 1 (1b), Shakib Al Hasan (not out) 1 (1b); Extras (lb-2, w-1): 3; Total (for five wkts. in 20 overs): 187. Fall of wickets: 1-45 (Narine, 3.2 overs), 2-114 (Gambhir, 11.3), 3-169 (Uthappa, 18.2), 4184 (Manish, 19.3), 5-186 (Suryakumar, 19.5). Gujarat Lions bowling: Praveen
Kumar 2-0-24-1, James Faulkner 4-0-38-1, Basil Thampi 4-0-44-1, Suresh Raina 2-0-11-1, Dhawal Kulkarni 2-023-0, Ravindra Jadeja 4-031-0, Dwayne Smith 2-0-14-0. Gujarat Lions: Aaron Finch c Manish b Coulter-Nile 31 (15b, 4x4, 2x6), Brendon McCullum c Manish b Woakes 33 (17b, 5x4, 1x6), Suresh Raina c Manish b Kuldeep 84 (46b, 9x4, 4x6), Dinesh Karthik c Gambhir b Coulter-Nile 3 (3b), Ishan Kishan c Umesh b Kuldeep 4 (11b), Dwayne Smith b Umesh 5 (4b, 1x4), Ravindra Jadeja (not out) 19 (13b, 1x4, 1x6), James Faulkner (not out) 4 (2b); Ex-
tras (lb-4, nb-1): 5; Total (for six wkts. in 18.2 overs): 188. Fall of wickets: 1-42 (Finch, 3.3), 2-73 (McCullum, 6.2), 381 (Karthik, 7.2), 4-115 (Kishan, 11.4), 5-122 (Smith, 12.4), 6180 (Raina, 17.5). Kolkata Knight Riders bowling: Shakib Al Hasan 3-0-31-0, Sunil Narine 4-0-42-0, Coulter-Nile 3.2-0-41-2, Woakes 2-0-20-1, Kuldeep Yadav 4-0-33-2, Umesh Yadav 2-0-17-1. Toss: Gujarat Lions. Man-of-the-match: Raina. Lions won by four wickets with 10 balls remaining.
Manish Pandey to add 55 runs. Uthappa, who had a close shave on six when Finch could not grab a hard chance at long-on off Raina, chose the leg-side to flex his arms apart from making some
improvisations. The Bangalorean, who struck two majestic sixes off Dhawal Kulkarni and Basil Thampi over mid-wicket, got his second half-century, a 48ball 72, before hoisting Praveen Kumar to McCullum
in the 19th over. Lions regained some ground, due to the economy of its spinners and intelligent bowling from James Faulkner and Thampi, conceding 78 runs in the last nine overs.
The Delhi Daredevils batsmen have not done justice to their talent this season of the IPL. Both of the team’s wins — against Rising Pune Supergiant and Kings XI Punjab — from its five matches so far were accomplished on the field by defending modest scores. Against a Mumbai Indians in red-hot form on Saturday, the visitors will struggle to make an impact unless the batsmen pull their weight. The exception among the Daredevils batsmen has been Sanju Samson. His confidence at the crease has resulted in a promotion from one-drop to opener, and the smooth-stroking batsman continues to compile runs effortlessly. Led by Zaheer Khan, who will be familiar with the conditions at the Wankhede, the Daredevils bowlers will back experience and skill. Chris Morris heads the pack with 12 dismissals while Pat Cummings and the skipper have
POINTS TABLE
TEAM Mumbai Indians Kolkata Knight Riders Sunrisers Hyderabad Delhi Daredevils Kings XI Punjab Royal Challengers Bangalore Gujarat Lions Rising Pune Supergiant
seven wickets each. With spinners Shahbaz Nadeem, Amit Mishra and Jayant Yadav also doing their bit against the big hitters, the attack has performed adequately well, only to see under-achieving batsmen dilute their efforts. Mumbai’s batsmen will yet be a handful for this pack. The left-handed Nitish Rana is an inspiration for domestic batsmen looking to make an impression in the IPL. Krunal Pandya, Hardik Pandya and Parthiv Patel adapt so well that no chase can be deemed impossible. Mumbai’s success is even
M 6 6 6 5 6 6 6 5
W 5 4 4 2 2 2 2 2
L 1 2 2 3 4 4 4 3
PTS 10 8 8 4 4 4 4 4
NRR +0.623 +0.709 +0.587 +1.157 -0.606 -0.747 -0.769 -0.942
more admirable considering the flickering form of its two impact players, Rohit Sharma and Lasith Malinga. “Mumbai Indians have been on a roll, playing extremely good cricket. We certainly can beat them, we have the skill and firepower to do it,” said Daredevils allrounder Angelo Mathews. “All of the games we’ve lost this time, we were very close (to winning) but could not pull if off. “We don’t have too many superstars in our team, but we have a good set of players who can win games. That is what matters.”
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THE HINDU
SATURDAY, APRIL 22, 2017
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IN BRIEF
Aizawl gears up for the big day
Former England footballer Ehiogu dies LONDON
Former England and Aston Villa defender Ugo Ehiogu passed away after suffering a suspected heart attack. He was 44. Tottenham Hotspur confirmed the news on its official Twitter handle. Ehiogu, the Aston Villa, Middlesbrough and Sheffield United defender, who retired in 2009, collapsed at Tottenham’s training centre on Thursday, where he was the under-23 coach. ANI
Velavan in inal again ROODEPOORT (SOUTH AFRICA):
India’s emerging player Velavan Senthilkumar came up with another standout show to reach the final of the West Rand Open, a PSA world tour event here on Thursday. In the semifinals he ousted fourth seed Tristan Eysele (South Africa) 16-14, 1513,11-7. This is the second successive PSA event final that the young Indian will be playing in, in just under 10 days.
Needs a win to nose ahead in title race; Bagan has the edge on head-to-head count
Red Army to be at full throttle
Amitabha Das Sharma
Special Correspondent
AIZAWL
AIZAWL
One of the tiniest States that currently supplies the largest number of professional footballers in the country is gearing up for the biggest glory in Indian club football. The watershed moment in Mizoram’s rapid emergence as a football power will be realised if Aizawl FC beats Mohun Bagan in the 17th round match of the I-League at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium on Saturday. Aizawl FC coach Khalid Jamil hoped that the passion of the supporters and the commitment of his players will help in surmounting the might of Mohun Bagan, the traditional superpower of Indian football.
Red Army — a group of around 250 dedicated supporters who literally drum up support wherever Aizawl FC is playing — will be at full throttle on Saturday. “This group is formed out of passion for football that Aizawl FC defines,” says David Zohmangaiha, the leader of the Red Army. The Army moves in with its band of supporters accompanied by drums and cymbals charging the movements and songs that grow into a roar gradually engulfing the whole stadium. “This is a way to show
Difficult match “It is a very difficult match, but I am looking for a positive result,” Jamil said. While both sides are tied on points — 33 from 16 matches — Mohun Bagan has a slight edge on the head-tohead count. Having beaten Aizawl 3-2 at home, Mohun Bagan needs a draw to dictate terms.
Aizawl needs a win to get the equation in its favour and nose ahead in the title race before the final round. “One should remember that we won the last I-league title in 2015, playing the decisive match ‘away’ (against Bengaluru FC),” Sen, who brought the national crown back to Mohun Bagan after a
I-LEAGUE 13-year gap, has every reason to be hopeful. “We are still at the top of the table and we will give the best effort to keep the status intact,” Sen said. Both coaches can pick the best eleven as there is no in-
Anshuman overcomes Aakash The tournament has attracted around 500 entries Sameer 11-5, 11-7, 11-5; Mayank Sachdeva bt Siddhant Sinha 1412, 7-11, 11-8, 12-10; Mohit Bhatt bt Nakshtra Sharma 11-5, 11-0, 11-4. Aaryaman Jaising bt Vasuman Baisla 11-4, 11-1, 11-4; Aryan Khandelwal bt Amaan Habibulla 11-1, 11-2, 11-1; Niranjan Sundararajan bt Vansh Chopra 11-3, 11-4, 11-2. Dhruv Vazirani bt Saatwik Narang 11-6, 11-4, 11-0; Lakshit Bohra bt Gaurav Kumar 11-4, 11-5, 11-6; Nikhil Jason bt Kulvir Sharma 11-7, 11-7, 13-11; Kabir Rebello bt Ishwak Singh Barmi 11-1, 11-2, 11-3; Ishaan Singh bt Angad Virk 11-2, 11-3, 11-3. Arman Darukhanawalla bt Hemant Kumar 11-7, 11-5, 11-9; Ekam Singh bt Rishit Dunga 11-7, 11-5, 12-10; Shubham Sehgal bt Saiyam Madan 11-1, 11-3, 11-3; Yash Salunkhe bt Ansh Gupta 11-2, 12-10, 11-7; Athrva Yadav bt Ahaan Bhansali 11-3, 11-7, 11-4. Under-13 (pre-quarterfinals): Jaivir Singh Dhillon bt Dhruv Choudhary 11-3, 11-3, 11-1. Under-11 (pre-quarterfinals): Siddhant Rewari bt Tavneet Singh Mundra 11-3, 11-6, 11-5; Bhav Makhija bt Shayaz Attari 11-7, 11-5, 12-10; Gurveer Singh bt Vedant Chheda 12-10, 11-9, 8-11, 11-9. Avalokit Singh bt Rohan Sharma 11-9, 11-7, 11-5; Anshuman Jaising bt Aakash Kannan 15-13, 4-11, 11-8, 12-10; Arjun Somani bt Uday Bharti 11-6, 11-4, 6-11, 9-11, 11-4. Girls: Under-17 (pre-quarterfinals): Mithali Surana bt Pranjal Kumar 11-0, 11-0, 11-4; Aamna Munjal bt Shreyal Jain 11-1, 11-5, 11-7; Bhavna Goyal bt Iteeva Pande 11-3, 11-5, 11-2; Rewa Sharma bt Aarushi Nadar 11-0, 11-0, 11-1; Tanu Raj w/o Advika Dwivedi.
NEW DELHI
Anshuman Jaising fought his way past Aakash Kannan 1513, 4-11, 11-8, 12-10 in the under-11 boys’ pre-quarterfinals of the Gymkhana Classic squash tournament at the Delhi Gymkhana Club courts. With events being held in the under-11, 13, 15 and 17 age groups for boys and girls apart from men, women, over-35 and over-45 age groups, the tournament has attracted about 500 entries from around the country. The results: Boys: Under-17 (second round): Saksham Choudhary bt Yohann Poncha 11-3, 11-4, 11-2; Didar Rebello bt Utkarsh Rastogi 11-7, 11-8, 11-4; Jairaj Singh bt Aaditya Khandelwal 11-4, 11-4, 11-3; Deepak Mandal bt Udhay Veer Arora 11-5, 11-6, 11-6; Diwakar Singh bt Aman Kumar 11-5, 11-6, 11-1. Tejas Chawla bt Zahaan Heeramaneck 11-2, 11-1, 11-3; Araash Mehta bt Ashwin Kandath 12-10, 11-2, 11-13, 11-7; Sankalp Anand bt Karata Dasmahapatra 11-1, 11-7, 11-3; Utkarsh Baheti bt Harsh Kumar 11-7, 11-5, 11-7. Suraj Chand bt Siddharth Dua 11-2, 11-2, 11-1; Yashwanth Ragav bt Jayasai Yarram 11-3, 11-3, 11-2; Gautam Nagpal bt Vedansh Kushwaha 11-3, 11-5, 11-1; Prithvi Singh bt Akshat Bhatia 11-3, 11-0, 11-1. Arjun Singh bt Kishore Arvind 8-11, 11-8, 11-9, 9-11, 1210; Jaideep Singh Sethi bt Shaurya Verma 11-5, 11-4, 11-3; Rahul Baitha bt Sajid Khan 11-3, 11-5, 11-6. Under-15 (third round): Navaneeth Prabhu bt Md.
“This is the time to show the true ability of Aizawl FC,” Zohera says. Much like the millions of supporters that give the 128-year-old Mohun Bagan the pride of place in Indian football, the Red Army symbolises the rising community support for the much younger Aizawl FC (formed in 1984), which is looking to find a permanent place in the map of footballing excellence in India.
Picturesque: The Rajiv Gandhi Stadium at Aizawl will host the most important game of the season — the potential title decider between Mohun Bagan and Aizawl FC — on Saturday.
GENERAL
Special Correspondent
our passion, and the expectations we have from our club,” David, also famous in the State as the first Mizo to climb the Mount Everest (in 2013), adds.
Under-15 (pre-quarterfinals): Megha Bhatia bt Yastika Khemka 11-1, 11-0, 11-0; Sarah Vethekar bt Antara Pande 11-5, 11-2, 11-3; Sunita Patel bt Smriti Bajaj 11-1, 11-5, 11-1; Gurlin Kaur bt Sonam Pahlajani 11-0, 11-0, 11-2; Anjali Semwal bt Alma Ali 11-2, 11-6, 11-3; Tanishka Jain bt Parinstha Surya 11-5, 11-2, 11-3; Amira Singh bt Adya Wadhwa 11-1, 11-1, 11-0. Under-13 (first round): Divyanshi Thapa bt Myra Sahunja 9-11, 11-5, 12-14, 11-5, 11-6. Under-11 (first round): Shagun Upadhyaya bt Shristi Thakur 10-12, 14-12, 10-12, 11-9, 11-6; Chhavi Saran bt Nandini Jain 11-9, 8-11, 11-7, 11-6.
Sarthak on song Delhi Ranji Trophy player Sarthak Ranjan scored an unbeaten 101 as Paras Group beat Ram Pal Cricket Academy by five wickets to enter the pre-quarterfinals of the 27th all-India Om Nath Sood memorial cricket tournament. Left-arm spinner Mohit Badesra picked up four wickets and medium-pacer Nitin Basoya took three for the winning side. Vishal Rana took three wickets for just 10 runs for RPCA. The scores: RPCA 166 in 37.5 overs (Hardik Pahwa 39, Aniket Seth 36, Mohit Badesra four for 30, Nitin Basoya three for 28) lost to Paras Group 168 for five in 24.5 overs (Sarthak Ranjan 101 not out, Abhishek Goswami 41, Vishal Rana three for 10).
Ash stars for TG Titans A fine all-round display by Ash Gupta (67 runs and two wickets) helped TG Titans
beat Saya Rowdy Rhinos by 17 runs to lift the 5th Roshanara Premier League title. Zoravar Singh took three wickets for the winner while Puneet Manchanda’s efforts with both bat and ball went in vain for the losing side. The scores: TGT 175 for eight in 20 overs (Ash Gupta 67, Deepak Malhotra 41, Akhil Vanjani 30, Puneet Manchanda three for 43, Sukhman Singh three for 28) bt SRR 158 for nine in 20 overs (Danish Gandhi 52, Puneet Manchanda 46, Zoravar Singh three for 22).
Manish, Lalit shine in Sporting Club’s win Manish Sehrawat (77) and Lalit Yadav (71) scored halfcenturies as Sporting Club beat Vikas Puri Coaching Centre by 129 runs in the first Admiral Cricket League. The scores: Sporting Club 272 in 39.5 overs (Manish Sehrawat 77, Lalit Yadav 71, Anmol Sharma three for 53) bt VPCC 143 in 37 overs (Anurag Kanojia 38, Parth Madaan 35, Ajju Singh three for 14).
jury concerns or suspensions. Haitian playmaker Sony Norde, who orchestrates Mohun Bagan’s attacks, will be key to visitor’s aspirations. Katsumi Yusa, the hardworking midfielder, has a huge role to play in connecting defence to offence. Brazil’s Eduardo Ferreira
Aizawl also has talented foreigners including Liberian forward Alfred Jaryan, Syrian Mahmoud Amna in midfield and Nigerian Kingsley Eze in defence. The squad has the maximum number of wins (10) this term.
James leads Cavaliers to victory
CRICKET
Agence France-Presse
NEW DELHI
Los Angeles
Even as the High Court-appointed Administrator Justice Vikramajit Sen grapples with the responsibility entrusted on him to set things right in the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA), a section of officials associated with the conduct of the game for decades has questioned the delay in the audit process that had been one of their key demands. “Three months since the appointment we are wondering why the accounts have not been audited yet? asked a member. The cricket fraternity in the Capital has placed immense faith in Justice Sen cleansing the DDCA but some of the veteran officials are not happy with the delay in the auditing of the accounts. The auditing of DDCA accounts is considered a key element in identifying the problems afflicting the association. “One of the mandates is to expose corrupt officials since the DDCA is yet to submit the balance sheet for 2012-13, 2013-14 and
LeBron James led a second half assault as the Cleveland Cavaliers set a playoff record by storming back from a 25-point half-time deficit to defeat the Indiana Pacers 119-114 on Thursday. James tallied 41 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists for the Cavaliers, which seized a 3-0 lead in the best of seven Eastern Conference first-round series. Cavaliers were down by 25 points at half-time and as much as 26 at one point in the contest. They are the first playoff team in history to erase a 25-point halftime deficit and win. The results (playoffs, best of seven series): Cleveland Cavaliers 119 bt Indiana Pacers 114 (Cavaliers lead series 3-0); Milwaukee Bucks 104 bt Toronto Raptors 77 (Bucks lead series 2-1); Memphis Grizzlies 105 bt San Antonio Spurs 94 (Spurs lead series 2-1).
Ajit, Japjot shine for Achievers Academy Ajit Rawat’s unbeaten 50 and Japjot Singh’s fourwicket haul helped Achievers Academy beat Gyanti Academy by one wicket in the 15th Swastik Cup cricket tournament. The scores: Gyanti Academy 164 in 38.1 overs (Rajender Rawat 54, Japjot Singh four for 14) lost to Achievers Academy 166 for nine in 39.2 overs (Ajit Rawat 50 not out; Ishan Arora three for 27).
is the mainstay in Bagan’s defence.
Aizawl’s heartbeat: The Red Army that drums up support for the home team.
DDCA audit: delay questioned Vijay Lokapally
2014-15. “Unless urgent measures are taken the wrongdoings of some of the officials would be wiped out,” asserted the official. According to sources, the minutes of the Executive Committee meeting have not been submitted despite one of the top DDCA officials promising to do so. “This delay only raises doubts about the process,” added the official. Old-timers at the Ferozeshah Kotla have also expressed disappointment at some of the proposals in the new constitution to be approved at the next Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the DDCA. The new constitution has a provision for an 18-member Executive Committee, which is nine less than the existing one. “Why do we need such a big Executive Committee? It will hardly help in smooth functioning of the DDCA,” pointed out a senior official. The new proposal includes nine office-bearers, 10 directors and three Government nominees on the board.
The official claimed, “The Lodha Committee has recommended a nine-member Apex Council which should run an association. The Apex Council should have five office-bearers (president, vice-president, secretary, joint secretary and treasurer), two representatives from the Players’ Association, one member from the CAG and one Government nominee.” Recently, a meeting was held under the guidance of former India captain Bishan Singh Bedi to form a Players' Association and former India all-rounder Kirti Azad was recommended for the post of president. The recognition for this Players’ Association too has been delayed since Justice Sen and his team have been pre-occupied with the smooth conduct of the ongoing IPL matches at the Ferozeshah Kotla. “It will be in the fitness of things that a thorough audit is ordered, for fair and accurate findings,” said the official. It is learnt that Deloitte will be asked to do the audit.
TENNIS
Vishnu & Balaji triumph Sports Bureau Bukhara (Uzbekistan)
LeBron James.
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Second seeds Sriram Balaji and Vishnu Vardhan beat top seeds Sergey Betov and Vladyslav Manafov 6-4, 7-5 in the final of the $25,000 ITF Futures tennis tournament in Bukhara, Uzbekistan, on Friday.
AFP
The results: $25,000 Futures, Bukhara, Uzbekistan: Final: Sriram Balaji & Vishnu Vardhan bt Sergey Betov (Blr) & Vladyslav Manafov (Ukr) 6-4, 7-5. $25,000 ITF women, Santa Margherita di Pula, Italy: Semifinals: Ankita Raina & Eva Wacanno (Ned) bt Tereza
Mrdeza (Cro) & Caitlyn Williams (USA) 6-1, 6-3. $15,000 ITF women, Cairo: Quarterfinals: Dominique Karregat (Ned) bt Sowjanya Bavisetti 6-1, 6-2; Doubles semifinals: Mariam Bolkvadze (Geo) & Tereza Mihalikova (Svk) bt Sowjanya Bavisetti & Rishika Sunkara 6-3, 7-5.
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21 Tree-dwelling boar wanders off... True! (8) 23 Resignation from small newspaper's Misc. section (8) 24 A limit? On the contrary, be plentiful! (6) 25 Observe learner taking question in Part II (6)
■ ACROSS 7 Complaint resulting from picking up fruit repeatedly (8) 8 Saw mister carelessly leaving drug for you (6)
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4 Damsel I steered away from fool (7)
5 Learner's caught up in label — 'Perfectionist' (8)
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Devotee’s privilege
3 "What do you do with the drum? Out!" (4,2)
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26 Say we could have this in certain garments (8)
6 Question is not fanciful (6)
9 Does a college-goer settle himself on it? (4,2,8)
15 Rottweiler's bone falls into pit — awful! (8)
17 Ugly sight presented by the thrashing of gay ogler (8)
Solution to puzzle 11987 C
18 Plant short Indian community put adjacent to small pit (7)
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10 Company popular in retaining right associate (6)
1 Drink persons not conident enough on card play have with the French (3,4,7)
20 Settled lowly man, with help, at the top (4,2)
11 The French offender leaves one man teary (8)
2 Princess' command causes confusion (8)
22 Arm brother on cattle station (6)
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I M P H S E P A B L E L I R I F T O R E R S L A P I E S A S H I T I H E E L E D R T
Solution to yesterday’s Sudoku
In the Gita, Krishna speaks highly of devotion and His devotees whom He always holds dear in His heart, even as they love and cherish Him. There are thus as many equations between the Lord and His devotees as there are staunch devotees, pointed out Jaya Srinivasan in a discourse. The devotion of Pusalar Nayanar is extolled in the Periyapuranam. This Nayanar was so devoted to Siva and built a temple for the Lord in his heart, with love, affection and total dedication. Every minute aspect of construction was taken care of. He had requested the Lord to be present for the consecration once it was completed and Siva had given His word. It so happened that the local king had also built a temple and prayed to Siva to grace it with his presence during the consecration. Siva had to decline the king’s request since the date and time for the consecration happened to coincide with that of Pusalar Nayanar’s temple. As Bhishma, a realised soul and a devotee, breathes his last, he is blessed to have the vision of that great Lord, a privilege extended to only extremely blessed souls like him. He is so overwhelmed by the Lord’s infinite compassion. He breaks forth into a hymn in praise of the Lord. He recalls the fierce fight he had put up in the battlefield against Arjuna and how Krishna had intervened to protect Arjuna. The Lord had jumped down from the chariot and rushed at Bhishma, like a lion intent on killing an elephant. He relives the emotional impact and pressure of this incident once again. What a grand way to stand by the word of His devotee by breaking His own vow that He would not take weapons during the war? Bhishma, who is now rid of all delusions, gets liberated in the presence of the Lord. A ND-ND
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IN BRIEF
Real, Atletico renew CL rivalry
Ibra blow mars United’s progress The talismanic striker may not play again this season; Lyon beats Besiktas 7-6 on penalties Agence France-Presse Manchester
Serena has no intention of quitting: Mouratoglou PARIS
Serena Williams has no intention of calling time on her tennis career after her shock announcement that she is pregnant, but will not play again this year, her coach Patrick Mouratoglou said on Friday. “Saying exactly when she will come back (next year) is not something she cares about right now,” he told AFP. “But she does not want to stop here. She won the Australian Open (in January when she would have been eight weeks pregnant) and will probably become World No. 1 next week. She feels she can still dominate tennis.” AFP
Clement eyes Terry move if Swansea survives LONDON
Swansea City manager Paul Clement says he is interested in signing John Terry when the veteran central defender leaves Chelsea this summer, providing his struggling side avoids relegation from the Premier League. “If we stay up why wouldn’t we be interested?” asked Clement. “I know John very well as a player and a person and I would be more than happy to speak to him.” AFP
Manchester United reached the Europa League semifinals for the first time after beating Anderlecht 2-1 on Thursday, but at the cost of a potentially serious injury to Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The talismanic Swede, 35, had to go off after damaging his right knee late in the game at Old Trafford and may not play again this season, while United also lost centre-back Marcos Rojo. United prevailed courtesy an extra-time strike by Marcus Rashford, which secured a 3-2 aggregate success, after Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s opener was cancelled out by Sofiane Hanni. “I don’t think they are easy injuries, but I prefer to wait until all the tests are done and then speak. But the news is fairly negative I think,” United manager Jose Mourinho told BT Sport. “It is an important title and we have to keep going. Today showed how difficult it is. We are not expecting anything easy in the semifinals.” The scrappy, sapping victory means Mourinho’s side remain on course to claim the only major trophy missing from the club’s collection. Elsewhere, Ajax reached its first European semifinal in
Barcelona’s Brazilian superstar Neymar, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James were among seven sports figures named on Thursday in Time magazine’s annual list of the world’s most influential people. Polarizing NFL free-agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick also appeared on the list that included pioneers, artists and leaders. Chicago Cubs general manager Theo Epstein, 2016 Olympic gold-medal gymnast Simone Biles and Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion Conor McGregor were also on the list of 100. AFP
Kerala posts its second straight win KOZHIKODE
Host Kerala prevailed over Madhya Pradesh 3-2 to post its second straight win in the National sub-junior football championship here on Friday. In the day’s other match, Mizoram crushed Odisha 5-2. The results (preliminary league): Pool A: Kerala 3 (G.G. Abhijith 26, Shahil 36, Abhay Shanmukhan 38) bt Madhya Pradesh 2 (Rittik Sil 69, Laishram Binod Meitel 90). Mizoram 5 (Lalnun Sanga 16, Lalrem Puia 45, Lalro Kima 68, Zo Sangpuia 72, Lalbiakliana 74) bt Odisha 2 (Ashanta Kerketa 67 & 89).
Harikrishna holds Karjakin SHAKMIR (AZERBAIJAN)
Indian GM P. Harikrishna started his campaign with a draw against Sergey Karjakin of Russia in the Shakmir chess tournament on Friday. The World No. 14 Indian had to share the spoils with his higher-rated opponent after a long and hard-fought match which lasted 40 moves. Karjakin seemed to want to catch the Indian by surprise, but Harikrishna handled the situation tactfully and led the game towards neutral territory. At the end of the day’s action, Harikrishna was in the fifth position. PTI
TV PICKS
The Committee of Administrators has shot down a proposal by the BCCI to allow it to engage its own independent lawyers to plead in court. The BCCI members had discussed this particular matter at the Special General Meeting in New Delhi on April 18. A CoA direction to the BCCI on April 6 had said: “The CEO alone shall continue to sign all pleadings, affidavits, applications etc., in respect to legal proceedings filed by or against the BCCI. The CEO alone shall continue to issue instructions to advocates/legal advisors in
West Indies vs Pakistan, 1st Test, Day 2, 8.30 a.m., Ten 3. I League: Aizawl vs Mohun Bagan, 2 p.m., Churchill Brothers vs Chennai City, 4.30 p.m., Bengaluru FC vs DSK Shivajians, 7 p.m., Ten 2.
CM YK
Fox in the box: Marcus Rashford stepped up to the plate, scoring the winner in extra time.
20 years with a 4-3 aggregate win over Schalke after extra time. Leon Goretzka and Guido Burgstaller scored in the space of three second-half minutes to cancel out Ajax’s advantage from the first leg. Daniel Caligiuri hit Schalke’s third after 101 minutes thanks to Sead Kolasinac’s fine cross. But Nick Viergever quickly levelled on aggregate before Amin Younes hit a last-
EUROPA LEAGUE minute winner for the Dutch who finished the game with 10 men after Joel Veltman had been red-carded in the 80th minute. Celta Vigo reached a European semifinal for the first time after a 1-1 draw at Genk gave it a 4-3 aggregate win over the Belgians. In Istanbul, Lyon beat Besiktas 7-6 on penalties after
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the Turkish side had won 2-1 on the night to level the tie at 3-3. United will now play Celta Vigo and Lyon will take on Ajax in the semifinals. The draw was made on Friday, with United and Lyon getting home matches in the second legs. The first legs take place on May 4, with the return legs on May 11. The results: Genk 1 (Trossard 67) drew with Celta Vigo 1 (Sisto 63). Celta Vigo wins 4-3
on aggregate. Besiktas 2 (Talisca 27, 58) bt Lyon 1 (Lacazette 34) after extra time; 3-3 on aggregate — Lyon wins 7-6 on penalties. Schalke 3 (Goretzka 53, Burgstaller 56, Caligiuri 101) bt Ajax 2 (Viergever 111, Younes 120) after extra time; Ajax wins 4-3 on aggregate. Manchester United 2 (Mkhitaryan 10, Rashford 107) bt Anderlecht 1 (Hanni 32) after extra time; Man United wins 3-2 on aggregate.
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relation to fresh as well as pending legal proceedings, under the supervision and control of the Committee of Administrators.”
Deliberations On Friday, the four-member CoA, comprising Vinod Rai (chairman), Ramchandra Guha, Vikram Limaye and Diana Edulji, met BCCI jointsecretary Amitabh Choudhary and deliberated on the two resolutions adopted at the SGM concerning the proposed changes to the ICC’s constitution and financial model. Choudhary, who has been nominated by the Supreme Court to attend the ICC
board meeting in Dubai on April 26, will request the International body to defer all decisions to the annual conference in London in June, or oppose the Special Working Group’s proposals. The CoA also informed Choudhary about its interactions with the heads of other full member countries in the last month. It also asked Choudhary as to how the BCCI could even think of invoking a clause in the Members Participation Agreement and pull out of the Champions Trophy when the final vote on the ICC constitution and financial model is to be taken in June.
Dream debut
Associated Press Monte carlo
Gritty win: Broken early, David Goin seemed down and out in the decider, but dug in to eventually go on and beat Novak Djokovic for the irst time in his career. REUTERS *
Djokovic saved the first match-point with an ace, the second one on his second serve, the third with a stinging forehand winner and the fourth when Goffin chopped a backhand into the net. But a sloppy unforced error on the forehand gave Goffin another chance, and the Belgian took it with a deep forehand right on the line that Djokovic swiped
back off balance into the net. Goffin, who had taken just one set off Djokovic before Friday, grabbed his head with both hands. After beating Cilic, RamosVinolas said he remains perplexed at the source of his top form. “To be honest, I think I’m playing good. I’m competing very good. But I cannot tell you exactly what’s happen-
“Every detail will count and we will have to be very careful, they defend very well and have high-quality players who know how to take advantage of mistakes,” he told BeINSports. Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon broke ranks, saying that he would prefer to avoid a wily Atletico side because it is out of La Liga title race so can rest players for Europe. Buffon, one of the best goalkeepers of all time but who has never won the Champions League, got his wish in missing out on Diego Simeone’s side, which would dearly love to get one over Real and Ronaldo this time on Europe’s biggest stage. But instead he must face teenage striking sensation Kylian Mbappe, 18, and a rejuvenated Radamel Falcao in a last-four encounter that will be an interesting contrast — Juventus with their dogged, brilliant defence and a Monaco team that loves scoring goals. The French side — Buffon labelled it “feisty” — is full of attacking vim and has hit a staggering 141 goals in all competitions this season.
Arothe is women’s team coach G. Viswanath Pune
Gotcha: With his second delivery in Test cricket, Mohammad Abbas had Kraigg Brathwaite caught by second slip Younis Khan, as visitors Pakistan reduced the West Indies to 71 for four at Lunch on the opening day of the irst Test at Sabina Park on Friday. AFP *
Ramos-Vinolas on a roll; Pouille beats Cuevas to make semiinals David Goffin beat Novak Djokovic for the first time in his career, winning 6-2, 3-6, 7-5 to reach the semifinals of the Monte Carlo Masters on Friday. In other quarterfinal matches on Friday, Albert Ramos-Vinolas followed up his third-round victory over World No. 1 Andy Murray with another upset, beating fifth-seeded Marin Cilic 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-2 and Lucas Pouille rallied to beat Pablo Cuevas 6-0, 3-6, 7-5. Cuevas however had the consolation of going through to the doubles semifinals as he and Rohan Bopanna pipped top seeds Henri Kontinen and John Peers 3-6, 6-3, [13-11]. The 10th-seeded Goffin had lost all previous five matches to Djokovic, and looked to be heading for another defeat when the World No. 2 led 4-2 in the decider. But Goffin broke him in the eighth game and held firm on his own serve when taken to deuce in a tight 11th game. The pressure was back on Djokovic to hold and force a tiebreak, but Goffin kept coming at him.
Holder Real Madrid faces Atletico Madrid in the Champions League semifinals as the rivals battle once more while French surprise-package Monaco takes on Juventus, following the draw at Nyon, Switzerland, on Friday. The all-Madrid showdown is a rerun of the 2014 and 2016 finals in Europe’s top club competition, with a Cristiano Ronaldo-inspired Real victorious on both occasions in cagey affairs that they failed to settle after 90 minutes each time. Real — aiming to become the first team to retain the Champions League — will host Atletico at the Santiago Bernabeu on May 2 and a free-scoring Monaco side, brimming with some of Europe’s hottest talent, is home to Juventus on May 3, with the second legs the following week. Real Madrid director and former striker Emilio Butragueno said: “We know each other very well, this is the fourth time we meet Atletico in the Champions League but it will not be a final this time.
AP
Goin takes out Djokovic in quarters ing,” the 29-year-old said. “I played good tournaments in South America in February on clay. Here I’m playing really good, competing all the points. I cannot really tell you what is happening.” On facing Pouille on Saturday, Ramos-Vinolas said: “I know Pouille, he’s a young player coming very strong. It will be super difficult.” After Cuevas had fought back to take it into the third set, Pouille held serve easily at the start of the decider and then broke Cuevas for 2-0. But Cuevas reeled him back in, and served for the match at 5-4. However, a cross-court backhand gave Pouille break-point, which he took when Cuevas sank a backhand into the net. With Cuevas serving at 5-6, Pouille clinched victory on his second match-point when the former hit another backhand long. The results: Quarterfinals: David Goffin bt Novak Djokovic 6-2, 3-6, 7-5; Albert RamosVinolas bt Marin Cilic 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-2; Lucas Pouille bt Pablo Cuevas 6-0, 3-6, 7-5. Doubles: Rohan Bopanna & Pablo Cuevas bt Henri Kontinen & John Peers 3-6, 6-3, [13-11].
ATHLETICS
Pathak and Seema win 3000m gold Special Correspondent HYDERABAD
Raj Shekhar Pathak of Delhi clocked 8min 42.93secs to clinch the 3000m gold in the boys’ under-18 section of the National youth athletics championships at the Gachibowli Stadium here on Friday. Earlier, the meet was inaugurated by Athletics Federation of India secretarygeneral C.K. Valson. Present on the occasion were famous athletes of the past such as Anju Bobby George, P. Shankar, Nagamani, Kalpana Reddy, Dhanalaxmi and Najeebullah Qureshi.
The results: Boys (under-18): 3000m: 1. Raj Shekhar Pathak 8:42.93 (Del); 2. Vikas 8:43.15 (Har); 3. Avinash Patel 8:53.88 (UP). Discus: 1. Abhay Gupta 58.80m (Har); 2, Sahil Silwal 53.74 (Har); 3. Basukesh Poonia 53.73 (Raj). High jump: 1. Gurjit Singh 2:04m (Har); 2. Anandhu K.S. 2.02 (Ker); 3. Swadin Kumar Majhi 1.96 (Odi). Girls (under-18): 3000m: 1. Seema 9:56.25 (HP); 2. Poonam Sonune 10:02.14 (Mah); 3. Amritha Patel 10:04.85 (UP). Shot put: 1. Yogitha 14.31m (Har); 2. Paramjot Kaur 14.14m (Pun); 3. Poorna Rao Rane 13.82m (Mah).
Seema of Himachal Pradesh who won the girls’ 3000m.
Former Baroda all-rounder Tushar Arothe has replaced Purnima Rau as the Indian women’s team coach for the quadrangular series to be played in South Africa from May 4 to 21 . South Africa, India, Ireland and Zimbabwe are the four competing teams. Arothe was the coach of the Indian women’s team from 2009 to 2012-13. It’s understood that Arothe’s name was proposed by senior players Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami and Harmanpreet Kaur. “The team cannot have two coaches, and hence Arothe has been appointed for the South Africa tour. As of today, only Anil Kumble and Rahul Dravid have a contract, the others are all appointed tour-bytour basis. The same applies to the women’s team also; Arothe has been appointed for the series in South Africa,’’ said a BCCI official. It was also confirmed by the official that all eligible retired women cricketers have been given the onetime benefit.
Junior paddlers bag three bronze Press Trust of India Mumbai
Indian junior paddlers bagged three bronze medals in the Belgium junior and cadet open table tennis championship, which is part of the ITTF World Junior Circuit, according to information received here. The results: Semifinals: Girls: Rebekka Carlsen (Nor) bt Archana Kamath 7-11, 7-11, 911, 12-10, 11-9, 11-6, 13-11. Doubles: Lisa Lung (Bel) & Amy Wang (USA) bt Moumita Dutta & Selena Selvakumar 11-5, 7-11, 11-6, 11-4. Boys: Doubles: Leo De Nodrest (Fra) & Jules Rolland (Fra) bt Manush Shah & Manav Thakkar 9-11, 11-7, 11-2, 11-4.
VOLLEYBALL
Gujarat and Tamil Nadu enter women’s quarterinals Special Correspondent KOCHI
Cricket:
Lyon
CoA declines BCCI’s plea for independent lawyers Pune
LOS ANGELES
Agence France-Presse
CRICKET
G. Viswanath
Neymar in Time’s ‘most inluential’ list
Monaco up against a dogged Juventus
Defending champion Gujarat and last year’s semifinalist Tamil Nadu qualified for the women’s quarterfinals of the 43rd National junior volleyball championship at Paravur near here on Friday. Both Gujarat (group-A)
and Tamil Nadu (group-B) have three wins each in their five-team group and play their last league match on Saturday. The results (league): Boys: HP bt MP 25-15, 25-21, 23-25, 2520; Telangana bt Tripura 25-14, 25-23, 25-15; WB bt UP 34-32, 25-23, 25-15; Rajasthan bt Bihar
25-10, 25-23, 25-18; Punjab bt Delhi 25-14, 25-14, 25-9; Manipur bt Chhattisgarh 25-21, 2517, 25-22; Gujarat bt Jharkhand 25-16, 25-19, 25-23; Assam bt Maharashtra 25-23, 23-25, 25-23, 2517; TN bt Puducherry 25-17, 2520, 25-18; Odisha bt AP; MP bt Tripura 25-23, 25-16, 16-25, 25-
22; UP bt Telangana 25-17, 2225, 25-17, 25-22; Kerala bt Gujarat 24-26, 25-16, 29-27, 25-16. Girls: Punjab w/o AP; J&K w/o Chandigarh; Gujarat bt MP 2516, 25-11, 25-12; Rajasthan bt Delhi 25-15, 25-17, 25-20; TN bt UP 25-9, 25-18, 25-9; Chhattisgarh bt Bihar 25-7, 25-8, 25-8; UP bt Jharkhand
25-21, 25-7, 23-25, 25-21; Telangana bt Puducherry 25-14, 2522, 25-11; WB bt Maharashtra 25-13, 26-24, 25-16; Odisha bt MP 2515, 25-11, 25-14; Maharashtra w/o HP; WB bt Telangana 25-16, 2516, 25-12; Kerala bt Chhattisgarh 26-24, 25-15, 25-12. A ND-ND
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IN BRIEF
Two Israelis on Booker shortlist Treasure found in a piano British school and an instrument tuner to share the reward
The selected novels span the epic and the everyday, says judging chair Agence France-Presse London
Singer Cuba Gooding Sr. found dead in car LOS ANGELES
Cuba Gooding Sr., who sang the 1972 hit Everybody Plays the Fool, has died. The 72year-old singer and father of Oscar winner Cuba Gooding Jr. was found dead in a car on Thursday in Los Angeles. The coroners say the cause of death is under investigation, but drug paraphernalia and alcohol were found in the car parked on a busy street. AP
World’s longest-reigning living monarch turns 91 LONDON
Britain marked Queen Elizabeth II’s 91st birthday on Friday with gun salutes, as the monarch celebrated quietly at home. The queen, who was crowned on February 6, 1952, is the world’s longest-reigning living monarch since the death of Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej. AP
Kunal Kapoor backs campaign for jawans MUMBAI
Actor Kunal Kapoor is backing a fundraising campaign called #SupergiantsForSoldiers that supports injured Army jawans. Kapoor on took to Twitter to share the story of one of the soldiers. “Help us, to help these inspiring soldiers, that haven’t let their disabilities come in the way of their achievements,” he wrote. IANS
CM YK
Two Israeli authors are among six writers shortlisted for this year’s Man Booker International Prize, organisers announced on Thursday. Three European writers and one from Argentina are also vying for the prize, awarded to a work of fiction translated into English and published in Britain. The International Prize is different from the Man Booker Prize awarded for the best original novel written in English and published in the U.K. One of the novelists, Amos Oz, makes the International Prize shortlist for the second time. Fellow Israeli writer David Grossman is another of the
Vying for an honour: Amos Oz, left, and David Grossman. finalists, while Argentina’s Samanta Schweblin is the only other non-European picked by the five judges. France’s Mathias Enard, Denmark’s Dorthe Nors and Norwegian Roy Jacobsen complete the shortlist. The finalists are competing for a £50,000 prize, which is divided equally between the author and the
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AP
translator. Whittled down from 13 hopefuls, judging chair Nick Barley said the shortlist announced in London “spans the epic and the everyday”.
Complex worlds “From fevered dreams to sleepless nights, from remote islands to overwhelming cities, these wonderful
novels shine a light on compelling individuals struggling to make sense of their place in a complex world,” he said. The 2017 winner will be announced on June 14 in a ceremony at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum. The prize was picked up last year by South Korean author Han Kang for The Vegetarian, which sold 1,60,000 copies in the U.K. The 2017 Man Booker International shortlist is A Horse Walks Into a Bar by David Grossman (Israel), Compass by Mathias Enard (France), Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin (Argentina), Judas by Amos Oz (Israel), Mirror, Shoulder, Signal by Dorthe Nors (Denmark) and The Unseen by Roy Jacobsen (Norway).
Agence France-Presse London
A British school and a piano tuner are to share the reward after hundreds of gold and silver coins from the Victorian era were found under the keys of a piano. The hoard of 913 sovereigns and half sovereigns — dating from 1847 to 1915 —was found before Christmas in Shropshire, central England, and might be the largest of the kind in Britain. Authorities qualified the hoard as a treasure, a status usually reserved for coins that are at least 300 years old. The sovereigns were discovered after the Bishops Castle Community College called in a piano technician to retune an upright piano
How a rodent survives near-sufocation Naked mole-rats can switch to a plant-like metabolism in low-oxygen conditions Reuters WASHINGTON
They are homely, bucktoothed, pink, nearly hairless and just plain weird, but one of the many odd traits of rodents called naked molerats that live in subterranean bliss in the deserts of East Africa could someday be of great benefit to people. Scientists on Thursday said the rodents, when deprived of oxygen in their crowded underground burrows, survive by switching to a unique type of metabolism based on the sugar fructose rather than the usual glucose, the only animal known to do so. Metabolising fructose is a plant strategy, and the researchers were surprised to see it in a mammal. They now hope to harness lessons learned from this rodent to design future therapies for people to prevent calamitous damage during heart attacks
or strokes when oxygenated blood cannot reach the brain. Naked mole-rats, they found, can survive up to 18 minutes with no oxygen and at least five hours in low-oxygen conditions that would kill a person in minutes. More closely related to porcupines than moles or rats, they thrive in colonies boasting up to 300 members, including a breeding queen in an insect-like social structure of cooperation in food-gathering and tunneldigging. With all those rodents breathing and clogging up burrows, they often encounter low-oxygen and high-carbon dioxide conditions.
Tough environment “Naked mole-rats have evolved in an extremely different environment from most other mammals and they have had millions of
Natural gift: Naked mole-rats have a unique biology.
years to figure out how to survive dramatic oxygen deprivation,” said neurobiologist Thomas Park of the University of Illinois at Chicago, who led the study published in Science.
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REUTERS
In low-oxygen conditions, they enter a coma-like state and release fructose into the blood. By shifting their metabolism from the normal glucose-based system that relies on oxygen to a fructose-
based system that does not, they can fuel vital organs such as the heart and brain. Naked mole-rats are nearly immune to cancer and do not feel many types of pain. As the only coldblooded mammal, they huddle together in mole-rat piles in order to keep warm. Their lips close behind their teeth so that they can dig with their teeth without getting dirt in their mouths. Their ears and eyes are tiny, and they have poor eyesight. “Fructose has been linked to obesity and metabolic syndrome but that’s because we over-consume it in sweet beverages and junk food. Perhaps there is a use, and an important one, for fructose in moderate doses after all,” added molecular biologist Jane Reznick of the Max DelbrŶck Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association in Berlin.
Some of the 913 gold coins found in a piano.
that had just been donated to the school. Martin Rickhouse, 61, finding the keys a bit stiff, removed them to find the coins carefully stitched into seven cloth-wrapped parcels and a single leather drawstring purse. The British Museum,
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AP
tasked with valuing the treasure, wrote in a blog post that the stash appears to have been collected over several decades and tucked away in the piano in the late 1920s. Some newspapers have estimated the hoard could be worth between £300,000 and £500,000.
Second World War crimes list now online May increase interest in archives Associated Press London
Holocaust denial just got a little harder. The Wiener Library for the Study of Holocaust & Genocide has made the United Nations’ files on the Second World War crimes more accessible by allowing the general public to search an online catalogue of the documents for the first time beginning Friday. People will still have to visit the library in London or the U.S. Holocaust Museum to read the actual files. The move is expected to increase interest in the archives of the United Nations War Crimes Commission, including the names of some 37,000 people identified as war criminals and security suspects. The commission oper-
ated from 1943 to 1949, but access to its records was restricted for political reasons in the early days of the Cold War. “This is a whole hardware store of nails to hammer into the coffin of Holocaust denial,” said Dan Plesch, director of the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy at SOAS University of London. Mr. Plesch and other researchers campaigned for the UN to open access to the files, which he used to write the book Human Rights After Hitler. In 2014, the U.S. Holocaust Museum made the archive freely available at its reading room in Washington. Prior to that, the records had been largely locked away at the United Nations, which granted only limited access.
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