new ˆ& ˆ · 20 hours ago · agriculture minister nor junior ministers were present to hear...

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T he stand-off between the Centre and Punjab farmers continues as a delegation of protesting farmers’ leaders from Punjab invited for talks by Union Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Agarwal on Wednesday here cried foul and walked out of the meeting, demanding the presence of Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar. The agitated farmers claimed the Government is least interested in solving farmers’ problems with no Minister present to hear them out. Amid farmers’ protests across the State, Punjab has become the first State to reject the Centre’s farm laws. At the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh rejected the farm laws enacted by the Centre and convened a special Assembly session on October 19 to bring a legisla- tion to counter the Centre’s farm laws. The Punjab Cabinet’s move is expected to have over- whelming support, with both the ruling Congress and the Opposition Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). The CM had announced his Government will fight the “anti-federal and vicious farm laws tooth and nail through legislative, legal and other routes”. Meanwhile, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said the Government is always open for discussion with farm- ers on the revolutionary farm laws. When asked about boy- cott by farmers’ body, Javadekar said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar have already held one round of dis- cussion with farmer organisa- tions on this issue. “If someone wants more (discussion), we are always open (to) meet everyone. But Tomarji has an engagement today, therefore he has gone. When he will get free, he is meeting all. There is no prob- lem in this,” Information and Broadcasting Minister Javadekar told the media after the Cabinet meeting. A delegation of 29 farmers organisations, comprising Balbir Singh Rajewal, Darshan Pal, Jagjit Singh Dalewal, Jagmohan Singh, Kulwant Singh, Surjit Singh and Satnam Singh Sahni, who had come to attend meeting are said to have asked the Secretary what an administrative officer can do when the political leadership was not interested in repealing the recently-passed farm laws and walked out of the meeting. After a one-and-a-half- hour long meeting with Agarwal, the farmers leaders were seen shouting slogans and tearing copies of new farm laws outside Krishi Bhavan. Farmers’ leaders Jogjit Singh Dalewal and Jagmohan Singh said at least Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar should have been pre- sent at the meeting. The meet- ing was convened at the Krishi Bhavan amid police security to avoid any protest. Farmers’ leaders said that their agitation against the contentious farm laws will continue. “No proper discussion took place. Neither Union Agriculture Minister nor junior Ministers were present to hear our concerns. We asked why the Minister is not meeting us, why the Government is playing double standards by calling us here and Ministers holding virtual meetings in Punjab. There was no proper response,” Darshan Pal, member of the coordination committee of 29 farmers’ organisations, told reporters after the meeting. BKU leader Balbir Singh Rajewal said the farmers’ rep- resentatives will meet in Chandigarh on Thursday to discuss the next course of action. “He (Agriculture Secretary) kept saying he wants to act as a bridge and help, etc. We asked why we were called when no Minister was present to talk to us. The Secretary said he will communicate our demands further,” said a farmer union leader. “The meeting was an effort to try and create a false impres- sion that the Central Government is engaging with farmers, when in fact it is going all out to roll out and enforce the anti-farmer laws,” the All-India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) said in a statement. “First, the Government should be ready to review and if necessary, repeal the three laws. Second, the Government should be ready to consider leg- islating the minimum support price as a legal right and deal with input cost, food security and other issues,” the AIKSCC statement said. Farmers also presented a memorandum of demands to the Government. Continued on Page 2 A s the poll campaign for the first phase of election in Bihar on October 28 heats up, BJP’s national president JP Nadda will again go the State on Thursday for physical cam- paign rallies and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the main face of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), is expected to swoop down on the State for first series of elec- tioneering from October 22, which, among others, include the Assembly seats of Buxar, Jehannabad and Bhagalpur. BJP senior leaders, includ- ing party general secretary and State-in-charge Bhupendra Yadav and former Maharashtra Chief Minister and the cam- paign-in-charge Devendra Fadnavis, are drawing up plan for the Prime Minister’s rallies as he is seen as the prime mover and shaker of voters in the State with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar facing the anti- incumbency factor. Modi’s rallies are expected to be held in Buxar, Jehanabad, Rohtas and Bhagalpur for the NDA candidates, beginning October 22. The Covid-19 conditions have put extra-pres- sure on the planners and the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) is carefully examining the details before giving a go ahead for the physical rallies. With the pandemic still on surge, rallies ahead of the Assembly elections would be conducted with standard oper- ating procedure and guide- lines for safety. On Monday a Bihar Minister for backward and extremely backward class welfare Vinod Kumar Singh, 55, passed away due to post- Covid-19 complications. The Prime Minster will also address poll rallies digitally, though number of physical and virtual public meeting is yet to be fixed, said sources, adding total addresses could be more than ten, according to party sources. Bihar is one of the first of States in the country to go to polls under Covid-19 condi- tions. Physical rallies are increasingly turning “normal” with political leaders pulling out all full stops to attract vot- ers who, this time, are not swayed by one particular issue or political personality. BJP president is on a two- day tour of Bihar for election- eering from October 15 and to address rallies at Vikramganj, Karakat (Rohtas), Goh (Aurangabad) and on October 16 campaign in Barahat (Banaka), Hisua (Nawada) Assembly segments. BJP launched its “Bihar Me Ee Ba” to showcase the infrastructure development in Bihar under the NDA regime. The BJP’s video song also men- tions the opening of IITs, AIIMS, new bridges as well as improvement in the health and education sector. It talks about transforming Bihar cities into metros like Mumbai and Delhi. Countering the BJP devel- opment plank, the rival alliance leader RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav is attacking the NDA Government for miserably fail- ing as a job provider and devel- oping the State. “What did their double-engine govt do in 15 years? It’s their attempt to divert from agenda but we want to contest election on agenda,” says Lalu Prasad’s son and his political heir apparent. Continued on Page 2 T o ensure that it is not caught napping in the win- ters and festivities in the com- ing weeks when Covid-19 cases are likely to spike, the Union Health Ministry has initiated the process of importing liquid oxygen to meet any unforeseen shortage due to rise in demand for oxygen. On behalf of the Government, public sector undertaking HLL Lifecare Limited floated a global tender on Wednesday for procuring one lakh metric tonne of liquid oxygen, as per its website. The oxygen is being pro- cured for various Central and State Government hospitals. The entire exercise of import- ing and then distributing the medical oxygen is estimated to cost 600-700 crore, according to officials in the Ministry. Even though, Covid cases are on decline as has been shown by the data available from the Government, experts as well as the Government fear that the upcoming festive sea- son and following winter months may see a spike in coronavirus infections. On Tuesday, Dr VK Paul, Niti Aayog member (Health), said in the coming winter months, when respiratory viruses are more dangerous, we would have to make efforts to bring a decline in the number of cases. “Winter season is seen as a breeding ground for viruses and infections. We must remember that the world is also witnessing a second peak. We are also detecting more severe forms of coronavirus cases as the season progresses,” said the Niti Aayog member. “This is the time for it because, during winters, respi- ratory infections go up and, whatever else we may say for Covid, it is, after all, a disease that affects the respiratory tract and it is well known that res- piratory infections happen more during the winter season,” Dr Paul said indicating rise in numbers. A report prepared by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) too has warned that Delhi might wit- ness an increase of 15,000 daily coronavirus cases during the winter season with festive gath- erings, seasonal illnesses and influx of patients from outside adding the city’s tally. As on Tuesday, around 3.97 per cent of the Covid-19 patients were on oxygen sup- port, 2.46 per cent were in ICU beds which are again with oxy- gen support and 0.40 per cent on ventilator support. Continued on Page 2 P akistan along with China, Russia and Cuba won seats on the UN Human Rights Council despite strong oppo- sition from activist groups over their abysmal human rights records. Hillel Neuer, an interna- tional lawyer on human rights and executive director of United Nations Watch based in Geneva, condemned the elec- tion of the countries. Apart from dozens of jour- nalists and activists who expressed outrage, social media influencers like Surendra Poonia questioned the UNHRC too. “How come your organization is not able to see atrocities on minorities in Pakistan and torture camps in China where Uyghur Muslims are tortured? It is like a brutal killer getting awarded for non- violence,” he tweeted. Last week, a coalition of human rights groups from Europe, the US and Canada called on UN member States to oppose the election of China, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Cuba and Uzbekistan, saying their human rights records make them unqualified. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo slammed the UN body for electing the nations. Continued on Page 2 T he Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) on Wednesday issued directions banning the use of all types of generators, except those need- ed for essential or emergency services, in Delhi from Thursday under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). The official order reads, “DPCC hereby bans the oper- ation of generator sets of all capacities, run on diesel, petrol or kerosene in Delhi from October 15 till further orders, excluding those used for essen- tial or emergency services.” As per the order essential services include healthcare facilities, elevators, railway ser- vices, Delhi Metro, airports and inter-State bus terminals and the data centre run by the National Informatics Centre. Meanwhile, Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain on Wednesday said he has written to the Union Power Minister seeking closure of 11 thermal power stations around the national Capital, which contribute majorly to pollution in Delhi and its neighbouring areas. The measures under GRAP, which was first imple- mented in Delhi-NCR in 2017, include increasing bus and metro services, hiking parking fees and stopping use of diesel generator sets when the air quality turns poor. Continued on Page 2 New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday said the Centre should implement “as soon as possible” interest waiv- er on loans of up to 2 crore under the RBI moratorium scheme in view of the Covid- 19 pandemic, saying the com- mon man’s Diwali is in the Government’s hands. The apex court sought know from the Centre as to whether the benefit of loan interest waiver for borrowers of up to 2 crore during the moratorium period has “per- colated” to the common man. The court, which observed that it is concerned about how benefit of interest waiver would be given to borrowers, said the Centre has taken a “welcome decision” by taking note of plight of common man but authorities have not issued any order in this regard. “Something concrete has to be done,” a bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan said, adding, “Benefits of waivers must be implemented as soon as possible”. The SC posted the matter for hearing on November 2. Continued on Page 2 T heatres and multiplexes will open this week, the earliest on October 15, in several places, including Delhi and parts of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, with stringent dos and don’ts in keeping with the new Covid-19 normal. Sushant Singh Rajput’s last theatrical release “Chhichhore” is among the films that will get a big screen re-release on Thursday. However, theatres and multiplexes will remain closed in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Chhattisgarh. The SOPs mandated by the Union Government include one seat distance in halls, 50 per cent capacity, masks at all time, proper ventilation and air conditioner temperature set- tings at above 23 degrees Celsius. PVR Cinemas, India’s largest film exhibitor with 845 screens in 176 properties across 71 cities, on Wednesday said 10 States and four UTs have given their go-ahead for the reopen- ing of cinemas. Accordingly, PVR will start operations in 487 screens from Thursday and hope that other States will soon give their green signal too. The multiplex chain said it hopes to build customer con- fidence with an ‘Evangelism’ phase which will give people a chance to experience its enhanced safety features first- hand. This phase will involve goodwill screenings for the company’s employees, health workers and the police force and their children. Continued on Page 2 A head of the Bihar Assembly elections, for- mer Union Minister and Loktantrik Janata Dal chief Sharad Yadav’s daughter Subhashini Yadav joined the Congress on Wednesday in the presence of local leaders. Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) leader and former MP Kali Pandey too joined the Congress. Both are likely to contest the upcoming Assembly elections in Bihar and are seeking tickets from the Congress party. Subhashini Yadav, a social worker, said she is taking the responsibility of carrying on the fight of the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar, as her father Sharad Yadav has always supported it. “I thank Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for giving me this opportuni- ty. Sharad Yadav is not active- ly taking part in the Bihar elections as he is not well. He has always supported the ‘Mahagathbandhan’. It is my responsibility to take this fight forward and to take Bihar to greater heights,” she said. Kali Pandey said it was a homecoming for him as he had extended support to for- mer Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1984 when he was a member of the Lok Sabha. Continued on Page 2

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Page 1: New ˆ& ˆ · 20 hours ago · Agriculture Minister nor junior Ministers were present to hear our concerns. We asked why the Minister is not meeting us, why the Government is playing

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The stand-off between theCentre and Punjab farmers

continues as a delegation ofprotesting farmers’ leadersfrom Punjab invited for talks byUnion Agriculture SecretarySanjay Agarwal on Wednesdayhere cried foul and walked outof the meeting, demanding thepresence of Minister ofAgriculture & Farmers WelfareNarendra Singh Tomar. Theagitated farmers claimed theGovernment is least interestedin solving farmers’ problemswith no Minister present tohear them out.

Amid farmers’ protestsacross the State, Punjab hasbecome the first State to rejectthe Centre’s farm laws. At theCabinet meeting onWednesday, Punjab ChiefMinister Amarinder Singhrejected the farm laws enactedby the Centre and convened aspecial Assembly session onOctober 19 to bring a legisla-tion to counter the Centre’sfarm laws.

The Punjab Cabinet’s moveis expected to have over-whelming support, with boththe ruling Congress and theOpposition Shiromani AkaliDal (SAD). The CM hadannounced his Governmentwill fight the “anti-federal andvicious farm laws tooth andnail through legislative, legaland other routes”.

Meanwhile, UnionMinister Prakash Javadekarsaid the Government is alwaysopen for discussion with farm-

ers on the revolutionary farmlaws. When asked about boy-cott by farmers’ body, Javadekarsaid Defence Minister RajnathSingh and Agriculture MinisterNarendra Singh Tomar havealready held one round of dis-cussion with farmer organisa-tions on this issue.

“If someone wants more(discussion), we are alwaysopen (to) meet everyone. ButTomarji has an engagementtoday, therefore he has gone.When he will get free, he ismeeting all. There is no prob-lem in this,” Information andBroadcasting MinisterJavadekar told the media after

the Cabinet meeting. A delegation of 29 farmers

organisations, comprisingBalbir Singh Rajewal, DarshanPal, Jagjit Singh Dalewal,Jagmohan Singh, KulwantSingh, Surjit Singh and SatnamSingh Sahni, who had come toattend meeting are said to haveasked the Secretary what anadministrative officer can dowhen the political leadershipwas not interested in repealingthe recently-passed farm lawsand walked out of the meeting.

After a one-and-a-half-hour long meeting withAgarwal, the farmers leaderswere seen shouting slogans

and tearing copies of new farmlaws outside Krishi Bhavan.

Farmers’ leaders JogjitSingh Dalewal and JagmohanSingh said at least AgricultureMinister Narendra SinghTomar should have been pre-sent at the meeting. The meet-ing was convened at the KrishiBhavan amid police security toavoid any protest. Farmers’leaders said that their agitationagainst the contentious farmlaws will continue.

“No proper discussion tookplace. Neither UnionAgriculture Minister nor juniorMinisters were present to hearour concerns. We asked why

the Minister is not meeting us,why the Government is playingdouble standards by calling ushere and Ministers holdingvirtual meetings in Punjab.There was no proper response,”Darshan Pal, member of thecoordination committee of 29farmers’ organisations, toldreporters after the meeting.

BKU leader Balbir SinghRajewal said the farmers’ rep-resentatives will meet inChandigarh on Thursday todiscuss the next course ofaction. “He (AgricultureSecretary) kept saying he wantsto act as a bridge and help, etc.We asked why we were calledwhen no Minister was presentto talk to us. The Secretary saidhe will communicate ourdemands further,” said a farmerunion leader.

“The meeting was an effortto try and create a false impres-sion that the CentralGovernment is engaging withfarmers, when in fact it isgoing all out to roll out andenforce the anti-farmer laws,”the All-India Kisan SangharshCoordination Committee(AIKSCC) said in a statement.

“First, the Governmentshould be ready to review andif necessary, repeal the threelaws. Second, the Governmentshould be ready to consider leg-islating the minimum supportprice as a legal right and dealwith input cost, food securityand other issues,” the AIKSCCstatement said. Farmers alsopresented a memorandum ofdemands to the Government.

Continued on Page 2

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As the poll campaign for thefirst phase of election in

Bihar on October 28 heats up,BJP’s national president JPNadda will again go the Stateon Thursday for physical cam-paign rallies and PrimeMinister Narendra Modi, themain face of the NationalDemocratic Alliance (NDA), isexpected to swoop down on theState for first series of elec-tioneering from October 22,which, among others, includethe Assembly seats of Buxar,Jehannabad and Bhagalpur.

BJP senior leaders, includ-ing party general secretary andState-in-charge BhupendraYadav and former MaharashtraChief Minister and the cam-paign-in-charge DevendraFadnavis, are drawing up planfor the Prime Minister’s ralliesas he is seen as the primemover and shaker of voters inthe State with Chief MinisterNitish Kumar facing the anti-incumbency factor.

Modi’s rallies are expectedto be held in Buxar, Jehanabad,Rohtas and Bhagalpur for theNDA candidates, beginningOctober 22. The Covid-19conditions have put extra-pres-sure on the planners and thePrime Minister’s Office (PMO)is carefully examining thedetails before giving a go aheadfor the physical rallies.

With the pandemic still onsurge, rallies ahead of theAssembly elections would beconducted with standard oper-ating procedure and guide-lines for safety. On Monday a

Bihar Minister for backwardand extremely backward classwelfare Vinod Kumar Singh,55, passed away due to post-Covid-19 complications.

The Prime Minster willalso address poll rallies digitally,though number of physicaland virtual public meeting isyet to be fixed, said sources,adding total addresses could bemore than ten, according toparty sources.

Bihar is one of the first ofStates in the country to go topolls under Covid-19 condi-tions. Physical rallies areincreasingly turning “normal”with political leaders pullingout all full stops to attract vot-ers who, this time, are notswayed by one particular issueor political personality.

BJP president is on a two-day tour of Bihar for election-eering from October 15 and toaddress rallies at Vikramganj,Karakat (Rohtas), Goh(Aurangabad) and on October16 campaign in Barahat(Banaka), Hisua (Nawada)Assembly segments.

BJP launched its “BiharMe Ee Ba” to showcase theinfrastructure development inBihar under the NDA regime.The BJP’s video song also men-tions the opening of IITs,AIIMS, new bridges as well asimprovement in the health andeducation sector. It talks abouttransforming Bihar cities intometros like Mumbai and Delhi.

Countering the BJP devel-opment plank, the rival allianceleader RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav isattacking the NDAGovernment for miserably fail-ing as a job provider and devel-oping the State. “What didtheir double-engine govt do in15 years? It’s their attempt todivert from agenda but wewant to contest election onagenda,” says Lalu Prasad’s sonand his political heir apparent.

Continued on Page 2

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To ensure that it is notcaught napping in the win-

ters and festivities in the com-ing weeks when Covid-19 casesare likely to spike, the UnionHealth Ministry has initiatedthe process of importing liquidoxygen to meet any unforeseenshortage due to rise in demandfor oxygen.

On behalf of theGovernment, public sectorundertaking HLL LifecareLimited floated a global tenderon Wednesday for procuringone lakh metric tonne of liquidoxygen, as per its website.

The oxygen is being pro-cured for various Central andState Government hospitals.The entire exercise of import-ing and then distributing themedical oxygen is estimated tocost �600-700 crore, accordingto officials in the Ministry.

Even though, Covid casesare on decline as has beenshown by the data availablefrom the Government, expertsas well as the Government fearthat the upcoming festive sea-son and following winter

months may see a spike incoronavirus infections.

On Tuesday, Dr VK Paul,Niti Aayog member (Health),said in the coming wintermonths, when respiratoryviruses are more dangerous, wewould have to make efforts tobring a decline in the numberof cases.

“Winter season is seen as abreeding ground for virusesand infections. We mustremember that the world is alsowitnessing a second peak. Weare also detecting more severe

forms of coronavirus cases asthe season progresses,” saidthe Niti Aayog member.

“This is the time for itbecause, during winters, respi-ratory infections go up and,whatever else we may say forCovid, it is, after all, a diseasethat affects the respiratory tractand it is well known that res-piratory infections happenmore during the winter season,”Dr Paul said indicating rise innumbers.

A report prepared by theNational Centre for Disease

Control (NCDC) too haswarned that Delhi might wit-ness an increase of 15,000 dailycoronavirus cases during thewinter season with festive gath-erings, seasonal illnesses andinflux of patients from outsideadding the city’s tally.

As on Tuesday, around3.97 per cent of the Covid-19patients were on oxygen sup-port, 2.46 per cent were in ICUbeds which are again with oxy-gen support and 0.40 per centon ventilator support.

Continued on Page 2

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Pakistan along with China,Russia and Cuba won seats

on the UN Human RightsCouncil despite strong oppo-sition from activist groups overtheir abysmal human rightsrecords.

Hillel Neuer, an interna-tional lawyer on human rightsand executive director ofUnited Nations Watch based inGeneva, condemned the elec-tion of the countries.

Apart from dozens of jour-nalists and activists whoexpressed outrage, social mediainfluencers like SurendraPoonia questioned the

UNHRC too. “How come yourorganization is not able to seeatrocities on minorities inPakistan and torture camps inChina where Uyghur Muslimsare tortured? It is like a brutalkiller getting awarded for non-violence,” he tweeted.

Last week, a coalition ofhuman rights groups fromEurope, the US and Canadacalled on UN member States tooppose the election of China,Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia,Cuba and Uzbekistan, sayingtheir human rights recordsmake them unqualified.

US Secretary of State MikePompeo slammed the UNbody for electing the nations.

Continued on Page 2

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The Delhi Pollution ControlCommittee (DPCC) on

Wednesday issued directionsbanning the use of all types ofgenerators, except those need-ed for essential or emergencyservices, in Delhi fromThursday under the GradedResponse Action Plan (GRAP).

The official order reads,“DPCC hereby bans the oper-ation of generator sets of allcapacities, run on diesel, petrolor kerosene in Delhi fromOctober 15 till further orders,excluding those used for essen-tial or emergency services.”

As per the order essentialservices include healthcarefacilities, elevators, railway ser-vices, Delhi Metro, airportsand inter-State bus terminals

and the data centre run by theNational Informatics Centre.

Meanwhile, Delhi MinisterSatyendar Jain on Wednesdaysaid he has written to theUnion Power Minister seekingclosure of 11 thermal powerstations around the nationalCapital, which contributemajorly to pollution in Delhiand its neighbouring areas.

The measures underGRAP, which was first imple-mented in Delhi-NCR in 2017,include increasing bus andmetro services, hiking parkingfees and stopping use of dieselgenerator sets when the airquality turns poor.

Continued on Page 2

New Delhi: The SupremeCourt on Wednesday said theCentre should implement “assoon as possible” interest waiv-er on loans of up to �2 croreunder the RBI moratoriumscheme in view of the Covid-19 pandemic, saying the com-mon man’s Diwali is in theGovernment’s hands.

The apex court soughtknow from the Centre as towhether the benefit of loaninterest waiver for borrowers ofup to �2 crore during themoratorium period has “per-colated” to the common man.

The court, which observedthat it is concerned about howbenefit of interest waiver wouldbe given to borrowers, said theCentre has taken a “welcomedecision” by taking note ofplight of common man butauthorities have not issued anyorder in this regard.

“Something concrete has tobe done,” a bench headed byJustice Ashok Bhushan said,adding, “Benefits of waiversmust be implemented as soonas possible”. The SC posted thematter for hearing onNovember 2.

Continued on Page 2

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Theatres and multiplexes willopen this week, the earliest

on October 15, in severalplaces, including Delhi andparts of Madhya Pradesh andGujarat, with stringent dosand don’ts in keeping with thenew Covid-19 normal. SushantSingh Rajput’s last theatricalrelease “Chhichhore” is amongthe films that will get a bigscreen re-release on Thursday.

However, theatres andmultiplexes will remain closedin Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu,Kerala and Chhattisgarh.

The SOPs mandated bythe Union Government includeone seat distance in halls, 50per cent capacity, masks at alltime, proper ventilation and airconditioner temperature set-

tings at above 23 degreesCelsius.

PVR Cinemas, India’slargest film exhibitor with 845screens in 176 properties across71 cities, on Wednesday said 10States and four UTs have giventheir go-ahead for the reopen-ing of cinemas. Accordingly,PVR will start operations in487 screens from Thursdayand hope that other States willsoon give their green signal too.

The multiplex chain said ithopes to build customer con-fidence with an ‘Evangelism’phase which will give people achance to experience itsenhanced safety features first-hand. This phase will involvegoodwill screenings for thecompany’s employees, healthworkers and the police forceand their children.

Continued on Page 2

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Ahead of the BiharAssembly elections, for-

mer Union Minister andLoktantrik Janata Dal chiefSharad Yadav’s daughterSubhashini Yadav joined theCongress on Wednesday inthe presence of local leaders.Lok Janshakti Party (LJP)leader and former MP KaliPandey too joined theCongress. Both are likely tocontest the upcomingAssembly elections in Biharand are seeking tickets fromthe Congress party.

Subhashini Yadav, a socialworker, said she is taking theresponsibility of carrying onthe fight of theMahagathbandhan in Bihar,as her father Sharad Yadav hasalways supported it. “I thankSonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhiand Priyanka Gandhi Vadrafor giving me this opportuni-ty. Sharad Yadav is not active-ly taking part in the Biharelections as he is not well. Hehas always supported the‘Mahagathbandhan’. It is myresponsibility to take this fightforward and to take Bihar togreater heights,” she said.

Kali Pandey said it was ahomecoming for him as hehad extended support to for-mer Prime Minister RajivGandhi in 1984 when he wasa member of the Lok Sabha.

Continued on Page 2

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Page 2: New ˆ& ˆ · 20 hours ago · Agriculture Minister nor junior Ministers were present to hear our concerns. We asked why the Minister is not meeting us, why the Government is playing

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NEW DELHI: The DelhiGovernment is in the processof formulating a policy forregulation of private coachingcentres functioning in theCapital and frame guidelineswith respect to basic facilities,fee and safety measures,according to officials.

Noting that private coach-ing centres are running a par-allel education system and arestill out of the ambit of any reg-ulation and running withoutany statutory compliances lead-ing to serious hazards to stu-dents, the government has

asked institutes with enrol-ment of more than 20 studentsto register themselves with theDirectorate of Education(DoE).

The government also pro-poses to collect the data of suchinstitutes and details of theirinfrastructure, land area, basicfacilities, fee structure, safetystandards etc.

"Private coaching insti-tutes and centres, impartingpre-admission coaching tostudents for admission intomedical and engineering orany other professional cours-

es or pre-examination coach-ing for securing governmentor private job through writtenor oral examination conduct-ed by any agency of the gov-ernment or a private estab-lishment, or coaching andtuition of any subject taught atsecondary or senior secondaryschool examination level, aregrowing rapidly in Delhi," saidYogesh Pal Singh, Delhi'sAssistant Director ofEducation.

"The students from all overIndia come in the city forpreparation of such examina-

tion and seek admission in pri-vate coaching centres.

These institutions are run-ning a parallel education sys-tem and are still out of theambit of any regulation andrunning without any statutorycompliances leading to serioushazards to students," he added.

Singh pointed out that atragic fire incident at a coach-ing centre in Gujarat's Surat,which claimed lives of 22 stu-dents, has drawn the attentionof the government to formulateguidelines for such privatecoaching institutions and cen-

tres with respect to basic facil-ities, fee and safety measuresetc.

"It has also come to thenotice of the government aboutsome events of cheating andfraud on the part of some pri-vate coaching centres whichremain unattended due to lackof regulation in this field.

The government is verymuch concerned to safeguardthe interest of such studentsalready enrolled or desirous toenroll into such coaching insti-tutes in Delhi.

PTI

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Senior Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) leader and National

Spokesperson Raghav Chadhaon Wednesday said the inac-tion of the BJP-led Governmentin neighbouring Haryana is aprime cause for Delhi's increas-ing pollution and the resultingpoor Air Quality Index (AQI).

Chadha also spoke abouthow despite EPCA enforcingthe Graded Response ActionPlan, Haryana has refused toban diesel gensets, furtheringair pollution.

On 8 October 2020, EPCAChief Bhure Lal wrote to theChief Secretary of Haryanagovernment regarding theurgent implementation ofGRAP, he said, adding that asper the letter the use of dieselgenerator sets will be banned inDelhi and in vicinity such asGhaziabad, Noida and GreaterNoida in UP and Faridabadand Gurgaon in Haryana.

"In 2019, the states of UPand Haryana had informedEPCA that they will put in the

required measures by winter2020 so that electricity from thegrid can be supplied withoutdisruptions in these areas,which would then obviate theneed for diesel generators, hesaid.

Chadha said, "As GRAPwill come into force from 15October, the use of dieselgensets will be banned in theregions of Delhi-NCR. WhileDelhi government has dutiful-ly followed the rules set forthby EPCA, our neighbours inHaryana don't seem to want totake any action.

Their government haswritten 'distress letters' toEPCA repeatedly, saying thatthey can't enforce the ban intheir state. They tell theSupreme Court-constitutedbody called EPCA thatGurugram and Faridabad sev-eral thousand homes that don'tget electricity, that these homesare wholly dependent on dieselgensets, which is why a banwon't be conducive."

The national spokesper-son also spoke about howbecause the Haryana govern-

ment had failed to provideelectricity to its residents, thelatter have been compelled toresort to an unnatural andextremely polluting form ofelectricity. "In my understand-ing, this is a failure on part ofthe Haryana government, whocould not give its residents inthe hugely populous cities ofGurugram and Faridabad sup-ply of electricity, and compelthe use of gensets," he said.

Delhi's AQI is becomingpoorer by the day. In June 2020,the Haryana State PollutionControl Board had sought anextension of three months tocomply with National GreenTribunal's order regardingretrofitting of diesel gensets, hesaid.

"Following non-compli-ance with that order, and in ameeting held with CentralPollution Control Board inSeptember, another three-month extension was sought.Now we need to realise howpotentially dangerous this is;we're already battling theCOVID-19 pandemic," headded.

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Despite a steady increase incorona virus cases over

the last month, the districtadministration of Gurugramclaimed that the fatality rate tillWednesday has come downfrom 0.85% to 0.78% in thedistrict.

“Intensive testing and con-tact tracing campaign is beingcarried out by the health

department to identify coronainfected patients in the districtso that the infection does notspread to more people. Timelyidentification and treatmentof such patients helps mortal-ity rate is now coming down inthe district,” Amit Khatri,deputy commissioner,Gurugram said.

The deputy commissioneralso informed that more than900 camps have been set up atdifferent places for testing in the

district, in which free trials havebeen done for the visitors.

"People who have symp-toms of corona infection can goto these camps and get their testdone for free. Area wise sched-ule has been prepared for test-ing in the district. Apart fromthis, individuals can also gettheir test done by going to theRT-PCR method in the civilhospital in Gurugram," Khatrisaid.

He said that due to thecooperation of the healthdepartment and the residents

of the district, awareness hasalso been increased in people

about corona infection. "Necessary information

about prevention of coronainfection is also being shared bythe district administration withthe people," Khatri added.

Apart from this, the healthofficial said that, theDepartment of AYUSH is alsoregularly distributing immu-nity kits to the people. So far,more than 2 lakh 11 thousandimmunity kits have been dis-tributed in the district. In areas

where more cases of coronainfection are reported, immu-nity booster kits are distributeddoor-to-door by the team ofAYUSH department.

Meanwhile,the districthealth department detected269 fresh infections in the dis-trict on Wednesday. TheCovid-19 tally in Gurugramrose to 24,320 according to adaily health bulletin.

One more patient infectedwith coronavirus died on

Wednesday in Gurugram. Atotal of 188 persons in the dis-trict have lost their lives to thedreaded virus to date.

There are a total of 2,327active Covid cases inGurugram. A total of 21,805people have been cured anddischarged after recovery.

The health departmentsaid out of 188 deaths 136 dieddue to co-morbidities and theremaining 52 without co-mor-bidity.

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Mumbai: Maharashtra onWednesday witnessed lowertrend, as 158 residents died,while 10,552 people testedpositive for Covid-19 in dif-ferent parts of the state.

With fresh deaths, thetotal Covid-19 toll rose from40,701 to 40,859, while theinfections jumped from15,43,837 to 15,54,389m.

Of the total deaths report-ed on Wednesday, Mumbaiaccounted for 48 deaths 20 inThane, 15 in Satara, 12 deathseach in Pune and Nagpur.

There were 9 deaths inNashik, followed by 7 deathsin Raigad, 6 in Solapur, 5 inSangli, 3 each in Kolhapur,Jalna, Latur and Bhandara, 2each in Aurangabad,Osmanabad and Chandrapurand one death each inPalghar, Jalgaon, Nandurbar,Beed, Yavatmal andBuldhana.

With 48 deaths, therewere Covid-19 deaths 48, thetotal deaths rise from 9,507 to9,555 while the infected casesrose by 2,211 to trigger ajump in the infections from232,391 to 234,602 now.

With 38 fresh deaths, theCovid-19 toll rose from 9,469to 9,507 while the infectedcases went up by 1,325 to trig-ger a jump in the total infec-tions from 231,066 to 232,391.

Meanwhile, the mortalityrate in the state stood at 2.63per cent. The “active cases”dropped from 2,12,439 to1,96,288.

PNS

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From Page 1Farmers’ leaders who had

come in a bus, were mostlysenior citizens but had noteven worn face masks despitethe Covid-19 pandemic.

Farmers have blockedroads and railway tracks sinceSeptember 24 in a protestagainst legislations they fearcould pave the way for theGovernment to stop buyingcereals at guaranteed prices(minimum support prices orMSP), leaving them vulnerableto exploitation by private play-ers. The farmers’ organisationshad decided on Tuesday to holdtalks with the Centre.

Meanwhile, the CentralMinisters are reaching outfarmers, scientists and agriprofessionals in Congress-ruledPunjab to clear misgivingsabout new farm laws.

Eight Union Ministersincluding Hardeep Singh Purihave been deputed to holdvirtual rallies over eight daysfrom October 13 onwards to“address apprehensions” offarmers in Punjab.

Union Minister of State forAgriculture Kailash Choudhary held a virtual meet-ing on Wednesday with farm-ers of Sangrur and Barnala districts.

From Page 1In March, before the coun-

try went into a lockdown, thecountry had a manufacturingcapacity of around 6,400 met-ric tonne of oxygen per day, ofwhich around 1,000 metrictonne was being used for med-ical purposes daily while therest was utilised by industries,said the officials.

“Industries have openedup following unlock proce-dures and as on September 30,the country’s daily capacity ofoxygen production is around7,000 metric tonne, of whicharound 3,094 metric tonne isbeing used for both COVIDand non-COVID patients andis just enough to meet thedemands,” they added.

“So this one lakh metrictonne of liquid oxygen whichis being planned to be procuredfrom foreign countries wouldcreate a one month buffer incase demand rises further dur-ing the winter season,” thesource explained.

From Page 1“I feel honoured to have

joined the Congress,” he said.In 1980, Pandey won the BiharVidhan Sabha election as anindependent candidate andthen won the 1984Parliamentary elections fromGopalganj in the State. “This ismy old home and I am happyto be back to my old home,” hesaid. Bihar Congress chiefMadan Mohan Jha and AICCSecretary for Congress in BiharDevendra Yadav welcomed theleaders into the party fold.

As the election campaignbegins in the poll bound Bihar,the State Congress unit hasexpressed their eagerness thatparty leader Rahul Gandhiaddress as many poll ralliesacross the State.

Party sources said that theRJD too has reached out toRahul proposing that headdress a couple of joint rallieswith the Grand Alliance faceTejashwi Yadav.

From Page 1The measures to be fol-

lowed in the “emergency” sit-uation include stopping entryof trucks in Delhi, ban on con-struction activities and intro-duction of the odd-even carrationing scheme. The EPCA,however, had earlier told Delhi,Haryana, Rajasthan and UttarPradesh that they “should tryand avert the need to take otheremergency measures for pol-lution control as the economyis already under stress post-lockdown. Therefore, ourcombined effort is to ensurethat there is no further dis-ruption”.

The GRAP is a set of anti-pollution measures that comeinto force in Delhi and itsvicinity towns according tothe severity of the situation. Itwas notified by the Ministry ofEnvironment and Forests in2017 for implementationthrough the Supreme Court-mandated EnvironmentPollution (Prevention andControl) Authority.

When the situation turns“severe”, the GRAP recom-mends closure of brick kilns,stone crushers and hot mixplants, sprinkling of water, fre-

quent mechanised cleaning ofroads and maximising powergeneration from natural gas.

Meanwhile, the nationalCapital’s air quality was record-ed in the “poor” category onWednesday morning, even aspollution levels dipped slight-ly.

According to the Ministryof Earth Sciences’ Air QualityEarly Warning System forDelhi, the air quality is likely toimprove to the moderate cate-gory by Thursday.

The city recorded an airquality index (AQI) of 274 at10:30 am. The 24-hour averageAQI was 300 on Tuesday. TheAQI had hit “very poor” levelson Tuesday morning and stoodat 306 at 11 am, which was theworst since February.Thereafter, the pollution levelsdipped slightly due to animprovement in the ventilationindex. Ventilation index is thespeed at which pollutants canget dispersed. A ventilationindex lower than 6,000sqm/second, with average windspeed less than 10 kmph, isunfavourable for dispersion ofpollutants. An AQI between 0and 50 is considered “good”, 51and 100 “satisfactory”.

From Page 1The elections in Bihar will be

held in three phases on October28, Nov 3 and Nov 7 for the 243-seat assembly. In the first phase71 constituencies, second phase94 constituencies and in the thirdand last phase 78 Assembly con-stituencies would go to poll. Withvoting for the first phase only twoweeks away, the BJP is speedingup with the selection of candi-dates for the rest of the assem-bly segments, releasing names of35 candidates on Wednesday.

From Page 1Pakistan, China, Russia

and Cuba to the agency taskedwith defending human rights.

“The election of China,Russia, and Cuba to the UNHuman Rights Council vali-dates the US decision to with-draw from the Council in 2018and use other venues to protectand promote universal humanrights.? At #UNGA this year,we did just that,” Pompeotweeted.

In a secret-ballot voting inthe 193-member UN GeneralAssembly on Tuesday, Pakistansecured 169 votes, Uzbekistanreceived 164, Nepal 150 andChina 139. Saudi Arabia lostthe race with just 90 votes.

“US commitment tohuman rights is far more thanjust words. We have identifiedand punished human rightsabusers in Xinjiang, Myanmar,Iran, and elsewhere, and call forall nations to take this momentto recommit to the #UDHR,”Pompeo said in another tweet.

“The bad news: gov-ernments just elected China tothe UN Human Rights Councildespite its severe repression inXinjiang, Tibet, and Hong

Kong. The good news: thenumber of governments votingfor it declined from 180 lasttime to 139 now. The fear ismelting,” Human Rights Watchexecutive director KennethRoth tweeted after the vote.

Pakistan is current-ly serving on the HRC sinceJanuary 1, 2018. With its re-election, the country will con-tinue as a member for anoth-

er three-year term commenc-ing on January 1, 2021.

Under the HumanRights Council’s rules, seats areallocated to regions to ensuregeographical representation.

Except for the Asia-Pacificcontest, the election of 15members to the 47-memberHuman Rights Council was allbut decided in advance becauseall the other regional groupshad uncontested slates. To beelected, a country needed toobtain the required majority of97 votes.

Since the HRC’sestablishment in 2006, this isthe fifth time that Pakistan hasbeen elected to the UnitedNations’ human rights agency.

Pakistan PrimeMinister Imran Khan said hewas pleased with his country’sre-election to UN HumanRights Council for another 3-yr term.

“We remain com-mitted to upholding humanrights for all, prioritizingadvancement of tolerance andconstructive engagement. Westand resolute againstIslamophobia and in support ofmutual respect,” Khan said.

Earlier, the ForeignOffice in Islamabad saidPakistan “remains firmly com-mitted to upholding, promot-ing and safeguarding humanrights and fundamental free-doms for all and will sustain itsefforts towards ensuring thatthe HRC’s work is guided bythe principles of universality,impartiality, dialogue andcooperation.” PTI

From Page 1The movie screenings will

begin from Friday, October 16,and tickets will go live on theirwebsite as well as other ticketingplatforms from midnight.

Like the others in the busi-ness, INOX Leisure Ltd said ithas introduced security checkslike mandatory masks and tem-perature checks besides stag-gered entries, intermissions andexits. The theatre chain willcompletely rely on e-ticketsinstead of paper tickets and anall-in-one SMS with links for theQR code, auditoriums seat chartand access to F&B menu.

“We are also looking toinnovate with private screenings,where families or smaller groupsof guests can book the entireauditorium and enjoy the con-tent of their choice,” its CEOAlok Tandon said in a statement.

Cinemas have to deal withthe double whammy of Covid

fears and old content and havetheir fingers crossed as theyprepare to rollout a different kindof movie going experience.

As theatres managementsscrupulously sanitise theirpremises in preparation for thebig day and hope for audiencesto warily trickle back in, the fareis likely to be a mix of interna-tional, Hindi and regional lan-guage cinema but basically oldtitles. It will take a while beforenew content returns. The releaseof two major Bollywood movies-- “83”, about India’s cricketworld cup victory, and“Sooryavanshi” starring AkshayKumar -- has been pushed toChristmas and next year, respec-tively. So, if PVR will screen ear-lier hits such as Keanu Reeves’“John Wick 3”, Ajay Devgn’s“Tanhaji” and Tapsee Pannustarrer “Thappad”, Bihar-basedexhibitor Vishek Chauhan, whoruns the Roopbani Cinema inPurnea will play Rajput-starrer“Chhichhore”.

From Page 1The Centre recently told

the apex court that going anyfurther than the fiscal policydecisions already taken, such aswaiver of compound interestcharged on loans of up to Rs 2crore for six months moratori-um period, may be “detrimen-tal” to the overall economicscenario, the national economyand banks may not take“inevitable financial con-straints”.

The top court is hearing abatch of petitions which haveraised issues concerning thesix-month loan moratoriumperiod announced due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.

The bench, also compris-ing Justices R S Reddy and MR Shah, said when authoritieshave decided something then ithas to be implemented.

“The government hastaken a welcome decision tak-ing note of the plight of com-mon man. But you have notissued any order to anybody.

You have simply given usthe affidavit,” the bench toldSolicitor General TusharMehta.

“We are now concernedabout how waiver benefit willbe given,” the bench said,adding, “We are only askingwhether the loan interest waiv-er has percolated or not”.

During the hearing con-ducted through video-confer-encing, Mehta told the benchthat the Centre has taken an“informed decision” and hastaken a “huge burden”.

“When CentralGovernment says on an affi-davit that it will be imple-mented then there should notbe any apprehensions,” Mehtasaid. “There is diversity in

lending and different modali-ties are required to be followed.”

He said banks would waiveinterest on interest and thenwill be compensated by thegovernment and calculationwill have different modalities.

“We are telling you that itis a welcome decision but theywant some concrete things,” thebench observed, adding, “wewelcome the decision of theCentre, only thing it should betranslated practically”.

The bench said the Centremay take steps to implement itsdecisions referred to in the affi-davits filed in the court.

Senior advocate HarishSalve, appearing for banksassociation, told the bench thatbanks would implement what-ever decision have been takenby the government.

Senior lawyer RajeevDutta, appearing for one of thepetitioners, said the banks arecapitalizing by taking intereston interest on existing loans.

“We are small people withsmall loans (less than Rs 2crore). They should not com-pound the interest in thesecases,” Dutta said.

To this, the bench said ithas already ordered that bankscannot declare NPAs.

“We have already passed anorder prohibiting classifica-tion of NPA’s and without a fis-cal policy, proposals cannot bealtered,” it said, while asking theCentre and banks associationas to when the benefits wouldbe implemented.

“For these modalities yourequire one-month time,” thebench asked.

Salve said, “The complex-ity is such, it requires time”.

The bench, however, saidthat the decisions taken by theauthorities should be imple-mented now.

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Environment MinisterGopal Rai on Wednesday

said strict action is being

taken against those floutingdust control norms, be it theDelhi government's PublicWorks Department (PWD)or municipal corporations.

The minister said the issueof pollution is related to peo-ple's health and all agenciesare equally responsible for itsprevention and control. "Itdoesn't matter which agencyit is ... Be it PWD or MCDs,all have to take measures toprevent dust pollution. Strictaction is being taken againstthose not following the gov-ernment's directions," he toldreporters during the inspec-tion of the Chandni ChowkRedevelopment Project site.

As part of the anti-dustpollution campaign of theDelhi government, Rai onWednesday made a surpriseinspection of the ongoingconstruction work at theChandni Chowk. "The envi-ronment minister found thatall the guidelines issued by theDelhi government were fol-lowed at the constructionsite," he said.

Rai said that four water

tankers were found on thespot to prevent dust pollution.Officials said people in thevicinity dump debris on theroad at night. Thereafter, Raidirected the PWD to clean thedebris in collaboration withthe MCD. He said that theissue of pollution is not aboutany agency, but it is about thelife of the people.

Rai said, "I have directedthe authorities to maintainevery precautionary measureas it is a very populated area.When I visited the spot thenI found that water sprinklingwas happening but we willseparately monitor the mattertoo. We will also monitorwhether e-rickshaws are doingdust-pollution in the area."

On the tree transplanta-tion policy, he said, "The pol-icy has a provision that theagency which is carrying onthe transplantation shouldmaintain the trees and if they

cannot maintain at least 80 percent of the trees then thepayment of the agency will bestopped."

The Minister also said, "Ifanywhere, anyone is causingpollution, whether it is PWD,MCD, or private entity thework should be stopped. Allagencies need to work togeth-er to prevent pollution. So itdoes not matter which agencyit is." The minister had onTuesday issued directions toimpose a fine of Rs 20 lakh onNorth Delhi MunicipalCorporation for violating dustcontrol guidelines at Bhalswalandfill site. Rai had earlierasked common people, privateand government agencies thathave undertaken construc-tion works to take adequatemeasures to prevent dust pol-lution, "else strict action willbe taken against them".

He had asked them tofollow five steps -- installing

windshields and barriers at theperiphery of construction anddemolition sites, coveringdebris with tarpaulin, usinggreen net to prevent dustfrom blowing out, watersprinkling and covering truckscarrying construction mater-ial.

The minister said all con-struction and demolition sites,irrespective of their sizes, willhave to compulsorily take thefive steps. He also said thegovernment has started"micro monitoring" of all the13 pollution hotspots in thecity and will soon deployenvironment marshals tocheck violations of environ-mental norms.

The environment depart-ment has set up 14 inspectionteams to check violations ofpollution norms. This AAPgovernment's anti-dust cam-paign wil l continue ti l lThursday.

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Delhi minister SatyendarJain on Wednesday said he

has written to the Union powerminister seeking closure of 11thermal power stations aroundthe national capital, which con-tribute majorly to pollution inDelhi and its neighbouringareas.

Addressing the media, Jainsaid that the biggest contribu-tors of Delhi pollution are thethermal power plants aroundDelhi. "The Delhi is the onlystate where all three thermalpower plants shut down. DelhiPower Minister also noted inhis letter that the Delhi gov-ernment has shown the path byshutting down the thermalpower plants that can be done.

Jain said that despite theSupreme Court order, theCentral government intendsto renew these power stationsand allow them two moreyears. He said that shuttingdown the 11 power plants thatare still functioning will defi-nitely create a difference in the

pollution situation of Delhi.Jain said, "The biggest con-

tributors of Delhi pollutionare the thermal power plantsaround Delhi. In 2015, orderswere passed to shut these ther-mal power stations within twoyears which was later revised to2019 by the CentralGovernment. In a bid to bringdown the pollution of Delhi theDelhi government shut downthe IP power plant in 2009, theRajghat power plant in 2015and Badarpur power plant in2018 due to increased envi-ronmental concerns. Delhi isthe only state where there is nothermal power station."

Jain said, "The Central gov-ernment intends to renew thesepower stations and allow themtwo more years to functiondespite informing the SupremeCourt in 2015 that by 2019 theywill lower the pollution level.

Responding to the ques-tions of the journalists he said,"Dadri power station whichcauses immense pollution inthe city despite crossing itsthreshold of completing 25

years is being planned to berenewed by the Central gov-ernment. Stubble burning andpower plants are the biggestcontributors to the harmfulquality of air in Delhi. On theissue of air quality, the minis-ter said every step counts."

Jain said, "Delhi has alter-native sources to generatepower and there is no lack ofit even during the peak hours,so these thermal plants can beclosed as it will not lead toreduction of power supply."

On the issue of non-pay-

ment of salaries to the staff atHindu Rao hospital, he reiter-ated that North MCD shouldhand over hospitals to DelhiGovernment.

Jain said, “MCD had earli-er tried transferring the hospi-tals to the center but they didnot take them. We give fundsto the MCD, but we areunaware of the expendituresince they do not get an auditdone. A formal written pro-posal has been sent to the cen-ter to transfer these hospitals tothe Delhi Government."

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Chief Minister ArvindKejriwal on Wednesday

interacted with representativesof cinema halls and said thepeople of Delhi, including theassociations, will have to worktogether to revive the economyof Delhi. The representative ofthe cinema associationsthanked the Delhi Govern-ment for opening up cinemahalls in Delhi.

Kejriwal said the cinemaassociations must ensure fol-lowing the safety protocolsand social distancing and san-itization guidelines and SOPs ofthe Central and the StateGovernment.

“The last seven monthshave been very tough for us.The whole country and thewhole world is suffering from

the Corona pandemic. Delhihas fought a very tough and astrong battle against Corona.The most important thing isgetting Delhi's economy backon track, which has dismantled

due to the Corona lockdown.Now, we have to bring Delhi'seconomy back on trackthrough our collective efforts.We cannot stay in lockdownforever, we have to open the

economy of Delhi. SinceUnlock 1, we have startedopening the economy of Delhias per the guidelines and ordersof the Central government. Ihope that the cinema halls willfollow the guidelines and SOPsof the central as well as the stategovernment. It is extremelynecessary to follow the socialdistancing and sanitizationprotocols in the cinema halls."

The meeting was attendedby representatives from theatrecompanies like PVR, M2K,Movie Time, Cinemapolis,Inox, Unity, Pacific, etc. Theyassured the Chief Minister of

full adherence to all the direc-tions as per the guidelines andSOPs issued by theGovernment of India.

They thanked the CM forallowing the cinema halls toopen from October 15, as perthe guidelines of the Ministryof Home Affairs ( MHA )andthe central government.

On October 7, the DelhiDisaster ManagementAuthority (DDMA) permittedall the cinema halls of theCapital to open with up to 50percent capacity from October15, after Kejriwal's constantpersistence.

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Promoting clean and safestmethod to produce

power/energy, Delhi ChiefMinister Arvind Kejriwal saidto strengthen the solar power,the solar energy has to betransformed into a mass move-ment.

Inaugurating 218 KWPpower plant at Lady Irwin col-lege on Wednesday, Kejriwalsaid his Government has doneformulated major policies forsolar energy usage in the city,such as Mukhya Mantri SolarPower Yojana, that includesincentivising the installation ofsolar power plants for residen-tial and commercial propertiesand Mukya Mantri Kisan AayBadhotri Solar Yojana thatincludes increasing the incomeof farmers by three to fourtimes.

“Green Energy is the futureof resources of energy, andDelhi will soon become theSolar Capital of India throughsuch initiatives and solar powerjourney of Delhi has just begun,and we do not have manyachievements in this space,”Kejriwal said, adding,“Considering that, when insti-tutes like Lady Irwin Collegetake initiatives from the fore-front, they turn into an exam-ple and an inspiration for otherinstitutes and organizations. Iwant to congratulate the LadyIrwin College for taking an ini-tiative. I want to thank Okridgeenergy for successfully com-pleting the project despiteadverse conditions and timeconstraints.”

“ In the last few years, wehave formulated a policyframework for solar energy.Two policies were designed bythe Delhi government, the firstwas expanding solar powergeneration to the citizens ofDelhi. Solar power was notaffordable and is not under theaffordability bracket of thegeneral public. Under the pol-icy, the people only had to givetheir rooftops. A companywould install the solar powerpanel on the rooftop, and theDHydroelectrict will provide asubsidy on the solar power

panel so that the initial spend-ing is less. The power compa-ny would then sell power toyou, as well as to other powercompanies. The residents,RWAs, or any entity which isinstalling the solar power panel,does not have to spend any cap-ital cost, and in fact, they willsave money on power con-sumption as well. They will beable to save lakhs by just giv-ing their rooftops and com-pleting or signing on some doc-umentations,” he added.

As solar energy can beused in farming also, Kejriwalhighlighted its vision andsaid,”Our second policy is forthe farmers, where if the farm-ers permit installation of solarpower panels at some heightand the farmers will receiverent from the solar powerplants. They can also continuecultivating their farmlands.”

“This increases theirincome by three to four times.They can start earning 1 lakhper acres instead of Rs. 40000-50000 per acre. Our total solarpower generation was 7 MWand has gone up to 177 MW infour years. We have to increasethe scope of utilizing solarenergy in Delhi. We have tocreate a solar energy move-ment in the city to promote theusage of solar energy. We haveto create awareness aroundthis scheme. We have to createa movement so that RWAs, thegeneral public, government,and private institutions, allcan install solar power plants.

I hope that we will begin asolar energy movement in thecity and I am certain thatDelhi will become the SolarCapital of India. The people ofDelhi have done some com-mendable works in the lastfour to five years, and theworld is appreciating the healthand educational infrastructurein Delhi. The EV policy, whichhas been formulated recentlyhas been recently applauded.Out of all the available sourcesof energy, the future belongs toGreen Energy. Thermal ener-gy is a polluting source of ener-gy. We have shut down boththe thermal power plants andthere are still 11 thermal powerplants around Delhi. ForHydro-electric power plants, alarge section of land has to beacquired and whole villageshad to be submerged. Solarpower energy can be done ona local level. I want to con-gratulate the NDMC and LadyIrwin College for this initia-tive."

Interestingly, Delhi gov-ernment has signed low tariffrenewable energy power pur-chase agreements and hasplayed a major role in enablingDISCOMS to enter into PPAsfor 2000 MW of renewablepower at the lowest rates in thecountry of about Rs 2.8 perunit.

Around 2000 MW of Solarand Wind energy PPAs havebeen signed between 2015-2019 at an average cost of Rs.2.8 per unit.

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With festive season aheadand to ensure people

while visiting market followCovid-19 norms, the DelhiPolice this year had planned tofocus on security in the city'shigh-footfall markets. Policesaid they are also holding meet-ings with market associationsand urging them to ensuresocial distancing.

Khan Market, Karol Bagh,Chandni Chowk, Sadar Bazaar,Connaught Place, Janpath,Lajpat Nagar market andSarojini Nagar are among themarkets in the national capitalthat draw high footfall.

According to R P Meena,the Deputy Commissioner of

Police (DCP), Southeast districtmeetings were held with mar-ket welfare associations, and anawareness campaign related toCOVID-19 was being run andthis time, besides anti-terrorannouncements, a new audioclip related to the COVID-19will be played through loud-speakers.

“In the audio, the generalpublic will be advised to main-tain social distancing whileshopping and wear masks prop-erly. Police had a meeting withmarket welfare association ofLajpat Nagar market. Theyhave deployed their volunteers,who are ensuring the coron-avirus norms are followed. Weare also running an awarenesscampaign for the COVID-19

related norms,” said the DCP.“Police is taking several

steps such as makingannouncements for wearingmasks, follow social distancing,and washing hands regularly.These are being done throughpolice vehicles and publicaddress systems that are inplace at crowded places such asmarkets,” said Dr Eish Singhal,the Delhi Police spokesperson.

“Police teams present atsuch places also apprise peopleabout the three precautionarymeasures to fight coronavirus(COVID-19). For violators, weare issuing challans. For theneedy, we are distributingmasks,”said Dr Singhal.

Meanwhile, on Monday,Anto Alphonse, the Deputy

Commissioner of Police (DCP),North district, visited theChandni Chowk market andreviewed security arrangementsthere.

“Police officers also metwith representatives of the dif-ferent market associations. Theofficials discussed about thenecessary measures to be takenfor the security of traders as wellas of visitors to the market. Thepolice urged the shopkeepers'association members to installmaximum number of camerasin the market and ensuredeployment of guards. All shop-keepers were advised to keepsanitisation arrangements andtry to ensure social distancing,”said a police official.

A senior police official

from the north district said, "Itis a challenge for police toensure social distancing inhigh-footfall areas, and it seemsto be a difficult task for us, butwe will keep announcing theprecautions through loud-speakers in the market areas.We have also urged the shop-keepers to install CCTV cam-eras focusing on roads outsidetheir shops."

From June 15 till Tuesday,the Delhi Police has issued3,86,188 challans for not wear-ing masks and 31,874 challansfor violation of social distanc-ing norms. The force has dis-tributed 3,56,899 masks to peo-ple. Atul Bhargawa, president ofNew Delhi Traders Association,said the footfall in the markets

has increased, and consumersare taking all precautions beforestepping out.

"As the festive season isapproaching, the traders aremaking all efforts in view of the

COVID-19 pandemic and alsocooperating with police regard-ing the security. We haveensured social distance is main-tained inside the shops,Bhargawa said.

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In view of the outbreak ofCovid pandemic to provide

digital audio-visual learningplatform to teachers and stu-dents of New Delhi MunicipalCouncil (NDMC),

Chairperson Dharmendra haslaunched two educationalYouTube Channels - “AtalAdarsh Shiksha” and “NavyugPragati”.

After launching theNDMC’s educational YouTubechannels in his inaugural

address on the channel,Dharmendra said "Today theentire world is going througha very difficult time due to theoutbreak of covid-19 pandem-ic. Education institutions havealso been hit hard as theschools have been shut down

since March this year, " he said.In this ‘New Normal’

which we may call this period,our schools have risen to theoccasion and switched toonline teaching, he aaid, addingthat unprecedented timesrequire unprecedented mea-

sures, so despite all odds, oureducators have been workinghard to find innovative solu-tions to make learning betterand accessible to all.

Dharmendra said that ourteachers will now upload theirlessons on YouTube.

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The Delhi Police has appre-hended a 17-year-old boy

in connection with a road acci-dent in Northwest Delhi'sModel Town in which twominor sisters were killed whiletheir brother and a 55-year-oldman sustained injuries.

Police said that the class 12student, studying at a privateschool, was apprehended fromhis residence at DTC Colony inModel Town on Wednesday.His father is in the hardwarebusiness. Police said that on theboy's instance, the offendingvehicle was recovered from amechanic shop where his fam-ily had given it for repair workand the vehicle was registeredin the name of his uncle, whois based in Haryana.

The accident took place onMonday night near GurdwaraNanak Piao on GT Road. JaspalSingh, his wife, three children-- two daughters and a son --and friend Milap Singh weretravelling in a car to visit anacquaintance. On the way, theystopped at a CNG stationopposite the gurdwara.

Milap Singh got out of thevehicle and was about to crossGT Road along with JaspalSingh's three children when acar hit them, police said, addingthey were rushed to differenthospitals. During treatment,

one of the girls who was admit-ted to the AIIMS TraumaCentre, died, they said, addingshe was aged seven.

Her four-year-old sister,admitted to the Safdarjunghospital, also succumbed toinjuries, a senior police officersaid. Their six-year-old broth-er and Milap Singh are under-going treatment, he said.

According to VijyantaArya, the DeputyCommissioner of Police(DCP), Northwest district dur-ing investigation, records ofroad transport authorities ofboth Haryana and Chandigarhwere checked and the registra-tion number of the offendingvehicle was confirmed and itwas ascertained that the carinvolved in the accident was awhite-coloured Honda City.

“Since the first ownership,the vehicle has been furthersold to three different per-sons. On contacting the thirdowner, who was based inHaryana, he told police that thevehicle was registered in hisname but it was being present-ly used by his relatives inDelhi,” said the DCP.

“On Wednesday, a 17-year-old boy, who was driving thecar at the time of incident, wasapprehended from his resi-dence and the offending vehi-cle was recovered from amechanic shop,” said the DCP.

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Abody of a 40-year-oldwoman with injury marks

on the neck was found behindbushes in Dwarka Sector-23 insouthwest Delhi on Tuesday.

The deceased has beenidentified as Sharmila who wasmarried and lived with herfamily in Revla Khanpur.

According to a seniorpolice official, Sharmila's bodywas found behind the busheson Tuesday. “She has injurymarks on her neck. It appearsthat she was attacked with asharp object. It could be aknife or a blade,” he said.

“Police have registered acase of murder and efforts arebeing made to nab the accused.Police teams are scanningCCTV cameras in the area toidentify the accused and toknow the crime sequence,"said Santosh Kumar Meena, theDeputy Commissioner ofPolice (DCP), Dwarka district.

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Senior BJP leader Vijay Jollyon Tuesday slapped a legal

notice on Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) National Convenor andDelhi Chief Minister ArvindKejriwal, AAP Uttar Pradeshunit Rajya Sabha memberSanjay Singh — AAP UP for adefamatory video tweet titled"darindo ke samman mei" onOctober 7, 2020.

Jolly alleged that through itsofficial twitter handle@AAPUttarPradesh the partytweeted a false, incorrect,untrue, malicious, mischievousand defamatory video publica-tion of old news clippings ofrape charges against Vijay Jolly.

"There is no rape chargepending in any police station orcourt of India," Jolly said in astatement. He mentioned falsecharge was investigated byHaryana Police and that he wasgiven a clean chit in August2017 and later the court dis-missed it as a false case in July2019.

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Page 4: New ˆ& ˆ · 20 hours ago · Agriculture Minister nor junior Ministers were present to hear our concerns. We asked why the Minister is not meeting us, why the Government is playing

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The National InvestigationAgency (NIA) has con-

ducted searches at six locationsin Punjab in connection withthe Sikh for Justice (SFJ) caserelating to hoisting of the socalled Khalistani flag by thecadres of the outlawed outfit atthe office of the DeputyCommissioner”s Office, Moga(Punjab) on the eve ofIndependence Day, 2020.

The agency conductedsearches at six locations inFerozpur, Ludhiana and Mogadistricts of Punjab on TuesdayNIA case relating to Khalistaniflag hoisting case.

“This crime was commit-ted by the miscreants whowere offered cash rewards atthe behest of terroristGurpatwant Singh Pannu ofSFJ for this heinous act,” theNIA said in a statement.

The agency further said,“The searched premises belongto the accused AkashdeepSingh, Jogwinder Singh,Inderjeet Singh, Jaspal Singhand Ram Tirath.

The cyber cafe belongingto the accused Jaspal Singh wasalso searched.”

During searches, variouselectronic items like pen drives,laptops, hard disc and otherincriminating documents havebeen seized, it said.

The background of thecase is that on August 14,2020, two miscreants hoisteda yellow coloured flag withKhalistan written on it on theterrace of the four-storiedbuilding of the DeputyCommissioner Off iceComplex, Moga (Punjab) andwhile coming back, they cutthe rope of the IndianNational Flag hoisted near themain gate and dragged the

Indian National Flag alongwith the rope.

In connection with thisincident, a case was registeredat Moga police station videFIR No: 136 of 2020 datedAugust 14, 2020. The case wasre-registered by the NIA asRC-30/2020/NIA/DLI underIndian Penal Code (IPC)Sections relating to wagingwar against the nation, con-spiracy for waging war againstthe nation, sedition, promot-ing enmity between differentgroups on grounds of religion, imputations preju-dicial to national integrationand Section 2 of Prevention ofInsults to National HonoursAct, 1972.

Further investigation inthe case is continuing.

SFJ is a banned terroristoutfit in India and Pannuhas been designated as a ter-rorist.The SFJ is a projectlaunched and sustained atthe behest of Pakistan”s spyagency Inter-Ser vicesIntelligence (ISI) to carry outthe so -called Referendum2020 online.

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The Coronavirus-triggeredlockdown in the first half of

2020 has led to a decline of 1,551million tones of carbon dioxideemission which was higher thanduring the financial crisis of2008, the oil crisis of the 1979, oreven World War II, according toa study by an international teamof researchers.

The study, published in thejournal NatureCommunications, pointed outthat the greatest reduction ofemissions was observed in theground transportation sector,largely because of working fromhome restrictions. TransportCO2 emissions decreased by 40per cent worldwide while in con-trast, the power and industry sec-tors contributed less to thedecline, with -22 per cent and -17 per cent respectively, as didthe aviation and shipping sectors.

“In the first six months ofthis year, 8.8 percent less carbondioxide was emitted than in thesame period in 2019 - a totaldecrease of 1,551 million tones,”

said the study which not onlyoffers a much more precise lookat COVID-19”s impact on glob-al energy consumption thanprevious analyses.

“What makes our studyunique is the analysis of metic-ulously collected near-real-timedata” explains lead author ZhuLiu from the Department ofEarth System Science atTsinghua University in Beijing.

“By looking at the daily fig-ures compiled by the CarbonMonitor research initiative wewere able to get a much fasterand more accurate overview,including timelines that showhow emissions decreases havecorresponded to lockdown mea-sures in each country.

“In April, at the height of thefirst wave of Corona infections,when most major countriesshut down their public life andparts of their economy, emis-sions even declined by 16.9 %.Overall, the various outbreaksresulted in emission drops thatwe normally see only on ashort-term basis on holidayssuch as Christmas or the

Chinese Spring Festival.”“The greatest reduction of

emissions was observed in theground transportation sector,”explains Daniel Kammen, pro-fessor and Chair of the Energyand Resources Group and alsoprofessor in the GoldmanSchool of Public Policy,University of California,Berkeley.

Surprisingly, even the resi-dential sector saw a small emis-sions drop of 3 %: largelybecause of an abnormally warmwinter in the northern hemi-sphere, heating energy con-sumption decreased with mostpeople staying at home all dayduring lockdown periods.”

The authors have stressedthat the only valid strategy to sta-bilise the climate is a completeoverhaul of the industry andcommerce sector. “While theCO2 drop is unprecedented,decreases of human activitiescannot be the answer,” says Co-Author Hans JoachimSchellnhuber, founding directorof the Potsdam Institute forClimate Impact Research.

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In a move to provide housingfor urban poor, the Ministry

of Housing and Urban Affairson Wednesday will provideconcessional finance underAffordable Housing Fund(AHF), rebate in taxes andadditional floor area ratio forAffordable Rental HousingComplexes (ARHCs). Thescheme will be implementedthrough two models.

To make this a lucrativeand viable business opportu-nity for Entities, Central Govt.will provide ConcessionalProject finance underAffordable Housing Fund(AHF) & Priority SectorLending (PSL), Exemption inIncome Tax and GST and tech-nology innovation grant forpromotion of innovative tech-nologies in ARHCs. Further,State/UT government will pro-vide Use Permission changes,50% additional Floor Area

Ratio/ Floor space index (FSI)free of cost, Single WindowApproval within 30 days, TrunkInfrastructure facility andMunicipal charges at par withresidential property.

This was announced byUnion Housing and UrbanAffairs minister Hardeep SinghPuri while addressing a webi-nar at the launch of ARHCsportal. He also released theguidelines and guidebook onthis occasion.

According to the ministry,in the first model, the existinggovernment funded vacanthouses to be converted intoARHCs through Public PrivatePartnership or by public agen-cies for a period of 25years.The scheme provides anopportunity for all States/UTsto convert their existing vacanthouses constructed under var-ious Central/ StateGovernment schemes intoARHCs. A model request forproposal (RFP) has been

shared with all States for cus-tomisation and issuance bythem to select a concessionaire.

In the second model,vacant land lying unutilisedwith various Industries, TradeAssociations, ManufacturingCompanies, Educational/Health Institutions,Development Authorities,Housing Boards, Central/ StatePublic Sector Undertakings(PSUs) and other such Entitieswill be used for ARHCs for aperiod of 25 years. “By pro-viding with appropriate policysupport, enabling suitable pro-visions and incentives, theseavailable vacant lands can beutilised effectively for devel-oping affordable housing facil-ities to migrants/ poor,” theministry said. Further, theministry will issue Expressionof Interest (EoI) for shortlist-ing of Entities by urban localbodies to Construct, Operateand Maintain ARHCs on theirown available vacant land.

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Union Health MinisterHarsh Vardhan on

Wednesday launched the sec-ond phase of a Coal India CSRinitiative to provide financialassistance for treatment ofunderprivileged thalassemicpatients.

Launched in 2017, theThalassemia Bal Sewa Yojanais a hematopoietic stem celltransplantation (HSCT) pro-gramme that aims to providea one-time cure opportunityfor haemoglobinopathies likethalassaemia and sickle celldisease for patients who havea matched family donor.

The CSR initiative wastargeted to provide financialassistance to a total of 200patients by providing a pack-age cost not exceeding Rs 10lakh per HSCT.

Vardhan congratulated thedoctors of SGPGI Lucknow,PGI Chandigarh, AIIMS Delhi,CMC Vellore, Tata MedicalCentre in Kolkata and Rajeev

Gandhi Cancer Institute, Delhifor the successful transplanta-tion of 135 children withoutcharging any physician fee,according to a Health Ministrystatement.

“Data on the prevalence ofsilent carriers for varioushaemoglobinopathies showthat it is 2.9-4.6 per cent for ß-Thalassemia, while it can be ashigh as 40 per cent for sicklecell anaemia especially amongthe tribal population.Haemoglobin variants likeHBE in eastern India can be ascommon as 3-50 per centwhich calls for more attentionto these diseases,” he was quot-ed as saying in the statement.

He also acknowledgedCMC, Ludhiana and NarayanHrudayalaya, Bangalore whohave agreed to provide thisadvanced care therapy from2020.

Expressing gratitude toCoal India and their CSRteam for providing suchopportunity to the BPLpatients suffering from haema-

tological disorders and extend-ing the support for anothertwo years from 2020, Vardhanmentioned the issue of highout-of-pocket-expenditure onhealth services in India.

“People go bankrupt sell-ing ancestral land and the lastproperty paying for their treat-ment. It is precisely that painthat moved Prime MinisterNarendra Modi to introducethe Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan AarogyaYojana for targeted populace,”he said.

Expressing satisfactionthat the scheme has beenextended to cover aplasticanaemia patients for a total of200 such patients from thisyear, he said, “Such cases canbe prevented by counsellingusing the Ayushman Bharat–Health and Wellness Centresnetwork. We have made bloodtransfusion facilities availablein every district hospital whilesome districts also offer thefacility in health centres at sub-district level.

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Hyderabad-based drugphrama Bharat Biotech

has decided to cut by half itsnumber of volunteers and sub-sequently reduce trial sites forthe Phase II clinical trials ofcoronavirus vaccine candidateCovaxin. This may lead to anexpedition of phase-2 trials,said a few reports.

According to the reports,the biotechnology firm hadenrolled 750 volunteers for theCovaxin trials, but has nowreduced the number to 380who will be dosed with thevaccine.

The number of trial siteswould also be reduced accord-ingly. This may lead to anexpedition of phase-2 trialsand a possible early start of thethird phase – leading to ashortened duration of clinicaltrials for Covaxin.

The report, citing lead

trial investigators, suggeststhat the decision to scale-down the trial size was basedon good sero-conversion orimmunogenicity seen in vol-unteers during phase-1.

The potential vaccineagainst COVID-19, the diseasecaused by the novel coron-avirus, is being developed byHyderabad-based BharatBiotech in collaboration withthe Indian Council of MedicalResearch (ICMR) and theNational Institute of Virology(NIV).

The f irst phase ofCovaxin”s clinical trialinvolved 375 volunteers.Interim data from phase-1has not been made public yet.

The reports further sug-gests that no major adversereactions have been noted sofar, apart from minor sideeffects such as mild fever andbody aches.

Researchers are currently

in the process of administer-ing the second dose to partic-ipants as part of the phase-2trial. Two doses of the Covaxinvaccine candidate are to beadministered with a gap of 14days between them.

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People in many cities have towait to buy a bicycle of their

choice due to a massive surge indemand. Bicycle sales in Indiahave grown by over two-folds inthe last five months as people areopting for this cheapest mode oftransport to cover short to medi-um amid coronavirus pandem-ic. According to the All IndiaBicycle ManufacturersAssociation (AICMA), a total of41,80,945 bicycles have beensold in the country in the fivemonths from May to September2020. In May, the number ofbicycles sold was 4,56,818. Thisnumber almost doubled to8,51,060 in June, while inSeptember, the country sold11,21,544 cycles in a month.

AICMA secretary general K

B Thakur said the increase indemand for bicycles is unprece-dented. “Probably for the firsttime in history, such a trend hasbeen seen on bicycles.” “Sales ofbicycles have gone up by over100 per cent in these fivemonths. In many places peoplehave to wait for their favouritecycle, booking has to be done.Such a trend has been seen forthe first time in the country andthe reason can be attributed tohealth awareness after the coro-navirus pandemic, they said.

Thakur said that the coro-navirus pandemic crisis hasmade people aware of theirhealth and immunity but at thesame time they have becomeconscious about social distanc-ing. In such a situation, a bicy-cle has emerged as an option, headded.

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In order to step up efforts forensuring better air quality

and address pollution relatedissues in the upcoming winterseason, strict vigil will be main-tained against polluting activi-ties in Delhi and neighbouringtowns, the Union EnvironmentMinistry said on Wednesday.

Fifty teams of the CentralPollution Control Board(CPCB) will be deployed tomake extensive field visits fromOctober 15 this year tillFebruary 28 next year, it said.

In a statement, the Ministryof Environment said the teamswill visit Delhi and NCR towns— Noida, Ghaziabad, Meerut inUttar Pradesh; Gurugram,Faridabad, Ballabgarh, Jhajjar,Panipat, Sonepat in Haryana;and Bhiwadi, Alwar, Bharatpurin Rajasthan.

These teams will specifi-cally focus on hotspot areaswhere the problem is aggra-vated, it said.

“Strict vigil will be main-tained against polluting activ-ities in the upcoming winterseason. On-spot reporting ofmajor air polluting sourcessuch as major constructionactivities without proper con-trol measures, dumping ofgarbage and construction wastealongside the roads and on

open plots, unpaved roads,open burning ofgarbage/industrial waste, etc.will be done using SAMEERApp.

“Feedback on pollutingactivities will be shared withconcerned agencies throughan automated system, for quickaction. Details will also beshared with StateGovernments. This will help intaking timely actions and mon-itoring at appropriate levels bythe concerned agencies,” itsaid.

The ministry said that acentral control room at theCPCB headquarters has beenmade functional for keepingtrack of pollution levels onhour-to-hour basis and overallcoordination with state agen-cies.

In addition, district-wisenodal officers have beenappointed for better manage-ment and coordination withteams, the ministry said.

“Air quality in winter sea-son is a major environmentalconcern in Delhi and NCRregion. Various efforts arebeing taken since past fiveyears for air quality manage-ment in the region. Althoughgradual year-on-year improve-ment in air quality has beenobserved, a lot needs to bedone,” it said.

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Talks between Congress andthe Left over sharing of

seats for the next year WestBengal Assembly elections willbegin next week. The Left andthe Congress have hit the roadstogether over the last one yearon several issues, opposing theTMC government in the stateand the BJP-led government atthe Centre. The Left-Congresstie-up bagged 76 seats in the294- member assembly in 2016.

“Now, this is the time totake forward this alliance to itslogical conclusion, and that issharing of seats for the elec-tions. The preliminary talkswill begin next week,” seniorCongress leader and WestBengal Congress chief Adhir

Ranjan Chowdhury said onWednesday. The Lok SabhaMP said TMC and the BJP aretrying to polarise the state oncommunal lines, and it is theduty of the Left and theCongress to provide a thirdalternative.

The two sides want tobegin the talks as earlyOctober for the elections like-ly to be held in April-May nextyear. “The talks are beingstarted now so that there areno problems at the lastmoment. We struck a seat-sharing deal for the 2016assembly elections but it washalf-baked. During the 2019Lok Sabha polls, we couldn”tstitch an alliance as the talksfailed at the last moment,”Chowdhury said.

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Page 5: New ˆ& ˆ · 20 hours ago · Agriculture Minister nor junior Ministers were present to hear our concerns. We asked why the Minister is not meeting us, why the Government is playing

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The Indian army claimed tohave foiled a suspected

BAT (Border Action Team)operation along the line ofcontrol in Tangdhar sector ofNorth Kashmir's Kupwara dis-trict on Wednesday. Earlier,two weapon smuggling bidswere foiled by the alert troopsfrom across the line of control.

It is after a gap of morethan six months, heavily armedintruders supported by thePakistani army had attempteda BAT operation in the area.Earlier, five heavily armed ter-rorists were neutralised by theelite para commandos of theIndian army in the Keran sec-

tor of Kupwara as they hadattempted to infiltrate insidethe Indian territory.

Meanwhile, in a separateanti-terrorist operation, twoterrorists were gunned down bythe joint team of security forcesin Chakura area of Shopian onWednesday.

Till the time of filing thereport the operation was notcalled off as thorough search-es were still going on in andaround the encounter site torule out the presence of anyother hiding terrorist.

Earlier, the operation waslaunched by the joint team ofsecurity forces on receipt of theinformation about the presenceof terrorists in the area.Director General of Police,

Dilbagh Singh told reporters,"so far two terrorists have beeneliminated in the ongoing oper-ation and searches were goingon to confirm the presence ofa third terrorist in the area".

In a brief statement thetwitter handle of Srinagar basedChina Corps said, " a suspect-ed BAT(Border Action Team)action bid was foiled by thealert troops early Wednesdaymorning in Tangdhar".

It further said, "suspiciousactivity of 3-4 intruders wasobserved by the alert troops,close to forward post along theline of control.Timely action bythe alert troops averted infil-tration bid. The entire area waskept under surveillance", thestatement added.

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Agroup of mainstreamKashmiri politicians led

by a sitting Member ofParliament from Srinagar DrFarooq Abdullah are all set toattend a brainstorming sessionto review the present politicalsituation and decide theirfuture course of action onThursday.

Mainly signatories of theGupkar Declaration have beenextended a formal invitation toassemble at the residence ofNational Conference ChiefDr Abdullah.

Gupkar Declaration is ajoint effort of all the regionalmainstream political parties –the National Conference, thePeoples Democratic Party, thePeoples Conference, the

Awami National Conferenceand the CPI (M) - of Jammuand Kashmir to fight for thespecial status of the erstwhile State.

Earlier, both Dr Farooqand Omar Abdullah had calledon PDP Chief MehboobaMufti at her residence to per-sonally meet her where theyextended her an invitation toattend the meeting.

Soon after her release lateTuesday night, former Jammuand Kashmir Chief MinisterMehbooba Mufti vowed tofight for the restoration ofArticle 370.

Calling August 5, 2019 ablack day, Mufti urged every-one in Jammu and Kashmir towork towards resolving theKashmir conflict.

Sharing details of the their

meeting former Chief MinisterOmar Abdullah tweeted,“Myfather and I called onMehbooba Mufti Sahiba thisafternoon to enquire about herwell-being after her releasefrom detention. She has kind-ly accepted Farooq Sb’s invita-tion to join a meeting of theGupkar Declaration signato-ries’ tomorrow afternoon(Thursday)”.

“Today our visit was with-out any political motive andwe wanted to know her well being.

In the meeting tomorrow,the present political situationwill be reviewed and what willbe the future agenda of theGupkar Declaration signato-ries in one view, that will alsobe discussed,” he said in anoth-er tweet.

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Kerala Congress (Mani) fac-tion, a political outfit of the

Catholic community in Kerala,severed its 33-year-old alliancewith the Indian NationalCongress on Wednesday andmoved over to the LeftDemocratic Front led by theCPI(M).

Jose K Mani, son of late K MMani, one of the founders of theKerala Congress, announced hisdecision to join the CPI(M)camp after a meeting of the highpower committee of the factionheld at Kottayam. Mani Jr alsoannounced his resignation fromthe membership of the RajyaSabha, which he had won in2018 as a UDF nominee.

This is being seen as thebuild up to the 2021 assemblyelection as the CPI(M) badlywants to retain and return topower. Presently, the party isunder siege because of scamsand corruption charges rangingfrom Gold smuggling, datesimport and LIFE Mission payoff.

It is reported that theCPI(M) leadership has assuredthe KC(M) that the latter wouldbe allocated 12 to 15 seats in theupcoming assembly electionexpected to be held in March -April 2021. The CPI(M) leader-ship hope that it would be ableto retain power in the nextassembly election in company ofthe KC(M) faction, which hasconsiderable influence amongthe Catholic community in dis-tricts like Kottayam, Idukki,Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha andIdukki.

“It is a welcome move by theKerala Congress. The LDF andthe Kerala Congress would be ina win-win situation,” said ChiefMinister Pinarayi Vijayan aboutthe development. Former chiefminister and senior Congressleader Oommen Chandidescribed Jose Mani’s move as

immature and foolish.Meanwhile, the NCP, a con-

stituent of the LDF expressed itsdispleasure over the CPI(M)move to accommodate JoseMani. Mani C Kappen, whohad defeated the KC(M) factionleader in the by-poll at Palanecessitated by the demise ofMani said that he was in talkswith the Congress-led UDF.

The CPI(M) had tried itsbest to derail the presentation ofthe Kerala Budget by the thenFinance Minister K M Mani inthe House in February 2016. Theassembly witnessed nasty scenesas the CPI(M) MLAs destroyedfurniture and computer termi-nals in the House in their bid toprevent the then finance minis-ter from presenting the budgetaccusing him of having takenmoney from liquor mafia to liftthe ban on sale of liquor. A crim-inal case against six CPI(M)MLAs have been filed in theChief Judicial Magistrate Courtat Thiruvananthapuram fordestruction of public property.

The Mani led KeralaCongress had a brief honey-moon with the CPI(M) in 1980during the tenure of E KNayanar as Chief Minister. ButMani switched his loyalty to theCongress-led UDF in 1982which resulted in the fall ofNayanar ministry. Nayanar in allhis interviews and speeches usedto ridicule Mani as a person whocould not be trusted.

The KC(M) moving to theLDF is likely to see a realignmentof various parties in the State inthe build up to the assemblyelection.

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Aligarh: Aligarh which came in limelight acrossthe country after the incident of Hathras, is goingto get a big gift soon. Aligarh Municipal Corporation area will soon

be transformed into Women Safe City. About 100crore rupees will be spent on this project fromthe Nirbhaya Fund. It will have special hostels,DNA and forensic labs for women, pink bus andauto, toilets, Asha Jyoti Kendra and many more.

Along with Aligarh, women of Hathras, Etahand Kasganj will also get the benefit. Aligarh isthe second city in the state after Lucknow to beselected in the Women's Safe City list.

After the Nirbhaya incident in Delhi, thecentral government decided to make some citiesof the country as safe cities. Cities like Delhi,Lucknow, Bhopal have started safety audits atevery stage but earlier this year the central gov-ernment decided to include more cities in thislist. Instructions were given to include 17 citiesincluding Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh, but no city

paid attention to this project. After the incidentof Hathras, the commissioner took up the taskof developing it.

In a safe city, the focus will be given towomen's safety. Women police personnel will begiven pink scooters and SUV vehicles so thatthey will keep an eye on the bad elements. A pinktoilet will also be made. Such areas will be iden-tified where the movement of women will bemore and there more lighting arrangements willbe made. A special pink bus will run fitted withpanic buttons, GPS and CCTV. Women's powerline capacity will be doubled. Pink booths willbe built by which women will get sanitary pads.Asha centers and hostels to be built.

A Counseling center will be formed. Shelterhomes will be built to keep women.G.SPriyadarshi, Commissioner, Aligarh said that thisis a big project for women's safety and willchange the atmosphere of the city. All four dis-tricts of the Aligarh division will be benefited.DPR will be sent soon to the government. PNS

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Aligarh: Cinema, multiplex and theater aregoing to open tomorrow in Aligarh like otherstates after 6 months-long closure. Since the riskof corona infection is still there hence CovidProtocol must be followed. The audiencecapacity will be 50% of the designated seat andthe hall will also have to be sanitized after everyshow.

Guidelines issued for the operation of cin-ema, theater and multiplex by the Governmentof Uttar Pradesh based on the instructions ofthe Ministry of Information and Broadcasting,Government of India. All the cinema halls andmultiplex in Aligarh will reopen from thurs-day based on the guidelines given by thegivernment.

The mandate issued by Chief Secretary R.KTiwari stated that cinema, theater and multi-plexes outside the Containment Zone have beenallowed to be opened with viewers up to a max-imum of 50 percent of their rated capacity.Employees and audience need to follow a phys-ical distance of 6 feet in the general area andwaiting area. It is always mandatory to use aface cover or mask, wash hands with soap fromtime to time, use sanitizer and tissue or hand-kerchief while coughing or sneezing. The ChiefSecretary informed that through the entry ofthe auditorium, circular signs will be arrangedin accordance with the physical distance stan-dard for thermal screening, sanitizer andqueue. Only people without Covid symptomswill be allowed to enter. An adequate time gapmust be given between the shows. The audi-ence will have to seat at alternate seats to main-tain the physical distance.

Guidelines stated that the ticket bookingsin the cinema, theatres and multiplex can bedone in advance or online. Touchless transac-tions like e-wallet / QR code scanner etc. shouldalso be used in window booking. The phone

number should also be taken at the time ofbooking the ticket for the convenience of con-tact tracing. After the show is over, do not leavethe audience together and be arranged in aqueue following the standard of physical dis-tance.

Guidelines also stated that during aninterval, avoid gathering in toilets. Thereshould be adequate counters at the canteen andstalls and no food items will be allowed insidean auditorium or hall. Only packed food anddrinks will be allowed.

Cinemas, theatre and multiplex with A.Cshould follow the guidelines of CPWD.Temperature setting should be maintainedbetween 24-30° C and relative humidity shouldbe maintained between 40-70%. The properarrangement of cross ventilation should also bethere.

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The BJP and TrinomialCongress were trying to

polarize the electoralatmospherewhich was why they werespreading all kinds of rumorsaboutfailed alliance talksbetween the Congress and LeftFront.

Urging the two sides to has-ten up the talk process so that thetwoparties can hit the streets wellbefore the next year’sAssemblyelections Chowdhuryon Wednesday said “the TMCand the BJP are tryingto polarisethe state on communal lines, andit is the duty of theLeft and theCongress to provide a thirdalternative,”adding the twopartieswere spreading all kinds ofrumours suggesting that theseat-sharing talks between the twosides had proved to be anon-starter.

Meanwhile, in an unrelateddevelopment the State BJP lead-ership on Wednesday said thatHome Minister Amit Shah

would not be able to come toBengal ahead of the Durga Pujas.Instead he would come to theStateonly after the Pujas.

In Shah’s place BJP presidentJP Nadda would visit the StateonOctober 19. He would go toNorth Bengal and hold meetingswith seniorParty leaders there,sources said.

Referring to how the Leftand Congress jointly launched anumber ofmovements in thepast couple of years he said “atime has come to takeforwardthis alliance to its logical con-clusion, and that is sharingofseats for the elections,” adding thepreliminary round of talks onset-sharing between the two sideswould begin next week.

Incidentally Left FrontChairman and CPI(M)politburomember Biman Bosehad report-ed spoken to the Congress lead-ership asking it to hasten upthetalk process and hit the streetsearly. Even Chowdhury said thetwo sides should begin the talksas early aspossible to avoid last-minute "hiccups". Though thetwo sides hadjointly contestedthe 2016 elections their dia-logue ahead of the lastyear’sparliamentary elections fail in thelast moment.

Chowdhury said that thetwo sides had fought jointly in2916 but thetalks were half-baked. In fact the 2016 Alliancejointly picked up 77out of 294seats whereas the TrinamoolCongress won 212. Howeverthecatch was the Left Congressalliance lost out to the ruling out-fit inabout 70 seats by slendermargin of 150 to 4000 voteswhich the twosides had blamedon a “partisan ElectionCommission that ignoredmas-sive violence during elections.”

Congress MP PradipBhattacharya, who is the chair-man of thenewly-formed coor-dination committee, along withMr Chowdhury and thestate'sLeader of Opposition AbdulMannan are likely to lead thetalkswith the Left parties,Pradesh Congress Committeesources said.

On the alleged rumoursbeing spread by the BJP andTMC, Chowdhury saidtheCongress and Left Front shouldnot pay heed to “canards” being-spread against the alliance.Thetwo parties were spreadingrumour that the Congress andLeft hadlost reference and so thevoters should choose betweenthe TMC and theBJP.

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Mumbai:As part of its “MissionBegin again”, the MaharashtraGovernment on Wednesdaydecided to allow metro trainsin Mumbai and Nagpur tooperate from October 15 in aphased manner and do awaythe health check-up and stamp-ing of domestic passengersarriving at the railway stationsin Maharashtra from differentparts of the state.

In other guidelines, thestate government allowed gov-ernment and private libraries tofunction with protocols ofsocial distancing and sanitationnorms in place and increasedthe number of people, while itpermitted local weekly bazars,including that of animals, toreopen outside containmentzones.

In an effort to control andreduce crowding, the State gov-ernment permitted marketsand shops to remain open foradditional hours from 9 am to9 pm, with effect from October15, while the limit on the num-ber of guests who can remainpresent has been increased to50 from the earlier 20.

While the government hasalso allowed “Business toBusiness” (B2B) exhibitionsonly outside the containmentzones and all types of localweekly markets (bazaars)across the state with effectfrom October 145, it has decid-ed to do away stamping withindelible ink for domestic pas-sengers arriving at different air-ports after COVID-19 testing.

Though it announcedrelaxations on several fronts,the state government made noannouncement regarding there-opening of various places ofworship. PNS

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Page 6: New ˆ& ˆ · 20 hours ago · Agriculture Minister nor junior Ministers were present to hear our concerns. We asked why the Minister is not meeting us, why the Government is playing

Recently, India decided tojoin the Djibouti Codeof Conduct/JeddahA m e n d m e n t(DCOC/JA) as an

observer after a high-level meet-ing held on August 26. This is agroup on maritime affairs, includ-ing countries such as Djibouti,Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar,Maldives, Seychelles, Somalia,United Republic of Tanzania andYemen, all from the Red Sea, theGulf of Aden, the east coast ofAfrica and island countries in theIndian Ocean Region (IOR).Member nations include SouthAfrica, Sudan and the UnitedArab Emirates. Recently Japan,Norway, UK and the US have alsobeen included as observers ofDCOC/JA. So India’s inclusionwould increase its political stake inthese waters and help it use the col-lective heft with other nations totame Chinese expansionist tenden-cies.

The alliance came into beingin January 2009 under theInternational MaritimeOrganisation (IMO). It initiallyfocussed on piracy and armed rob-bery against ships in the westernIOR, the Gulf of Aden and the RedSea. In 2017, other issues like theenvironment, human traffickingand illegal fishing were added. Butit is the Jeddah Amendment thatis significant. At a high-level meet-ing of the countries that signed theDCOC in Jeddah in January 2017,17 signatory nations agreed toadopt a revised code of conduct.They agreed to work closely withthe IMO and other stakeholders tobuild national and regional capac-ities in addressing broader mar-itime security issues and enablingthe sustainable development of themaritime sector. And at the sametim, the code emphasised theimportant role of the “blue econ-omy” in supporting sustainableeconomic growth, employment,food security and stability.

The Horn of Africa is of greatstrategic importance from a com-mercial and economic point ofview because it is coveted bymajor powers of the world.Djibouti’s role is most importanthere. It may be a small country interms of area and population butenjoys great geo-strategic impor-tance. It commands the narrowentrance to the Red Sea on thesouthern end (from the Gulf ofAden side) with Egypt on the

northern end. Every day mil-lions of oil barrels and other oilproducts pass through thisroute to different destinations.Due to its important position,it hosts military bases of aboutnine countries, including theUS, France, Italy and China.After the 9/11 attacks on the US,Washington established itslargest permanent base inDjibouti, named CampLemonier, which houses at least4,000 military personnel.

China has also expanded itsmilitary cooperation across theAfrican continent in recentyears as part of its nationaldefence policy. On July 11,2017, Beijing sent two warshipsacross the Indian Ocean toDjibouti, the main objective ofwhich was to establish China’sfirst overseas permanent mili-tary base. Work started formal-ly on August 1, 2017. Djiboutiis at the centre of China’s mar-itime policy as it is located at thenorthwest end of the IndianOcean, allowing it to checkmateIndia. Its naval base here couldprove to be the pillar of itsoceanic strategy, known as the“string of pearls” or friendlyislands in the sea route connect-ing China to West Asia. It is acrucial link in its ambitious“maritime Silk Route” plan.

The purpose of this networkis to ensure the safety of China’strade routes, its raw materialsand oil-laden ships and theuninterrupted return of finishedgoods to Europe via the Gulf ofAden. India’s relations with theHorn of African nations like

Ethiopia, Somalia, Eritrea,Sudan and Djibouti have beenfriendly since ancient times.Some historical researchersbelieve that economic and cul-tural relations existed betweenthe two regions since 538 BC.All these nations share thesame legacy of colonialism aswell as the struggle for indepen-dence; India continued to sup-port their anti-colonial fighteven after attainingIndependence in 1947. In thepost-colonial period, Indiaestablished the SpecialCommonwealth AfricanAssistance Programme(SCAAP) in 1963. Its relationswith the Horn of Africa coun-tries have further strengthenedthrough the Indian Technicaland Economic Cooperation(ITEC), South-SouthCooperation and other interna-tional fora. Now it is building onthis historicity to emerge a keyplayer in the region.

The strategic importance ofthe Horn of Africa for India canonly be known from the factthat President Ramnath Kovindmade his first foreign trip to twoAfrican countries — Djiboutiand Ethiopia. During his visit,he remarked, “India andDjibouti have had historicalconnections and mutual con-tacts for a long time. Now weshould try to rediscover thisshared history and identity.Not only for the old times butto build a contemporary part-nership, it is necessary to makethe utmost effort to revive thisshared heritage of ours. The

potential of marine resourcesand engagement with theIndian Ocean has immensepotential to create a sustainablefuture.” The President also saidthat “Djibouti is a strategiccountry, located near the Gulfof Aden. For India, it is animportant partner of the IndianOcean. In 2015, during theYemen crisis, as part ofOperation Relief, at the time ofevacuating citizens and peoplefrom other countries, Djiboutisupported India’s efforts.”

As an observer nation, Indiacan boost its influence in theIOR with new diplomatic equa-tions. New Delhi is alreadystrengthening its position in itssurrounding waters as part ofthe Indo-Pacific policy throughProject Mausam, Mission Sagarand Indian Ocean Rim Group.It can further increase its strate-gic footprint through blue econ-omy initiatives. This will enableus to sustain the use of oceanresources for economic growth,create better livelihoods andjobs and ensure the health ofocean ecosystems.

On the other hand, Beijing isincreasing its clout through itsclaims in the South China Seaand the East China Sea, theString of Pearls diplomacy andBelt & Road Initiatives (BRI).India can effectively neutraliseit if it consolidates its hold inthis region alongside the Quadinitiative with the US, Japan andAustralia.

(The writer is an AssistantProfessor, Department of AfricanStudies, Delhi University)

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��������� ���������Sir — On October 12, FinanceMinister Nirmala Sitharamanannounced the payment of cashin lieu of Leave TravelConcession (LTC) and �10,000festival advance to Governmentemployees to stimulate con-sumer demand during the festi-val season and boost the econo-my. The Government will alsogive its employees income tax-exempt cash vouchers in lieu oftheir entitled travel allowancesthis year. However, there is acatch. The cash will have to bespent on buying goods thatattract 12 per cent or more GST,a condition which totally elimi-nates the possibility of the cashbeing spent on food items.Additionally, the Governmentwill, as a one-time measure, give�10,000 salary loans to all its offi-cers and employees as a festivaladvance.

The Retailers’ Association ofIndia (RAI) has welcomed theGovernment’s LTC cash vouch-er scheme stating that it will helpits members recover from theloss of business caused due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. However,the expectation to create a con-sumer demand of about �28,000crore through this scheme is

rather far-fetched. This seems tobe just another attempt to stripthe middle class and lure themto transfer their savings to thecapitalist.

Bhagwan ThadaniMumbai

����������������Sir — It is disconcerting that dif-ferences between the executive

and the judiciary have emergedin Andhra Pradesh. In a first, theState has lodged a complaint tothe Chief Justice of India (CJI)alleging that the Supreme Courtjudge, Justice NV Ramana, wasinterfering in the judicial process-es of the High Court. The Statehas placed material evidencebefore the CJI, highlightingJustice Ramana’s proximity withN Chandrababu Naidu and his

interventions to protect the inter-ests of the Telugu Desam Party(TDP). Chief Minister JaganMohan Reddy, in his letter datedOctober 6, has expressed that theobjective of the letter is solely toinform the Supreme Court aboutthe acts of a few individualjudges.

The apex court should take theallegations made by the APGovernment seriously and clear

the air or else it could affect thefaith of the common man in thejudiciary. A touch of pragmatismis what the judiciary and theexecutive need at this juncture asthe very credibility of the judicia-ry as an institution is at stake. TheCJI should personally look intothe matter and consider initiat-ing steps to ensure that the Statejudiciary’s neutrality is main-tained.

Yash Pal Ralhan Jalandhar

�������� ������� Sir — Cinema halls are all set tore-open across the country.However, strict measures need tobe taken so that they don’tbecome spaces of mass infection.Six feet distance should be fol-lowed outside the auditoria,common areas and waiting areasat all times. There should also behand sanitisers, preferably inthe touch-free mode, at the entryand exit points as well as com-mon areas within the premises.And the use of face masks mustbe made mandatory.

Jubel D’CruzMumbai

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With caste and gender-based crimes inIndia on the rise, some really tough ques-tions need to be answered by us all. The

National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) 2019 reportdoes a wonderful job in showcasing some extreme-ly relevant data for our consideration. India report-ed 4,05,861 cases of crimes against women. Assamreported the highest rate of crimes against womenat 117.8 per lakh population and Uttar Pradesh (UP)topped the list with 59,853 incidents. From 2018, therate of crime against women has risen by 7.3 per cent,with the country recording an average 87 rape casesevery day in 2019. UP had the highest number ofcrimes against girl children under the POCSO Actwith 7,444 cases, followed by Maharashtra (6,402)and Madhya Pradesh (MP) at 6,053. Other registeredcases on the rise were assault, cruelty and outrag-ing the modesty of a woman. On the other hand,crimes against Scheduled Castes (SCs) andScheduled Tribes (STs) saw a seven per cent and 26per cent rise respectively. Curiously, the report alsoindicates a consistent decline in conviction rates incaste-related violence in the past three years.

So, why and how did we land here and whereare we going? I shall endeavour to declutter this bya simple process called reverse engineering. Ours hasalways been a divided society. Caste and gender-based discrimination weren’t a colonial constructionin India. It was our own. Our social, economic andlegal institutions were all divided and categorised tomeet vested interests. What the British did was amere “reinvoking of the Varna system.” This, theyjustified, was necessary to make sense of the com-plexity that existed within the Indian caste system.As BR Ambedkar said in his Annihilation of Caste,the caste system in India had been historically usedto perpetuate discrimination in the name of “divi-sion of labour” which in fact, according to him, wasa “division of labourers.”

Such discrimination gave rise to a social andbehavioural bias, and in the long run, led to the“upward mobility” of the concept of caste. Since thisconcept was used to allocate social roles such as one’sprofession in a hereditary manner, it restricted thesocial mobility of those groups who were allottedlower roles. This led to a lost individual identity ofthe members of those groups and instead, in soli-darity, gave rise to a “group identity.” In modern-dayIndia, we know these groups as SCs, STs, OtherBackward Classes (OBCs), women and religiousminorities.

A systemic problem: Our police force was alsonot immune to this virus. As caste and gender-baseddiscrimination grew in independent India, privilegedupper caste men, who were born, trained and nur-tured in a favorable environment, filled the spacesin our administration, including but not limited to,our police force. The problem was further exempli-fied when we inherited the colonial Indian PoliceAct of 1861 and other such laws from British India.The Act was brought in after the revolt of 1857 andthe purpose behind enacting it was, as David Arnoldsays, “to establish control, coercion and surveillanceover the Indian subjects.” So, lack of diversity, anunder-represented administration and a law basedon tyrannical ideologies became a perfect mishmashfor future discriminatory policing in India. Thiswould lay the foundation for perpetration of violenceand creation of an extremely patriarchal institutionthat would survive for decades if not centuries.

Institutionalised discrimination: What tran-

spired, as a consequence, years later, is theinstitutionalisation of the very same dis-crimination within our police force. Aninstitution becomes defunct if its work-ing is entirely based on biased andinequitable means. To command confi-dence, trust and respect of the public, thepolice administration in a democracymust be diverse and must acknowledgethat people from different backgroundswill bring with them skills, experiencesand perspectives that are vastly differentfrom others. However, the opposite is truefor India.

Laws such as Abolition ofDiscrimination under Article 17 of theConstitution, SC/ST Prevention ofAtrocities Act and provisions forAffirmative Action have by and largeremained symbolic. The Common Causereport on Status of Policing in India, 2019,reveals some shocking numbers. It showshow the representation of SCs, STs, OBCsand women is extremely poor in our policeforces. Reserved positions for such person-nel have been vacant for years. The Statestopping the list here are Haryana and UP.Furthermore, it shows how such groupsare less likely to be posted at officer-levelranks. They are also more likely to faceunequal distribution of work wherein theyare asked to do their seniors’ chores andhousehold work.

One out of four women police per-sonnel reported the absence of a sexualharassment committee in police stationsand one out of five reported the absenceof separate toilets for policewomen. Stateslike Bihar, Karnataka and Bengal have thehighest levels of institutional bias againstwomen in the forces. The report goes onto state that senior police officers think that“women are less hard-working, less effi-cient and should focus on householdduties.” Data shows that policewomen are

given in-house tasks like maintaining reg-isters, and so on, whereas, male person-nel are given on-field investigation, lawand order, policing and patrolling tasks.This has literally been normalised with-in the working of our police administra-tion, to an extent that it no more looks likediscrimination. Instead it is seen as rou-tine division of work, based onnatural/biological capabilities.

Shockingly many police personnelthink that Gender-Based Violence (GBV)complaints are false and motivated. Theyalso say that members of the transgendercommunity, Muslims, Dalits and so on, aremore “naturally” prone to committingcrimes. Such institutionalised discrimina-tion against caste and gender reasserts itselflike a vicious cycle. It also assists in exer-cising a lot more political control on thosewho are vulnerable. The way our policereacts to caste and gender is a mirrorimage of the political ideology ruling overthe State. It is a common phenomenonthat majoritarian governments who cometo power based on hyper-nationalism andby using the rhetoric of religion, tend tobe a lot more misogynist, divisive and reli-giously intolerant.

Resultantly, constitutional moralityisn’t their source of power. The increas-ing nature of politicisation of crimesagainst women has gained momentum inthe last decade, ever since there has beena rise in majoritarian politics. The 2019report shows how police personnel almostalways face political pressure while inves-tigating crimes that have political ramifi-cations. If an honest police officer tries notto be swayed by such an influence, he ismet with the “Black Sheep Effect.” This isa process of evaluative upgrading of“norm-compliant” members and evalua-tive downgrading of “deviant” ones. So, thedeviant members are usually transferred

to locations where there is less digital andmedia penetration so that their honestyis less of a problem for the State. It is alsoseen that there are certain areas wherepolitical control is exercised more effec-tively with the help of the police. In theareas where the majority population isfrom the Dalit or minority community, thepolice infrastructure is in shambles. Thereis a greater lack of adequate training, dig-ital accessibility, vehicles and funding pro-vided to the police. In such a situation,crimes either go unreported or are metwith State-sponsored violence in policestations.

Creating such systemic barriers, overa long period of time, for people who havebeen historically discriminated againstleads to a situation of internalised oppres-sion. Paulo Freire, a renowned educator,in his Pedagogy of the Oppressed, says, “Theoppressed, having internalised the imageof the oppressor and adopted his guide-lines, are fearful of freedom.” This fear actsas an incentive for political control.Control on what is reported, what is notreported and how reported cases are dealtwith. It is almost like an echo-chamber thatincentivises political oppression.

Expecting that such an institution,where discrimination and victimisation isnormalised against its own membersand has been historically used as a polit-ical sidekick, would do justice by protect-ing those outside the institution against thesame evil forces, is simply living in an alter-nate reality. Public outrage has been mis-placed in so far as it consistently demandspolitical reform. The following state-ment by Ambedkar is of huge significance,“There is a need for social reform beforepolitical reform and the latter cannot hap-pen without the former.”

(The writer is from the National LawUniversity, Visakhapatnam)

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There was a deliberate smashingof pots; people making a clam-our. This may be an illustration

of a population experiencing trau-matic shock. It might have been donein panic but also might have beendone to somehow disturb and clearthe air,” Hays wrote about a supposedact of an angry God when hedescribed the plague in his bookEpidemics and Pandemics: TheirImpact on Human History. But hecould have been writing about us inthe present day and our initialattempts to keep away a disease thathas yet not been properly under-stood.

“The mask is a tool to make usweak.” Our attention turned towardsthe driver as he detailed the complex

inter-relationship between carbondioxide (CO2) and the mask. Hislogic was, as we exhale CO2, themask forces us to inhale it back,thereby weakening our body’simmune system. This was a novelconspiracy theory in a world filledwith absurd theories about the pan-demic.

Over ten months into the out-break, the inventory of rumoursrelated to the contagion has managedto transcend boundaries. Creativeand inane, such stories multiply asthe pandemic refuses to release itsgrip. While in the early days, mostconversations veered around thepotency of the virus and the multi-tude of ways to cure oneself of thisdreaded pandemic, they now tend todismiss the disease as “just anotherflu.” The apparent casualness flies inthe face of conventional analysis asawareness about the disease isimmense and Indians who livedthrough the difficult times of thelockdown are cognisant of its life-threatening effects.

However, the current predilec-tion of not wearing masks alsocomes associated with the sense of

fatality and fatigue, having under-gone painful job losses and socialstigma for the past few months.Varying from, “It is all God’s will” to“Nothing will happen to me” to “Wehave all caught the disease” to “Godcannot kill all the poor” to “If it hap-pens, it happens” to “We don’t havemoney to buy a mask” and a multi-tude of other reasons, the almost uni-versal lack of interest in wearing aface cover hides an important detailabout our social lives. People havebeen hit hard by the economicimpact of the crisis and most have noother option but to step out. Theycannot stay in and worry about wear-ing a mask or maintaining social dis-tancing. They are more concernedabout filling their stomachs andmeeting their financial needs.

In many ways, the fear of thepandemic, coupled with the spreadof fake news in this era of socialmedia and messaging platforms,have led to revisionist theories thatat once declare the impact of theCoronavirus a hoax while also pan-dering to the fear of its supposedeffects.

With millions falling prey, there

is an outcry that this generation ispaying for its sins. However, WilliamDunbar said it best when he wrotethat, “The fear of death disturbs me”in the Lament for the Makers, sug-gesting perhaps that the human racehas faced such threats throughouthistory. And those dark momentswere unique as humanity did nothave an answer then just as it does-n’t have one now. People in thosedark days were prone to succumbingto fear as the rise of a disease, cut-ting through society without any dis-crimination, results in helplessnessamong the rich and the poor alike.This causal relationship betweendisease and sin is seen also in Greekliterary texts, such as Homer’s Iliadand Sophocles’ Oedipus the King.Iliad opens with a plague visitedupon the Greek camp at Troy to pun-ish them for Agamemnon’s enslave-ment of Chryseis.

Humankind has time and againlet this fear turn into panic, over-whelming all traces of rationality.This facilitates easier propagation offake news in the community. Thefeedback surrounding the mythsand legends over managing COVID

also borders on the absurd. Just as theCO2 theory propounded by the dri-ver, more such theories abound inthe markets of Bengaluru, Chennai,Pune and Delhi, ranging from guz-zling copious amounts of alcohol, tobeing safe in one’s locality, to stop-ping the consumption of fruits asthey are known to carry the virus.The list is endless, and each country,State, city and locality has added atwist to these stories. The challengefor people working in the frontlineis to sift through the rumours andconvey basic truths about the pan-demic and its causes.

However, as we see more com-placency creep in, it would do goodto understand the underlying fearand weariness that communities aresuffering from. For the moment, theyface a gun-shaped thermal scanner,an oximeter and endless surveys thathave fatigued them. Then there is theunfortunate spread of stigma of anuncommon but not unmanageabledisease and the mishandling of dis-semination in this very real publichealth crisis.

The need of the hour is toaggressively push for an overarching

campaign that involves all stakehold-ers and myriad activities such asposters, stickers, banners, wall paint-ings, murals, street theatre, songs,tableaus, announcement from reli-gious places, radio campaigns, tele-vision ads and as many creative out-lets as possible.

As we learn from this crisis, itwill bode well to recall that literaturehas been humanity’s constant com-panion though long periods ofuncertainty. And often, when a pan-demic hit humankind, there was notmuch that could be done then as itis now.

The only effective measure backthen was what is known today associal distancing and quarantine ofthe sick which, according toProcopius, the principal Byzantinehistorian, was done voluntarily byindividuals. In this current age, wecan strive to be a step ahead, promotesocial distancing, wear masks andensure better hygiene in a mannerthat was not possible in ancienttimes.

(Sharma is a faculty at AzimPremji University and Bhaskar is anindependent researcher)

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Page 8: New ˆ& ˆ · 20 hours ago · Agriculture Minister nor junior Ministers were present to hear our concerns. We asked why the Minister is not meeting us, why the Government is playing

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Moscow: Russian authoritieshave reported a record 14,000new coronavirus cases , the lat-est daily spike in infections.

Russia, which has theworld’s fourth-largest confirmedcoronavirus caseload of morethan 1.3 million, has beenreporting over 10,000 new casesfor 11 straight days, The 14,231new infections on Wednesday isthe highest number since thebeginning of the pandemic.

Most of the virus restric-tions in the county have beenlifted over the summer. Despitethe rapid resurgence of the out-break, Russian authorities havedismissed suggestions of a sec-ond national lockdown.

In Moscow, which has beenreporting over 4,000 new casesevery day since Saturday, offi-cials recommended that theelderly to self-isolate at homeand ordered employers to have30 per cent of their staff workfrom home. AP

Yangon: Three election candi-dates from Myanmar’s rulingNational League for Democracyparty were abducted Wednesdayby an unknown armed group inthe western state of Rakhine, aparty official said.

Min Aung, a member of theRakhine state parliament, Ni NiMay Myint, a lower house mem-ber of the national parliament,and Chit Chit Chaw, a candidaterunning for the national upperhouse, were abducted during acampaign trip to villages inTaungup township, NLD partyofficial Monywa Aung Shinsaid. Elections are scheduled forNov. 8.

“We don’t know exactlywhich armed group abductedthem. But it’s likely to be onegroup but I can’t confirm it fornow,” Monywa Aung Shin saidby phone.

Myo Nyunt, an NLD partyspokesman, also said the partycould not confirm who the kid-

nappers were.Since 2018, Rakhine state

has been embroiled in a bitterarmed struggle between thegovernment and the ArakanArmy, which seeks self-deter-mination for the region’sRakhine ethnic minority.Myanmar has more than adozen minorities seeking somekind of autonomy, but the well-trained and well-armed ArakanArmy is considered to pose thegreatest military threat. Humanrights groups have accused gov-ernment forces of abuses againstcivilians in their fight against theArakan Army, which has alsobeen accused of abuses.

While no one has claimedresponsibility for the abduc-tions, the Arakan Army hasgained notoriety for capturingofficials and other civiliansand exploiting their victims forpropaganda purposes byshowing videos of them onsocial media. AP

Kampala: Armed police onWednesday “besieged” the cam-paign headquarters of BobiWine, a pop star and politicianwho is seeking Uganda’s presi-dency in elections set for 2021,an opposition figure said.

Police confiscated itemssuch as security cameras andsupplies of red berets that aresymbols of Wine’s popular cam-paign, David Lewis Rubongoya,an official with Wine’s partywho is at the scene in theUgandan capital, Kampala, told

The Associated Press.“They have taken away

everything,” he said.Wine, a legislator whose

real name is KyagulanyiSsentamu, was meeting withother leaders of his NationalUnity Platform party when thepolice swooped in and cor-doned off the area, he said.

Wine and other party offi-cials have not been arrested, hesaid. But in a Twitter post Winereported that “comrades hadbeen injured” after police “raid-

ed” his headquarters and seizeddocuments and other items.

A police spokesman did notimmediately respond to ques-tions, but authorities frequent-ly accuse Wine and others in theopposition of disobeying ordersaimed at protecting publicpeace.

Wine, who has been arrest-ed many times in recent years,has captured the imagination ofmany Ugandans with his per-sistent calls for President YoweriMuseveni to retire. AP

Islamabad: Pakistan’s militaryon Wednesday said a soldierwas killed and another wound-ed in the country’s northwest byfire from across the Afghan bor-der, a sign of increasing violencein an area that until recent yearsserved as a base for Pakistaniand foreign militants.

The attack hit a bordersecurity post in Bajur district, aformer tribal region of KhyberPakhtunkhwa province. Themilitary statement said theshooting came from theAfghan side of the frontier, and

did not speculate on who wasbehind the attack.

Similar cross-border attacksin Bajur district killed twoPakistani soldiers in July andSeptember, respectively.

Pakistan’s border areasserved as a base for the PakistaniTaliban and other militantsuntil a few years ago, when thearmy said it cleared the regionof insurgents, but occasionalattacks have continued. AP

Beijing: Chinese President XiJinping has visited the head-quarters of the Marine Corps,a new force being developed bythe Chinese military to back upits navy’s manifold expansionwith overseas logistics bases,and asked it to turn into an inte-grated, capable, flexible andfast-responding elite force.

Xi, who is Chairman of theCentral Military Commission(CMC) - the overall high com-mand of the military, besidesbeing the President and theGeneral Secretary of the rulingCommunist Party, on Tuesdayinspected the People’sLiberation Army (PLA) NavyMarine Corps in Chaozhou,south China’s GuangdongProvince, official media herereported.

This was Xi’s first visit to

the headquarters of the MarineCorps, which was overhauled in2017 and became part of thePLA Navy during the militaryreform launched by him in2015, state-run China Dailyreported on Wednesday.

Under the reform, the PLAslashed three lakh troops fromthe army and focussed expan-sion on navy and the air forceas part of China’s efforts toenhance its global influence.

In 2017, the Hong Kong-based South China MorningPost reported that China plansto increase the size of its marinecorps from 20,000 to one lakhpersonnel for overseas deploy-ment including Gwadar port inPakistan and military logisticsbase in Djibouti in the IndianOcean.

The expansion is planned

to protect China’s maritimelifelines and its growing inter-ests overseas, the report said.

In his interaction with theMarine Corps commanders,Xi asked them to concentrateon fostering their troops’ com-bat preparedness and stay onhigh alert.

More realistic battle train-ing must be carried out toenhance skills and more effortsshould be made to innovate interms of combat theories, train-ing methods and task planning,he said.

He stressed that the MarineCorps is an elite amphibiousfighting force that shoulders sig-nificant responsibilities in safe-guarding national sovereigntyand territorial integrity as wellas China’s maritime rights andoverseas interests. PTI

Melbourne: The GreatBarrier Reef in Australia,which is the largest reef sys-tem in the world, has lostmore than half of its coralpopulation in the past threedecades, according to a newstudy.

The research, publishedin the journal Proceedings of

the Royal Society B, assessedcoral communities and theircolony size along the length ofthe Great Barrier Reefbetween 1995 and 2017, andfound that small, medium,and large corals have alldeclined in the period.

“We measured changes incolony sizes because popula-tion studies are importantfor understanding demogra-phy and the corals’ capacity tobreed,” said Andy Dietzel, aco-author of the study fromthe ARC Centre of Excellencefor Coral Reef Studies(CoralCoE) in Australia.

“We found the numberof small, medium and largecorals on the Great BarrierReef has declined by morethan 50 per cent since the1990s,” said Terry Hughes,another co-author of thestudy from CoralCoE.

According to the study,the decline occurred in bothshallow and deeper water,and across virtually allspecies — but especially inbranching and table-shapedcorals. PTI

Washington: China and the farleft are “desperate” for JoeBiden’s win as the Democraticpresidential candidate will “sur-render” jobs to China,President Donald Trump saidas he returned to the battle-ground State of Pennsylvaniaafter being treated for COVID-19.

In his first political rally inPennsylvania, which sends 20electoral college votes, after hewas tested positive for COVID-19, Trump on Tuesday hit hardat his political opponent, alleg-ing that the former vice presi-dent is known for “surrender”.

“Biden will eliminate tariffson China. He’s already said he’sgoing to take the tariffs offChina. There goes your steelindustry. There goes your alu-minum industry. There goeseverything. Allowing them toplunder without consequence,”he said, addressing thousandsof his supporters in Johnstown,Pennsylvania.

“The one constant inBiden’s platform is surrender.

He surrenders. He surrenders,whether it’s China, whether it’sCuba. How about Cuba? Howabout the deal they made withCuba? How bad was that one?I ended it,” he said.

“That’s why both Chinaand the far left are desperate fora Biden win because he willsurrender our jobs to China.China will own the US if thatsleepy guy gets the position,okay,” Trump said.

Tump said that over thenext four years, he will makeAmerica into the manufactur-ing superpower of the world.

“And we’ll end our relianceon China once and for all.That’s already happening. We’llhire more police, increasedpenalties for assault on lawenforcement, and we will bandeadly sanctuary cities thatpeople don’t want,” he said.

“Unlike ‘sleepy’ Joe Biden,I will never abandon ournation, and I would neverabandon its values. My goal isnot to make friends in the DCswamp. My goal is to fight for

you and fight for your family,”said the president amidstapplause from thousands of hissupporters who came to listenhim at a local airport, ignoringthe social distancing restric-tions of COVID-19.

Trump, 74, said while in2017, he signed a historic exec-utive order making it officialgovernment policy to buyAmerican and hire American,his opponent has put forwarda radical plan to eliminate USborders by implementing catchand release programmes thathe ended.

“Do you know what catchand release is? You catch a mur-derer, you catch a rapist com-ing across our border, and yourelease him. Catch, you catchhim and release him. And yousay, I’m sorry, three years fromnow, please come back for acourt case. Nobody comesback,” he said.

“Imposing deadly sanctu-ary cities and suspending allremovals. They don’t want anyremovals. This is what Bidenagreed to with crazy BernieSanders.

“When you have peoplethat are in this country illegal-ly, even if they’re murderers, ifthey’re rapists, no matter whatthey are, you can’t removethem. We’ve removed tens ofthousands of people, includingMS-13,” he said. PTI

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Washington: PresidentDonald Trump will feature ina televised town hall Thursdayon NBC News, the networksaid, setting up a direct sched-uling clash with rival Joe Bidenwho had already planned hisown version.

The two were originallymeant to have been meetingfor their second debate onThursday evening. Instead,they will be simultaneously,but separately, talking to vot-ers in TV studios -- NBC forTrump and ABC for Biden.

Trump will be in Miami,the network said, while Biden,who had already booked hisappearance last week, will bein Philadelphia.

Their scheduled debate

had also been designed as atown hall where the two can-didates would have fieldedquestions from voters, butthis was upended after Trumpcontracted the coronavirus.

Debate organizers saidthey wanted to switch the for-mat to a virtual appearance,for safety reasons, and Trumprefused, forcing cancellation ofthe event.

NBC News saidWednesday it had received astatement from the clinicaldirector at the NationalInstitutes of Health and leadinfectious diseases expertAnthony Fauci that they had“a high degree of confidence”that Trump is now “not shed-ding infectious virus.” AFP

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Washington: US SupremeCourt nominee Amy ConeyBarrett insisted Tuesday that shehad no fixed views on hot-but-ton legal issues as Democratspainted her as President DonaldTrump’s vehicle to end abortionrights and kill the popularObamacare health program.

In the second day of hear-ings on her hurried nomination,Barrett, who if approved will tiltthe high court decisively to theright, told lawmakers she wouldput personal and religiousbeliefs aside when decidinglandmark cases.

But the 48-year-old judgeand devout Catholic could notescape accusations fromDemocrats on the SenateJudiciary Committee that shewas chosen to achieve Trump’sdream to nullify the AffordableCare Act of predecessor BarackObama, which extended cheaphealth care to millions of unin-sured Americans.

Likewise, Democrats saidshe was also picked to lead thecourt to overturn the land-mark 1973 Roe v. Wade deci-sion, which guarantees abortionrights.

“President Trump promisedto name a Supreme CourtJustice ... who would tear downthe Affordable Care Act,”Kamala Harris, the Democratic

candidate for vice president, saidto Barrett.

The ACA’s benefits, shesaid, “hinge on this seat and theoutcome of this hearing.”

But after more than ninehours of questioning, Barrettheld her ground.

“I made no promises toanyone. I don’t have any agen-da,” she insisted.

“Judges can’t just wake upone day and say ‘I have an agen-da. I like guns, I hate guns, I likeabortion, I hate abortion,’ andwalk in like a royal queen andimpose their will on the world,”Barrett said.

“It’s not the law of Amy, it’sthe law of the American people.”

After liberal icon RuthBader Ginsburg’s death lastmonth left the nine-membercourt with a vacancy, Trump hasrushed to fill it at the height ofhis presidential election battleagainst Democrat Joe Biden.

A respected Notre Damelaw professor but with onlythree years as an appeals courtjudge, Barrett is supported byconservatives for her personalopposition to abortion.

Her confirmation by theRepublican-controlled com-mittee after two more days ofhearings, and by the full Senatebefore the end of October,remained near-certain. AFP

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Two Afghan army heli-copters collided while

transporting wounded soldiersin the southern Helmandprovince, killing nine Afghanservice members, the country’sDefense Ministry and localofficials said Wednesday.

The two Soviet-era Mi-17helicopters crashed due to tech-nical problems while taking offin Nawa district, the Afghan

Defense Ministry statementsaid.

The nine dead were allAfghan crew and soldiers whohad been on board the aircraft.

Omer Zwak, a spokesmanfor Helmand’s provincial gov-ernor, said the helicopters werecarrying wounded soldierswhen they crashed lateTuesday.

He said that over the pastweek, Taliban fighters havelaunched coordinated attacksin different parts of Helmand

province, which have intensi-fied in recent days.

Three local officials inHelmand province said thehelicopters were deployingAfghan commandos to repel aTaliban attack in Nawa district,and were evacuating woundedsoldiers on their return flight.

The Afghan officials spokeon condition of anonymitybecause they were not autho-rized to speak to the mediaabout military activities.

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Page 9: New ˆ& ˆ · 20 hours ago · Agriculture Minister nor junior Ministers were present to hear our concerns. We asked why the Minister is not meeting us, why the Government is playing

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Mumbai: Amid the jump seenin unified payment interface(UPI) transactions, a digitaleconomy professor closelyaligned with the ruling BJP onWednesday claimed that theshift to this mode has helpedIndia save over 0.10 per cent ofGDP from going out of thecountry. The uptick in trans-actions, which touched 1.8 bil-lion in September, has alsohelped the economy from an“enablement” perspective,Arvind Gupta, a professor ofdigital economy who spear-headed BJP’s national tech-nology department for threeconsecutive terms, toldreporters.

The comments come amida 10 per cent surge in UPItransactions by quantum ofmoney transacted to Rs 3.29lakh crore in September asagainst August this year, asmore people switch to digitalpayments amid the pandemic.

“From the research hatthat I wear, I can tell you thatthe initial study suggests thatjust by using UPI payments, wehave saved upwards of 0.10 percent of GDP which remainsback in the country,” Gupta saidat an event organised by thefintech Earlysalary. PTI

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India is expected to have60,000 start-ups and 100

companies with valuation ofover USD 1 billion by 2025, aTiE Global report, in associa-tion with Zinnov, released onWednesday said.

The report observed thatbusiness recovery of start-upsis back on track after the lock-down.

However, 12-15 per cent ofstart-ups are facing risk of sur-vival and a similar percentageof start-ups have closed theirbusiness.

“Despite being in thebiggest pandemic we have had,India is going to create samenumbers of unicorn in 2020 aswe did in 2018 and 2019,which is a testament of ourstrong ecosystem,” TiE Delhi-NCR president Rajan Anandansaid while sharing the findingsof the report.

“We do believe that Indiais on track to have 60,000start-up by 2025. We are wellon track to have 100 unicorns

in India by 2025,” he added.He said investments are

also on track for recovery.TiE Global is a non-prof-

it organization devoted toentrepreneurs in all industries.

There are around 38,000active start-ups, out of which 26are unicorns.

The start-up ecosystem inIndia had attracted USD 14.5billion of funding in 2019, thereport titled ‘Covid-19 and theantifragility of Indian startupecosystem’ said.

The report said start-upsare expected to create 1.5 to 1.6million jobs by 2025.

The study included most ofthe business data till the end ofFebruary and compared it withdata till the end of September,Anandan said.

According to the report,direct job creation in the start-up ecosystem will remain flatin 2020 as about 25,000 jobs inseveral sectors like hospitality,mobility, among others, havebeen lost, while a similar num-ber of jobs have been created insome sectors like edutech, com-munications, online fitness,among others, .

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All four labour codes arelikely to be implemented in

one go from April 1, the begin-ning of the next fiscal year,Labour Secretary ApurvaChandra said on Wednesday.

Parliament in its just con-cluded session passed threelabour code bills: the IndustrialRelations (IR) Code, the SocialSecurity Code, and theOccupational Safety, Healthand Working Conditions Code(OSH).

The Wage Code Bill, 2019was passed by Parliament lastyear.

Last month, LabourMinister Santosh Gangwar hadsaid that efforts would be madeto complete the labour reformsby implementing the all fourlabour codes by December thisyear.

The labour ministry hadcirculated the draft rules on theWage Code Bill last year butheld back its finalisation andimplementation. The ministrywanted to implement all thefour codes and rules underthose in one go as all of themare inter-linked.

Talking to reporters,Chandra said, “We have start-ed work on firming up draftrules of the recently passedthree labour codes inParliament. We are trying tonotify draft rules by middle ofNovember to seek feedback. Wewill give 45 days time for feed-back.”He further said that thefour codes are likely to beimplemented from April 1, withnotification of firmed-up rules.After the passage of a legislationin Parliament, it is sent for thePresident of India’s assent. Thethree codes on IR, OSH andsocial security have already gotassent of the President of India.A law comes into force afternotification of rules.

Initially, draft rules undera law is notified with a stipu-lated time period (45 days) toreceive feedback. Thereafter,these rules are finalised andimplemented for bringing thelaw into force. Chandra said thelabour ministry is expected toget the feedback on three codeson IR, OSH and social securi-ty by December-end and thusit would take some time toanalyse that for firming up therules.

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The Reserve Bank of Indiaon Wednesday launched

the latest round of its quarter-ly Order Books, Inventoriesand Capacity Utilisation Survey(OBICUS) of the manufactur-ing sector which will providevaluable inputs for monetarypolicy formulation.

“The survey (Round 51) isfor the reference period July-September 2020 (Q2:2020-21),”the central bank said in a state-ment.

The RBI has been con-ducting the OBICUS of themanufacturing sector on aquarterly basis since 2008.

The information collectedin the survey includes quanti-tative data on new ordersreceived during the referencequarter, backlog of orders at thebeginning of the quarter, pend-ing orders at the end of thequarter, and total inventorieswith a breakup between work-in-progress and finished goodsinventories. “The level ofcapacity utilisation is estimat-ed from these responses. Thesurvey provides valuable inputfor monetary policy formula-tion,” the RBI said.

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Housing and Urban AffairsSecretary Durga Shanker

Mishra on Wednesday askedstates to reduce stamp duty onregistration of properties as itwill help reduce the overall realestate cost and boost housingsales. Addressing a webinarorganised by CREDAI in col-laboration with NangiaAndersen India, Mishra saidthe government has taken var-ious measures in the past sixyears for revival of this sectorsuch as enactment of realty lawRERA.

The finance ministry aswell as the Reserve Bank ofIndia (RBI) have taken sever-al steps during the lockdown toaddress the concern of the realestate sector, he added.

“Measures taken duringthe past six years and also dur-ing the lockdown have startedshowing results,” Mishra said.

The secretary noted thatthe property registrations inMumbai, Maharashtra, haveimproved and are back to pre-COVID-19 level.

He said the Maharashtragovernment has taken a gooddecision to reduce the stampduty, and many builders havedecided to absorb the balanceto incentivise the homebuyers.

“We have also written toall the states. I am also follow-ing up with different principalsecretaries and secretaries ofthe states to see if they cancome up with such move whichwill help reduce cost,” Mishrasaid.

The secretary said thereal estate is one of the mostimportant components of theIndian economy havingimmense contribution in thecountry’s gross domestic prod-uct (GDP) and employmentgenMishra asked builders toutilise this pandemic time toretrospect and see how theycan reduce cost and adoptinnovative technologies forsustainable and inclusive devel-opment. He asked realtors toparticipate in the government’snewly launched AffordableRental Housing Complexes(ARHC) scheme for migrantworkers.

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India’s public debt ratio, whichremarkably remained stable

at around 70 per cent of theGDP since 1991, is projected tojump by 17 percentage pointsto nearly 90 per cent because ofincrease in public spendingdue to COVID-19, the IMFsaid on Wednesday.

“In our projections, theincrease in public spending, inresponse to COVID-19, andthe fall in tax revenues andeconomic activity, will makepublic debt jump up by 17 per-centage points to almost 90 percent of GDP,” Vitor Gaspar,Director of the IMF’s FiscalAffairs Department told PTI.

“Going forward it is pro-jected to stabilise in 2021,before slowly declining up tothe end of the projection peri-od, in 2025.

Broadly speaking the pat-tern of public debt in India isclose to the norm around theworld,” he said.

According to Gaspar,India’s public debt ratio hasbeen remarkably stable since1991. It is interesting to notethat the debt ratio has been sta-

ble at around 70 per cent ofGDP over the past decade, hesaid.

Responding to a questionabout his assessment of the fis-cal situation of India, Gaspersaid India has been an impor-tant source of growth in theworld since the 1991 econom-ic liberalisation reforms.

Real GDP growth aver-aged 6.5 per cent between 1991to 2019, and real GDP per capi-ta was multiplied by four overthat period. This impressivegrowth performance helpedlift millions of people out ofextreme poverty, he said.

The extreme poverty rate,measured as the proportion ofpeople whose income is lessthan USD 1.90 a day at pur-chasing power parity (the inter-national poverty line), fell from45 per cent in 1993 to 13 percent by 2015 (date of the latestfull extrapolation by the WorldBank available – last full eval-uation, based on householdsurveys, goes back to 2011), hesaid.

India achieved the millen-nium development goal ofhalving poverty by 2015 (fromits 1990 level), he said.

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Equity indices defied gravi-ty for the tenth session on

the trot on Wednesday as a fag-end rally in banking and finan-cial counters helped offset prof-it-booking in IT stocks.

The 30-share BSE Sensexopened on a weak note butgained ground in the last hourof trade to finish at 40,794.74,up 169.23 points or 0.42 percent.

Similarly, the broader NSENifty rose 36.55 points or 0.31per cent to 11,971.05.

Bajaj Finserv led the Sensexgainers chart, spurting 3.87per cent, followed by BajajFinance, ICICI Bank, IndusIndBank, SBI, Tata Steel, AxisBank, L&T and HDFC.

On the other hand, NTPC,ONGC, PowerGrid, TechMahindra, Infosys, ITC andHCL Tech were among themajor laggards, dropping up to4.35 per cent.

Announcing its resultspost market hours, Infosys said

its consolidated net profit grewby 20.5 per cent to Rs 4,845crore for the September quar-ter, while it has raised revenueforecast to 2-3 per cent forFY21.

“Initially, the benchmarkindices opened in red on theback of unsupportive globalcues. Besides, the news of IMFlowering its growth forecast forIndia for the second time infour months was also weighingon the sentiment.

However, a sudden surgemainly in the banking andfinancial counters changed thetone and helped Nifty to pareall its losses and close near11,970 levels. On the flip side,IT, oil and gas and power trad-ed subdued.

“The rebound is on theexpected lines and we expectfurther surge ahead.Participants should keep aclose watch on earningsannouncements as well as glob-al markets for cues. We reiter-ate our view to maintain extracaution in the selection oftrades due to limited partici-pation and prevailing volatili-ty,” said Ajit Mishra, VP -Research, Religare Broking.

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With the gradual lifting oflockdown restrictions,

housing demand in the July-September quarter improvedand the sale of residential prop-erties increased by around 38per cent during the period inDelhi-National Capital Region,according to a JLL report.

A total of 3,112 housingunits were sold during theperiod under review, com-pared to 2,250 units sold in theApril-June quarter.

As per the report, most ofthis traction was witnessed inNoida, which contributed near-ly 48 per cent to the overallsales, as it caters to all price seg-ments. Noida was followed byGhaziabad constituting 31 percent of the sales and it mainlycaters to the mid and affordablesegments.

Gurugram accounted fornearly one-fifth of the overallsales during this quarter.

“The quarter saw a prefer-ence for ready-to-move-in pro-jects by reputed developers.The affordable and mid seg-ment projects garnered moreinterest from the homebuyers

as compared to high-end andluxury projects,” it said.

The emerging corridors ofsuburban markets such asNoida-Greater NoidaExpressway, Golf CourseExtension Road and DwarkaExpressway in Gurugram con-tinue to drive sales on theback of expected augmentationin physical and social infra-structure in these markets.

Given the current busi-ness environment, developersexercised restraint and cautionin launching new projects, JLLsaid.

Three projects werelaunched during the thirdquarter in the region, two inGurugram and one in Noida.

“While the launches werein high-end and upper midsegments in Gurugram, theproject in Noida catered to themid segment buyers,” thereport said.

Real estate developers con-tinue to focus on offloading theexisting unsold inventory andcompleting the projects underconstruction. Prices remainedrange-bound across most of thesubmarkets within Delhi-NCRduring the quarter.

The Hon’ble Union Ministerof Rural Development, Shri

Narendra Singh Tomar, waspresented the final dividendcheque of �97.52 crore for theyear 2019-20, by Shri M.Nagaraj, Director (CorporatePlanning) HUDCO.

Present on the occasion wereShri Nagendra Nath Sinha,

Secretary MoRD, Shri D.Guhan, Director (Finance)HUDCO and other senior offi-cials.

The Ministry of RuralDevelopment with a 20.73%

share holding has received atotal dividend of �128.65crore.

In its Golden Jubilee year,HUDCO has made an all-timehigh dividend payout of 31%amounting to �620.59 crore forthe year 2019-20.

HUDCO also paid divi-dend of �428.68 crore toMinistry of Housing and UrbanAffair (MoHUA), and �63.26core to public shareholders.

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The rupee managed to pareintra-day losses to settle

higher by a marginal 4 paiseat 73.31 against the US dol-lar on Wednesday, trackingupbeat Asian peers and latebuying in domestic equities.

At the interbank forexmarket, the rupee traded in anarrow range. It opened at73.39 against the US dollarand hit an intra-day high of73.28 and a low of 73.47. TheIndian currency finally settledfor the day at 73.31 againstthe greenback, higher by 4paise over its previous closeof 73.35 - logging its first gainin three days. The dollarindex, which gauges thegreenback’s strength against abasket of six currencies, fell0.06 per cent to 93.47.

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The COVID-19 pandemic continues toprove to be a tough time for everyone,

especially the frontline workers. The policedepartment has been faced with grave chal-lenges as they continue to provide assistanceand protect citizens on a round-the-clockbasis. While many are undergoing treatmentafter contracting the Coronavirus, many havesuccumbed to the health crisis while on duty.

During the lockdown, Diana Pentyextended a helping hand to police authori-ties in Byculla todistribute essen-tial equipment tokeep health risksat bay. With theaim to providethem with handsanitisers and eye-wear, she came upwith The KhakiProject initiative.In associationwith SalaamB o m b a yFoundation, theactor has raisedmore than �17lakh to providesafety essentials to 5,800 police personnelacross 34 police stations in Mumbai.

Taking to Instagram, she announced thedevelopment. Thanking everyone for theirsupport in raising the amount, she wrote,“Thank you from every corner of my heartto each and everyone of you for your gener-ous contribution towards The Khaki Project.Your love and support is what kept us going.A special shout-out to Salaam BombayFoundation for all the assistance in makingthis happen. More power to you guys. We aretruly grateful for all the things we couldaccomplish with your kindness.”

As the war against the pandemic contin-ues, Diana’s noble gestures have surelyinspired many across the nation to do theirbit to help those working who are tirelesslyworking on the frontline.

�What would you say about the LotusMake-up India Fashion Week (LMIFW)2020 under the shadow of theCoronavirus pandemic? How is it differ-ent?

The India Fashion Week has alwaysbeen a wonderful affair. However, this year,it has been a learning experience as wellas a challenging one for all of us. Therestricted movement and social distancinghas given the industry a new format — adigital space with grand virtual sets andimmersive technologies that will surelybuild a bridge between the physical anddigital spaces. At ‘Ashima Leena’ (AL), wehave been working meticulously to createour collection and have re-engineered ourworkspace where social distancing and allsafety guidelines are being followed.

LMIFW 2020 is different in manyaspects. There are more details this time.The digital presentation helps a brand toconvey a story and also becomes accessi-ble to a wider audience, increasing thereach of brands as well as designers.

�What were the underlying challengeswhile holding a grand show like thisonline?

Well, what poses itself as a challengetoday becomes a norm tomorrow. Curatinga grand show like this online for the firsttime was certainly very challenging.However, with the supportive and hard-working team of the FDCI, the entire expe-rience has been creaseless. As we were try-ing to adapt to using technology to show-case our designs, it also became moreinspiring to watch how the show came tolife with various added elements — visu-als, music, videography — all in sync to cre-ate the magic for us. With key elements inmind that tell the story of Ashima Leenasuch as styling, jewellery, choreography andmake-up, we have created our digital showthat showcases ‘the art of textile crafting’with signature AL styles.

�What do you think is the new face offashion?

The new face of fashion is definitelydigital. New formats have been re-imag-ined, the entire concept of fashion is beingrevisited due to the pandemic. I believewith less physical contact, the best way toreach out to our customers is online.

�What have you brought to the table thistime? Can you take us through your col-

lection?This collection is a tribute to the skilled

craftsmen and weavers of our rich textileindustry who are struggling for theirlivelihood today. We have been workingwith them for the last three decades. Theunseen hands of the weavers who haveworked relentlessly for decades togetherhave helped bring the brand where it is

today. Their support has truly beenimmeasurable.

This showcase of our CoutureCollection 2020 is titled, Umme Rabab,which represents the serenity and the divin-ity of a woman, who is known for her beau-ty, eloquence and wisdom. She proved tobe the epitome of a modern maharani(queen), who is strong-willed and dedicat-

ed but doused in softness and femininity.The collection combines delicate handembroidery in the form of meticulouslycurated textiles with classic AL Maharanisilhouettes. Through our interpretation, weaspire to reflect a poetic flow in volume,layers and impeccable garment construc-tion, which characterises the unique beau-ty of Umme Rabab.

The art of textile crafting is the signa-ture style of my label. It’s a magical mix ofdifferent kinds of weaves put together tocreate breathtaking patterns. The collectioncomprises of re-interpreted, lengthenedjackets that can be worn with any of theclassic silhouettes, peplums, circular lehen-gas, appliqué delicate sarees with jewelledtassels with chanderi and brocade-wovenOdhni along with antique gold fabrics. Wehave used a million tiny hand-embroideredbeads and intricately-appliquéd brocadesthat highlight our legacy of fine craftsman-ship. Our brilliant selection of hues trans-form texture into a chromatic scale of mag-ical colours, exuding an old-world charm.Mustard, muted turmeric, soft dusky pink,ivory, pomegranate red, iron black, beat-en gold, bold pinks, deep emerald, sand-like beige are some of the shades whichcome together to create the colour paletteof this diverse collection.

The fabric has a blend of many huesand colours, which renders an inimitableuniqueness to the outfits. The collection hasinterplays of dexterous applique workwith brocade fabrics, delicate French knotsand detailed zardozi embroidery.

�Given a massive crisis like this year, howdo you think the fashion industry can bebetter prepared to face such challengesin the future?

Today, as the world is learning to livein new ways, there are many who are strug-gling and trying to cope with the changesthis pandemic has brought to all our lives.One of the most affected sections has beenof the karigars (craftsworkers) and weaversof our country. We are now supportingthem in every possible way. We stand insolidarity with them during these toughtimes. There are millions of looms acrossIndia that are engaged in weaving cotton,silk and other natural fibers to bring outthe traditional beauty of India’s spectacu-lar heritage. Many generations of weavershave been dependent on this art of weav-ing and for decades it has provided liveli-hood to their families. Weavers and spe-cialised textile craftsmen of our countryhave helped in keeping alive Indian her-itage with various techniques of weavingand textile crafting. As we face challenges,we are also given an opportunity to rein-vent and reimagine new and improvedways of working. I feel whenever there willbe a challenge or such an obstacle, we willfind ways again to face them and to workaround them as it is imperative to supportone another in difficult times like these.

(The show is scheduled on October 16.)

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In 2007, as part of the CommonwealthGames 2010 planning, it had been

proposed that a road be built throughwhat we now know as Sunder Nurseryto connect Lodhi Road with RingRoad. While urban infrastructure is nota bad thing, this would have been amonumental folly, thankfully manyconservationists and the media, ThePioneer among them opposed thisplan. Instead in 2010, the Aga KhanTrust, the Archeological Survey ofIndia, the Central Public WorksDepartment (CPWD, which actuallyruns the ‘nursery’ bit) and other gov-

ernmental and non-governmental agen-cies began work on Phase-3 of the renew-al of the Nizamuddin area. This has start-ed with Humayun’s Tomb and adjoiningareas but this phase dramaticallyimproved the 90 acres of land at SunderNursery, the eventual plan being to cre-ate parks and green areas totalling 900acres in the heart of the capital.

In 2018, Vice-President ofIndia M Venkaiah Naidudedicated the park tothe citizens of thecity.

Today, the park is open from earlymorning to early evening not just forwalkers and joggers but also for thosekeen on buying plants and saplings fortheir homes. Indeed, Azim Bagh as thearea was known was a green space thatwas converted by the British into a nurs-ery to grow the trees that would line the

r o a d s

of the new capital being built. All theJamun trees that line Lutyens Delhi’sboulevards started their lives as saplingsat Sunder Nursery. It is also home toseveral species of trees uniquely foundjust there, and any budding arborist willfind the area fascinating to visit and dis-cover trees such as the Pink Cedar. Theflower gardens are also stunningthrough the years. And many of thetrees, flowering plants and even Bonsaiplants are available to the public fromthe CPWD nursery at prices muchlower than that of the myriad privatenurseries in Delhi. Buy plants andsaplings above �500 and your parkingfees of �75 are reimbursed.

One of the other major parts of theredevelopment completed two yearsago was the restoration of severalMughal-era buildings, gardens andtombs. The Sunder Burj, SunderwalaMahal and the Lakharwala Gumbad arejust some examples, making SunderNursery a great place to learn historyand with the fantastic Humayun’sTomb a short walk away, an outingthere should make it more fun for anybudding historian.

The Hyundai Venue Sport wedrove to Sunder Nursery is the perfectfamily vehicle for an outing to such anamazing site, not only has the VenueSport fit in a family comfortably, but itslarge boot means that you could also

buy a large number of saplings totake home and make your

house and Delhi agreener space as

well.

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The Director(Operations), Power

Grid Corporation ofIndia Limited, SeemaGupta, has beendeclared the winner ofGold Stevie® award in theLifetime Achievement— Business category inthe 17th annual StevieAwards for Women inBusiness.

The award honourswomen executives, entre-preneurs, employees andthe companies they runworldwide. For this year,the gold, silver and bronze award win-ners were determined by the averagescores of more than 180 business pro-fessionals around the world, working onseven juries.

The jury, while recommendingSeema’s name for the award, was allpraise for her lifetime achievements ina key industry usually dominated by men

and for demonstratingher leadership calibreby sustained excellencein her area of work. Thejury noted that hercareer and achieve-ments showed dedica-tion and determina-tion. She could becomea role model for thewomen in engineeringfield.

The award will bepresented to Seemaduring a virtual awardsceremony scheduled onDecember 9, 2020.

This global recognition is yet anoth-er achievement in Seema’s career. She hasbeen earlier conferred with SpecialCommendation Award for OutstandingWomen Manager in Public SectorEnterprises by the President in 2017 andwas adjudged as the Best Contributor atthe ITOMS 2018 Conference inMalaysia.

Life Insurance Corporationof India’s resilient and

quick response in meeting theexpectations of the marketand the people has brought itexemplary results in the cur-rent financial year.

In the half year of 2020-21, LIC has achieved morethan �25000 crore in first yearpremium income inIndividual New Business per-formance as on September 30,2020 as compared to�24867.70 crore as on Sept 30last year. Under its JeevanShanti plan, LIC collected�11456.41 crore as first yearpremium as on Sept 30, 2020.ULIP Business of LIC is alsodoing well this year.

As on Sept 30, 2020 thecompany sold 16844 policieswith a premium of �128.63crore as compared to 12940policies sold during the sameperiod last year.

LIC Pension and Group

Schemes Vertical collected�62,112.27 crore as GroupSchemes New BusinessPremium Income as on Sept30, 2020.

The corporation’s com-posite market share in num-ber of policies and first yearpremium is 67.82 per centand 70.57 per cent respective-ly for Q2.

It has also declared abonus of more than �51,000crore for its policyholders.

Due to heightened aware-ness about need of risk coverthe policy surrenders havereduced drastically.

The company had invest-ed more than �2,60,000 crorethis year in debt and equity (ason Sept 30 as compared to�244931 crore invested lastyear during the same period.It has already booked morethan �15000 crore as profitsin the capital market this fis-cal so far.

Market power has started chang-ing with the passage of time.

Malls and shopping centres wereonce a boon but in the changingenvironment, products made inhomes have started to gain afoothold in the market.

Many NGOs and local peopleset up their market near Swarnagriwith similar products. Giving infor-mation on the concept of TheNature’s Market, Smita Mittal saidthat she felt that Greater Noida is apromising city and is ready forSunday market. There are variouspeople who display their organicfarms and small businesses. Localproducers look for a platform toexpand. So we all like-minded peo-ple decided to join hands.

What started as a small groupconversation on WhatsApp hasnow become a thing for residentsof this place. The stalls at NatureMarket offered Bilona Ghee, bio-enzyme fertilisers, plant items,Kadaknath eggs, pickles, raw honey,kullu, books and many other hand-made items. The shopping processgrew more exciting with fresh litti-chokha and idli sambar. AditiSharma, from the Little MunniFoundation, said that such a mar-ket is a new ray of hope for peoplebattling the pandemic. She told thatthe market will take place everySunday. People were invited toencourage local crafts and directfarming.

The COVID-19 pandemichas largely hit the State ofOdisha. Many organisa-

tions and individuals have comeforward to supplement the gov-ernment’s efforts to deal with theemergent situation. KalingaInstitute of IndustrialTechnology (KIIT),Bhubaneswar, and its sister insti-tution Kalinga Institute of SocialSciences (KISS), under the lead-ership of its founder-professorAchyuta Samanta, have alsobeen taking a series of initiativessince the beginning of theCoronavirus outbreak and havebeen at the forefront of Odisha’swar against the virus.

Kalinga Institute of MedicalSciences (KIMS), a constituentof KIIT Deemed to beUniversity, also set up fourultra-modern dedicated toCOVID hospitals with the sup-port of the Government ofOdisha, located in Bhubaneswarand its three tribal-dominateddistricts. The hospitals have abed capacity of 1,200. KIMSCOVID Hospital inBhubaneswar, a 500-beddedstate-of-the-art facility including50 critical care beds, is India’sfirst standalone COVID hospi-tal.

The KIIT & KISS alsoreached out to various groupsfacing hardships due to theextended lockdown. The inter-vention included the distribu-tion of food material and otheressentials to over three lakh pan-demic-hit people, including theunderprivileged people living invarious slums, stranded migrantlabourers, who were also provid-ed temporary shelter, and peo-ple living in containment zones.

Community outreach activ-

ities of KIIT & KISS strived toreach the hardest-hit and com-monly overlooked people —transgenders, sportspersons,physically-challenged, sex work-ers, etc. They were provided withallowances to cope with the pro-longed lockdown. Food materi-als and cash to meet otherexpenses for three months weregiven to priests and other work-ers of several spiritual centres inBhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri andnearby towns. The two institu-tions are providing groceries andcash for miscellaneous expens-es to over 40 orphanages, old-agehomes and leprosy centres inKandhamal district.

The student community isone of the worst-affected groupsin the COVID-19 pandemic.KISS is home to 30,000 tribalstudents from interior districtsof Odisha pursuing their stud-ies from Standard-I to PG/PhDlevel. Days before the outbreak,they were sent to their respec-tive homes in various districts ofOdisha. As the students stayedinside their homes, KISS sent outrequired study material andgenerous amount of dry foodsat their doorstep every month,since April. The monthly mate-rial also contain sanitary napkinsfor the adolescent girls. The ini-tiative will continue till the

reopening of KISS.A series of measures to

keep its students safe and healthyas well as ensuring that theyremain connected to studieswas also ensured. ProfessorSamanta, who has always put theeducation of these tribal studentsabove everything else, arrangedfor the textbooks, study materi-als and dried food items to beprovided at the students'doorsteps at the start of the newacademic year. KISS was one ofthe early institutes to beginonline classes and has beenmaintaining the academicschedule perfectly for studentsof all levels.

Inspired by the PrimeMinister’s call for ‘AtmanirbharBharat’ (self-reliant India), KISShas levelled up its vocational skillcentre during the COVID-19pandemic. The centre has beenscaled up to become a medium-sized industry and is now mak-ing 25 different types of voca-tional products. These productsare marketted through well-developed distribution chan-nel, besides fulfilling the in-house requirement of KIIT &KISS. The sale proceeds fromthe centre are expected to make

KISS self-reliant in the comingtimes.

In a unique humanitariangesture, KIIT Deemed to beUniversity has decided to pro-vide free education to the chil-dren of the COVID deceased inOdisha. The facility will beavailable for two academicyears — 2020-21 and 2021-22.

KIIT & KISS also paidspecial attention to the orphanchildren, belonging to thepoorer sections of society, whoare vulnerable to become vic-tims of child abuse and humantrafficking. The institutes haveadopted and are taking care ofabout 100 such orphans andproviding them monthlyallowance ranging from �5,000to �10,000, depending uponthe family size. As and whenthe academic institutionsreopen, they will be providedfree education and subsequent-ly complete higher education inthe institutes.

It’s professor Samanta’s per-sonal childhood experience ofhunger and poverty after hisfather’s demise at the age offour, which makes him workharder for the society’s under-privileged children.

�What are the major activities of the OBCMorcha?

The OBC Morcha is now emerged as amajor force to protect and secure the rights ofpeople from Backward Communities. That wasthe cause of its birth too. In Kerala, there hasbeen a great negligence towards this issue dueto the changing governments. There are manyschemes and governing bodies establishedover the time to benefit them, but they neverreally got benefitted. It’s because our system isnot working properly towards their facilities butonly their votes. This has to be changed. AndOBC Morcha is working to bring that change.

�Government of India has brought out sev-eral schemes to uplift the backward class com-munity. Is OBC Morcha creating awareness onthis?

Yes. In Kerala, those schemes has been sub-verted by other parties. OBC Morcha sees it asa mission to create awareness on schemes. Thishas become the need of the hour.

�There has been a loss of lives and employ-ment and the backward classes have been theworst-affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.Are you helping them in any way?

Backward classes are certainly the worst-affected. Many families have been rendered pen-niless. Many lives and jobs have been lost. That’swhy OBC Morcha has come up with a specialmission to take care of the affected people inthe community.

We believe in ‘Seva Hi Sangathan’ (serviceis organisation). And with that motto, inThrissur, thousands of families were providedwith food kits by OBC Morcha during the lock-down. When online education began, we start-ed to supply tablets and TVs to students frompoor families. And we are still continuing this.Timely intervention in matters related to thebackward communities is now getting resultstoo.

�Many people are trying to set up their ownbusinesses but the pandemic has hit themhugely. Do you plan to put forward anyschemes for saving such business and there-by people?

The central government led by NarendraModi ji has already announced many schemesto save these businesses, especially those underMSME sectors. The major need is to createawareness on these schemes and help them toget benefits out of them.

�What about the students who don’t haveaccess to smartphones or technology? How areyou helping them stay connected with educa-tion during these times?

The OBC Morcha has come up with mis-sion to supply gadgets to those who have nofacilities for online education.

�What is your solution to the growing pover-ty and suffering amid the pandemic?

There is no single solution for this. TheGovernment of India is working hard and tak-ing measures to help people in the crisis. Wehave to remain positive and work for a brighterfuture. The need of the hour is fighting awaythe pandemic. But for that, all the guidelinesfrom government must be followed.

�Do you think OBC Morcha can become anumbrella to cater to all the backward classesof the State?

Why not? Yes, it may. We are workingtowards a great goal of emancipation of back-ward communities from the clutches of negli-gence and discrimination. There is no compro-mise on that. Recently, we took an initiative tobring the Kumhara community (potters’ com-munity) in Kerala on a single platform to findsolution for their problems. They are in crisiswhile lockdown and pandemic has almost pavedthe way to death for this small industry. Now,the OBC Morcha has taken up their issues tocreate a good platform to revive this.

Perambalur MP andChancellor of SRM Institute

of Science & Technology, Dr TR Paarivendhar, who hadpromised to give free educationto 300 deserving students fromhis constituency in the SRMGroup of colleges, has complet-ed the promise this year.

In 2019, around the elec-tions, Paarivendhar had giventhis assurance to the people ofhis constituency. And after hiswin by over four lakh votes, heimmediately fulfilled his pollpromise. A total of 300 studentswere recently given free educa-tion in the colleges under theSRM ambit. This year, too,1,084 students had applied forfree education. Out of them,300 have been selected basedon their marks and the finan-cial situation of their respectivefamilies.

Apart from putting theirnames on the SRM website, aformal invitation will be sent tothe students individually, whowill then be pursuing educationin engineering, agriculture,arts and science as per theirpreferences.

Paarivendhar has also beentaking up various issues of hisconstituency with both thePrime Minister and the ChiefMinister of the State. He metPrime Minister Narendra Modi

on March 18, 2020, to talkabout the various needs of thePerambalur constituency.

Among the issues were theneed for a railway line viaA r i y a l u r - P e r a m b a l u r -Thuraiyur-Namakkal. He alsotook up the issue with RailwayMinister Piyush Goyal, whowrite to Paarivendhar that thefirst survey for the railway linewill be taken up shortly.

With Chief MinisterEdappadi Palanisamy, thePerambalur MP took up theissues of railway bridge atKulithalai-Manapparai, bring-ing residual Cauvery waterthrough a canal to Panjapattilake, setting up KendriyaVidyalayas in Lalgudi andKulithalai, and establishingcold storage facilities to helpsmall-scale onion farmers inThuraiyur and Perambalur.

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Kings XI Punjab will be hoping thatChris Gayle fires on his much-

awaited return and they, for once, putup a complete performance in theirmust-win game against a high-flyingRoyal Challengers Bangalore here onThursday.

The inability to producean all-round show and closeout games they should havewon has led to KXIP losing sixout of their seven matches.

But KXIP can take con-fidence from the fact theironly win in the tournament hascome against RCB, who look a muchmore potent squad since their lastmeeting on September 24.

Though the Sharjah wicket hasbeen slowing gradually, the smallerground dimensions are ideal forsomeone like Gayle to go on a six-hit-ting spree.

However, it certainly won’t be easyfor the 41-year-old to get going fromball one, having not played earlier inthe competition.

He would have played thelast two games but could not dueto food poisoning. Havingrecovered fully, it will be inter-esting to see who he replacesin the side.

Benching a yet tofire Glenn Maxwell isone option or theteam can bring Gayleat the expense of anoverseas bowler andreplace him with theavailable Indian talent.

KXIP are languish-ing at the bottom of thetable despite having thetop-two leading run-gettersof the tournament in skipperK L Rahul (387 at strike rateof 134.84) and his opening

partner Mayank Agarwal (337 at48.14).

Barring Mohammad Shami andRavi Bishnoi, none of the bowlershave inspired confidence, especiallyin the death overs.

Not being able to find the rightbalance despite trying out manyoptions has also contributed to KXIP’s

rapid slide.They run into a RCB

squad which has grownin confidence by leapsand bounds since theirlast meeting.

For the first time inmany years, they seem to have fixedtheir bowling woes.

Their spin pairing of WashingtonSundar and Yuzvendra Chahal hasproved very effective and the pacedepartment has strengthened withthe return of Chris Morris frominjury.

“Playing such a side (with thelikes of Gayle, Rahul and Agarwal) ina stadium like Sharjah is definitely notgoing to be easy. It’s going to be a bit

challenging but I will definelty domy homework heading to thematch,” Sundar said on the eve ofthe match.

RCB’s last game against KKRwas also on this ground, so

they come into the matchmore aware of the grad-ually changing condi-

tions than KXIP, whoplayed here last onSeptember 27 whenthe surface wasmuch better to bat

on.With Aaron Finch

back among the runsagainst KKR, RCB’s top-four (including DevduttPadikkal, Virat Kohli andAB de Villiers) can be a

nightmare for any team.

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MATCHES 25ROYAL CHALLENGERS 12KINGS XI PUNJAB 13

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���"�� Former captainMisbah-ul-Haq on Wednesdaysaid he will be stepping down asPakistan’s chief selector nextmonth to focus on his role ashead coach of the national crick-et team.

Misbah told a media brief-ing in Lahore that he hasinformed the Pakistan CricketBoard (PCB) that he would bestepping down as chief selectoron November 30. He took up thedual role of chief selector andhead coach in September lastyear.

“I will select the squad forthe coming series againstZimbabwe but after that I justwant to focus on my work ashead coach,” he said.

Misbah insisted that he had

not quit as chief selector becauseof pressure from the board.

“No, it is purely my ownpersonal decision and I took itbecause I think it is not easydoing two high profile jobs atone time. I want to give my bestas head coach of the nationalteam. “Whoever is appointed aschief selector, I will fully coop-erate with him and work to takethe Pakistan team into the topthree of every format,” Misbahsaid.

Misbah said with time heunderstood that it would be pos-sible to give his best only to onerole. “When I accepted bothpositions I thought I couldmanage it but with time I thinkit is better for me to focus on onejob.” PTI

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It was October 2010 whenIndia hosted the 19th edition

of Commonwealth Games inDelhi where more than 4,352athletes from 71 nations partic-ipated in 21 sports and 272events. The event was a big hitbut also had a fair share of con-troversies and one such was theunderpayment of various offi-cials hired on contractual basisfor various events during the 11-day sporting extravaganza. Andone such was Delhi-basedVikram Nayar who worked as asports announcer for the full-bore shooting event.

But even 10 years after theconclusion of Games where hewas hired for �4500 per day for11 days, he is still fighting in

hope to get his dues cleared,only a part of which he isprovided till date.

Speaking to ThePioneer about his decade-old struggle, Nayar said “Iwas hired as a sportsannouncer and theamount of �4500 per daywas promised to me formy services during theentire duration. HoweverI wasn’t provided withany contract documentand that’s why as soon asthe games were done, I

was sidelined and no paymentwas made for my services.”

He was offered only one-fifth of the total money that wasoriginally promised and that tooafter 15 months after wide-spread media coverage.

“I had received my part pay-ment of �10,500 after a gap of 15months. They had no intentionto make any payment but afterthe story about nonpaymentgot published in one of the lead-ing newspapers they had to doso. And since that day onwards,I have been fighting my battle forthe recovery of my balance andjustice till date, said Nayar, whowas selected as a sportsannouncer after clearing fiverounds of auditions.

In this long decade-old bat-tle to get justice, Nayar hasspent more than six times themoney that he is originally sup-posed to receive from the Gamesfederation and knocked doors ofvarious Government officialsbut all resulted in vain. But heis still hopeful that one day thetruth shall prevail and he will gethis dues sorted.

���� �Neymar scored a hat-trick to become the sec-ond highest scorer in Brazil’s history as the CopaAmerica champions won 4-2 away to 10-man Peruin a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday.

The goals took Neymar to 64 internationalstrikes, two more than Ronaldo but still well behindPele’s record of 77.

Peru twice took the lead through Andre Carrilloand a heavily deflected strike from Renato Tapia, buttwo controversial Neymar penalties, an injury timethird and a close range strike from Richarlison main-tained the Selecao’s winning start to qualifying forQatar 2022.

Elsewhere, Joaquin Correa scored the winner 11minutes from time as Argentina labored to a 2-1 vic-tory over Bolivia to maintain their 100% record aftertwo matches. While Ecuador totallydominated Uruguay in a 4-2 victory.

Luis Suarez scored his record-extending 61st and 62nd goals forUruguay with a pair of late penalties thatwere no more than a consolation.

Radamel Falcao scored aninjury time equaliser asColombia salvaged a point ina 2-2 draw in Chile.

Jefferson Lerma gaveColombia an early lead butChile turned the match inQuito around by half-timewith strikes from ArturoVidal and Alexis Sanchez.

Gaston Gimenez scored alate winner before goalkeeperAnthony Silva saved a penaltyfrom Yangel Herrera asParaguay won 1-0 inVenezuela. AFP

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Joachim Löw’s 14-year reign asGermany head coach is under

threat after his side’s run of poorresults continued on Tuesday asthey had to come from twogoals down to limp to a 3-3 drawagainst Switzerland in theNations League.

Germany have drawn four oftheir last five games — surren-dering the lead on three occa-sions — to leave them second intheir Nations League groupbehind Spain.

They squeezed past Ukraine2-1 with a full-strength side inKiev on Saturday and after a 3-3 friendly home draw againstTurkey last Wednesday, Löw’sside were once again guilty ofpoor defending.

The 60-year-old Löw has aGerman FA contract until the2022 World Cup.

However, his popularityamong German fans has plum-meted, from the heights of win-ning the 2014 World Cup title,since Germany’s debacle at Russia2018 finals when they failed toget out of their group.

The draw with the Swiss willonly enhance the domestic crit-icism of Low from key nameswithin German football such asLothar Matthaeus and BastianSchweinsteiger.

Dinamo Zagreb striker

Mario Gavranovic scored goalseither side of a deft chip by RemoFreuler as all three Swiss goalscame from German mistakes.

Germany fought backbehind closed doors with goalsby Timo Werner, his Chelseateam-mate Kai Havertz and SergeGnabry.

SPAIN GO DOWNIn other games, Substitute

Viktor Tsygankov’s strike gaveUkraine a surprise 1-0 win overgoal-shy Spain in their clash inKiev. The 22-year-old DynamoKiev player had not long beenthrown into the fray by coachAndriy Shevchenko when helatched onto AndriyYarmolenko’s superb throughball and fired past an exposedDavid de Gea in the 76th minute.

It was a shock result afterSpain — who had not lost sinceNovember 2018 — won 4-0when the sides met in Madridjust last month, and Ukraine arenow only a point behind LuisEnrique’s team in League A,Group 4.

Elsewhere, San Marino arethe perennial whipping boys ofinternational football but onTuesday they were able to cele-brate claiming their first point insix years thanks to a 0-0 draw inLiechtenstein.

Goalkeeper SimoneBenedettini was the hero for SanMarino as he kept their first cleansheet since a goalless draw athome to Estonia in a EuropeanChampionship qualifier inNovember 2014, and their firstever clean sheet away from home.

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Andy Murray suffered another first-round elimination, this time at the

Cologne Indoors at the hands of out-of-form veteran Fernando Verdasco.

Verdasco exploited Murray’s fragileserve to win 6-4, 6-4 in a match which fin-ished after midnight German time.Verdasco, at 36 one of the few players olderthan the 33-year-old Murray in the tour-nament, broke Murray’s serve four times— once to love and three times to 15.

Murray lost in the second round of theUS Open and in the first round of theFrench Open. He used wild cards for bothof those Grand Slam tournaments andagain in Cologne for his first loss on anindoor hard court since the 2015 tourfinals.

Verdasco ended a four-match losingrun going back to January in the AustralianOpen and will take on top-seededAlexander Zverev in the second round afterthe German player had a bye in the firstround.

Eighth-seeded Croatian Marin Cilichad to dig deep to avoid a first-round elim-ination as he beat Marcos Giron 6-2, 4-6,6-3.

Another British player was eliminatedas Kyle Edmund lost a tight match 7-5, 7-6 (1) to big-serving South African LloydHarris, who hit eight aces.

The second-seeded Roberto BautistaAgut will take on Gilles Simon in the sec-ond round after the veteran French play-er swept past Marton Fucsovics 6-0, 6-3.Bautista Agut has a first-round bye.

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Ace Indian shuttler KidambiSrikanth on Wednesday out-

classed England’s Toby Penty instraight games to enter theDenmark Open second roundhere and likened his return tointernational badminton after acoronavirus-forced hiatus to “anadventure”.

The former world numberone, who had claimed four SuperSeries titles in 2017, beat Toby 21-12, 21-18 in 37 minutes, as thesport finally got going after aseven-month-long break.

“I started off well, but he wasgood in the second game. I’mplaying after a long time. It’s likean adventure. This situation issomething new. I’ve never beenaway for this long, and I’m happywith the way it went,” he told

BWF.The fifth seed will next face

Canada’s Jason Anthony Ho-Shue, who defeated India’sSubhankar Dey 21-13, 21-8 in alop-sided contest.

Former world No 13 AjayJayaram also couldn’t cross theopening hurdle, going down 12-21, 14-21 to world No 3 AndersAntonsen of Denmark in 37

minutes. Srikanth and LakshyaSen are now the only survivingIndians in the competition.

Lakshya has already reachedthe second round with a straightgame win over Christo Popov onTuesday. He will face Hans-Kristian Solberg Vittinghus ofDenmark in the next round.

Srikanth said it will takesome time for him to find his best,given the circumstances.

“The last time I played was atthe All England where I lost in thefirst round, so I’ve not had muchof match practice. But I think I’mslowly getting back,” said theworld No 14 Indian.

“It will definitely take sometime, as there are no tournamentsafter this one. There will be apause in the season, so it mighttake time to get used to matchfeeling.”

Cape Town: South Africa is in dan-ger of being banned from internation-al cricket after its Government onWednesday said that it intended tointervene in the affairs of the sport’snational body following revelations ofserious misconduct by senior officials.

The statement from sports min-ister Nathi Mthethwa said he hadinformed the International CricketCouncil of the intended action. TheICC’s constitution forbidsGovernment interference and thepunishment is normally a ban frominternational games for the country’steams until the national cricket bodyis operating independently again.

The tension between the SouthAfrican Government and CSA relatesto a long-running investigation intothe affairs of the cricket body, whichresulted in the firing of CEO ThabangMoroe for serious misconduct. AP

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DC DOUBLE UP ON ROYALS �� � �� ��

Flavour of the season RahulTewatia didn’t prove to bethird time lucky in what

turned out to be an incredibledeath overs performance by theDelhi Capitals pace attack intheir 13-run victory in an IPLgame on Wednesday.

Anrich Nortje (2/33) wasbreathtakingly fast bowling inthe mid 150 kmph with toe-crushing yorkers while KagisoRabada’s (1/28) internationalexperience proved to be puregold dust leaving rookie TusharDeshpande (2/37) to defend 21runs in his debut IPL game,which he did with elan.

The result was RajasthanRoyals finishing on 148 for 8chasing Delhi Capitals’ parscore of 161 for 7 as Tewatiacouldn’t hit the troika ofRabada, Nortje and Deshpandeat all.

Royals lost the plot in thelast five overs partly due to self-ish approach from senior play-er Robin Uthappa (32 off 27balls), who needlessly ran-outa genuine match-winner RiyanParag.

While skipper Shreyas Iyer’sshoulder injury would keepCapitals on tenterhooks, 12points from 8 games will keepthem in good stead as they lookto quickly clinch a play-offplace. Rajasthan Royals with 6points from 8 games stay in sev-enth place and are in danger ofmissing another play-offs.

While DC were splendid atthe death, it was RavichandranAshwin’s artistry during theback 10 with clever variationsof pace and flight that brought

Delhi back in the game. Ashwinfinished with figures of 1 for 17and bowled 10 dot balls out ofhis 24 balls — on par with theever-improving Nortje.

Earlier Shikhar Dhawanand skipper Iyer hit stroke-filledhalf-centuries but DelhiCapitals lost momentumtowards the end to be restrict-ed to 161 for seven after optingto bat first.

The last five overs of theDelhi Capitals innings yieldedonly 32 runs and they lost fourwickets, an indication how theymissed Rishabh Pant andShimron Hetmyer.

DC had a disastrous start toits innings after opting to bat asit lost Prithvi Shaw off the firstball of the match with a gem ofa delivery from Jofra Archer(3/19) that jagged back in after

pitching and crashed into themiddle stump after getting aninside edge.

To make matters worse forDC, Ajinkya Rahane was holedout to Robin Uthappa offArcher at mid-on an over later.

But then skipper Iyer (53off 43) joined hands withDhawan (57 off 33) and the duoinitially played cautiously beforeopening up to take DC forward.

They shared 85 runs for thethird wicket off 55 balls to keepDC’s momentum going afterthe early jolts.

Dhawan looked in greatnick from the onset, oftenfinding the boundary with histrademark pulls and shotssquare off the off side.

In the process he scored his39th fifty in the IPL off just 30balls but soon after reaching

the feat he departed while try-ing to force the pacer, caught atshort third man by KartikTyagi off leg-spinner ShreyasGopal.

His runs came off 33 ballswhich had six boundaries andtwo hits over the fence.

After Dhawan’s dismissal,Iyer took the onus on himselfand upped the ante with somelusty hits and in the process gotto his fifty off 40 balls in the15th over bowled by JaydevUnadkat, that yielded 17 runs,including two sixes.

But soon after, Iyer depart-ed, caught by Archer at long-off off Kartik Tyagi as he wentfor another big hit.

Marcus Stoinis (18) andAlex Carey (14) tried theirbest to add muscle to the score-board but were unsuccessful.

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