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CHENNAI | THURSDAY, MAY 11, 2017 | 30 PAGES | METRO | PRICE ` 3.00 *
TIMES OF INDIA INCLUSIVE OF CHENNAI TIMES
AAP SUPPORTER ASSAULTS KAPIL MISHRA, WHO IS ON INDEFINITE HUNGER STRIKE 14
| TIMESOFINDIA .COM | EPAPER .TIMESOFINDIA .COM
VOLUME 10, ISSUE 112
ALVES SCORES A STUNNER AS JUVENTUS BEAT MONACO 2-1 TO ENTER CL FINAL 22
NIA APPROVES RED CORNER NOTICE AGAINST ZAKIR NAIK, TO APPROACH INTERPOL 13
Kashmiri Army officer on leave abducted & killed by terrorists
India in ICJ after 46 yrs, govt says sham trial forced hand
Bengal police team reaches state, Justice Karnan goes into hiding ‘JADHAV’S ARREST DUBIOUS, 22-Year-Old was HIS FIRST HOLIDAY TURNED OUT TO BE HIS LAST HIS LIFE IS IN DANGER’ Dragged Out Of ➤ Lt Ummer Fayaz, from Sudsuna village in ➤ India rushed to ICJ on Monday on getting intel inputs Kulgam, would have turned 23 on June 8. Was A Subramani & Daniel George
Family Wedding TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Srinagar/New Delhi: A young Kashmiri Army officer, on leave to attend a family wedding, was abducted and shot dead by three to four terrorists in Shopian district of south Kashmir late Tuesday night, triggering widespread outrage in strife-torn Jammu & Kashmir and across the country. An unarmed Lieutenant Ummer Fayaz, commissioned into Rajputana Rifles barely five months ago, was at his maternal uncle Mohammad Maq-
FULL COVERAGE: P 13 bool’s house at Batopora when the terrorists barged into the marriage ceremony and dragged him away at about 10pm. Police said the terrorists took the officeraround 4km from the venue of his cousin Shafiqa Akhtar’s marriage ceremony before pumping several bullets into him. The bullet-riddled body of Lt Fayaz, who belonged to Sudsuna village in Kulgam district, was found on Wednesday morning. “He was shot several times in the face and abdomen,” said a doctor at the Shopian district hospital. There were also injury marks on the body, indicating that the young officer had put up a stiff resistance against his abductors. The Army vowed to act against the perpetrators. ‘Move to deter youth’, P 13
commissioned into Rajputana Rifles barely five months ago ➤ Officer was on leave to attend cousin’s wedding ➤ Fayaz was at his maternal uncle’s house, the wedding venue, in Shopian’s Batapora when terrorists barged into the marriage ceremony at around 10pm on Tuesday and dragged him away
Armymen at Lt Fayaz’s funeral at his native village Sudsuna, Kulgam, on Wednesday
➤ Terrorists took officer around 4km from venue, pumped several bullets into him; Bulletriddled body found on Wednesday morning
➤ Fayaz was shot several times in the face and abdomen; injury marks on body indicate officer had put up resistance against abductors
It’s a clear message by the Pakistansponsored terrorists to intimidate Kashmiri youths into not joining police or security forces, as part of the larger gameplan to shatter the social fabric —SENIOR ARMY OFFICER
‘He came for family event, not for an op’
‘Motivated and tough, he led from the front’
[email protected]
t Ummer Fayaz was an alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Pune, having passed out in 2015. Faculty and course mates at the academy remember a cheerful, agile young man who was extremely fond of sports, reports Sandip Dighe. He was a member of the academy’s volleyball and hockey teams during training from 2012 to 2015. “Fayaz was calm by nature. His records at the academy were also good,” an NDA official told TOI. Lt Gen Abhay Krishna of Rajputana Rifles said, “Fayaz was extraordinarily tough and highly motivated. You felt good when he was around.” P 13
Srinagar: Lieutenant Ummer Fayaz, 22, was the son of a small-time apple grower, and worked his way up with sheer grit in the face of odds that presented themselves in abundance in the Valley. He was commissioned in 2 Rajputana Rifles in December 2016. Ummer, who excelled at volleyball and hockey at NDA, leaves behind his father, mother and two sisters. His mother, Salima, and father, Fayaz Ahmad Parray, are in shock. His cousin, Manzoor Ahmad Parray, said Um-
TN to get `500cr from Nabard to rejuvenate water sources
[email protected]
Sanjay Mitra to be new def secy
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he government announced on Wednesday that Sanjay Mitra, a 1982batch Bengal-cadre IAS officer posted as secretary of the road transport and highways ministry, will be the next defence secretary for a two-year tenure after G Mohan Kumar retires on May 24. P 14
22 die in Raj wall collapse
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marriage celebration in Bharatpur turned tragic when a large portion of a marriage hall collapsed, killing at least 22 people, including seven women and four children, and injuring more than 28. The death toll is likely to rise as several were trapped under debris.
Chennai: National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) on Wednesday said that it will support the Tamil Nadu government’s kudimaramathu scheme, which aims at rejuvenating the state’s water bodies, by disbursing `500 crore. “The project, under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF), is currently in the planning stage. The state is yet to submit its detailed project report. As per the initial assessment of the government, more potable water could be tapped by cleaning and restoring 41,000 system irrigation tanks in 18 districts in the state,” said Nabard chief general manager S Nagoor Ali Jinnah. Nabard expects to disburse the fund by the end of July to the state government, which will in turn implement the project through the Water Resources Department (WRD) and Public Works Department (PWD). “We aim at disburse `500 crore this fiscal, and want to disburse `3,000 crore by 2020 under the scheme,” Jinnah said. ‘‘Efficiency at 36%’, P 4
City metro ride to cost `2.8/km
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ith the metro rail opening an 8km underground line on Sunday, a ride from Nehru Park to Chennai Airport, that covers a distance of 23km, could cost less than `70. It means the commuters will have to pay `2.8 per km for the ride on the stretch. P 5
AP min son dies in Merc crash
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ndhra Pradesh minister PNarayana’s son Nishith Narayana died after his Mercedes Benz SUV rammed into a metro pier in Jubilee Hills early Wednesday morning. Nishith, 23, was returning home when he lost control at a curve and rammed the car into a metro pillar. P 14
Times Interact | P8
This young officer from J&K was a role model. He was an exceptional sportsman. His sacrifice reiterates the nation’s commitment to eliminate terrorism from the valley— Defence minister ARUN JAITLEY
mer was beaten up before being dragged away from family members. While nearly a thousand people from Sudsuna village in Kulgam joined the slain lieutenant’s funeral, sources said unidentified youth pelted stones during the funeral procession. Intelligence reports said Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists were believed to be involved in the act. Many expressed rage at the killing. Several young boys were anguished over the attack on the unarmed soldier. ‘Knew the risks’, P 13
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TNN
Chennai: Even a good two days after the Supreme Court ordered the arrest of Calcutta high court judge, Justice C S Karnan, police teams from two states were still on a wild goose chase unable to locate him. Though a directorgeneral of police (DGP) rank officer from West Bengal has come to Chennai and met commissioner of police Karan Singha for logistical support to track Justice Karnan, till evening the judge remained untraced. There were rumours that he had left for the temple town of Kalahasthi in the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, and that his mobile phone signals indicated his presence near the picnic location of Tada, during the day. But, sources told TOI that that teams that went to Kalahasthi returned empty-handed. There were also rumours that he was in Tindivanam in Tamil Nadu, but it, too, proved to be a wrong lead. On Tuesday, in an unprecedented move, the Supreme Court sentenced the sitting judge to undergo imprisonment for six months, and made it clear that he should be arrested immediately. The apex court had directed the director-general of police in West Bengal to execute his order and lodge him in a jail. Security delinked, P 4
➤ But odds were stacked against New Delhi as the court wasn’t in session for an urgent hearing ➤ Lawyer Harish Salve gave an intense briefing to the ICJ registrar for 20 minutes on Tuesday ➤ Salve pleaded for the exercise of ICJ’s extraordinary powers to provisionally stop the Indian’s execution
—HARISH SALVE Jadhav’s life is in danger
➤ Registrar called up ICJ prez Ronny Abraham, who told Pak govt to hold its hands on Jadhav’s death sentence
WHAT
NOW
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An ICJ bench will formally adjudicate on Monday India’s petition seeking stay on Jadhav’s execution in Pakistan
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
New Delhi: India on Wednesday strongly justified its decision to move the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the case of Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav, sentenced to death in Pakistan for alleged spying, saying he had been subjected to a sham trial and that his life was in danger. India took the step 46 years after it had last approached the ICJ to resolve a dispute with
MEA
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ICJ’s order has binding effect on Pakistan, Salve says. If Islamabad flouts it, the issue will be taken up by the UN Security Council
Has Pak PM just got Medical visa only on some room for talks? Aziz’s request: India
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O
FULL COVERAGE: P 10
he ICJ’s order could allow Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to try and wrest some leverage away from the army and prise open the door to diplomacy. The development puts a lot of pressure on Pakistan, and more particularly the Army, to not carry out the death sentence handed out to Kulbhushan Jhadav and weakens the military’s grip on the events. P 10
Pakistan. Foreign ministry spokesperson Gopal Bagley said the decision was well considered and meant to ensure justice as Pakistan had not responded to India’s 16 requests for consular access to Jadhav. The ICJ, which on Tuesday asked Pakistan to stay Jadhav’s execution, is to hear the case in detail on Monday and could issue an interim order.
India argued that continuous denial of consular access was a violation of Jadhav’s rights under the Vienna Protocol and Bagley said the application of his parents who wanted to visit Pakistan had gone unanswered. He said foreign minister Sushma Swaraj had written to Pakistan’s Sartaj Aziz on April 27 asking him to facilitate visas for Jadhav’s parents.
India also dismissed suggestions that moving the ICJ could prompt Pakistan to seek thirdparty interventions on issues related to J&K dispute with sources saying the government had only invoked limited jurisdiction in the Jadhav case since both countries are party to the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.
FLOOD OF DEVOTEES
Drugs worth $75m from desi co meant for IS seized: Report London: A shipload of tramadol, a synthetic opioidlike drug used as painkiller, sent from India to be sold to Islamic State terrorists in Libya to give them greater resilience has been seized by the Italian police, according to media reports on Wednesday. News agency PTI, quoting a report in The Times, said 37 million tramadol pills, worth $75 million, were found packed into three containers at the port of Genoa, labelled as blankets and shampoo and set to be loaded on a freighter bound for Misrata and Tobruk in Libya. “ISIS is making a fortune from this traffic, giving it to its fighters to make them feel no pain,” the British newspaper quoted an Italian investigator as saying. Tramadol is a synthetic opioid-like drug used as a painkiller. Italian police said the consignment had come from India and would have been used for two purposes: to help finance Islamist terrorism and for use by jihadist fighters as a stimulant and to heighten resistance to
that Pakistan was preparing to execute Jadhav (in pic)
The focus of our plea is that Jadhav’s arrest was dubious, the espionage charge is a manufactured one, denying India consular access for more than a year despite repeated requests is a serious breach of Vienna Convention and that the trial was a sham
K Antony Xavier
physical stress, BBC reported. Boko Haram, the Nigerian terror group, is said to feed child soldiers dates stuffed with tramadol before sending them on missions. Italian investigators traced the shipment to an Indian pharmaceuticals company, which allegedly sold the pills for $250,000 to a Dubaibased importer, which then shipped them from India to Sri Lanka where they disappeared from the freighter’s documents, the report said. The tramadol pills would sell for two dollars each in Libya, said the investigator. AGENCIES
CELESTIAL UNION: Lakhs of devotees spray water on Lord Kallazhagar as he enters the Vaigai riverbed on a ‘golden horse’ on Wednesday in what is considered the most significant event of the Chithirai festival in Madurai. The 17-day-long festival will conclude on Saturday with the lord returning to his abode on a floral palanquin
Triple talaq: 5 judges of 5 faiths to rule TIMES NEWS NETWORK
New Delhi: A unique combination of five Supreme Court judges belonging to different faiths will start hearing final arguments on the constitutional validity of triple talaq from Thursday, the first day of the SC’s summer vacation. For a sensitive issue like this, the lead petition is aptly titled “Quest for Equality vs
Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind”. And hearing the case will be five judges from five different communities — CJI J S Khehar (Sikh) and Justices Kurian Joseph (Christian), R F Nariman (Parsi), U U Lalit (Hindu) and Abdul Nazeer (Muslim). However, it needs to be mentioned that a judge decides a case only on the consideration of merit and nothing else as s/he takes oath that “I
will bear true faith and solemnly affirm faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India as by law established, that I will uphold the sovereignty and integrity of India, that I will duly and faithfully and to the best of my ability, knowledge and judgment perform the duties of my office without fear or favour, affection or ill will and that I will uphold the Constitution and the laws.”
TN plans to revise syllabus to make students contest-ready B A Raju
Julie.Mariappan @timesgroup.com
Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government has decided to revise the syllabus for state board schools, beginning with higher secondary classes in 2018-19. This comes in the wake of criticism that the state syllabus is below par and is insufficient to equip students to meet the challenges of multiple national-level competitive examinations. While the state government’s efforts, including passing of a legislation, to exempt TN from a common medical entrance test have come a cropper, the Centre’s plan to bring in a single entrance test for admission to engineering colleges across the country
has come as yet another blow. “Textbooks would be available shortly for the forthcoming academic year. However, we are likely to revise the syllabus for the 2018-19 academic year; an announcement would be made soon,” school education minister K A Sengottaiyan told TOI. “The students are upset (over NEET),” the minister said, recalling the futile efforts taken by the state, including meetings with Union ministers to get the Presidential nod for TN bills. A high-level committee led by Sengottaiyan will meet on Thursday to set the ball rolling for improving the curriculum .While indications are that the state will be incorporating NCERT curriculum, government sources said ‘local’ con-
BABY STEPS: A high-level panel under school education minister Sengottaiyan will meet on Thursday to set the ball rolling
tent too will have its place in subjects like Tamil, History and Political Science. “The government is looking at various strategies, including honing the higher-order thinking skills of students, giving
‘Dubious arrest’, P 10
Trump fires FBI chief amid Russia probe
U
A STIMULANT ➤ 37m tramadol pills found in 3 containers in Italy, set to be loaded on a freighter bound for 2 Libyan ports ➤ IS gives this stimulant to its men as it heightens resistance to physical pain ➤ Last year, 26m tramadol tablets, originally from India and destined for a Libyan co with ties to the terror outfit, were seized at a Greek port
nly a letter of recommendation by Pakistan foreign affairs adviser Sartaj Aziz will enable a Pakistani national to get a medical visa for India, the Indian foreign ministry said on Wednesday, a condition reflective of the strained ties between the neighbours. This would enable to ascertain that the requests received from Pakistan are genuine, New Delhi said. P11
weightage to Class 11 marks to prevent students from skipping classes, and putting in place a competitive exam-oriented curriculum that’s better than that of CBSE,” said a government official. The govern-
ment has planned to take all the stakeholders into confidence by convening meetings across the state. Noted academician, E Balagurusamy, who is also member of the panel said it was high time the state syllabus was revised to be on a par with that of CBSE. “ By Thursday, we will know whether separate subject-wise committees will be formed to frame the curriculum, or we will work on improving the already updated syllabus. Since it’s too late to revise the syllabus this year, we will do it for the next academic year,” the former Anna University vice-chancellor said. The syllabus for higher secondary classes was last changed in 2005. While a panel to improve school curri-
culum was set up in 2012, the school education department has seen more than five ministers so far. Former chairman of IIT Kanpur M Anandakrishnan said the problem has a lot to do with the fundamentally flawed teaching and learning process. “The students do not understand the fundamentals of Physics, Chemistry or Mathematics. Teachers must be trained too,” he said. Prince Gajendrababu, general secretary, state platform for common schooling system, said the Samacheer Kalvi introduced in 2010 was designed as per the National Curriculum Framework 2005 and the complaints on quality were being raised only by matriculation schools.
S President Donald Trump abruptly fired FBI director James Comey on Tuesday, causing a seismic political and bureaucratic convulsion in Washington, reports Chidanand Rajghatta. Comey became the fifth senior public official to be eased out of the Trump administration in the less than four months it has been in office. In a brusque sack letter to the FBI director, Trump alluded to the FBI investigation into his campaign’s ties with Russia. There were indications that Comey was fired because of his mishandling of the probe into Hillary Clinton’s emails. Comey learned of the sacking on TV and though it was a prank. The sacking was evocative of Richard Nixon’s firing of special prosecutor Archibald Cox during the Watergate scandal. Washington erupted in fury as Trump’s aides, lawmakers and pundits tried to make sense of the development. P 13 & 15
Man held for murder hangs himself in jail TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Chennai: A 28-year-old fireman, arrested and jailed on charges of murder, committed suicide by hanging in Puzhal Central Prison early on Wednesday morning. Police had arrested S Ilayaraja after he rammed his car into a bike on which school teacher Nivedha, 47, was riding pillion at Anna Nagar on Monday evening. They were in a relationship, police said. Prison officials said a jail inmate saw Ilayaraja hanging from the ceiling of a bathroom and alerted jail authorities. After prison doctors declared Ilayaraja dead, the Puzhal police registered a case and moved the body to Stanley Medical College and Hospital for postmortem. Grew jealous, P 5
TIMES CITY * THE TIMES OF INDIA, CHENNAI | THURSDAY, MAY 11, 2017
PARENTS DEMAND NEET RE-EXAMINATION, ALLEGE BIAS, PAPER LEAK | 5
DMK, PMK SLAM GOVERNMENT ON INVESTORS DESERTING TAMIL NADU | 8
Tamil Virtual Academy Digitises Tamil Texts Of Varied Genres, Books On Tamil Language For Free
Connemara goes digital at 120, but retains charm of old-world library PICS: R Ramesh Shankar
[email protected]
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ucked away in a quiet corner of the pulsing city centre, the 120-year-old building stands behind a row of trees lining the compound it shares with the Egmore Museum. Connemara Library, the landmark reading nook of the city, has recently decided to draw on digitisation to keep abreast of rapidly evolving reading habits. Meenakshisundaram, resident librarian and keeper of books in the hallowed hall where many officers and academics delved deep into their specialities, says it is a gradual but steady process. “We realised we should have computerised the library’s gathered works and its functioning as far back as 2006. But digitisation of the content itself has taken some time,” he explained. Recently, the library has been adopted by the state’s Tamil Virtual Academy (TVA) to make many of the library’s books available online for free. “TVA has helped us scan and restore nearly 3,000 books already. Work is ongoing at the moment. We hope to get a few thousand more done in the next couple of months,” Meenakshisundaram said, pointing to a room on the second floor where work is in progress. The facility recently installed 18 e-book readers, giving visitors access to several texts and journals as also VIRTUAL works. MAKEOVER niche Another new feature of the digitisation move is online content. Using the library’s computers, visitors can access thousands of international magazines and journals via two reading portals — Delnet and Magzter. The cost of privileged access to all of this content comes at a humble price of `300, the charge for lifetime membership. “We have nearly 1,200 visitors every day. A large portion of them are students, housewives and serious newspaper readers,” Meenakshisundaram said. But despite the digitisation initiative, the core identity of the library remains unchanged and its readership seems to have a large role in it. “Most of the visitors still prefer to read physical books. They come searching for select books, sit here and read them,” the resident librarian said. While notices put up at the foyer inform people of the free online journals and reading material available, it is only recently that a trickle of people has come inquiring about them. “We will look to make it more digitally accessible and make more content accessible online to keep up with the trends, but it appears Connemara readers will take time to adapt to the digital makeover,” he adds. He attributes this to the image that has been long associated with the iconic facility which has been a haven for the old-fashioned readers unlike its more modern cousin, the Anna Centenary Library. And — between the austere silence of the premises with even its thickest books looking not at all dusty — one has to agree.
THE KEYBOARD CONNECT
The move to digitise books on Tamil language is an ongoing process and facilities will expand gradually
CONNEMARA PUBLIC LIBRARY e-book readers:
18 Thousands of magazines accessible through Magzter and Delnet Two computers for visitors to look up for niche journals Currently, 3,000 books have been digitised with the aid from Tamil Virtual Academy These will be available as PDFs MOVING WITH TIMES: While Connemara Library turned to digitisation to serve its readers better only through the academy’s online portal recently, Anna Centenary Library took the step many years ago
MORE IN STORE Physical books available:
ANNA CENTENARY LIBRARY
Visitors per day:
8,40,000
Anna Centenary Library was inaugurated on September 15, 2010 The state government spent 172 crore between 2008 and 2010 towards constructing the building Constructed on a strip of land measuring 8 acres, the library's total built up area is 3.75 lakh sqft. It has ground plus eight floors and houses over 5 lakh books It is the only public library in the city which has its own reading section. It can accommodate 1,250 users at once
1,200 (Approx)
300 for lifetime membership: Each member can borrow six books at a time The library has 3 floors:Ground for books on general and reference; first for periodicals, language & literature and second for textbooks
Hi-tech Anna Library draws hyper-competitive TIMES NEWS NETWORK
S
ince its launch in 2010, the outside book reading section in the Anna Centenary Library has been extremely popular among students, especially those preparing for competitive examinations. The trend has, over the past few years, become so much a part of its identity that students queue up to enter the library well before the break of dawn. They start to occupy the footpath on Gandhi Mandapam Road from as early as 4am for a chance to get in to the section when the doors open at 8am. The process works like this: Students arrive early in the morning and wait outside the gates. Before the gates open, they write their names in a book near the security guard’s
post. From 7.30 am, they receive tokens, based on which students can take chairs in the outdoor reading section. The early bird gets to choose the best seat. Most of the students use the facility as a space to prepare for services examinations, including the civil services. It shields them from distractions and enables them to study with like-minded individuals. “I have been coming here for the past two years,” said N B Dileep Kumar, a native of Madurai. Kumar moved house from Anna Nagar to Kotturpuram so that he could join the queue early. Regulars like him have met new buffs of the library and made friends. Anand Deepiah of Nanganallur is his partner in preparation. Both will take a third attempt at the UPSC prelims this year.
Around 150 people can sit in the three rooms earmarked for this section in the ground and first floor. But during the course of the day, these rooms take in more than 250 students, said librarian Krishnan. When the chairs run out, the students take their place on the floor. However, the library’s current maintenance disappoints students. Unhygienic toilets and the poor quality of food available is a big turn off. Library users asked school education secretary T Udhayachandran to fix these issues when the senior bureaucrat visited a few months ago. A proposal worth over `1 crore has been cleared recently, which will see competitive books being added to the library's collection, Udhayachandran said.
City team clocks 150 heart transplants, throbs for more TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Chennai: On August 3, 1994, a surgical team at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences did India’s first heart transplant. Twenty-three years later, the spotlight is on Chennai, where a team achieved the feat of performing 150 heart transplants — the most in the country — in seven years. As many as 76 operations were performed last year. For the doctors, however, it wasn’t only the figures. Every number was a life saved. Some of them returned on Wednesday to thank them, and to in-
still hope in patients who continue to wait for a donor heart. Among those present was 79-year-old K S Subramanian. The oldest person in the country to receive a heart, he believes the stranger’s organ pumping life in him also breathes youth into him. Another recipeint, 17-year-old Umar who could barely move four years ago, can now ape his heroes on television and kick a football. Dr K Balakrishnan, director, cardiac sciences, Fortis Centre for Heart Failure and Transplant, who leads this team of surgeons, said they couldn’t ha-
Sumathy, the hospital’s 150th transplant patient, cuts a cake with other patients and the heart transplant team
ve touched this number without the “ecosystem” provided by the state – from setting up a central nodal authority for cadaver organ donations to creating green corridors to facilitate smooth movement of organs. Tracing the progress of heart transplants in India, Dr Balakrishnan said after the initial success in the 1990’s, there was a long lull owing to lack of proper network. However, things began to look up again after the state set up the central registry for organ donation in 2008. “We got off to a slow start as we had a lot of issues regarding air connectivity
(for inter-district donation) and power fluctuation,” said Dr Balakrishnan, who did his first heart transplant surgery in India in 1995. He said they also had to tweak the original immunosuppression protocols as hospitals followed the US regime. “Indian patients have a lower rejection rate than their western counterparts. It made little sense to follow this model so we brought it down to a much-gentler regime,” he said. Of the 150 heart donors, 120 were from Tamil Nadu, including 83 from Chennai.
Russia varsities to offer Indians 500 med seats TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Chennai: Russian universities will offer 500 undergraduate medical seats to Indian students this academic year, an increase of around 40% from current number. The development comes during a teething process in the country’s transition to a uniform medical admission process, a time that has also been marked by an increase in applications from students for medical courses. Consulate general of the Russian Federation in south India vice-consul (cultural) Yury S Belov announced the increase in seats at a meeting on the Russian Education Fair here on May 13 and 14. Study Abroad managing director Ravichandran C said around 1,800 to 2,000 students from across the country apply for undergraduate medical courses in Russia every year. “There has been an increase in the number of applications,” the education consultant said. “We usually receive around 300 applications from Chennai, but have received 500 this year.” Ravichandran said one could not point out specific reasons for Rusian universities increasing the number of seats for Indian students, but he acknowledged that a contributing factor could be an increase in demand, based on student perception that the introduction of the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) had made it harder to secure an MBBS seat in the country. There are now 10,000 Indian students in Russian
The development comes during a teething process in the country’s transition to a uniform medical admission process, a time that has also been marked by an increase in applications from Indian students for medical courses universities. Around 2,000 students move to Russia from the country every year, with 80% of these students pursuing a degree in general medicine. The Medical Council of India recognises 63 government medical universities in Russia. To qualify for admission in a Russian university, students should be eligible under MCI guidelines that mandate a minimum of 50% marks in the relevant core subjects (40% for SC/ ST/OBC categories) in the Class XII board exams. Students who complete the course receive an MD, which is equivalent to an Indian MBBS degree. But graduates returning to India have to pass an MCI screening test and complete an internship to be eligible for practice as a physician. Several Russian universities will participate in the fair in six cities in the country between May 13 and 21. In Chennai, the fair will be at the Russian Centre of Science and Culture, Alwarpet. For additional details, contact 9282221221.
Man, 28, dies 3 hours after being detained, questioned by cops TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Chennai: Three hours after he was detained and questioned at the Ashok Nagar police station, a 28-year-old man died on Tuesday night. Vijaya Kumar, a resident of Vadapalani, had gone missing on Monday and his wife Sukanya lodged a complaint with the Vadapalani police. The anxious family also put up ‘missing’ posters across the city, with the contact details of the family and relatives, in the hope of finding him. On Tuesday night, the family received a call from
the Ashok Nagar police who said Vijaya Kumar had been detained at the police station and asked them to come and take him home. Vijaya Kumar returned home with his parents but complained of uneasiness and was taken to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital where doctors said he died without responding to treatment. Police officers said they called Vijaya Kumar to the station was for questioning after a complaint was lodged against him by a hotelier. Vijaya Kumar is survived by his wife and two sons, Shyam and Ganesh.
NEWS DIGEST
Cop hurt in clash with students An officer was injured in a stand-off between students of Dr Ambedkar Law College and police in Kilpauk late on Wednesday evening. Police said a clash broke out when a traffic policeman stopped three students on a motorbike who were riding on the wrong side of the road. An argument broke out, an officer said, and the students assaulted the policeman. They also turned against another policeman who tried to rescue his colleague. Police later detained two of the students. Other students rushed to the spot and staged a protest. Police tried to placate the students, but they started hurling stones, injuring an officer and damaging a jeep. Police detained four more students, for the clash, and took them to the Kilpauk police station.
Woman killed in road accident: A 38-year-old woman died on Wednesday after a vehicle knocked her down near Royapuram on Tuesday night. Police said A Durga was returning home when the vehicle hit her. She was rushed to the Stanley Medical College and Hospital. The Manali police are investigating. Man, 35, dies as car hits lorry: A 35-year-old man died on the spot after his car rammed a lorry on 100 Feet Road in Madhavaram on Tuesday night. Police said Santhanam, a resident of Urapakkam, was returning home after meeting his relatives in Manali. He did not notice the lorry and his car slammed straight into it. Though the accident took place on Tuesday night, passersby found Santhanam’s body in the car only on Wednesday morning. MTC employee dies: A 40-year-old employee of MTC died of injuries after a speeding suburban train knocked him down on the railway tracks between Saidapet and Mambalam on Tuesday night. Police said Manigandan was taken to Rajiv Gandhi Government General hospital but died on the way. Man drowns in lake in stone quarry: A 21-year-old man drowned in a lake in a stone quarry near Mangadu on Tuesday evening. Police said Vigneshwaran, a resident of Ramavaram, had gone for a swim with his friends when he drowned.
THE TIMES OF INDIA, CHENNAI * THURSDAY, MAY 11, 2017
Thiru-Vi-Ka Park will open with metro line infra
R Ramesh Shankar
LONG WAIT: The park has been closed for more than six years and was initially expected to open at the same time as the underground line
Tenders For Vehicle Lot Floated
[email protected]
Chennai: After years of construction, the city’s first underground metrorail line between Nehru Park and Koyambedu is all set to open on Sunday. But for residents of Shenoy Nagar, the wait for a restored ThiruVi-Ka Park will take longer. CMRL has recently floated tenders to restore the park with landscaping and include a number of facilities like a big parking space. According to their tender invite, the contractor is expected to come up with a detailed design and be a consultant for a two-level parking space, property development and the overall landscaping of the 8.8-acre park. The park has to be restored with all new facilities within a duration of six months. Shenoy Nagar metro station, one of the longest at 335 metres with a crossover, is built right under the park. The park has been closed for more than six years and was initially expected to open along with the underground
3
TIMES CITY
metro line after CMRL hands it over to the corporation following restoration. It was earlier renovated and opened in 2008. The park had 328 trees when it was shut again in 2011 for metrorail construction. According to officials, 138 trees were cut down and 20 trees were transplanted for construction. They retained 190 trees, and had planned to plant 10 saplings for every tree that was cut down, which meant a total of 1,380 saplings will be planted. Besides saplings, several other facilities like walking tracks, benches, parking lots and lights were planned.The park would give the station a source of natural light with a big opening cut right at the centre of the park. The entry/ exit points to the station are located on either ends of the park. Though a long wait, Shenoy Nagar residents are hoping that it would be worth it. “We have been using the nearby corporation skating park for our walks. Since it is not as big as the Thiru-Vi-Ka Park, it is inconvenient for us when the crowd comes in the morning and evening hours,” said Narasimhan, a resident of Shenoy Nagar. “We hope to get additional facilities at the park. After all, we’ve waited for years.”
After eight years, Rajinikanth to meet his fans Chennai: After an eight-yearlong wait, fans of Rajinikanth are set to meet the superstar at his Raghavendra Mandapam in Kodambakkam for five days from May 15. The actor’s publicist Riaz Ahmed confirmed that fans
have been invited to meet, greet and pose for photographs with Rajinikanth. Rajinikanth’s decision has set tongues wagging in the political circles. The actor had whipped up a storm in Janauary when he termed the
political atmosphere in the state ‘unusual’ while speaking at an event held in the city. The actor has since maintained silence on his political stance. Sources said that the 66-year old ‘Kabali’ star is not likely to hold discussions
with his fans who wish to see the star enter politics. Rajinikanth had planned to meet fans last month but cancelled it later. The actor met fans last following the success of his film ‘Sivaji’ (2009) TNN
Celebrating a decade of cycling for Tour of Nilgiris by pedalling 1,000km Chennai: A select group of bicycle riders will pedal 1,000km through Karnataka, Kerala and Tamilnadu across the Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve in the Western Ghats marking a decade of cycling
for Tour of Nilgiris (TfN) this year. This was announced by RideACycle Foundation (RAC-F) recently, which will be rolling out the 10th edition of its flagship ‘TfN’ programme. TNN
4
* THE TIMES OF INDIA, CHENNAI THURSDAY, MAY 11, 2017
TIMES CITY
Colleges and courses in the city are plenty, but do you know which one to pick? TOI gives prospective students a peek into institutions and the courses they offer at the UG level in the form of a ready reckoner and help zero in on the choices. Today’s focus: BCom (Accounts and Finance and Bank Management)
MASTERING THE NUMBERS
L
ast week, we gave you a glimpse into the world of commerce with the BCom (general) degree and its numerous opportunities. This time, we delve into the banking and financial aspects of commerce. You need not be a math whiz to take up commerce. But for an aspirant of this field, a sense of numbers and a keen business sense will come in handy. A commerce degree in accounting and finance involves recording, classifying and summarising of accounts and expenditure, as well as management of funds. The course emphasises aspects of cost accounting, financial management, and taxes. This kind of specialised knowledge will further help students in administrating or formulating budgets, tracking costs and analysing numbers. Graduates of the course can seek job opportunities in chartered accountancy, company secretaryship or in government sectors as accountants for local, state or central government offices. Other avenues include accounts assistant, executive or business assistants, finance and marketing managers or consultants, corporate analysts, and risk and securities analysts. When it comes to bank management, a BCom degree with this specialisation
BCom ACCOUNTS & FINANCE
SHIFT
SHIFT
NO. OF SEATS
FEES
CUT-OFF%
(`/YEAR)
(APPROX)
Sri Kanyaka Parameswari Arts & Science College For Women
Shift - 2
70
31,600
210
M.O.P. Vaishnav College for Women
MCC is one of the city colleges that provides BCom (accounts & finance)
provides basic knowledge of the banking industry. Topics covered during the three-year programme include principles of accounting, business and corporate laws, banking laws, regulatory mechanisms in banking, credit management, income tax and treasury management, among others. Employers look for good communicational skills, a logical and analytical mind, and a sound knowledge of the banking system. Graduates of this course can look for jobs in banking establishments such as RBI, regional reserve banks, and nationalised and private banks. They may be hired as relationship managers, business managers, and sales executives, among other positions. TNN
Shift 1 means aided and day courses in colleges. The fees for these courses are lower Shift 2 means self-supported courses. They are mostly taught in the evenings. The fees are comparatively higher Fees are approximate. Colleges may charge additional fees for using library, laboratory etc. Cut-offs are based on last year’s trends & may vary
BCom BANK MANAGEMENT NAME OF THE COLLEGE
NAME OF THE COLLEGE
NO. OF SEATS
FEES
CUT-OFF%
(`/YEAR)
(APPROX)
Mail your feedback and queries about career options or courses to missionadmission.
[email protected] or contact 044-40401237
COLLEGE WEBSITE
HELPLINE NUMBER
Shift -1 Shift -2
*Additional Secti sought for is under proce
COLLEGE WEBSITE
HELPLINE NUMBER
75
www.skpc.edu.in
25394279, 25387021/22
Refer Website
95
www.mopvc.edu.in
28330262
Asan Memorial College of Arts and Science
Shift -2
70
25,000 32,000
70
www.amcas.in
2246 1418
Guru Shree Shanti Vijai Jain Collge for Women
Shift -2
70
21,500
70-95
www.gssjCollege.in
253 222 57
Prince Shri Venkateshwara Arts and Science College
Shift -1
140*
26,000
70
www.princesci.in
22780755
C.Kandasamy Naidu College Men
Shift -2
70
22,000
80
www.cknc.edu.in
26262970
Stella Maris College
Shift -2
70
49,000
99
www.stellamariscollege.edu.in admissions@stellamariscollege. edu.in
28111941 / 28111951
Ethiraj College For Women
Shift -2
70
59,000
98
www.ethirajcollege.edu.in
28279189
Guru Nanak College
Shift -2
140
30,000
AS PER MERIT
www.gurunanakcollege.edu.in
22451746 / 22444621
Madras Christian College
Shift -2
NA
Under Revision
98.62
www.mcc.edu.in
2239 0675
Vels University
Shift -1
Under Revision
65,000
<60
www.velsuniv.ac.in
2266 2500 & 07305 111 222
Vels University (For Hearing Imapired)
Shift -1
Under Revision
65,000
<60
www.velsuniv.ac.in
2266 2500 & 07305 111 222
Sriram College of Arts and Science
Shift -1
70
Under Revision
>50
www.sriramcas.edu.in
27689364
Sri Kanyaka Parameswari Arts & Science College For Women
Shift -2
70
31,600
75
www.skpc.edu.in
25394279, 25387021/22
Ethiraj College for Women
Shift -2
140
59,000
87
www.ethirajcollege.edu.in
28279189
Valliammal College of Women
Shift -1
70
26,000
>85
www.valliammal.edu.in
26262816
Hindustan College of Arts and Science
Shift -1
50
>20,000
60
www.hcaschennai.com
24469714, 24469715
Shift -1
50
Under Revision
90
www.bmc.ac.in
2687 2891
30,000
AS PER MERIT
www.gurunanakcollege.edu. in
22451746 / 22444621
Bhaktavatsalam memorial College for woman Women's Christian College
Shift -2
70
Under Revision
AS PER MERIT
www.wcc.edu.in
2827 5926
>85
www.valliammal.edu.in
26262816
Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda College
Shift -2
70
Under Revision
75
www.rkmvc.ac.in
24992815
Chellammal Women's college
Shift -2
70
17,710
80
www.chellamal.edu.in
22351217
Agurchand Manmull Jain College
Shift -2
130
Under Revision
AS PER MERIT
www.amjaincollege.info
22248603
Dr. Mgr Janaki College Of Arts & Science For Women
Shift -1
140
34,000
AS PER MERIT
www.mgrjanaki.ac.in
24937382 / 92
Valliammal College for Women Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda College Agurchand Manmull Jain College Dr MGR Janaki College Of Arts & Science For Women
Shift -2 Shift-1 Shift -2 Shift -2 Shift -1
70 70
26,000
70
Under Revision
75
www.rkmvc.ac.in
24992815
70
Under Revision
AS PER MERIT
www.amjaincollege.info
22248603
34,000
AS PER MERIT
www.mgrjanaki.ac.in
70
24937382 / 92
Drizzle or two TN water efficiency is likely in Chennai only at 36%: Nabard over next 2 days From P 1
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Chennai: The city may receive a drizzle or two over the next two days, the Met office said on Wednesday. The interior districts of Tamil Nadu, meanwhile, are likely to receive significant rainfall. Following the drizzle on Tuesday night, the maximum temperature Nearly 7cm rainfall in the city over the Poondi dropped by reservoir on Tuesday more than two brought an inflow of degrees, from nearly 1,700 litres per 37°C on Tuesday to 34.7°C second (59 cusecs) on Wednesday. Nearly 7cm of rain in the Poondi reservoir catchment areas on Tuesday resulted in an inflow of 1,700 litres per second (59 cusecs). Kullambadi and Samayapuram in Trichy district recorded 7cm rainfall each and while Salem recorded 5cm. The Met office has predicted rain or thundershowers toward afternoon or evening in the city over the next two days. The maximum temperature in coastal districts like Chennai is likely to be between 36°C and 38°C.
J
innah said “Currently, we aim at disbursing `500 crore for this financial year. We are looking to disburse as much as `3,000 crore by 2020 toward this scheme.” Nabard said the share of agriculture in the state’s GDP has fallen from 20% a decade ago to 7% currently; despite more than 48% of the state’s population depending on agriculture for their livelihood. “TN is highly-water stressed. More than 95% of surface water and 85% of groundwater has been exploited given the drought situation. It is worrisome that neighbouring states are not releasing water. Of 7 major rivers, only the Thamirabarani has its origins in Tamil Nadu. For water flow in all the rivers, we are dependent on others — a situation that has worsened the drought, affected agriculture and made farmers more debt-ridden,” Jinnah said. The term loan flow to agriculture has been very low at 14% of total agricultural loans, when compared to the national average of 24% term loans by banks. Nabard has so far disbursed `13,792 crore to TN and Pudu-
More than 95% of surface water and 85% of ground water has been exploited given the drought situation, said Jinnah, chief general manager of Nabard
cherry; of which `4,451 crore was for long-term refinance to banks; `3,723 crore of production credit to cooperative banks and RRBs and `1,850 crore for infrastructure support to the state government. Additionally to alleviate the impact of the drought, Nabard has also disbursed `11.92 crore under it Watershed Development Fund (WFD). In coordination with the Department of Environment and Forest, five climate change proposals amounting to `3,280 crore have been Nabard to increase forest cover, improve existing water resources, etc. “Another problem we face in Tamil Nadu is wastage of water. Our water efficiency is at 36%, quite low when compared to places like Aligarh in UP, which has managed to bring its water efficiency to a high of 65%,” said Jinnah.
Judge personal security, protocol officer delinked after SC order From P 1
T
ill couple of hours after the Supreme Court’s order, Justice Karnan, who was staying at the Tamil Nadu government state house in Chennai, was meeting and discussing nonchalantly with mediapersons and visitors. He then went incommunicado when the full import of the apex court ruling dawned
on everyone. Moments after the Supreme Court order, his personal security officer and protocol officer too got delinked from the beleaguered judge. The vehicle in which Justice Karnan had been travelling is being driven by a government driver, so police
teams are trying to contact him, too. On Wednesday, a group of lawyers staged a protest in front of the state guest house at Chepauk and said Justice Karnan was being victimized. Police had made elaborate security arrangements at the state guest house and closed the main gates to prevent the protesting advocates from entering the premises.
Interactive seminar on 3D printing held Chennai: An interactive seminar and demonstration on 3D printing technology was recently organised for college students at Loyola Institute of Technology by ‘IONIC3DP’, a Singapore-based innovative 3D printer company, in the city. The team presented merits and application of this birgeoning technology and roped in students across different engineering departmentsto make them aware of the functionality of the newly invented, user-friendly and cost effective 3D printer-version named ‘KAPPA’. TNN
Playground now dumping ground in Anna Nagar UNWANTED ‘TEAMMATES’ Available on the
App Store Available on
Google Play
Be A Smart TOI
Citizen Reporter SPACE CRUNCH: The children’s playground at Anna Nagar West H Block 15th Street is full of unused dustbins, causing a safety and health hazard for kids. Some parents have stopped bringing their children here. Repeated requests to the concerned authorities have fallen on deaf ears. – Nikethana Velu WAKE-UP CALL: Even after repeated complaints to local authorities, garbage is not being cleared for days at Andiappan Street, Choolaimedu, causing hardship for the residents – Deepak Jain
NEGLECTED STRETCH
HAVEN FOR HAWKERS
Keep mobile phone’s GPS on while clicking & sending pictures Describe exactly where and when picture was taken, giving street names and other locators
OVERT THREAT
OBSTACLE COURSE: >> First Main Road, Balaji Nagar, Ekkatuthangal, was dug up by a telecom firm more than a month ago and is now covered by heaps of mud. We request the authorities to have the road relayed. – R Reshma
>>
Guru Nanak College
PASSENGERS INCONVENIENCED: Hawkers have occupied the platform meant for commuters at Broadway bus stand. We request the authorities to take action. – Vaidyanathan Seetharaman
SHODDY JOB
TANGLED UP: This TNEB junction box on Gandhi Street, Alwarthirunagar, Valasaravakkam, has remained open for years, putting vendors and passersby at risk. Will the authorities do the needful? – Raghunathan Somasundaram
South Pole: A Deep Dive Into Politics, Society And Culture
6
THE TIMES OF INDIA, CHENNAI THURSDAY, MAY 11, 2017
At 94, DMK Patriarch Is Still Seen As A Game Changer In National Politics
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING MUTHUVEL KARUNANIDHI R Rangaraj
A
DMK MP once woke up to a call. “Ennayya, periya desabhaktan aayittiya?” (Hey, have you turned a big nationalist leader?) His party leader M Karunanidhi was on the other end, and was referring to reports that said the MP in the Parliament had demanded the Grand Trunk Express be renamed Pandit Madanmohan Malviya Express. The MP said he was misquoted. He had wanted the train to be named after Bharatiyar (Subramania Bharati). Subsequently the news agency carried a correction. The incident shows how acerbic Karunanidhi could get if partymen ever tried to toe the national political line. During the anti-Hindi agitation in the 1960s, the north was projected as an instrument of oppression and Aryan domination by the DMK. Karunanidhi himself led a series of agitations, including picketing of trains, on various issues against the Centre, with diatribes against the northsouth divide. But the political winds have changed since then, and the Dravidian die-hard Muthuvel Karunanidhi has emerged as a national leader in the past two decades. An important factor in national politics, Karunanidhi’s 94th birthday fete on June 3 is being used to project him as a key player in the national scene in the run-up to the Presidential polls and a pillar for the platform against the BJP and the NDA in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. His national role began in 1996 when Karunanidhi and G K Moopanar brought about the United Front government at the Centre with Left support. His ascension as a national leader began sometime in 2004, when Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, who once wanted the ouster of the pro-LTTE DMK, turned to Karunanidhi to corner BJP. Karunanidhi used the opportunity to walk out of the BJP-led NDA along with the MDMK and the PMK, to join a new Congress-led United Progressive Alliance. The UPA swept the 2004 Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu, paving the way for the UPA government at the Centre. In 2009 again, the DMK played an important role in fashioning an alliance with the Congress, and ensured that Manmohan Singh remained in power. The DMK brought in a new coalitionbased, political structure. This altered
POLITICS OF THE GRAND OLD MAN OF SOUTH An indefatigable worker, M Karunanidhi has spent his entire life nurturing the DMK as a formidable force A keen administrator, he would clear files quickly Initiated schemes for social reform: Built large number of tenements to replace slums; brought in farmers’ market; promoted use of
Tamil When he was the CM, he dropped in at the DMK headquarters every day after work at the secretariat Never failed to write his letter to grassroots workers in the party organ ‘Murasoli’
Tharuga” (Let us welcome Nehru’s daughter, Let us usher in a stable govt), to cash in on the squabbles in the Janata party. “Thaalikku Thangam Illai, Thaalikka Thakkaali Illai” (No gold for mangalsutra, no tomatoes to cook) was another slogan
Would coin the party’s election slogans. In 197980, to justify the DMK alliance with Congress, MK came up with the slogan, “Nehruvin Magale Varuga, Nilaiyaana Aaatchi
as chief minister. In the absence of leaders like Jyoti Basu, H S Surjeet and A B Bardhan of the Left, the importance of Karunanidhi has grown further. Vajpayee realised this in 1996, Advani in 2004, and Manmohan Singh in 2009. Now, the death of Jayalalithaa has meant that Karunanidhi is the most powerful leader in Tamil Nadu. Nationally, regional satraps like Karunanidhi, Nitish Kumar, Mamata Banerjee, Naveen Patnaik and Chandrababu Naidu now have a crucial role in government formation at the Centre. At 94, Karunanidhi may be frail but come June 3, Karunanidhi’s Arivalayam could be the foundation for a new Third Front-Congress axis to contest the Presidential poll, a precursor for a national opposition alliance to take on the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. (The writer is a veteran journalist) Email your feedback to
[email protected]
very year the quaint village of Koovagam in Villupuram district livens up for 16 days with song, dance, revelry. And then a sense of gloom pervades — just like the cycle of birth, life and death. The centuries-old annual Koothandavar temple festival is a pilgrimage transgenders across the country make. For them it’s as much about ritual as it is about love. Transgenders regard Koothandavar, the deity of the temple, as their husband and worship him. Koothandavar is a common name given to Aravan, son of Arjuna. The festival, which marks the war between the Pandavas and the Kauravas, began on April 25 this year and concluded on Wednesjklhnday. Featuring beauty pageants, the last two days of the festivities resemble midsummer madness as the devotees get dressed in wedding finery to marry the deity of Aravan and then dance into the night. Legend has it that the Pandavas decided to sacrifice Aravan to ensure their victory against the Kauravas in the Kurukshetra war. Aravan accepted the decision of the elders and expressed his last desire — to marry. Since no woman was willing to be his bride for a day, Lord Krishna transformed himself into a woman and married Aravan. The fest commemorates this sacrifice. On Wednesday, the deity was taken out in a procession and the fete concluded with the ritual mourning. When it all ended, the transgenders, wearing white to mark their widowhood, depart the village promising to celebrate their love again next year.
E
His scripts for the theatre and films made many careers in Kollywood. Among the many films ‘Parasakthi’ debut film of Sivaji Ganesan, and MGR’s ‘Malaikallan’ are notable; continued to write scripts till 2011
the bipolar national political scenario into a multi-level strategy, where the states held the trump card. Karunanidhi and the DMK enjoyed the new role — of being in power both at the state and the Centre, something they didn’t envisage when the party took up the secessionist demand till the 1962 Indo-China war. The party’s metamorphosis meant its core ideology of an anti-north, anti-Centre platform was rendered irrelevant. The proximity of the DMK with the ruling party at the Centre, during V P Singh’s tenure and the Manmohan Singh government, forced the party to soft pedal the Eelam issue and AIADMK’s Jayalalithaa was quick to grab the opportunity. Despite this, Karunanidhi is one of the tallest opposition leaders in the country, holding the record of having won every election he contested since 1957. He has completed 60 years as a legislator (12 terms as an MLA and a stint in the legislative council), including five terms
Koovagam: A fest OF LOVE & LOSS
Pics: C Suresh Kumar
He was accessible to the media and would cleverly use the power of the press; would always have some headline-grabbing news on the day of party meetings
BLEMISHES IN HIS CAREER First dent in public image came when MGR proclaimed corruption was rife in the DMK, and demanded assets of all ministers, including CM Karunanidhi be made public Corruption charges based on the Sarkaria Commission report Position of power reserved for family members. Son M K Stalin has held the position of mayor, deputy CM, treasurer and now working president. Daughter Kanimozhi is an MP and elder son, M K Alagiri was the Union minister Charges against Kalaignar TV, his wife and daughter relating to the 2G scam
MARRIAGE MADE IN HEAVEN: (Top) On the penultimate day of the Koovagam festival, transgenders marry the deity Aravan; (left) they dance into the night to celebrate the wedding; (above) on the last day a procession is taken out; fest concludes with the sacrifice of Aravan (below). The ‘widowed’ wear white on their journey back home
THE TIMES OF INDIA, CHENNAI * THURSDAY, MAY 11, 2017
7
TIMES CITY
Buoys from Chennai lab to Coal ash from Ennore plant making air of neighbourhood unhealthy sense CO2, study warming TIMES NEWS NETWORK
India To Join Select Club Of Nations Gathering Data On Carbon Cycle
[email protected]
A
lthough the presence of carbon dioxide in the oceans plays a crucial role in global warming, only a few countries keep tabs on the levels of CO2 in the water and atmosphere. Soon, India will join the select league of countries which gather data on the carbon cycle and monitor its impact on climate change. Sensors to measure the carbon flux will be installed in weather buoys deployed in Indian waters as part of a national programme. The city-based National Institute of Ocean Technology, which has deployed buoys in Indian waters, will install two of these pCO2 (partial pressure carbon dioxide) sensor systems in weather buoys. The sensors, which may cost more than `1 crore a system, will measure CO2 levels in both air and water and transmit the data to the ground station once in three hours through satellite communication. A team from the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Hyderabad, will handle the data. While the state has given its nod, scientists are discussing the appropriate location for the installation of the systems to ensure that the sensors are safe A BIG and provide adequate scientific data. More sensors would be installed following a thorough review of the programme after three years. “The increase in CO2 levels in the atmosphere is one of the main reasons for global warming and measuring it is important to study climate change. So far, such measurements have not been done in our country. This will be a start,” said Satish C Shenoi, director, NIOT and INCOIS. India has 17 weather buoys, excluding tsunami buoys, deployed in the east and west coastal areas as well as in the Indian Ocean. All these buoys are linked to INSAT for transmission of data. A team of scientists from INCOIS will be trained exclusively on compiling and analyzing pCO2
MONITORING CLIMATE CHANGE data. The teams will also interact with global experts in the field. Oceans play a crucial role in maintaining the balance in the earth’s carbon cycle. Studies show that they absorb about 30-40% of CO2 from the atmosphere. The US-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says about 22 million tonnes of carbon dioxide get absorbed by the oceans every day. Scientists have noted that the increased CO2 levels have also been affecting marine life. The absorption of atmospheric CO2 by oceans and other LEAP waterbodies may significantly reduce greenhouse gas levels, but experts have observed that this may also be altering the biology and chemistry of the world’s oceans. R Venkatesan, head of ocean observation system, NIOT said an increased absorption of CO2 in the water can reduce pH levels and calcium carbonate minerals needed for the growth of shells or skeletons of marine animals. “The installation of these sensor systems will be part of a national programme. By next year, we should be getting data from these sensors,” he said. Scientists will also install another set of sensors in the buoys to study water quality and pollution levels along the Indian coast, following government approval.
THE INSTALLATION OF THESE SENSOR SYSTEMS WILL BE PART OF A NATIONAL PROGRAMME. BY NEXT YEAR, WE SHOULD BE GETTING DATA
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Data on CO2 exchange between atmosphere and ocean is important as ocean plays a role in global carbon budget It is crucial in understanding the impact of climate change on aquatic life and ocean acidification
THE SYSTEM pCO2 system with sensors is a small low powered system Meant for long-term monitoring of sea surface and atmospheric CO2 on moored ocean buoys Will comprise collection instruments and analysers System will be connected to satellite system to transmit real-time data Have GPS module for accurate date and time
THE METHOD System will be installed by scientists from National Institute of Ocean Technology, Chennai Sensor to measure CO2 in the sea will be installed in weather buoy below sea surface Sensor to measure CO2 in air will be installed in the same buoy above sea surface Sensors will record data at programmed intervals Data to be transmitted in real-time to ground station at Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, Hyderabad
Chennai: Nearly 2,000 applications under the Right to Education (RTE) quota have been received by the school education in its maiden year of the process having gone completely online. The process of applying for school
QUOTA ISSUE seats under the RTE quota was initiated in April, following which the school education department in the state has posted these numbers on Tuesday. Under the RTE Act 2009, all self-financing private schools in the state must allocate 25% of its seats free of cost, for the enrollments and education of needy students. This year the process, had been revamped making it completely digitized. The last date for securing seats through RTE is till May 18, and it can be accessed on the Tamilnadu school education department's official website.
Bldg regularisation lift for builders but will hit planning Yogesh.Kabirdoss @timesgroup.com
Chennai: Contractors, builders and the realty sector in general have received a shot in the arm from the state government’s regularisation scheme for unapproved plots, and has triggered what should soon be a flurry of construction activity for individual houses, but it is likely to leave urban planning all askew, experts say. But some stakeholders fear that the cut-off date of October 20, 2016 for the re-registering of unapproved plots under The Tamil Nadu Regularisation and Unapproved Layout and Plot Rules, 2017 could defeat the purpose of the plan. Builders’ Association of India Southern Centre honorary secretary S Ramaprabhu said the regularisation scheme is a relief for several owners of unapproved plots who could not build houses because the authorities would not grant them plan permission. “However, the rules do not
The notified rules have led to several questions, with some in the realty sector stating that parallel developments to give legal sanction to unauthorised plots clarify about the status of buildings already constructed on unapproved plots, whether they too will receive cover under the scheme,” he said. The notified rules have led to several questions, with some in the realty sector stating that parallel developments to give legal sanction to unauthorised plots could render the regularisation scheme ineffective. Planners, meanwhile, are of the opinion that the scheme is a retrograde step. “How many regularisation schemes will the government offer,” asked M G Devasahayam, member of Madras high court-appointed monitoring committee on building violations.
Lightman for 30 years now languishes in darkness
[email protected]
Chennai: A Elumalai has been working as a lightman for more than 30 years, fixing lamps at the whims and fancies of film directors. But the man who shed light on the sets of more than 500 movies, including ‘Michael Madana Kama Rajan’ and ‘Apoorva Sahodarargal’, is now going through a dark period. Carrying the heavy lightguns from one shooting site to the other for three decades made his backbone weak. Elumalai had to undergo an operation on his disc in 2015. As a cure, the doctors placed steel plates, but that did not help. He is unable to sit and do any job for more than two hours at a stretch. “We are prone to injures on
Although the 50-year-old has many friends in the cine circle, he is hesitant to approach them for money A Elumalai
our spine and knees due to the heavy load that we carry during the shoot. Lighting materials are heavy and they have to be carried by a single person only. We need to shift the lights according to the angle and location. It’s that painful job which weakened my backbone,” said Elumalai, who lives in a single-room house in K K Nagar. “Even when I sleep, I have to frequently get up and change my position,” he la-
PM 2.5 Level (microgram per cubic metre)
Category
Nallathaneer odai Kuppam (Ennore)
220.3
Very Unhealthy
Location Name
Manali
156.9
Very Unhealthy
Sivanpadaiveethi Kuppam (Ennore)
156.2
Very Unhealthy
Kodingayur (Ennore )
154.9
Very Unhealthy
Kuruvimedu
116.8
Unhealthy
Seppakam
107.9
Unhealthy
Boat Club
104.3
Unhealthy
101
Unhealthy
Poes Garden
Permissible limit - 60 microgram per cubic metre
north to south, they bring polluted air from Ennore into the city. Currently winds are blowing from the south to north, carrying polluted
air from industries in Alathur into the city.” Members of The Coastal Resource Centre collected 24-hour air samples from 11
locations in Ennore, Manali, Kodungaiyur, Kattupalli and parts of the city last month. The samples were analysed in Chester LabNet at Oregon, USA. The air samples collected from Boat Club and Poes Garden were had particulate matter of 104 microgram per cubic metre and 101 microgram cubic respectively. As per the standards of United States Environmental Protection Agency, the two neighbourhoods have ‘unhealthy’ air. This is a matter of concern for children, senior citizens and people with heart or lung disease. A Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) official said, “We are closely monitoring the emission levels around the thermal plants in Ennore to ensure there are no adverse effects.”
THE STUDY
R Venkatesan | HEAD OF OCEAN OBERVATION SYSTEM, NIOT
Around 2,000 applications under RTE received
Chennai: Coal ash released by thermal power plants in Ennore may be polluting the air in Poes Garden and Boat Club, a study by The Coastal Resource Centre has found. Air samples collected in Poes Garden and Boat Club contained components of coal ash like calcium and iron in elevated levels, making the air quality in the upmarket city neighbourhoods ‘unhealthy’. The quality of air in Nallathanneer Odai Kuppam, a village near the thermal power plants was marked ‘very unhealthy’. It recorded a PM2.5 level of 220.30 microgram per cubic metre, against the permissible level of 60 microgram per cubic metre. Environmental activist Nityanand Jayaraman said, “When winds blow from
AIR QUALITY REPORT
ments. Although the 50-year-old has many friends in the cine circle, he is hesitant to approach them for money and wonders how to meet his day-today expenses. The meagre salary that his son gets from a courier company is not enough to meet the expenses. “My operation cost two lakh rupees. It’s a huge amount for a lightman like me. Our association gave me some money but there was no help from anyone other than that,” he says.
Tamil Nadu govt appeals against ban on Tasmac shop relocation TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Chennai: Tamil Nadu government has appealed against a single judge order asking it not to open or relocate Tasmac retail liquor outlets in any locality if the grama sabha concerned had adopted a resolution against such shops. Justice N Kirubakaran, who passed the order had also asked police not to arrest anti-liquor protesters if the agitation was peaceful. Additional advocate-general of Tamil Nadu Venkataramani mentioned it before the present vacation bench of Justice K Kalyanasundaram and Justice S M Subramaniam. It agreed to hear the matter in detail on Thursday. Following a Supreme Court ruling that from April 1 no liquor vending or serving outlets should be located anywhere near 500 metres of national and state highways, Tasmac had to close more than 3,300 shops. Its efforts to relocate those shops to interior areas face stiff opposition.
Money scam: Sudhakaran to appear before court TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Chennai: AIADMK party cadres and the general public will have the first glimpse of V N Sudhakaran who, with V K Sasikala and J Elevarasi, is serving a four-year term in the disproportionate assets case, on June 7 when he is brought to an economic offences court at Egmore here. An order directing the production of Sudhakaran before the court was passed by the EO-II and additional chief metropolitan magistrate S Malarmathi on Wednesday. The judge directed the enforcement directorate to execute the prisoners on transit warrant already issued against Sudhakaran and bring him from Parpana Agrahara jail in Bengaluru. He shall be present in court on June 7, in connection with the money laundering case registered against him by the enforcement directorate. The two decade-old case registered against him for FERA violation was for suspected illegal exchange of foreign currency for the purchase of equipment for Super Duper TV. The other accused in the case is Bhaskaran. When the mat-
The two decade-old case registered against him for FERA violation was for suspected illegal exchange of foreign currency ter was taken up for hearing, the senior prosecutor for enforcement directorate M Dhandapani narrated the long delay in proceeding with the trial of the case, and said the agency had filed memos for expeditious hearing of the case. Another economic offences court in the city has permitted the AIADMK general secretary and Sudhakaran’s aunt Sasikala to appear through video-conferencing from her Parapana Agrahara jail. Charges in the case will be framed against her via video-conferencing. However, in the case of Sudhakaran such request had neither been made nor granted. Sudhakaran, Sasikala and Elevarasi are in jail since their surrender on April 15, after they were found guilty and sentenced to imprisonment of four years by the Supreme Court on February 14. The appeal against former chief minister Jayalalithaa lapsed, following her death on December 5, 2016.
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* THE TIMES OF INDIA, CHENNAI THURSDAY, MAY 11, 2017
TIMES REGION
TN outfit says over 1K cows, bulls died in two districts TMUK Wants Relief For Farmers
TOI
Senthil.Kumaran @timesgroup.com
Salem: A fact-finding team of Tamil Nadu Makkal Urimai Katchi (TMUK) has stated that more than 1,000 cows and bulls had died due to starvation caused by drought in Salem and Dharmapuri districts as well as villages situated along the Tamil NaduKarnataka border. The team visited the villages for three days before releasing its findings, party
Woman hides jewels in sari, fools burglars
TAKING STOCK: A fact-finding team of Tamil Nadu Makkal Urimai Katchi visited the villages for three days before releasing its findings
president Poomozhi told TOI. “However, government officials tried their best to hide the issue from the state government and media,” he said. Poomozhi urged the government to issue solatium for
DMK, PMK slam govt on investors deserting TN TIMES NEWS NETWORK
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Madurai: A schoolteacher’s shrewd thinking saved her gold jewels worth over `4 lakh and `2 lakh in cash from being looted. Before leaving for Hyderabad, Vasantha of Checkanurani in Madurai had packed all her valuables inside a sari and casually kept it in a corner of a room. The 50-year-old teacher was in Hyderabad along with her family members, when she got a phone call from her neighbours informing her that the house was broken open. Police said unidentified burglars who broke into the house had searched for valuables in the two bureaus. As they did not find anything, they also searched every nook and corner of the house. However, they ignored the sari which contained the bounty they were looking for. Police said the burglars broke open the lock to pass the grill gate and broke the main door as well. A police officer said people should leave information with local police before going on a long trip. A case has been registered and investigation is on.
cattle farmers who lost their livestock. “Cattle rearing is the main work for these villagers. Thousands have lost their livelihood after cows and bulls died. The government should also take steps to distribute fodder and water at least till the summer season is over to save cows, bulls, goats and sheep,” he demanded. The TMUK report also urged the state government to take necessary steps to conserve the indigenous Alambadi cattle breed. Lauding the TOI reports on cattle deaths in the region, the TMUK leader said, “The reports have revealed the
Chennai: Responding to the TOIreport on May 9 on US tech major Syntel's Tirunelveli project awaiting approval for nearly two years after construction due to red tape and corruption, DMK working president MK Stalin, on Wednesday, alleged that investors are fleeing the state due to corruption. Tweeting a screenshot of the TOI report, his post read: “Yesterday Kia Motors, Today Syndel Company. All investors are running away from TN due to rampant corruption of ADMK regime.” He was also referring to recent reports of South Korean automobile manufacturer Kia Motors dropping its proposal to set up a plant in TN due to corruption, and moving to Andhra Pradesh. In a separate release, PMK chief S Ramadoss also referred to reports on these two companies and alleged that the state was turning away investors who “are coming on their own”. Criticising the corruption involved in setting up any business in the state, he alleged that many multinationals - like Kia Motors - are leaving the state and moving to AP. On Wednesday, Stalin also wrote to TN governor C Vidya-
sagar Rao seeking his intervention “to ensure the independence of the State Vigilance Commission by appointing an independent vigilance commissioner”. He also requested the governor to direct the chief secretary to appoint a DGP-level officer as the director of vigilance and anti-corruption. TOI reported on Tuesday that the TN government has relieved chief secretary Girija Vaidyanathan from the post of commissioner of vigilance, and that home secretary Niranjan Mardi has been given additional charge of vigilance portfolio. In his letter, Stalin referred to the “hurried change of guard in the State Vigilance Commission” at a time “when many of the ministers and certain officers” in the present AIADMK regime “are facing serious allegations of massive corruption”. The status of the State Vigilance Commission has been “further downgraded” after recent reports about the communication sent to the state government by the Income Tax authorities on “details of pay-offs to AIADMK ministers and certain officers allegedly found in the diary of sand mining contractor Sri Sekar Reddy,” he said.
ground reality. Officials of the animal husbandry and revenue departments are yet to visit many of the droughthit villages. What’s more, villagers told us that the officials warned them against revealing more about cattle deaths to district collector V Sampath or the media.” TOI was the first newspaper that brought up the issue of widespread cattle deaths in villages such as Gobinatham, Govindapadi, Jamburuttupatty, Alambadi, Yemanur, Chettipatty and surrounding villages in Salem, Dharmapuri, and also on the TN-Karnataka border.
Returning from Ooty, 2 students die in accident TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Trichy: A joyride cost the lives of two medical students after their motorcycle was hit by a car in Lalapettai in Karur district in the early hours of Wednesday. The deceased were identified as I Anees, 20, of Vallam Pillaiyarpatti in Thanjavur district and K Aakash Yadav, 20, of Naalukaal in Thanjavur. They were pursuing first year MBBS at the Thanjavur Medical College. The two students met a tragic end after the speeding car hit them head-on on the Lalapettai bridge around 5am. They were tossed in the air before they fell down on the road, due to the impact. Both of them were killed on the spot, police said. Anees, Aakash and four of their friends from the same college had gone on a trip to Ooty. They preferred three bikes for the journey a few days back. Their onward trip was filled with fun and they started their return journey from Ooty by the bikes. While the remaining four travelled on two bikes, Anees and Aakash were riding on one bike.
PRIZE CATCH
J Jackson
Sand quarries reopen in Villupuram, Trichy TIMES NEWS NETWORK
RAIN’S BOUNTY: At a time when several parts of the state are reeling under severe water shortage, Muthannankulam tank in Coimbatore brims with water owing to rainfall over the last few days. It is double bounty for villagers nearby as the fish netted from the tank fetched good prices, thanks to shortage of sea fish
39K computer science teacher aspirants left in the lurch TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Trichy: More than 39,000 computer science graduates are awaiting appointments as teachers since 2011 after the state government promised to introduce computer science as a subject in government schools. Members from the association of B Ed graduates in computer science met Rajya Sabha MP Trichy Siva and sought his support on Wednesday. Months before the 2011 state assembly election, the DMK had announced introduction of computer science as a subject for classes 6-10. The Tamil Nadu government has computer sci-
ence as subject at the higher secondary level, but not at the middle and high school level. Believing the DMK orders, nearly 39,000 graduates in computer science decided to pursue BEd in the subject, making them eligible for the post of a government school teacher. However, AIADMK came to power and quashed DMKs decision. Following this, the candidates staged a hunger strike, and the AIADMK government promised the candidates that it will reimpose the decision to make computer science as a subject. There are many states that have computer science for classes 6-10. “The neigh-
boring states have introduced computer science as a subject at the middle and high school levels and appointed teachers. But Tamil Nadu continues to be an exception,” said the regional secretary of the association Nirmal Singh. Rajya Sabha MP Trichy Siva said that he will take up the matter with the leader of the opposition and the working president of the DMK, M K Stalin. “The AIADMK has to be blamed for the plight of the candidates. The AIADMK government, by not appointing computer science teachers, is also depriving TN students of computer science education,” said Siva.
Chennai/Trichy: The construction sector could heave a sigh of relief on Wednesday after mining resumed in a sand quarry at Villupuram that was shut in the wake of the direction by the Madras high court over manual mining. Regular scooping will commence on Thursday. The quarry was one of the few that was operational in the Chennai region till April 28 before being shut. "With the appointment of the chairman for the State-Level Environmental Impact Assessment Authority, clearances would be obtained for regularising other quarries in a week's time in the (Chennai) region," an official said. However, he refused to reveal the number (of quarries). In Trichy, quarrying resumed in one of the eight sand quarries twelve days after sand mining activities were suspended following a high court order. However, villagers who have been agitating against the sand quarrying fearing depletion in the groundwater level put up stiff resistance. PWD officials said they were likely to reopen four more quarries on Thursday while keeping the operation in seven more under suspension. PWD and the river conservation department reopened the sand quarry across Cauvery in Viragalur near Lalgudi on Wednesday. The reopening of the quarry was necessitated by the crisis which arose due to non-supply of sand from all the quarries in the state since April 29.
Counselling to fill PG med seats today Bosco.Dominique @timesgroup.com
Puducherry: The centralised admission committee (Centac) will hold counselling from 9am on May 11 for admission of students into postgraduate medical programmes in private medical colleges and deemed universities under government quota followed by counselling for admission under management quota in the institutions in the Union territory of Puducherry. Thirty-eight students were allotted postgraduate medical seats under government quota in private medi-
Only a few students appeared for the first phase of counselling (May 4) as the fees committee has not announced the fee structures of PG programmes in private institutions cal colleges and deemed universities and three students at the Indira Gandhi government medical college and research institute during the first phase of counselling on May 4, which was stopped
abruptly by the committee, citing ‘court orders’. The committee will hold counselling between 9am and 11am on May 11 to fill up 121 postgraduate medical seats in private institutions under government quota. There are 315 postgraduate medical seats in three private medical colleges and four deemed universities. As per the Union health and family welfare ministry’s order in February this year, 50% of the seats in each discipline (159) in the institutions must be surrendered under government quota. The committee, which has already allotted seats to 38 students during the first
phase, will attempt to fill up the remaining 121seats. It has issued call letters to 127 students to attend counselling. Only a few students appeared for the first phase of counselling (May 4) as the fees committee has not announced the fee structures of postgraduate programmes in private institutions. Fortyfive students out of 147 appeared for the counselling and the students who were allotted seats could not join as the private institutions demanded exorbitant fees (` `30 lakh per annum for clinical courses and `10 lakh per annum for non-clinical courses).
THE TIMES OF INDIA, CHENNAI * THURSDAY, MAY 11, 2017
REGION DIGEST
Summer showers bring respite in Trichy The sudden change in the weather brought about by summer showers has brought relief to Trichy and parts of delta districts which have been reeling under the scorching sun for more than a month. Farmers say that the rain may be helpful for cattle if it continues for a few more days. Meanwhile, Pullambadi in Trichy district received a maximum of 73.4mm and Vallam in Thanjavur district received a maximum of 38mm.
Woman found murdered: An unknown woman was found murdered at Easu Pannai farmland, near Madhampatti in Thondamuthur in Coimbatore on Wednesday. Police officials said that the woman must be aged around 35-40 years. According to a police officer in Thondamuthur police station, a passerby in that area informed them about a woman’s body found at around 10pm. Police officials reached the spot along with dog squad, scientific officers and fingerprint experts.
History-sheeter hacked to death: A 20-year-old history-sheeter from Madurai was hacked to death near
9
TIMES REGION
Keerathurai on Wednesday night. An unidentified gang, which came by an autorickshaw, murdered the rowdy and escaped. The body was shifted to a government hospital for autopsy. A case was registered and a hunt has been launched for the killers. The victim was identified as K Vazhivittan, 20, from Vazhaithoppu near Keerathurai.
Disabled prisoner escapes: A 27-year-old physicallychallenged remand prisoner escaped from police custody in Coimbatore on Wednesday while he was being taken to the district court from Nellore district in Andhra Pradesh. According to police, R Deenadalayan and his wife D Priyadharshini were booked in a theft case in 2014 by the Krumathampatti police.
25 held for protesting against Tasmac shop: Twenty-five BJP workers were arrested on Wednesday for staging a protest demanding the closure of a Tasmac shop near Rotti Kadai Maidan in Peelamedu in Coimbatore.
Woman commits suicide: A 65-year-old woman from Simmakkal in Madurai city committed suicide by consuming poison due to chronic knee pain. The woman, identified as Indirani, had been suffering from the knee pain for the last three years. A case has been registered.
Police hunt for drug racket mastermind Black Market Also Active In Chennai
MURKY DEALINGS
Komal.Gautham @timesgroup.com
Coimbatore: TOI’s expose on widespread abuse of psychotropic drug pentazocine among young drug users has led police to a big racket being run from Pollachi. According to police sources, the mastermind behind the operation depends on a group of carriers to deliver the drug to students. “He sources the drug from Bengaluru and supplies it to children using his men. The black market network is active in Coimbatore, Karamadai, Annur, Mettupalayam, Pollachi and Chennai,” a police officer told TOI. A few days ago, after TOI reported about theft of pentazocine from a hospitals, police had arrested two boys from Annur, on the outskirts of Coimbatore. Police had raided hundreds of pharmacies to check if the drug was being sold over the counter, said S Shanmugaiah, deputy superintendent
On May 6 two college students were arrested for stealing a post-surgery drug from the Annur Government Hospital The duo stole nearly 100 ampules of the drug from the post-operative ward The drug is sold for `5,000 to `10,000 in the black market Several medical representatives and pharmacies are involved in the racket of police (narcotics intelligence bureau). “After cases of thefts were reported from hospitals, we were sure that these were desperate attempts as the drug was not freely available in the market. We continued to raid pharmacies and warned the owners about its sale without prescription. Some of the arrests has led us to a man in Pollachi. We will catch him soon,” he said. A police officer, whose son
is addicted to the drug, said, “I personally investigated the case and found two other guys apart from the kingpin in Pollachi. Unlike ganja peddlers, it is difficult to catch these people. But, we have some leads and I have informed senior officers in Coimbatore and Salem. Since I am personally aggrieved, I know how dangerous this drug can be. My 25year-old son’s life has been ruined because of this drug,” he told TOI. Several medical representatives and pharmacies are also involved in the racket, a police officer said. “We have come to know about agents who are selling the drug for `5,000 to `10,000 in the black market. We have sent complaints to the joint director of health department to ban the drug,” said the officer. According to Annur inspector Saravanan, the arrest of the two boys, who stole pentazocine from the Annur Government Hospital last week, have led them to some of the gang members who based at Ukkadam. Shanmugaiah said they once almost caught the drug kingpin. “We set a trap and almost caught him, but he managed to escape. We are on the lookout and are hopeful of catching him soon,” he said.
Pondy signs MoU for edu revamp TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Chennai: Puducherry’s government schools will soon get a new and transformative education programme that will improve efficiency and expand the quality and reach of statefunded education. The directorate of school education, Puducherry, Sri Aurobindo Society (SAS) and HDFC Bank have signed a memorandum of understanding for a “comprehensive and innovative education programme” for all government schools of Puducherry. The aim is to increase the efficiency of the existing education resources and infrastructure in the Union territory through a number of teachers’ training modules. The tri-party agreement was announced by Puducherry education minister R Kamalakannan on Wednesday. The programme will be implemented in government and government-aided schools across all the districts, starting with training of in-service teachers on solution-focused zero-investment ideas, and their systematic documentation. Annually, the top ideas shared by teachers will be implemented on a wide scale.
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Kodanad case: Legal experts question delay in Sayan arrest TOI
Shantha.Thiagarajan @timesgroup.com
Udhagamandalam: Legal experts on Wednesday expressed concern over the delay in arresting the second main accused in the Kodanad murder case. Sayan, who met with an accident, had been getting treatment in a private hospital in Coimbatore. Nilgiris SP said the Kerala police have registered a case in connection with the accident, in which he was injured, in that state and hence the delay in his arrest. Kodanad estate security guard Om Bahadur Thapa, 50, was found murdered on April 24, while another security guard Krishna Bahadur Thapa, 37, escaped with grievous injuries. While the prime suspect Kanagaraj, the late Jayalalithaa’s sacked car driver, died in an accident at Athur near Salem on April 29, another suspect Sayan alias Shyam was critically injured in another accident the same day in Palakkad, Kerala. His wife and daughter were killed in the accident. The police have so far arrested eight of 11 suspects in the case. One suspect is still
On April 29, Sayan alias Shyam was critically injured in a car accident in Palakkad, Kerala. His wife Vinu Priya and daughter Neethu died on the spot
on the run. However, the police are yet to arrest Sayan, a close associate of Kanagaraj. According to legal experts, the police should have arrested Sayan and shifted him to a government medical facility. “When they have arrested eight others, they have no reason not to arrest Sayan,” they said. Nilgiris SP Murali Rambha, however, said Sayan was still in the hospital as the Kerala police had been probing the accident case involving him. Asked why there is a delay in arresting Sayan, Rambha said, “If we arrest him, we have to shift him to a government hospital. But, now he is getting treatment in connection with the accident case.”
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TIMES NATION * THE TIMES OF INDIA, | THURSDAY, MAY 11, 2017
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How Delhi Saved Day With ICJ Dash Violation Of ICJ President’s Direction Can Cost Pakistan Dear: Salve Dhananjay.Mahapatra @timesgroup.com
New Delhi: The odds were stacked against India with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) not in session and intelligence inputs indicating that the Pakistan military was surreptitiously speeding up the execution of Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav. Alarmed by information that Jadhav might face the gallows soon after being convicted on trumped up spying charges, India despatched noted lawyer Harish Salve who gave an intense and urgent briefing of the case to the ICJ registrar for close to 20 minutes. The dramatic dash to The Hague resulted in the ICJ asking Pakistan to hold its hands on a military court’s death sentence to Jadhav while according top priority to India’s request for interim stay on the execution till Monday’s formal hearing.
“After I briefed him about the case last (Tuesday) evening, the registrar spoke to the ICJ president, who wrote to the Pakistani government to hold its hands till India’s application seeking stay of Jadhav’s execution is formally adjudicated by an appropriate bench of ICJ on Monday,” Salve told TOI from London. India had approached the ICJ on Monday after it felt Jadhav’s life was in balance after Pakistan repeatedly flouted the Vienna Convention on consular access to deny Indian officials any meeting with the prisoner. India has said Jadhav had been held on the IranPakistan border and fraudulently tried for espionage charges without the aid of a counsel. In his interaction with the ICJ registrar, Salve outlined the fallout in the case, how Pakistan had flouted inviolable international diplomatic rules by repeatedly rejecting consular access to Jadhav and
BOUND TO FOLLOW? The communication issued by ICJ (above) has a binding effect on parties as it is a tool with the international court to stop any party from altering the ground position as on the day of communication
the impending danger to his life. Salve pleaded for exercise of extraordinary powers of the ICJ president to stop the execution till India’s application was heard.
Aziz: Analysing India plea, ICJ’s jurisdiction Omer Farooq Khan
TNN
Islamabad: A day after the International Court of Justice at the Hague stayed the death sentence awarded to Kulbhushan Jadhav by a Pakistani miliatry court, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif chaired a high-level meeting with Army chief, Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, and ISI head Gen Naveed Mukhtar, among others, to discuss the fall-out of the issue that’s fast gaining international ramifications. While Pakistan’s foreign ministry said that it would examine India’s petition at The Hague before responding, defence minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif termed the move by New Delhi as an attempt to divert attention from its “state-sponsored terrorism” in Pakistan. Sharif ’s adviser on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz said Islamabad was reviewing the move by New Delhi to approach the ICJ on Jadhav case and a decision in this regard will be made soon. “We are analysing the Indian petition and the International Court of Justice’s jurisdiction in the case,” Aziz said. “The Foreign Office will issue a statement about any decision taken in this regard in a couple of days,” he added. But Khawaja took to Twitter to state that the alleged Indian spy was convicted for offences against Pakistan’s national security. Others present for the meeting were finance minister Ishaq Dar and interi-
Hearing on May 15 to set stage for a heated duel
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SEEKING JUSTICE: A student demonstration in Mumbai seeking Jadhav’s release
A Maha village prays for its friend Pune: A day after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) stayed the death sentence handed down by a Pakistani military court to former Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav, the villagers of Aanewadi, Satara district, sounded hopeful about Jadhav being back among them in the near future. “We are happy with the ICJ verdict. Jadhav is not a native of our village but has a good rapport with most of us and has contributed significantly to the village’s social activities. We have been praying for his release ever since the death sentence was announced,” village sarpanch Ashwini Shinde told TOI. Jadhav had purchased a plot in the village nearly a decade ago and had leased it to a villager for cultivation some five years ago. He had also constructed a small farmhouse on a portion of this land and would visit the village with his parents. TNN
or minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan. Jadhav, according to Pakistani authorities, was arrested on March 3, 2016, through a counter-intelligence operation in Balochistan’s Mashkel area on espionage charges. India states that he was kidnapped from Iran where he was on business after retiring from the Indian Navy, and said they learned of his arrest
through a press release nearly three weeks later. Jadhav was tried for espionage and terrorist activities by a secret military court and awarded the death sentence in April this year. India termed the death sentence “an act of premeditated murder” and promised to save him. Islamabad had turned down multiple times New Delhi’s requests for consular access to Jadhav.
ICJ stay lends Nawaz heft, another shot at diplomacy TIMES NEWS NETWORK
New Delhi: The International Court of Justice’s decision to ask Pakistan to stay the execution of Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav could allow Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif to try and wrest some leverage away from the army and prise open the door to diplomacy. The ICJ decision puts a lot of pressure on Pakistan, and more particularly its army, to not carry out the death sentence handed out to Jadhav on alleged charges of spying and weakens the military’s grip on events. Though no political party in Pakistan has spoken against the death sentence to Jadhav, it has been clear that Sharif and the government have been largely bystanders as the army held and tried the Indian. In fact, the Pakistan army’s aggression along the Line of Control and the death sentence handed to Jadhav by a secret military court with no access to normal judicial procedure left Sharif with few options. But now the ICJ order provides a reason to argue that the matter has assumed larger proportions with Pa-
ICJ president Ronny Abraham’s communication will serve as a notice to Pakistan on India’s plea. Asked if Pakistan would be bound by the ICJ presi-
Nawaz Sharif
kistan risking serious international opprobrium if it carries out the death sentence. Though the argument will not be made so plainly, sections in Pakistan could point out that the army’s heavy handed ways have once again resulted in embarrassment and dented the country’s image. India’s decision to move the ICJ clearly indicates the priority PM Narendra Modi attaches to the case and Jadhav’s safety and the Indian government is expected to
make a strong case for a more binding interim order on Monday when the court hears the case. Sharif has reportedly been keen to restart the political process with India and the ICJ decision gives him the room to take the initiative and reduce the military’s say on the Jadhav case. So far, the Pakistan army under Gen Qamar Bajwa has seemed determined to carry out the death sentence given a string of statements about Jadhav’s alleged complicity in terrorist acts. Executing Jadhav — like the beheadings of Indian soldiers — would serve to further shut the door on talks and up the hostility with India in keeping with the Pakistan army’s intent to stoke violence in Jammu and Kashmir. Sharif can begin to explore the possibilities of a negotiated settlement to the Jadhav case, starting with ensuring the death sentence is not carried out and moving to providing consular access to India. This would undercut the Pakistan army’s agenda which entails reckless confrontation with India over the ongoing violence in the Kashmir Valley.
New Delhi: All eyes are now on whether Pakistan obeys the International Court of Justice (ICJ) order or not. Islamabad is sure to put up a spirited defence during the hearing on May 15, for which it already fired the first salvo on Wednesday morning saying ICJ had no jurisdiction in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case. Moving the ICJ was a big step by India because it has traditionally refused to allow multilateral agencies or courts to get into bilateral matters. Given sensitivities on Kashmir within the Indian system, this is the first time India has taken the first step to internationalise an issue like this. It is taking an international legal route to
The complicating factor at the ICJ hearing could be the conditions Pakistan placed to join the tribunal in 1960 essentially a bilateral problem. It is also unclear just yet whether there could be other political ramifications. Most important, the ICJ will hear both sides on Monday and make a ruling. The complicating factor there could be Pakistan’s conditions to joining the ICJ in the first place. It had placed then, in 1960, the following exceptions to the ICJ jurisdiction, which Pakistan said would not apply to the following: “disputes the solution of which the parties shall entrust to other tribunals by virtue of agreements already in existence, or which may be concluded in the future; disputes relating to questions which by international law fall exclusively within the domestic jurisdiction of Pakistan; disputes arising under a multilateral treaty, unless (i) all parties to the treaty affected by the decision are also parties to the case before the court, or (ii) the government of Pakistan specially agrees to jurisdiction; and provided further, that this declaration shall remain in force till such time as notice may be given to terminate it”.
dent’s communication in the absence of a formal interim order staying Jadhav’s execution, Salve said, “The communication has a binding effect on parties as it is a tool with
the ICJ to stop any party from altering the ground position as on the day of communication. “If Pakistan dares to breach the directive to hold its hands till a formal hearing on India’s plea, it will be inviting dangerous consequences as the issue will then be taken up by the UN Security Council.” He further said, “The focus of our plea is that Jadhav’s arrest was dubious, the espionage charge is a manufactured one, denying India consular access for more than a year despite repeated requests is a serious breach of Vienna Convention and that the trial was a sham.” Asked whether it would a bitter fight in the ICJ on Monday, Salve said, “India has done its homework meticulously and has a dossier to prove its allegations against Pakistan in ICJ.” India had strategically invoked Article 41 of the ICJ Statute and Article 74(4) of the
court rules and this helped it dia’s) request for the indication of provisional measures, get the desired reprieve. Article 41 provides, “ICJ to act in such a way as will enshall have the power to indi- able any order the court may cate, if it considers that cir- make on this request to have cumstances so require, any its appropriate effects.” Article 74 says a request for provisional measures which ought to be taken to preserve indication of provisional meathe respective rights of either sures (interim relief) shall party. Pending the final deci- have priority over all other cases. “The ICJ, if it is sion, notice of the not sitting when the measures suggestrequest is made, shall ed shall forthwith be convened forthwith be given to the parfor the purpose of proties and to the Secuceeding to a decision rity Council.” on the request as a ICJ president matter of urgency. Abraham, conThe court, or the presivinced by India’s argument for ur- Kulbhushan Jadhav dent if the court is not sitting, shall fix a date gent intervention, used his extraordinary pow- for a hearing which will afford ers to immediately write to Pa- the parties an opportunity of kistan, “In my capacity as being represented at it. Pendpresident of the court, and ex- ing the meeting of the court, ercising powers conferred up- the president may call upon on me under Article 74, para- the parties to act in such a way graph 4, of the rules of the as will enable any order the court, I call upon your excel- court may make on the request lency’s government, pending for provisional measures to the court’s decision on (In- have its appropriate effects.”
Appeal option in Pak an illusory & worthless remedy, India told ICJ TIMES NEWS NETWORK
New Delhi: Pakistan’s appeal process in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case offers an “illusory remedy” as a military court will hear a plea against army chief Gen Qamar Bajwa’s order amounting to an entreaty from “Caesar to Caesar”, India said in its petition at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). “The death sentence stands confirmed by the chief of army staff. An appeal before a tribunal presided over by him or officers junior to him would be an appeal from Caesar to Caesar,” India said in its 82-page petition. India said an April 18 report in the Dawn newspaper stated that an appeal process was underway and the appellate tribunal would be headed by a two-star general. “The spokesman is quoted as having said that he did not see any chance of the verdict being overturned,” the Indian plea noted.
STRONG VIGIL: A soldier at the Line of Control (LOC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday
Calling the appeal option an illusory and worthless remedy, India said the advisor to the Pakistani PM on foreign affairs on April 14 clearly said all political parties were unanimous that a foreign spy was given the death sentence on the basis of “overwhelming evidence” and that this was the right decision. Jadhav, India has argued,
faced a fixed system where his rights as an individual under the Vienna Convention were not respected at all. Pakistan’s “conditional offer” for consular access, contingent on India cooperating with an investigation against Jadhav, was a ruse as it was made after the trial was over. The Vienna Convention spelt out the provision for con-
sular access without exception and Pakistan had repeatedly violated Jadhav’s rights, India said. It was impossible for India to assess Jadhav’s well-being and his access to any judicial process and this required the ICJ to use its jurisdiction and stay his execution, it added. “This court (ICJ) would have the jurisdiction to, and the facts of the case demand that this court does, set aside the conviction of the Indian national. Alternatively, this court may... direct Pakistan to take such steps as may be necessary to set aside the conviction of the accused,” the Indian petition said. “This court may also direct a fresh investigation, after consular access is provided, and in the circumstances of this case also direct Pakistan to conduct the trial under their ordinary judicial system,” India argued, pointing out that the military court which sentenced Jadhav was opaque and unaccountable.
Jadhav’s arrest was dubious, espionage charge is a manufactured one, says Salve From P1
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ndian authorities highlighted that, like India, Pakistan too was a signatory to the Optional Protocol to VCCR on settlement of disputes which allowed ICJ the jurisdiction to hear disputes related to the interpretation of the convention. The protocol calls upon signatory countries to abide by any decision taken by the ICJ on disputes related to denial of consular access to people who are imprisoned abroad. India’s representative at The Hague, noted lawyer Harish Salve, said Pakistan, despite claiming that the ICJ has overstepped its jurisdiction, will have to consider the consequences of violating the order. “If Pakistan dares to breach the directive to hold its hand till a formal hearing on India’s plea, it will be inviting dangerous consequences as the issue will then be taken up by the UN Security Council,” he told TOI. Salve outlined India’s case against Pakistan and said, “The focus of our plea is that Jadhav’s arrest was dubious, the espionage charge is a manufactured one, denying India consular access for more than a year despite repeated requests is a serious breach of Vienna Convention and that the trial was a sham.”
India believes its petition on Jadhav before the ICJ in no way impinges on the Kashmir issue, which can only be resolved bilaterally
India believes its petition on Jadhav before the ICJ in no way impinges on Kashmir, and other outstanding issues with Pakistan which could only be resolved bilaterally. The Jadhav petition, officials said, was about Pakistan’s “egregious violations’’ of VCCR in not allowing India consular access to Jadhav and in awarding him death sentence by a secret military court. India is party to the ICJ but with several exceptions including that disputes involving states which are member of the Com-
monwealth won’t fall under the purview of ICJ. Salve explained that issues like trade or Kashmir would not figure before the ICJ and pointed out that the Jadhav case related to the Vienna Convention and the violation of the Indian national’s rights. Pakistan, however, has already declared that its domestic laws will take precedence over VCCR in Jadhav’s case. On access to Jadhav, Pakistan has said it will prefer to go by the bilateral agreement on consular access signed on May 21, 2008 which, it says, clearly stipulates that in security related cases, access would be decided on merit. After India approached the ICJ, the court called upon Pakistan “to act in such a way as will enable any order the court may make on this request to have its appropriate effects’’. Fearing immediate threat to Jadhav’s life, India had requested the ICJ to take provisional measures, without waiting for an oral hearing, to prevent his execution. It wanted the court to immediately indicate that Pakistan take all measures necessary to ensure Jadhav was not executed and that it report to the ICJ action it has taken in that regard.
Cong criticises, Left welcomes Hague move TIMES NEWS NETWORK
New Delhi: Congress asked the Modi government if it had thought through its decision to approach the ICJ on Kulbhushan Jadhav and was not falling in the Pakistani trap to internationalise bilateral issues, including J&K. The opposition party also lashed out at the Centre for the deteriorating situation in J&K in the wake of the killing of a young Kashmiri Army officer by terrorists. Asked about India’s decision to move the ICJ, Congress spokesman Ajoy Kumar said, “Has India been exposed to any kind of risks because it will also allow Pakistan to go to ICJ and
Govt will continue fight: BJP’ New Delhi: Hailing the International Court of Justice’s order staying execution of Kulbhushan Jadhav, BJP maintained that the government would leave no stone unturned to secure innocent Indians. “The government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi works for every Indian based in the country or even abroad. Case against Jadhav was blatant and in gross violation of international laws as his execution was ordered by a kangaroo court without consular access,” BJP spokesman Nalin Kohli said. He added India would continue to fight against the Pakistani military court’s order as Jadhav was an innocent Indian and his life was the government’s responsibility. “Credit also goes to Harish Salve, who argued the case strongly,” Kohli said. TNN raise issues?” Kumar said India’s traditional stance has been that all
issues with Pakistan would be resolved bilaterally and the change could give an
CPM’s Brinda Karat said the Left was happy about the international support for Jadhav, seen here (R) in his NDA shot
opening to Pakistan to internationalise Kashmir. “The best resolution (to issues) is
bilateral at all times, no matter how recalcitrant Pakistan is,” he said. CPI leader D Raja said, “This decision has vindicated India’s stand in the international community. Pakistan will now have to reconsider its actions and decisions. With the international court of law intervening, it reflects the larger international sentiment against Pakistan's decision. Pakistan will be questioned thoroughly if it does not respect the ICJ’s decision.” CPM politburo member Brinda Karat welcomed the decision and said the Left parties were happy that Jadhav had received international support.
TIMES NATION
THE TIMES OF INDIA, CHENNAI * THURSDAY, MAY 11, 2017
‘Consent must before invasive procedure’ Only Exempted If Treatment Is Life Saver, Top Consumer Forum Tells Docs
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Day after Saharanpur violence, 2 ASPs transferred, 12 FIRs filed, 24 held
[email protected]
AmitAnand.Choudhary @timesgroup.com
New Delhi: Holding that a patient has an inviolable right with regard to his or her body, the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has said that doctors must take consent of a patient or his family members for any invasive procedure during treatment. A bench of Justice Ajit Bharihoke and Justice Anup K Thakur said provision of taking consent could be overlooked only if urgent intervention was required to save the life of a patient. It held Delhi-based Hospital Sitaram Bhartia Institute of Science and Research guilty of
negligence by not taking consent before inserting a catheter for central venous line procedure on a patient and directed it to pay a compensation of `7 lakh to him.
PATIENT RIGHTS “Unless the procedure is necessary in order to save the life or preserve the health of the patient and it would be unreasonable to delay the procedure until the patient regains consciousness and takes a decision, a doctor cannot perform such procedure without consent of the patient. In the instant case, the insertion of catheter by
Central Venous Line procedure being an invasive procedure carrying certain risk of complication, including injury to the jugular vein or bursting of the blood cells, the team of doctors was legally required to obtain consent of the patient,” it said. Advocate Nikhil Jain, appearing for the patient, contended that the doctors had not taken consent of family members and alleged that due to their negligence, the jugular artery was ruptured resulting in profuse bleeding and he had to be shifted shift to another hospital for treatment. The hospital, however, said procedure of insertion of CVL in the patient’s neck was a rou-
TRAIN KILLS JUMBO IN ELEPHANT CORRIDOR AFP
Villagers pay floral tribute to an elephant which died after being struck by a train while crossing a track at Kiranchandra tea garden, 30km from Siliguri, on Wednesday. The area falls under an elephant corridor
VADIVEL
SAFETY TIPS FOR
NIGHT DRIVING lJuhi Trivedi
[email protected]
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ometimes it's unavoidable to drive after the sun goes down and it's late in the night. While it may seem perilous, it does come with its own advantages - roads are emptier and the weather's cool, but it's not a walk in the park by any means. Here are a few simple tips to make your night time journey safer...
TAKE IT EASY Yes, you may not have many other cars to deal with on the road and yes, there may not be anyone in sight but that doesn't mean you go pedal to the metal. Make sure you keep an eye out for any surprises that may be lurking on the side. Visibility goes down considerably after dark and the only light source you have is your own vehicles. It is also difficult for other road users and pedestrians to judge your speed in the night. Go easy, always watch for danger and leave a sufficiently larger margin for error. CHECK THOSE LIGHTS Make sure your car's headlights and tail lights are in proper working order. Your headlights are the only source of light on most highways in India and your tail lights will help vehicles behind to spot you in time to slow down. STARE AWAY FROM THE GLARE Avoid looking directly into the glare from the headlights of an oncoming vehicle, keep your eyes on the road in front of you. You can even use the beam of the approaching car to scan for obstacles that your headlight beam hasn't reached yet. KEEP CLEAN, WASH AND WIPE Having a clean windshield will not only reduce glare from an oncoming vehicle, it will also make your visibility much better. Make sure to wash and wipe your windscreen thoroughly before setting out. Soap water in your washer/wiper helps too. GET A POWER NAP! If you start feeling sleepy, don't push yourself any more. There is no shame in stopping by the side of the road and getting a quick nap. A power nap of about 20-30 minutes will keep you fresh for hours and keep you safe too!
tine procedure like giving injection and consent was not required as it was not a surgical or invasive procedure. Refusing to accept its plea, NCDRC said there was no merit in the contention and putting CVL in the body of a patient could not be equated with ordinary procedure. “A catheter can be placed in veins in the neck, chest, groin or through veins in the arm. It is used to administer medication or fluids that are unable to be taken by the mouth. From the record it transpires that in the instant case, the CVC was tried to be placed by the team of doctors in the internal jugular vein, which went wrong result-
ing in injury to the vein and excessive bleeding. The aforesaid procedure obviously is an invasive procedure which admittedly carries the risk,” it said. “It is not the case of the hospital that there was an emergency threatening the life of the complainant, which could justify the procedure to save the life without seeking consent,” it said. The hospital, however, said it may approach the Supreme Court. “We haven’t received the copy of the order yet. After seeing the order, if order is adverse we will approach the Supreme Court,” said Dr Shubhra Verma, general manager (operations), Sitaram Bhartia hospital.
Medical visa only on Sartaj’s recommendation: India to Pak New Delhi: Only a letter of recommendation by Pakistan foreign affairs adviser Sartaj Aziz will enable a Pakistani national to get a medical visa for India, the external affairs ministry said on Wednesday, a condition reflective of the strained ties between the two neighbours. Though MEA spokesman Gopal Baglay termed as “baseless” reports that India has stopped giving medical visas to Pakistani citizens, he made it clear that only application with a recommendation letter by Aziz will be cleared “immediately”.
“We have suggested that their foreign minister or foreign affairs advisor Sartaj Aziz give a recommendation letter and it will be cleared immediately, without any delay,” he said, adding the insistence on a recommendation letter would enable to ascertain that the requests received from Pakistan are genuine. He also referred to external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj herself receiving these requests on social media and on emails. It is difficult to ascertain authenticity of such requests, he added. PTI
Meerut: A day after fresh violence in Saharanpur, 12 FIRs have been filed while 24 have been taken into police custody. The state government also transferred two additional superintendents of police who have been attached to Lucknow headquarters. Congress Rajya Sabha member PL Punia, who is former chairman of National Commission of Scheduled Castes, was reportedly denied permission to visit the violence-hit areas owing to “sensitive environment”. However, he eventually visited the city and interacted with the SSP and DM to take stock of the situation. Speaking with TOI, Punia, said, “I went to Saharanpur on Wednesday. The situation is really bad in the violence-affected Doodhli and Shabbirpur villages, but I was not allowed by the DM and SSP to go there. I strongly recommend a judicial inquiry into the series of violence that rocked Saharanpur in the past 20 days. If I single out one case of the death of a man from the Thakur community in Shabbirpur village, administration had been stating that he died in stone-pelting as a he was hit in the head. The post-mortem report, on the contrary, said it was a death by suffocation. Is there an attempt to blame dalits for the death?” Saharanpur SSP Subhash Chand Dubey said, “We have filed a dozen FIRs and have detained 24 people. We are in
TAKING STOCK OF SITUATION: A police team inspects the area where the Ambedkar statue was vandalised in Shamli on Wednesday
Village tense after Ambedkar statue found vandalised
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day after fresh violence in Saharanpur, tension gripped a village in Thanabhawan area of Shamli district after dalits took to streets to protest after they found an Ambedkar statue installed at the main village square vandalised on Wednesday. After crowds of protesters began to swell on Wednesday following the Tuesday night’s vandalism, Thanabhawan police rushed to the spot to pacify the villagers in Rashidgarh. Senior superintendent of police Ajay Pal Sharma also reached the spot with a larger force. Sharma along with senior BSP leader Abdul Waris calmed the tempers rising high. TNN
the process of identifying trouble-mongers through newspaper clippings, videos, CCTV footages, etc. Only those actually involved in the violence will be arrested. We assure everyone that no innocent will be held.” Meanwhile, the district administration held a meeting involving members across communities and party lines with an aim to bring them on one table and “mitigate” trust deficit among various groups. District magistrate Na-
gender Prasad Singh told TOI, “What we have gathered from the past three incidents in Saharanpur is that there is a great amount of trust deficit among various communities. This is a social problem that opportunists take advantage of. We have made plans to reach out to people at the village level and mitigate that trust deficit and this is the first step in that direction. The response was very good and we are confident that things will improve in future.”
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TIMES NATION
Congress lost 2014 polls by failing to read people’s minds, says Modi ‘Public Ready To Forgo Gas Subsidy To Help Poor, But Party Offered More Cylinders’ Dhananjay.Mahapatra @timesgroup.com
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the 2014 general elections cost the Congress dear because it failed to read the real mindset of Indians and offered them more cooking gas subsidy when they were actually ready to give it up to help poor get it. Speaking at a programme to launch digitisation of court cases, Modi gave this example to drive home the point that politicians have long taken for granted the myth about Indian’s ‘chalta hai’ attitude. He said: “Though this is not the occasion to talk about politics, I would narrate an incident that touches upon this mindset. In the 2014 elections, the Congress went to town in a big way promising 12 subsidised gas cylinder to every household instead of nine if it was voted to power. They thought of convincing the voters by doling out of more subsidy on gas cylinders and got engrossed between
The Prime Minister said the Congress went to town in a big way promising 12 subsidised gas cylinders to every household instead of nine if it was voted to power. But more than 1.25 crore families voluntarily gave up the subsidy within a short span 9 and 12.” “Contrast this with a small request I made from Red Fort shortly after the elections to people to give up gas subsidy to help the poor use gas cylinders in their kitchens and save their women from the fumes. More than 1.25 crore families voluntarily gave it up within a short span. What does it show? This means, the Congress failed to read the mindset of people,” he said. Lauding the Integrated Case Management Information System and e-courts project to digitise court records, the PM said, “For me, the ‘e’ in e-governance stands for easy, effective, ec-
onomic and environment friendly. A singe A4 size paper production consumes 10 litres of water. Just imagine the mind-boggling amount of water and number trees the Supreme Court will help save through this project.” People’s involvement in solving problems using information technology, he said, was the key to make possible a Digital India. “Use of technology has no correlation to software or hardware. It has to do with the adaptability mindset. And Indians are leaders in adapting to challenges,” he said. Law and justice minister Ravi Shankar Prasad
PM’s new mantra: IT + IT = IT
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rime Minister Narendra Modi seldom misses an opportunity to coin a new slogan. On Wednesday, he outlined the crucial importance of information technology and digitisation as the new mantra for India’s future. “My new mantra could pose a challenge to those proficient in arithmetic - IT + IT = IT,” he said and explained to audience amidst a thunderous applause that the first IT stood for information technology, the second for Indian talent and the third, India tomorrow.” He said his faith in digitisation was strengthened after November 8. “Paper currency is on the way out and we have to make digital money a habit. I realised this after November 8. Thousands of crores of rupees were spent on printing and transporting new currency notes to ATMs each of which had to be guarded by security guards. If people used digital currency, this money could be utilised to build houses for poor and opening schools in interiors,” the PM said. TNN
said: “India had missed industrial revolution in the 19th century and the entrepreneurial revolution in the 1970s. But, India will not only be part of the digital revolution, but also a leader in this sector.” He said the government has opened a portal for registration of advocates who want to serve poor litigants free of cost and added that UNDP has agreed to become the interface between pro bono
lawyers and needy litigants. The PM also cited an example of 42,000 university students coming together and working 36hours non-stop to suggest solutions to over 400 issues identified by various government departments. “We have accepted many of these solutions,” he said and requested the lawyers to register in the portal to serve poor litigants free of cost.
Publish physical education book: CBSE to NCERT Manash.Gohain @timesgroup.com
New Delhi: In the wake of the controversy over a book on physical education, brought out by a private publisher, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has requested National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to come up with a book on the subject which is part of the school curriculum. Till now there has been no NCERT or CBSE books on physical education. A Class XII textbook “Health and Physical Education” by a private publisher triggered an uproar last month for defining the perfect female body in the “36-24-36” shape while the revised edition said that the “hourglass shape of females is considered the best”. While CBSE has clarified that it does not recommend any book by private publishers, the schools claim that since there are no books on physical education by either NCERT or CBSE, they are left with no option. HRD minister Prakash Javadekar had termed the content sexist and said action would be taken. On April 15, CBSE filed an FIR against the publisher — New Saraswati House (Pvt) Ltd. The board also said its bye-laws state that if a school decides to use a book by a private publisher, it must be scrutinised to preclude any objectionable content. A written declaration must also be put on school website signed by the
Textbooks to include Buddha’s teachings, says Javadekar New Delhi: The teachings of Gautama Buddha will soon be included in NCERT textbooks and the school curriculum as his teachings are “ideas of life”, Union minister Prakash Javadekar said on Wednesday. “Politics gives us resources to live life but a Mahatma like Buddha teaches us ‘why to live’ and ‘how to live’ so it is important to include him in our education system,” he said addressing the Buddha Jayanti celebrations here. The HRD minister said he will ensure that Buddha’s teachings reached students at all levels — primary, middle and higher — so that education was achieved in a “complete sense” and not just for employment. The event was organised by the cultural ministry, wherein eminent scholar of Buddhism S R Bhatt was felicitated. PTI
manager and principal that the responsibility lies on them for suggesting such a book, the Board said. But the authorities in various schools feel they cannot be held responsible on this count as there is no “official” book on physical education and “we are at the mercy of the books available in the market which are only by private publishers”. According to a senior CBSE official, “Following the controversy, the board has asked the council for physical education textbooks for its schools.”
* THE TIMES OF INDIA, CHENNAI THURSDAY, MAY 11, 2017
PM & CJI launch scheme to make SC paperless from July 3 Dhananjay.Mahapatra @timesgroup.com
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Justice J S Khehar on Wednesday launched an ambitious scheme for complete digitisation of litigation in all courts, which in the first phase promises paperless filing of appeals in the Supreme Court from July 3. Congratulating the CJI and his team of judges for this revolutionary step, Modi said he had received encouraging reports from several high courts, which have reduced vacations to work more and dispose of long pending cases. “I have come to know that several HCs have reduced vacations. This gives strength to a sense of responsibility and helps generate new hope and faith in the common man about speedy justice. This is needed for the new India,” he said. Justice Khehar said the idea of court record digitisation came to him immediately after taking oath as CJI on receiving a letter from law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who had pointed out that the government had sanctioned `2,130 crore for the e-court mission mode project for 2016-17. “But by the end of the third quarter, that is till December 2016, the judiciary had spent only `88 crore,” the letter said. The CJI said this called for urgent need to accelerate the digitisation process as the letter signified the government’s support for this project. What would have gladdened the PM more was the
K’taka forest officer’s wife killed at home Ravindra.Uppar @timesgroup.com
Belagavi: The brutal murder of the wife of a senior forest officer here on Wednesday shocked residents of the city. Anand B Morappanavar, deputy conservator of forest, social forestry, Belagavi division, was aghast when he saw the body of his wife Bhargavi, 58, in the hall of their house opposite Ayush Hospital in Dwaraka Nagar, 4th Cross, Mandoli Road when he came home for lunch. Her hands and legs had been tied with her dupatta and a piece of cloth was stuffed in her mouth. Police suspect the killers tied her hands and legs and suffocated her to death by pressing a pillow to her face. There were no injury marks on the body. The murder may occurred between 11.30am and 1pm. As the killers did not take away any valuables from the house or the victim’s jewellery, police suspect professional rivalry triggered the murder. According to police sources, Bhargavi went to a hospital in the morning for a blood test. The car driver dropped her home around 11.30am. She entered the house without locking the front door and kept the cooker on the stove. The killers entered the house as the door was open. DCP (crime) Amarnath Reddy and his team rushed to the spot. Sniffer dogs failed to pick up any clues – they took their handlers to the rear of the house and stopped.
DIGITAL FIRST: Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Chief Justice of India Justice J S Khehar at the launch of the SC’s integrated case management system in New Delhi on Wednesday
concluding line of Justice A M Khanwilkar, who is entrusted with the task of court record digitisation after he successfully implemented it in Madhya Pradesh HC as its chief justice. Justice Khanwilkar said digitisation of court records through the Integrated Court Management Information System (ICMIS) would translate into “sabka saath, sabka vikas” for litigants by making the judiciary paperless. Before using the slogan, which was first mooted by Modi, Justice Khanwilkar explained that under ICMIS, once a petition was filed in a court, there was no need to replicate the paper work before each appellate court. The moment an appeal was filed in the SC, the registry would automatically pick up past records of the case digitally from the HC, he said. CJI Khehar said, “Only grounds of appeal need to be filed in the SC. It will save tons of paper used every year in filing of appeals and greatly help the environment. The system will automatically inform the liti-
gant through SMS and email the court fee to be paid, the date of hearing and defects if any needing rectification. This will infuse transparency in listing of cases for hearing. We will gradually extend digitisation through ICMIS to district courts level.” Justice Dipak Misra said “posterity will remember and history will record” the SC’s decision to go paperless by massive infusion of information technology into working of courts. “On reopening of the Supreme Court after summer vacation, litigants will feel the digital empowerment,” he said. Justice J Chelameswar said this project would save the judiciary the acronym of “greatest destroyer of ecology”, given the amount of paper it uses for court cases. He agreed with the PM on change of mindset on use of technology and recalled that one CJI had delayed installation of Wi-Fi services inside the SC premises out of fear that it could lead to leak of sensitive information.
Declare cow a national animal: Madani to Centre TIMES NEWS NETWORK
New Delhi: Jamiat Ulama-IHind PresidentMaulana Syed Arshad Madanihas urged the BJP-led NDA government to consider declaring cow as the “national animal” as he expressed concern over the “atmosphere of fear” in the wake of attacks by vigilante groups. Madani also reminded PM Narendra Modi about his assurance to take action against criminals who acted in the garb of ‘gau rakshaks’. Madani, as the head of the influential minority organization that represents a large number of Islamic scholars, demanded that the Centre explore making a common law on cow protection to end the ambiguity and prevent attacks on innocent people from the minority community. “The government should give national animal status to the cow and we will support it,” Madani told a press conference. “These gau rakshaks are exploiting religion to loot and murder people ... We respect the religious sentiments of our Hindu brethren but no one can be allowed to take law and order into their own hands,” he said. Madani also spoke on the much debated issue of triple talaq. “This is religious matter and can only have a religious so-
Cow vigilantes are liars: Muslim leader Bareilly: At its 84th national convention in Bareilly where participants from 22 states were present, leaders of All India Jamiatul Quresh said gau rakshaks were liars and that cows die as there is no one to take care of them. In order to solve this problem, the organisation has decided to open ‘gau niketans’ (cow shelter homes) across the state where abandoned cows will be taken care of. The association says it represents 50 million Qureshi Muslims, who have traditionally been engaged in the meat trade. TNN
lution. If the Supreme Court comes out with such an acceptable solution, we will welcome it,” Madani said. “The court should give a chance to the ulemas to discuss and sort out objections over triple talaq. Then they (Supreme Court) may consider those solutions and give judgement. Such a judgement based on religious interpretation will be acceptable to us,” Madani suggested. A Constitution of the apex court is set to start hearing the issue from Thursday. He said the issue of triple talaq was being blown out of proportion and an impression is being created as though the practice is rampant.
Prez poll: YSR Cong likely to support NDA Krishna.Prasad @timesgroup.com
Hyderabad: The YSR Congress Party is likely to support the NDA’s candidate in the upcoming Presidential elections. Sources close to party chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy told TOI that it was on the assurYS Jaganmohan ance of YSRCP’s Reddy unconditional support to the NDA candidate that Jagan was granted appointment to meet PM Narenda Modi on Wednesday. Sources said Jagan conveyed to the PM that he was not in favour of an election to the top post. He, however, agreed to support the NDA nominee if a “contest is forced”. YSRCP has a total strength of 16,848 votes in the President’s Electoral College. On record, the party has
66 MLAs and 10 MPs and commands a vote share of 1.53% in the President’s election. Given the fact that few of the MLAs have crossed over to the TDP, Jagan can be sure of contributing anywhere between 13,000 to 15,000 votes to the Presidential election. The sudden meeting has raised many an eyebrow in the political circles as the PM agreed to meet Jagan at a time when Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu, a close BJP ally, is not in the country. More importantly, the information about the meeting was not given to any TDP leader though the party is a coalition partner in the NDA government. According to sources, Jagan made it clear that he had no differences with the BJP or NDA except on the issue of the ‘special category status’ for Andhra Pradesh. His stress on the point that he has no major differences with BJP has sent ripples in the TDP, which is closely watching the developments.
TIMES NATION
THE TIMES OF INDIA, CHENNAI * THURSDAY, MAY 11, 2017
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‘Fayaz’s killing an attempt to EVENTS THAT break social fabric in Kashmir’ LED TO FBI First Unarmed Armyman Killed Since 1990s
Move to deter youths from joining Army, police
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
New Delhi: After stents, the government wants to put more medical devices under price control and even proposes to change the Indian Medical Council Act to make it mandatory for doctors to prescribe generic medicines, health minister J P Nadda said on Wednesday. Nadda said the ministry has started deliberations and is analysing data to bring more critical medical devices under the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM). Once under NLEM, the devices will automatically come under the purview of price control. “We are looking into it. A
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Washington Post reports that FBI is investigating Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server
FBI director James Comey announces Clinton had been careless, but recommends no charges
FBI opens quiet investigation into Russian interference in the US election and of ties between Trump’s campaign and Russia. It soon has a warrant to spy on Carter Page, a Trump foreign policy adviser with longstanding financial ties to the Kremlin
Comey reopens Clinton’s email case after new material is discovered
Comey announces end to new investigation, concluding no prosecution for Clinton
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anzoor added, “He’d come to attend a family function and not to fight militants. Brave Ummer was there for cousin Shafiqa Akhtar’s wedding, in spite of the fact that the area is highly militant-infested.” Born on June 8, 1994, Ummer had been in the Army for five months when he was selected for the “Young Officers Course”, beginning September, for elevation to platoon and company commander, Army sources said. The six-month course is held at Infantry School, Mhow, and Commando School, Belgaum. “Ummer knew the risks, but didn’t think twice about going to his village unarmed,” a family member said.
Lt Gen Abhay Krishna, the Colonel of Rajputana Rifles, grew emotional while paying tribute to the lieutenant. “We’ve lost a very good officer. Lt Fayaz was ex-
traordinarily tough and highly motivated. He was always ready to take on challenges and believed in leading from the front,” Lt Gen Krishna said.
patient queue and without taking a receipt from the hospital counter which costs merely Rs 1, barged inside the radiology department and pressured the technicians to conduct an Xray on his acquaintance,” said Dr VK Singh, chief medical superintendent of Etah district hospital. “Since there was a long queue of patients, the lab technicians asked Mohit and his men to wait for their turn and get a receipt from the counter. This apparently infuriated Mohit, who as per the staff, seemed drunk, and he along with his aides assaulted and robbed the two technicians,” added Dr Singh. Meanwhile, SP’sEtah district president Ashraf Hussain admitted that the accused is senior leader Ramesh Yadav’s nephew, but claimed that the youth was not associated with the party. “
Neeraj.Chauhan @timesgroup.com
New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has readied a formal request for an Interpol red corner notice against controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik and is likely to give it to the CBI, which is the Interpol’s office in India, on Thursday. Once an RCN is issued by the global police body, any international agency can arrest Naik wherever he is spotted and hand him over to India. Naik, who is facing probes for provocative speeches, inciting violence, spreading hatred, funding terrorists and money laundering, is said to be hiding in Saudi Arabia. According to
sources, he frequently travels to Malaysia and Indonesia. Sources said the RCN request against Naik was prepared with detailed evidence after procuring a non-bailable warrant against him from court and it was approved by NIA chief Sharad Kumar. NIA officials said Naik was given several chances to join the investigation. While investigating agencies recently faced setbacks in getting RCNs issued against fugitives like Vijay Mallya and Lalit Modi, officials are positive about Interpol issuing one against Naik as it pertains to “terrorism” charges.
‘Focus shifts to expensive lenses, catheters’
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fter the capping of cardiac stent prices, the Rajya Sabha petitions committee has turned its attention to overpricing of other medical devices. On Tuesday, the committee heard the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) and the department of pharmaceuticals (DoP) on the issue. The health ministry has classified 22 medical devices, including cardiac stents, as drugs under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940. These include intraocular lens, knee and hip implants, syringes and catheters. The committee is hearing a petition filed by one Sulagna Chattopadhyay on overpricing of medical devices. TNN
committee has already been formed which is evaluating price data,” the minister said. On generic prescription mandatory, he said the Medical Council of India (MCI) is doing the needful and if required, changes may be made to the Indian Medical Council Act.
Though MCI regulations direct doctors should prescribe generic drugs, changes in the law may give more legal teeth to the regulations. Documents with quotations from suppliers to hospitals reviewed by TOI show that medical devices and different
kinds of stents — other than coronary, which have been brought under control — are offered to hospitals at prices far lower than that charged from the consumer. Though the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has also asked for pricing data from all medical device manufacturers for all their products, it may be difficult for the authority to impose price caps on such products unless the health ministry brings them under NLEM. As per the national pharmaceutical pricing policy, only medicines or pharmaceutical products under NLEM fall under Drugs Price Control Order and NPPA can cap prices.
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Trump asks Comey to stay in his post in the new administration
FBI confirms Steele’s sources were credible
Sen John McCain hands Comey a dossier from a former British spy, Christopher Steele, claiming Russians had compromising material on Trump
Donald Trump gains US presidency in surprise election victory
Comey and three intel officials brief Barack Obama and Presidentelect Trump that Russian president Vladimir Putin sought to help Trump win
They said the Trump campaign actively coordinated with Russian hackers targeting Clinton
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Attorney General Jeff Sessions recuses himself from a probe related to Russia
Comey confirms that FBI is probing possible Russian collusion with Trump’s campaign
Comey called to testify before House Intelligence Committee about status of FBI’s probe
Trump fires Comey in a shock move following recommendation by Sessions
The attorney general was accused of lying under oath over meetings with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak
Both the House and Senate Intelligence Committees had, at this point, started their own probes into Russian involvement in the 2016 election
FEW FBI DIRECTORS SURVIVE THE FULL 10 YEARS Fired less than four years into his 10year contract, Comey’s may be the shortest term as FBI boss. But his is not the only such case since 1973
“(The FBI is) investigating the nature of any links between individuals associated with the Trump campaign and the Russian government and whether there was any coordination between the campaign and Russia’s efforts,” he tells the panel
Clarence M Kelly (1973-1978)
William H Webster (1978-1987)
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William Louis Sessions J Freeh (1987-1993) (1993-2001)
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Sacking reportedly was a week in the making with Sessions tasked with fleshing out the reasons for Comey’s ouster
Robert S Mueller (2001-2013)
James Comey Jr (2013-2017)
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3 years, 7 months
Since the end of J Edgar Hoover’s 48-year stint in 1972, only Mueller has made it to (and past) the 10-year mark. A 2011 legislation extended Mueller’s tenure by two years Source: AFP; Statista; Vox.com
THE ROCKETS GIVING
THRUST TO US SPACE RACE Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has it in his sights and so does Elon Musk of Tesla fame. Space is what they are looking at and the Bezos-backed Blue Origin and Musk-led SpaceX, along with several other players, are seeking to cash in on travels into the unknown. Here are some of the rockets they are lining up...
Main purpose
Due: 2020s
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‘Ummer knew the risks but still went home’ From P1
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Due: 2018 Moon Mars 100
Academy at Dehradun on December 10 last year. “He had joined his battalion at Akhnoor on his first posting. His unit officers remember him as an honest, simple and enthusiastic officer, who gained the love of his soldiers in the short time he was there,” said a senior officer. Lt Fayaz had studied at Navodaya Vidyalaya at Ashmuquam in South Kashmir. “He was encouraged to join the NDA by the officers posted in the area under the Victor Force of Rashtriya Rifles, though his family had told some people that he was going for an MBBS course to Mumbai,” said another officer. The Army, on its part, vowed to punish his killers. “I assure the family the perpetrators of this heinous crime and dastardly act will not be spared,” said Lt-General Abhay Krishna, chief of the Army’s South Western Command at Jaipur and “Colonel” of the Rajputana Riffles as its senior-most officer.
After stents, govt wants more medical devices to come under price cap
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ex-servicemen receiving pension in the state. Lt Fayaz, the son of a small-time farmer in Kulgam district, knew that south Kashmir was reeling under a fresh surge in militancy. But the officer, who would have turned 23 on June 8, was “full of josh” in his attitude towards life. “Eager to attend the wedding of his maternal uncle’s daughter at Batopora, near Behibagh in Shopian district, he said he was after all going home to his own brethren. He had abiding faith in Kashmiriyat, though he was a bit wary of the violence being perpetrated by militants. His leave was till May 25,” said an officer. After joining the 129th course at the tri-Service National Defence Academy near Pune at the age of 18, where he excelled in sports like volleyball and proved to be a good sportsman and was even part of the academy’s hockey team, Lt Fayaz was commissioned into the 2 Rajputna Rifles battalion from the Indian Military
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Agra: Senior Samajwadi Party leader and Uttar Pradesh legislative council chairman Ramesh Yadav’s nephew was on Wednesday arrested for attempt to murder, robbery and other grievous offences in Etah district. Police said Mohit Yadav, who was armed with a country-made pistol and was accompanied by his aides, stormed into the district hospital and assaulted two lab technicians after an argument. He did not even spare cops and manhandled the station in-charge and a constable on being taken to a police station. The hospital staff said that Yadav arrived there around 11am in his SUV for an X-ray of his acquaintance. “Mohit Yadav and his aides jumped the
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FINAL GOODBYE: Jawans pay tribute to Lieutenant Ummer Fayaz,who was abducted and killed by militants on Wednesday
t Fayaz’s funeral was marked by full military honours with many expressing anger at the murder of a “local hero”. There were, however, also reports of some unknown youths pelting stones at policemen outside the graveyard. Nearly a thousand people from Sudsuna attended the last rites. Though militants have been regularly targeting Kashmiris serving in J&K police and other government jobs, this is the first time since the early 1990s that an Army officer on leave has been killed in the terrorism-hit state. “It’s a clear message by the Pakistan-sponsored terrorists to intimidate Kashmiri youths into not joining police or security forces, as part of the larger gameplan to shatter the social fabric,” said a senior Army officer. The horrific crime seems intended to deter the large number of local youths who turn up at police and Army recruitment camps despite protests against the government. Describing the killing as “a dastardly act of cowardice”, defence minister Arun Jaitley said, “This young officer from J&K was a role model. He was an exceptional sportsman. His sacrifice reiterates the nation’s commitment to eliminate terrorism from the valley.” J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, in turn, added, “What was more painful to note is that the young officer had come home on vacation where he was attending the wedding of his cousin.” Lt Fayaz’s family was terrified by the threats issued by the terrorists while they were taking him away. “We did not immediately lodge any report with police due to fear of the militants. We also presumed that he would be let off soon after he was dragged out from our uncle’s home in Shopian,” said Manzoor Ahmad Parray, cousin of the slain officer.
SP neta’s nephew assaults NIA readies RCN medical staff, cops, arrested request against Naik Arvind.Chauhan @timesgroup.com
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Pune: Lieutenant Ummer Fayaz, who was murdered by militants in Kashmir’s Shopian district on Wednesday, was an alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA) here, having graduated in 2015. Authorities at the academy told TOI that the young officer was from the Delta Squadron of the 129th course. He was a member of the academy’s volleyball and hockey teams during training from 2012 to 2015. “Fayaz was actively involved in both sports. He was calm by nature. His records at the academy were also good,” an NDA official said.
CHIEF’S EXIT
From P1
Slain Army officer excelled in training at defence academy
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in charge of a probe over the Trump campaign’s potential ties to Russia — is the culmination of months of controversy over alleged Russian interference in the US polls. A look at the build-up around the FBI probe that led to Comey’s ouster after his testimony to a Senate committee
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New Delhi: The cold-blooded killing of Lt Ummer Fayaz, who was on leave to attend his cousin’s wedding after being commissioned into the Army barely five months ago, is a grim reminder of the escalating battle being waged by terrorists to disrupt the social compact in South Kashmir. The militants, aided and abetted by the Pakistan ArmyISI combine, have been regularly targeting Kashmiris serving in the J&K Police and other government departments over the last few years. But this is the first time since the early-1990s that an unarmed Army officer on leave has been killed in the strifetorn state, in a clear attempt to intimidate the common people to have nothing to do with the state or Union governments. “The attack is on Kashmiriyat and Sufiyat, a bid to destroy the social fabric in the state. For years, after all, common people with government jobs have peacefully co-existed with the ones who sympathise with militants in their villages,” said a senior Army officer. Incidentally, there are 29 serving military officers and around 4,800 junior commissioned officers and soldiers in the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry regiment from the Valley, apart from over 8,100
US PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S SHOCK DECISION TO SACK FBI CHIEF JAMES COMEY — the person
Next Generation Launcher (Maker: Orbital ATK)
Vulcan Heavy (ULA)
Falcon Heavy (SpaceX)
New Glenn (Blue Origin)
Space Launch System (SLS) (NASA)
Interplanetary Transport System (SpaceX)
Sources: Aviation Week, Space.com, NASA, wire agencies; © GRAPHIC NEWS
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TIMES NATION
‘AAP man’ assaults fasting Kapil Mishra, gets thrashed Kejriwal Party Says Attack A Conspiracy Hatched By BJP TIMES NEWS NETWORK
New Delhi: Sacked AAP minister Kapil Mishra was attacked on Wednesday evening by a man who arrived around 5.30pm at his residence in Civil Lines, where the party rebel is on an indefinite hunger strike over corruption charges he has levelled against chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and his party colleagues. Witnesses said the man walked up to Mishra and said the charges against Kejriwal were false. Before Mishra could reply, the man allegedly grabbed him by his collar. Mishra’s supporters rushed to his aid and overpowered the attacker and beat him up. In the melee, the attacker, wearing a green T-shirt, identified himself as Ankit Bhardwaj, an AAP member. Soon, an AAP volunteer claimed the man was a member of the BJP youth wing, which was quickly denied by the BJP. A police officer said a team of cops rescued the attacker and took him to the Civil Lines police station. He was later admitted to the Civil Lines trauma centre for treatment. A case of assault (section 323 of IPC) and criminal intimidation (section 506) has been registered against Bhardwaj.
Sanjay Mitra named new defence secy
RESOLUTE: Sacked Delhi minister Kapil Mishra with his wife during an indefinite hunger strike at his residence in New Delhi on Wednesday
He is likely to be arrested. A police officer Bhardwaj claimed to be an AAP member and a volunteer at a mohalla clinic near Moti Nagar. He is a resident of Mundka in outer Delhi and had come to Mishra’s house with some other people. “I do not want to blame anybody for this. God give wisdom to the attacker,” said Mishra, who forbade his supporters from striking back. “I will quit taking even water if any of my
Maya expels close aide & BSP’s Muslim face Siddiqui
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
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New Delhi: The government on Wednesday announced that Sanjay Mitra, a 1982 batch West Bengal cadre IAS officer posted as secretary of the road transport and highways ministry, will be the next defence secretary for a fixed two-year tenure after G Mohan Kumar retires on May 24. Mitra, who served a sevenyear stint in the Manmohan Singh PMO, will take over at a time when the defence ministry is trying to embark on farreaching reforms to boost the country’s defence industrial base, while also dwelling upon the crucial post of a chief of defence staff in the shortterm as well as integrated theatre commands in the long term, as earlier reported by TOI. The Army, Navy and IAF chiefs may rank higher than the defence secretary in terms of pay and position in the order of precedence but the secretary plays a pivotal role as principle advisor to the defence minister.
Lucknow: In a sudden move, BSP chief Mayawati expelled her close aide and party general secretary Naseemuddin Siddiqui and his son Afzal on Wednesday on charges of anti-party activities. Siddiqui, a powerful BSP manager, was in charge of west UP during the assembly elections. Siddiqui was BSP’s Muslim face and leader of the party in the legislative council. Announcing their expulsion, another BSP general secretary, Satish Chandra Mishra, said Siddiqui was accused of extorting money from party workers and setting up illegal slaughterhouses in west UP. Siddiqui was also charged with having amassed illegal wealth when he was cabinet minister in the BSP government, Mishra added. He denied the charges and counterclaimed that he faced harassment from Mayawati, her brother Anand Kumar, and Mishra.
India beats China in list of Nepal’s top devpt partners Sachin.Parashar @timesgroup.com
New Delhi: India has again emerged as one of the top ODA (official development assistance) donors to Nepal, clawing its way back to the
FRIEND IN NEED Nepal’s top 5 development partners according to ODA (official development assistance) disbursement in latest FY 2015/16 (in $US)
1 USAID 118,933,332 2 UK 9,478,104 3 Japan 45,913,262 4 Switzerland 36,981,936 5 India 5,767,655 ➤ In previous fiscal year (2014/15), India’s ODA disbursement to Nepal had dropped by over 50%, allowing China to overtake India in the list of top assistance providers ➤ While China’s disbursement of ODA stood at $37.95 million in FY 2014/15, India accounted for a little over $22 million Source: Ministry of Finance (Nepal)
list of top 5 bilateral development partners of the country. India displaced China which was ranked fourth last year as a development partner in terms of ODA disbursement to Nepal. Nepal’s latest Development Cooperation Report on FY 2015-16 put India at the
supporters tries to retaliate to the attack,” he said. He claimed to have gotten a threat call on Tuesday night from an international number but said he is not afraid. Soon, a controversy broke out over the identity of the attacker with an AAP functionary condemning the attack and claiming that Bhardwaj was a member of BJP’s youth wing, Bharatiya Janta Yuva Morcha (BJYM), and that the
attack was a conspiracy hatched by BJP. The BJP was quick to deny this. Harish Khurana, state BJP spokesperson, said: “He is not a BJP member but coordinator of a mohalla clinic. We condemn the attack on Kapil Mishra. There should a proper investigation into it.” BJP said AAP was trying to deflect attention from the real issues. “I was at home (in Trinagar) when I got a call from party members saying that AAP was claiming that I have attacked Mishra. This is nothing but tactics of AAP to divert attention from the real issues,” said the attacker’s namesake, Ankit Bhardwaj, who is indeed a member of BJYM, over phone. The party later circulated a video claiming it showed that the attacker was at an AAP rally in Mundka. Meanwhile, Mishra described his hunger strike as a satyagraha to “weed out corruption from AAP”. Protesting under a portrait of Mahatma Gandhi, Mishra said he would not break the hunger strike unless he got answers from his ‘guru’ Kejriwal on where party functionaries got the money to fund their foreign trips. No AAP MLA or functionary turned up through the day. “God is with me,” he said.
fifth position behind the US, the UK, Japan and Switzerland in the list of top ODA disbursers. In FY 2014-15, for the first time in five years, India’s name had gone missing from the list of top five development partners as its ODA disbursement had plummeted by over 50% that year. According to the latest report, India disbursed $35.76 million from July 16, 2015 to July 15, 2016 to claim its place among the top five bilateral development partners of Nepal. This is 3.33% of total ODA received by Nepal in the year. China in the same period accounted for 3.29% of the overall ODA. In FY 2014-15, India had disbursed a little over $22 million. China that year disbursed $37.95 million. China’s ascendancy in the list last year, which came at the expense of India, caused a mini controversy here with MEA going all out to prove that India’s figure of $22 million was misleading. MEA said the actual funds released were in the range of $50-$70 million. The discrepancy last year was attributed to the fact that much of it was not routed through the Nepalese treasury. China, though, continues to retain its formidable presence in Nepal as it accounted for as much as 68% of all FDI pledged for Nepal in the first half of ongoing fiscal (2016-17). Nepal has officially agreed to become a part of China’s One Belt, One Road project.
He said he would prove similar charges against Mayawati. Siddiqui also accused the BSP chief of criticizing the upper castes, backwards and Muslims after BSP’s defeat in the UP elections. “Two generations of my family have served the party. This is highly unfortunate,” he added. Siddiqui controlled the party’s organizational structure. Mayawati had appointed him as her representative in announcing tickets to candidates during UP polls. He was also instrumental in orchestrating defections from SP and Congress in favour of the BSP. Not surprisingly, Siddiqui’s expulsion triggered a spate of resignations from party workers. Within an hour of his expulsion, former BSP MP Salim Ansari, former MLC and member of
party’s Kshatriya brotherhood committee Pradeep Singh, former MLA Irshad Khan and Lucknow division secretary Laxman Bharti resigned from the party’s primary membership. Sources said more BSP functionaries are likely to resign in protest. Party sources said the decision to expel Siddiqui was taken in the aftermath of BSP’s poor performance in UP elections. Mayawati had relied on Siddiqui while giving nearly 100 tickets to Muslim candidates in assembly elections as part of her DalitMuslim consolidation plan to take on the BJP. But only five Muslim candidates won, leaving Mayawati red-faced. Siddiqui was caught in a controversy in July last year when he led a protest by BSP workers where they made personal comments on the women family members of BJP leader Dayashankar Singh. The BSP workers were protesting against Singh’s indecent remarks on Mayawati.
INDIA DIGEST
Martyr’s wife gets `5L after media outcry The Bihar government credited Rs 5 lakh into the bank account of Sukma martyr Ranjeet Kumar’s wife after media reports pointed out on Wednesday morning that the compensation cheque given to the family had bounced. Ranjeet and 24 CRPF personnel were martyred in Sukma (Chattishgarh) on April 25 this year. Six of them were from Bihar, and the state government had announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each for their families. Ranjeet was a native of Chor Dargah village in Sheikhpura district. The government had given the cheque to his wife Sunita Devi on April 26. “We deposited the cheque of a private bank to a nationalised bank’s customer service centre at Aliganj. On May 6, we went to the bank and got Sunita’s passbook updated. The cheque was shown to have bounced,” Ranjeet’s cousin Uday Kumar told TOI.
* THE TIMES OF INDIA, CHENNAI THURSDAY, MAY 11, 2017
Andhra minister’s son, friend die in Merc crash
HE SANG, MUMBAI SWOONED VEL ARCH
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh minister P Narayana’s son Nishith Narayana died after his Mercedes Benz SUV rammed into a metro pier in Jubilee Hills early Wednesday morning. Nishith, 23, was returning home with a friend K Raja Ravi Chandra, 24, in his Mercedes Benz G-63 AMG when he lost control at a curve and rammed the car into a metro pillar on Road No 36 near Heritage outlet at around 2.45am. Ravi Chandra also died in the accident. The impact was such that the front portion of the car was crushed. It took the police and the passersby nearly two hours to pull the victims out of the mangled remains. The policemen had to use gas cutters to cut through the car. They were taken to the Apollo hospital, where the doctors declared them dead on arrival.
POP SENSATION: DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai pulsated with 45,000 shrieking fans on Wednesday as Canadian singer and songwriter Justin Bieber took to the stage
Tribunal reinstates commander sacked for ‘philandering’ lifestyle Swati.Deshpande @timesgroup.com
Mumbai: The Armed Forces Tribunal in Mumbai has directed ‘notional’ reinstatement of a naval commander removed from service in May 2013 for allegedly having a “philandering lifestyle” and “breaching security” . The government said his actions amounted to “gross misconduct”. But the tribunal held that the case against the commander, Lijo Chacko, was “grossly overstated”. The tribunal said a punishment disproportionate to the misconduct would amount to discrimination under right to equality and hence set aside his removal. The commander would have completed 20 years of pensionable service last March. The tribunal made it clear he should now get his pension as commander. The Centre had removed him from service based on the findings of a board of inquiry set up by the Western Naval Command. The inquiry was against four officers for alleged extramarital relationships “unbecoming” of naval officers. All the four officers, from the naval technical branch, had been earlier posted in Russia in connection with the refit of aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya (re-christened Admiral Gorshkov), upgrade of a kilo-
SPEED DRIVING SUSPECTED The speedometer of the SUV was stuck at 205 kmph, but police were yet to ascertain whether the car was driven at that speed. “The accident happened between 2.45 am and 2.50 am. The duo was on its way to Nishisth’s residence from Narayanguda when the car crashed into the metro pillar,” deputy commissioner of police (West Zone) A Venkateshwar Rao told reporters. Though the air bags in the vehicle got deployed due to the impact, it could not save them. Nishith, who was a director in Narayana Group of Educational Institutions, founded by his father and Ravi, a resident of Balamrai and native of Prakasam district in AP, were classmates. Jubilee Hills inspector Venkat Reddy told TOI that they were waiting for postmortem report to ascertain whether Nishith was driving under the influence of alcohol or not.
class submarine and the acquisition of MiG-29K fighters. Incidentally, a senior commodore-level officer involved in the $2.33 billion acquisition of Admiral Gorshkov, Sukhjinder Singh, was sacked in 2011after his sexually explicit photographs with a Russian woman had surfaced a year earlier. Though there was talk of “a
The tribunal said a punishment disproportionate to the misconduct would amount to discrimination under right to equality and hence set aside his removal honey-trap”, the navy had dubbed it “baseless” then. Against Chacko, there were additional allegations of unauthorised contact with foreign nationals and use of personal computers and emails for official work in violation of rules. The board of inquiry found that as a bachelor, while on deputation to Russia for three years till 2008, he had a “philandering lifestyle” and on returning continued an “intimate relationship” with a married woman. The board faulted him for posting “classified information”—a mid-year refit review of 2011—online for a presentation
on a laptop bought by his wife, a Russian, thus breaching security. The officer denied any wrongdoing. His marriage in 2010, to a foreigner, was after approval, as legally required for defence personnel, from the Indian government. His lawyer Satyendra Kumar argued that allegations of compromising national security were made seven years after his deputation only to malign him. He argued that the inquiry was improperly conducted and that his removal from service was disproportionately harsh. The tribunal found no fault with the inquiry proceedings. After hearing Rajshekhar Govilkar for the defence ministry and chief of naval staff, it held that the CNS had rightly refused to supply the complete record of the inquiry to the commander. The tribunal, in its April 28 order, said that to prove adultery, there has to be a complaint, which in this case was lacking. It also said reliance on emails and chats was contestable without forensic analysis of computers, pen drives and data cards. The lack of such analysis was a “serious shortcoming” in the inquiry, said the AFT. The navy had argued that the very use of an unsecured email id and internet connection for official work was contrary to rules.
‘Miracle baby’ survives 12-hr op, six heart attacks Anmol.Alphonso @timesgroup.com
Vidisha, who was born to Kalyan residents Vishaka and Vinod Waghmare, is likely to be discharged from B J Wadia Hospital within the next couple of days. Her parents could barely manage `25,000 for the `5-lakh bill that was paid by various donors of the hospital. “When she was 45 days old, Vidisha vomited after I fed
Mumbai: Four-month-old Vidisha is being called a “miracle baby” in the Parel hospital that has been her home for the last two months. She was not only born with a major heart defect that needed a 12hour surgery, but she suffered six heart attacks thereafter.
her and fell unconscious. We shook her awake, but she again became unconscious,” said Vishaka. They rushed the baby to a local nursing home, where they were advised to take her to B J Wadia Hospital. Vidisha was diagnosed with a heart defect called transposition of the great arteries, in which connections to the big arteries
Of 55 nations with direct flights to India, Pak 50th
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Mumbai: About 55 countries are air-linked to India by nonstop, commercial passenger flights, and if these nations were ranked on the basis of the number of passengers flying to and fro, Pakistan would be found holding a lowly 50th rank, ahead only of Kyrgyzstan, Iraq, Tajikistan, Reunion Island and Yemen. Only 28,000 people boarded non-stop flights between India and Pakistan last year as against, say, the 8 lakh who flew between India and Nepal. With Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) suspending its Karachi operations to India, the neighbour is now set to fall to the bottom of that list this year. Currently, only
PASSENGER TRAFFIC TO & FROM INDIA IN 2016 Sri Lanka 21L Nepal 8L Bangladesh 7L Pakistan 28,154 Kyrgyzstan 21,972 Iraq 4,989 (SOURCE: DGCA)
PIA operates direct flights between India and Pakistan. On Monday, the last 189seater PIA A320 aircraft took off from the Mumbai international airport for Karachi at 2.40pm with 120 passengers on board. PIA’s Lahore-Delhi is the only flight the carrier will operate to India now. The airline had said
the decision to suspend the Karachi flights was a commercial one and not a result of the recent tension between the two neighbours. A look at DGCA statistics on the passenger traffic between India and Pakistan only corroborates that. In 2016, 28,154 passengers flew between India and Pakistan on PIA’s KarachiMumbai, Karachi-Delhi and Lahore-Delhi to and fro flights, a fall of 27% over 2015 (the data doesn’t include passengers who fly between India and Pakistan via West Asia or other transit stops). Among the top reasons for the abysmally low numbers is the comparatively cheaper road transport.
Sonia stable in hospital
‘India may miss TB eradication target’
New Delhi: The condition of Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who is under treatment at Sir Ganga Ram hospital for food poisoning, is stable. On Wednesday, sources said, her son Rahul Gandhi and daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra visited the hospital. “The patient is stable. She is likely to be discharged soon,” a doctor, who did not want to be identified, said. Gandhi was admitted to SGRH on Sunday. Last year also, she was admitted to the hospital twice for surgery to fix her shoulder dislocation and severe dehydration. TNN
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New Delhi: India may not be able to eliminate tuberculosis by 2025 as targeted by the government. Cases of drug resistant TB are expected to rise in four high burden countries of India, the Philippines, Russia, and South Africa between 2000 and 2040, a Lancet study shows. The upturn is likely to be due to increased spread of TB from person to person rather than by strains acquiring resistance to anti-TB drugs, which has been so far considered the main hurdle in eradicating TB. “While better access to
K K Choudhary
DRUG-RESISTANT STRAIN ➤ Latest estimates show there are 10.4 million new cases of tuberculosis each year, leading to 1.8 million deaths globally ➤ Nearly 40% of all drug-resistant TB cases occur in Russia, India, the Philippines and South Africa — accounting for over 2,30,000 cases of the disease in 2015
treatment programmes will reduce rates of drug-resistant tuberculosis in countries with a high burden, they will not eradicate the problem alone,
Tuberculosis cases in India are estimated to be multi-drug resistant 7.9% 2000 12.4% 2040 MDR TB in India is likely extensively drug-resistant 8.9%
0.9%
2040
2000
and current efforts may not be enough to reverse the epidemic,” the report said. The study estimates that 12.4% of tuberculosis cases
in India will be multi-drug resistant by 2040, as compared to 7.9% in 2000. In addition, almost one in ten cases of multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) or 8.9% are expected to be extensively drug-resistant by 2040, as against 0.9% in 2000. TB is a bacterial disease that can be treated with a combination of antibiotic drugs. However, because of misuse of antibiotics, bacteria can develop drug resistance and destroys the efficacy of the medicine. India is under international pressure to tackle the TB problem, as it accounts for 4,80,000 deaths every year and over 1400 deaths daily.
called aorta and pulmonary artery are switched. “Basically, her heart’s anatomy was opposite of a normal heart,” explained Dr Biswa Panda, paediatric cardiac surgeon of Wadia Hospital, who operated on her on March 14. The hospital had to use a high-frequency oscillatory ventilator for Vidisha’s lungs to stabilise.
Ex-Punjab AAP convener Ghuggi quits, crisis deepens TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Chandigarh: Aam Aadmi Party’s internal crisis deepened on Wednesday after its former Punjab convener Gurpreet Singh Waraich (Ghuggi) quit the party. Speaking to reporters in Chandigarh, he said party supremo Arvind Kejriwal was “careless” and “incapable of fixing accountability” for the electoral defeats. Waraich ditched AAP two days after Kejriwal replaced him with Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann as the new Punjab chief. He even said that Mann’s promise to Kejriwal of staying away from liquor was “laughable”. He accused Kejriwal of taking the decision to remove him following his “nagging” requests to visit Punjab for a thanksgiving tour, the electoral defeat notwithstanding. AAP had been claiming that it would win 90 of the 117 seats in the Punjab assembly in the recently concluded polls, but got just 20 seats. Waraich is the first Punjab leader to resign from the party after the results. Bholath MLA and former Congress spokesperson Sukhpal Khaira resigned as AAP's chief whip two days ago. Waraich's decision is a big blow to AAP given that it has come at a time when the Delhi unit is mired in controversies and Kejriwal himself is facing allegations of corruption.
TIMES GLOBAL * THE TIMES OF INDIA, CHENNAI | THURSDAY, MAY 11, 2017
MONICA BELLUCCI ON AIRBRUSHING OF STARS’ PHOTOS: THANK HEAVENS FOR RETOUCHING
EVERYBODY IS IGNORANT, ONLY ON DIFFERENT SUBJECTS — WILL ROGERS
RAPPER P DIDDY SUED BY FORMER PERSONAL CHEF FOR SEXUAL HARASSMENT, HOSTILE WORK ENVIRONMENT
Not doing a good job: Trump fires FBI chief Comey Was Probing Prez Aides’ Russia Links; 6th Official To Be Dismissed In 4 Months By New Admn Reuters
Chidanand.Rajghatta @timesgroup.com
Washington: US President Donald Trump abruptly fired the FBI director James Comey on Tuesday, causing a seismic political and bureaucratic convulsion in Washington. Comey became the sixth senior public official to be eased out of the Trump administration in less than four months in office following the canning of national security adviser Michael Flynn, his deputy KT McFarland, acting attorney general Sally Yates, US attorney for the southern district of New York Preet Bharara and deputy chief of staff Katie Walsh. In his first public remarks about his firing of the FBI chief, Trump told reporters at the Oval Office, “He wasn’t doing a good job, very simply.” The president’s aides said Comey was fired because of his mishandling of the probe into Hillary Clinton’s email server, amid indications that Trump was miffed that he had eventually gone easy on the defeated presidential candidate. But in a brusque sack letter to the FBI director, who was only three years into a 10year term, Trump only alluded to the bureau’s investigation into his campaign’s ties with Russia and his being not probed in the matter. “While I greatly appreciate you informing me, on three separate occasions, that I am not under investigation, I nevertheless concur with the
judgment of the department of justice that you are not able to effectively lead the bureau,” Trump wrote, adding he had “received the attached letters from the attorney general and deputy attorney general of the United States recommending your dismissal” and “you are hereby terminated and removed from office, effective immediately.” Trump dispatched the dismissal letter with his security major-domo to be delivered personally to the FBI headquarters when Comey was away in Los Angeles on official work. Comey learned of the sacking on live television during a speech to FBI agents, and initially though it was a prank and joked about it. An aide later read the sack letter to him over phone. Abrupt and peremptory, the sacking was evocative for Washington oldtimers of Richard Nixon’s firing of special prosecutor Archibald Cox during the Watergate scandal in what came to be known as the ‘Saturday Night Massacre’, because it led to the resignation of several top officials. There was no such immediate fall-out but Washington erupted in fury as Trump’s own aides (many caught unawares by the firing), lawmakers (including Republicans), and pundits (on both sides) tried to make sense of the development. Although many Democrats believe Comey’s initial investigations into Hillary Clinton’s email server had
Comey had sought more resources for Russia probe
the probe into the Trump campaign’s alleged Russian links, even Republican lawmakers expressed reservations about the firing. Calls came from Trump critics for hree US officials say fired GOP lawmakers to stand up FBI Director James Comey to the president. told lawmakers that he asked “I am troubled by the tithe Justice Department for ming and reasoning of Direcmore money for the bureau’s tor Comey’s termination. I hainvestigation into Russia’s ve found Director Comey to be election meddling. The officials a public servant of the highest say Comey told lawmakers he order, and his dismissal furthad made the request to Rod her confuses an already diffiRosenstein, the deputy cult investigation,” said Riattorney general. The Justice chard Burr, the Republican Department is denying that lawmaker who chairs the SeComey asked for more nate Intelligence Committee, resources. The White House has indicating the disquiet even in wielded a critical memo from the GOP. His senior colleague Rosenstein to justify President John McCain said there was Donald Trump’s decision to fire “not sufficient rationale” for Comey on Tuesday. the decision. Many others weRosenstein's memo focused re in wait and watch mode. only on Comey’s handling of Trump also raged against last year’s investigation into Comey, Democrats, and “fake Democrat Hillary Clinton’s news” in a grievance-filled email practices. It does not twitterstorm. “The Demomention the Russia probe. AP crats have said some of the worst things about James Costated recently, ‘I do not have mey, including the fact that confidence in him (James Co- he should be fired, but now mey) any longer.’ Then acts so they play so sad!” he wrote, indignant. #draintheswamp.” maintaining that Comey will Trump tweeted, referring to be replaced by “someone who the New York Senator who rawill do a far better job, bringged that the firing was an at- ing back the spirit and prestitempted cover-up of Trump’s ge of the FBI.” alleged links to Russia. “Comey lost the confidenOn his part, Trump had ce of almost everyone in Waspublicly affirmed confidence hington, Republican and Dein Comey, as long as he investi- mocrat alike. When things gated Hillary Clinton. calm down, they will be thanMeanwhile, amid a gro- king me!” he added, before retwing clamour among Demo- weeting a story from Drudge crats for a special indepen- Report on “10 scandals on Codent investigator to continue mey’s watch.”
T
Comey learned of the sacking on live television during a speech to FBI agents. He is only the second FBI chief to have been sacked in the agency’s 109-year history. In July 1993, President Clinton fired William Sessions for ethical lapses, including taking free trips on FBI aircraft and using government money to build a $10,000 fence at his home
cost her the election, it transpired that the FBI director was no less unsparing in his dogged pursuit of the Trump campaign’s alleged collusion with Russia. Comey was leading a criminal investigation into whether Trump’s advisers colluded with the Russian government to steer the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. He also angered the president by saying in effect he did not have any reason or evidence to believe Trump’s allegation that President Obama
S KOREAN PREZ WANTS TO VISIT NORTH
Reuters
had wiretapped him. Thus, both sides have been leery of Comey when it came to his investigation of their principals. Only last week, Trump accused FBI director of giving Clinton “a free pass for many bad deeds” when he decided not to recommend criminal charges in the case. On Wednesday, Trump took to Twitter with gusto to taunt Democrats for objecting to his firing Comey even though they were the first to express no-confidence in him. “Cryin’ Chuck Schumer
PIO endorsed to be US trade commissioner
South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in (C) greets supporters in Seoul. Moon Jae-In was sworn in on Wednesday, just a day after a landslide election victory, and immediately declared his willingness to visit Pyongyang amid high tensions with the nuclear-armed North. Left-leaning Moon, backs engagement with Pyongyang in a quest for peace in contrast to the threatening rhetoric from the Trump administration in recent weeks
WORLD DIGEST
11-year-old dies on water ride in UK, theme park shut
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British theme park is closed to the public after an 11-year-old girl was killed on a water ride. Evha Jannath died after falling from the Splash Canyon ride. She was on a school trip on Tuesday at the Drayton Manor theme park in Tamworth, near London, when she fell into the water. British police said that Evha was recovered from the water and received life support from ambulance crews but later died in a hospital. An investigation has been launched.
US may extend computer ban to Europe: US authorities are considering banning carry-on computers on Europe-
an flights to the US, widening the security measure introduced for flights from eight countries in March, an official said on Tuesday. The department of homeland security is close to making a decision on a wider ban as the busy summer transatlantic travel season looms, department spokesman David Lapan said. Airlines involved in implementing the policy have been given a warning, he told journalists.
‘Kill Bill’ actor Michael Parks passes away: Michael Parks, a prolific character actor and a favourite of director Quentin Tarantino has died. He was 77. Parks’ agent, Jane Schulman, says the actor died on Tuesday in LA. No cause of death was announced. In a career that spanned five decades, Parks acted in more than 100 films and TV shows.
13-yr-old’s hand chopped off for demanding pay Lahore: A woman in Pakistan’s Punjab province has chopped off a 13-year-old boy’s right hand with a fodder cutting machine for allegedly demanding salary. Irfan was employed at Shafqat Bibi’s house in Safdarabad at a salary of Rs 3,000, his mother Jannat Bibi told the police. “Last week Shafqat Bibi got furious with Irfan when he demanded salary. She cut his right hand with a fodder cutting machine to teach him a lesson that he demands salary but doesn’t complete his job of feeding the cattle,” she said. The incident took place in Sheikhupura village, 50km from Lahore. He was shifted to a hospital where his condition is said to be critical. PTI
TNN
Islamabad: The Pakistan army retracted from its aggressive ingression into civilian domain by withdrawing from its earlier controversial tweet on Wednesday in which it had rejected Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ’s directives on an inquiry report into Dawn Leaks, a news story about last year’s high-level meeting revealing military’s inaction against militant outfits. The move came after a high-level civil-military meeting in Islamabad between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa and ISI chief Naveed Mukhtar, among others.
May says hubby does all ‘boy jobs’, called sexist London: UK Prime Minister Theresa May faced flak on Wednesday for making what has been labelled as a “sexist” remark by social media users during a television interview in which she said her husband handled “traditional boy jobs” at home. In her first TV interview alongside husband Philip May on Tuesday, 60-yearold May light-heartedly told the BBC that “there’s boy jobs and girls jobs.” But many TV viewers took to social media soon after to express outrage. Asked by the host if his wife was a tough negotiator, Philip, 59, said, “Well, there’s give and take in every
marriage. I get to decide when I take the bins out. Not if I take them out.” Theresa jumped in and said, “There’s boy jobs and girls jobs, you see.” “I definitely do the bins. I do the traditional boy jobs, by and large,” Philip added. Scottish Labour party leader Kezia Dugdale said online, “The Prime Minister tells the country there are ‘boy jobs and girl jobs’ at home — I despair.” A Twitter user said, “Can someone please tell Theresa May, it’s 2017.” Another tweeted, “Sexism at it’s finest. Should the woman running our country be more supportive of gender equality?” PTI
Hackers came, but the French were prepared AP
Adam Nossiter, David E Sanger & Nicole Perlroth
Paris: Everyone saw the hackers coming. The National Security Agency in Washington picked up the signs. So did Emmanuel Macron’s bare-bones technology team. And mindful of what happened in the American presidential campaign, the team created dozens of false email accounts, complete with phony documents, to confuse the attackers. The staff at Macron’s makeshift headquarters in the
15th Arrondissement at the edge of Paris didn’t need the NSA to tell them they were being targeted: In December, after the former investment banker and finance minister had emerged as easily the most anti-Russian, pro-Nato and pro-European Union candidate in the presidential race, they began receiving phishing emails. The phishing mails were “high quality”, said Macron’s digital director, Mounir Mahjoubi: They included the actual names of members of the campaign staff, and at
Emmanuel Macron
first glance appeared to come from them. Even before then, the Macron campaign had begun looking for ways to make life a little harder for the Russians. “We went on a counteroffensi-
ve,” said Mahjoubi. “We couldn’t guarantee 100% protection” from the attacks, “so we asked: what can we do?” Mahjoubi opted for a classic “cyber-blurring” strategy creating false email accounts and filled them with phony documents the way a bank teller keeps fake bills in the cash drawer in case of a robbery. “We created false accounts, with false content, as traps. We did this massively, to create the obligation for them to verify, to determine whether it was a real account,” Mahjoubi said. “I don’t
O
nly hours after dismissing James Comey as director of the FBI, amid an investigation into the Trump campaign’s contacts with Russian officials, the president met with Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, at the White House. US president described his meeting with Lavrov as “very, very good”, asking Russia to rein in the authoritarian Assad regime of Syria, Iran and Iranian proxies. Earlier, Lavrov met US secretary of state Rex Tillerson. The meeting came following the sacking of FBI director James Comey. Peppered with questions on Comey’s firing during his media interaction, Lavrov joked around. “Does the Comey firing cast a shadow of your talks, gentlemen?” a reporter asked. “Was he fired?” Lavrov questioned. “Yes”, the reporter said. “You are kidding. You are kidding,” Lavrov said. AGENCIES
Who would replace Comey as director?
P
resident Donald Trump is considering four senior FBI officials to serve as the interim replacement for fired FBI director James Comey, a White House official said. The four candidates include acting FBI director Andrew McCabe, assistant FBI director in charge Paul Abbate, Chicago special agent in charge Michael J Anderson and Richmond, Virginia, special agent in charge Adam Lee, the official said. AP
Pakistan army walks back on charge against Nawaz Sharif Omer Farooq Khan
Washington: A top Democratic senator on Wednesday recommended US President Donald Trump that IndianAmerican Rohit Chopra be selected to serve as a commissioner in the Federal Trade Commission. “The Federal Trade Commission should be led by people who put the interests of consumers above all else, and that’s what Rohit Chopra has done his entire life,” senate minority leader Charles Schumer said, recommending Chopra’s name for this top federal trade commission position. Chopra is currently serving as a senior fellow at the Consumer Federation of America, where he leads the organization’s research and advocacy on consumer protection. PTI
US prez hosts Russian minister
think we prevented them. We just slowed them down,” he said. “Even if it made them lose one minute, we’re happy,” he said. The Russians did a poor job of covering their tracks. The metadata tied to a handful of documents — code that shows the origins of a document — show some passed through Russian computers and were edited by Russian users. Some Excel documents were modified using software unique to Russian versions of Microsoft Windows. NYT NEWS SERVICE
Pakistanis get blasphemy warnings
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illions of Pakistanis have been receiving text messages from the government warning against sharing “blasphemous” content online, a move activists said would encourage vigilante attacks. “Uploading & sharing of blasphemous content on Internet is a punishable offense under the law. Such content should be reported on
[email protected] ,” read the SMS sent by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority to all mobile phone subscribers. PTI
“The tweet on April 29, 2017, was not against any government office or person. Recommendations of the inquiry committee report, duly approved by the PM, have been implemented, which has settled the Dawn Leaks issue,” the Inter-Services Public Relations, army’s media wing, said in a statement. “Pakistan Army reiterates its firm commitment and continued resolve to uphold the Constitution of the Isla-
mic Republic of Pakistan and support the democratic process,” Major General Asif Ghafoor, the army’s spokesperson, later said. On April 29, PM Sharif ’s office had issued directives to remove Syed Tariq Fatemi, special assistant to the PM on foreign affairs, from his post for his alleged role in Dawn leaks. Prior to that, information minister Pervez Rasheed had also been fired in connection to Dawn’s story.
China objects to US team meeting Dalai Saibal Dasgupta
TNN
Beijing: China has lodged a protest with the US against the recent meeting of members of the US congress with the Dalai Lama at Dharamshala in India. The bipartisan delegation led by Democratic congresswoman Nancy Pelosi raised the issue of human rights violations in Tibet. Chinese foreign ministry objected to the meeting on Wednesday saying that it amounted to giving political support to the Tibetan leader, whom Beijing regards as a dangerous separatist. “The visit by the relevant delegates of the US congress to meet the Dalai Lama sent a very wrong signal to the world about Tibet independence and goes against the US’ promises on Tibet,” foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said adding, “China firmly opposes this and has lodged solemn representations with the US.” “We urge relevant congress people in the US to carefully handle the Tibet issue, stop all communications with the Dalai Lama and take immediate measures to deal with the negative impact of the visit,” Geng added.
Pakistan, Iran set up joint border panel Islamabad: Pakistan said on Wednesday that a joint border commission has been set up with Iran to address bilateral issues, a day after it summoned the Iranian envoy to express concern over Iran’s assertion that it will hit terror “safe havens” in its neighbouring country. Pakistan PM’s adviser on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz said that both countries set up a commission to ensure better border management. Relations between the neighbours have been tense due to the killing of Iranian border guards in a clash with militants. Pakistan on Tuesday summoned the Iranian ambassador to express its concern over Iran army chief ’s remarks that Tehran will hit “safe havens” of terrorists in Pakistan until Islamabad takes steps to stop militants from carrying out cross-border attacks. Aziz, while giving details of the joint border commission to the media, said, “Four members from each side will be its members and it will be soon functional.” He said apart from militants, smugglers and other elements were also present along the Pak-Iran border. PTI
AROUND THE WORLD AFP
Juan Pedro Franco, 32, who weighs almost 500kg, arrives at hospital in Guadalajara, Mexico. The world’s heaviest man, who at one point weighed almost 600kg, has undergone successful gastric bypass surgery, his doctors in Mexico said. The procedure is intended to reduce his weight by half. He is expected to undergo another operation in November in which his stomach size will be reduced
Italian village of Bormida may pay you to move there
E
ver dream of getting paid to move abroad? An Italian mayor wants to offer money to people who relocate to a tiny village in northwestern Italy. Under Mayor Daniele Galliano's proposed plan, people who move to Bormida and rent or buy property will get €2,000 ($2,176.70), according to The Guardian. The plan is meant to keep the village, of 394 people, from losing its population. Bormida is located 50 miles from Genoa and is part of the Leguria region. As for the cost of living, monthly rent could be as cheap as €50 ($54.42) and up to €120 ($130.60) for something roomier.
Venezuela protesters bring poo bombs to hurl at cops:
Fan busts rapper for lying about in a pvt jet: Bow Wow
Venezuela’s opposition protests on Wednesday may be the messiest in a six-week wave of unrest as demonstrators prepare to throw feces at security forces. The new tactic has been dubbed the “Poopootov”. “They have gas; we have excrement,” reads an image floating around social media for Wednesday’s “Shit March”.
seems to have been caught out after bragging about a private jet trip. The rapper posted a photo of a jet on tarmac with a car and captioned it: “Travel day. NYC press run for Growing Up Hip Hop.” A fan spotted the rapper on a commercial plane and shared a photo of him in his seat on Twitter.
S African police minister pulls up driver online: A South African woman seeking advice on Twitter about buying a driver’s licence got more than she bargained for when it caught the eye of police minister Fikile Mbalula. “It’s a criminal offence to buy a driver’s licence (like a) ngathi ligwinya,” Mbalula tweeted using a local word for a doughnut.
British nannies to get counter-terror skills: Britain’s Norland College, which has trained the very best of the world’s nannies, has added anti-terrorism training to its curriculum. It will provide nannies with a “foundation to think ahead and prepare for potentially threatening changes in their environment,” said Paul Gibson, former head of UK Counter Terrorism.
AN ECSTASY The judiciary must not take on the coloration of whatever may be popular at the moment ROSE BIRD, US judge
The Karnan episode shows judicial reform must go beyond clearing case backlogs
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n unprecedented decision by a seven judge Supreme Court bench to convict a sitting judge of Calcutta high court, CS Karnan, and sentence him to six months imprisonment foregrounds worrisome systemic issues. The apex court’s verdict and events which preceded it indicate that there are gaps in the judiciary’s functioning which need to be addressed. Specifically, there are questions about the efficacy of the current collegium system of appointing judges and the handing down of gag orders by the judiciary. Karnan has had a history of bizarre behaviour going back many years. He frequently levelled capricious charges against other judges who were his colleagues. As a judge at Madras high court, he precipitated a crisis by passing strictures against its then Chief Justice. When, in a move to resolve the crisis he was transferred to the Calcutta high court, he issued a suo motu order against his own transfer before sense prevailed. This experience starkly exposed a shortcoming in the current framework to discipline a judge, for incidents that may not require a cumbersome impeachment procedure. This gap in the statutory framework needs to be addressed. The Karnan episode also shows up the inadequacy of filters in the collegium system which enabled his appointment as a judge despite his evident incapacity to hold the post. It is inconceivable that an effective system for appointing judges would have permitted him entry, leading to the current embarrassing situation the judiciary finds itself in. It is time for the judiciary to reflect on the infirmities of the existing system. The gag order on media that accompanied the apex court’s order on Karnan – asking the media to refrain from reporting any future statements made by him – suggests, however, judicial disinclination for such reflection yet. Free speech is often challenged in India but the apex court has stood by the principle of freedom of expression, a critical freedom in any democracy, in the past. But the gag order on media is tantamount to prior restraint. It is an unhappy situation when the judiciary becomes a vehicle to restrain expression. The Karnan episode shows that judicial reforms ought not to be limited to finding ways to clear case backlogs. It should also be about finding better ways to appoint judges and discipline errant ones among them.
PM Modi’s Sri Lanka diplomacy is a vital test case for his neighbourhood first policy
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While a penchant for Hindu symbolism is a leitmotif of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s unique brand of politics domestically, one of the more interesting and underreported aspects of his international diplomacy has been a focus on the cultural power of Buddhism and India’s special identity as its birthplace. Today, for instance, he begins a visit to Sri Lanka for UN’s ‘Vesak Day’ celebrations to commemorate the day millions of Buddhists around the world mark as the day the Buddha was born in 623 BC, the day he attained enlightenment and day he passed away in his 80th year. Even as the rich cultural tapestry of Buddhism frames the backdrop of this visit to Colombo, also on the agenda are crucial bilateral meetings with President Maithripala Sirisena, who just this week harked back to India and Sri Lanka’s old Buddhist linkages to question opposition leaders who are protesting a deal for India to jointly operate strategic oil tanks in the eastern port of Trincomalee. “Are they Buddhists?” Sirisena famously asked. In a week in which India launched its South Asia satellite, Modi’s Sri Lanka diplomacy is also a crucial test case for his ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy. The trajectory of Delhi’s Colombo relationship is instructive in this regard. In political terms, the sheer volume of bilateral visits at the highest levels of government on both sides over the last couple of years speaks for itself. President Sirisena first visited India in February 2015, within a month of being elected to office, and has been to India thrice more since then. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has also been to Delhi thrice, most recently in April this year. Modi is going to Colombo for the second time now. After the previous Rajapakse government’s tilt towards China as a weapons and credit supplier, sharply focussed in the public eye with the docking of a Chinese submarine in Colombo harbour in 2014, there has certainly been a
New South Korean president raises hopes of regional peace
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rebalancing in Sri Lanka. As former Sri Lankan naval chief and director of Colombo’s Centre for India-Lanka Initiatives Admiral Jayanath Colombage says, “at the leadership level the relationship hasn’t been better ever”. Yet quite often, when it comes to leveraging high aspirations and implementing real changes on the ground, joint initiatives end up being seen on the one hand in Delhi, from the lens of China’s deepening footprint on the island, and on the other hand in Colombo, from a perspective of resistance to ‘Big Brother’ India, as evidenced by the recent anti-India strike by Colombo Petroleum Corporation Trade Union collective against the Trincomalee deal. Both are legitimate political concerns. For Delhi, to invoke former NSA Shivshankar Menon, Sri Lanka is also an aircraft carrier 14 kilometres off the coast of India. For Colombo, the old legacy of Tamil politics and its civil war still hangs heavy when selling new initiatives publicly. So, while leaders
After the previous Rajapakse government’s tilt towards China, sharply focussed in the public eye with the docking of a Chinese submarine in Colombo harbour in 2014, there has certainly been a rebalancing in Sri Lanka from both sides keep talking the talk, their real challenge is to break out of the binaries of history. At a time when China is trying to weld India’s wider neighbourhood and beyond in an ambitious web of connectivity through its Belt and Road initiative on a scale that has never been done before, for India to build and strengthen economic connectivity becomes even more vital. Delhi cannot match Beijing as a moneybag but it can certainly leverage its traditional strengths. It has long been
Arghya Sengupta
In the Mahabharata, Kunti abandoned her first child, by setting him afloat down the river to hide the embarrassment of being mother to an illegitimate son. That son, later the arch enemy of Kunti’s legitimate sons, the Pandavas, was Karna, immortalised in Tamil cinema by Sivaji Ganesan as Karnan. In a 21st century retelling of the story the Supreme Court of India disowned one of its own – Justice Karnan, formerlyof the Madras high court – by convicting him of contempt of court. By ordering his imprisonment for six months the Court attempted to hide from public view its enfant terrible, and with it, the embarrassment he caused the institution with his public utterances, actions and conduct. There can scarcely be two views on the fact that Justice Karnan’s actions eroded the dignity of the judiciary immeasurably. He made unsubstantiated allegations against his brother judges, including of custodial rape; stayed his own transfer order to the Calcutta high court and passed ‘orders’ imprisoning the Chief Justice of India and seven other judges of the Supreme Court. Having taken the step of initiating contempt proceedings, the Supreme Court was left with little option other than to convict him. His conviction sends out a clear
message that scurrilous attacks against the judiciary will be met with the strictest censure, even when it emanates from within the judiciary. But if the Court thinks that by acting against its own, it has exorcised the enemy within, it would be mistaken. The Karnan episode says as much about the judge himself as it does about the processes of the Supreme Court. First, it is indicative of the fatal deficiencies of the collegium system of appointment of judges. For a person like Justice Karnan, with rarely any semblance of judge-like qualities and virtually no known practice at the Bar to speak of, to be appointed is a sign that the opacity of the collegium system is a cloak for extraneous considerations to creep in. If this episode does not make the judges introspect on the need for transparency in their selection mechanism, nothing else can. Second, it demonstrates a complete absence of judicial accountability mechanisms, short of impeachment. Much of the damage done by Justice Karnan could have been averted if the judiciary evolved a credible in-house procedure to discipline errant judges. Though a procedure exists on paper, this episode has proved its utter worthlessness. Third, and most worryingly, it demonstrates a disdainful judicial attitude towards a free press. By barring all print and electronic media from publishing any statements by Justice Kar-
Much of the damage done by Justice Karnan could have been averted if the judiciary evolved a credible in-house procedure to discipline errant judges nan, the Supreme Court has passed an order against the spirit of the Constitution. Freedom of the press to report what it deems newsworthy is a fundamental right protected by Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution. The test of such freedom is when speech that is uncomfortable, annoying and even contemptuous can be expressed freely. The Supreme Court, while exercising
dilbert
Bachi Karkaria
[email protected] http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/erratica
The writer is Research Director, Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy. Views are personal.
Make A Rainbow We play many roles in our lives; if they get mixed up, it becomes dark, like when you mix all the colours. Play each role distinctively side by side, like the colours displayed side by side form a rainbow.
Cows or women, all we have we owe to udders
erratica
contempt jurisdiction cannot abrogate the fundamental rights of the press, which is not the contemnor before it, to report what it feels is newsworthy. Doing so would be an impermissible prior re-straint that the court itself has declared unconstitutional on several occasions. This order leaves the press in a double bind. Not only can it now not report any statements made by Justice Karnan, it cannot approach any authority, judicial or otherwise, for a remedy against it. In its determination to make an example of Justice Karnan, the Supreme Court has not only shot the messenger – the print and electronic media – but also exposed its own fault lines. An opaque appointments system that keeps out civil society, the failure to develop a workable accountability mechanism that makes the court more democratic, and a blanket ban on media reporting of Justice Karnan’s statements are all symptoms of a court where divergent viewpoints are prohibited, the concept of popular accountability questioned and citizens viewed as subjects to be protected rather than participants in a democratic exercise. This is the real enemy within. Sending Karnan down may stop people talking about a matter of personal embarrassment for a while. But it can only provide a stopgap measure before the real enemies within need to be confronted. Just ask Kunti.
Sacredspace
Mata Din Next Sunday is Mother’s Day. Who knows when it will be declared anti-national? It is a surrogate idea, fertilised with Western sperm and surreptitiously implanted into our chaste Hindutva culture, no? Totally illegitimate. Chhee-chhee! Should anti-M Day squads be unleashed, forcibly ripping it out of newspapers, malls and florists in a bloodied abortion? Don’t look wounded, and cry, ‘How you can say this? We are worshipping our mothers only!’ True, but that shouldn’t stop the bigotry brigands from waging a Supermom-sized battle against M Day. After all, being the land of the shringara rasa hasn’t stopped us from waging a guerrilla war on love. Forget screen kissing, the way anti-Romeo squads have been uprooting couples, you’d think they were Pakistani spies planted in the bushes. Just see, from where to where all this mother business has gone. It started with Bharat Mata and the singing of Vande Mataram in schools, and now it has spread from pathshala to goshala. What-ji, i’m sounding like those pseudosickular, elitist types who are ignorant of the great tradition of cow worship? No-ji, the point i’m trying to make on this Mata ka Din is that gaiyya maiyya and mundane maiyya have always been worshipped in theory but in practice have hardly been treated with the milk of kindness, human or A2. It really gets my goat. But, hey gais, maybe we no longer have to wait for redress till the cows come home. With so much attention suddenly being showered on the desi dhenu, there may be some hope for the two-legged breed. Imagine an India where bands of mata-worshippers zealously track down and lynch anyone daring to even leer at women, who, after all, are mothers, present or future. Imagine shelters not only for the old and infirm Ma/ Ai/ Ammi, but also for female street children who are invariably foraged upon and become lust-fodder. No chance. Ba will always be black sheep compared to the holy cow. So, here’s an idea. Instead of sending this foreign Mother’s Day to our new ethnic-cleansing abattoir, why don’t we assimilate it into our superior 5,000-year-old culture, the way we have absorbed so much from our invaders? Gomata Din, Jai Ho! *** Alec Smart said: “Tamperable EVMs? Just old Kejriwhine in a new bottle.”
Sri Lanka’s biggest trade partner, has a development portfolio worth $2.6 billion and has played a vital role in rebuilding northern and eastern Sri Lanka road and rail links over the past few years. A few clear opportunities present themselves. First, a long-pending proposal for inter-connecting the Indian and Lankan power grids. Sri Lanka currently accounts for only 56% of its energy demand from indigenous sources with an energy demand growing annually at 6%. The result is that fossil fuel imports are 25% of Sri Lanka’s import expenditure and nearly 50% of export income. The economic argument for cross-border electricity trade is clear. India already has such arrangements in place with Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan and technical details of such an arrangement with Colombo, through under-sea HDVC cables, have been discussed in detail between experts. If the costing works out, it is a win-win for both India and Sri Lanka. Second, shipping data shows that while the Chinese may have built the international container terminal at Colombo, 70% of its freight is from India. Colombo, in that sense, may already be India’s second largest port and, according to Suren Ratwatte, CEO of Sri Lankan Airlines, one of its biggest airports in terms of passenger traffic. It makes sense to build on these economic linkages by working out an easier visa regime; even to think, as Ratwatte suggests, of pre-visa clearance arrangements in the manner the US has with several airports in say Canada or even Abu Dhabi. Third, while transport minister Nitin Gadkari has for some time been talking about a proposed 26-kilometre rail link connecting Dhanushkodi and Talaimannar, this is yet to be negotiated seriously. A good step would be to at least start ferry services across the sea link. Tuticorin-Colombo ferry services commenced in 2011 but were suspended. A Rameswaram-Talaimannar ferry has been talked about for almost a decade. At a time when Indian companies are vying to build the east terminal of Colombo port, starting boat services would be a welcome connecting step.
For the first time the Court punishes one of its own, but damages itself and free speech in the process
Moon Rises n a significant political change in South Korea, left-leaning former human rights lawyer Moon Jae-in has become the country’s new president. Moon’s election comes in the aftermath of a major corruption and influence peddling scandal that had rocked South Korea and led to the impeachment of the previous president, Park Geun-hye. The son of North Korean refugees, Moon also takes over the leadership mantle amid rising tensions on the Korean peninsula over Pyongyang’s nuclear programme. Unlike his predecessor, he has advocated talks with the North, even asserting that he was willing to travel to Pyongyang for the sake of peace. How this squares with US President Donald Trump taking an aggressive approach to North Korea remains to be seen. Washington has asserted that all options are open in dealing with the North Korean imbroglio, including the use of force. However, US taking unilateral action would be unwise given that its allies South Korea and Japan are within range of North Korean missiles and artillery. No action must be undertaken to which Seoul and Tokyo haven’t signed on fully. Moon is touted as a negotiator and his skills will come in handy to defuse tensions on the Korean peninsula. As things stand neither is North Korea likely to give up its nukes, nor is China particularly inclined to help the US. What is key is that there is no quick fix to this situation, nor is there any immediate danger from North Korea if it is left alone. The only answer therefore is strategic patience and dialogue. That is the approach Moon will need to persuade the Trump administration to adopt. Moon’s favouring more independence in ties with the US – a stance not contrary to Trump’s own foreign policy vision – creates some common ground.
THE TIMES OF INDIA, CHENNAI THURSDAY, MAY 11, 2017
Delhi’s Colombo Hug
A thought for today
An Unseemly Affair
OF IDEAS
Uday Deb
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Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Grow To Love In The Laboratory Of Marriage Swami Swaroopananda
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t is impossible to feel a sense of peace and satisfaction if there is disharmony in relationships and family life. Unless human relationships are stable, operating in any environment – family, social, national, or even professional – becomes a pain. Thus one has to understand relationships and the expression, ‘love the family’. It is not immediately possible to love everyone. One learns to grow in love in the laboratory of the house and family. When one receives love from parents, brothers, sisters and other relatives, one begins to love; such a loved personality is able to extend love to the outside world. In India, a family starts when a man and a woman agree to create the bond of marriage. The perfect example of an exquisite couple is Shiva and Parvati. Bhavani, that is, Parvati represents shraddha – understanding – and Shankara portrays vishwas – love.
These are two important elements in a successful marriage. Where there is love, you believe in that person, you trust that person; there is harmony and an understanding of each other. This element of trust is illustrated in the significant ceremony of paanigrahanam where the father of the bride hands over his daughter to the bridegroom. The husband has been entrusted someone’s precious jewel and promises to love, care, support, and undertake full responsibility for his wife. In Manu Smriti, the highest place has been accorded to women. It says that if a husband goes astray to another woman, the wife has the right to refuse him marital rights but conversely, if the woman is misguided, the husband must forgive her and still give her protection. This is the status given to her; the husband is her protector and marriage has to be
understood as a responsibility. Bhavani and Shankara, the divine couple, represent a perfect marriage. Goswami Tulsidas points out that they are like a word and its meaning – always together without losing their identity. They act as one, but are not crushed by one another. Marriage is not clinging; marriage is not possessiveness. Two mighty trees can grow to similar heights together and still maintain a harmonious relationship; when both develop in their own right and are given the independence to progress. There is no unfoldment in the personality if there are insecurities and attempts to repress and overshadow the other. Love should not be bondage. It is believed that by marrying, two people will complete each other. However, two incomplete personalities or two finites can never make a whole. Gurudev
the
speaking tree
Chinmayananda jokingly remarked: “If you are complete, why do you need marriage anyway?” Marriage is to enable each one to grow and become complete. Very often, people marry in order to fulfil their personal insecurities and desires. To enjoy a meaningful marriage it is essential to give, share, and allow each other to grow to completeness. There are bound to be expectations. A husband and wife were arguing and the woman complained, “I had so many expectations from you but you disappointed most of them.” “I had only one expectation from you,” replied the husband, “Have no expectations from me!” It is important to let your partner be aware of your expectations because by nature, men and women are intrinsically different. They express emotions in different ways and once this is understood, a relationship will be successful. (Swami Swaroopananda is the global head of Chinmaya Mission.)
TRENDS
TIMES
THE TIMES OF INDIA, CHENNAI THURSDAY, MAY 11, 2017
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Cafes cut Wi-Fi connection to get you chatting Remember When Coffee Houses Meant Chats Over A Cuppa, And Not Just An FB Check-In? Getty Images/iStockphoto
Christopher Mele
t HotBlack Coffee, a cafe in Toronto, Canada, you can get walnut butter squares, lemon poppy seed muffins, biscotti and, of course, coffee. But one thing you can’t: Wi-Fi. Jimson Bienenstock, the president of HotBlack, said the shop opened last year without Wi-Fi with the express intent of getting customers to — gasp! — talk to one another instead of burying their faces in laptops. “It’s about creating a social vibe,” he said. “We’re a vehicle for human interaction, otherwise it’s just a commodity.”
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At many coffee outlets, workers set up makeshift offices and rely on the stores’ Wi-Fi, which has come to be considered a given — if not a right. While HotBlack is not the first cafe to withhold WiFi, industry experts said such shops are in the minority and risk alienating customers. Bienenstock said he did not see his approach as revolutionary but as a response to society’s deep immersion into all things digital that leads people to seldom communicate face to face. Customers initially were aghast at the decision, but Bienenstock said the camps are divided between those
SHORT CUTS
Rare albino orangutan needs you to find it a nice name
AP
FACE OF HOPE: Albino Bornean orangutan The public are being asked to name a rare albino orangutan rescued in the Indonesian part of Borneo island, with conservationists saying she has become an “ambassador” for the threatened species. The white-haired, blue-eyed Bornean orangutan was saved in Kapuas Hulu district last month from villagers who had been keeping her in a cage. The Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation, which is caring for the critically endangered ape, said the five-year-old remained “physically fragile”. People can send suggested names to the email ID
[email protected] or by using the hashtag #albinoorangutan on social media. A winner will be announced on May 15.
who love it and those who loathe it.(Only four of 28 reviews on Yelp noted the shop’s lack of Wi-Fi.)
To promote conviviality, other shops have adopted a noWi-Fi policy and gone a step further: doing away with some
Statin side-effects imagined? Nicholas Bakalar
Painkillers linked to immediate heart risk
tatins, the widely used cholesterol-lowering drugs, have well-known side-effects, but some of the most common ones may be caused more by psychological factors than by the drugs themselves. Researchers looked at over 10,000 patients randomly assigned to take either atorvastatin (Lipitor) or a placebo. They tracked their reports of more than two dozen side-effects over an average of more than three years. Those taking statins reported slightly more renal and urinary side effects, but otherwise there were no real differences between the two
he pain relievers known as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or Nsaids, are known to carry heart risks. Now, a new analysis has found that those risks can arise within a week of starting the drugs. Researchers did a systematic review of studies involving over 446,000 people aged 40 to 79, of whom more than 61,000 had heart attacks. In those who used Nsaids one to seven days, the risk of heart attack increased by 24 to 53%, depending on the kind of Nsaid used. The study was publiched in BMJ. NYT
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groups. Then they revealed to patients whether they were taking a statin or a placebo, and for the next three years tracked 6,409 patients who continued to take the medicine and 3,490 who didn’t. Now, statin users reported a 41% higher rate of muscle pain or weakness. The study, published in ‘The Lancet’, was paid for by
drug firms. Its senior author, Dr Peter Sever of Imperial College London, said that when patients on statins report muscle pain, the pain is real, but it may have little to do with the drug itself. “It’s a real phenomenon that if you’re aware of a problem with a drug, you’re more likely to complain about it,” he said. NYT NEWS SERVICE
cafe was not necessarily antisocial. “People still chose to go there instead of being alone at home or work,” wrote Pozos, who was a student at the time. In an email, she added that other businesses, such as the Blue Bottle Coffee, are known for lacking Wi-Fi, but that does not stop people from coming with laptops. To really get people to stop, some coffee shops enforce laptop-free zones, she wrote. Jordan Michelman, a founder of Sprudge Media Network, which writes about coffee news and culture, said that while Wi-Fi was not an essential amenity for coffee shops, “it’s nice... and makes customers happy”. NYT NEWS SERVICE
Norway to build first self-sailing ship Oslo: Norway plans to launch the first autonomous and fully electric cargo ship next year that the project’s backers said on Wednesday will save 40,000 truck journeys per year. Fertiliser company Yara International has teamed up with industrial group Kongsberg to build the Yara Birkeland, which will haul fertilisers between three ports in southern Norway. With a range of more than 65 nautical miles, the ship will be able to haul roughly 100 containers at a speed of 12 to 15 knots, according to the project’s director, Bjorn Tore Orvik. Initially the ship will be manned, but remote operation is expected to begin in 2019 and fully autonomous operation in 2020, the companies said. The switch is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by 678 tonnes per year, according to Yara, with the electricity used to charge the ship’s batteries coming almost exclusively from hydro plants. AFP
Hands-on fathers help kids grow smarter Getty Images/iStockphoto
Sarah Young
Smiling can make you look 2 yrs older: Smiling can make you appear two years older than when you wear a poker face, according to a new study which contradicts the popular belief that smiling can make you look younger. “We associate smiling with positive values and youth,” said Melvyn Goodale of the University of Western Ontario in Canada. Researchers flashed images of people with smiling, neutral and surprised expressions to participants of the study. The participants perceived the surprised faces as the youngest and the smiling ones as the oldest.
Industry experts say the trend may serve as a detriment to business
comfy furniture and narrowing counters to make them less accommodating for laptops. Caroline Bell of Café Grumpy said it offers Wi-Fi only at one location in NYC, and not at the seven others. Alex M Susskind, an associate professor of food and beverage management at the School of Hotel Administration, Cornell University, said he saw the lack of Wi-Fi as a detriment. “That kind of bucks the trend of what most people go to coffeehouses for,” he said. A 2015 thesis by Rose K Pozos about the “urban sociability” of coffee shops posited that sitting alone with a laptop in a
athers with a calm demeanour who actively engage with their babies can have a positive impact on their intelligence, according to new research. The study proves that a higher level of father-child interaction could actually boost a child’s abilities later in life. “The clear message for new fathers here is to get stuck in and play with your baby,” said study
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author Professor Paul Ramchandani of Imperial College London, adding, “Even when they are really young, playing and interacting with them can have a positive effect.” Over a year after analysing how 128 fathers interacted with their three-month-old babies, researchers measured the infants’ cognitive development. They also recorded videos of the fathers playing with their children without toys, and watched families during book-
YOU RAISE THEM UP
reading sessions when the kids turned two years old. At this age, the researchers went on to score the child’s development using a standard mental development index (MDI), which involves participation in tasks such as recognising colours as well as shapes. They found a positive correlation between the amount of quality time that fathers spent with their little ones and the children’s test scores. THE INDEPENDENT
Orphan baby dinosaur finds its species at last Nicholas St Fleur
ings were published on Tuesday in the journal ‘Nature Communications’. Baby Louie was found sometime between December 1992 and early 1993 by a fossil dealer. It remained with the fossil dealers until 2001, when they sold it to the Indianapolis Children’s Museum. The museum put the fossil on display for about 12 years. During this
ver since it was discovered curled up in a nest of supersized dinosaur eggs in the early 1990s, Baby Louie has been an orphan. A 90-million-year-old fossilised dinosaur embryo, it was found among a clutch of eggs in Henan Province, central China. Each of the NYT squash-shaped eggs measured about 18 inches long and 6 inches wide, making them among the largest dinosaur eggs ever uncovered. But remains of their parents were nowhere to be found.“There was all sorts of speculation on what laid the eggs; was it the tyrannosaur?” said Darla Zelenitsky, a palaeontologist at the University of An artist’s rendition of Beibeilong Calgary in Canada. dinosaurs and their nest But after nearly 25 years, Zelenitsky and her time an exciting discovery occolleagues have linked the curred in China: The first giorphaned dinosaurs with ant oviraptorosaur fossil was their prehistoric lineage. unearthed in 2007. Baby Louie and its kin bePaleontologists had long to a group of large, bird- known of oviraptors, and like dinosaurs known as gi- they were aware that Baby ant oviraptorosaurs. They Louie resembled one. But unresembled ostriches but til that time, all of the ovirapwere about as heavy as rhi- tors that had ever been found nos and as tall as elephants. were much too small to have Baby Louie is the first discov- laid the giant eggs. But with ered member of a new spe- the newly discovered one-ton cies of giant oviraptorosaur oviraptorosaur, the idea that called Beibeilong sinensis, the massive eggs came from a which roughly means “Chi- giant oviraptorosaur seemed nese baby dragon”. The find- plausible. NYT NEWS SERVICE
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TIMES BUSINESS * THE TIMES OF INDIA, CHENNAI | THURSDAY, MAY 11, 2017
BITCOIN SURGES TO ALL-TIME HIGH OF MORE THAN $1,700 AS DEMAND FOR CRYPTO-ASSETS SOAR
SoftBank books $1.4bn in losses from India tech bets Steep Fall In Snapdeal’s Valuation Accounts For Up To $1bn TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Bengaluru/Mumbai: Japan’s SoftBank, which emerged as a major investor in domestic technology startups over the past few years, has recorded 1,60,419 million yen, or $1.4 billion, in losses from its India portfolio, according to its earnings report for the period ended March 31, 2017. The bulk of the cut in value of its shareholding was booked on the back of one its biggest
Paytm may cut value of Freecharge by 80%, P 19 bets in India, e-commerce marketplace Snapdeal, which SoftBank said amounted to as much as $1 billion. The Japanese telecom and internet group’s other portfolio company ANI Technologies, which runs taxi aggregator Ola, is likely to have clocked the rest of the losses. SoftBank is currently negotiating a distress sale of Snapdeal to India’s largest online retailer Flipkart, valuing it at about $1 billion, as reported by TOI in its March 28 edition.
Tech Mahindra plans to lay off about 1,500 employees
[email protected]
Bengaluru: Tech Mahindra is set to let go of about 1,500 employees, or close to 1.2% of its workforce, following in the footsteps of bigger rivals such as Infosys, Wipro and Cognizant, all of which are in the process of doing big layoffs as protectionist policies in the US and new technologies shake up the $150-billion Indian IT sector. Tech Mahindra, the country’s fifth largest IT services provider, had 117,095 employees across 90 countries till the third quarter, which ended December 31. The company, which will announce its fourth quarter results this month, has a majority of its employees in India. It was not immediately clear which job levels would be impacted as a result of the redundancies, whether the layoffs
1.2% OF STAFF are part of the normal appraisal cycle or if the severity has been accentuated by the slowdown in the sector. “We have a process of weeding out bottom performers every year and this year is no different,” a Tech Mahindra spokesperson said in an emailed response to TOI. The move mirrors that of the larger IT service companies, which are in the process of culling workforce on a scale not seen since the recession between 2008 and 2010. Cognizant is expected to reduce its workforce by about 6,000, and Infosys by about 1,000 in job level 6 and above (group project managers, project managers, senior architects and higher levels). Wipro too is said to have been harsher in its annual appraisals this year, and the CEO is said to have indicated a 10% cut in employee strength if the company’s performance does not improve. Most companies reported numbers last year that were below market expectations, and the forecast for this fiscal isn’t any better than last year.
LOSING MONEY SoftBank noted in a report that e-commerce business has been slower than anticipated It had cut the valuation of Ola and Snapdeal twice by $330m & $555m in the last fiscal SoftBank has invested over $2bn in Indian startups with Snapdeal being one of the high-profile bets
trying to merge it with Flipkart
With 33% stake, SoftBank is the largest investor in Snapdeal
SoftBank has also backed Oyo Rooms, Grofers and Housing (which was sold to PropTiger earlier last year)
Snapdeal is struggling to survive now and SoftBank is
The Masayoshi Son-led group had pumped in $900 million since first investing in Snapdeal, touted as India’s Alibaba, back in 2014. Besides Snapdeal and Ola, SoftBank is also an investor in hotel booking platform Oyo Rooms, e-grocer Grofers, and Housing (which it sold to PropTiger last year). SoftBank said in its annual report that gain or loss arising from financial instruments at fair value through profit or loss (FVTPL) con-
The Japanese giant invested $250m in Ola in a down round, valuing the co at $3bn
sists mainly of changes in fair value of preferred stock investment, including embedded derivatives, such as ANI Technologies and Jasper Infotech in India, designated as financial assets at FVTPL. The group noted in the report that the highly competitive nature of India’s e-commerce market has made the trend of its business performance lower than initially anticipated. SoftBank said a special loss of 1,14,059 million yen, or $1 bil-
lion, represented impairments of its investments in subsidiaries and associates, including Starfish I, which owns preferred shares in Jasper Infotech, which runs and operates Snapdeal. During the nine-month period ending December 31, 2016, the internet group had cut the valuation of Ola and Snapdeal by $330 million and $555 million, respectively. Away from India, the overall SoftBank Group reported a 13% rise in full-year operating profit to 1.03 trillion yen (around $9 billion). In an email to TOI, a SoftBank spokesperson said the cut was on account of routine annual revaluations. “The valuation of our financial investments are frequently adjusted upwards or downwards due to accounting policies, currency fluctuations and market dynamics. The loss reported in today’s earnings represents the aggregate impact of such revaluations during the course of the entire fiscal year,” the spokesperson said. For full report, log on to www.timesofindia.com
Bharti seeks tax relief, deferred pay to fight Jio
[email protected]
New Delhi: Bharti Airtel is seeking relief from the government in terms of the lower taxes and deferred payment for spectrum purchase. The appeal comes at a time when the company has reported a second successive quarter of decline in profit and has seen lower realisations from both voice and data operations, a fallout of steep competition from Reliance Jio. “We need some rationalisation as the (telecom) industry is under stress,” Bharti Airtel India and South Asia CEO Gopal Vittal told analysts a day after the company reported a 72% decline in profit for the fourth quarter of 2016-17. “We are
We need some rationalisation as the (telecom) industry is under stress. We are heavily taxed,” says Gopal Vittal, CEO of Bharti Airtel India & South Asia, pointing to the “bunch of levies” and taxes that telecom companies need to pay to the government, including licence fee and the spectrum usage charge
heavily taxed,” Vittal said, as he listed out “bunch of levies” and taxes that telecom companies need to pay to the government, including licence fee and the spectrum usage charge (SUC). The Airtel chief said a part of the relief can also come in form of having a deferred payment mechanism for spectrum purchase. Older telecom companies have been reeling under hea-
vy financial stress following the aggressive launch of Mukesh Ambani’s Jio, which began operations by offering unlimited free-voice calling and complimentary data downloads till March this year. Jio’s disruptive pricing shook the business structure of competitors with Vodafone and Idea Cellular opting for a merger and Airtel complaining of “predatory pricing” by the new entrant.
‘Banks do not have the capital to take haircuts’ Mayur.Shetty @timesgroup.com
Mumbai: For HSBC, India was the third-largest market in terms of profit after Hong Kong and China in 2016 with a profit of $743 million. Last year, the British multinational channelled one out of every four dollars of foreign direct investment into India, including the record Vodafone deal. In an interview with TOI, Stuart Milne, CEO, HSBC India, speaks of how the bank is looking to wrest market share from Indian lenders that are struggling with the overhang of bad loans. Excerpts: Does the government ordinance on NPAs help you? The fundamental issue in the banking sector as a whole is that there is not enough capi-
You have got the problem of no new capital being generated through lending and you also have a situation when capital ratios have got to rise to comply with Basel III STUART MILNE | CEO, HSBC INDIA tal to absorb losses. Most chairmen of Indian banks are very smart people. They know what their losses are. The issue is if they take the losses, their capital ratio will fall below the minimum 9%. At the same time, you have got the problem of no new capital being generated through lending and you also have a situa-
tion when capital ratios have got to rise to comply with Basel III. The government also does not appear to be stepping up with the kind of money that is wanted. Is downsizing over? Are you looking at expansion? Last year we reduced our branch network from 50 to 26. The reason is that for our customer segment, we see a very high propensity to adopt digital channels and our branch footfall has been reducing. These branches were supporting less than 10% of the customers, most of who decided to stay with us. The old method of acquiring customers through branches is no longer relevant. For full report log on to www.timesofindia.com
GAP to make in India to counter Zara
[email protected]
TO HELP LOWER PRICES New Delhi: US apparel chain GAP will manufacture and sell locally in India to counter mounting competition from its European rivals Zara and Hennes & Mauritz (H&M). While this will allow the San Francisco-based brand to correct prices of its products, it has also chalked out a strategy to up the ante further. GAP will shrink size of its stores in India by almost half, from around 9,000 square feet to about 5,000 square feet and in a global first, partner with Amazon to push online sales here. “We had a very good start. But there was a new duty introduced by government in 2016 on imported products, which increased the cost model of GAP,”
➤ GAP will reduce the size of its stores in India from around 9,000 square feet to about 5,000 square feet ➤ In a global first, GAP will partner with Amazon to boost online sales in India ➤ Local manufacturing will help the San Francisco-based brand to correct prices of its products said J Suresh, MD and CEO at Arvind Lifestyle Brands and Arvind Retail, which runs JVs or franchisees of top global brands including, Gant, GAP and Ed Hardy and Aeropostale. “When H&M came, they came with low prices. Zara followed suit and cut prices too,” he said. “Going forward, we will correct prices by 10-
15% because we have got approvals to manufacture in India and therefore won’t be required to pay import duties.” Earlier, although India has been a strong sourcing hub for GAP for its global markets, it did not have the necessary approvals to sell the same products here. With reference to GAP’s
partnership with Amazon, Suresh said the move is likely to increase contribution from online sales (negligible now) to 10% immediately, and to 1520% over a period of five years. Since both Zara and H&M don’t sell online here at present, the move is expected to give GAP the first-mover advantage in the country’s fast-growing e-commerce space. At present, GAP operates 11 stores across the country and it plans to open four more by the year-end. In contrast to its cutting down store size, both Zara and H&M are opting for larger stores. “Apart from the US where a store size is 8,000-9,000 square feet or above, GAP usually operates stores in the 5,000-6,000 square feet category in other markets,” said Suresh.
K M BIRLA-LED ADITYA BIRLA GROUP’S NOVELIS SELLS 50% IN JAPANESE CO ULSAN TO KOBE STEEL FOR $315M
Kotak Bank may sell 6.2cr shares worth `5,700 crore
[email protected]
Apple is first US co to top $800bn value Investors Bet Next iPhone Will Revive Sales
Mumbai: As part of the RBIdirected plan to cut promoters’ stake, Kotak Bank is finalising plans to launch an institutional placement offer through which it would sell up to 6.2 crore shares, currently valued at about Rs 5,700 crore. According to the bank’s disclosure to the bourses, the central bank had asked Uday Kotak, the main promoter of the lender, together with his family, to cut their stake in the country’s third largest private sector bank in a staggered manner to 15% by March 2020 from the current level of 32%. The RBI has mandated the bank that by June 30, the promoters’ stake should be cut to 30%.
pple became the first US company with a market value of more $800 billion as investors bet the next iPhone will spur a resurgence in sales. The stock rose 1% on Tuesday to close at $154 in New York, giving it a market capitalisation of about $803 billion. The shares have gained 33% since the start of the year, helped by a buyback programme that CEO Tim Cook extended to a total of $210 billion last week, from $175 billion last year. Apple’s rise to the top of the world’s largest equity market highlights the emergence of mobile technology and the relative decline of
CUTTING STAKES OF PROMOTERS
Mkts hit new highs on good monsoon forecast
Shareholders also allowed the management to raise foreign holding in the bank to 49%. To a query by TOI about the possible method of stake dilution, Rohit Rao, a spokesperson for Kotak Mahindra Bank, said that at the extraordinary general meeting of the bank, “the shareholders have approved the capital issuance of up to 6.2 crore shares. Thereafter, the bank has not taken any decision on the specifics of the same”. After the bank issues 6.2 crore new shares, promoters’ stake will come down to about 31%. So in effect, the promoters will have another one and half months to dilute another 1% stake in the bank to comply with the regulatory directive. Market players are now speculating if Kotak will use the QIP route to dilute his stake in the bank or make another institutional offer like through a block deal, using the accelerated book-building method to sell the bank’s shares.
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TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Mumbai: As a forecast for normal monsoon boosted investor sentiment, both the Nifty and sensex rallied to new all-time highs on Wednesday. The sensex jumped 1%, or 315 points, to close at 30,248, while the Nifty, too, closed 1% (90 points) higher at 9,407. Weakness in crude oil prices globally, which will help keep domestic inflation in check, and a good set of quarterly numbers from leading companies also helped the rally, market players said. The day’s gains — led by index heavyweights like HDFC, Reliance and HDFC Bank — added about Rs 1.1 lakh crore to investors’ wealth, with the BSE’s market
CREATING WEALTH Top 5 cos globally by market value M-cap ($ bn)
Co/Exchanges Apple
803
Alphabet (Google)
653
Microsoft
533
Amazon
455
Facebook
436
BSE
1,959
NSE
1,930 Source: BSE/NSE, Bloomberg
the oil industry in recent years. Exxon Mobil’s value peaked in the fall of 2007, when oil prices climbed toward $100 a barrel.
RAINING RECORDS
New Delhi: Solar power tariffs appear to be on a free fall in India to find a new floor at Rs 2.62 per unit, some 18% lower than the average price of Rs 3.20 charged by India’s largest generation utility, NTPC, for electricity generated by its coal-fired plants. The historic low was quoted by Phelan Energy and Avaada Power during bidding for packages of 50 MW and 100 MW, respectively, of the fourth phase of Bhadla solar power project in Rajasthan. Softbank Cleantech won a 100 MW packet quoting Rs 2.63 per unit. “Another milestone towards PM @narendramodi's vision of clean affordable power for all,” Power Minister Piyush Goyal tweeted early Wednesday soon after the bidding closed. This beats the previous low of Rs 3.15 per unit quoted by Solairedirect in the auction for NTPC's 250MW project at Kadapa in Andhra
Pradesh last month. The lowest tariff— levelised over 25 years — quoted for a grid-connected solar power project before that stood at Rs 3.30 per unit, on a basic bid of Rs 2.97 a unit for the first year, quoted in February for the first unit of the 750MW Rewa solar park in Madhya Pradesh.
PUSH FOR GREEN ENERGY Solar power tariffs have been falling in the last three years due to the Narendra Modi government’s thrust on raising India’s green energy footprint and reduce oil imports by 10% by 2030. After coming to power in 2014, the Modi government metamorphosed the UPA's National Solar Mission by setting a target of building 175GW (giga watt) of green energy capacity by 2030. But a section of industry players cautioned that the "hidden costs" of integra-
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cap now at Rs 126.3 lakh crore, which is also an all-time high level. According to Pankaj Pandey, head of research, ICICI Direct, Wednesday’s rally was on the back of a favourable set of developments such as normal monsoon, benign crude levels as well as decent set of quarterly earnings announced so far.
Solar tariff drops 18% below cost of coal-fired power
[email protected]
In November of that year, PetroChina briefly became the first global company with a market capitalisation of more than $1trillion. Apple’s revenue grew in the most recent fiscal quarter even as iPhone unit sales fell. Cook has sought to diversify the Cupertino, California-based company away from the smartphone, emphasising higher-margin services such as the App Store and iCloud, and introducing new products such as the Apple Watch and AirPod wireless headphones. Apple will unveil three new iPhones later this year to coincide with the 10-year anniversary of the first model. BLOOMBERG
ting such large-scale plants into grid should be considered when calculating the landed cost. According to these players. grid-connected solar PV (photo voltaic) plants use transmission lines only 20% of the time compared to 70% by traditional plants, which makes it 3.5 times costlier to wheel solar power. Also, operation of conventional plants will have to be ramped down or up to maintain balance between supply and demand. This would result in lower plant load factor for conventional power stations, which are expected to drop to 50% levels from current 60%. This in turn would push up the fixed cost component in the average cost of power and push them out of favour with state utilities. As reported by TOI, solar tariffs had sunk to Rs 3 per unit quoted by Gurgaonbased Amplus Energy Solutions in auctions conducted by Solar Energy Corporation of India.
9,300 9.15am
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“Indian economy is on a strong footing with relatively strong macroeconomic fundamentals, lower inflation/interest rate regime, possibility of a major reform such as GST and a favourable demography supporting sustainable growth. We believe that earning growth from here on would be the key factor driving the markets,” Pandey said.
Duster fails Global NCAP crash test New Delhi: French car major Renault's popular SUV Duster sold in India has failed crash test conducted on its base variant without airbags by vehicle safety group Global NCAP. In the test, the model recorded zero stars for adult occupant protection, the
GETS ‘0’ STARS UK-based Global NCAP, an umbrella body of consumer car safety testing bodies, said in its latest report. The crash test showed that due to the lack of airbags the driver injuries would have been unacceptably high. The Duster also scored 2 stars for rear seat child occupant protection. “It is troubling that during the UN Road Safety Week we yet again encounter a zero star car in our crash testing in India,” Global NCAP Secretary General David Ward said. PTI
Property insurance likely to go up IRDAI Advises Insurers To Peg New Rates To IIB Data Rachel
[email protected]
Chennai: Insurers are likely to increase their rates on property/fire insurance post-July, after the insurance regulator on Wednesday instructed them to peg new rates to the Insurance Information Bureau's (IIB) revised data. The regulator also increased the list of risk occupancies from 90 to 109, effective from July 1, 2017. How does the move affect the industry? Till 2007, rates were fixed when it came to fire and property insurance. The only differentiater an insurer could offer was the service quality as rates fixed. Later, when the industry was detarriffed, there was unhealthy, cut-throat competition among insurers as they fought over clients; offering them lower and lower rates as incentives. “Charging lower
premiums at some point started affecting the profitability of that line of business and the servicing of claims. Loss ratios increased from around 30% before de-tarrifing to 6075% in recent years. And in an effort to cut losses IRDAI came out with the first set of
The guidelines are to ensure that insurers do not charge premiums that are lower than prudent regulations in 2015,” said an executive from United India Insurance Co. The regulator then set out guidelines on how much an insurer could charge on fire policies. “IRDAI then instructed the IIB to come with a rate insurers could charge
for different occupancies. The way we insure a cinema theatre or rice mill or hospital would be different from how we’d insure a godown which had inflammable goods. For instance, an IT office would have a much lower insurance/fire risk than a manufacturing unit. So IIB put together rates based on occupancy. And now they’ve revised the rates in 2017, after the 2014 guidelines,” said an executive at a private insurer. The guidelines are to ensure that insurers’ do not charge premiums that are lower than prudent. “What the new guidelines say is that you can take IIB's rates. Or you can make your internal assessment and set your own rate. But your base rate cannot be lower than IIB rate,” said the executive. The assumption is that the base rate, plus the cost of
acquiring the new business, management expenses — which is the “burning cost” should be proportional to the premium so that the company does not make losses. “The idea being that with the new burning cost calculated, you cannot make losses. Of course fire as a line of business does not make as high losses as health and other portfolios; but it still is better to be prudent,” said the executive. Another guideline the IRDAI has issued is with regard to IIB data on burning costs does not include natural catastrophes such as strong typhoons, flood, inundation (STFI) risks and earthquake. The regulator has instructed insurers to use their own judgement for pricing add-on covers, apart from FLEXA risks (fire, lightning, explosion, aircraft (insurance).
THE TIMES OF INDIA, CHENNAI * THURSDAY, MAY 11, 2017
TECHTONIC
bookmarks Kuula
K
Nitch
N
itch is a repository of thought-provoking and inspiring quotes from well-known public figures from the fields of art, music, fashion, science, politics, literature, dance, design, etc. Here, you will find the musings of folk such as Albert Einstein, Bob Dylan, John Steinbeck, Frida Kahlo, Muhammed Ali, Maya Angelou, Pablo Picasso, Steve Jobs and Anne Frank. So if you are looking for inspiration, encouragement and love philosophy, then this website is for you. Every quote is accompanied with a beautiful portrait photo and can be shared on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and email. Alternatively, you can sign up for its newsletter to receive new posts in your inbox, and even follow its Instagram feed. nitch.com
uula is a fantastic website that lets you view the world in VR without leaving the comfort of your armchair. The website even has its own app for Android or iOS that you can use along with a headset. Besides, it lets you upload your own 360° and wideangle photos, which can then be viewed in full screen, by simply clicking and dragging the mouse pointer around. Once you register for the free plan, you can upload photos up to 10000x5000 pixels in JPG or PNG format. You get five colour filters, the option to alter its intensity and add a lens flare for added effect. You can make your posts public or keep them private on your profile. The free plan lets you upload 100 pictures per month and you can also embed interactive versions of those in your Facebook and Twitter timeline. kuula.co
downloads
Paper Air Planes HQ
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aper Air Planes HQ is a fun website that teaches you how to make up to 50 kinds of paper airplanes in categories such as dart, fighter jet, bomber planes, canard, delta wings, stealth, exotic and starship. But this is more than just a website for idle pastime. The way each airplane is built/ folded can also be considered a mini lesson in aerodynamics. Indeed, here you will also find designs that leverage on airflow to maximise gliding distance. All you need is an A4 size paper; the kind that is used in printers. Each tutorial consists of detailed step-by-step instructions along with short 3D videos and tips on how to fly them. paperairplaneshq.com
CastBox
Zombie Safari
icsArt Animator is a fun app that lets you turn your doodles into animations. This is done by letting you create a sequence of frames that are then played quickly to create motion, just like a flip book. You can even use photos from your phone and draw over them to create funny GIFs. You don’t need to be an artist to do any of this because Animator simplifies the process. First, tap the plus sign to start with a canvas type or import a photo. Now draw objects on the screen and add new frames with slight changes as you progress. Animator shows a faded version of the previous step, so you can trace over it easily. You can preview your work at any time, choose from multiple brush types, clone frames, adjust speed, and add an audio track before you save your creation in GIF and MP4 format. Android, iOS | Free
his app is a portal through which you can subscribe to podcasts for current affairs and even pre-recorded radio shows from channels such as NPR, BBC Radio, The New Yorker, local FM radio stations and more. After you register with the service, you can save your subscriptions online, and access them from any device. With a directory of over 4,00,000 podcasts, you will find something in almost each and every topic including art, film, business, comedy, education, politics, health, kids, music, literature, science, spirituality, and sports. CastBox makes recommendations based on your location and preferences. You can download episodes to your handset, so you can listen to them offline – and if you have something interesting to share, you can also start your own channel on CastBox for free. Android, iOS, Kindle Fire | Free
n this survival game (Zombie Offroad Safari on Android), you have to drive an off-roader and run over as many zombies as you can. In return, you are awarded with stars and gems. Along the way, you have to collect gems that are needed for vehicle upgrades. The game controls comprise left-right buttons, an accelerator and a brake/reverse pedal. Each map has multiple “points of interest” where you can find zombies, gems, power-ups (machine gun, shotgun, rocket launcher…), repair garages, mission zones and portals to landscapes such as a harbour area, frozen lake and canyon. There are 12 unlockable vehicles (police car, van, tank…) and myriad kinds of undead to kill. Zombie (Offroad) Safari is not gory, but fun to play, thanks to its blocky graphics and simple premise. Android, iOS | Free
P
T
I
—Ashutosh Desai
For more tech stories, visit toitech.com
‘Public sector projects are growth areas’ Chennai: Lift and escalator manufacturer Johnson Lifts Private Ltd has said that public sector infrastructure spending will drive its growth. The 53-year-old privatelyheld company, which claims market leadership in the lifts and escalator segment, finds growth driven by railway contracts. “We have constructed lifts and escalators for government projects such as the Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Jaipur, Kochi, Lucknow metro
stations so far. The company has also constructed 135 esca-
Johnson Lifts is looking to construct another plant in Chennai lators and 25 lifts so far for the Indian railways,” said V. Jagannathan, ED, Johnson Lifts. Speaking to TOI, he added that the company, which currently holds 18% of the market share, looks to increase it to 20% by 2020. The company has an order book to build 3322 lifts
and 4470 escalators. The elevator market in the country has 55,000 installations a year, compared to China’s 600,000 units. “We are the only native company in the Rs 10,000-crore market dominated by player such as OTIS and Kone and we are the market leaders. We leverage our strength in the after sale services. At present, we draw 15% of our revenue from after sales services,” he said. The company, which forayed into the escalator segment in 2009, with setting up a facto-
ry in Oragadam, currently has a 36% market share. “The company has been manufacturing light weight escalators for malls – with the recent one being 44 units in the new Saravana store in Padi, Chennai. Heavy duty escalators have been installed in the metro stations,” said Jagannathan. On the back of growth from orders in the public sector companies, the company which has 3 plants – in Poonamallee, Nagpur and Oragadam, is looking to construct another plant in Chennai.
Startups Knit Together Funds To Fuel Expansion Plans EarlySalary bags $4mn in series A TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Chennai: Fintech startup EarlySalary on Wednesday said that it has raised series A funding of $4 million from IDG Ventures India and Dewan Housing. Founded by Akshay Mehrotra and Ashish Goyal, the company had raised seed funding from Ashok Agarwal of Transcorp International earlier. The startup helps working professionals get instant loans and salary advances. The company intends to deploy the funds towards building its products and lending book and expanding the team. “We are very excited to have IDG Ventures India and Dewan Housing as investors on board and this
combination and capital will provide the necessary growth impetus and management depth needed to accelerate growth and the innovation process,” said Akshay Mehrotra, co-founder & CEO EarlySalary. “We believe FinTech firms are changing the way India will bank and EarlySalary’s capability of using social media based underwriting decisioning will help many young working professionals get access to credit which is otherwise not possible. This over a period of time will create a wealth of information on creditworthy customers, to offer more diverse products through partners,” said Karthik Prabhakar, director, IDG Ventures India Advisors.
Toyota sees 20% profit drop on high spending in US market oyota Motor Corp forecast operating profit for the current year to slide by a fifth as Japan’s biggest automaker expects a hit from increased spending to push sales in its key US market and from a stronger yen. Toyota, the world’s second largest automaker, sees operating profit at 1.6 trillion yen ($14.06 billion) in the year to March, below an average estimate of 2.3 trillion yen from 25 analysts polled by Thomson Reuters I/B/ E/S, and less than the 1.99 trillion yen profit posted in the year just ended. Toyota and its group companies aim to sell 10.25 million vehicles globally in the year to March, largely unchanged from last year. Sales in North America, its single biggest market where it sells around 28% of its global vehicle sales, are seen easing 0.6% to 2.82 million. REUTERS
T
Paytm may begin due diligence for Freecharge
Vidooly raises $1.4 million from GVFL, Times Internet
Online Wallet’s Valuation Dips To $50-90 Mn
Chennai: Video intelligence startup Vidooly has bagged funding of $1.4 million (Rs 8.9 crore) from GVFL and Times Internet in a series A round. Founded by Nishant Radia, Subrat Kar and Ajay Mishra, Vidooly is an online video intelligence software platform for content creators, brands, multichannel networks, agencies & media companies. Since its inception, over 20,000 video-content creators globally have signed-up on its platform. Everyday, Vidooly’s big data engine analyses the engagement of over 500 million viewers and tracks 250 million videos. Some of its clients include Fine Brothers, TVF, OML, VideoGyan, GroupM, Mindshare, Thoughtful Media, WebTV Asia among others. “We are extremely excited to have GVFL and Times Internet on board for our Series A. We plan to utilize the funds to expand in attractive markets such as the US, Europe & Asia and also strengthen the team at Vidooly. ,” said Radia. TNN (Times Internet is a sister concern of Bennett Coleman & Co, the publishers of The Times of India)
Digbijay.Mishra @timesgroup.com
PicsArt Animator
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
19
TIMES BUSINESS
ION Energy bags angel funding TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Chennai: Mumbai-based ION Energy on Wednesday said it has its angel round from a group of investors including Sushil Jiwarajka (Chairman of OMC Power and Founder of Nippo Batteries), Aakrit Vaish & Swapan Rajdev (Founders of Haptik) and other individual investors. ION Energy, founded by Akhil Aryan, is building a layer of infrastructure to enable the adoption of electric vehicles in India. The company leverages proprietary enhancements to the Lithium-Ion technology to deliver high performance energy storage systems. The undisclosed amount of funds will be used towards
product development and bringing the technology closer to mass manufacturing. ION Energy will join a committee being led by Professor Ashok Jhunjhunwala that is standardizing Lithium-Ion batteries for electric vehicles in India. “We cannot share specifics till patents are filed. However, the product and distribution infrastructure will help make the choice between EVs and traditional gas guzzlers obvious. ION will deliver not only a more lucrative price per km, but also 5-6 times better acceleration, 10-12 times longer life, highest standards of safety and reliability with the fastest replenishment (aka charging time) compared to existing EVs,” said Aryan.
Bengaluru: Paytm has signed a non-binding agreement with the SoftBank-owned Freecharge for a potential buyout of the digital payments platform in a cut-price deal, said people aware of the development. The transaction, if it comes through may value Freecharge at around $50-90 million compared to the $400 million Snapdeal paid for it two years ago. Sources in the know of the goings-on said the final outcome of the due diligence being conducted by Paytm will determine the fate of Freecharge. A due diligence is a process through which a potential acquirer evaluates a target company or its assets for an acquisition. TOI had reported in its April 6 edition that SoftBank had approached potential suitors including Paytm to sell the digital payments platform at a discounted rate of $150-200 million.The Japanese group has
Freecharge has been in discussions with many strategic and financial investors including global payment majors like PayPal & PayU for fresh capital not managed to find an interested buyer which is willing to pay more than $100 million, sources said. Significantly, SoftBank is in final stages of closing an investment deal with Paytm, which could be one of the biggest funding rounds for an Indian startup at around $1.4 billion , TOI had reported earlier. When contacted, a SoftBank spokesperson declined to comment while an email sent to a Snapdeal spokesperson did not elicit a response till the time of going to press. A Paytm spokesperson did not respond to TOI’s query either. “The funding deal with SoftBank for Paytm does not have Freecharge as a rider but if Paytm is satisfied with the due diligence it will likely ag-
ree to buy Freecharge since the price has come down drastically,” a person privy to the developments said. Over the past year or so, Freecharge has been in discussions with multiple strategic and financial investors including global payment majors like PayPal and PayU for raising fresh capital, but those talks did not materialise. Sources said, before the accelerated fall of Snapdeal and its group entities it had managed to garner interest from investors, some of which valued the mobile wallet player at $900 million. Paytm, which is backed by Alibaba, is the largest player in the mobile wallets market while Mobikwik and Freecharge have been the other prominent companies.
TCLL, XLRI-Xavier School of Mgmt to offer courses for working professionals TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Mumbai: Times Centre for Learning (TCLL), and XLRI-Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate in order to promote quality executive education in India. Working professionals, looking to upgrade their skill-set and move up the corporate ladder, can choose from the newly launched and upcoming programmes to be delivered in different modes. The Executive Certificate Programme on Building Leadership Competencies focuses on creating space for learning
around essential competencies and values for leaders to be successful. The classes would be in the form of live interactive lectures to be beamed directly to the participants’ desktops/laptops. The course is open for applications.
TRAINING EXECUTIVES The Post-Graduate Certificate Course in Business Analytics for Management Decision (PGCBAMD) will be a 12-month programme focused on building foundation as well as advanced skills in the domain of business analytics.
XLRI aims to create specialists in the field of business analytics with in-depth knowledge in various areas and who would be able to provide managerial insights by analysing data that enables decision-making. Applications for the course can be sent from May 10, 2017. The classes would be in the form of live interactive lectures to be attended at TCLL centres spread across the country in all major cities. Anish Srikrishna, president, TCLL, said, “As TCLL continues to strive towards its vision of providing excellent professional education to learners across age groups, I am confident that this association will be a decisi-
ve milestone. We are committed to maintain and exceed the high academic standards that learners have automatically come to associate with XLRI and TCLL.” Father E Abraham, S J, director, XLRI, said, “We hope that this alliance will provide great opportunities for both XLRI and TCLL. We look forward to creating new educational programmes and identifying ways for our faculty to interact with executives and other professionals in the region.” To enrol, candidates may log on to http://www.timestsw.com/ XLRI-building-leadershipcompetencies/ or call 7400097470.
TIMES SPORT
THE TIMES OF INDIA, CHENNAI THURSDAY, MAY 11, 2017
WE HAVE GOT A NEW COMBINATION WITH MYSELF AND SUNIL COMING TOGETHER AND ROBBIE (UTHAPPA) COMING BACK INTO THE SIDE. SO, WE CAN’T EXPECT MIRACLES FIRST UP WITH THE NEW BATTING LINEUP.
“WE HAVE ONE MORE GAME TO GO. ME AND (CHRIS) LYNN MIGHT OPEN AND ROBIN WILL BE BACK AT THREE. MAYBE WE COULD THINK ABOUT THAT COMBINATIONS IN THE COMING GAMES. AT ONE POINT OF TIME, THE REQUIRED RATE WAS AROUND 7.5 TO 8, TAKING IT TO TO 11, THAT WAS THE TURNING POINT”
— CHRIS LYNN | KOLKATA
—Gautam Gambhir | KOLKATA
Manohar to stay ICC chief Former BCCI Boss Agrees To Honour Two-Year Term Upon Members’ Persuasion Sumit.Mukherjee @timesgroup.com
Kolkata: Shashank Manohar on Wednesday effectively withdrew his resignation from the chairman’s post and agreed to head the International Cricket Council (ICC) till the end of his two-year term that ends in June next year. The ICC confirmed the development through an email early on Wednesday. “Shashank Manohar will continue to function as the Independent Chairman of ICC until the end of his elected term which is June 2018,” the ICC said in a statement. Manohar, who had tendered his resignation from the post on March 15 on “personal grounds”, had been subsequently persuaded by fellow
my colleagues to enable a smooth transition and continue our work on the governance of the ICC.” The wheel came full circle for Manohar on Wednesday and augurs well for the ICC which can now go ahead and implement the reforms that have already been passed by the member Boards at the Dubai conclave last month. With the BCCI too falling in line and clearing the Indian team’s participation in the Champions Trophy, truce is the watchword in global cricketing circles. It’s a big setback for the power brokers fuelling the ICCBCCI feud. They will have to come up with something new to retain their nuisance value. If the BCCI mandarins play their cards wisely, the Indian Board can still pocket the additional $100 million that was offered to them at the last ICC meeting by Manohar. Even though the new revenue model was voted upon and passed with an overwhelming
Twelve of the 13 cricket Boards, including the BCCI, of which Manohar is former president, had signed the resolution, requesting Manohar to withdraw his resignation
MAN IN CHARGE: Manohar
ICC members to continue until his successor was elected at the world body’s annual conference in June, 2017. In fact, the ICC Board had passed a resolution with an overwhelming majority, requesting Manohar “to withdraw his resignation or defer his decision until the reforms programme pertaining to governance and financial restructuring is completed”. Twelve of the 13 cricket Boards, including the Board of
Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), of which Manohar is former president, had signed the resolution. Manohar had partially relented. In a statement, issued through the ICC on March 24, Manohar had said: “I respect the sentiments expressed by the directors and the confidence they have reposed in me. In the light of this, and although my decision to depart due to personal reasons has not changed, I am willing to continue as chairman till the responsibility as per the resolution is complete. “I have a duty to work with
majority, the BCCI may still find enough elbow room to push for a little more at the ICC’s annual conference in June. The onus will also be on BCCI to mount some serious public relations exercise in a bid to regain the confidence of other member nations in the ICC who were clearly put off by the pressure tactics employed by the Indian Board representatives who deliberately delayed naming the national squad for the upcoming Champions Trophy. In the given scenario, a spirit of give and take could be the best way forward as the BCCI goes about finalising a number of bilateral series to fill its international calendar. In doing so, the Board officials will have put the interests of Team India first, especially if Virat Kohli’s bravehearts are to hold on to their No. 1 spot in ICC Test ranking and look to push up the table in the two shorter formats. Interesting times ahead for Indian cricket as a whole.
We’ll aim to carry home form into CT, says Yuvraj Dubai: Yuvraj Singh is hopeful that he can make a “meaningful contribution” in India’s Champions Trophy title defence during the June 1-18 marquee event in England. “I am delighted to be returning to the India side for the 50-over ICC tournament and look forward to making a meaningful contribution as the side aims to defend its title,” Yuvraj was quoted as saying in an ICC statement. “Like any other ICC tournament, it will be a challenging event with each team arriving there believing it can lift the silverware on 18 June at The Oval.” Yuvraj, who will be playing in the ICC Champions Trophy after a hiatus of 11years, however said it would be easier said than done against top cricketing nations of the world. Yuvraj made his debut in the 2002 event in Kenya and featured in all events until 2006, before missing the 2009 and 2013 editions of the tournament. India are clubbed with Pakistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka in one of the two groups. “We are in a tough group, but at the same time we are a form side following a highly successful season at home. We will target to carry forward the winning momentum into the ICC Champions Trophy so that we can become the
IYER FIRES FOR DELHI
POINTS TABLE Teams
M W
L NR Pts
Mumbai
12
9
3
0
18 +0.903
Kolkata
13
8
5
0
16 +0.729
Pune
12
8
4
0
16
Hyderabad 13
7
5
1
15 +0.565
Smashes 96 To Guide Team To 3-Wicket Win Against Gujarat
Punjab
12
6
6
0
12 +0.280
[email protected]
Delhi
12
5
7
0
10
-0.590
Gujarat
13
4
9
0
8
-0.361
Bangalore 13
2
10
1
5
-1.454
NRR
-0.060
UPDATED AFTER GUJARAT VS DELHI MATCH
Kumble’s new contract to be discussed post CT New Delhi: Chief coach Anil Kumble’s fresh contract will be up for discussion after Indian team’s Champions Trophy assignment in England. Kumble, who replaced Ravi Shastri (Team Director) last year as the chief coach before the tour of West Indies, was given a one-year contract till end of June 2017. "Yes, Kumble's contract as the chief coach will end with India's campaign in the Champions Trophy. Obviously, there is every possibility that it will be up for renewal but that will only be decided by the general body after the tournament gets over," a senior BCCI official said. PTI
SCOREBOARD
Runs
96
Gujarat: D Smith run out 8, I Kishan c Khan b Mishra 34, S Raina b Cummins 6, D Karthik c Anderson b Brathwaite 40, A Finch b Shami 69, R Jadeja not out 13, J Faulkner not out 14. Extras (lb7, w4) 11. Total (for 5 wkts in 20 overs) 195. FoW:1-21, 2-46, 3-56, 4-148, 5-180. Bowling: Zaheer 4-0-30-0, Shami 4-0-36-1, Cummins 4-0-38-1, Mishra 2-0-27-1, Brathwaite 4-0-38-1, Anderson 2-0-19-0. Delhi: S Samson b Sangwan 10, K Nair c Smith b Faulkner 30, R Pant run out 4, S Iyer b Thampi 96, M Samuels run out 1, C Anderson run out 6, C Brathwaite c & b Kulkarni 11, P Cummins c Smith b Faulkner 24, M Shami not out 4, A Mishra not out 8. Extras (lb2, w1) 3. Total (for 8 wkts in 19.4 overs) 197. FoW:1-11, 2-15, 3-72, 4-92, 5-104, 6-121, 7-182, 8-189. Bowling: Kulkarni 4-0-30-1, Sangwan 3-0-35-1, Thampi 3.4-0-43-1, Smith 1-0-17-0, Jadeja 4-0-31-0, Faulkner 4-0-39-2.
Balls
57 4s
15
Kanpur: Shreyas Iyer did all the right things to pull Delhi Daredevils past Gujarat Lions by two wickets in their IPL match at Green Park stadium on Wednesday. The Mumbai lad was all fire as he cut loose with his repertoire of shots to hit the Lions hard on their second home ground. He drove, punched, swept and pulled with confidence as Delhi chased down a target of 196 with two deliveries remaining in a thrilling encounter. Though both the sides are out of contention for a playoff berth, the victory now takes Delhi to ten points from 12 matches, while the Lions are languishing at eight with just a game to go against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Saturday. The defeat meant that the Lions now have won just one game in 13 matches in the tournament in two years while batting first. Iyer was in sublime form, dominating all the bowlers from the word go after their heroes in the earlier game against Gujarat – Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson fell without contributing much. Samson under-edged a Pradeep Sangwan delivery on to his stumps and Pant failed to ground his bat after a close leg before appeal of the bowling of Sangwan. And, Raina standing at the slips was alert enough to knock down the stumps. But, Iyer wasn’t rattled as he dominated the toothless Lions’ attack. He thumped two sixes and 15 boundaries to get his side near to
6s
2
GREEN PARK REVOLUTION: Shreyas Iyer hits one to the fence in Kanpur
the post. With seven required of four balls, he finally was yorked by Basil Thampi for 96. But Amit Mishra, smashed the next two deliveries past the fence, much to the joy of his teammates. Earlier, Aaron Finch and Dinesh Karthik provided fuel to fire as the Gujarat side posted a total of 195 runs after Zaheer Khan won the toss and decided to field. The two provided substance to the score as they collected 92 runs for
the fourth wicket. Both were severe on anything pitched up, but also used short arm pulls and cuts to score at a fast clip. Finch cracked a cracking 69, off 39 deliveries, laced with four mighty sixes and six boundaries before he was yorked by Mohammad Shami. Karthik, on the other hand, raced to a smart 40 before failing to clear long-on. His 28-ball knock contained a six and four hits to the fence. Before that, left-handed opener
Ishan Kishan provided the early tempo, after the early departures of Dwayne Smith and skipper Suresh Raina. Smith was too slow to beat a Amit Mishra throw, and Raina was castled while trying an inside out shot against Pat Cummins. But, Ishan kept his cool to weather the initial setbacks before failing to pick up a Amit Mishra googly to top-edge a sweep. Gujarat retained the same team that beat Kings XI Punjab in the last game, while Delhi replaced South African Kagiso Rabada with Carlos Braithwaite. Rabada has been recalled back by Cricket South Africa for training before the start of the ODI series against England and Champions Trophy.
Watson hints at IPL retirement, eager to turn coach Manuja.Veerappa @timesgroup.com
Bengaluru: Should Shane Watson play in Royal Challengers Bangalore’s final match against the Delhi Daredevils on Sunday, it would probably be the all-rounder’s final appearance in the Indian Premier League. The Australian, who captained RCB in the absence of Virat Kohli in the first four matches of the season with mixed success, hinted he was ready to move on. Asked if he would return next season, Watson was noncommittal. “In some capacity, yes,” he said. Watson, who has been a part of the IPL since the inaugural season in 2008, has had an indifferent season, scoring 67 runs and picking up four wickets from seven outings. Apart from playing in the other leagues across the
SHANE WATSON IN IPL BATTING RECORD OVERALL
M
I
NO
Runs
HS
Ave
100
50
SR
4s
6s
101
97
13
2618
104*
31.16
2
14
138.73
257
122
BOWLING RECORD OVERALL
M
Wkts
Ave
BB
4WI
SR
ER
101
85
28.41
4-29
1
21.6
7.88
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Remains the only all-rounder to manage 2,000 runs or more and capture 75 wickets or more Twice scored 50 runs and captured three wickets in the same IPL match — both times for Rajasthan Royals — 52 + 3-10 vs Delhi at Wankhede Stadium on May 30, 2008 and 89* + 3-19 vs Mumbai at Wankhede Stadium on May 20, 2011
Holds the record for the highest run-aggregate for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL Only Rajasthan Royals’ batsman to hit two hundreds — 104 not out off 59 balls vs KKR at Mumbai (BS) on May 16, 2015 (the highest individual score by a Rajasthan batsman in the IPL) and 101 off 61 balls vs Chennai at Chennai on April 22, 2013. — Rajesh Kumar globe, Watson, who retired from international cricket after the T20 World Cup last year, is hoping to turn coach
sometime soon. “I haven’t set myself a specific time period, it’s more about how it evolves. There may be a time when
hopefully I get a chance to coach somewhere and it just takes over from my playing days. I still love playing. I have
the burning desire to perform well and contribute to a team,” the 35-year-old said. “But there is going to be a point where I know it is going to be a transition and hopefully be able to coach. I love to help people out. I’m not sure how or when, but hopefully it (to coach) comes through soon.” The 10 seasons of the IPL have been a roller-coaster ride for the soft-spoken cricketer. In a heady inaugural season with champions Rajasthan Royals, Watson won the Player of the season, having made 472 runs and captured 17 wickets. RCB bought him last year for a whopping Rs 9.5 crore, and with 179 runs and 20 wickets in 16 games, he established himself as a key man in the team. This year though, everything has gone downhill. “It is disappointing be-
cause I’ve always had so much success in the IPL. It has been a lot of soul-searching at times because, more than anything, what I feel worst about is letting the team down — letting Virat (Kohli), Dan Vettori and the franchise down,” Watson said. “RCB have looked after me well over the last two years, but it’s another learning experience I’ll take into the rest of my T20 playing career and into coaching as well.” Watson pinned his failure to lack of international cricket since his retirement. “The biggest challenge has been to be able to get myself and my skills up to the standard. When you’re playing international cricket all-year round, your skills are naturally there. This IPL season has really exposed where my skills are. It’s been a reality check.”
UPBEAT: Yuvraj Singh
second side after Australia to win back to back titles,” said Yuvraj, who has played 296 matches for the country. Yuvraj said with plenty of NRIs settled in the UK, India have always felt at home while playing there. “The United Kingdom is an excellent location to host the ICC Champions Trophy. We have always felt at home away from home due to the overwhelming support we always receive there,” he said. India has retained eight players from the successful team of 2013, namely Virat Kohli, who will captain India for the first time in a major ICC event, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shikhar Dhawan, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rohit Sharma and Umesh Yadav. PTI
McClenaghan now wants to ‘pinch’ with bat
[email protected]
Mumbai: Are teams looking to copy the ‘Sunil Narine’ pinch-hitting formula which has worked so successfully for the Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL-10? One would think so, after seeing Mumbai Indians’ pacer Mitchell McClenaghan addressing the pre-match press conference with his pads still on, and the bat placed next to the mike. It seemed that the Kiwi left-arm seamer, who averages a dismal 1.33 after six innings spread across 12 games in IPL-10, which has seen him face just four balls so far, had almost been pulled out from an intense batting session at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday evening, ahead of his team’s match against the Kings XI Punjab, to speak to the media. Mindful perhaps to not reveal the team strategy, McClenaghan explained: “I want to keep improving my game. My batting has become better since the last couple of years and I want to prove myself to a position where as Ricky Ponting (Australian great and former MI coach) did and Mahela Jayawardane (Sri Lankan great & current MI coach) did earlier this year, they have the confidence to promote me so that I can try and score quick runs. “So, it’s a personal thing for me. I want to prove myself and become a good No. 8 batsman in T20s, where I can get 20 off 8 balls.” McClenaghan can feel pretty happy with the way he’s been carrying out his chief responsibility in the side ever since he was bought by MI for just Rs30 lakhs in the 2015 auction. In that inaugural season itself, the 30-year-old played a key role in MI’s victorious campaign, taking 18
[email protected]. The left-arm pacer followed that up with being the highest wicket-taker (17
[email protected], economy rate of 8.17) in the 2016 IPL, and this season, he again looks set to
TAKING FRESH STANCE: Mitchell McClenaghan (l) with Mumbai coach Mahela Jayawardene during practice on Wednesday
finish as the side’s top wickettaker, with 17 scalps @23.94 and ER of 8.84. While it is the likes of Lasith Malinga and Jasprit Bumrah who steal the limelight with their thundering yorkers, McClenaghan is the unsung hero in the MI bowling line-up, taking crucial wickets in both Powerplay and the death overs. He has shown a tendency to leak runs, but on flat tracks in India and in a slam-bang format, all MI expect of him is to get wickets. And he does that for them pretty regularly. “My role in the side is to go and take wickets and be aggressive and try and get the key batsman out in the opposition. I bowl a lot of ‘hard overs’ when the guys are in or going to hit in the end. So, it’s important to put things in perspective,” he says while defending his economy rate, which is slightly on the higher side. He also feels it’s becoming tougher for bowlers to survive in the tough world of IPL.
PURPLE CAP
BEST OF THE LEAGUE
WICKETS
ORANGE CAP
23
RUNS
535
Bhuvneshwar Kumar SRH
David Warner SRH S Dhawan SRH
450
Imran Tahir RPS
18 17
S Raina GL
440
Jaydev Unadkat RPS
G Gambhir KKR
433
C Woakes KKR
17
420
M McClenaghan MI
17
H Amla KXIP
THE TIMES OF INDIA, CHENNAI THURSDAY, MAY 11, 2017
21
TIMES SPORT Santosh Bane
Good to experience pressure: Mohit
FACE-OFF
VEL ARCH
Mohali: Kings XI Punjab will need to win both their remaining games to stay in fray for an IPL playoffs berth, and pacer Mohit Sharma says it is always good to have pressure as it brings out the best in a team. Needing a win on Tuesday to keep their hopes alive, Kings XI produced a clinical bowling effort to beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 14 runs. “I think it is important to have pressure on you. If there is no pressure, then there is a problem somewhere. Pressure is important when you are playing because it can bring out the best,” Mohit said at the post-match press conference. Lying in fifth spot with 12 points, Kings XI cannot afford to falter in their last two matches. PTI
MUMBAI VS PUNJAB
DRIVE
SUNIL GAVASKAR
K
ings XI’s ambush of the Kolkata Knight Riders should give them the belief that they can surprise table-toppers Mumbai Indians too. That may not be easy as the Mumbai Indians, having lost their previous match, will be looking to get the winning rhythm back and end up as the No.1 team in the league stage. Finishing in the top two gives those teams the extra match to qualify for the finals if they have a bad day while playing against each other in the first match of the playoffs. Kings XI got the balance of their bowling attack right for the game against Kolkata. The newcomer Rahul Tewatia not only played a big role with the ball, getting two important wickets, but also with the bat, where his hitting in the final overs, was the difference between Punjab winning and losing. Being a leg-spinner, he slowed the pace off the ball for the batsmen and made it difficult to hit it into the stands. What was most enjoyable was the bowling of Sandeep Sharma and Mohit Sharma in the final overs. Both of them bowled the yorker to perfection
and used the slower delivery with hardly any change in action that kept the batsmen guessing. Finally, in the tenth season of IPL, one is getting to see the yorker being bowled by Indian pacers. They are not just bowling the yorker, but are getting it bang under the bat. Bhuvaneshwar Kumar is bowling it at will and so is Umesh Yadav. With the Sharmas and Basil Thampi also restricting the batsmen with those deliveries, Indian bowlers seem to have finally realised the value of that ball. Of course, no one can forget the super over that Jasprit Bumrah bowled where his yorkers were delivered at furious pace and then next one was bowled so slow that batsmen were often playing two shots to one ball and still not connecting it. Rohit Sharma finding form is great news for Mumbai for he is a game-changer and one of the best finishers in the game. Mumbai’s batting is formidable and their bowling combination makes run-scoring difficult. With Lendl Simmons also coming good, the opening replacement is also taken care of. Kings XI will want their fielding to be better than it has been in recent games. Against Kolkata though, they took some fabulous catches. Their ground fielding could also improve a bit. PMG
CHAMPION OF THE DAY With nothing much to lose, Gujarat Lions and Delhi Daredevils were playing for pride in Kanpur on Wednesday, and Shreyas Iyer decided to have some fun against Gujarat’s bowlers in pursuit of a stiff 196 for victory. The young batsman from Mumbai held his ground while wickets fell around him and chose to cut lose towards the latter stage of the innings and ended up hammering 96 in 57 balls as Delhi scampered to two-wicket win. Iyer’s knock was laced with 15 boundaries and two sixes, and he could not have paced his innings better during the chase.
SNAPSHOTS
Pak frustrate West Indies in first session Pakistan negotiated a potentially tricky first session, reaching 70 for one on the first day of the third and final Test against the West Indies at Windsor Park in Dominica on Wednesday. After they were put in to bat, Shan Masood was the tourists' only casualty of the morning, falling to offspinner Roston Chase after an hour's play. Opening partner Azhar Ali (36 not out) was set to resume after the interval alongside Babar Azam (24 not out), their partnership producing 51 runs for the second wicket. Brief scores (Lunch, day 1): Pakistan (1st innings) 70/1 (A Ali 36 no) vs West Indies.
WACA to host 3rd Ashes Test: Cricket Australia said on Wednesday that the third Ashes Test between England and Australia, beginning on Dec 14, will be played at the traditional Perth Test venue of the WACA Ground because a new Perth stadium will not be ready in time. The Western Australian government informed Cricket Australia on Tuesday that construction delays meant that the 60,000-seat stadium at Burswood, set to host the Test, would not be completed.
Cricket should be part of Sports Code, says Goel: Sports minister Vijay Goel wants BCCI to be a signatory of the revamped Sports Code that will be tabled very soon. “The question here is not about BCCI. The question is about including all the sports in the Sports Code as per my belief,” Goel said.
51st MATCH
HEAD TO MI HEAD 10
KXIP
9
Punjab are battling on to stay in the race for a place in the play-offs. Nothing short of a win today will suffice, and Glen Maxwell & Co will go all out to impress.
WATCH OUT FOR
KIERON POLLARD
CAN PUNJAB PUT ON A ‘BIG SHOW’? After Surprising Kolkata, Visitors Look To Spoil Mumbai’s Chances Of Finishing In Top 2
[email protected]
Mumbai: A game which had threatened to become a dead rubber has suddenly come alive, and there’s plenty at stake when the Mumbai Indians take on Kings XI Punjab at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday night. Having come back from the brink when they stunned the Kolkata Knight Riders at Mohali on Tuesday night, the Kings, egged on by their enthusiastic co-owner, actor Preity Zinta, have infused life into a tournament where the playoff spots seemed sealed going into the last leg of the league phase. Needing to win all of their last three games to sneak into the knockouts, Virender Sehwag’s boys have knocked one down, and now need to beat MI today and then the Rising Pune Supergiant in Pune on May 14 to guarantee 16 points — a tally which would see them climb up from the fifth position that they currently occupy on the points table. At the same time, they would also hope that Sunrisers Hyderabad, placed just a spot above them at fourth with 15 points, lose their last game to the Gujarat Lions in Kanpur on May 13. MI, on the other hand, sit at the top of the tree with 18 points, but must ensure that they eventually do finish in the top two to have two bites of the cherry. They
would be keen to play the first qualifier at home on May 16- a fixture which allows them the luxury of a direct entry into the final should they win it, and a chance of staying alive through a Qualifier 2 if they lose it. The team looked jaded and demotivated during its seven-wicket loss in its last game against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, and must quickly re-energise itself for one last dash at a top-two finish. The thrill, of course, lies in seeing if Kings can stay alive here. Theirs is a story of the underdog finally discovering that it can bite too. Ever since they charmed everyone by reaching the final in 2014, the Mohali-based franchise have flattered to deceive, finishing last in the next two years. With Sehwag now in charge of their cricket operations, though, the team has delivered a far better performance this season, winning six out of its 12 games. The bold call to appoint Glenn Maxwell as captain seems to have paid off, as the dynamic Aussie seems well in command of the troupe, besides chipping in with useful contributions with bat, ball and energetic fielding in the deep. While his big hits are always a treat to watch, the ‘Big show’ is proving to be more than handy with the ball while bowling his off-spinners. The real stars for the Kings, though, have been the Indian bowlers-the two Sharmas, Sandeep and Mohit, and Axar Patel. While Sandeep Sharma (16 wickets in 11
[email protected]) has been excellent with the new ball and difficult to score off the old too, Mohit (11 wickets in 12
[email protected]) has been fantastic with his variations. Patel, who must consider him-
ENTERING HOME STRETCH: Mumbai Indians players during nets on the eve of their match against Punjab at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday
self unlucky to miss out on a berth in the Champions Trophy, has delivered with both bat and the ball (13
[email protected] & 186 runs in 12 games), while leggie Rahul Tewatia, who took two for 18 in four overs to swing the game around for Kings in their last game, has emerged as a surprise weapon. One man the Kings would badly miss at this stage is experienced South African opener Hashim Amla- the only batsman to have cracked two hundreds in IPL-10, who had to leave for national duty. Around 20 days back, the Kings were hammered black and blue by MI at Indore. Riding on Amla’s unbeaten 104, they’d put up a formidable 198 for four, but a brilliant 77 off just 37 balls by Jos Buttler saw the visitors chase down that target in the 16th over itself. Kings would be relieved that with MI preferring to open with Lendl Simmons and Parthiv Patel, they don’t have to bowl to the dangerous England ‘keeper-bat now. Not that Simmons is any less dangerous. In his very first game as Buttler’s replacement, the Caribbean smashed a 43-ball 66 in a massive win against the Delhi Daredevils at the Kotla on May 6. Wankhede holds special memories for Simmons. Around a year back, arriving just a couple of days earlier as a replacement for Andre Fletcher, the Trinidadian had smashed an unbeaten 51-ball 82 to help the West Indies beat India in the WorldTwenty20 semi-final here. The Kings, though, do have the resources to stop him and the other MI batsmen. Can David bring down Goliath here?
Madrid: Novak Djokovic staved off a huge upset in his first match since splitting with his long-time coaching team to beat Nicolas Almagro 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 in the second round of the Madrid Masters on Wednesday.
Tough To Pick Yourself Up After The Kind Of Results We’ve Had, Says RCB Skipper
LEFT HAND
DRIVE
SOURAV GANGULY
T
he IPL crescendo is reaching its peak and KKR find themselves in a knockout-like situation to qualify for the play-offs. I am pretty sure KKR will go through, but if they lose the last match to Mumbai and, on the other hand, RPS, Sunrisers and Kings XI win their last games, KKR will need to depend on the run-rate factor. They would like to avoid a scenario like that. Mumbai Indians will want to assert their supremacy and in order to that they would like to finish off the league phase with a win and remain the undisputed No. 1. Kolkata need Gautam Gambhir to open. Sunil Narine can play cameos, but if Gambhir settles down and plays for a long time, he has the ability to finish off the match, with Chris Lynn providing the power at the other end. It will be interesting to see how KKR
Maria’s wildcards driven by media coverage: Andy
MADRID OPEN
Manuja.Veerappa @timesgroup.com
NOT THE BEST OF TIMES: Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle during an event on Wednesday
are good enough at this level to step up, motivate themselves and take ownership of the team. If things are not going well, all you can do is maintain a bit of patience and calmness around the change room and not let issues fly around,” said Kohli, who missed the first four matches due to a shoulder injury. Kohli took the audience by surprise when he revealed that the players sometimes laughed at their misery during matches. “It’s very easy to get frustrated and point fingers when you are not doing well but I think we have embraced and accepted what has happened. We have tried to laugh it off at times. There have been situations that have been so helpless that we have come back to the change room laughing. We could never think we would experience something like this as a team.” Adding it was time to introspect the horror show, Kohli said: “We have all learnt a lot from this season and I am sure the guys realise a lot about themselves, their games and we are only going to get better from here on. It can’t get any worse.”
Fourth Seed Spaniard Rafael Nadal too struggled to get past unseeded Italian Fabio Fognini, dropping the second set before coming thorough 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-4 to reach the last 16. Djokovic could meet Rafael Nadal in the semifinals. After a blistering start, Djokovic had to battle back from 3-0 down in the deciding set to book his place in the last 16 on Thursday against Feliciano Lopez or Gilles Simon. Djokovic is without a coach in the Spanish capital after bringing to an end a 10-year relationship with Marian Vajda in an attempt to reverse his dramatic slump in form over the past year. “I’m still finding my way to that consistency level and quality of tennis
AT FULL STRETCH: Djokovic returns to Almagro in Madrid on Wednesday
that I’m looking for,” said Djokovic. Fifth seed Milos Raonic is also into the last 16 as he got the better of a battle between two big servers, winning 6-4, 6-4 against Gilles Muller. Kei Nishikori recovered from a dreadful start to beat Argentine Diego Schwartzman 1-6, 6-0, 6-4. In the WTA Madrid Open, Svetlana Kuznetsova remained one of only three of the top 10 seeds left in the draw with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Wang Qiang to reach the quarterfinals. AGENCIES
Madrid: The level of media coverage surrounding Maria Sharapova's return to tennis from a doping suspension has been a key factor in the five-time grand slam winner being offered wildcards to events, men's world number one Andy Murray has said. The Times reported this week that Sharapova would be awarded a wildcard by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA)to play at Aegon Classic in Birmingham. “I do think the tournaments are going to do what they think is going to sell the most tickets, give them the most coverage, get the most people in to watch,” Murray told BBC Sport. “I’m sure the LTA saw the coverage that was given, ... the amount of media covering it, and think that's what's best for the tournament in Birmingham. But I'm sure it's split a lot of opinion,” he added. AGENCIES
18-year-old Mahaveer leaves school to chart out a career on race tracks
[email protected]
Chennai: It’s not easy for a Chennai boy to give up formal schooling to chase a dream, but eighteen-year-old racer Mahaveer Raghunathan is doing just that. The promising racer, who finished second in the Auto GP last year, left his school Sir Sivaswami Kalalay when he was in the eight standard and completed the rest of his education through a correspondence course from Cambridge University in the United Kingdom as it gave him the freedom to pursue his passion for racing. “From my ninth standard onwards, I did a correspondence course from Cambridge University in UK. They have their exams in Chennai too. I found it difficult to attend school after my 8th standard due to my busy racing schedule,” Mahaveer, who is currently doing a correspondence course in sports science from
a private college in Pune, told TOI. Such a decision, Mahaveer says, wouldn’t have been possible without the unwavering support of his parents. “My family has always been supportive. They have encouraged me to do whatever I want. I have given up everything else to be a racer. I have no other hobbies or interests. This is what I have always wanted to do.” When asked how his interest for racing initially began, he added: “I started karting at the age of 12. I used to like cars and driving at high speed excited me. That’s why I got into karting. I played a bit of cricket in my childhood but once I started karting, I completely stopped everything else. There was no time for anything else.” As far as his future ambitions are
Pollard has been a vital cog in Mumbai Indians’ wheel and the burly West Indian is only one run short of reaching 300 runs in IPL-10. He has struck two halfcenturies this season and averages 29.9 at a strike rate of 135.29.
Mumbai have the most balanced side
We have learnt a Djokovic, Nadal escape to victory lot, looking to start afresh, says Kohli
Bengaluru: A little before noon on Wednesday, the Royal Challengers Bangalore team trooped in for a sponsor commitment in batches, looking relaxed and well-rested. There was banter, laughter and smiles all around. The RCB – a team that went from favourites to wooden spoon claimants in five weeks – players are hurt by the performance this season but not brooding over it. In a star-studded team, skipper Virat Kohli remains the focal point, in victory and defeat. As he took questions on the team’s pathetic run in IPL-10, he was honest in his assessment. “The kind of season we have had needs no explanation. As players, it hurts us the most. We tried everything to turn things around but it just didn’t happen. These things happen sometimes. Last year was great for us, this year has been the opposite. You have to accept them and move forward,” Kohli said Kohli admitted that when things go from bad to worse, it is difficult to pick themselves up for the next game. “It’s not easy to pick yourself up after the kind of results that we have had. It gets tough when you are pushing the team forward in whatever way you can and not getting the desired results. That’s when you expect the players who you believe
8 PM MAX AND SIX
Mumbai: Wankhede Std
Indian bowlers value yorkers now STRAIGHT
TV TIME
concerned, Mahaveer, who plans to compete in the FIA Formula 2 Championship next year, is setting realistic targets. “My aim is to race in the F2 championship in 2018. It’s the perfect training ground for Formula One. I don’t think I am ready for it yet. I will be taking part in the Boss GP this year, which will help me gain more experience for the next level.” The Chennai lad has been driving for Coloni Motorsport, an Italian-based racing team which took part in Formula One between 1987 and 1991, for the last two years. “Coloni Motorsport has been funding me for the last two years. There is no financial burden as a result. Obviously, every person who races ultimately dreams to get into Formula One. That is my aim too. But I don’t want to look too far ahead. I just want to keep doing well and ensure my progression to the next stage.”
line up their bowling attack. Their pacers blasted RCB and with Umesh, Coulter-Nile, and Boult available, they have the firepower, not to forget Narine and Kuldeep Yadav. It will also be a test of nerves for both the sides and whoever holds on till the last will have the last laugh. Mumbai will find the new Eden Gardens pitch to their liking as it has pace and bounce which should suit their stroke players. The likes of Pollard, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, and Rana love the ball to come on to the bat. They seem to be the most balanced team in the competition, be it in bowling or batting. They have good pacers with the likes of Bumrah, Johnson, McClenaghan, and Malinga and, with Bhajji bowling well, it has added to their spin armoury. Their batting depth, with Hardik coming in at 7 or 8, is enviable. Kings XI surprised many with their closely-fought win over KKR but they will have to be consistent in their last two games if they want to sneak into the last four. GAMEPLAN
Harpreet wins bronze in Asian wrestling New Delhi: Harpreet Singh was the lone bright spot for India on the opening day of the Asian Wrestling Championship as he bagged a bronze medal in Greco- Roman 80kg category, even as other Indians failed to put an impressive show here on Wednesday. Harpreet bagged his second successive bronze medal at the Asian Championship after defeating Junjie Na of China 3-2. After the first round, the scores were tied at 1-1 but the Indian came back strongly in the second round by taking down his opponent to earn two points to lead 3-1. Although the Chinese got one point due to the Indian's passivity, in the dying minutes of the bout, Harpreet applied 'bagaldo' technique to have the last laugh. Harpreet's medal was the only silver lining on a day when not only the other Indian wrestlers returned empty handed but it was also a shabbily arranged event with a handful of crowd in attendance. The first day of the Asian Championship lacked the sheen as it commenced to an extremely poor response with no facilities for either the fans or the media. “There was a lot of pressure on me as I was the only medal hope left and I wanted to give the country a medal on the first day of the championship, being the hosts,” said Harpreet, who had bagged a bronze at the last edition in Bangkok, Thailand. “I focused very hard and strategised how I could win the bronze. I am glad I could apply the strategy well to win the medal in the end,” he added. PTI
22
THE TIMES OF INDIA, CHENNAI THURSDAY, MAY 11, 2017
TIMES SPORT
JUVE’S ENDGAME Bianconeri Aim To End 21-Year Drought After Reaching Finale
STATS THE WAY Juve
Monaco
2 Goals 1 Total attempts 11 15 6 On target 2 4 Off target 5 Blocked 4 5 6 Corners 8 2 Offsides 3 411 Passes 400 350 Passes Completed 344 104.7km Distance covered 100.1km
Turin: Dani Alves proved his critics wrong as he inspired Juventus to a 2-1 win over Monaco on Tuesday to send the Italian club to their second Champions League final in three years. Described as being past his best when he joined Juventus from Barcelona on a free transfer last June, the 34-year-old Alves was often mocked during the season. But Alves had a man-ofthe-match performance against Monaco, setting up Mario Mandzukic’s opener in the 33rd minute before getting on the scoresheet himself on the stroke SEMIFINAL, 2ND LEG of halftime with a Juventus 2 (Mario Mandzukic 33, sensational longDani Alves 44) range volley as JuMonaco 1 (Kylian Mbappe 69) MAN OF THE MATCH: Dani Alves (centre) scored ventus swept to a 4-1 (Juve win 4-1 on aggregate) a stunning volleyed goal from 25 metres victory on aggregate. There was one man who Alves didn’t need to prove MOST CONSECUTIVE We still We are more confident We’ve to start thinking what anything: Juventus coach MassimilCLEAN SHEETS IN CL haven’t than the one that reached we have to do in the next 20 iano Allegri. “Three months ago, 995 Arsenal (27/09/2005– the final two years ago. In days. We still haven’t won achieved some people wanted to strangle Dani 17/05/2006) Alves,’’ Allegri said with a smile. “But Berlin, only Buffon and the Scudetto, we still anything – when a player is good, he’s good in 690 Juventus (22/11/2016– Pirlo had already played a haven’t won the Coppa and now we have June, September and the following 09/05/2017) we still haven’t won the to bring the Cup CL final. I’m sure we have June... he hasn’t turned mediocre. 686 Chelsea (03/10/2007– Champions League. home.” grown up a lot since then. Anyway, Alves is not someone we’ve 02/04/2008) —Dani Alves —Claudio Marchisio —Max Allegri discovered in the past three months. He’s won 29 titles.” Kylian Mbappe scored a consolation goal in the 69th minute for Monaco, as Juventus remained on course for the treble. Allegri’s side is likely of the reasons why Juventus have such to secure an unprecedented sixth Seario Mandzukic looks like a good defensive record. “He is so fit rie A title on Sunday at Roma, while an old-fashioned centre that I think he could play two back-toit is also in the Italian Cup final. forward, plays on the left back games without stopping even for Two years ago, Juventus were in a wing and often transforms a minute,” said his former coach at VfL similar position but they lost the final himself into one of Juventus’ key Wolfsburg Felix Magath, a notoriously 3-1 to Barcelona. This time, it could be defenders. hard task master. Juve’s year, especially after it eased Versatility personified, the wildAllegri is equally impressed. past the Catalan team 3-0 on aggregate eyed Croatian began the season con“Mario is player who has a differin the quarterfinals. templating a long spell on the bench ent motor to the others,” he said. “He Juventus will be attempting to end after Juventus splashed out 90 million does an amazing amount of running, a 21-year wait for a European trophy. euros to make Gonzalo Higuain the he is great tactically and he has re“It’s a path that started a long time world’s third most expensive striker. Mario (R) won 10 aerial duels, ally good technique. He is an imporago,’’ Allegri said. “Everyone has Instead, coach Massimiliano Allegri tant third attacker.” grown: the club, the players, myself. has found a new role for him on the made five interceptions, had Well travelled, Mandzukic spent Have to compliment everyone. From left flank and he has become one of five shots, created two chances three seasons at NK Zagreb, four each tomorrow we have to think about the team’s most important players as and scored a goal on Tuesday at Dinamo Zagreb and Bundesliga what we can do in these in 20 days. they chase a Serie A, Coppa Italia and “It’s right to be enthusiastic, but Champions League treble. come a target man, left winger and side VfL Wolfsburg four, two at Bayern Munich and one at Atletico Mawe’ll take it one step at a time. We have The unsung hero opened the scor- full back, all rolled into one. to improve certain things, because ing on the way to Juve’s 2-1 win over The 30-year-old is capable of holding drid, before joining Juventus for the this squad is capable of improving.’’ AS Monaco as they completed a 4-1 up play or charging down the touchline 2015/16 season. “His track record Monaco’s young team has earned a aggregate win in their Champions himself and has a phenomenal work speaks for itself and he has demonlot of admirers this season and coach League semi-final on Tuesday. But rate off the ball, pressing opponents strated his quality all over Europe Leonardo Jardim’s task will be to keep goals are not the most important part when they try to play the ball out of with Bayern, Atletico and now Juvenhis players together, especially with of his game. Tall and imposing with defence and dropping back to make key tus. He is a top-class player,” said Almany top clubs following Mbappe. AP good technique, Mandzukic has be- tackles deep in his own half. He is one legri. REUTERS
47% Possession
53%
85% Passing accuracy
86%
Cardiff will be Juve’s ninth European Cup final
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No team have reached the Champions League final on more occasions than Juventus (6 — level with AC Milan).
Mandzukic, allrounder of Turin 2
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They won the European Cup in 1985, 1996
Juve goalkeeper Buffon was finally beaten after 600 minutes, by Monaco’s Kylian Mbappe
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If he’s fit, Dani Alves will make his 100th Champions League appearance in the final in Cardiff
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Kylian Mbappe has become the youngest player to score in a Champions League semifinal (18 years & 140 days)
Alves, 34, enjoys a second wind in Italy
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fter an injury-interrupted start at Juventus, Dani Alves has rediscovered the form which helped him win 23 trophies over eight seasons with Barcelona and made him one of their most influential players. The exuberant Brazilian is now enjoying a second wind at his new club and gave an inspired performance in Juventus’s 2-1 win over AS Monaco on Tuesday which must have left Barcelona wondering why they let him go in the first place. Having played a part in both goals in Juve’s 2-0 win in the first leg a week ago, he again created the first goal and then scored the second with a thumping drive as the Serie A champions completed a 4-1 aggregate win in the semifinal. It was a remarkable turnaround for a player who felt unwanted when Barcelona decided to release him as a free agent in June and then suffered a broken left fibula in November. That could have ended his ca-
INTER SACK MANAGER PIOLI
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nter Milan have sacked manager Stefano Pioli after a run of seven league games without a win, the club said in a statement on Tuesday. It was Inter’s second managerial change of another disappointing season, with the club seventh in
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Cuttack: When Juan Quero Barraso swerved his free-kick into the Bengaluru FC goal, there was jubilation not just in the Shivajians dugout. At the other end of the field, skipper Subrata Paul was ecstatic. It is not often that one finds redemption in the football field. Wednesday was one such day for DSK Shivajians and their coach.
& AGENCIES
New Delhi: Justice Mukul Mudgal is set to head Fifa’s governance committee after his name was proposed on Wednesday by the Fifa council during the congress currently on in Bahrain. The Fifa Council proposed to the 67th Fifa Congress a list of members of both chambers of the independent Ethics Committee, the Disciplinary Committee, the Appeal Committee, the Audit and Compliance Committee, and the Governance Committee. Each list of candidates will be presented for election en bloc to the Fifa Congress on Thursday, each for a term of office of four years which would come into effect immediately.
BAHRAIN CONGRESS The position of the governance chief fell vacant after Miguel Maduro was ‘fired’. According to a British newspaper, Maduro was ‘fired’ over his role in barring Russia’s World Cup head from the ruling council of world football’s governing body, part of a widespread clearout of executives who have led the organisation’s reform efforts. In March, Vitaly Mutko, chairman of Russia’s 2018 World Cup Organising Committee was deemed ineligible to continue on the Fifa council, the 37-member ruling body, because of his position as deputy prime minister in Moscow. That decision was made by Fifa’s governance and review committee, chaired by Maduro, a former Portuguese government minister, who had led a clampdown on political interference in football.
FEDERATION CUP
NEW ROLE? Mukul Mudgal
After a not-so-memorable outing in the I-League and suffering defeat at the hands of Mohun Bagan in their first match of Federation Cup, DSK Shivajians played their match of the season and beat the Bengaluru side 2-0 at Barabati Stadium on Wednesday. Was it revenge for the 7-0 drubbing that they suffered at the
CENTRE OF ATTRACTION: Barraso (c) was the star of the show for Shivajians
hands of Bengaluru in I-League just two weeks back? According to coach Rogers, they just “wanted to make a statement”. They did and that has changed the equation in Group B. It has opened up the group and made
the match against Bagan a mustwin for Albert Roca’s boys. It was a tactical triumph for Rogers who played six U-22 academy players in the game. To guide these youngsters, he fielded Spaniard
Serie A. Youth coach Stefano Vecchi will take charge of the remaining games. Former Lazio coach Pioli succeeded Frank de Boer in November and got off to a promising start by winning eight of his first 10 league games in charge. That ignited a push for a return to the Champions League but since April, they have lost five of six games. AFP
Fans can inspire United to the final: Herrera London: Ander Herrera wants aware of that,” the Spanish midManchester United’s supporters fielder said. “They are a very good to turn Old Trafford into a caul- team, very dangerous when they dron when his side look to com- play away and we will need our plete victory over Celta Vigo in fans at home. I tell them we really Thursday’s Europa League semi- need them to create a good atmosphere, a difficult final return leg. Marcus Rashford’s EUROPA LEAGUE atmosphere for the sweet second-half free-kick opponents, who can push us to be brought United a 1-0 win in last in the final.” week’s first leg, putting Jose Mourinho’s side within touching dis- FIFA ASKS UNITED FOR DETAILS tance of the final in Stockholm on OF PAUL POGBA DEAL May 24. But although United have FIFA have asked Manchester gone 17 European home games United for information about Paul without defeat, Celta have scored Pogba’s world record transfer in all six of their Europa League from Juventus, following leaks away matches this season and Her- which claimed to give details rera says everyone in United red about the huge deal, a spokesman will have to be on their game. for the governing body said on “They have scored away in Tuesday. France international every game they’ve played in the Pogba joined United for — £89 milcompetition so we have to be lion in August. AGENCIES
Justice Mudgal in Barraso brace helps Shivajians stun BFC line to head Fifa governance panel
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reer, yet the 34-year-old has come back stronger than ever. Alves, more usually fielded as a right-back, was brought in on the right side of the Juventus midfield in place of Juan Cuadrado, a position which allowed him to show all his attacking ability. He capped his performance on Tuesday with an outstanding goal, meeting Danijel Subasic’s punched clearance with a full-blooded 25-metre volley which caught the goalkeeper out of position. Alves never felt loved by Barcelona where his flamboyant manner was often viewed as a lack of professionalism by the club’s hierarchy. “I like feeling loved and as they did not want me I left,” he told ABC de Sevilla earlier this year. He now has a chance to win a remarkable fourth Champions League title. Alves celebrated by drawing a heart in the air which he said was for his girlfriend. “She is always there. At this special moment, I like to remember the special people in my life.” REUTERS
Barraso and skipper Paul, who he had chosen to rest in the tie against Bagan. Their back four made life difficult for Sunil Chhetri, Udanta Singh, Eugeson Lyngdoh, and later on for CK Vineeth and Alwyn George. Their midfield played so well that Bengaluru had to resort to playing more long balls. They even got a little more than a dozen setpieces to break the deadlock. But everything failed because Shivajians captain Paul either fisted away or grabbed everything. What was more surprising and debilitating for BFC was the fact that their skipper Chhetri was unable to move freely with young Jerry Mawihmingthanga as his marker. If DSK’s defensive skills frustrated Chhetri and company, there were Barraso and Lallianzuala Chhangte to carry on with the attack.
Bagan beat Lajong 3-2 to maintain top spot Cuttack: Defending champions Mohun Bagan continued their good run, notching up a 3-2 win over Shillong Lajong in the Federation Cup at the Barabati Stadium here on Wednesday. Strikes by Darryl Duffy (5th minute), Sony Norde (27th) and Katsumi Yusa (43rd) cancelled out Pritam Kotal's 3rd- minute own goal and Yuta Kinowaki’s 80th-minute goal to aid the Mariners' quest in progressing to the semi-final round. Currently, Mohun Bagan sit on top of Group B with six points out of two matches. It all started in the 3rd minute when Pritam Kotal sent the ball into his own net in an attempt to clear a cross, to hand Lajong the lead, much to the Reds' astonishment. In the 5th minute, the Mariners equalised proceedings. In the 27th minute, Sony Norde handed Mohun Bagan the lead when he converted a freekick from 25 yards out and sent the ball curling into the back of the net. PTI
Justice Mudgal had been appointed deputy chairman of the governance committee in May 2016 during the Fifa Congress in Mexico. Mudgal has been, involved in overseeing the conduct of international cricket matches and IPL games at the Ferozshah Kotla Stadium here. He was also roped in by the Asian Football Federation in a similar capacity. Meanwhile, Fifa’s decision to remove its ethics team was a “setback in the fight against corruption”, one of those dismissed, investigator Cornel Borbely, told a press conference in Bahrain on Wednesday. World football’s governing body has recommended that Borbely, along with the ethics judge who helped bring down Sepp Blatter, Hans-Joachim Eckert, not be re-elected at the FIFA Congress which takes place on May 11 in the Gulf. Borbely also said there were “several hundred cases” of corruption pending. “The removal means nothing else but the end of the reform process,” said Borbely. “The ethics commission is the key institution of the FIFA reforms.“We could bring back some trust in FIFA, the ethics committee... was the role model for the whole sports world.
Volume 10, Issue 112 Regn No. TNENG/2008/24638 Published by S Santhanagopal on behalf of Bennett Coleman & Co Ltd, 140 Old Mahabalipuram Road, Chemmenchery, Chennai 600119 and printed by him at The Times of India Press, 140 Old Mahabalipuram Road, Chemmenchery, Chennai 600119 and at 9/10/11-A, 4th Main, Bommasandra Industrial area, Hosur Road, Bangalore 560 099. Editor (Chennai Market): Arun Ram- Responsible for selection of news under PRB Act. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without the written permission of the Publisher is prohibited. Tel. Nos. Chennai (044) 40401234, Fax: (044) 24335511 E-Mail:
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