7`]]`hfd`_+
@A:?:@?'
DYRYVV_deZcT`_daZcRTje`UVdec`j:_UZR+A>
$$3&RQJIXHOOLQJDQWL&$$SURWHVWVIRUYRWHEDQNSROLWLFVVD\V0RGL
?aX\T<X]XbcTa=PaT]SaP<^SXSdaX]VEXYPhBP]ZP[_AP[[hX]bd__^ac^U4Pbc3T[WXRP]SXSPcTbPc:PaZPaS^^\PX]=Tf3T[WX^]
<^]SPh19?<?6PdcP\6P\QWXaP]S3T[WX19? _aTbXST]c<P]^YCXfPaXPaTP[b^bTT]
B0?=0B8=67Q =4F34;78
L aunching a scathing attack
on the Aam Aadmi Party
(AAP) and the Congress on
Monday, Prime Minister
Narendra Modi accused them
of fuelling the anti-CAA stir in
&RURQDYLUXVDWWDFNVWKLUG 4V_ecVW`c^deRd\
W`cTV,<VcR]R8`ge
,QGLDQDQRWKHU.HUDOLWH UVT]RcVd`feScVR\
µDeReVUZdRdeVc¶
?=B Q =4F34;78
W ith the third confirmed
case of coronavirus being
reported from Kerala within
last one week and the death toll
crossing 360-mark in China,
India, which is on high alert, on
Monday set up a task force with
representatives from various
Ministries like Health and
Home to review, monitor and
evaluate the preparedness from
spreading the deadly pathogen
in the country.
Meanwhile, the Kerala
Government on Monday
declared coronavirus outbreak
as a “State disaster”.
“A task force has been set
up to monitor coronavirus sit-
uation. We discussed what all
precautions need to be taken to
prevent the spread of the virus,”
Union Minister of State for
Home G Kishan Reddy said on
Monday. The Minister said
Indians, who want to return,
will be evacuated from China.
“Whoever wants to come
back to India, they should get
in touch with our Embassy,” he
said. The other representatives
in the task force are from Civil
Aviation and Women and
1<2QTVX]bbTP[X]V
X[[TVP[:P[hP]<P]SP_b
2^]b_XaPRhQh
RXeXRQ^Sh
W^cT[XTabP[[TVTS
?=BQ 17D10=4BF0A
T he Bhubaneswar Municipal
Corporation (BMC) on
Monday started sealing the
city’s Kalyan Mandaps which
lack necessary approvals.
A joint team of the BMC
and the Bhubaneswar
Development Authority (BDA)
carried out the process, which
commenced with sealing of a
Kalyan Mandap in Saheed
Nagar.
As many as 80 Kalyan
Mandaps would be sealed dur-
ing the drive for various factors
like functioning without build-
A4038=6
/CWT3PX[h?X^]TTa
C7402C
Shaheen Bagh, Jamia Millia
Islamia and Seelampur for vote
bank politics.
He said the protests against
the Citizenship (Amendment)
Act in Shaheen Bagh — the
epicentre of the stir in Delhi
and other areas — are not a
<TSXRP[_Tab^]]T[SXb_^bTVPaQPVT^dcbXSTP]Xb^[PcX^]fPaSU^aR^a^]PeXadbPcP
W^b_XcP[X]:^RWX^]<^]SPh
Child Development Ministries.
The first meeting of the
task force chaired by Union
Health Minister Dr
Harshvardhan was held on
Monday where the preventive
steps taken to stem the spread
of the virus in India were pre-
sented; it included information
about the revised travel advi-
sories and the temporary sus-
pension of the e-visa facilities.
The Union Health
Ministry updated its travel
ing plan
approvals, trade
licences, nonpay-
ment of property
tax and inade-
quate parking
facilities.
The BMC had
set a deadline of
January 31 for the
Kalyan Mandaps
for rectifying the irregularities.
Notably, the order for seal-
ing the Kalyan Mandaps was
issued by the BMC after it
found that more than 80 per
cent of the Kalyan Mandaps
and marriage halls have failed
to comply with the requisite
norms.
The BMC had served
notices to 94 mandaps while 14
of them complied with the
order.
UPRTQ^^ZR^\SPX[h_X^]TTa
H@C=5""
CDA:4H0=3BHA80=
A468<48=3403;H5;0A4D?
AP]YP]3X\aXk?X^]TTa
coincidence but an “experi-
ment” and a political conspir-
acy to destroy the country’s
harmony.
Addressing his first rally
here ahead of the Delhi
Assembly polls scheduled for
February 8, at Karkardooma,
?C8
advisory, which was issued on
Sunday, and asked people to
refrain from travelling to
China.
The third coronavirus case
reported is that of a Keralite
student who returned from
Wuhan university. He is in an
isolation ward at Kanhangad
district hospital in Kasaragod
district, Kerala Health Minister
KK Shailaja said.
The condition of the stu-
dent is “stable”, she said. Two
However, Rajya Nagarika
Samaj president Prakash Rath
alleged that the Kalyan Mandap
sealing move is a conspiracy
between the BMC and hotel
owners. The people who had
booked the mandaps for mar-
riages, thread ceremonies and
birthday parties have been left
in the lurch by the decision.
The BMC should have given a
thought to this before embark-
ing on the sealing drive.
Umasankar X]bcPVaP\R^\SPX[h_X^]TTa
17D10=4BF0ACD4B30H541AD0AH#!!*?064B
fffSPX[h_X^]TTaR^\
the PM said Delhi’s ruling
AAP and the Congress are
provoking people and spread-
ing canards and asked voters to
back the BJP because Delhi
could not be left to anarchists.
They were keeping the
Constitution and tricolour in
the forefront, but the aim is to
“divert attention from the real
conspiracy”, Modi said.
“As long as it (AAP) stays
in power, it will continue to cre-
ate roadblocks to development.
You have seen a lot. Now you
are left with only one option.
That’s why the BJP needs to
come to power in Delhi,” said
the PM.
Referring to the protest in
Shaheen Bagh, he said people
commuting to and from Noida
are facing a lot of problems.
The people of Delhi are quiet
and they are angry watching
this vote bank politics, he said.
“If the strength of those plot-
ting a conspiracy increases,
then another road or lane will
be blocked. We can’t leave
Delhi to such anarchy. Only
people of Delhi can stop this.
Every vote given to the BJP can
do this,” Modi said in his near-
ly one-hour-long speech in
Karkardooma in East Delhi.
“In the India of 21st cen-
tury, politics of hate will not
work. Only politics of devel-
opment will,” he added.
Modi said the Supreme
Court and the High Court
have expressed their dissatis-
faction over the violence dur-
ing protests and the destruction
of property.
earlier positive cases, also of
students who came back from
Wuhan, the epi-centre of the
virus, were reported from
Thrissur and Alapuzha dis-
tricts in Kerala. They have
been isolated and under regu-
lar monitoring.
The Group of Ministers
(GoM) formed to review, mon-
itor and evaluate the pre-
paredness to contain the dead-
ly infection in the country also
held its first meeting. The
high-level GoM includes
Union Ministers Harsh
Vardhan, Hardeep Puri, S
Jaishankar, G Kishan Reddy,
Ashwini Kumar Choubey and
Mansukh Lal Mandaviya.
Globally, there have been
14,569 confirmed cases and
305 deaths within a month,
much higher than that from the
2002-03 severe acute respira-
tory syndrome (SARS), caused
by another coronavirus. SARS
resulted in 8,096 cases and
774 deaths in nine months.
Dr PK Mishra, principal
secretary to the Prime Minister,
on Monday reviewed the sit-
uation relating to the coron-
avirus in the
country.
2^a^]PeXadbbRPaT
F^\P]bcdShX]VX]2WX]PPS\XccTSc^B21
!]Sbdb_TRc
ZT_cX]
Xb^[PcX^]fPaS
?=BQ 17D10=4BF0A
A second case of suspected
novel Coronavirus has
come to the fore in the State
with a woman being admitted
to the SCB Medical College
Hospital in Cuttack with symp-
toms of the virus.
The woman, who is pur-
suing medical education in
Wuhan in China, had returned
home along with her husband
on January 19 to attend a mar-
riage function.
She has been lodged in a
separate ward of the hospital
and her condition is stable, said
SCB MCH Emergency Officer
DA@CE"&
8=3805024?0:8=
D (F2B4<8B
“But these people don’t
care about courts. They don’t
accept what the court says but
talk about the Constitution,” he
said. In December, several parts
of the national Capital wit-
nessed widespread protests
against the CAA.
Modi also took a swipe at
the Congress, saying those
who questioned the Batla
House encounter in the capital
are now saving those who
raised “tukde tukde” slogans.
Blaming the AAP for
blocking the Prime Minister
Awas Yojana (PMAY) in Delhi,
Modi said it would continue to
block all positive moves.
Modi also slammed the
AAP leader and Chief Minister,
Arvind Kejriwal, and said he
3T[WX2WXTU<X]XbcTa0aeX]S:TYaXfP[SdaX]VP]T[TRcX^]RP\_PXV]a^PSbW^fX]?Pc_PaVP]Y^]<^]SPh AP]YP]3X\aXk?X^]TTa
;R^ZRdY``eZ_X+
44EGW``eRXV
YV]adT`adkVc`
Z_`_#hYVV]Vc
BC055A4?>AC4AQ =4F34;78
H ours after Jamia Millia
Islamia students claimed
that two unidentified persons
had fired in the air at gate num-
ber 5 of of the university late on
Sunday night and fled from the
spot, the Delhi Police on
Monday said it has zeroed in on
two suspects whose two-wheel-
er’s registration number was
caught on CCTV cameras.
Two unidentified persons
had opened fire during the
ongoing protests at Jamia Millia
Islamia late on Sunday. Though
no one was injured in the inci-
dent, there was panic among
those present.
Hundreds of protesters laid
siege to the Jamia Nagar police
station and remained there till
around 4 am when the police
lodged an FIR against the
unknown accused. The police,
however, denied that there was
any delay in lodging
the FIR.
Dr BN Maharana on Monday.
“As she came from Wuhan
city, we are giving her priority,”
Dr Maharana said, adding that
her swab and blood samples
would be sent to the National
Institute of Virology (NIV) at
Pune for tests.
Earlier, a medical student
from Phulbani, who had
returned from China on
January 11, was admitted in the
premier hospital on January 31
with complaints of cold and
cough.
Medical Education and
Training (DMET) Director
Prof CBK Mohanty said, “A
total of four swab and blood
samples of five persons, includ-
ing the medico from Phulbnai,
have been sent to NIV, Pune
and four have tested negative
for nCoV. We are waiting for
the test reports of the medico,”
he said.
%C"
questioned the Army on sur-
gical strikes in Pakistan-occu-
pied-Kashmir(POK) in 2016.
Modi listed out a series of
measures taken by his
Government to address the
issues of the national Capital,
touching on national issues
like the revocation of special
provisions of Article 370, con-
struction of a Ram Temple in
Ayodhya and bringing in the
CAA for persecuted minorities
from Pakistan, Afghanistan
and Bangladesh, saying these
were unaddressed issues for
decades as the previous
Governments did not work
on the same.
“Our Opposition says,
Modi ji, why are you working
so fast, why are you taking such
/DERXUHUJHWV,7
QRWLFHIRUC/
5^a³QP]Z
caP]bPRcX^]b´
^UC #&Ra
?=BQ D<0A:>C4
I t sounds strange, but a daily
wage labourer of Umarkote
in Nabarangpur district has
received an Income Tax (IT)
notice for carrying out bank
transactions of Rs 1.47 crore!
The IT office of Jeypore
Range has sent the notice to
Sanadhara Gand, who works as
a labourer, asking him to pay a
tax of Rs 2,59,540 towards
bank transactions of Rs 1,47,
82, 057.
For the assessment year
2014-15, the notice has men-
tioned Gand, a resident of
Purjaribharandi under
Umarkote block, as a wholesale
A special ward with 74
beds and an ICU has been set
up at the SCB Medical College,
said Mohanty.
The State Government has
appealed to people who have
recently returned from China,
Honk Kong, Thailand and
Singapore to remain in home
isolation.
The Regional Medical
Research Centre
Bhubaneswar on Monday
imparted training to paramed-
in
ical staff from across the State on
how to collect swab and blood
samples of persons with sus-
pected nCoV, informed RMRC
Director Sanghamitra Pati.
Health officials would con-
duct a thorough test of people
returning from China, Hong
Kong, Thailand and Singapore
and take follow-up action with-
out delay, an official release
said.
51,5HJQ1R25,(1*
4bcPQ[XbWTS '%#
?dQ[XbWTS5a^\
34;78;D2:=>F 17>?0;17D10=4BF0A
A0=278A08?DA 270=3860A7
347A03D= 7H34A0103E890HF030
m m
17>>C 9C
@EB58?BB?B*
;1B1>:?81B
!$F9F139DI
big decisions. But, the problems
of many decades need to be
solved for the country to move
faster. This is what people of the
country want and this is the
mandate which we are follow-
ing,” he stated.
Referring to the Lok Sabha
elections, Modi said, “BJP was
strengthened by the people of
Delhi, who gave all seven Lok
Sabha seats to BJP. Their vote
helped in changing the fortunes
of this country.”
Modi said, “This time, your
vote will change the fortunes of
Delhi, and make the city clean,
safe and modern.”
Modi recalled glorious his-
tory and struggle of people who
settled in Delhi after
partition.
trader who sells seasonal goods.
According to Gand, he was
working as a servant of a local
businessman for past seven
years. “During that time, the
businessman asked me for my
land patta which I handed
over to him. I do not know
what he did with that. Now, I
have received a notice from the
Income Tax department for
transactions of around Rs 1.48
?^fTacPaXUU[XZT[h
c^aXbTX]BcPcT
>7?2c^^
_a^_^bTbaPcT
WXZTc^>4A2
?=B Q 17D10=4BF0A
P ower tariff is likely go up in
the State from next financial
year if a proposal submitted by
the Odisha Hydro Power
Corporation (OHPC) to the
Odisha Electricity Regulatory
Commission (OERC) on
Monday is accepted.
The OHPC proposed for a
seven-paise-per-unit hike of
electricity tariff during a hear-
ing of the petitions filed by dif-
ferent power distribution com-
panies (discoms), which have
also pleaded for tariff increase.
;PcT2Xch E^[ %8bbdT ""
0XaBdaRWPaVT4gcaPXU0__[XRPQ[T
20?BD;4
B010A8<0;0)B2B0HB
F8;;5A0<4@D4BC8>=B
=Tf3T[WX) CWTBd_aT\T2^dac
<^]SPhbPXSXcfX[[UaP\TcWT
[TVP[XbbdTbc^QTPSYdSXRPcTSQh
P(YdSVT2^]bcXcdcX^]1T]RW^]
aT[XVX^dbSXbRaX\X]PcX^]PVPX]bc
f^\T]PcePaX^dbaT[XVX^db
_[PRTb¯ cWT[PaVTa`dTbcX^]
fWXRWPa^bTSdaX]VcWT
BPQPaX\P[PRPbT
=80C>@D8I4G9:<;0
5>A;8=:BF8C778I1D;
BaX]PVPa) CWT=80fX[[`dTbcX^]
U^a\Ta9:<;0BWTXZW0QSd[
APbWXSU^aWXb[X]ZbfXcWbT[U
bch[TS7XiQd[<dYPWXSTT]
R^\\P]STa=PeTTS°1PQd±
PaaTbcTSP[^]VfXcWbdb_T]STS
9:?^[XRT3B?3PeX]STaBX]VW
^UUXRXP[bbPXSWTaT^]<^]SPh
>???A>C4BCB8=;B
0608=BC200=?A
=Tf3T[WX) CWT;^ZBPQWP^]
<^]SPhfXc]TbbTS_a^cTbcbQh
>__^bXcX^]\T\QTab\^bc[h
Ua^\cWT2^]VaTbbP]S3<:
PVPX]bccWT200
278=<0H0=0=364CB108;
8=B4GD0;01DB420B4
0[[PWPQPS) CWT0[[PWPQPS7XVW
2^dac^]<^]SPhVaP]cTSQPX[c^
U^a\TaD]X^]<X]XbcTaBfP\X
2WX]\PhP]P]SPRRdbTS^U
bTgdP[[hPQdbX]VP[PfbcdST]c
28E8;80=:8;;435>DA
8=9DA438=?0:58A8=6
BaX]PVPa) 0RXeX[XP]fPbZX[[TS
P]SU^da^cWTabfTaTX]YdaTSX]P
RTPbTUXaTeX^[PcX^]Qh?PZXbcP]X
ca^^_bP[^]VcWT;X]T^U2^]ca^[
;^2X]9P\\d:PbW\Xa³b
CP]VSWPabTRc^a^]<^]SPh
^UUXRXP[bbPXS
<070) !:8;;43$7DAC
8=CAD2:BDE2>;;8B8>=
<d\QPX) CfT[eT_T^_[TfTaT
ZX[[TSP]SUXeT^cWTabX]YdaTS
PUcTaPSd\_TacadRZR^[[XSTS
fXcWcWTXab_^acbdcX[XcheTWXR[T
BDEX]<PWPaPbWcaP³b9P[VP^]
SXbcaXRcP_^[XRT^UUXRXP[bPXS^]
<^]SPh
crore done at the ICICI Bank.
I am at a loss as to how I will
pay the tax amount,” he said.
When Gand informed his
former employer about the
matter, the latter allegedly
refused to help him in any
manner.
And the businessman
declined to comment on the
matter when reporters con-
tacted him.
Citing increase in power
generation costs, the OHPC
suggested the OERC to hike
electricity tariff from 88 paise
per unit to 95 paise.
On the day, the OERC
began its hearing on the peti-
tions of the discoms for power
tariff increase and the process
would continue till February
14. The OERC would take a
policy decision on the tariff in
the third week of March on the
basis of the outcome of a State
Advisory Committee meeting
on February 26.
Currently, domestic con-
sumers are paying Rs 2.50 per
unit of electricity while com-
mercial consumers and indus-
trial establishments are making
payments of Rs 4.50 and Rs 6
per unit, respectively.
17D10=4BF0AkCD4B30H k541AD0AH #!!
DeReV8`gee`Z^a]V^V_e
@UZdYR=ZScRcj2Ted``_
5PXaaT_aTbT]cPcX^]
Ua^\PRa^bbBcPcTX]
R^d]RX[b^dVWc
:ADB7=0270=3A0?0=30Q
1A07<0?DA
L ibrarians, senior citizens
and book lovers have reason
to cheer as the much-awaited
Odisha Public Library Act,
2001 is going to be imple-
mented soon.
Notably, the Odisha Society
of Americans (OSA) and dif-
ferent Library Associations’
constant effort to appeal to the
Government of Odisha through
their delegation to implement
the Odisha Public Library Act
in its letter and spirit ultimate-
ly paid off with the constitution
of the Odisha Public Library
Council, the highest policy
making body in this respect.
The noble act has taken 14-
long years for the Government
to frame the rules and took
another four years to constitute
Odisha Public Library Council.
Perhaps, the State Government
all these years felt that the
0aRT[^a<XccP[PfPaSTS
CWPZdaP]XXa^]^aT\X]T
?=BQ 17D10=4BF0A
A fter the JSW Steel bagged
two iron ore mines with a
total reserve of 980 million
tonnes (MT) in Odisha, the
ArcelorMittal India Pvt Ltd
has now won the auction for
the Thakurani iron ore block in
the State.
The ArcelorMittal got the
mines with a commitment to
pay 107.55% of its sale value of
ore to the State Government
after starting production, an
official said on Monday. The
company would also pay taxes,
District Mineral Foundation
fund and other mining-related
levies.
72VaP]cbQPX[c^80B^UUXRTa 4Y^UcX@Qd^QY[
?=BQ 2DCC02:
T he Orissa High Court on
Monday granted bail to
arrested IAS officer Bijay
Ketan Upadhyaya, who was
arrested by the Vigilance
police on December 30 last
year in a corruption case.
Justice SK Sahoo grant-
ed the bail to Upadhyaya
after considering all the
material documents sub-
mitted before him and
directed that the lower court
(Vigilance court) fix the bail
conditions.
The 2009-batch IAS officer,
who was working as Director
of Horticulture, was arrested
for allegedly seeking a bribe of
´7Q^QdQ^dbQ
:^Q^QiQZ^QµQd
DYbd_\Vb_]=Qi#
CP[ZbU^a
d_W^[SX]V
ST\^RaPRhc^
QTWT[S)1PQP
1P[XP
?=BQ 17D10=4BF0A
T he Anant Balia Trust would
hold its 50th “Ganatantra
Jnanayajna” at the
Shishuananta Ashram at Arilo
in the Tirtol area of
Jagatsinghpur district for three
days from May 3 to 5.
This was informed by Baba
Balia at a Press meet held here
on Monday. He said two major
programmes would be held,
besides inaugural and con-
cluding ceremonies. While a
programme would be held to
create awareness on environ-
ment protection, another
would focus on the next gen-
eration.
$OWKRXJKHYHU\SRVVLEOHFDUHDQGFDXWLRQKDVEHHQWDNHQWRDYRLGHUURUVRURPLVVLRQVWKLVSXEOLFDWLRQLVEHLQJVROGRQWKHFRQGLWLRQDQGXQGHUVWDQGLQJWKDWLQIRUPDWLRQJLYHQLQWKLVSXEOLFDWLRQLVPHUHO\IRUUHIHUHQFHDQGPXVWQRWEHWDNHQDVKDYLQJDXWKRULW\RIRUELQGLQJLQDQ\ZD\RQWKHZULWHUVHGLWRUVSXEOLVKHUVDQGSULQWHUVDQGVHOOHUVZKRGRQRWRZHDQ\UHVSRQVLELOLW\IRUDQ\
GDPDJHRUORVVWRDQ\SHUVRQDSXUFKDVHURIWKLVSXEOLFDWLRQRUQRWIRUWKHUHVXOWRIDQ\DFWLRQWDNHQRQWKHEDVLVRIWKLVZRUN$OOGLVSXWHVDUHVXEMHFWWRWKHH[FOXVLYHMXULVGLFWLRQRIFRPSHWHQWFRXUWDQGIRUXPVLQ'HOKL1HZ'HOKLRQO\5HDGHUVDUHDGYLVHGDQGUHTXHVWHGWRYHULI\DQGVHHNDSSURSULDWHDGYLFHWRVDWLVI\WKHPVHOYHVDERXWWKHYHUDFLW\RIDQ\NLQGRIDGYHUWLVHPHQWEHIRUH
UHVSRQGLQJWRDQ\FRQWHQWVSXEOLVKHGLQWKLVQHZVSDSHU7KHSULQWHUSXEOLVKHUHGLWRUDQGDQ\HPSOR\HHRIWKH3LRQHHU*URXS·VZLOOQRWEHKHOGUHVSRQVLEOHIRUDQ\NLQGRIFODLPPDGHE\WKHDGYHUWLVHUVRIWKHSURGXFWV VHUYLFHVDQGVKDOOQRWEHPDGHUHVSRQVLEOHIRUDQ\NLQGRIORVVFRQVHTXHQFHVDQGIXUWKHUSURGXFWUHODWHGGDPDJHVRQVXFKDGYHUWLVHPHQWV
3ULQWHGDQGSXEOLVKHGE\6DUDGD3UDVDQQD1DQGDIRUDQGRQEHKDOIRI&0<.3ULQWHFK/WG1D\DSDOOL%KXEDQHVZDU7HO)D[HPDLORULVVDSLRQHHU#JPDLOFRP3ULQWHGDW:(%/,1('6HFWRU$=RQH'0DQFKHVZDU,QGXVWULDO(VWDWH%KXEDQHVZDU
(GLWRU&KDQGDQ0LWUD5HVLGHQW(GLWRU631DQGD51,5HJQ1R25,(1*$,5685&+$5*(RI5H(DVW&DOFXWWD5DQFKL1RUWK/HK:HVW0XPEDL $KPHGDEDG6RXWK%DQJDORUH &KHQQDL&HQWUDO.KDMXUDKR'HOKL2IILFH1R%HKLQG*XODE%KDZDQ%DKDGXU6KDK
=DIDU0DUJ1HZ'HOKL3KRQH&RPPXQLFDWLRQ2IILFH)6HFWRU12,'$*DXWDP%XGK1DJDU833KRQH /XFNQRZ2IILFHWK)ORRU6DKDUD6KRSSLQJ&HQWUH)DL]DEDG5RDG/XFNQRZ7HOHSKRQHV
establishment of public libraries
in the State doesn’t fetch votes
for the ruling party, social
worker and prolific writer of
Gajapati district Raghunath
Panigrahi.
However, he said the very
formation of the council
assuredly reveals the regional
imbalances in representation.
"Most of the members
belong to costal and western
Odisha. People from southern
Odisha negligibly represent in
the council," Panigrahi alleged.
For effective and smooth func-
tioning of the council as well to
achieve the very objectives of
the crucial public library legis-
lation, Panigrahi demanded for
appointment of a professional-
ly qualified Director in the
Department of Culture exclu-
sively to deal with public
libraries. He also urged upon
the Government to form a
committee from among the
Council members under the
chairmanship of the concerned
Minister to visit the neigh-
bouring WB and AP to have
on-the- spot experience of their
The Thakurani block has
an estimated reserve of about
179 MT of iron ore.
Notably, the JSW Steel has
won the Nuagaon mine, the
largest iron ore block with a
reserve of 790 MT, and the
Narayanposhi block with a
reserve of 190 MT.
A total of 19 iron ore
blocks are being auctioned as
their earlier lease periods
would expire on March 31. The
letters of intent to the success-
ful bidders would be issued
after the auction process is
completed on February 18.
The next auctioning is for
the Balda iron
mines.
Rs 1 lakh from a supplier
through a manager of a private
bank.
The manager of the bank,
which also services the bank
The programme started in
2007 has been organised Delhi,
Bombay, Kolkata and Mumbai.
“After 73 years of adoption
of democracy, common people
have not understood the mean-
ing of democracy. By democ-
racy, they mean leaders, min-
isters or election. Even, people
at the top have not understood
it. Nobody understands his
responsibility for the country.
If each person gives some time
for the country every day, there
would be positive changes in
the country,” said Baba Balia.
He said the Manch would
hold discussions to bring
reforms in individuals in the
interest of the society and the
country.
Among others, Aryakumar
Jnanendra, former MLAs Raju
Singh and Debashish
Samantray, MLA Prashant
Muduli, programme commit-
tee Monaj Da and secretary
Parmatma Das were present.
public library systems and ser-
vices.
Among other issues raised
by him include establishment
of three Central Library
Systems in three Revenue
Division towns, namely,
Cuttack, Brahmapur and
Sambalpur; shifting of the exist-
ing City Central Library to
Old Town, Bhubaneswar with
two more branches at
Chandrasekharpur
Khandagiri, establishing
and
District Libraries in the remain-
ing 13 districts on priority
basis, identification of corporate
houses, industries and philan-
thropists to facilitate infra-
structure and joining hands
with the Government in the
process of public library devel-
opment, making an appeal to
OSA in America to contribute
liberally to institute Odisha
Public Library Fund as goodwill
gesture, constituting a technical
and expert committee for pub-
lic library digitization and
recruiting a district librarian in
each district library in the rank
of DEO.
$QWL0DRLVWSRVWHUV
VXUIDFHLQ5D\DJDGD
BTeT]`dTbcX^]b
PbZTSc^ATSaTQT[b
?=BQ A0H06030
Several handwritten anti-
Maoist posters claimed to be
written by the Dangaria
Kandha Development Forum
were put up on the gate of the
K Singhpur Tehsil office and in
different places of Parsali gram
panchayat in Rayagada dis-
trict on Monday.
The posters posed seven
questions like when would the
roads be constructed for
accounts of the Horticulture
Directorate, was also arrested
by the Vigilance police in the
same case on the same day
Upadhyaya was arrested.
?daXR^[^]h ³FTc[P]SbPaTRaPS[Tb^UQX^SXeTabXchWd\P]QT]TUXcb´
aTbXST]cbfP]c
EX]^QPQdbc T
BD1<8C
<4<>C>3<
?=BQ ?DA8
T he Savodaya Nagar Bikash
Parisad, a social outfit of
Savodaya Nagar colony here, in
meeting has urged Puri
Collector Balwant Singh for
installation of a statue of free-
dom fighter Vinobha Bhave in
the locality.
In a memorandum,
Parasad president Pravakar
Mishra has requested Singh for
erecting a statue to commem-
orate visit of Bhave to
Sarvodaya Nagar before inde-
pendence. Mishra said that
Savodaya leader Bhave had
Umasankar
³5PZT´STVaTT
interview of the week
2^]VaTbbPVPX]cPaVTcb :H¶UHPRUHSURIHVVLRQDOOHVV
0]dQWPe<^WP]ch
GHYRWLRQDODERXWRULJLQDO2GLDWKHDWUH
BPhb<?´b
bX[T]RT_a^eTb
XcbP[[TVPcX^]
?=BQ 17D10=4BF0A
A day after accusing
Kendrapada BJD MP
Anubhav Mohanty of furnish-
ing false information in his
election affidavits about his
educational qualifications, the
Congress on Monday claimed
that the MP’s silence on the
issue proves that its allegations
are true.
Addressing a Press confer-
ence here, Congress leader
Nishikant Mishra stated, “We
had hoped that the MP would
face media with all necessary
evidences. In his clarification,
Anubhav avoided the main
question and spoke about
Kendrapada’s development. We
thank him for accepting our
allegations.”
Niyamagiri’s devel-
opment, how many
days would the
oppression on inno-
cent tribals continue
in the name of
Niyamagiri Surakhya
Samiti (NSS) and
when would the
Maoists stop extort-
ing money from the contractors
engaged in road construction.
The forum also wanted to know
when would the Red rebels
threat to the youths striving for
development stop, who has
asked the ultras to torch the
vehicles engaged in road con-
^Ug933B47
?=BQ 17D10=4BF0A
D inesh Patnaik has been
appointed as the new
Director General for the Indian
Council for Cultural Relations
(ICCR).
Patnaik, who belongs to
Balangir district, is son of for-
mer senior IPS officer Braja
Mohan Patnaik and Kamini
Patnaik. Patnaik completed his
Intermediate in Science from
the Gangadhar Meher College,
Sambalpur and later did his BSc
in the Delhi University and
Post-Graduation Management
from the IIM, Calcutta.
held a big meeting in
Sarvodaya Nagar during his
visit to Puri and himself named
the colony as Savodaya Nagar
also.
But over the past decades,
neither the State Government
nor any local leader has
thought of a statue of the great
freedom fighter to remember
the historic visit of the great
leader, lamented Mishra,
adding that Parisad has now
decided to install a statue.
As there is a vacant space
in the colony, so a statue would
be a respect towards the free-
dom fighter, he said. Among
others, Prof Kartika Das, Prof
Abhimanyu Bhuyan, Rajaguru
Ashok Mohapatra, Pandit
Ramakanta Kar and Pramoda
Devi were present in the meet-
ing.
Mishra said that based on
information obtained through
RTI, the party on Sunday had
alleged that Anubhav submit-
ted false information during
the 2014 Rajya Sabha election.
The MP has accepted our alle-
gations or else he would have
taken legal action, the Congress
leader said.
“We will wait and see what
action is being taken by the
BJD against its MP on the issue
as Naveenbabu always claims to
believe in transparency,” he
added. As per allegations,
Anubhav, in his affidavit, men-
tioned that he completed his
Bachelor of Arts from the
Sobhit University of
Engineering and Technology in
Meerut.
But in its affidavit before
the Supreme Court in 2010, the
HRD Ministry had mentioned
about derecognising Shobhit
University. If the university
was already derecognised, how
Anubhav could study there,
Mishra had questioned.
struction, why doesn’t the NSS
speak out against Maoist activ-
ities and is the NSS supporting
the Maoists?
At last, there is an appeal by
the forum to everyone to coop-
erate for the development of the
area.
As the new DG of ICCR,
Patnaik would promote cul-
tural, heritage, history, tourism
objectives and hold different
programmes to promote Indian
culture across the world.
>4B[P\T]cb
cWTXaUPbc
SXbP__TPaP]RT
?=BQ 17D10=4BF0A
he wetlands, as sources of
water, habitats and foods
for survival of innumerable
species of plants and animals,
are the cradles of biological
diversity.
Though they cover only
around 6% of the Earth’s land
surface, the wetlands provide
shelter and breeding grounds to
40% of all the terrestrial living
organisms. Conversely, the
human beings are deriving
tremendous economic benefits,
including water supply, fish-
eries, agricultural support
through the maintenance of
water tables and nutrient reten-
tion in floodplains, fuel sources,
transportation and recreation
and tourism.
The vital ecological func-
tions the wetlands carry out
include water purification and
storage, storm protection and
flood mitigation, shoreline sta-
bilisation and erosion control,
pioneer
BdVhP]2
2W^dSWdah
D ramatist, writer, actor,
composer, anchor Pradeep
Biswal has emerged as a brand
name in Odisha’s theatre world.
Born and brought up amid the
sylvan shores and the cashew
nut grooves near an adjacent
village to the Sun Temple of
Konark, he carried contagion
from the rural artistic milieu to
become what he is today.
Founder of Swetapadma
Cultural Organisation, he took
to writing dramas, directing
plays and acting like a bird in
the sky. His published works
include “Akuha Katha”,
“Abyakta Yantrana”, “Bhabar
Thakur”, “Apratihata
Pratidwandi” and they have
been successfully staged
throughout the State. His other
creations awaiting to be pub-
lished are “Nukad Club”,
“Achinha Raijare Manisha”,
“Jeenat” and “Ardha Satya “.
He has acted in innumerable
dramas in and outside the
State. Known for his depth and
impartiality, he is invited as a
jur y to various Natak
Mahotsavs. Spandan, a dra-
matic organisation of in
Rourkela has honoured him as
a jury. Awards and accolades
have been showered upon him.
Audiences remember with nos-
talgia Biswal’s inimitable style
of acting. Adding spins to his
plots and thrills to his writings,
he harbours a fresh aesthetic
preference in building a drama
and handling the characters
that cast a spell on his audience.
In an interview to The Pioneer,
Biswal spoke to Sugyan
Choudhury.
How were you attracted
towards theatre?
I believe in the
Shakespearian maxim that the
world is a stage and we are all
actor on it. I was born in
remote village near the Sun
Temple of Konark. I remem-
bered in my formative years
how the rural folk used to
dance there. I also witnessed
‘Pala’, ‘Dhudaki’ and ‘Daskathia’
that enthralled me. Later when
I grew, they enticed me towards
drama.
Could you tell us about
your dramatic work of arts?
My published dramatic
works have been successfully
staged throughout the State in
proscenium theatres. My
unpublished works, which have
been staged mostly at the
Rabindra Mandap in
groundwater
recharge, and
withholding of
nutrients and
sediments. In
addition, these
act as sources
of special reli-
gious and spir-
itual values
serving as the
basis of aes-
thetic and
artistic inspiration, and sup-
porting local social, economic
and cultural traditions.
However, they are presently
disappearing three times faster
than forests due to diverse
human activities and global
heating, which has been the
cause of concern.
Experts expressed such
views on the occasion of the
World Wetlands Day observed
by the Orissa Environmental
Society (OES) on the global
theme ‘Wetlands and
Biodiversity’.
The programme presided
over by OES president Dr
Sundar Narayan Patro was
attended by environment
expert Dr Jaya Krushna
Panigrahi as chief speaker.
Panigrahi explained how
RP_XcP[!
Bhubaneswar and many other
important places in the State,
received well by the audiences
and are waiting for publication.
How far has the Odia
drama evolved till the recent
times?
This is a very difficult
question to answer. You may
not agree with what I say since
one man’s meat is another
man’s poison. Theatre lovers
may or may not agree with me.
During the 1980s, there were
no developed technology avail-
able. The then writers came out
with their writings keeping in
their mind our culture, tradi-
tion and literature. The unmis-
takable devotion of stage artists,
actors and directors were pal-
pably present during the shows
then. With the passage of time,
the number of writers, direc-
tors, artists have increased
manifold. Technologies are
now said have revolutionised
the theatre world. Now, we can
see a flow of copywriters; and
most of the directors and writ-
ers are resorting to Jatra style
in pandals to attract audience
for easy success. We have
become more professional and
less devotional in creating orig-
inal Odia theatre. Very few
writers like Dr Manmath
Satapathy, Shankar Tripathy,
Prof Samar Mudali hold the
original thoughts of Odia
drama.
?aPSTT_1
1XbfP[
How does Odia drama
stand apart from pan-Indian
dramas?
Barring the exception of a
few dramatists, our theatre
writers and directors try to put
Odisha art, culture and tradi-
tion in their theatrical vision.
Outside dramatists adopting
developed technology with
absolute contemplation on
story lining try to impose their
thoughts upon the audience.
But Odia writers, directors are
with the thoughts of the audi-
ence balancing the emotion of
story lining and live acting.
Why are Odia theatre
pandals witnessing a fall in
the audience scenario?
Ha. Ha. Ha. Your question
makes me laugh and pains me
as well. Yes, we all know that
such a scenario has come to
pass owing to home theatres
like TV channels, mobile apps
and cinema halls. It is also due
wetlands absorb CO2 to help
slow down global heating and
reduce pollution for which
they are referred to as the
‘Kidneys of the Earth’. Out of
the total of 27, 403 wetlands in
India, 23,444 are inland and
3,959 are coastal wetlands. The
country’s 37 wetlands have
been declared as Wetlands of
International Importance or
Ramsar sites, while over 2,300
such sites exist around the
world.
Odisha has two such
nature’s wonders, Chilika
Lagoon and Bhitarkanika
Mangroves.
Dr Panigrahi lamented that
enormous development pres-
sure is now bringing about
degradation and disappear-
ance of wetlands and extinction
to lack of critical acumen and
perceptibility due to dearth of
creative thinking among our
present generation of youths
who are attracted by easy suc-
cess, short time amusement
and assailed by fluctuating
thoughts. We are still trying our
best to woo the audience to our
pandals within the ambit of
Odishan culture. We are using
developed technologies and
many talented directors have
taken over the stage and we
would not be lagging behind
our counterparts in other
States.
As a writer, actor and a
director of Odishan drama,
what are your plans to pre-
serve, protect and defend the
Odishan theatre against the
onslaught of sky invasion?
We may not close our
doors and windows against
this sky invasion. While wit-
nessing TV serials, dramas,
dance and music, we should
keep our legs solidly trans-
planted on the Odishan soil.
Anything of alien culture is not
superior to everything Odishan
or Indian. We should present
the best of our culture in
appropriate dramatic forms to
ennoble and entice our younger
generation. Besides, theatre
pandals should be established
in every block and district
headquarters punctuated all
the while by lively perfor-
mances to attract the theatre
aficionados.
How do you enjoy acting?
I have acted in over 60
Nataks; and in most, I have
played the role of the principal
protagonist. I have acted in
comedies, tragedies and tragi-
comedies as well. I get the best
of satisfaction during acting.
However, my unforgettable
moments are those when I
find tears in the eyes of my
audience being overwhelmed
with sympathy and empathy
for my character role. That is
the best moment of my life
which I always cherish in my
heart of hearts.
Being a writer, a director
and an actor, what’s your mes-
sage to the young generation
of artists?
A successful artist is he or
she who is loyal, committed
and remains punctual to his or
her acting. One should be
meticulous and keep on learn-
ing and acting all the while
mastering the intricacies of
acting. A good artist should
not confine himself or herself
to his or her role however
small it may be but should
totally devote him or her with
the entire storyline in order to
enable him or her to earn the
confidence, love and admira-
tion of the audience. Actors
should keep in mind that plea-
sure or satisfaction lies in the
quest, not in the conquest.
of living species. The need of
the hour is to undertake con-
certed, long-term efforts for the
scientific management of the
wetlands.
Among others, former FM
University VC Prof Siba Prasad
Adhikary laid emphasis on
undertaking of intensive
research on hydrology and
biology of wetlands. Dr
Prakash Chandra Jena and
Sanjib Kumar Das narrated
their experience in recently-
conducted bird census in the
State.
Dr Patro reminded how
the OES had stimulated the
Government for initiating con-
servation initiatives for pro-
tection of the Chilika Lake. Prof
B Sitaram Patro presented a
vote of thanks.
17D10=4BF0AkCD4B30H k541AD0AH #!! UmasankarRP_XcP["
DV_dV`WWVRcYRdXcZaaVU ³CPRZ[T\d[cX_[Ted[]TaPQX[XcXTbX]PVaXbTRc^a
d`TZVej+;RjR_eR>RYRaRecR
?^TcahbW^d[SQT
R^\_aTWT]bXQ[T
c^P[[bPhb
AP\PZP]cP
?=BQ 17D10=4BF0A
A sense of fear appears to
have gripped the society as
the situation has undergone
changes in recent times, said
Jayanta Mahapatra, the first
Indian to win the Kendra
Sahitya Akademi Award for
English poetry.
“The situation is not what
it was a few years ago. The
sense of freedom which I used
to experience personally has
disappeared,” Mahapatra said
while participating in a ‘Face to
Face’ programme at a two-day
1st SOA Literary Festival,
which concluded at the SOA
University here on Sunday.
“Whatever that sounds
illogical has become logical
2GLVKDIUHHGRPILJKWHUVWR CdeTU^d[Y\\UT
ILQGSODFHDW1DW¶O0XVHXP Y^b_QT]YcXQ`
?=BQ 17D10=4BF0A
C ontributions of
tribal freedom
fighters of Odisha in
the freedom struggle
and information on
major revolts in the
State would be show-
cased at the National
Museum of Tribal
Freedom Fighters in
Gujarat.
This was informed
by Union Minister of
State for Tribal Affairs
Renuka Singh Saruta
in Parliament in reply
to a question by Koraput
Congress MP Saptagiri Ulaka
on Monday.
The Revolt of Surendra
Sai (1839-62), Koraput Revolt:
Laxman Nayak (1942-43),
Revolt of Ganjam (1800-1805),
Gumsur Revolt (1808-37) and
Khond Revolt (1846-55) would
find place at the museum, the
0SS[CTWbX[SPa
A8PbbPd[cTS
X]^UUXRT
?=BQ 1703A0:
A n Additional Tehsildar and
a Revenue Inspector (RI)
were severely injured after
unidentified miscreants barged
into the Revenue Inspector’s
(RI) office at Manjuri Road
under the Bhandaripokhari
police station in Bhadrak dis-
trict and brutally assaulted
them on Monday.
Sources said the attackers
are members of a local sand
mafia. Additional Tehsildar
Sarat Chandra Swain, Revenue
Inspector Ram Narayan Samal
and another injured staff iden-
tified as Pradeep Kumar Jena
were admitted to the
Bhandaripokhari Community
Health Centre.
On receiving information,
police reached the spot and
began an inquiry in this con-
nection. But they were yet to
identify the miscreants and
nab them.
C`ebY_ecUTYR\U_Y\e^YdbQYTUT
STcPX]TS*
^X[_^dRWTb
R^]cPX]Tab
\PRWX]TbbTXiTS
?=B Q A0H06030
A joint squad of the
Rayagada Health
Department and police raid-
ed a spurious edible oil man-
ufacturing unit in Goutam
Nagar here on Monday and
seized huge amount of oil
pouches, plastic cans, huge tin
oil containers illegally stocked
by the Durga Sri Packers.
The firm is registered
with Office of CDMO,
Rayagada under the Health
and Family Welfare
Department and supposed to
do processing and packaging
of ready to serve fruit bever-
ages, mango drinks with a
today. I don’t like it,” the
celebrated 91-year-old poet
said in an oblique reference
to the current situation in
the country involving
protests by students and
others and the faceoff with
the police.
In an interaction with
Dr Dipak Samantrai,
Mahapatra walked down
the memory lane while
expressing his love for
mundane things like the
sunshine, moonlight, birds
and flowers. “I always wait
for sunshine to light up my
life,” he said, adding that he
doesn’t like the idea of an
overcast sky.
Asked about his daily rou-
tine at this age, Mahapatra
said he is primarily confined to
his home in Cuttack and works
at his desk. “I spend my day
learning new words,” he said.
“I never ever wanted to be
a poet, but perhaps my experi-
ences of an unhappy childhood
Minister said.
The Union Ministry of
Tribal Affairs has given
approval for setting up the
museum at Garudeshwar vil-
lage in Narmada district of
Gujarat.
The Gujarat Government
has collected and compiled
historical information and con-
BcXaWT[SU^aRXchW^b_XcP[X]1PaVPaW
?=BQ 10A60A7
H undreds of resi-
dents, including
women, took to
streets in Bargarh
town on Monday
pressing for their
demand of establish-
ing a city hospital at
the old District
Headquarters
Hospital (DHH)
building here.
Holding banners
and shouting slogans,
the agitators congre-
gated in front of the
DHH building. Many
shops and other busi-
ness establishments
remained closed dur-
ing the stir that par-
tially affected normal life.
Vehicular movement was not
affected.
Justifying their demand,
the agitators said healthcare
service in the town has gone for
a toss after the DHH was sift-
ed to its new campus at
brand name called Mangi
Magic in packets and pet bot-
tles.
Acting on a tip-off, a team
led by the Food Safety Officer
along with police raided the
factory and seized the various
oils, packaging packets, con-
made me a poet,” he said.
Speaking at the valedicto-
ry session, eminent Odia poet
Dr Ramakanta Rath under-
lined the need to make poetry
comprehensible to the com-
mon reader.
“The idea that poetry
which is difficult to understand
is high-quality stuff borders on
tributions of the tribal leaders
from various sources to repre-
sent facts and verified histori-
cal records in the museum
through depiction of pho-
tographs, documents, paint-
ings, lithographs and artefacts
such as guns, pistols, swords,
shields, badges, medals, diora-
mas, sculptures.
Tukurla, 10 km from here.
The town residents are facing
a lot of difficulties due to it.
They threatened that they
would intensify their stir in
coming days if their demand is
not fulfilled at the earliest.
Local BJD MLA Debesh
tainers, machines and other
items used in packaging.
Police has detained a per-
son named T Durga Prasad in
the matter. The oil samples
were sent to the Health
Department to verify the per-
centage of toxicity.
the ridiculous. Somehow, we
have come to accept this think-
ing,” he regretted.
Dr Rath was accompanied
by two other Odia literary
giants Dr Sitakant Mahapatra,
winner of the Jnanpith Award,
and Dr Bibhuti Patnaik, Sahitya
Akademi Award winning nov-
elist, on the dais.
Y^2Q\Q^WYb
A^PS
Q[^RZTS
ST\P]SX]V
PXSU^aZX]
?=B Q 10;0=68A
A student was killed when a
truck hit him near Mohara
Chhak on the State Highway
that connects Bangomunda
and Khariar in the district on
Monday.
The deceased was identi-
fied as Balaram Majhi, a Plus
Two second year student of a
Acharya reached the spot and
tried to pacify the agitators but
in vain. He held a discussion on
the issue with the district
Collector, but it did not yield
any result. Police personnel
reached the site to take control
of the situation till last reports
<hbcTah BVPaWPdc^SaXeTabb^]RaPRZb>2BTgP\
bWa^dSb6³_PcX
f^\P]³bSTPcW CWXbfPbWXb
UXabcPccT\_c
?=BQ ?0A0;0:74<D=38
A dead body of a woman was
found in mysterious cir-
cumstances in Narasinghpur
village under Gosani block in
Gajapati district on Monday.
The deceased was identi-
fied as Padla Dilleswari Rao of
Sundarda in Srikakulam dis-
trict in Andhra Pradesh.
The deceased’s family
members have filed a com-
plaint in the Gurandi police sta-
tion. Later, a police team
reached the spot and started
investigation in presence of
Magistrate Achyutananda Jani
and Paralakhemundi SDPO
Prakash Chandra Jena.
The body was sent for
post-mortem to the District
Headquarters Hospital (DHH).
4g_TacbVXeT
bdVVTbcX^]bPUcTa
_aTbT]cPcX^]^U
D]X^]1dSVTc
?=BQ 17D10=4BF0A
T he national Budget has
taken unprecedented mea-
sures to reform and revive the
agriculture sector but it needs
a proper balance between prof-
itability and sustainability, in
agriculture. Experts raised the
serious concern at a policy dia-
logue organised by the Centre
for Policy, Governance and
Advocacy (CPGA) here.
The meeting was inaugu-
rated by former Finance
Minister Panchanan Kanungo.
Several experts, senior jour-
nalists, practitioners and acad-
emics joined to deliberate on
the most important issue of
agriculture and how to make it
climate resilient, sustainable
and profitable.
Chairman of CPGA
Tejeswar Parida introduced the
guests and briefly reviewed
the Economic Survey of 2019-
20 with a focus on agriculture.
college at Bhalumunda.
The speeding truck hit
Majhi while he was on his way
to college by his bicycle. He
died on the spot. A motorcy-
clist was also injured in the
mishap.
Following the incident,
hundreds of students of the col-
lege held a road blockade on
the highway disrupting vehic-
ular traffic. They demanded
compensation to deceased stu-
dent’s family for the loss.
They also sought stopping
the plying of heavy vehicles
during college hours on the
particular route.
Later, the local police and
Bangomunda Tehsildar rushed
to the spot and pacified the agi-
tating students to clear the
road.
came in.
Earlier on Saturday, the
Congress had observed a 24-
hour stir on the issue while the
BJP staged a dharna demand-
ing a city hospital in the town.
Besides, locals had also staged
road blockade on the day.
<0;0HA0HQ BD=30A60A7
D eepak Bara, son of an auto
driver of Sundargarh dis-
trict, with his determination
and hard work, has cracked the
Odisha Civil Service (OCS)
examination in his first attempt
with 192 rank
Bara hails from Damposh
village under Kutra block of
Sundargarh district. His father
Paulus has an auto rickshaw
and drives the auto himself.
Mother Pramila is a vegetable
seller at Rajgangpur market.
Bara did his schooling
from Kukuda mission primary
school near his village, till his
7th class. Thereafter, he stud-
ied in Lanjiberna Shramik
Dr Himanshu
Shekhar Rout of Utkal
University said that
Indian agriculture was
facing the dual challenge
of farm income and rural
employment opportuni-
ties. He stressed on the
need for proper man-
agement of land and nat-
ural resources, besides
tackling issues like MSP,
credit linkage, crop
insurance, market link-
age and commercial
farming.
Former Agriculture
Production Commissioner
Sanjeev Hota shared several
examples on how the farmers
were marginalized due to
Government and corporate
interventions.
Natabar Sarangi highlight-
ed about the age old tradition
of farming and how the mod-
ern science has imposed chem-
icals on agri-practices.
Dr Sarba Narayan Mishra
of OUAT suggested several
measures to improve the pro-
curement practices.
Binaya Kumar Paty
expressed concern that with-
out focus on marketing the
8]?PaPSX_
3HWURO
SXPSVWDII
ORRWHGRI
CODNK
?=BQ ?0A038?
U nidentified miscreants
allegedly looted cash of Rs
1 lakh and a cheque of Rs 30
lakh from a petrol pump staff
in Paradip town on Monday.
According to reports, vic-
tim Akshay Pani was going by
a motorcycle to a bank when
two bike-borne miscreants
intercepted him at Kumbhira
Park chhak and snatched away
a bag containing the cash and
check.
Pani soon lodged a com-
plaint with the Paradip police.
A case has been registered and
efforts were on to trace the
looters, said
police.
6XNLQGDLVP\KHDUWVD\V*KDGDL
?=BQ 909?DA
A large number of people
received former Finance
Minster Prafulla Chandra
Ghadai at Kaliapani in Jajpur
district on Monday.
Addressing a meeting,
Ghadai claimed that Sukinda
had seen massive development
High School, Bihaband and
completed his matriculation
there in the year 2011. After
matriculation, he went to
Kerala and joined a religious
congregation at Wayanad at
Kerala, to become a Christian
Roman catholic priest.
Bara studied +2 in Kerala.
Later, Bara did his
Batchelor in Arts in English lit-
erature in Government
Autonomous College, Rourkela
agriculture sector was not
going to be profitable. He sug-
gested that wholesale markets
should be shifted out of the
city; good marketing practices
in Municipality and Panchayat
markets under the supervi-
sion of State Agricultural
Marketing Board; surplus
funds lying in different RMCs
be transferred to the State mar-
ket fund as provided for in the
APMR Act of Odisha. Besides,
he told that agriculture mar-
keting under the Department
of Cooperation should go to
Agriculture Department and all
the line departments like ani-
mal husbandry, horticulture,
BQ`UQSSecUT
]QbbYUcfYSdY]
Y^2Q\UcgQbZQY\
?=BQ 10;4BF0A
A rape accused tied the
knot with the victim as
per Hindu tradition on the
premises of the Baleswar
jail on Saturday.
T h e nu p t i a l s w e r e
solemnised in the presence
o f j a i l au t h o r i t i e s a n d
inmates.
Bikash Das (25), a resi-
d e nt o f B a i s i n g a i n
Mayurbhanj district, had
been in a physical relation-
ship with a young girl of his
locality on the pretext of
marrying her. Being influ-
enced by some nefarious
characters, he then started
avoiding her and the rela-
tionship turned sour.
Later, the girl lodged a
works during his period as
Finance Minister.
Ghadai said Sukinda had
remained a neglected area for
long, but it has now become a
flourishing constituency.
Industrialisation and socioe-
conomic empowerment of
tribals have changed the sce-
nario during the Naveen
and PG in English literature in
Revenshaw University, Cuttack.
While he was in his 2nd year
post graduation, he qualified
for Odisha Civil Services main
examination in his first
attempt.
“As I am from a poor fam-
ily, I used to borrow books
from friends and return to
them within a few days. I used
to buy old books because lat-
est edition books were very
fishery, sericulture should have
a dedicated marketing cell.
Dibakar Nayak spoke
about climate Change and
drought impacting agricultur-
al productivity and crop vari-
ation,
AK Nayak said water pro-
ductivity needed to be
enhanced by increasing 10% of
water use efficiency through
precision and on-firm water
management.
BK Sahu laid stress on
more focus on innovation.
Siba Shankar Mohanty
raised concern that over 25 per
cent of land area was under-
going rapid desertification.
complaint with the Rupsa
police against the youth
alleging rape. Based on the
c o mp l a i nt , B i k a s h w a s
arrested and forwarded to
the court.
A few days after the
incident, the families of
both accused and victim
wanted to settle the matter
outside the court. Following
the consent of families, the
youth and girl sought per-
mission from the jail
authorities for the wedding.
Acknow ledging their
initiative, the court also
permitted the accused and
victim to go ahead with
marriage and directed the
jail authorities to make
arrangements for the cere-
mony.
Patnaik Government.
“Sukinda is where my heart
is. I will continue to do whatev-
er possible on my part for the
people of this area till by last
breath,” asserted an emotional
Ghadai. Among others, Naryana
Chandra Dhal, Bidyadhar Patra
, Pradip Kuamr Mohanty and
Saswat Behura were present.
expensive. Ravenshaw
University has a very rich
library from where I used to
take a lot of materials and
handouts,” said Bara, whose
optional papers in OCS exam-
ination were English literature
and Sociology.
"I am proud of my son. He
has cracked OCS exam due to
his determination and hard
work," said Paulus, father of
Bara.
17D10=4BF0AkCD4B30H k541AD0AH #!! ]PcX^]#

4YZ]Z\R^ZdYRa+ 'HHUVXUYLYHV <PcaXRTgP\ 8=1A845

%Z_T]fUZ_XS`Re SRDFKHUV¶DWWDFN PS\XcRPaSb

374=:0=0;F><0=2A8C820;148=60CC02:431H
9D<1>
3WT]ZP]P[) 0f^\P]bdbcPX]TSbTaX^dbX]YdaXTbfWT]bWTfPb
PccPRZTSQhP]T[T_WP]cX]fTTW^dab^]<^]SPhX]3WT]ZP]P[SXbcaXRc

Ua^\5TQ%
CWTeXRcX\fPbXST]cXUXTSPb1X]PcXBWT]SWP#!^U2WPd[XPeX[[PVT

`h_VcYV]U
A deer was res-
?=BQ :7>A370
I n a development in the
Sunday’s boat capsize inci-
dent, the Balugaon police on
Monday arrested four persons,
including the boat owner, and
forwarded them to court.
Based on a complaint filed
by Chilika Tehsildar and the
Chilika Fisheries Officer, the
police registered a case and
nabbed Ashok Kumar Jali,
Shatrughna Jali, Bisekh Jali
and Nabaghana Jali.
Besides, the local adminis-
tration has decided to inspect
boats and trawlers for their
licences, fitness certificates and
presence of safety equipments
like life jackets and buoys from
Tuesday.
Notably, on Sunday
evening, a boat carrying 17 pic-
nickers from Barakul,
Chandraput and Ankula vil-
lages had capsized in the
Chilika lake. After hearing
cries for help, fishermen in
nearby boats rescued eleven
persons. With the help of Fire
Services and ODRAF person-
nel, other six persons were
rescued later.
?=BQ 0C7060A7 d]STacWT3WT]ZP]P[BPSPa5^aTbcAP]VT1X]PcXWPSV^]Tc^WTa
UPa\[P]S]TPa9^aP]SP=d[[PWPcPa^d]S$P\c^_[dRZeTVTcPQ[Tb
fWT]cWTT[T_WP]cPccPRZTSWTa7TPaX]VWTabRaTP\UPa\Tab_aTbT]c
cued by forest
officials with injury
?=B Q 2DCC02: ]TPacWTb_^caTbRdTSWTaX]PRaXcXRP[R^]SXcX^]P]SadbWTSWTac^cWT
3XbcaXRc7TPS`dPacTab7^b_XcP[
marks near the
Banakhandi jungle A dmit cards of candi-
dates for the annual :0=370<0;<07>CB0E8=0D6DA0C43
in the Athagarh
Forest Range area
on Monday after-
High School Certificate
(Matriculation) examina-
tions conducted by the
noon. Board of Secondar y
As per reports, Education (BSE) would be
some locals of available from February 6, a
Rajnagar village BSE official said on Monday. be installed at 1,000 sensitive
spotted the deer The admit cards will be centres, 307 nodal centres with
with the injury downloadable from the BSE’s 24×7 surveillance would be
marks and website www.bscodisha.ac.in set up for safekeeping of ques-
informed forest after inputting respective login tion papers. Besides, a three-
officials, who then IDs and passwords. tier squad would be formed to
rescued the animal. As many as 5,60,891 stu- check malpractices.
After first aid treat- dents have been enrolled for The examinations will be ?Wd[QP]X):P]SWP\P[<PW^cbPeP]SP?P[[XbWaTT<T[PfTaT
ment, the deer was the examinations scheduled to held from 10 am to 12.30 pm X]PdVdaPcTSWTaT^]<^]SPhCWTTeT]cbfX[[R^]cX]dTU^aUXeTSPhb
released in the jun- be held from February 19 to on the scheduled days while an ;^RP[<?3a0RWhdcPBP\P]cP1P[[XVdSP<;02WPZaP\P]X:P]WPa
gle, said Athagarh Range made an attempt to kill the deer March 2 at 2,888 centres across extra time of 15 minutes will be 0ZP]ZWhP?aPSWP]b_aX]cTa3dcTT2WP]SP]SUX[\PRc^ab0aRWXcPBPWd
Officer Aisha Akhatari Nisha. for its flesh and hide which is the State. allotted to the students for P]SBPQhPbPRWX<XbWaPPccT]STSPbVdTbcb3XbcaXRc2^[[TRc^a3a
Locals said poachers had a regular phenomenon here. While CCTV cameras will Mathematics. 1ad]SP33A30?38C30?0P]S03<fTaT_aTbT]c0b^deT]XafPb
aT[TPbTS^]cWT^RRPbX^]8]cWTTeT]X]V<PWPaPbWcaP³b;PQP]XSP]RT
?dad[XP³b2WWPdAPYPbcWP]³b2WPZaXP]SU^[ZSP]RT^UBd]SPaVPaWfTaT

>8B3]_fUT_fUb]ebTUb BP\P]cPfXbWTb3dcTT^]WTaQ´SPh _TaU^a\TSQhPacXbcb3XUUTaT]cbcP[[bWPeTQTT]_dcd_X]cWT<PW^cbPe

Va^d]S

<2;0=0=3E870A2;D17>;3B1;>>33>=0C8>=

_V;U^TbQ`QTQBD9QSdYfYcd ?=BQ
17D10=4BF0A
20<?

Ab$;U^a Development depart-

ment, quality of dry O lympian
sprinter
aTWPQb^dVWc food for babies in
Anganwadi Centres
and student of
KIIT Dutee
under ICDS pro- Chand celebrat-
grammes as well as ed her birthday
?=B Q :4=3A0?030 irregularities in here on
Government schemes Monday.

T hough more than two days

have passed to the killing of
RTI activist Ranjan Kumar
Das, the Marshaghai police
have failed to nab the culprits.
Neither have they established
cause of the murder.
Meanwhile, demanding the
arrest of the accused and Rs 50
lakh compensation to the next
of kin of the deceased, Supreme
Court lawyer and rights activist
Radhakanta Tripathy has
moved the doors of NHRC by
filing a petition .
Tripathy pointed out that
Das had taken to RTI activism
about eight years ago. Das was
regularly receiving death
threats for seeking information
including on the numerous
brick kilns that had sprung up
illegally. Last month his parents
received death threats asking
them to keep Das’ activism
under check. Recently, Das
had lodged a case before the
Odisha Lokayukta alleging
encroachment of 1,100 acres of
Government land by a resident
of Mahakalpada for shrimp
farming. He had also filed RTI
applications seeking details of
expenditure on roads con-
structed by Rural
such as Pradhan
Mantri Rozgar Yojana and
Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awaas
Yojana.
The delay in arresting the
culprits is a serious question of
human rights violation as it
involves role of police, intelli-
gence and law and order.
Failure of the State in imple-
menting the provisions of
Whistleblowers Protection Act,
2013 in the State amounts to
serious human rights violation,
Tripathy said and requested
the NHRC to ensure fair inves-
tigation by an independent
team of experts.
KIIT and
KISS founder
Dr Achyuta
Samanta, Indian
footballer and
former Indian
W o m e n
Football Team BP\QP[_da) CWT<PWP]PSX2^P[UXT[Sb;X\XcTS<2;0]P]SEXWPa2[dQ
c a p t a i n ^aVP]XbTSPQ[^^SS^]PcX^]RP\_X]1da[P^]Bd]SPh3a3TQPbWXb
Sh r a d h anj a l i 6d_cPP]S3a2WXccPaP]YP]?PbPhPcX]PdVdaPcTScWTRP\_CWTRP\_
S a m a n t r a y, fPbR^]SdRcTSfXcWcWTbd__^ac^US^Rc^abP]SbcPUUb^U<2;0]P]S
Arjun Awardee cyclist Minati es, Dr Samanta said, “Dutee is Olympics with the blessings of EXWPa7^b_XcP[P]ScWTE8<B0A1da[PP]SATS2a^bbB^RXTch
Mohapatra, athletes Jauna a blessed child. May God bless God,” he added.
Murmu, Purnima Hembram, her on her birthday; she will Earlier, Dutee celebrated $:660=90B<D66;435A><>38B70B48I438=
cine stars Mihir Das and bring many more laurels to her birthday in the Kalinga BDA0C
Sabyasachi Mishra, among oth- Odisha and India. Dutee will Institute of Social Sciences 1WdQP]TbfPa) ?^[XRT^]Bd]SPhbTXiTS^eTa$ZV^UVP]YPeP[dTSPc
ers, joined the programme. fulfil the hopes of people of (KISS) with 30,000 tribal chil- \^aTcWP]Ab$[PZWcWPcWPSQTT]b\dVV[TSUa^\>SXbWPUa^\P
Expressing his good wish- Odisha and India in 2020 dren by cutting cake. V^S^f]]TPa:dSbPSeX[[PVTX]6dYPaPc³bBdaPcSXbcaXRcP]SPaaTbcTSP
_Tab^]X]cWXbaTVPaS

1RZERRNMXQJOH 9dVVTa]Pdc0bb]W^[Sb³0VaXcW^]´ %R\µKXPLOLDWHG¶

VDIDULYHKLFOHVRQOLQH E\SULQFLSDO
?=BQ
17D10=4BF0A

T he Juggernaut

IOHHVIURPKRPH
Association of
?=BQ 17D10=4BF0A booking will also attract inter- Entrepreneurs organ-
national tourists as they plan ised an ‘Agrithon’

T o promote ecotourism
of Debrigarh and
Chandaka sanctuaries, the
State Government has
introduced online booking
of vehicles for wildlife
safaris at both the sanctu-
aries.
The online booking
facility is aimed at increasing
the inflow of tourists to both
the sanctuaries. With this ,
tourists will now be able to
book vehicles beforehand. It
will also ensure that they do not
return in case there is unavail-
ability of vehicles. “This online
their journey in advance,” said
a forest official.
In yet another move to
promote eco-tourism in the
State, the Government has
introduced ‘Eco-trails Odisha’,
a programme for trekking and
hiking. The Forest and
Environment Department has
identified around 8-10 trekking
routes covering valleys, hills
and rivers spread across 20 dis-
tricts of the State.
here to create aware-
ness about the con-
tribution of farmers
and agriculture in the
Indian economy.
While 70 per cent
of the rurai households depend
on agriculture, the sector con-
tributes about 17 per cent to the
country’s GDP and provides
employment to over 60 per cent
of the population. About 2,000
people, including MSME entre-
preneurs, participated in the
event.
The Agrithon was flagged
off by Agriculture and Farmers’
Empowerment Minister Dr
Arun Sahu. Former MLA and
Green Army commander Dr
Dillip Srichandan, Association
president Janardhan Sahoo,
secretary Dr Sumantra Misra
abd executive members Sanjay
Choudhary, Badri Ssamal,
Rashmita Choudhur y,
Lopamudra Mishra Jana,
Purabee Purnasha Mishra,
Lipak Choudhary abd Debasis
Sahoo were present.
On this occasion, the JAE
took oath to convert Odisha
from a consumer State to a pro-
ducer State by promoting agri-
culture and
agripreneurship.
CaPRTS*<X]
bPhbPRcX^]
Pb_Ta[Pf
?=BQ 94H?>A4
A Class-IX boy student of a
private school
Semiliguda of Koraput district
in
went missing on Sunday when
he was allegedly humiliated by
his school Principal.
Later, he was rescued at late
night. It is alleged that the stu-
dent of Netaji English Medium
School in Semiliguda had run
away from his house after
allegedly being humiliated by
the Principal for talking to a girl
frequently.
Opposing it, school
Principal Pradyumna Dash
called his parents for a warn-
ing. Later, he cut his hair in
front of other students with
help of two teachers on January
31.
Later, his parents later took
him to Simanchalam in
Andhra Pradesh and tonsured
his head. On Sunday, the
teenage boy fled from his
house, following which a com-
plaint was lodged at Sunabeda
police by his aunt. She alleged
that the boy was tortured by the
school Principal which made
him flee from the house.
However, Panda refuted
the allegation terming it as
completely baseless and said he
did not intend to humiliate or
torture the boy.
In reaction, School and
Mass Education Minister
Sameer Ranjan Das said, “A
complaint has been lodged in
connection with the incident.
Action will be taken as per law
against the official concerned
once police record his state-
ment.”

?dQ[XR
VaXTeP]RT\TTc
WT[SX]:W^aSWP
?=BQ :7>A370

A public grievance hearing

camp was organised at
Khordha block office on
Monday under the chairman-
ship of district Collector
Sitanshu Kumar Rout.
A total of 118 complaints
were heard of which 76 were
personal matters and six were
collective. After assessing 21
CMRF cases, a sum of Rs 1,51,
000 was sanctioned out of the
CMRF. A total of Rs 47,000 was
sanctioned out of the District
Red Cross Fund in 15 cases. A
total of 65 cases were disposed
of on the spot.
Among others, Sub-
Collector Santanu Mohanty,
SP Ajay Pratap Swain, DRDA
PD Diganta Mohanty, Khordha
Tehsildar Subendu Samal and
ADM Rabi Narayan Padhy
were present.
17D10=4BF0AkCD4B30H k541AD0AH #!! ]PcX^]$

A`]ZeZTR]^RdeVcdSVYZ_UYReVdaVVTYVdSj3;A]VRUVcd+4`_X
?=BQ =4F34;78

R esponding to Parvesh
Verma’s speech on the @=µccY\U^SUSQecY^WbU`UQdUT 6^ecUPX[TS\XbTaPQ[hc^
VYbY^WcQd`b_dUcdcYdUc*IUSXebi RaTPcTY^QbPUaPXS^U
Motion of Thanks to the
President’s Address, the
Opposition parties alleged that
“political masters at the top” are
giving directions to make
inflammatory speeches.
Participating in the debate,
?=BQ =4F34;78 aT_[hX]V`dTbcX^]b)APWd[
BJP leaders incite violence.
That one incident happens
right of every citizen. All
Governments must respect
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi
demanded registering cases
against Ministers and top BJP
T he CPI(M) on Monday
said the repeated cases of
firings at the Jamia Nagar
after another points to com-
plicity. Peaceful protesters are
demonised while those insti-
that. Dissent is democracy. It
cannot be met with hate-
speech by those in high
?=BQ =4F34;78

leaders for making inflamma-

tory speeches to divide people
on communal line. “They think
that they can rule like dictators
and make such speeches. It is
unfortunate,” he said.
Gogoi said that for this
Government, the students and
women who are protesting
against the CAA are “our ene-
mies. But for me, they are my
brothers and friends. They are
telling about values of Mahatma
Gandhi and Swami
Vivekanand”. Referring to the
JNU incident on January 5,
Gogoi said people witnessed
disturbing scenes in universi-
ties.
Students and professors at
JNU were bleeding due to
attack and police did not do
anything, he said adding, “I am
not questioning Delhi Police”.
Delhi Police, he said, is capable
of managing everything, but
“what I feel is that political mas-
ters are dictating them and
giving directions”.
“In front of Delhi Police, a
2^]VaTbb<?6PdaPe6^V^Xb_TPZbX]cWT;^ZBPQWPSdaX]VcWT1dSVTcBTbbX^]^U
?Pa[XP\T]cX]=Tf3T[WX^]<^]SPh
boy fired on the people,” the
Congress leader said adding “he
must have been motivated by
someone. I want to know who
is pulling the trigger. It’s not the
minister or that boy,” he added.
Attacking Verma, the
Congress MP also said that a
member banned by Election
Commission for campaigning
in Delhi was allowed to speak
first in the House and “that
shows the BJP’s attitude towards
the Election Commission and
Parliament”. Gogoi said the
government should talk about
the real problems of poverty,
unemployment, and inequality
as these issues are not yet over.
Speaking during the dis-
cussion, T R Baalu (DMK)
wondered if the President had
gone through his speech before
reading it during the joint sit-
?C8
ting of Parliament. He said
that Budget has not provided
anything to boost investment in
agriculture sector. On
Citizenship Amendment Act,
he asked the government about
the compulsion under which
they came up with this law.
“You want to discriminate
among people,” he alleged.
Opposing the motion,
Trinamool Congress’ Mahua
Moitra said the government is
betraying the people who have
voted for them. “You have
betrayed the tribal people in
Gujarat on whose land you built
a statue,” she said. She dubbed
the National Population
Register (NPR), National
Register of Citizens and the
CAA as the “biggest betrayal”
of people of India. “People who
voted for you in 2014 are hor-
and Shaheen Bagh areas here
were a direct outcome of the
“continued silence” of Prime
Minister Narendra Modi as
Ministers and BJP leaders
incite violence. “Repeated
firings are an ominous and
direct outcome of continued
silence of PM as Ministers and
rified,” she said adding, “Today,
you put a person banned by
Election Commission to speak
in parliament”.
She also said that the state
of economy is abysmal and the
finance minister was fearful in
giving the target for the real
GDP. “You have rubbished
all economists, but your own
former CEA appointed by you”
is raising question marks on
government data, she said.
P V Midhun Reddy (YSRCP)
said that his party was opposed
to the NRC and the NPR and
the government should not do
anything which creates a sense
of insecurity among minorities.
Vinayak Raut, member of
gating & initiating violence go
scot-free,” tweeted CPI(M)
general secretary Sitaram
Yechury.
When ministers provoke
violence or thuggery, then no
one is safe. Governments are
responsible for every citizen’s
safety. Peaceful protest is a
6KDKHHQ%DJK3OHDLQ6&
VHHNVUHPRYDORISURWHVWHUV
New Delhi: A plea was filed
in the Supreme Court on
Monday seeking a direction to
the authorities to remove
from Shaheen Bagh protesters
agitating against CAA since
December 15 last year, saying
they are causing hardship to
people by blocking arterial
road connecting Delhi to
former NDA constituent Shiv
Sena, dared the BJP to give
Bharat Ratna to Hindutva ide-
ologue Vinayak Damodar
offices,” he tweeted.
“Law & order in the
national Capital comes under
the Centre. Responsibility and
accountability for repeated
provocative violent incidents
falls directly and solely on the
Union Home Minister and the
Prime Minister,” he tweeted.
Noida. Restrictions have been
imposed on the Kalindi Kunj-
Shaheen Bagh stretch and
Okhla underpass, which were
closed on December 15 last
year due to ongoing protests
against the Citizenship
(Amendment) Act and
National Register of Citizen
(NRC).
Savarkar. He also wanted to
know how many Indians have
gone to Kashmir after abroga-
tion of Article 370.
A fter tearing into Finance
Minister Nirmala
Sitharaman’s Union Budget as
“hollow” and failing to address
unemployment levels in the
country, former Congress
president Rahul Gandhi on
Monday targeted the
Government again over the
issue of unemployment, saying
it has “failed miserably” to
generate jobs for the youth of
the country.
In a tweet posted this
morning Rahul told
Sitharaman “don’t’ be afraid of
questions... asking on behalf of
youth... replying is your respon-
sibility”. The former Congress
chief hit out at Sitharaman
and the Centre for failing “mis-
erably” to provide jobs.
“Finance Minister, don’t
be scared of my questions. I am
asking these questions on
behalf of the youth of the
country, to answer whom is
your responsibility,” Rahul said
in a tweet in Hindi. “The youth
of the country want employ-
ment and your Government
has failed miserably to provide
them the same,” he said. The
Congress leader used the hash-
tag “JawaabDoMantriJi” to put
across his point.
Soon after the Budget was
presented in Parliament, Rahul
said there is nothing concrete
in the Budget as the biggest
problem in front of the coun-
try is unemployment and the
Government has not addressed
that.
“This is the mindset of the
government -- all talk and
nothing concrete. The biggest
problem our youngsters are
facing is unemployment and I
didn`t see any strategic idea as
how they will get jobs,” Rahul
told reporters in Parliament.

8=B7>AC 3QcUbUWYcdUbUTQWQY^cd 2SSZDONVRXWRI/6DV9HUPDEHJLQVVSHHFK

?<C>033A4BB0A0;;H
8=:>:A0970A>=541&
=Tf3T[WX) ?aX\T<X]XbcTa
=PaT]SaP<^SXfX[[PSSaTbbPaP[[h
X]1^S^S^\X]PcTS:^ZaPYWPac^f]
^U0bbP\^]5TQadPah&CWXbfX[[
QTcWT_aX\T\X]XbcTa³bUXabceXbXcc^
cWT=^acWTPbcbX]RTXcfXc]TbbTS
bTeTaP[P]cX200_a^cTbcbX]fWXRW
cWaTT_T^_[TfTaTZX[[TS<^SXfX[[
eXbXc0bbP\^]5TQadPah&P]S
PSSaTbbPaP[[hX]:^ZaPYWPa Services Mains examination for
6>EC70A0BB8=6
BCD34=CB)>F08B8
=Tf3T[WX)08<8<[TPSTaP]S
7hSTaPQPS<?0bPSdSSX]>fPXbX
^]<^]SPhR[PX\TSX];^ZBPQWP
cWPc^]TRWX[SWPb[^bcWXbThTfWX[T
VXa[bfTaTQTPcT]d_SdaX]V
_a^cTbcbPVPX]bccWT2XcXiT]bWX_
0\T]S\T]c0RcPc9P\XP<X[XP
8b[P\XP9<8D]XeTabXchWTaT
3daX]VcWT@dTbcX^]7^da>fPXbX
P[[TVTScWPccWT6^eTa]\T]cWPb
QTT]WPaPbbX]VbcdST]cbcTa\X]VXc
Pb°bWP\TUd[± the High Court.
³?A8>A8CH022>A343C>
=>AC740BC8=1D364C´
=Tf3T[WX) D]X^]<X]XbcTa9XcT]SaP
BX]VW^]<^]SPhbPXScWTWP[[\PaZ
^UcWT1dSVTc!!! XbcWPcXc
PRR^aSbcWTWXVWTbc_aX^aXchc^cWT
^eTaP[[STeT[^_\T]c^UcWT
=^acWTPbcTa]aTVX^]BX]VWbPXScWT
QdSVTcPahP[[^RPcX^]U^acWT
<X]Xbcah^U3TeT[^_\T]c^U=^acW
4PbcTa]ATVX^]3^=4AbPfPWXZT
^U^eTa #_TaRT]cUa^\Ab!%& Monday said it will frame the
Ra^aT[PbchTPac^Ab"#(Ra^aTX]
!!!  9-judge Constitution bench on
³BC0C4B?>=B>A43
C4AA>A8B<0270;;4=64´
=Tf3T[WX)BcPcTbd__^acc^
cTaa^aXb\QhP]TXVWQ^daX]V
R^d]cah_^bTbPbTaX^dbRWP[[T]VT
c^8]SXPQdcXcWPbSXb_[PhTS
RP_PQX[Xchc^°SXbad_cP]SSTcTa±
cTaa^a]Tcf^aZbP]ScWTXa_Pca^]b
3TUT]RT<X]XbcTaAPY]PcWBX]VW
bPXS^]<^]SPh0SSaTbbX]VP
R^]UTaT]RTBX]VWP[b^P]]^d]RTS
RaTPcX^]^U ]TfSTUT]RTfX]Vb
X]Pb\P]h8]SXP]\XbbX^]bb^cWPc
\^aT3TUT]RT0ccPRW|b30bR^d[S
QTP__^X]cTS would commence the proceed-
YbbUWe\QbYdYUcY^=Q^Y`eb
SYfY\cUbfYSUc" !&UhQ] T
?=BQ =4F34;78
T he CBI has registered a case
to probe alleged irregularities
in the conduct of the Civil
2016 organised by the Manipur
Public Service Commission
(MPSC).
The agency has registered
the case against unidentified
officials of the Commission at
the behest of the Manipur High
Court. The Manipur Civil
Services Combined Competitive
Examination (CSCCE), 2016
had selected 82 officers of the
Manipur Civil Service, Manipur
Police Service and allied services
whose selection was quashed by
The high court had, in
October last year, quashed the
examination after several aspi-
rants approached it alleging
D4+HZ]]WcR^V]RcXVcbfVdeZ`_dcV]ReZ_Xe`
h`^V_UZdTcZ^Z_ReZ`_Z_cV]ZXZ`fda]RTVd
New Delhi: The Supreme Court
legal issues to be adjudicated by a
religious discrimination against
women at various religious places
— the larger question which arose
during the Sabarimala case.
As the lawyers representing
various parties in the case have not
arrived at a consensus on framing
larger issues to be deliberated
upon by the Constitution bench, it
will frame them by Thursday, the
top court said.
The Constitution bench, head-
ed by Chief Justice S A Bobde, said
it will inform the parties about the
time frame for the hearing and
irregularities in the selection
process and also ordered a
Central Bureau of Investigation
(CBI) probe into the matter.
The court had then institut-
ed a two-member panel to probe
the matter, which revealed “irreg-
ularities and discrepancies”,
including absence of examiners’
signatures on answer scripts,
manipulation of marks and allot-
ment of marks without evalua-
tion of answer scripts.
“The MPSC appears to have
taken the examination very light-
ly, like a child’s play, completely
forgetting that it would decide
and determine the career of a
candidate,” it had said while
handing over the investigation to
the CBI.
In November last year, the
order was upheld by the SC,
which told the agency to conduct
a time-bound investigation.
ings by next week.
The bench said that it would go
by the reference order of November
14 last year, made by a five-judge
bench which by a majority of 3:2
had said that the larger bench will
have to evolve a judicial policy to
?=BQ =4F34;78 and continued slogan shouting
against comments of Thakur
meeting.
The choice of Verma , a
he Opposition created an
uproar in the Parliament
and even staged a walkout on
and Verma with slogans “save
India” , “ Save Democracy” and
“ Save Constitution”.
Delhi MP, as the first speaker
by the BJP was obvious with
Delhi set to go to poll on
Monday over the utterances by Congress leader Adhir February 8.
BJP MPs Parvesh Verma and Ranjan Chowdhur y said Initiating the debate,
Anurag Thakur during their
campaigning in the Delhi
Assembly polls.
Government is silencing the
voice of common people and
accused ruling members as
Verma said India is proud to
have such a President who has
rejected the mercy plea of
Opposition members being “ Nakli Hindu”. He said Nirbhaya convicts. Besides
walked out of the Lok Sabha the Government cannot silence praising Prime Minister
when Verma rose to initiate a people’s “boli” (voice) with Narendra Modi, he also
debate on the Motion of “goli” (bullet). All through this, admired the speaker for mak-
Thanks on the President’s Thakur was answering ques- ing the House paperless and
address while the Congress tions related to his Ministry giving an opportunity to new
raised slogans against Union during question hour. members to speak.
minister Anurag Thakur. Rajya AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi, He accused ruling AAP of
Sabha proceedings were also who was to ask a question, 19?FTbc3T[WX<??PaeTbWETa\Pb_TPZbX]cWT;^ZBPQWPSdaX]VcWT1dSVTc not fulfilling promises it made
washed out as the Opposition rather shouted, “We are with BTbbX^]^U?Pa[XP\T]cX]=Tf3T[WX^]<^]SPh ?C8 to the people of Delhi and
raised slogans against the Jamia, we are with students.” standing up with the anti-
Government, demanding a At 12.10 Speaker Om Birla Thanks on the President’s cannot be raised inside the Citizenship Amendment Act
debate on the Citizenship adjourned the house till 130 address to protest his contro- House and that members (CAA) protestors. Verma also
Amendment Act (CAA) and hrs. When the house resumed versial remarks during a poll should not set a “wrong prece- referred to the Shaheen Bagh
National Population Register its proceedings opposition rally here. dent”. sit-in, saying it is not a protest
(NPR). members, including those from Opposition benches raised Verma was barred by the against CAA, rather people
As soon as Lok Sabha pro- the Congress and DMK, slogans against the BJP MP like Election Commission last week there are saying “Pakistan zind-
ceedings commenced, walked out of Lok Sabha as “Sharam Karo (Have Shame)”. for four days for his contro- abad, and Assam and Kashmir
Congress-led Opposition soon as Verma rose to initiate Speaker Om Birla said versial remarks made during an should be separated from
protested in the lower house a debate on the Motion of what a member says outside interview and at an election India.”
8bbdT]^cXUXRPcX^]U^aTbcPQ[XbWX]V B2]^cXRTc^2T]caTBcPcTb^]
²6aP\=hPhP[PhPb³)B2c^BcPcTb
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has directed the States, ZXSbUP[[X]VShX]VX]Q^aTfT[[b
which are yet come out with notifications for establishing
‘Gram Nyayalayas’, to do so within four weeks, and asked New Delhi: The Supreme Court top court in 2010.
the High Courts to expedite the process of con- Monday asked the Centre, The Bench issued notices to
sultation with State Governments on this issue. States and Union the Centre, states and UT on the
An Act passed by Parliament in 2008 pro- Territories (UTs) to plea and asked them to file their
vided for setting up of ‘Gram Nyayalayas’ respond to a plea seek- replies. In his plea, Mani has
at the grass roots level for providing access ing action against urged the top court to call for the
to justice to citizens at the doorstep and to authorities for failing to records from the Centre, states
ensure that opportunities for securing jus- prevent children from and UTs regarding steps taken by
tice are not denied to anyone by reason of falling into abandoned or them to prevent children from
social, economic or other disabilities. open bore wells and dying falling into open or abandoned
A Bench headed by Justice N V Ramana also took across the country. bore well pursuant to the direc-
into account the fact that several States have issued noti- A Bench of Justices Arun tions given by the apex court in
do “substantial and complete jus- fications for establishing ‘Gram Nyayalayas’ but all of Mishra and M R Shah agreed to its August 2010 order.
tice” in matters of freedom of reli- them were not functioning except in Kerala, hear the plea filed by advocate G He said citizens were being
gion, such as entry of Muslim Maharashtra and Rajasthan. The Bench noted that S Mani who has also sought “victimised” due to failure of
women into mosques and ‘dargah’ States like Gujarat, Haryana, Telangana, West Bengal, direction to the authorities to administration to close these
and Parsi women, married to non- Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh and Odisha have not yet filed take action against erring gov- open bore wells as several deaths
Parsi men, being barred from the their affidavits on this issue despite the apex court’s ernment officials for non-com- have been reported from across
holy fire place of an Agyari. PTI October 18 last year direction. PTI pliance of directions given by the the country due to this. PTI

BdVPa_aXRT\PhV^d_PbhXT[SUP[[bQh!# =TfePRRX]Tc^R^]ca^[R[PbbXRP[bfX]TUTeTa
?=BQ =4F34;78 ?=BQ =4F34;78 only 1.20 million doses, accord- ment have shown interest. batch. To do away sacrificing of
ing to the IVRI. The cost of new vaccine rabbits and increase the pro-

A decline in sugar production

by 24 per cent between
October and January may lead
to increase in prices in the
country. The total sugar pro-
duction declined to 141.12 lakh
tonne this year as compared to
185.59 lakh tonne during the
corresponding period last year
due to fall in output in the
major producing State of
Maharashtra. The sugar mar-
keting year runs from October
to September.
According to Indian Sugar
Mills Association (ISMA), as on
January 31, 2020, 446 sugar
mills in the country have pro-
duced 141.12 lakh tonne of
sugar, as compared to 185.59
lakh tonne produced by 520
mills last season on the corre-
sponding date.
In Maharashtra, sugar pro-
duction in the first four months
of the 2019-20 marketing year
is estimated at 34.64 lakh tonne
compared with 70.99 lakh
tonne in the corresponding
period of the previous year.
Sugar output in Uttar
Pradesh, however, increased to
54.96 lakh tonne from 52.86
lakh tonne. In Karnataka, pro-
duction fell to 27.94 lakh tonne
from 33.76 lakh tonne. ISMA
has pegged the country’s sugar
production at 260 lakh tonne
for 2019-20.
The estimates are based
after accounting for the diver-
sion of sugarcane juice and ‘B’
heavy molasses into ethanol,
which will reduce about 8.5
lakh tonne of sugar production.
“260 lakh tonne of sugar
will be around 70 lakh tonne
less than the production of the
last season. We can already see
that current year’s production
is trailing by almost 44.5 lac
tonne till the end of January
2020 as compared to the previ-
ous season,” the statement said.
The sugar sales in the first
four months of the current
season would be almost 7-8
lakh tonne more than the year-
ago period.
“In the last year, the esti-
mated sugar sales by the sugar
mills were around 255 lakh
tonne and considering the high-
er sales in this year, ISMA
expects the sugar sales by sugar
mills in the current season to be
around 260 lakh tonne,” it
added.
I n order to check the falling
pig population in India, the
Government on Monday
unveiled a new indigenously
developed vaccine for control-
ling classical swine fever, which
is an highly contagious fatal pig
disease. The new vaccine,
developed by Uttar Pradesh-
based ICAR-Indian Veterinary
Research Institute (IVRI), will
be much cheaper than the
existing one. It would cost
only Rs 2 per dose compared to
the current vaccine’s rate of Rs
15-20 per dose and imported
Korean vaccine rate of Rs 30
per dose. As per 2019 census,
the country’s pig population
declined to 9.06 million from
11.13 million in 2007.
Currently, India does not
have enough vaccine for con-
trolling classical swine fever
(CSF), which has led to high
mortality with annual loss of
about Rs 4.29 billion. Against
the annual requirement of 20
million doses, the availability is
Although there is no health
risk to humans, it is highly
transmissible among swine.
would be less, as only one
dose of new vaccine is required
to be given to pigs in a year,
ductivity, IVRI later developed
a cell-cultured vaccine using
foreign strain and commer-
“This CSF vaccine is much unlike two doses of the exist- cialised it in 2016 and 2018.
cheaper and will be a game ing ones, he said. According to IVRI, the
changer. We need to speed up According to Ministry of newly developed vaccine using
commercialisation,” Animal Animal Husbandry, since 1964 Indian strain is safe and potent.
Husbandry and Dairying a lapinized CSF vaccine is It does not revert to virulence
Department Secretary Atul being used in India for con- and provide protective immu-
Chaturvedi said after the trolling the disease. The vaccine nity from day 14 of the vacci-
launch. is produced by sacrificing large nation till 24 months studied so
The new vaccine has been numbers of rabbits for each far.
developed using Indian strain
and lakhs of doses can be pro-
duced very easily using the cell
culture technology and the
country’s requirement can be
easily fulfilled, said Trilochan
Mohapatra, Secretary to the
Department of Agricultural
Research and Education
(DARE). The vaccine has been
tested on around 500 pigs at
multiple locations.
He further said the vaccine
will be commercialised in the
next six months. Various state
governments, private manu-
facturers and Nepal govern-
17D10=4BF0AkCD4B30H k541AD0AH #!! ]PcX^]%

?:2e`bfZkVi;<>=2W`c]Z_\dhZeY9>T`^^R_UVc
Srinagar : The National
Investigation Agency (NIA)
will question former J&K MLA
Sheikh Abdul Rashid for his
links with self-styled Hizbul
Mujahideen commander
Naveed ‘Babu’, arrested along
with suspended Jammu and
Kashmir Police DSP Davinder
Singh, officials said here on
Monday.
Rashid, popularly known
as ‘Rashid Engineer’ and leader
of the Awami Ittehad Party
(AIP), contested as an
Independent candidate in the
2014 Assembly constituency
from Langate in North
Kashmir.
He is at present in judicial
custody at the Tihar Jail after he
was arrested by the NIA on
August 9 in connection with a
case related to finding of terror
activities in the erstwhile state
of Jammu & Kashmir.
The officials said the
agency would soon approach
court for seeking a production
warrant for summoning Rashid
and question him about his
association with Naveed alias
‘Babu’, whose full name is Syed
Naveed Mushtaq Ahmad.
He is at present under the
custody of the NIA till
February 6.
Naveed was arrested along
with suspended Jammu
& Kashmir Deputy
Superintendent of Police (DSP)
Davinder Singh on January
11. The police officer was
allegedly ferrying Naveed along
with two others out of the
Kashmir Valley.
As reported by PTI last
week, Naveed had claimed
during interrogation that he
had been in constant touch
with the legislator for estab-
lishing a firm base for the ter-
ror group in North Kashmir
and was looking for possible
hideouts in that area, the offi-
cials alleged.
This is definitely a serious
offence and needs to be probed
thoroughly, they said, while jus-
tifying the need for question-
ing Rashid.
Along with Singh and
Naveed, Rafi Ahmed Rather
and Irfan Shafi Mir, who claims
to be an advocate, were also
arrested on the day from the
Srinagar-Jammu National
Highway at Qazigund.
On January 23, Naveed’s
brother, Syed Irfan Ahmed,
was also arrested after he was
brought from Punjab. He was
in constant touch with his
brother and had asked him to
look for an accommodation in
Chandigarh, where they could
escape the harsh winter months
of Kashmir.
Last year also, Singh had
ferried Naveed to Jammu and
facilitated his return to Shopian
after “rest and recuperation”.
Rashid was first a main-
stream politician who was
arrested by the NIA last year in
connection with a case related
to the funding of terror activ-
ities in Kashmir.
His name had cropped up
during the interrogation of
businessman Zahoor Watali
arrested by the NIA for alleged-
ly supplying money to terror
groups and separatists in the
valley.
The NIA had registered the
case against separatist and
secessionist leaders, including
unknown members of the
Hurriyat Conference, who have
been acting in connivance with
active militants of proscribed
terrorist organisations Hizbul
Mujahideen, Dukhtaran-e-
Millat, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)
and other outfits and gangs in
2016. The case was registered
for raising, receiving and col-
lecting funds through various
illegal means, including hawala,
for funding separatist and ter-
rorist activities in the erst-
while state and for causing
disruption in the valley by
pelting stones on the security
forces, burning schools, dam-
aging public property and wag-
ing war against India, the probe
agency said in the FIR.
Hafiz Saeed, chief of the
banned Jamaat-ud- Dawa
(JuD), the front of the Lashkar-
e-Taiba terror outfit, has been
named in the FIR as an
accused.
The FIR also names organ-
isations such as the two factions
of the Hurriyat, one led by Syed
Ali Shah Geelani and the other
by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq,
Hizbul Mujahideen and the
Dukhtaran-e-Millat, an all-
women outfit of
separatists. PTI
PHQOLQNHG
WR-H0KHOG
IURP3XOZDPD
Srinagar: Police arrested four
overground workers of terror
outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed
(JeM) from the Awantipora
area of Jammu & Kashmir’s
Pulwama district on
Monday.
“Awantipora police arrest-
ed four terrorist associates
linked to proscribed terror
outfit JeM,” a police spokesper-
son said. The arrested persons
were identified as Mohammad
Amin, Mohammad Rafiq,
Fayaz Lone, residents of Khrew,
and Maqbool Dar, a resident of
Awantipora, he added.
According to police
records, the arrested persons
were involved in assisting the
active JeM terrorists operating
in Awantipora, the police
spokesperson said. PTI

28C8I4=B78?0<4=3<4=C02C

BcXaPVPX]bc0RcfX[[R^]cX]dT)3XSX E@@_\YSUQbbUcdc! (
B0D60AB4=6D?C0Q
:>;:0C0
of firing at Saheen Bag and
Jamia Millia University the
@69]U]RUbcY^$TQic
TMC leader said the govern- Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Police Varanasi, 16 in Bahraich, three

B engal Chief Minister

Mamata Banerjee has
reiterated that the movement
against the “cruel and dis-
criminatory” Citizenship
Amendment Act will con-
tinue till the Central
Government rolls it back.
The Chief Minister on
Monday joined the sit-in
demonstration of the
Trinamool Congress Chhatra
Parishad, the Bengal ruling
outfit’s students’ arm, congrat-
ulated the students for carrying
on their dharna and asked
them to continue with their stir
till the Central Governmentdid
not take the “black law” back.
“I congratulate you all for
your tenacity … that you have
been sitting in this demon-
stration site for the past sever-
al weeks for a right cause … I
have a number of engagements
that is keeping me busy but still
I will keep coming back to the
dharna site whenever I get
time.
But I will implore student
colleagues to continue with
their movement against this
cruel and discriminatory law
until it is taken back by the
Central Government,” Banerjee
said.
The Trinamool Congress
also attacked the Central
Government and the BJP for
trying to divert the people’s
attention from the real issues by
dividing the society.
Attacking the saffron party
for intimidating the Opposition
into silence TMC MP
Sukhendu Shekhar Roy said
that as the present Government
had failed to address the real
issues it was trying to divert the
attention of the people.
Referring to the incidents
ment has suffered a moral
loss in its bid to enforce the
“undemocratic CAA” and
now “its leaders are trying to
scare away the protesters by
instigating firing incidents.”
He said that the saffron
party “came to power by
promising acchhe din (good
days), jobs, price reductions
and development but failed to
fulfill its promises in all fronts.
And now in order to cloak its
failures it is dividing the soci-
ety and organizing violence.”
In Kolkata TMC leader
and Mayor Firhad Hakim said
the BJP was digging its own
ditch for the coming days.
“They had come to power by
promising development. But
instead of developing India
they are dividing it. They will
have to reap the ‘harvest’ in
future. They are digging their
own ditch and will fall in it. The
people of India are uniting and
they will bring about their
downfall.”
has arrested 108 members of the
Popular Front of India (PFI) in
the last four days for their
alleged involvement in protests
against the Citizenship
(Amendment) Act, a senior
official said on
Monday.
The arrests are in addition
to the 25 made earlier,
Additional Chief Secretary
(Home) Awanish Kumar
Awasthi told reporters.
“This is just the beginning.
We will get to the roots of the
organisation. A probe is also
going on about their financial
dealings. We are in touch with
central agencies and are sharing
information with them,” he
said, adding that Uttar Pradesh
was the first state to take this
kind of action against the organ-
isation.
Giving details, acting
Director General of Police
(DGP) Hitesh Chandra Awasthi
<db[X\f^\T]SXb_[Ph_[PRPaSbP]SPQP]]TaPbcWThcPZT_PacX]P_a^cTbcaP[[hPVPX]bc200=A2P]S=?AX]:^[ZPcP^] said 14 people were arrested in
<^]SPh ?C8 Lucknow, 21 in Meerut, 20 in
in Sitapur, nine in Ghaziabad,
six in Muzaffarnagar,
seven in Shamli, four in Bijnore,
five in Kanpur and one each in
Gonda, Hapur and
Jaunpur.
Asked whether the state
police has any information
about the PFI’s financial trans-
actions from the Enforcement
Directorate (ED), he said, “We
are collecting evidence.”
He added that they were
continuously interacting with
the ED and other agencies but
declined to comment further.
In December 2019, Uttar
Pradesh Police sought a ban on
the PFI, suspecting the organi-
sation’s complicity in the
statewide violent protests
against the CAA.
The ban was sought after
PFI’s Uttar Pradesh head Wasim
and 16 other activists were
arrested for allegedly master-
minding the violence in
Lucknow during anti-CAA
protests. PTI

6^P7^dbT_PbbTb\^cX^]WPX[X]V?<P\XSfP[Z^dcQh2^]V 9LMD\DQFDXWLRQVDJDLQVWLQILOWUDWLRQ
Panaji: The Goa Legislative
Assembly on Monday passed a
motion, congratulating Prime
Minister Narendra Modi and
Union Home Minister Amit
Shah over the Citizenship
Amendment Act (CAA) amid
a walkout by MLAs of
Opposition Congress and
the Goa For ward Party
(GFP).
Majority of Catholic MLAs
of the ruling BJP supported the
motion which was moved by
Atanasio Monserratte and
Clafacio Dias in afternoon on
the first day of the Budget
session.
MLAs of Congress and the
GFP led by the Leader of
Opposition Digambar Kamat
created ruckus and rushed to
the Well of the House demand-
ing that Speaker Rajesh
Patnekar disallow the motion.
They later staged a walkout
saying they had submitted a
RIH[WUHPLVWRXWILW6'3,LQSURWHVWV
notice seeking a discussion on
the new citizenship law and the
proposed countr y-wide
National Register of Citizens
(NRC).
In the House of 40, the rul-
ing BJP has 27 MLAs of its own
including the speaker, who all
were present besides two
Independent legislators who
support the party-led govern-
ment.
NCP MLA Churchil
Alemao, who also supports
the Government, was absent.
The Opposition MLAs includ-
ed five members of the
Congress, three of the Goa
Forward Party (GFP), one of
the Maharashtrawadi
Gomantak Party (MGP) and an
Independent.
Addressing the House,
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant
said “few leaders were mis-
guiding people on the CAA”.
“Opposition members are
not ignorant about the Act.
They are well aware about it,
but are purposefuly trying to
misguide people,” he said.
Sawant said the CAA was
enacted to take care of the
minority communities in
Pakistan, Afghanisthan and
Bangladesh.
The CAA, under which
non-Muslim refugees from
Pakistan, Bangladesh and
Afghanistan will be given
Indian citizenship, came into
force from January 10. It was
passed by the Parliament on
December 11, 2019.
The amended law is facing
strident Opposition from var-
ious quarters over its “dis-
criminatory nature”, with states
like Kerala, Rajasthan, West
Bengal and Punjab passing
resolutions opposing it.
Sawant said the number of
Hindus in Pakistan shrank
from 13.5 per cent to 1.85 per
cent.
“Where have these people
gone? They have either got
converted or migrated, and
naturally they have come to
India,” he said.
Urging the Opposition
benches to read the history,
Sawant saidIndia was divided
on the religious lines in 1947 by
the Congress party.
“Pakistan (was created) for
Muslims while India is for
Hindus. The attempt to give cit-
izenship (to refugees from
Pakistan) was made by Pandit
Jawaharlal Nehru, who in the
year 1950 assured the Lok
Sabha that the refugees would
be given (Indian) citizenship,”
the CM said.
He said some people from
outside Goa are trying to “poi-
son” the minds of local
Christians.
Ports Minister Michael
Lobo of the BJP said many
Christians who had migrated to
Pakistan are wiling to return to
Goa.
“I have been giving them
the letters required by the
embassy to visit Goa for par-
ticipating in feasts and other
occasions. Those people would
be benefitted due to enactment
of the CAA,” he said.
Deputy Speaker Isidore
Fernandes said the Goa Church
has adopted an anti-CAA
stand, but it is for the elected
representatives to clear the air
on the act.
“We face humiliation many
a times when we go for reli-
gious gatherings, but we should
face it and we should convince
people on this Act,” he
said.
BJP MLA and Power
Minister Nilesh Cabral said the
CAA will resolve the major
issue of enemy properties in
Goa. PTI
:D<0A274;;0??0=Q
274==08
F or the first time since the
commencement of the agi-
tation against Citizenship
Amendment Act, Kerala Chief
Minister Pinarayi Vijayan
accepted in the Legislative
Assembly on Monday that
Islamic terrorists have infil-
trating into anti-CAA protest
rallies.
“It has come to the notice
of the Government that Social
Democratic Party of India
(SDPI, an Islamic extremist
organisation) activists have
infiltrated and almost hijacked
the agitation against the CAA.
The SDPI elements infiltrate
into the agitation with the con-
nivance of the local Mahul
committees (the body in charge
of the Mosques). The Mahul
Committees should be careful
about the activities of the SDPI
activists,” Vijayan told the
House while answering a ques-
tion in connection with the
unrest in Kerala.
The Chief Minister said
that the anti-CAA agitation in
Kerala is a role model to the
country itself. “It has been a
peaceful and disciplined agita-
tion. So far, the Government
has not taken action against
anybody participating in the
anti-CAA agitation,” he said.
Vijayan came down heavily
on the Congress leadership for
that party’s alleged tie up with
the SDPI.
There were allegations
against the CPI(M) for includ-
ing various Islamist organisa-
tions in its 621 km long Human
Wall held on January 26 against
the CAA. Thousands of burqua
clad women were seen lining
up along the National Highway
in Kerala as part of the
wall.
While the Leader of
Opposition Ramesh
Chennithala blamed the
CPI(M) for seeking the help of
SDPI, the chief minister retort-
ed by asking him why he was
bothered about the SDPI.
Meanwhile BJP leader K
Surendran blamed both the
Congress and the CPI(M) for
appeasement politics. “The
CPI(M) cannot wash off the
responsibility for ushering in
Islamic terrorist organisations
into the anti CAA rallies. The
CPI(M) has been infiltrated by
Islamic extremist elements and
we can pinpoint any number of
them occupying important
positions in that party,” said
Surendran.

5h9@C_VVYSUb_^gQi =80`dXiiTb88C6dfPWPcX?a^UPVPX]^eTabcXa
d_QTTbUcc`b_dUcd ?C8 Q 6DF070C8 was summoned to the NIA office at The NIA has already arrested educational institute was monitoring he had said.Meanwhile, 42 eminent

bQ\\iQd1=ETUdQY^UT T
Aligarh: Former special
inspector general of police
(IGP) Abdur Rehman, who
was set to address a protest at
the Aligarh Muslim University
against the Citizenship
(Amendment) Act, was
detained by police here and
asked to return to New Delhi.
Rehman, who had resigned
from his post in December last
year in protest against the
problem, and hence he decid-
ed to comply with this missive
“and would come back” again
after he gets permission.
He said the police told
him that his presence at the
AMU could be misused by
some people as an excuse to
instigate trouble on the cam-
pus. “I agreed to return because
I am a law-abiding citizen and
my purpose to visit the AMU
he National Investigation Agency
(NIA) on Monday quizzed IIT-
Guwahati Professor Arupjyoti Saikia
for the second time in three days in
connection with the violence in the
city over the Citizenship Amendment
Act (CAA) in December last
year.
The agency summoned him again
for questioning on Tuesday.Saikia, a
professor of History at the Indian
Institute of Technology-Guwahati,
Sonapur in the outskirts of the city on
Saturday, when he was asked to
appear again before the sleuths of the
agency on Monday.
An NIA official confirmed that
Saikia was interrogated during the day.
“Today (Monday), he (Saikia)
was questioned for about four hours.
NIA is questioning him as a witness
to Akhil Gogoi’s case. He has been
asked to appear again at 11 am
tomorrow (Tuesday),” Saikia’s advocate
Santanu Borthakur told PTI.
around half a dozen senior leaders,
including Akhil Gogoi, of peasant
body Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti
(KMSS) and its sister organisations for
their alleged role in massive violence
during the anti-CAA protests across
the state in December last
year.
Earlier in December, Assam
Finance Minister Himanta Biswa
Sarma had said that the State
Government has evidence that a lead-
ing academician working at a central
the “entire exercise” of violence on
December 11 and 12 in protest against
the Act.
“That Assamese academician gave
three statements — a revolution has
started, all you senior leaders disap-
pear and now enter through the
Janata Bhavan (Secretariat) gate,”
Sarma had said at a press conference
on December 17.
Based on the evidence, it was
found that the academician was giv-
ing instructions from a control room,
scholars, including Ramachandra
Guha, Sukanta Chaudhuri, Partha
Chatterjee, Pratap Bhanu Mehta and
Nivedita Menon expressed concerns
over the issue and the “ordeal that
Saikia is going through”.
“Professor Saikia is an adornment
to the literary and intellectual world
of Assam and of India. He is also an
individual of high moral character;
gentle, soft-spoken, and utterly non-
violent. His devotion to his students
at IIT- Guwahati is exemplary.

CAA, was detained at Lodha
Police Station in Aligarh on
Sunday.
The former IPS officer
from Maharashtra told
reporters that he was served a
written notice by police stating
that his presence at the AMU
could lead to a law and order
was only to speak on the CAA
and not provoke any trouble,”
he said before leaving Aligarh.
Rehman said he was invit-
ed at the university on Sunday
by the AMU Students Co-
ordination Committee to
address them on the new leg-
islation. PTI
2XeX[XP]ZX[[TSX]Ra^bb;^2UXaX]VX]:d_fPaP
<>78C:0=370A8Q 90<<D
A 60-year-old civilian was
killed during ‘unprovoked’
ceasefire violation by the
Pakistan Army from across
the line of control in North
Kashmir’s Kupwara district on
late Monday evening.
Official sources said that
the ceasefire violation took
place in the Karnah
sector this evening & in the
heavy mortar shelling, 60-year-
old Saleem Ahmed was killed
at Tadd village of
Karnah.
The Pakistan Army violat-
ed ceasefire in the Kupwara
sector after a long gap. Panic
stricken local residents could
not step out of their houses due
region two pilots evicted safe-
ly after a Cheetah helicopter
made a crash landing in Reasi
district of Jammu province.
Defence PRO in Udhampur
said, a cheetah helicopter on
training sorties from
Udhampur to Reasi developed
a technical snag and landed in
a Khad. Defence PRO said, “it
was a hard landing and both
the pilot and co-pilot evicted
safely”.
Local reports,however,
claimed soon after take off
from Reasi, cheetah helicopter CWT19?Xb[TPeX]V]^bc^]Tbd]cda]TSc^f^^e^cTabX]cWT3T[WX0bbT\Q[h
to shelling in the forward vil- got entangled in high tension T[TRcX^]!!CP\X[RX]T\PSaP\PSXaTRc^aP]SPRc^aBEBTZWPaP]SVa^d_
lages. wire and made a hard RP\_PXV]P\^]VcWTCP\X[bX]3T[WXU^a5TQadPah'_^[[b±19?XbbdaTc^fX]P]S
Meanwhile, in Jammu landing. U^a\cWT6^eTa]\T]c²bPXSBTZWPa ?X^]TTa_W^c^
17D10=4BF0AkCD4B30H k541AD0AH #!! ]PcX^]&

4YZ_^RjR_R_UXVedSRZ] &hTPa^[S ([RUFLVWUDSHV\UROG <8=>AB4GD0;0BB0D;C20B4

VXa[aP_TSX] JLUOLQ83¶V&KLWUDNRRW 6SHFLDOFRXUWVHQWHQFHV

Z_dVifR]RSfdVTRdV
?C8 Q 0;;070103 her bail on December
<diPUUPa]PVPa Chitrakoot (UP): A man they said.
allegedly raped a 16-year-old He also threatened her of
girl in a village in Mau area here
after convincing her family
that he would exorcise her of an
dire consequences if she told
anyone about the incident.
Based on a complaint
ILYHDFFXVHGWROLIH
Chennai: Five of the 15 con-
victs in the sensational case of
sexual assault of a minor child
tion.
One of the accused has
been sentenced to a seven-year
4. The Supreme Court evil spirit, police said. lodged by the teenager’s fami- at Ayanavaram here were sen- prison term while the other

T he Allahabad High
Court on Monday
granted bail to former
Union Minister Swami
Chinmayanand,
accused of sexually
abusing a law student.
Justice Rahul
Chaturvedi issued the
bail order on the plea
filed by the BJP
leader.
On November 16,
the court had reserved its order
after hearing the counsels from
both sides.
Chinmayanand, whose
trust runs the Shahjahanpur
law college where the woman
studied, was arrested on
September 20 under section
376-C of the IPC, a charge
short of rape.
It is applied when someone
in authority takes advantage of
his official position to ‘induce
or seduce’ a woman to have sex
with him. In a parallel case, the
woman was charged with try-
ing to extort money from
Chinmayanand, whom she had
accused of rape.
The high court granted
had stepped in after
the 23-year-old law
student went missing
The ‘exorcist’ took the
teenager to an agricultural field
on January 31 and raped her,
ly, an FIR was registered in the
matter on Sunday and the
accused was nabbed. PTI
tenced to life imprisonment by
a special court here on
Monday.
nine have been sentenced to
five years
Imprisonment.
Rigorous
The judge
for a few days in Muzaffarnagar (UP): A Pronouncing the quantum had on Saturday convicted 15
August last year after seven-year-old girl was alleged- of punishment, Judge RN of the convicts and acquitted
posting a video clip on
social media, alleging
ly raped by a man at a village
in Uttar Pradesh’s "!jc`]UXZc] Manjula of the court for trial of
cases under POCSO
one. Another died during the
course of the trial.
sexual abuse.
A special investi-
Muzaffarnagar district, police
said on Monday. cRaVUZ_;RZafc (Protection of Children from
Sexual Offences) Act, also sen-
The case relates to the sex-
ual assault of a hearing-
gation team of Uttar The 22-year-old man tenced the other 10 convicts to impaired minor girl by a group
Pradesh Police, formed allegedly took the girl to sug- Jaipur: A 10-year-old girl was varying terms of imprison- of 17 people, mostly plumbers,
on the directions of the arcane fields in Dholri village allegedly raped by an unknown ment. housekeepers, security guards
apex court, arrested in Titawi area and raped her on person here, police said on Of the five awarded life and lift operators working in an
Chinmayanand about a month Sunday, the police said. Monday. term, four would remain in apartment complex at
later. She was later found crying The incident took place on prison till death. Ayanavaram here. Police had
The SIT also arrested the in the fields by the villagers Sunday night at Marriage Ravikumar (56), Suresh charged the accused with sec-
student after a complaint that who took the girl to her home Garden in Murlipura area, they (32), Abhishek (23) and Palani tions 354-B (Assault or use of
she and her friends had tried to and informed the police, they said. (40) have been sentenced to criminal force to woman with
extort C5 crore from said. The minor girl along with undergo life imprisonment intent to disrobe), 366 (kid-
Chinmayanand, threatening to A case has been registered her family members had gone “A case against the until death while Rajasekaran napping), 376-AB, 376-DB,
make public videos showing against the accused and the to the venue to attend an unknown person has been reg- (40) has been sentenced to life 506 (i) and 506 (ii) of the IPC
her giving massages to the for- minor sent for medical exam- engagement ceremony, they istered and the matter is being with entitlement to be released and sections 5 and 6 of the
mer Minister. ination, the police said. PTI added. probed,” the police said. PTI prematurely on his applica- POCSO Act. PTI

2>A>=0E8ADB >DC1A40:
F16^ec_a^eXSTb
cWTa\P[bRP]]Tab
c^:^[ZPcPPXa_^ac
Kolkata: The West Bengal
Government has provided two
thermal scanners to the Netaji
Subhas Chandra Bose
International Airport here to
help the authorities conduct
surveillance on passengers to
contain attack of coronavirus, a
senior official said on Monday.
The West Bengal Medical
Ser vice Corporation has
bought the two thermal scan-
ners at a total cost of C 30 lakhs
and handed it over to the city
airport authorities on Sunday,
he said.
The Kolkata Port authori-
ties have already started using
thermal scanners to identify
passengers with symptoms of
coronavirus, who are arriving
at the city using waterways.
Eight passengers, who had
travelled in the same flight as
that of a coronavirus-affected
Kerala resident, had landed at
the city airport on
%DFNIURP&KLQDPDQ @QccU^WUbcVb_]CY^WQ`_bU +RVSLWDOVERUGHU
NHSWXQGHUZDWFKLQ0LUDM DXQY\Q^TQ\c_RUY^WcSbUU^UT DUHDVEHLQJPRQLWRUHG
?C8 Q <D<108
A n air passenger arriving from
China has been isolated and kept
under observation for the new coro-
navirus in civil hospital of Miraj town
in Sangli district of Maharashtra, tak-
ing the number of such people to six
in the state, said a health department
official on Monday.
Swab sample of the passenger,
who had travelled to the coron-
avirus-affected China, has been sent
to Pune-based National Institute of
Virology (NIV) for analysis, he
said.
With this, six patients have been
kept in observation wards in the state
(in various hospitals) — of which four
are in Pune, while one each in
Mumbai and Sangli district, the offi-
cial said.
Since January 18, State health offi-
cials have screened 8,878 passengers
at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
International Airport for the coron-
avirus infection, he said.
No confirmed case of the deadly
virus, which has killed 361 people in
China till now, has been detected yet
in Maharashtra.
The coronavirus is a large fami-
ly of viruses that causes illnesses rang-
ing from the common cold to acute
respiratory syndromes, but the virus
that has killed people in China is a
novel strain and not seen
before.
Common symptoms of the novel
coronavirus strain include respirato-
ry symptoms such as fever, cough and
shortness of breath, according to the
WHO.
The WHO has declared the coro-
navirus epidemic as a global health
emergency.
The virus—which first emerged
in Wuhan city in China’s central
Hubei province —has spread to 25
countries, including India (three con-
firmed cases have been reported
from Kerala), the US and the UK.
Mumbai: Air passengers
arriving in Mumbai from
Singapore and Thailand are
also being screened now,
besides China, for the coron-
avirus infection, a Maharashtra
Government official said on
Monday.
The State Government has
also decided to provide a team
of 25 health officials to the
Airports Authority of India
(AAI) to assist its personnel in
screening passengers arriving
at the Mumbai international
airport from Monday.
“Passengers arriving from
China and Hong Kong are
being screened since January
18. From Saturday, we have
also added two more locations
— Singapore and Thailand —
to be watched out for the
coronavirus infection,” the offi-
cial said. So far, AAI’s health
officials have been carrying out
screening of passengers at the
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
International Airport here for
the coronavirus infection.
As more number of pas-
sengers arriving from various
countries now need to be
screened, more staff is required
for the speedy scanning, the
official said.
“The AAI also requested
the state government to pro-
vide more staff for screening
passengers. The government
has issued an order and health
officials from neighbouring
Thane district will be deployed
at the Mumbai international
airport for the screening pur-
pose, starting today,” she said.
Till Sunday, a total of 6,432
people were screened at the
Mumbai international airport
after arrival from China.
So far, no confirmed case
of coronavirus infection has
been found in the state, an offi-
cial earlier said.
The outbreak of the dead-
ly novel coronavirus was first
reported in Hubei province of
China and has since spread to
several countries, including
two positive cases in India,
both in the southern state of
Kerala. The central govern-
ment on Sunday issued a new
travel advisory asking people to
refrain from travelling to China
in view of coronavirus out-
break in its Hubei province,
and said travellers on return
from the neighbouring coun-
try could be quarantined.
In its advisory, the Health
Ministry also said anyone with
travel history of China since
January 15 could be quaran-
tined. PTI
IRU&KLQDYLUXV236
Bodinayakanur:Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister
O Panneerselvam on Monday said hospitals and bor-
der areas were being closely monitored to prevent
the spread of coronavirus in the state.
Visiting the town, which is his constituency, for
ameeting with the public and receiving grievance
petitions from them, Panneerselvam told newsmen
that intense monitoring of the sick was on in the
areas bordering Kerala by the health departments
of both the States to prevent the coronavirus from
spreading.
Stating that some people had arrived from China,
the ground zero of the coronavirus, to Kerala bor-
dering Bodinayakanur, he said precautionery steps
were being taken.
The farmers of the border districts have been
advised not to shake hands ortalk without covering
their mouth and nose while sneezing or coughing.
He said thousands of farmers were travelling
between the border districts every day and were
being monitored. People from Tamil Nadu have also
come back from China and they were also kept under
close observationby the doctors, the Deputy Chief
Minister said. PTI

3XbbPcXbUPRcX^]X]cT]bT[^QQhX]VPWTPS^U:´cPZP2PQX]TcTg_P]bX^]
January 23. PTI

Bengaluru: A wave of dissat-
isfaction has hit the six-month-
old BJP Government against
the backdrop of ChiefMinister
BS Yediyurappa’s announce-
ment to induct 13 aspirants in
the second Cabinet expansion
on February 6.
In the first Cabinet expan-
sion, the Chief Minister hadin-
ducted 17 Ministers on August
20, 2019.
Among the 13, ten will be
those defectors from Congress
and the JD(S) who were dis-
qualified earlier and won the
assembly by-election in
December last year.
The rest will be the ‘native
BJP leaders’, as Deputy Chief
Minister Govind Karjol put it.
Speculations are rife that
Mahadevapura MLA Arvind
Limbavali, Hukkeri MLA
Umesh Katti and CP
Yogeshwar, who hadlost to
HD Kumaraswamy from
Channapatna Assembly seg-
ment,would be inducted.
If Yogeshwar is included in
the cabinet then he will bethe
second Minister after Deputy
Chief Minister Laxman
Savadiwho had lost and yet
made it to the cabinet.
The possible induction of
Yogeshwar and Savadi, who
was made Deputy Chief
Minister despite losing the
Assembly elections, are also a
“reason” for discontent in the
BJP.
Hectic activities began in
the power corridor and
MLAsstarted forming groups
to impress upon the Chief
Minister toinclude their mem-
bers in the ministry.
While one group was from
the “Kalyana Karnataka”
region, the others were the
defectors who will be exclud-
ed in the cabinet expansion.
A few MLAS from
‘Kalyana Karnataka’ region or
erstwhileHyderabad-
Karnataka region comprising
six districts, met atthe
Legislature Home and held a
meeting.
The meeting was led by
Shorapur MLA Narasimha
Nayak akaRaju Gouda and
Honnalli MLA MP
Renukacharya.
The MLAs of the Kalyana
Karnataka region were unan-
imous that their backward
region should get representa-
tion in the cabinet.
Later, Gouda met the Chief
Minister and requested that
their region be given adequate
representation in the cabinet,
which is lacking development.
Talking to reporters,
Gouda said, “We had given
representations to all the MPs,
MLAs and the Chief Minister.
Today also we all had a meet-
ing and later called on the
Chief Minister requesting him
to make any MLA from our
region.”
He said any imbalance in
Cabinet expansion will
causetrouble to the MLAs from
Kalyana Karnataka region.
“If you make the defeated
candidates Ministers then
include 120 people in the cab-
inet,” an aggrieved Gouda
taunted.
Renukacharya too echoed
the same sentiments.
“If you givepreference to
the defeated candidates then
what will happen tothose who
won the election? Where
should the winners ofelection
go? We emphasise upon giving
preference to thewinners.”
On the other hand, the
defectors who jumped the
Congress and the JD(S) ship
and helped form the BJP gov-
ernment too had a meeting in
Bengaluru, said BJP sources.
They were unanimous that
not only the 11 MLAs who
won the election be made
Ministers but also AH
Vishwanath and MT BNagaraj
who had unsuccessfully con-
tested the assembly bypolls
from Hunasuru and Hoskote
on a BJP ticket.
Vishwanath, who was quite
vocal on Sunday for dropping
hisname, was mellowed down
on Monday after meeting
Yediyurappa.
However, his insistence for
getting a Cabinet berthre-
mained intact. PTI

%HQJDOZRPDQWLHG
XSGUDJJHGDQG
ORFNHGLQVLGHKRXVH
Balurghat: A woman was tied
up, dragged on the road and
locked inside a house by
alleged Trinamool Congress
(TMC) supporters who want-
ed to ‘forcibly’ acquire her land
for a village road in West
Bengal’s South Dinajpur dis-
trict.
The incident has kicked
up a storm, with Opposition
parties accusing the TMC of
‘letting loose goondaraj’ in
the state. The TMC leadership
dubbed the allegations as
“baseless” and said they would
look into it.
The woman identified as
high school teacher and BJP
supporter Smritikana Das, her
mother and other family
members were also assaulted
by the group, led by panchay-
at members, at Nandanpur in
Gangarampur block, the police
said.
So far nobody has been
arrested in connection with
the incident that took place on
Friday. A video grab of the
purported attack showed
Nandanpur panchayat ‘upa-
pradhan’ (deputy chief) Amal
Sarkar and some others
involved in the act, the police
said.
The TMC district leader-
ship on Sunday expelled
Sarkar for his alleged involve-
ment in the incident, party
sources said.
The video showed that
the teacher fell down on the
road when the attackers tied
her hands and legs, and
dragged her for nearly 30ft
while raining blows on her.
The attackers then locked
her up inside a house, belong-
ing to a TMC block level
worker.
Her sister, Soma, was also
beaten up by the attackers
when she went to Smritikana’s
rescue.
The teacher, who was dis-
charged from a local hospital
after preliminary treatment,
lodged a complaint against
Sarkar and four TMC sup-
porters at Gangarampur police
station, a police officer said.
“We are probing the inci-
dent and also talking to eye-
witnesses,” he said.
According to locals, the
panchayat had recently taken
up a project to build a road
that would pass by the
woman’s land. PTI
BcdST]cbbW^d[S
]^cVTcbcaTbbTS
X]_dabdXc^U
bdRRTbb)1Xa[P
Kota (RJ): Lok Sabha Speaker
Om Birla has asked students
not to get stressed during their
pursuit of academic
success.
Birla made the remark on
Sunday during his address as
the chief guest of the Kota
Carnival (KOCA), a youth fes-
tival organised by the district’s
administration to offer a stress
releasing and amusing platform
for the coaching students.
“We have to achieve suc-
cess, but for that one should not
embrace mental stress”, Birla
told students.
The two-day youth festival
began at the Commerce
College ground here on
Saturday. Besides a large num-
ber of students, Kota District
Collector Om Kasera,
Superintendent of Police
Deepak Bhargava, SP (rural)
Rajan Dushyant and several
other officials and teachers
were present on the occasion.
Around 1.75 lakh students
are participating in various
events of the KOCA, including
music concerts, adventure
games and other fun
activities. PTI
 ^_]X^]
17D10=4BF0AkCD4B30H k541AD0AH #!!

'
gggTQY\i`Y_^UUbS_]
UPRTQ^^ZR^\SPX[h_X^]TTak /CWT3PX[h?X^]TTak X]bcPVaP\R^\SPX[h_X^]TTa

5HDGLQJWKH$FW
A2A6CH:E9A2DD:@?

7`c\VUe`_XfV
,IWKH%-3LQGHHGLVVHULRXVDERXWWDONVZLWK6KDKHHQ%DJK
ZRPHQWKHQLWPXVWVWRSSXVKLQJWKHJROLPDDUR EULJDGH

:
KHQWKHZRPHQRI6KDKHHQ%DJKVDW
LQSURWHVWDJDLQVWWKH*RYHUQPHQW·V CWT200^UUTabUPbccaPRZRXcXiT]bWX_c^_TabTRdcTS\X]^aXcXTb]^c7X]SdbP[^]T
QHZFLWL]HQVKLSODZDQGLGHQWLW\SROL
FLHVWKH\VLPSO\ZHUHGHIHQGLQJWKHLUULJKWWR P]SS^Tb]^c²Tg_[XRXc[he^f]^cc^cPZTPbX]V[TS^f]ca^SST]<db[X\³
EHGHILQHGDV,QGLDQVDQGQRWOHWWLQJWKHQHZ
UHJLPH·VH[FOXVLRQDU\OLPLWVUHGHILQHWKHLUOHJLW
LPDF\ LQ WKLV FRXQWU\ 7KH\ VZRUH E\ WKH
&RQVWLWXWLRQ DQG OLYHG LWV VSLULW VXUURXQGHG
WKHPVHOYHVZLWKWKHWULFRORXUDQGGHPDQGHG
WKH\EHKHDUG7KH\GHYHORSHGDGULOOIRUVXV
WDLQLQJWKHWHPSRRIDJHQXLQHSHRSOH·VPRYH
PHQWRQHJURXSWDNLQJRYHUDIWHUWKHRWKHUDQG
FDUU\LQJWKHLUIRRGIURPKRPH$QGWKH\PDGHFRPPRQFDXVHZLWKFLWL]HQU\LQ C1>48I1 908=
JHQHUDO1RSROLWLFVRIJHQGHURUUHOLJLRQFRXOGWDPHWKHLULPSDVVLRQHGEXUVWZKLFK

A
s the unending Delhi-based protests
FKDOOHQJHVVWHUHRW\SHVRISURWHVWVLWLQVDWPDQ\OHYHOV0XVOLPZRPHQDFRQ against the Citizenship Amendment
VWLWXHQF\WKDWLVVHHQDVH[SORLWHGDQGLQQHHGRISURWHFWLRQDUHOHDGLQJDULJKWV Act (CAA) seem to be heading for
PRYHPHQWRYHUWXUQLQJWKHQHHGIRUFRPPXQLW\OHDGHUVRUPDXOYLV WRSOHDGWKHLU face-saving talks, Western media busybod-
FDVH7KH\KDYHUHIXVHGWRFRQILQHWKHLUDJLWDWLRQWRJKHWWRLVHGFRQFHUQVDQG ies have rushed to the cause, alleging a sin-
ister plot to render 200 million Muslims
PDGHLWDQHTXDOO\QDWLRQDOLVWLVVXHVLJQLILFDQWO\IRUFLQJDQ´XVYHUVXVXVµZDU stateless. In an article, “Intolerant India”, The
7KH\DUHXVLQJGLDORJXHDQGQRQYLROHQFHDVWKHRQO\UXOHRIHQJDJHPHQW$QG Economist of London alleges a plot to
WKRXJKFULWLFLVHGIRUEORFNLQJWUDIILFWKH\DJUHHWKDWLWLVWKHRQO\GLVUXSWRUWKDW “transform India from a tolerant, multi-reli-
gious place into a chauvinist Hindu state.”
ZLOOGUDZPDVVDWWHQWLRQWRWKHPWKRXJKQRZWKH\KDYHUHOD[HGFHUWDLQQRUPV (January 25, 2020)
IRUVFKRROJRHUVDQGDPEXODQFHV,WLVWKHXSHQGLQJRIWKHVHFDUHIXOO\SDFNHG It adds, “The scheme looks like the most
ER[HVRIFRQYHQWLRQWKDWKDVXQVHWWOHGWUDGLWLRQDOSROLWLFV:KLFKLVZK\WKHYLO ambitious step yet in a decades-long project
of incitement.” It clubs the demolition of a
LILFDWLRQRI6KDKHHQ%DJKKDVUHDFKHGDZDUFU\OLNHFUHVFHQGRRIJROLPDDUR mosque in Ayodhya in 1992 with the “mas-
7KH+LQGX5LJKWWRRVRXVHGWRGHPRQLVLQJWKHPXOODKKDVEHHQFDXJKWRII sacre of Muslims in the state of Gujarat in
JXDUGE\WKHZRPHQWDONLQJPDLQVWUHDPWKDQIURPWKHLUFORLVWHUVDQGVHHNLQJD 2002, when Mr Modi was chief minister”,
which was “electoral nectar” for the Bharatiya
OHYHOSOD\LQJILHOG7KDWH[SODLQVWKHIXU\WRER[LWLQDVD3DNLVWDQLFRQVSLUDF\ Janata Party (BJP) but “political poison” for
3HUKDSVWKDW·VZKDWKDVSURPSWHGWKH*RYHUQPHQWWRPDNHDSHDFHRYHUWXUH India.
WKURXJK8QLRQ0LQLVWHU5DYL6KDQNDU3UDVDGSURSRVLQJDWHPSODWHIRU´VWUXF The colonial British know that the
Hindu struggle for the Ram Janambhoomi
WXUHGµWDONV$WOHDVWDEHJLQQLQJKDVEHHQPDGH+RZHYHUWKH*RYHUQPHQWPXVW was part of a centuries-old struggle against
UHDOLVHWKDWLWFDQQRWVSHDNLQDIRUNHGWRQJXHLWVVHQLRU0LQLVWHUVWKHPVHOYHV Islamic iconoclasm, the justice of which was
JXLOW\RIXQOHDVKLQJWKHPRVWVWULGHQWUKHWRULFRIWKH´XVYHUVXVWKHPµELQDU\ upheld by successive English administrators,
even if they did not help the community.
7KHUHKDVWREHDUHDVVXULQJSHDFHDQGQRWLQWLPLGDWRU\JXQILUH Possibly the British are appalled that the
7KHUXOLQJ%-3ZKLFKLVXVLQJ6KDKHHQ%DJKWRSRODULVHYRWHVIRUWKH'HOKL Supreme Court of India resolved the issue present, as the structure of Najibullah (1996). The rise of (Section 6A of Citizenship Act)
HOHFWLRQVLVGRLQJIDUPRUHGDPDJHLQWHUPVRIPDLQVWUHDPLQJWKHFUDVVHVWIRUP so well. Indian politics has changed. Taliban would be a nightmare. and thus legalised Muslim ille-
Regarding 2002, surely The Economist Mehta’s arguments cannot hide In Pakistan, intellectuals gal migrants till 1971 as All
RIRWKHULVDWLRQSROLWLFV,IWKH&RQJUHVVDSSHDVHPHQWRI\HDUVZDVRQHHQGRI knows that the unrest began with the burn- the change, viz violence no themselves denounce the daily Assam Students’ Union (AASU),
WKHVSHFWUXPWKHQWKHH[WUHPH5LJKWDVHPERGLHGE\WKHOLNHVRI8WWDU3UDGHVK ing alive of 59 Hindu pilgrims returning from longer privileges the once-dom- abductions of schoolgirls, their that signed the Accord, fell into
&KLHI0LQLVWHU<RJL$GLW\DQDWKRU%HQJDO%-3FKLHI'LOLS*KRVKLVQRWMXVWFRQ Ayodhya, near Godhra station. Much like the inant party; communal polari-
9DBC?A8>AC> forced conversion, and mar- the Congress trap. But in 2005,
WHQWVWUHWFKLQJWKHRWKHUHQG7KH\ZDQWWRRYHUZULWHRXUFLYLOLVDWLRQDOPDWUL[RI Azad Hind Fauj, these victims are simply sation wrought by non-BJP enti- riage to older men. In Sindh, the Supreme Court repealed
FRQVHQVXVDQGHPEHGDPLQGVHWRIRSSUHVVLYHUDWKHUWKDQDFRPSDVVLRQDWHPDMRUL
erased from the narrative and (it is hoped) ties splits votes on communal C748<3C02C there are two recent cases of the IMDT Act and revived the

WDULDQLVP7KDWFDQRQO\OHDGWRDFRQIOLFWULGGHQSROLW\WKDWXQIRUWXQDWHO\ZRUNV
public memory. It says Modi and his party
are “likely to benefit politically by creating
LQWKHVKRUWUXQ+LVWRU\VKRZVWKDWHYHQWKHYLFWRUKDVQRWHPHUJHGXQVFDWKHG divisions over religion and national identi-
IURPWKHVSRLOVRIDJHQRFLGDOZDU7KHUXOLQJ%-3PXVWUHDOLVHWKDWLWFRXOGHYHQ
ty.” Actually, this template was patented by
another party.
XVHWKHZRPHQRI6KDKHHQ%DJKDVDSROLWLFDOFRQVWLWXHQF\FRQVLGHULQJLWKDV Former Vice-Chancellor of Ashoka
University, Pratap Bhanu Mehta, reveals, “In
DXWKRUHGWKH7ULSOH7DODT$FWRQEHKDOIRI0XVOLPZRPHQLQJHQHUDO8QOHVVLW
India, the use of communal instigation has
ZDQWVWRMXQNWKDWDVDSROLWLFDOPRYHWKDWKDVVHUYHGLWVSXUSRVH7KH%-3PXVW
DOVREHZDU\RIEHFRPLQJWRRWUDQVSDUHQWLQLWVGLYLVLYHGHVLJQVRFORVHWRWKH
often been associated with the demands of
electoral mobilisation – episodic violence as
'HOKLSROOV,WZRXOGPDNHLWORRNOLNHDSDUW\ZLWKQRGLIIHUHQFHDWDOO<HVLWKDV a means of securing votes. This was always
DVPXFKULJKWWRGHIHQG&$$LQDSXEOLFGHEDWHEXWWRVWXERXWDOOGLVVHQWDV
a blot on Indian democracy. But in a
strange way, we also used to find it reassur-
LQFRUUHFWTXHVWLRQLQJWKHPRWLYDWLRQRIWKHVHZRPHQDQGGHQ\LQJWKHPWKHLU ing: It somehow signalled that the use of vio-
ULJKWIXOYRLFHFRXOGDOVRZRUNDJDLQVWLWLQDVXEWHUUDQHDQPDQQHU6LPSO\EHFDXVH lent provocation had its spatial and tempo-
ral limits. It will be used fleetingly, in local
6KDKHHQ%DJKZLOOEHUHPHPEHUHGDVWKHILUVWLQGHSHQGHQWDQGLQIRUPHGFLYLO contexts, but will not become a continuous
LDQPRYHPHQWDJDLQVWWKH0RGL*RYHUQPHQWZKLFKLV\HWWRERZGRZQWRYHVW
HGLQWHUHVWV7KHPRUHWKHVHZRPHQDUHFRUQHUHGE\IRUFHWKHPRUHWKH\FDQ
strategy.” (Indian Express, February 1, 2020)
Having routinely benefitted from com-
FKXUQXSDQDQWL*RYHUQPHQWVHQWLPHQWE\KROGLQJRXW7KHHIIHFWRIWKLVLVDOUHDG\
munal riots (Meerut, Sholapur and so on),
EHLQJIHOWSDQ,QGLDZLWKZRPHQSURWHVWLQJLQ3UD\DJUDM.DQSXU.RONDWD3DWQD
the Congress should explain how these “spa-
tial and temporal limits” were defined.
DQG*D\DDOOFRLQFLGHQWDOO\LPSRUWDQWFLWLHVLQRXUFLYLOLVDWLRQDOKLVWRU\7KH%-3 Muslim leaders should explain the reason for
VKRXOGQRWIRUJHWWKDW0RGLILUVWFDPHWRSRZHULQRQO\EHFDXVHDFLYLOVRFL sacrificing poor Muslims as electoral harvest
for one party. Why did India’s avowedly sec-
HW\PRYHPHQWDJDLQVWFRUUXSWLRQKDGVRXQGHGWKHGUXPUROORIFKDQJH+DGLW ular party constantly need serial communal
QRWEHHQIRUULJKWVDFWLYLVW$QQD+D]DUHQHLWKHUFRXOGWKH%-3KDYHSURMHFWHG polarisation to win votes from both commu-
LWVHOIDVDSROLWLFDODJHQWRIDQDWLRQ·VFOHDQXSQRUFRXOG0RGLKDYHFKDOOHQJHG nities? In 1984, only the minority changed.
WKH&RQJUHVV·VHQVHRIHQWLWOHGOHDGHUVKLS(YHQLIWKH%-3ZHUHWREUHDN'HOKL
There is general agreement that 2002
marks a watershed in Indian history. Mehta
DZD\IURPWKH$DP$DGPL3DUW\·VGHYHORSPHQWJRDOVLWZRXOGEHPLVWDNHQLQ observes that violence declined sharply
WKLQNLQJLWKDVDKROGRIWKHDDPDDGPL·VPLQGLQWKHORQJUXQ after 2002 but the Delhi events [Shaheen
Bagh] show that one cannot read “past reas-
surances on the limits of violence” into the
lines and advantages the BJP.
The Act offers fast track cit-
izenship to persecuted minori-
ties (not Hindus alone) from
Afghanistan, Bangladesh and
Pakistan, and does not “explic-
itly vow not to take a single
downtrodden Muslim”. Indeed,
in recent weeks, several Muslim
refugees from Pakistan were
given citizenship, the provision
for which remains on the statute.
The CAA redeems a pledge
neglected by India’s leaders from
1947 onwards. Mendi Safadi of
the Safadi Center for
International Diplomacy,
Research, Public Relations and
Human Rights says:
“Bangladesh in recent years has
become a country that has suf-
fered from a high number of
ethnic murders, the mass rape of
Hindu women and girls by
mainly Muslim men and a high
number of Hindus being
expelled from their homes so
that the Muslims can take over
their lands.”
Afghanistan had a sizeable
Sikh and Hindu population
which slowly migrated to India,
especially after the assassination
of Presidents Daud (1978) and
A4?40;8= brides being abducted from
their wedding ceremony, con-
3424<14A!# verted, and married to Muslim
C74 2>=6A4BB men. Unsurprisingly, border
districts are reporting the arrival
0<4=343C74 of dozens of poor Hindu fami-
lies, with whatever belongings
28C8I4=B78?02C
they could carry. Much has
0=38=B4AC43 been said about persecuted
Muslims, mainly Pakistan’s
²8;;460; Ahmadiyas and Shias, but these
<86A0=C³8=C> groups prefer the West. Recently,
Gulalai Ismail, a Pashtun activist
B42C8>=!B> from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,
C70C8;;460; escaped to the United States.
The real citizenship problem
<86A0=CB concerns Assam, where the cri-
F7827C74= sis of illegal immigrants began.
In 1950, the Illegal Immigrants
8=2;D34378=3D (Expulsion from Assam) Act
A45D644B was passed to protect Hindu
refugees from East Pakistan and
2>D;3=>C4E4= expel illegal Muslim infiltrators.
0??;H5>A But successive regimes dodged
the issue. Then, in 1983, the
28C8I4=B78?C74 Illegal Migrants (Determination
by Tribunals) Act clubbed
2002>AA42CB Hindu refugees and Muslim
C78B<8B27845 illegal immigrants together as
“illegal migrants” and put March
25, 1971 as a cut-off date to
detect illegal migrants.
The Assam Accord of 1985
retained 1971 as a cut-off date
Illegal Immigrants (Expulsion
from Assam) Act 1950, thus pro-
tecting Hindu refugees and dif-
ferentiating them from illegal
immigrants. But just prior to the
IMDT Act repeal, in December
2004, the Congress amended the
Citizenship Act and inserted
“illegal migrant” into Section 2,
so that illegal migrants (which
then included Hindu refugees)
could not even apply for citizen-
ship.
The Citizenship
Amendment Act corrects this
mischief and allows only perse-
cuted minority refugees to apply
for nationality. As the BJP came
to power in May 2014, it fixed
December 31, 2014 as the cut-
off date for applying for citizen-
ship as the cut-off date has to be
on or after July 12, 2005, when
the Supreme Court gave its ver-
dict on the IMDT and 1950
Acts, protecting Hindu refugees.
Once these refugees receive
Indian citizenship, they will be
free to move to other States
and need not be a burden on
Assam.
(The author is a senior jour-
nalist. Views expressed are per-
sonal)

3RSjdeVad B>D=318C4
7KHUHLVDQHHGWRWUDQVIRUPWKHSHUVRQDOLQFRPH 8cfPbPSaTP\R^\TcadTc^ 3W^]XWPbS^]TP[^cU^acWT >]TbW^d[S]^cQTd]STacWT 8]SXPd]STaEXaPcX]=I
WD[V\VWHPEXWGLGWKH%XGJHWJRIDUHQRXJK" f^aZfXcW9PRZXT2WP]P]S R^d]cahQdcfWT]h^dS^]³c X\_aTbbX^]cWPccWTXabXbcWT aT\X]Sb\T^U?PZXbcP]

2
BP[\P]0VTXbYdbcP]d\QTa _[PhU^a%&\^]cWbh^d UX]P[f^aS7PbXcQTT]faXccT] d]STa8\aP]Bca^]V
QWKHIDFHRILWWKHQHZLQFRPHWD[VODEV FWT]8³\$8³SfP]cc^ [TPeTPS^dQcX]TeTah^]T³b X]cWT2^]bcXcdcX^]cWPcfWPc bT[UQT[XTUPbPcTP\cWPc
PLJKWKDYHVHHPHGOLNHDVOLJKWVDYLQJ f^aZfXcWP] 'hTPa^[S \X]S cWTh19?bPhXb7X]SdceP. [TPSbc^eXRc^aXTb
ZLQGRZSDUWLFXODUO\IRU\RXQJHUHDUQ 0Rc^a 5^a\TaRaXRZTcTa <PWPaPbWcaP2WXTU<X]XbcTa 2aXRZTcTa
HUV:KLOHWKLVVHHPVWREHWKHUHVXOWRIDUHSRUW ¯3XbWP?PcP]X ¯:P_X[3Te ¯DSSWPeCWPRZTaPh ¯BP]YPh<P]YaTZPa
RQFKDQJHVWRWKH'LUHFW7D[&RGHVXEPLWWHG
WRWKH0LQLVWU\RI)LQDQFHODVW\HDUWKHSXEOLF
LV\HWWRVHHLW7KHUHLVOLWWOHGRXEWWKDWWKH
LQFRPHWD[FRGHIRUPRVWWD[SD\HUV³DQG ;4CC4AB C>C74438C>A
,QGLDKDVIDUWRRIHZGLUHFWWD[SD\HUV³LVYHU\ 21 to provide a direction to India’s
DXQ^[i_e1Yb9^TYQ
FRPSOLFDWHGZLWKVHYHUDOH[HPSWLRQVDGGHG
RYHUWKH\HDUVIURPKRXVLQJORDQVDQGFKLO
7U^UbQdU]_bUQgQbU^Ucc_^G_b\T3Q^SUb4Qi tottering economy and a boost to
aggregate demand and investment,
WTY^X]cR^[[PQ^aPcX^]QTcfTT]WTP[cW_a^UTbbX^]P[b

Sir — The recent outbreak of coro-
GUHQ·VWXLWLRQWRWD[VDYLQJLQYHVWPHQWV:KLOH navirus is alarming and advisories
WKHOLVWRIH[HPSWLRQVDOORZHGKLJKHULQFRPHHDUQHUVWRGHIUD\WKHLUWD[HVVLJ have been issued to prevent its
QLILFDQWO\LQVRPHFDVHVLWDOVRSURPRWHGDFXOWXUHRILQYHVWPHQWVSDUWLFXODUO\ spread across the globe. As a pre-
cautionary measure, people have
DPRQJ\RXQJHUVDODULHGHDUQHUVZKRRWKHUZLVHPLJKWQRWKDYHGRQHVR7KDW been advised by health authorities
VDLGDVLPSOLILHGWD[FRGHZLWKORZHUVODEVZLOOKHOS\RXQJHUHDUQHUVVDYHVRPH to wear masks and gloves so as to
PRQH\%XWZLOOWKH\PDNHWKHVKLIWQRZEHFDXVHWKH\ZLOOQRWEHDEOHWRUHWXUQ curb its spread. Nations are now
evacuating their citizens from
WRWKHROGUHJLPHZKHUHWKH\FRXOGDYDLOH[HPSWLRQVZKHQWKH\JHWROGHUHDUQ Wuhan by sending in special
PRUHDQGVWDUWDIDPLO\")DUIURPVLPSOLI\LQJWKLQJV\RXQJHDUQHUVZLOOQHHG flights fully equipped with medical
WRWDONWRWKHLUSDUHQWVDQGWRWD[H[SHUWVWRILJXUHRXWZKLFKSDWKWKH\VKRXOG equipment and gear to handle
WDNH5REHUW)URVWPLJKWKDYHFKRVHQWKHURDGOHVVWUDYHOOHGEXWLVLWZRUWKVSHQG emergencies and stop the spread of
the contagion.
LQJVRPHPRQH\WRGD\WRPDNHPRUHODWHU" As many Indians, mostly stu-
7KHTXHVWLRQKRZHYHULVZLOOLW",VWKLVVOLJKWUHIRUPDQLQGLFDWLRQRIZKDW dents, were stuck in Wuhan owing
GLUHFWLRQWKH*RYHUQPHQWZDQWVWRPRYHLQDIXWXUHZLWKIL[HGLQFRPHWD[VODEV to the outbreak, the Indian
Government also acted swiftly
DQGPLQLPDOH[HPSWLRQV":KLOHWKDWPLJKWPDNHWKLQJVVLPSOHDQ\*RYHUQPHQW and rushed a special plane to
PXVWUHDOLVHWKDWHQFRXUDJLQJLQYHVWPHQWVE\\RXQJHUHDUQHUVLVDOVRDSRVL bring the young people home. Air
WLYHWKDWLWVKRXOGQRWIRUHJR6WUDQJHO\HQRXJKZKLOHVWXG\LQJWKHQHZUDWHVLW India once again turned saviour
amid its stake sale gloom. The crew
DSSHDUVWKDWVHQLRUFLWL]HQVZKRKDYHGLYLGHQGDQGLQWHUHVWLQFRPHPLJKWEH of Air India, the team of doctors
DEOHWRWDNHPRUHDGYDQWDJHRIWKHUDWHVWKDQ\RXQJHUSHRSOH7KHUHQHHGVWR and the Indian Embassy officials in
EHDGLUHFWLRQWKDWWKH)LQDQFH0LQLVWHUDQGKHURIILFLDOVQHHGWRJLYHLQFRPHWD[ China must be appreciated for their
swift action and efforts to evacu-
SD\HUVDQGQRWMXVWDWD[FKDUWHU,VWKHGLUHFWLRQWRZDUGVORZHUUDWHVZLWKIHZHU ate Indian citizens.
H[HPSWLRQVJRLQJWREHDRQHWKDWWKLV*RYHUQPHQWZLOOVWLFNWR"$IWHUDOOLWLV This is in direct contrast to
VDIHO\HQVFRQFHGLQSRZHUXQWLO0D\7KDQNIXOO\WKH*RYHUQPHQWKDVUHIUDLQHG what our neighbouring country
Pakistan has done to its citizens. It
IURPDQRYHUQLJKWFKDQJLQJRIWKHUXOHV/HVVRQVPLJKWKDYHEHHQOHDUQWDIWHU was tragic to see that Pakistani stu-
GHPRQHWLVDWLRQEXWLWZRXOGEHDVWDUWWRPDNHSXEOLFWKHUHIRUPUHFRPPHQGD dents were crying as they were left
WLRQVWRWKHGLUHFWWD[FRGH to their own devices by the Imran
C
she did not succumb to the temp-
]^]V^eTa]\T]cP[^aVP]XbPcX^]bcWT\TSXPP]ScWT tation of attempting a spend-and-
6^eTa]\T]cWPbaTbd[cTSX]WTXVWcT]TSPfPaT]Tbb stimulate exercise.
^]RP]RTaX]cWTR^d]cahCWXb[TeT[^UR^]bRX^db]Tbb However, the absence of any
WPbR^]caXQdcTSc^cWTaP_XSbcaXSTb\PSTX]_aTeT]cXeT concrete employment generation
Pb_TRcbTPa[hP]ScX\T[hSXPV]^bXb^UcWTSXbTPbTC^SPh programme to harness India’s
5TQadPah#Xb°F^a[S2P]RTa3Ph±P]SXcXbTPa\PaZTS demographic dividend and oblique
c^RaTPcT\^aTPfPaT]Tbb^]cWTSXbTPbTP]ST[X\X]PcT references to the schemes intro-
cWTbcXV\PPccPRWTSc^XcDbdP[[hcWTRP\_PXV]Pa^d]S duced in previous years is unfortu-
XcWPbPcWaTThTPacWT\TCWTaTU^aT°8P\P]S8fX[[± nate. The Government’s decision to
fX[[R^]cX]dTPbcWTcWT\TcX[[!! 2P]RTa3PhWPbc^ sell a part of its holding in LIC and
STSXRPcTXcbT[Uc^cf^_aX\PahPX\b)1^^bcX]VPfPaT IDBI Bank is unlikely to elicit an
]TbbP]SSTbca^hX]V\hcWb0\d[cX_a^]VTSP__a^PRW WPbXcb_[PRTQdcXcRP]]^cQT^eTabcaTbbTS8cXbP[fPhb enthusiastic response.
XbcWTfPh^dcP]S\dcdP[R^^_TaPcX^]XbcWTd]faXccT] V^^Sc^RW^^bTcWTQTbcS^Rc^aPUcTaP`dXRZW^\Tf^aZ The fact that taxpayers have
ad[T aPcWTacWP]RWP]VTS^Rc^abX]QTcfTT]caTPc\T]cb been provided a choice of choosing
>]R^[^VXbcb  _^bcVaPSdPcT \TSXRP[ bcdST]cb AT[PcXeTbP]SS^Rc^ab]TTSc^VdXSTP]SRP[\cWT between the old direct tax regime
bdaeXe^abWTP[cWe^[d]cTTabbcdST]cbcTPRWTab_^[XcX _PcXT]cP]SVXeTcWT\W^_T^UPRP]RTaUaTT[XUTPUcTacaTPc (albeit with fewer exemptions) and
RXP]bcWT6^eTa]\T]cP]S^UR^dabTcWT_aX]cP]ST[TR \T]c<TP]fWX[TPb8]SXP³bRP]RTaQdaST]Va^fbfXcW new ones (with almost none) seems
ca^]XR\TSXPWPeTcWT^]Ta^dbcPbZ^U_TaR^[PcX]VZ]^f[ TPRW_PbbX]VhTPaXcXbcWTSdch^UcWT6^eTa]\T]cc^ to complicate the tax assessment
TSVTaT\^eX]V\XbR^]RT_cX^]bP]ST]WP]RX]VPfPaT \PZTcaTPc\T]cUPRX[XcXTbPePX[PQ[TPcSXbcaXRc[TeT[W^b and filing process more than what
]TbbCWTaTPaT\P]h\hcWbbdaa^d]SX]VcWTSXbTPbT _XcP[bP]Sc^^_T]\^aT_TaX_WTaP[RP]RTaRT]caTbfXcW it seeks to simplify.
cWPcWPeTc^QTQa^ZT]<PZT]^\XbcPZTRP]RTaRP] b_TRXP[XbTSS^Rc^ab On the whole, the Budget dis-
QT\P]PVTSP]SRdaTSQdccWTS^Rc^aP]ScWT_PcXT]c 6P]P_PcWX1WPc played protectionist sentiments at a
bW^d[S_^bbTbbcWTU^aQTPaP]RT^UPbPX]c?P[[XPcXeTRPaT 0Z^[P time when a sharp decline in fixed
investment, induced by a sluggish
growth of real consumption, has
Khan Government, even as the professional manner. This rescue weighed down economic growth.
Indian students were being evac- will help reinforce faith in the 1]YhUT2eTWUd Shreyans Jain
uated. One remains indebted to the national carrier and the hope of Delhi
efforts of Air India and the reviving Air India’s brand identi- Sir — While it was expected that
Government towards the well- ty still lingers on. Finance Minister Nirmala
being of the citizens in China and Varun Dambal Sitharaman would be fiscally pru- BT]Shh^daUUTTSQPRZcc^)
handling everything in such a Bengaluru dent with the Union Budget 2020- [TccTabc^_X^]TTa/V\PX[R^\
 P]P[hbXb
17D10=4BF0AkCD4B30H k541AD0AH #!!

gggTQY\i`Y_^UUbS_]
(
58ABC2>;D<=
=_bUY^^_fQdYfU @?9>D2>D=C4A@?9>D

dXY^[Y^W^UUTUT H>D:49A8F0;703H>DAB4;5B083H>D0A40=
0=0A278BC*C74A48B=>C<D2738554A4=24
14CF44=0=0=0A278BC0=3C4AA>A8BC
7>F20=024=CA0;<8=8BC4A14?4A<8CC43C>
DB4BD27;0=6D064.850AE8=3:49A8F0;8B0
C4AA>A8BC8270;;4=64C7419?C>0AA4BC78<
CWT1dSVTcbTcb^daUXbRP[_^[XRXTbCWTaTU^aT
°D=8>=<8=8BC4A °00?<?
cWTaTfTaT\PY^aTg_TRcPcX^]b^UX]XcXPcXeTb
c^WP]S[TcWTTR^]^\XRRad]RW ?A0:0B790E034:0A B0=90HB8=67

C8C81>; B0DA0E
1RWILJKWLQJDORVLQJEDWWOH
7KHUH¶VKRSHIRUSHRSOHZLWKDGYDQFHGVWDJHFDQFHUGXHWRQHZGLDJQRVLVPRQLWRULQJDQG
) SHUVRQDOLVHGWUHDWPHQWPHWKRGVDYDLODEOHWRGD\DQGWKHQHZRQHVEHLQJGHYHORSHG
LQDQFH0LQLVWHU)01LUPDOD6LWKDUDPDQUHYHDOHGDZLGHUDQJHRI
SROLF\LQLWLDWLYHVLQKHU%XGJHWVSHHFKRQ)HEUXDU\EXWSHRSOHSDLG
PRUHDWWHQWLRQWRWKHUHVWUXFWXULQJRILQFRPHWD[VODEVEHFDXVHWKLV
KDVDWDQJLEOHHIIHFWZKLFKHYHU\RQHFDQUHDOLVH7KH%XGJHWZDVSUH
VHQWHGLQWKHEDFNGURSRIDQHFRQRPLFVORZGRZQGHFOLQHLQFRQVXPS
WLRQDQGDSRRULQYHVWPHQWHQYLURQPHQW7KRXJKDOOWKHLVVXHVFDQQRW
EHWDFNOHGE\WKH&HQWUHDORQHWKH%XGJHWVHWVWKHILVFDOSROLFLHVRIWKH
*RYHUQPHQW7KHUHIRUHWKHUHZHUHPDMRUH[SHFWDWLRQVRIVRPHRXWRI
WKHER[LQLWLDWLYHVE\WKH&HQWUHWRKDQGOHWKHFXUUHQWFUXQFK
$OORFDWLRQDQGWD[VWUXFWXUH 0DMRUWD[FXWVIRUWKHFRUSRUDWHVHF
WRUZHUHDQQRXQFHGILYHPRQWKVDJR7KHUHIRUHWKHLUZLVKOLVWLQFOXG
HGRWKHUVWUXFWXUDOUHIRUPV7KRXJKZHDUH\HWWRVHHDQ\SRVLWLYHLPSDFW
RIWKHSUHYLRXVUDWHFXWWKH)0KDVDQQRXQFHGDEROLWLRQRIWKHGLYLGHQG
GLVWULEXWLRQWD[ZKLFKZLOOSXWSUHVVXUHRQFROOHFWLRQV'HFOLQHLQGRPHV =1>:9B9 10:A4
WLFGHPDQGDQGVOXJJLVKH[SRUWDUHFDXVLQJXQGHUXWLOLVDWLRQRISURGXF

WLRQFDSDFLW\DQGPHUHWD[FXWVZLOOQRWVROYH,QGLD·VHFRQRPLFSURE
OHPV,IWKHLQVWDOOHGFDSDFLW\LVO\LQJLGOHWKHQLWPDNHVQRVHQVHIRU
DQ\EXVLQHVVPDQWRLQFXUIUHVKFDSH[DQGWKHUHIRUHWKHGLYLGHQGGLV
WULEXWLRQWD[VKRXOGKDYHEHHQNHSWIRUWKHWLPHEHLQJDQGWKLVPRQH\
FRXOGKDYHEHHQXVHGIRUSXEOLFLQYHVWPHQW7KH*RYHUQPHQWVKRXOG
KDYHUHIUDLQHGIURPWDNLQJGHFLVLRQVPHUHO\RQWKHEDVLVRIVWRFNPDU
NHWVHQWLPHQWVEHFDXVHVXFKPHDVXUHVDUHQRWJRLQJWRVROYHPDFUR
HFRQRPLFSUREOHPV7KH(FRQRPLF6XUYH\FDXWLRQVWKDWKLJKHUQRQ
WD[UHYHQXHLVQRWVXVWDLQDEOH\HDUDIWHU\HDU
7KH*RYHUQPHQWKDVIDFWRUHGSHUFHQWQRPLQDO*'3JURZWKIRU
WKHFRPLQJILVFDOZKLOHFDOFXODWLQJH[SHFWHGWD[UHFHLSWV'LVLQYHVWPHQW
SURFHHGVDUHH[SHFWHGWRIHWFKCODNKFURUHZKLFKLVWRRDPELWLRXV
7KDWWKH*RYHUQPHQWLVDOVRDZDUHRIWKHH[WHQWRIWKHSUREOHPFDQEH
VHHQIURPWKH%XGJHWGRFXPHQWVLQZKLFKLQGLUHFWWD[HVIRUWKH)LQDQFLDO
C
ommunicable ailments are on the decline in
India but non-communicable maladies like
cancer and cardiovascular diseases are on the
rise. Cancer has emerged as one of the most impor-
tant causes of morbidity and mortality in the coun-
try. As per the latest GLOBOCAN data, compiled
and disseminated by the International Agency for
Research on Cancer (IARC) ahead of World Cancer
Day today, there are 11.5 lakh new cases and 7.8 lakh
cancer-related deaths every year in India. Mortality
in low-income and middle-income countries,
including India, is on the high side compared to high
income counterparts. This is attributable to relative-
ly low awareness, late diagnosis and the lack of or
inequitable access to equivalent care compared with
patients in high-income countries.
<HDU)<DUHOHVVWKDQWKHRULJLQDOHVWLPDWHVIRUWKH)< In India, the problem is compounded by the low
7KHILVFDOGHILFLWWDUJHWIRUQH[W\HDUKDVEHHQNHSWDWSHUFHQW availability of dedicated specialists. The country has
RIWKH*'3DQGWKLVLVGHSHQGHQWRQWD[EXR\DQF\SURMHFWHGE\WKH just 2,000 oncologists to treat 11.5 lakh new cases =>C>=;H
*RYHUQPHQWDQGUHDOLVDWLRQRIQRQWD[UHFHLSWVOLNHGLVLQYHVWPHQWSUR annually. Very few institutes reportedly offer CA40C<4=C1DC
FHHGV,IUHYHQXHWDUJHWVDUHQRWPHWWKHQWKH*RYHUQPHQWZLOODSSURDFK Medical Council of India (MCI)-approved special-
WKHPDUNHWIRUERUURZLQJZKLFKZLOOQHJDWLYHO\DIIHFWWKHERQG\LHOGPRYH ty courses in oncology, leading to a very limited
PHQW*LYHQWKHVPDOOQXPEHURIWD[SD\HUVZKRZLOOEHQHILWIURPWKH increase in the current workforce every year. Many
WD[VODEUHVWUXFWXULQJLWZRXOGEHWRRRSWLPLVWLFWREHOLHYHWKDWDPDU oncologists take up more than 1,000 new patients
per year and their workload is among the highest
JLQDOWD[FXWZRXOGERRVWFRQVXPSWLRQ7KRXJKWKLVVODEUHVWUXFWXULQJ
globally. In developed countries the oncologist to
ZDVDQQRXQFHGDVDPHDVXUHWRVLPSOLI\WKHWD[VWUXFWXUHLWKDVLWV cancer ratio tends to be a much healthier 1:100.
RZQFRPSOLFDWLRQVDVSHRSOHDUHH[SHFWHGWRJLYHXSH[HPSWLRQVZKLFK Concentration of specialty oncology centres in
DUHDYDLODEOHQRZ7KLVDQQRXQFHPHQWFDQLPSDFWGRPHVWLFVDYLQJV the metros and big cities is another problem as
ZKLFKDUHDOUHDG\GHFOLQLQJDQGKDYHFRPHGRZQWRSHUFHQWRI patients in smaller towns and rural areas are still
WKH*'3IRU)<IURPSHUFHQWLQ)<$IDOOLQ largely deprived. Every year, tens of thousands of can-
GRPHVWLFVDYLQJVZLOOPDNHXVPRUHGHSHQGHQWRQIRUHLJQLQYHVWPHQW cer patients flock from all over the country to a hand-
%XGJHWDU\DOORFDWLRQV 7KH)0GHVHUYHVFUHGLWIRUFRQWLQXLQJWR ful of hospitals like the Tata Memorial Hospital in
SXVKFDSLWDOH[SHQGLWXUHZKLFKKDVQRZEHHQVHWDWSHUFHQWRIWKH Mumbai and the All India Institute of Medical
*'3DVFRPSDUHGWRSHUFHQWGXULQJWKH)<7KHWRWDOLQYHVW Sciences in Delhi due to the absence of treatment
facilities closer to where they live and the unafford-
PHQWLQURDGVDQGKLJKZD\VKDVJRQHXSPRUHWKDQWKUHHWLPHVLQWKH
able cost of treatment at private hospitals. There is
ILYH\HDUSHULRGRIWR7KH&RUUXSWLRQ3HUFHSWLRQ,QGH[ an urgent need for policymakers to consider mea-
VKRZVWKDW,QGLDKDVVLJQLILFDQWO\LPSURYHGLWVUDQNLQJZKLFKVXSSRUWV sures that will improve the doctor-to-patient ratio
WKH&HQWUH·VFODLPRILPSURYLQJJRYHUQDQFH and also build health infrastructure in smaller towns
2WKHUSROLF\LQLWLDWLYHV %DQNVDUHDQLPSRUWDQWLQVWLWXWLRQIRUDQ\ to address the growing epidemiological and finan-
HFRQRP\DQGJURZWKFRPHVIURPLQFUHDVHGPRQHWDU\DFWLYLWLHVIRUZKLFK cial burden of the disease.
PRQH\LVSURYLGHGE\ILQDQFLDOLQVWLWXWLRQV%XWWKHEDODQFHVKHHWLVVXH The country’s cancer incidence is expected to
4E4=C74
B2A44=8=6>5
20=24A8B
4E>;E8=68=
E4AH4G28C8=6
F0HBC74
03E0=C064B>5
0AC858280; ment for highly-specialised oncosur- ings for the patient in a country like India of this.
8=C4;;864=24 geons and radiation after BCS. Radiation where most healthcare expenditure is out Cancer vaccines are another topic of
0=3<0278=4 therapy is not easily available in smaller of pocket and it can result in more opti- great interest. For cancers caused by
;40A=8=60A4 towns and considering BCS leads to bet- mised use of healthcare resources. viruses such as Hepatitis B, that can cause
E8B81;48=<0=H ter body image and psychosocial outcomes Targetted cancer therapies or drugs liver cancer, and the human papillo-
8=3DBCA84B0=3 compared to mastectomy, having better block its growth and spread by attacking mavirus that can cause cervical cancer,
radiation facilities across the country is specific biomolecules that are involved in vaccines already exist which prevent
740;C720A48B certainly something that we need to cancer signalling pathways, versus most infection with these cancer-causing agents.
=>4G24?C8>=0
resolve. standard chemotherapies which act on all By blocking the viruses from infecting
A424=C;H Another advantage of early detection rapidly-dividing cells whether cancerous body cells, these vaccines prevent the
?D1;8B743 is the availability of a new category of tests or not. Many targetted drugs have been development of subsequent virus-associ-
BCD3H1H<8C³B called prognostic tests. Mounting evidence approved by the FDA to treat specific types ated disease. For cancers not caused by
2><?DC4A that all early-stage breast cancer patients of cancer. For example, patients with virus, researchers are working to develop
B284=240=308 don’t benefit from chemotherapy led to the HER2-positive breast cancer receive the vaccines that they hope will activate the
;01>=0=4F development of prognostic tests. These anti-HER2 drug trastuzumab, pertuzum- immune system to attack cancer cells reli-
LVVWLOOKDXQWLQJ3XEOLF6HFWRU%DQNV36%DQGWKH(FRQRPLF6XUYH\
KDV KLJKOLJKWHG WKDW EDQNV PD\ UHPDLQ ULVNDYHUVH XQOHVV WKH
,QVROYHQF\DQG%DQNUXSWF\&RGHSURFHHGLQJVVSHHGXS,QHYHU\
UXSHHLQYHVWHGLQ36%VOHGWRDORVVRISDLVDFRQWUDU\WRDJDLQRI
SDLVDE\SULYDWHOHQGHUVZKLFKWHOOVWKHVWRU\RI*RYHUQPHQWOHQGHUV
,Q-DQXDU\WKH*RYHUQPHQWDVVXUHGSXEOLFOHQGHUVWKDWSUXGHQWFRP
PHUFLDOGHFLVLRQPDNLQJZRXOGEHSURWHFWHG9DULRXVPHDVXUHVZHUH
WDNHQLQWKHSDVWWRLPSURYHWKHOLTXLGLW\VLWXDWLRQDQGQRZWKH%XGJHW
almost double as a result of demographic changes
alone by 2040. In terms of reducing mortality due
to the disease in India, early detection is one
approach that could give people a much better
chance of fighting it successfully. India does not have
a national breast cancer screening programme but
various Government and private hospitals have been
offering screening services for men and women.
This has slowly increased the proportion of cases
344? tests profile the tumour biology of patients ab, TDM-1 to control growth and spread ably and effectively. They are also explor-
;40A=8=610B43 to determine breast cancer relapse or of the tumour. Use of these targetted ther- ing other ways to boost the immune sys-
recurrence risk. Test results can be used apies has proven to decrease the risk of tem’s response to malignant cells. If suc-
?A4382C8>= to put patients into different risk categories breast cancer recurrence by 50 per cent. cessful, these cancer vaccines can be a big
<>34;C70C20=
which help to personalise their treatment For advanced small cell lung cancer, the game-changer in the future.
5>A420BCC74 depending on their specific risk of recur- FDA recently approved atezolizumab as Not only treatment but even the
34E4;>?<4=C>5 rence. the second immunotherapy drug for, and screening of cancer is evolving in very
1A40BC20=24A Most women suffering from breast the first for use as part of first-line treat- exciting ways. The advantages of Artificial
D?C>58E4H40AB cancer, prior to prognostic tests being ment. They also approved targetted drugs Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning
KDVSURSRVHGWRLQFUHDVHWKH)RUHLJQ3RUWIROLR,QYHVWPHQW)3,OLPLWLQ
FRUSRUDWHERQGVIURPQLQHSHUFHQWWRSHUFHQW7KLVZLOOKHOSLQWKH
GHYHORSPHQWRIDERQGPDUNHWIRUFRUSRUDWHVDQGLQFUHDVHIXQGDYDLO
DELOLW\DQGUHGXFHWKHLUFRVW2QWKHLQYHVWRUV·SURWHFWLRQLVVXHWKH%XGJHW
KDVSURSRVHGWRKLNHGHSRVLWLQVXUDQFHFRYHUIURPCODNKWRCODNK
ZKLFKZDVQHHGHGIRUWKHSURWHFWLRQRIVPDOOGHSRVLWRUV
,QWKHSUHYLRXV%XGJHWWKH6DEND9LVKZDVVFKHPHIRUVHWWOHPHQW
RILQGLUHFWWD[UHODWHGGLVSXWHVZDVDQQRXQFHGDQGWKH*RYHUQPHQWLV
H[SHFWHGWRUHFHLYHCFURUHZKLFKLVKLJKHUWKDQWKHHVWLPDWHG
FROOHFWLRQ0RUHWKDQCODNKFURUHRILQFRPHWD[GXHVDUHXQGHU
GLVSXWHDQGWKHQHZDPQHVW\VFKHPH9LYDGVH9LVKZDVZKLFKZDV
DQQRXQFHGRQ)HEUXDU\ZLOOPLQLPLVHOLWLJDWLRQV)DFHOHVVDSSHDOLV
DOVRRQLWVZD\DIWHULQWURGXFWLRQRIIDFHOHVVDVVHVVPHQWDQGWKHVHVWHSV
ZLOOUHGXFHFRUUXSWLRQ,QWURGXFWLRQRIWD[FKDUWHUDQGDQQRXQFHPHQW
UHODWHGWRGHFULPLQDOLVDWLRQRIRIIHQFHVXQGHUWKH&RPSDQLHV$FW
DUHJRRGVWHSVGLUHFWHGWRZDUGVJRYHUQDQFH7KH%XGJHWFRQWDLQVRQH
RXWRIWKHER[LGHDUHODWLQJWRWD[UHVLGHQF\RILQGLYLGXDOVE\DPHQGLQJ
6HFWLRQRIWKH,QFRPH7D[$FW3HRSOHXVHGWRDYRLGSD\LQJWD[HVE\
PDQLSXODWLQJWKHLUUHVLGHQF\VWDWXVDQGQRZWKH\ZLOOKDYHWRSD\LWLQ
,QGLDLIWKH\DUHQRWOLDEOHWRWD[LQDQ\RWKHUFRXQWU\7KLVLVDJRRGVWHS
EXWPRUHVXFKLQLWLDWLYHVDUHWKHQHHGRIWKHKRXU
being diagnosed but more needs to be done.
People often ignore symptoms either due to lack
of awareness or due to fear, anxiety and social stig-
ma related to diagnosis. Increased awareness of breast
cancer and penetration of opportunistic screening
can lead to more cases being detected in the early
stages. This will not only drastically improve the odds
of successful treatment but also reduce the cost and
aggressiveness of treatment. For example, there are
many advantages of being detected in the early stages
of breast cancer. Patients who are diagnosed with
Stage I or II breast cancer are candidates for breast
conserving surgery (BCS) versus full breast removal
in mastectomy. Because a woman gets to keep her
breast and has a better cosmetic outcome, the psy-
chological effects associated with permanent
removal can be avoided. In the West, breast con-
servation rates exceed 70 per cent for early breast
cancer. In contrast, rates of BCS have traditionally
been very low in Asian settings.
In India, BCS rates vary from 10 per cent in
smaller cities to about 40 per cent in the metros.
There are many reasons for this disparity. One of
8=03E0=248B available, would have been recommend-
>=4BD27 ed chemotherapy based on practice guide-
4G0<?;4 lines. Now prognostic tests can help doc-
tors determine which patients can avoid
chemotherapy, saving a lot of patients from
the physical and financial toxicity of
chemotherapy. The use of chemotherapy
for early-stage breast cancer has signifi-
cantly declined in the West due to these
prognostic tests and doctors are now able
to offer patients personalised treatment.
Increasingly, we are seeing a more per-
sonalised approach to cancer treatment,
rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
Personalised medicine works by means of
analysing patient-specific information
and prescribing them therapies best suit-
ed to treat them and prevent cancer from
returning. This can be game-changing in
many ways as it can lead to improved out-
comes for patients by ensuring they get the
right treatment. It can improve the qual-
ity of life by helping patients avoid
for bladder cancer, head and neck cancer,
lymphoma and other cancer types in the
last year.
Another promising area of targetted
cancer treatment is immunotherapy,
which taps into the ability of using a per-
son’s own immune system to fight cancer.
Many immunotherapy treatments are
much more tolerable than chemotherapy
or radiation. The goal is that they will
reduce or even replace the use of more
toxic therapies. Various immunotherapies
have been approved by the FDA and have
been used to treat patients with advanced
or metastatic disease.
Recently, the FDA approved Chimeric
Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy for
certain cancers. This therapy involves
genetic modification of the patient’s autol-
ogous T-cells to express a receptor specif-
ic for a tumour antigen. This helps the
patient’s cells to find and attack cancer
cells. Remarkable results have been seen
(ML) are visible in many industries and
healthcare is no exception. A recently-
published study by MIT’s Computer
Science and AI Lab on a new deep learn-
ing-based prediction model that can
forecast the development of breast cancer
up to five years in advance is one such
example.
AI and ML can increase access to
treatment in developing countries which
don’t have enough cancer specialists. It can
improve the sensitivity of detection, add
more value in treatment decisions and
help personalise treatment. There’s
increased hope for people with advanced
stage cancer due to all the new diagnosis,
treatment and monitoring methods not
only available today but also in develop-
ment.
(The writer is a PhD in cell biology
from IIS and has done pathbreaking
research in the field of cancer and stem cells.
She is founder and CEO of a cancer diag-
7KHZULWHULVD&KDUWHUHG$FFRXQWDQW the important reasons for the disparity is the require-
:DUDJDLQVWWHUURUKDVWREHIRXJKWLQWKHPLQG
=UXJYGRUTKSG_TUZNG\KZNKVUZKTI_ZU]OTHGZZRKYH[ZZNK_JKLOTOZKR_NG\KZNKYZXKTMZNZUX[VZ[XKZNK\KX_K^OYZKTIKUL
ZKXXUXOYZU[ZLOZYZNGZIUTYZGTZR_ZGQKGJ\GTZGMKULTGz\KMUJLKGXOTMVKUVRK
terror outfits? While the security
forces have been countering them,
there has been no let-up in the
attempts by the ultras to strike. One
slip-up and there could be a major
catastrophe. This clearly indicates
that this battle against terror outfits,
based on extreme ideologies cannot
be won by the security forces alone.
1<?; C?E=I1 History stands witness to
10=B0; 270CDAE438 extremist ideologies breeding vio-
lence. These extreme ideologies
R
ecently, a group of terrorists, could be Marxist, religion-based or
travelling in a Srinagar-bound even nationalist. In the second half
truck on the Jammu-Srinagar of the 20th century, the major threat
highway, opened fire at a police team emanated from various outfits influ-
when stopped for checking near a toll enced by radical Marxist thoughts. In
plaza in the Ban area of Nagrota, contemporary times, the threat from
North of Jammu. In the ensuing gun- the radical Marxist ideology appears
fight, a policeman was injured and to have declined and the biggest
a militant was killed, while the rest threat in the 21st century emanates
of the terrorists managed to escape from jihadi outfits that believe in
to the adjacent forests. This brings us their own radical Islamist ideology.
back to the question whether there There have been many attempts by
is an effective strategy to win against Western academics to find raison
d’être for terror outfits by justifying
their existence on socio-political
discrimination or economic depriva-
tion. While doing so, there has been
a strong tendency to undermine the
theological underpinnings of such
outfits. Right or wrong, these groups
have an Islamic world view, which
entails creation of a global Islamic
Emirate. Consequently, groups like
the Al Qaeda and Islamic State
(ISIS) have shown least concern
about the Palestinian problem.
Consequently, to imagine peace
without taking into cognisance the
theological factors is a mistake. An
appropriate example is the Al Qaeda
and Taliban matrix. The Al Qaeda
wants to wage a jihad which can only
happen under a righteous leader or
Amir-ul-Mumineen, as per their the-
ological beliefs. The Amir has never
been the leader of the Al Qaeda.
Neither Osama bin Laden nor
Ayman al Jawahir claimed to be the
overtreatment. It can lead to huge cost sav-
Amir. This exalted position was ear-
lier held by Mullah Omar and now
by Mullah Akhundzada, the present
leader of the Taliban. Any peace
negotiated with the Taliban would,
therefore, render Al Qaeda’s jihad
theocratically and theologically ille-
gitimate. It is, therefore, obvious that
the Al Qaeda will not let the Taliban
arrive at a lasting negotiated settle-
ment. More significantly, if the
Taliban comes to power in
Afghanistan, it will not confine its
radical ideology to the territorial
frontiers of Afghanistan. An ideolog-
ical outfit would like to propagate its
ideology all around and, therefore,
there is no feasibility of ushering in
peace by negotiating with the
Taliban, notwithstanding the recent
attempts by the Trump
Administration to reach out to them.
On October 28, 2019, Abu Bakr al-
Baghdadi, the self-styled caliph of the
ISIS was killed. This caliph is dead
in previously untreatable cancers because
but his caliphate lives on. The terri- tive cannot be country-specific. With
torial control of the caliphate may the modern state resting on civilisa-
have diminished but the influence by tional crossroads, these narratives
no stretch of imagination has van- have to be specific to a region. In fur-
ished. There are outfits across the therance of their commitment to
globe owing their allegiance to it. fight terrorism and create an ecosys-
Ideology-based outfits cannot be tem for shared progress and devel-
countered by bombs and bullets. This opment, the states must collaborate
battle has to be fought in the mind. and prepare a potent alternate or
Hence, the need for an alternate or counter-narrative, which can only be
counter-narrative, which needs to be created by those with good knowl-
propagated in a subtle manner. For edge of history or theology. Quotes
the narrative to be effective, it needs from religious texts, scriptures and
to be seeped in theology. teachings, as well as incidents from
This attempt cannot stop at Islamic history must be used, so that
merely countering the theological people are not influenced by the vio-
warfare waged by the radicalised lent narratives of ideology-based
groups. There is an equally pressing terror groups.
need to popularise an alternate nar- Fighting these elements is a long
rative with peaceful preaching, which battle, not a short war. It is not to
aims at holistic understanding and argue that popularising alternate or
does not stop at just countering the counter-narratives is the only weapon
arguments put forth by the extrem- available to the state. A state must
ist groups. constantly strategise to weaken the
This alternate or counter-narra- strong footholds of the terrorist
nostics firm in Bengaluru)
groups. It must deploy its resources
judiciously to gain control over ter-
ritory and curtail their avenues of
expansion.
However, the long-term solution
undoubtedly, lies in developing a
comprehensive strategy to delegit-
imise their cause. Alternate or
counter-narrative is one of the more
important factors that will make the
vulnerable people sitting on the
margins, critically think against the
arguments propounded by the
extreme religious ideology- based
terrorist outfits.
Words alone may not have the
potency to win battles but they def-
initely have the strength to rupture
the very existence of such terrorist
outfits that constantly take advantage
of naïve, god-fearing people.
(Bansal is Director and
Chaturvedi is Senior Research Fellow,
India Foundation. The views
expressed are personal)
17D10=4BF0AkCD4B30H k541AD0AH #!! \^]Th 

4YZ_VdVde`T\dTcRdYRdgZcfdX]``^Z_WVTed^Rc\Ved
05?Q B70=6708
C hinese stocks collapsed
Monday with hundreds of
firms plunging by the maxi-
mum 10 per cent as investors
got their first chance in more
than a week to react to a bar-
rage of bad news from the spi-
ralling coronavirus outbreak.
The benchmark Shanghai
Composite Index ended the
morning session down 8.13
percent, or 241.87 points, at
2,734.66, while the Shenzhen
Composite Index, which tracks
stocks on China’s second
exchange, was down 8.30 per-
cent, or 145.78 points, to
1,611.04.
Hong Kong went into the
break 0.09 percent, or 23.78
points, up at 26,336.41 on bar-
gain-buying after being bat-
tered last week.
The scale of the plunge was
remarkable even by the stan-
dards of China’s notoriously
volatile share markets, indicat-
ing deep concern over the eco-
nomic impact of the epidemic,
which has now killed more
than people SARS in 2003.
The last time Chinese
indices had plunged in excess
of eight percent in a day was
when an equities bubble
popped nearly five years ago.
“Investor panic quickly
spread across the board and
will be dominating the market
over the short term,” said Yang
Delong, chief economist at
First Seafront Fund. More than
2,600 stocks fell by the 10 per-
cent daily limit, according to
Bloomberg financial data.
The yuan also weakened
more than 1.5 percent to
around 7.02 per dollar.
Markets in the world’s sec-
ond-biggest economy had
closed on January 24 for the
week-long Lunar New Year
holiday, but in that time the
viral epidemic that started in
Wuhan has spread globally.
They were scheduled to reopen
on Friday but the government
extended the holiday to help
deal with the virus.
Stock markets worldwide
have sunk as major corporate
names froze or scaled back
their Chinese operations,
threatening global supply
chains that depend heavily on
the country.
China’s central bank said it
would pump 1.2 trillion yuan
($173 billion) into the econo-
my on Monday to help stabilise
markets. Yang said an interest
rate cut also is “urgent and nec-
essary”. Volatility will reign
until there are clear signs that
the coronavirus is contained,
analysts said.
Travel and tourism shares
plummeted after domestic and
international travel curbs were
imposed to slow the virus.
China International Travel
Service fell 10 percent to 73.80
yuan shortly after the open.
Individual Chinese stocks
can only move 10 percent in
either direction each session
before being suspended, a mea-
sure intended to limit volatili-
ty. Foxconn Industrial Internet,
an arm of Taiwanese tech giant
Foxconn, were also limit down
at 18.00 yuan.
Foxconn has closed its
Chinese factories until at least
mid-February, potentially
affecting supply chains for tech
companies that rely on it for
ever ything from Apple’s
iPhones to flat-screen TVs and
laptops.
China Southern Airlines
and China Eastern Airlines
were also suspended after div-
ing 10 percent.
Consumer bellwether
Kweichow Moutai, the world’s
largest distiller and whose fiery
liquor is a favoured Lunar New
Year gift, fell 5.27 percent to
997.30 yuan.
Many healthcare stocks
gained, however, as Chinese
rush to stock up on face masks
and other medical supplies.
Shares in Shanghai No. 1
Pharmacy and China Meheco
both were suspended after
surging 10 percent.
The People’s Bank of China
(PBoC) said its market inter-
vention was aimed at main-
taining banking system liq-
uidity and a stable currency
market. China’s economy is
expected to take a clear hit
from the crisis, which has
brought industrial regions
grinding to a halt.
1DB8=4BB2>A=4A
E:B8=670BBD<4B270A64>538A42C>A?>F4A6A83
=Tf3T[WX) EX]^S:d\PaBX]VWWPbPbbd\TScWT
RWPaVT^U3XaTRc^a?Tab^]]T[^U?^fTa6aXS
2^a_^aPcX^]^U8]SXP;X\XcTS?>F4A6A83^] bc
5TQadPah!!?aX^ac^WXbY^X]X]VPb3XaTRc^a
?Tab^]]T[WTf^aZTSPbBT]X^a6T]TaP[
<P]PVTa7d\P]ATb^daRT3TeT[^_\T]c
WP]S[X]VU[PVbWX__a^YTRcbbdRWPb2P_PRXch
1dX[SX]VaTbcadRcdaX]V_^[XRXTb_a^RTSdaTbU^a
=4ABcPcTbbcaPcTVXRP[[XP]RTb_TacPX]X]Vc^;TPa]X]V3TeT[^_\T]c
U^aT\_[^hTTbPbfT[[PbTgcTa]P[Rdbc^\Tab7TWPbQTT]P_Pac^U
Tg_^]T]cXP[Va^fcW^U?>F4A6A83P]SfXc]TbbTScWT^aVP]XbPcX^]
Va^fX]c^P<PWPaPc]PSdaX]VWXbRPaTTab_P]]X]V^eTa"hTPa
0=8A10=30B6D?C0C0:4B270A640BB08;´B
38A42C>A?A>942CB1DB8=4BB?;0==8=6
=Tf3T[WX) 0]XaQP]3PbVd_cPWPbcPZT]RWPaVT
PbcWT3XaTRc^a?a^YTRcb1dbX]Tbb?[P]]X]V^U
BcTT[0dcW^aXch^U8]SXP;X\XcTSB08;^] bc
5TQadPah!!1TU^aTPbbd\X]VcWTRdaaT]c
aTb_^]bXQX[XchWTfPbcWT2WXTU4gTRdcXeT>UUXRTa
24>^UB08;³b1WX[PXBcTT[?[P]c1B?7TbWP[[
R^]cX]dTc^[^^ZPUcTacWTf^aZb^U24>1B?cX[[
UdacWTa^aSTab0SXbcX]VdXbWTSP[d\]db^U88C
17DX]<TcP[[daVhBWaX3PbVd_cPbcPacTSWXbRPaTTaX]2T]caTU^a
4]VX]TTaX]VCTRW]^[^Vh24C^UB08;X] ('%
174;F8=B>A34A5>A7H3A>4;42CA82?A>942C
=Tf3T[WX) 8]cWTUPRT^UbcXUUR^\_TcXcX^]174;WPbf^]P]^aSTaU^a

<PaZTcbaTR^eTaUa^\1dSVTcSTb_PXa CTb_`cRi&`QYcU C3:e`T`^V`fehZeY

]Rde^`_VeRcja`]ZTj
cWT4[TRca^<TRWP]XRP[4<f^aZbU^acWT#<FAPWdVWPc
7hSa^T[TRcaXR?a^YTRcX]=T_P[CWT^aSTaWPbQTT]_[PRTS^]174;Qh
cWTAPVWdVP]VP7hSa^_^fTa;X\XcTSA67?;PR^\_P]h 

Pb\P]dUPRcdaX]VSPcPaPXbTW^_Tb d_U^TQd'!#(_^
^f]TSQh=T_P[4[TRcaXRXch0dcW^aXch=40cWTb^[T_dQ[XR_^fTadcX[Xch
W`c7J#!`_EYfcdURj X]=T_P[P]S^f]TSQhcWT6^ec^U=T_P[CWT_a^YTRcXb\PY^aXch
?C8Q <D<108 Ud]STSQh4G8<1P]Z^U8]SXPX]cWTU^a\^UPb^Uc[^P]P[^]VfXcW

?C8Q <D<108
S tock markets recovered
from the budget blues on
Monday with the benchmark
index Sensex closing higher by
137 points after a survey
showed manufacturing activi-
ty soared to an eight-year high
on new orders.
The 30-share BSE Sensex
rose by 136.78 points or 0.34
per cent to settle at 39,872.31
as 18 of its components ended
with gains. The recovery was
broad as all BSE sectoral indices
barring IT and Teck closed
with gains.
The 50-share NSE Nifty
gained 46.05 points or 0.39 per
cent to close at 11,707.90. As
many as 28 Nifty stocks
advanced, led by Asian Paints.
Markets had opened lower
after suffering a major hit on
Saturday as budget proposals
failed to enthuse investors.
Sensex dropped to a low of
39,563.07 while Nifty touched
a low of 11,614.50 in early
trade. Stocks turned positive in
the afternoon session after a
monthly survey said the coun-
try’s manufacturing sector
activity climbed to a near eight-
year high in January.
The IHS Markit India
Manufacturing PMI rose from
52.7 in December to 55.3 in
January, driven by sharp rise in
new business orders amid a
rebound in demand condi-
tions that led to rise in pro-
duction and hiring activity.
Asian Paints was the top
gainer in the Sensex pack, ral-
lying 6.32 per cent. Nestle
India rose by 5.3 per cent, HUL
by 5.06 per cent, Bajaj Auto by
4.71 per cent, IndusInd Bank
by 4.29 per cent, Tata Steel by
3.06 per cent, Maruti by 2.99
per cent and PowerGrid by 2.79
per cent.
On the other hand, ITC
cracked 5.09 per cent on the
budget proposal to increase
excise duy on cigarettes by
212-388 per cent.
IT stocks TCS, HCL Tech
and Tech Mahindra too ended
in the red.
Indian markets traded
volatile in the first session of the
week with investors assessing
the implications from budget
and a sell-off in China, said
Narendra Solanki, Head
Fundamental Research
(Investment Services) - AVP
Equity Research, Anand Rathi
Shares & Stock Brokers.
“With budget behind,
traders now shifts focus back to
the quarterly earnings season
and the central bank’s interest
rate decision later this week,” he
added.
Markets garnered support
from Realty, metal, private
banks, FMCG and even major-
ity of auto stocks while PSU
banks and select pharma stocks
received wrath, Paras Bothra,
President of Equity Research,
Ashika Stock Broking said,
adding that majority of high
dividend paying stocks were
among gainers after abolition of
DDT.
V_bUh_edV\_gc
?C8Q <D<108
T he rupee pared early sharp
losses to settle 6 paise down
at 71.38 against the US dollar
on Monday, tracking recovery
in domestic equities and easing
crude oil prices.
The rupee remained under
pressure due to concerns over
fiscal slippage and rising coro-
navirus outbreak fears, forex
traders said.
The next trigger for the
currency will be the Reserve
Bank of India’s monetary pol-
icy meeting, as its commentary
on inflation as well as growth
forecast would be keenly
watched.
At the interbank foreign
exchange market, the local
currency opened at 71.62 and
fell further to touch a low of
71.66. Mirroring the recovery
in equities, the local unit cut
losses to touch a high of 71.32.
The unit finally settled at 71.38,
down by 6 paise over the pre-
vious close.
The rupee had settled at
71.32 against the American
currency on Friday.
The Sensex rose by 136.78
points or 0.34 per cent to set-
tle at 39,872.31 as 18 of its com-
ponents ended with gains. The
50-share NSE Nifty gained
46.05 points or 0.39 per cent to
close at 11,707.90.
Foreign institutional
investors sold equities worth Rs
1,200 crore on a net basis on
Monday, according to provi-
sional exchange data.
“...This week we have RBI
policy, we expect the central
bank to stand pat at 5.15 per
cent with accommodative
stance, the commentary on
inflation and growth forecast
would be keenly watched.
A mid slowing GDP growth
and rising inflation, the
Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
will unveil its last monetary
policy for the current financial
year on Thursday.
The sixth bi-monthly mon-
etary policy statement for 2019-
20 would be the last one for the
current financial year.
The Monetar y Policy
Committee (MPC) will meet
during February 4-6 for the
policy review, the
RBI said in a release on
Monday.
The RBI said it will place
the resolution of the MPC on
its website before noon on
February 6.
The government has esti-
mated India’s gross domestic
product (GDP) to be growing
at a slower pace of 5 per cent
in the current financial year on
the back of various factors,
domestic and global, including
weakening consumption
demand in the country.
Ud]SX]VUa^\=40P]ScWT6^ec^U=T_P[F0?2>B8]SXPXbcWT
_a^YTRcR^]bd[cP]c
=C?2A08B4B0B80´B;0A64BC90?0=4B4H4=;>0=
=Tf3T[WX) =C?2WPbbXV]TSPbh]SXRPcTScTa\[^P]X]9P_P]TbTHT]
T`dXeP[T]cc^&$\X[[X^]CWTUPRX[XchXbUd[[hd]STafaXccT]QhBcPcT
1P]Z^U8]SXPC^Zh^Bd\Xc^\^<XcbdX1P]ZX]V2^a_^aPcX^]
BX]VP_^aTP]S1P]Z^U8]SXPC^Zh^^]!9P]dPah!!P]SfX[[QT
bW^ac[h[Pd]RWTSQhQP]ZbU^aVT]TaP[bh]SXRPcX^]CWXbXbcWT[PaVTbc
TeTabh]SXRPcTS9?H[^P]aPXbTSQhP]h0bXP]2^a_^aPcTUa^\^UUbW^aT
BP\daPX[^P]\PaZTcCWT[^P]WPbQTT]aPXbTSd]STaPdc^\PcXRa^dcT
^UA18421aTVd[PcX^]bP]SXbP[b^cWTWXVWTbcTeTabX]V[TU^aTXV]
RdaaT]Rh[^P]aPXbTSQh=C?2CWTUPRX[XchWPbPS^^ac^S^^a\PcdaXch
^U hTPabd]STacf^caP]RWTb
=122106BA09170B708<?;4<4=C0C8>=0F0A3
=Tf3T[WX) =1228]SXP;cS
P=PeaPc]P2?B4d]STacWT
<X]Xbcah^U7^dbX]VDaQP]
0UUPXab<^7D0WPbQTT]
R^]UTaaTSfXcW°5Xabc?aXiT±U^a
XcbTgRT[[T]cf^aZX]
X\_[T\T]cPcX^]^UAPYQWPbWP
CWTaTR^V]XcX^]WPbQTT]
QTbc^fTSQhC^f]>UUXRXP[
;P]VdPVT8\_[T\T]cPcX^]
2^\\XccTTC>;82^UcWT<X]Xbcah^U7^\T0UUPXabX]XcbWP[UhTPa[h
<TTcX]VP]S3XbcaXQdcX^]RTaT\^]hWT[SX]=Tf3T[WX0[b^°=Xa\P]
1WPaPcX±WP[UhTPa[h=Tfb[TccTa^U=122WPbQTT]PfPaSTS°5Xabc
?aXiT±X]cWTRPcTV^ah^U1Tbc<PVPiX]TCWTPfPaSbfTaTaTRTXeTSQh
<P]Pb:PeXaPY4gTRdcXeT3XaTRc^a7A<=122PRR^\_P]XTSQh
bT]X^a^UUXRXP[b

)LWFKSUHGLFWV,QGLD¶V)< 3C20F0A3435>A;>F4BC022834=CA0C4
=Tf3T[WX) 3C2WPbQTT]

*'3JURZWKDW
?C8Q =4F34;78
F itch Ratings on Monday
said India is expected to
clock a GDP growth of 5.6 per
cent in the next financial year,
lower than the projection made
by the government’s Economic
Survey, as Budget 2020 has not
“materially altered” its view on
the country’s growth outlook.
The Economic Survey,
released a day before Finance
Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
presented Union Budget for
2020-21 on February 1, had
projected a GDP growth of 6-
6.5 per cent, up from 5 per cent
estimate for 2019-20.
“The fiscal slippage
announced in the government’s
new FY21 budget is modest rel-
ative to its previous targets, and
is consistent with our expecta-
tions when we affirmed India’s
‘BBB-’ rating with a stable out-
look last December, given slow-
ing growth momentum,” said
Thomas Rookmaaker, Director
and Primary Sovereign Analyst
for India, Fitch Ratings.
Sitharaman’s Budget
missed deficit target for the
third year in a row, pushing
shortfall to 3.8 per cent of GDP
in the current fiscal as com-
pared to 3.3 per cent previously
planned. The fiscal deficit tar-
get for the coming fiscal year
starting April 1, has been fixed
at 3.5 per cent.
“The new budget targets
imply some further postpone-
ment of fiscal consolidation, in
line with the government’s
ambivalent approach to con-
solidation of the past few years
when deficit outturns have
typically exceeded budget tar-
gets,” Fitch said projecting gen-
eral government debt to remain
close to 70 per cent of GDP
through FY22.
India’s high public debt
relative to peers is a rating
weakness, it said.
“The budget does not
materially alter our view on
India’s economic growth out-
look, which we forecast to pick
up to 5.6 per cent in FY21 from
4.6 per cent in FY20,” it said.
The report further noted
that Budget contains some
measures which may support
GDP growth in the medium-
term, including reduced indi-
vidual income tax rates, some
easing of restrictions on foreign
portfolio inflows, continued
focus on public infrastructure
spending, and schemes of
which the details remain to be
announced to encourage man-
ufacturing in the electronics
and textiles sectors.
The rating agency said the
assumptions in the budget,
including nominal growth of
10 per cent and a rise in rev-
enues by 9.2 per cent were
“broadly credible” although
there were risks to the
downside.
R^]UTaaTScWTCaP]b_^ac
<X]XbcTa³bA^PSBPUTch0fPaS
! ' (X]cWTdaQP]RPcTV^ah
U^a[^fTbcaPcT^UPRRXST]cb
=XcX]6PSZPaX7^]³Q[T<X]XbcTa
^UA^PSCaP]b_^ac
7XVWfPhb6^eTa]\T]c^U
8]SXPWPbVXeT]cWTPfPaSc^
<P]^Y:d\Pa<33C2X]"aS
4SXcX^]^U8]cTa]PcX^]P[
2^]UTaT]RTP]S4gWXQXcX^]^]?dQ[XRCaP]b_^ac8]]^ePcX^]824?C8
!!^aVP]XiTSPc<P]TZbWPf1WPfP]X]=Tf3T[WX^]" !!
BP]YTTeAP]YP]80BBTRaTcPah<X]Xbcah^UA^PSCaP]b_^acP]S
7XVWfPhb2P_cEEAPc]P_PaZWX4gTRdcXeT3XaTRc^a0BACDP]S^cWTa
bT]X^a^UUXRTabfTaTP[b^_aTbT]c^]cWT^RRPbX^]
A098E64CB0338C8>=0;270A64>56<=A08;F0H
=Tf3T[WX) APYXe2WPdSWah6T]TaP[<P]PVTa
=^acW2T]caP[APX[fPhWPbcPZT]^eTacWT
PSSXcX^]P[RWPaVT^U6T]TaP[<P]PVTa=^acWTa]
APX[fPh^] !!!BW^ac[h^]Pbbd\X]V
RWPaVTb2WPdSWahaTeXTfTScWTbPUTchP]S
_d]RcdP[XchX]P\TTcX]VWT[SPc=^acWTa]
APX[fPh7TPS`dPacTab>UUXRT1Pa^SP7^dbT
=Tf3T[WXAPYXe2WPdSWahXbP]^UUXRTa^UcWT
8]SXP]APX[fPhbUa^\cWT (' QPcRW^UcWT
8]SXP]APX[fPhBTaeXRT^U4]VX]TTab8AB47TWPbTgcT]bXeTP]S
ePaXTSTg_TaXT]RT^eTacWT_Pbc\^aTcWP]""hTPabX]P[[bTRc^ab^U
aPX[caP]b_^acX]R[dSX]VcWTXa^_TaPcX^]P]S\PX]cT]P]RT_[P]]X]V
STbXV]X]VTgTRdcX^]P]S\PX]cT]P]RT^U[PaVTRXeX[T]VX]TTaX]V
_a^YTRcbX]cWTaPX[fPh\Tca^bTRc^aU^a\d[PcX^][Pd]RWX]VP]S
\^]Xc^aX]V^U_^[XRhX\_[T\T]cPcX^]X]XcXPcXeT

%X\HUVRI$LU,QGLD%3&/ :_eVcVde`W=:4 1P]ZbbT[TRcUX]P]RXP[X]bcXcdcX^]b

QRWWRJHWIUHHKDQGWRVKHG
H[FHVVVWDII',3$06HF\
?C8Q =4F34;78
B uyers of loss-making airline
Air India and oil firm
Bharat Petroleum Corporation
price bids are invited.
While in the case of Air
India, the expression of inter-
est (EoI) has been invited by
March 17, an offer seeking the
a`]ZTjY`]UVcdhZ]]
SVac`eVTeVU+ aT_^acUaPdSbX]e^[eX]VC  ";Ra
2_fcRXEYR\fc X]7 ^U5H!bPhbBXcWPaP\P]
?C8Q =4F34;78 ?C8Q =4F34;78 over a number of years.
“This is reflected in the
rauds involving C1,13,374
T the interest of policyhold- Fcrore were reported by
he Government will protect

ers of LIC, which is likely to go banks and select financial insti-

Ltd (BPCL) will not get a free
hand to shed excess workforce
as the government will build in
certain protection to employ-
ees in the share sale agreement,
DIPAM Secretary Tuhin Kanta
Pandey said.
Public sector companies
often have more people on rolls
than their private sector coun-
terparts and companies want-
ing to take them over would
likely right-size them to remove
inefficiencies.
In an interview with PTI,
the Secretar y of the
Department of Investment and
Public Asset Management
(DIPAM) said the government
will follow a two-stage bidding
process for selling its entire
holding in Air India and BPCL.
First preliminary interest
from potential bidders is invit-
ed, followed by them being
given access of data room on
the companies for due dili-
gence. In the second stage,
same for BPCL is likely to be
floated in the next few days.
Asked if the bidders will get
a free hand to right-size the
companies after the acquisition,
Pandey said, “There will be cer-
tain protection to employees
and there will be other condi-
tionalities and this will be list-
ed out in the share purchase
agreement (SPA).”
He did not give details of
the conditionalities. An SPA
will signed with the acquirer
who offers the highest bid for
buying out government stake.
The government is selling
its entire 100 per cent stake in
Air India but wants effective
control to stay with Indian
nationals. The airline, which
started as a Tata Airlines in
1932 and was later acquired by
the government, has not made
profits since 2007. It has a total
debt of C60,074 crore, of which
bidder has to takeover
C23,286.5 crore.
public in the next financial year,
Minister of State for Finance
Anurag Thakur has said.
Listing of LIC will help
bring in greater transparency,
public participation and also
deepen the equity market, he
said.
“Government came out
with the idea (LIC listing).
The details will follow and it
will be in the interest of LIC
and its policyholders. Interest
of LIC and policyholders will
be safeguarded,” he told PTI in
an interview.
Asked about quantum of
stake sale, he said, once the
amendment to the LIC Act is
finalised you will get all the
details.
“LIC have an independent
set-up to decide where they
want to invest even today and
what will continue in the next
format that would come into
light as well in the future,” he
said.
tutions in the first half of the
current financial year, Finance
Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
told Parliament on Monday.
The Minister said the
Government in 2015 had issued
‘Framework for timely detec-
tion, reporting, investigation
relating to large value bank
frauds’ for PSBs to deal with sus-
pected frauds involving sums of
money in excess of C50 crore.
It had also instituted wide-
ranging structural and proce-
dural reforms through the
framework and other steps to
check fraudulent banking prac-
tices. She said systematic and
comprehensive checking,
including legacy stock of PSBs’
non-banking assets (NPAs),
for frauds under the framework
has been taken note of by the
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in
its Financial Stability Report in
December 2019, where it has
observed that this has helped
unearth frauds perpetrated
increased amount involved in
frauds of C1 lakh and above,
reported by scheduled com-
mercial banks and select finan-
cial institutions, from C23,934
crore in the financial year
2016-17 to C41,167 crore in
2017-18, C71,543 crore in 2018-
19, and C1,13,374 crore in the
first half of the current finan-
cial year,” she said.
The Minister further said
that while improved “detection”
and “reporting” has increased
the reported amount involved
in recent years, the compre-
hensive steps taken to check
bank frauds have resulted in the
amount involved by year of
occurrence of fraud showing a
declining trend.
She said amount involved
in frauds that took place in the
reporting year reduced sharply
from C38,548 crore in 2016-17
to C16,084 crore in 2017-18,
increased slightly to C18,893
crore in 2018-19, and declined
again to C3,010 crore in the first
half of the current financial
year.
 SLRQHHU 17D10=4BF0AkCD4B30H k541AD0AH #!!
C74?8>=44A

7TPac1SXU
3Tb_XcTcaT\T]S^dbPSeP]RTbX]
caTPc\T]c^UR^]VT]XcP[WTPacSXbTPbT
273P]TfV[^QP[bcdShbW^fbcWPc
cWTRWP]RTbU^aPRWX[Sc^bdaeXeTP273
SXPV]^bXbXbbXV]XUXRP]c[h[TbbX][^f
X]R^\TR^d]caXTbCWTaTPaT]TPa[h !
\X[[X^]_T^_[T[XeX]VfXcW273V[^QP[[h°
'&_TaRT]c\^aTcWP]X] ((

3>2H0A3 SAY NO
3A=0344A0=8;D?0<0;8 TO STEROIDS
&RIRXQGHU 93 3URGXFW &RQYHQWLRQDOVNLQ
WUHDWPHQWRQO\
8<<D=85H<4740;C720A4 WDUJHWVWKHYLVLEOH
C427=>;>684B?EC;C3
VLJQV7KHUHIRUH
WKHQHHGLVWR
VZLWFKWRQRYHOZD\V
IRUORQJWHUPUHVXOWV
VD\V'535$'((390$+$-$1

A sk a person who suffers from any form of

skin disease about the prolonged duration
(sometimes for years together) of treatment and
the dissatisfactory results achieved. They would
probably tell you stories of how they have run
from pillar to post in search of effective treat-
ments. A cause for concern is the use of steroid
medications for certain dermatological condi-
tions, which as we know has long-standing sys-
temic effects.
What then can be done to treat the myriad
of skin conditions that affect populations across
all age groups? For this, first we need to under-

7ZXYeeYVVaZUV^ZT
stand the different types of dermatological
conditions. Here’s a look at some of the common
skin conditions frequently encountered by
medical practitioners.
Bacteria, virus, parasites, allergic reactions,

4_^µdVQ\\V_b
and autoimmune conditions may cause skin
lesions. Acne remains the most common skin
disease among adolescents. The common occur-
rence in this age group is due to hormonal fluc-
1R_ed! ]Y\\Y_^`U_`\UTYU_VSQ^SUbUQSXiUQbW\_RQ\\iDXU^e]RUb tuations combined with factors such as lifestyle

dXUcU]idXc
and diet that facilitates growth of bacteria, lead-
_VSQcUcQbUUh`USdUTd_WUdT_eR\UTRi" # 4_Sd_bcdU\\i_eVQSdc ing to skin eruptions. Acne can be of different
types-pustular (pus-filled pimples), papular,
Q^TbUQc_^cgXiYcYd_^bYcU cystic and more. Oily skin and inadequate main-
tenance of personal hygiene can worsen the con-

A s we all know immunisation is the most cost-effective way

WORLD
dition. Affected individuals usually undergo

to prevent your loved ones from deadly diseases. A healthy
person increases productivity and directly contributes to the eco-
nomic growth of any country. However, vaccines have generat-
ed endless debate and with easy access to the internet, it’s easy
to spread misinformation among the community. Hence, it’s
important to evaluate the myths and facts about vaccines and
immunisation.
Many believe if the vaccine preventable diseases are eradi-
cated in their country it’s not necessary to take vaccines, but the
O
n World Cancer Day, the entire world unites treatment for several months to years with
together in the fight against the global can- antibacterial creams/lotions as well as oral
cer epidemic. What should we do on this day
and thereafter? We must gain knowledge about can-
CANCER medications.
Another common condition is dermatitis,
cer and make people aware of cancer, its impact on
an individual and his family and society. In order to
DAY which is a general term that describes skin irri-
tation. Symptoms of dermatitis include itchy, dry
defeat cancer there is a need for each of us in this skin or a rash on swollen, reddened skin. At
world, to learn, plan, act and change. times, the skin may blister and cause oozing,
In the year 2018, 180 lakh new patients were diag- crusting, and flaking. Atopic dermatitis (eczema)

8?=5?@1D8I
amount of migration happening between countries none of us nosed to have cancer out of which 98 lakh passed is a chronic condition that tends to flare peri-
are fully protected from any disease until the disease is eradi- away. Cancers continue to spread and grow through odically. As with acne, topical antibiotics, cor-
cated from the planet. a process called metastasis wherein the malignant ticosteroids are advised for management of

FACTS 31>85<@
One more major concern is vaccines are not safe and they cells travel through lymphatic or blood vessels form- eczema.
cause diseases like autism, cancer, affects your reproductive health ing tumors in other parts of the body. The issue with management of skin condi-
and what not. Truth is, any vaccine coming to the market has The major types of cancers are carcinoma, sarco- tions is that, conventional treatment only targets
undergone multiple tests, clinical trials before it gets the ma, lymphoma, melanoma and leukemia. Lymphomas Q Cancer is the first or the visible signs and symptoms. Agreed that
license.
People believe vaccines are partly responsible for the
increasing number of global cancer incidence, however, vaccines
are cancers of lymphocytes, leukemia is the cancer of
blood, sarcomas are found in bones, muscles, fat, blood
vessels, cartilages or other soft connective tissues in
second leading cause
of death in 50% of the
countries and third to
H omeopathy should be
considered as an option
for patients of cancer. It is
patient, while the patient is
at home and can spend time
with friends and family. A
antibiotics and anti-fungal medications kill or
inhibit the activity of the associated microorgan-
isms; however, these are not definitive solutions
such as human papillomavirus the body whereas carcinomas can originate in the skin, fifth in 15% countries safe, free of side-effects and combination of these factors to prevent recurrence. The need of the hour;
(HPV) do contribute to reduce lungs, pancreas, breasts, breasts as well as other glands and sixth to tenth in does not interfere with the vastly improves the quality of therefore, is a natural and effective therapeutic
<P]hQT[XTeTXU cervical, anal, penile and and organs. Melanomas can arise in the cells that make the rest. One in six action of any other medica- life and may also prolong the alternative. Bring in cell and growth factor based
oropharyngeal cancer. Although the pigment in the skin. deaths in the world is tion. life of the patient. therapy!
cWTePRRX]T there is no evidence to show any The types of cancers in India are also undergo- due to cancer. Homeopathy has a big Common side effects of Cell-based therapy is creating ripples in the
_aTeT]cPQ[T connection between allergic, ing transition. There is a decline of infection caused Q About 10 million peo- role to play in the manage- the management of cancer world of regenerative medicine. The aim is to
autoimmune and respiratory cancers in India such as cervical, and penile cancer, ple die of cancer each ment of cancers. It can be whether through harness the innate healing mechanisms of our
SXbTPbTbPaT diseases, some blames vacci- and an increase in lifestyle and aging associated can- year in the world. beneficial as an add-on ther- chemotherapy, surgery, radi- body, target the core pathology of conditions,
TaPSXRPcTSUa^\ nated kids are more prone to the
above whereas vaccines purely
cers such as breast, colorectal, and prostate cancers.
The numbers of cases all over the country are
Q Around one third of
deaths from cancer are
apy to radiation or
chemotherapy. In cases
ation or a combination of
these means, are also effec-
thereby, achieve tangible results. Growth factor
and cell-based proteins can be used topically or
cWTR^d]cahXc´b teach the immune system to expected to double by 2030. due to these five lead- where the cancer is signifi- tively managed with home- be administered locally to provide effective
]^c]TRTbbPahc^ react against antigens. One more
interesting fact is, many believe
Reasons for increase in cancer
Q Population increase
ing behavioral and
dietary risks: high
cantly advanced, homeo-
pathic treatment can
opathic medicines. Severe
appetite loss, nausea, vomit-
results in a variety of skin conditions.
Lipodermatosclerosis: Skin and connective
VTcX]YTRcTSQdc it’s better to be exposed to dis- Q Increasing life span, (current life expectancy in body mass index, low improve the quality of life ing, diarrhoea, peripheral tissue disease that occurs due to inflammation
cWTcadcWXb]^]T ease and get naturally immu-
nised rather than getting a vac-
India is 68 years)
Q Better health facilities for diagnosis
fruit and vegetable
intake, lack of physical
and may extend survival
without adding to the
neuropathy are just some
examples of side-effects
of the layer of fat under the epidermis. The con-
dition is associated with increased body weight
^UdbPaTUd[[h cine. Immunity by natural infec- Q Increased tobacco and alcohol consumption activity, tobacco use, patients’ suffering with the which respond well to home- and immobility, commonly in older women. The
Q Less physical activity and over consumption of
_a^cTRcTSUa^\ tion can cause birth defects
from congenital rubella or death calories that results in obesity and lifestyle dis- Q
and alcohol use.
Tobacco use is the
side-effects that chemother-
apy or radiation may bring.
opathic medicines. Low
white blood cell count dur-
symptoms of the condition are swelling, pain,
and plaques on the skin, which may ulcerate as
P]hSXbTPbTd]cX[ from measles or Japanese eases. most important risk Elderly patients diagnosed ing chemotherapy can lead the condition progresses.
Q Changing food habits: transiting from tradition-
XcXbTaPSXRPcTS Encephalitis (JE) if not treated
in a timely manner. al to more western diet, high fiber to low fiber
factor for cancer and is
responsible for approx-
with cancers may not be fit
to receive aggressive
to life-threatening infections.
Homeopathic medicines
Lichenplanus: Skin condition associated
with immune system dysregulation. It causes
Ua^\cWT_[P]Tc An unimmunised child liv- diet. imately 22% of cancer chemotherapy. These can help reduce the chances purplish, itchy, flat rashes on the skin that devel-
ing a healthy life is one more Common myths associated with cancer are : deaths. patients may also opt for of contracting infections in ops over weeks. Swelling and skin irritation may
argument that comes from the Q It is infectious. Wrong, It is not infectious. Q Late-stage presentation homeopathic management this immune-compromised also occur.
anti-vaccine community. But Q It is a curse. It is not, it’s a Man made disease and inaccessible diag- of their illness, since there state and help in recovering Results achieved through the are maintained
the fact remains before the Measles vaccine was introduced, 90 Q Starvation can cure cancer, no, not at all. nosis and treatment may be a high likelihood that from them. Non-healing over a long period of time, based on the over-
per cent of the children were infected by measles before they Q Biopsy or surgery will spread it; chemotherapy are common. chemotherapy itself could sites of cancer surgery also all health status of the patient. It is time to move
reached 10 years of age. The same applied for Polio cases, so it’s kills the patients, and so on. Never, They don’t Q In India, 7 lakh new shorten their lifespan. respond well to homeopath- over conventional, long-term treatments and dis-
very clear vaccine-preventable disease can be nasty at times, so spread cancer. patients are diagnosed Homeopathic medicines ic treatment. cuss with us regarding this novel therapy for sus-
it’s better to be protected all the time. In some communities, peo- CWTfaXcTaXb3a?=D__P[BT]X^a2^]bd[cP]c<TSXRP[>]R^[^Vh each year. act in a gentle manner caus- CWTfaXcTaXb3a:dbWP[1P]TaYTT tained results in dermatological conditions.
ple think vaccine-preventable childhood illnesses are god’s will BPa^YBd_TaB_TRX[PXch7^b_XcP[=Tf3T[WX ing no discomfort to the Ua^\3a:P[hP]1P]TaYTT´b2[X]XR CWTfaXcTaXbATVT]TaPcXeT<TSXRX]TATbTPaRWTa
or fact of life. This is mostly due to unawareness about vaccines
and it’s very important to educate people on the consequences
of not vaccinating children. 'DGL.D.HKQD C8?B=> ABC2G24=CA4

Vaccines containing harmful ingredients such as Thimerosal,
a mercury-containing compound and it causes a severe threat
is one of the main arguments that come from the anti-vaccine
community. But Mercury is a natural element found in air, water,
Most people will tell you that
there is no cure for a cold but
and soil, the amount of thimerosal dose in vaccines is much lower there are a few things that one
than the amount we are exposed to in our daily life. Giving a can do to ensure one feels better
child more than one vaccine at a time can overload the immune
system is one common concern among parents. However, no sci- and take care of that sore
entific evidence shows any negative effect on a child’s immune throat, says
system, in fact combined vaccines reduce discomfort for the child ROSHANI DEVI
through less vaccine doses and save money and time.
:$50)22'6
T
here are many of us who
rely on home remedies to
cure a simple cold. One
60A;82) Garlic is used both as a food flavouring and as a of the simplests things to do is
traditional medicine. It help prevent and reduce the severity drink ginger (adrak) tea. The
of common illnesses like the flu and common cold. tea will help dry runny
It is also known to improve blood pressure for those with nose, and expel
known high blood pressure and blood sugar levels. It is also used phlegm from the
as an antibiotic to treat bacterial, fungal and parasitic infections. respirator y
Several studies have indicated an association tract. Ginger is
between daily consump- known to
tion of garlic and soothe com-
prevention of mon cold and
stomach and help a person
colorectal can- to recover
cers. It is said faster.
Q Believe it
P alliative care is active, holistic care and
treatment for patients with incurable
diseases and short expected time left to live.
Relieving physical pain and other bother-
some symptoms are central together with
efforts against psychological, social, spiri-
tual and existential problems.
Dr Vishal Sehgal, Medical Director,
Portea Medical says: “People diagnosed
with cancer need more than just treatment
— they need to come to terms with their
Turmeric mixed in warm milk disease and requisite emotional and phys-
fights against cold and cough. ical support. This is known as palliative
Drinking a glass before sleep- care. When given in a timely manner, it
ing helps in faster recovery. can help in improving the patient’s qual-
Q Drinking honey in tea ity of life and of their families. Palliative
with lemon can also ease care in some cancer patients, when used
throat pain. Giving chil- as a supportive form of therapy in early
dren 10 gram of stages along with other treatments such as
honey at bedtime chemotherapy or radiation, is also known
reduced the sever- to prolong life. A diagnosis of cancer is
ity of cough accompanied with associated problems
symptoms. such as depression, anxiety and fear. In
Q Garg ling
with salt water
helps too. It also A:7;;8=4
decrease the sever-
WTF^a[S7TP[cW>aVP]XiPcX^]F7>WPb
palliative care, experts counsel and sup-
port patients and make referrals to men-
tal health professionals. There are also
other things that a patient’s family may
need to address including financial and
legal issues, or insurance. This is also an
area where palliative care specialists assist
and help in coordinating with relevant
professionals. Last but not the least,
through palliative care, cancer patients are
guided to come to terms with their con-
dition and are able to make better sense
of their thoughts and fears.”
cWTeXadbcWT_Tab^]\PhaTRTXeTP]cXQX^cXRb
F
inding hard to get out
of bed? Melodic
alarms can help you.
A new study shows that
melodic alarms could
improve alertness levels, with
harsh alarm tones linked to increased lev-
els of morning grogginess or sleep inertia.
The study, published in PLoS One
journal, involved 50 participants, using a
specially designed online survey that enables
them to remotely contribute to the study
from the comfort of their own home.
“Morning grogginess was a serious
problem in our 24-hour world. If you don’t
wake properly, your work performance can
be degraded for periods up to four hours,
and that has been linked to major accidents,”
said the study’s lead author Stuart
McFarlane, doctoral researcher at RMIT
University in the US.
According to the researchers, the find-
ing could have important implications for
anyone who needs to perform at their peak
soon after waking, such as shift workers and
emergency first responders.
“Although more research is needed to
better understand the precise combination

C
to strengthen ity of cold symptoms. of melody and rhythm that might work best,
the immunity or not, drinking Q The good old aT[TPbTSX]U^a\PcX^]P]SPSeXRTc^cWT bX]RT°QPRcTaXP[R^X]UTRcX^]Xb_^bbXQ[T±cWT considering that most people use alarms to
of the body luke warm water helps. baking soda does the trick _dQ[XRaTVPaSX]VcWT]^eT[R^a^]PeXadb ^aVP]XbPcX^]PSSTS wake up, the sound you choose may have
against cancer. I remember as children, my too. Take half a teaspoon and ^dcQaTPZX]2WX]PfWXRWcWTf^a[SQ^ShWPb D_cX[[]^fcWTaTXb]^b_TRXUXR\TSXRX]T important ramifications,” McFarlane said.
It also mother would make us drink mix in a glass of cool water and STR[PaTSXcPbPV[^QP[WTP[cWT\TaVT]Rh U^a_aTeT]cX]V^acaTPcX]VcWTeXadbQdcb^\T “This is particularly important for peo-
helps to prevent it, it reduces inflammation in drink — one day 1 — six times °0]cXQX^cXRbS^]^cf^aZPVPX]bceXadbTb _PacXRd[PaRdaTbPaTQTX]VbcdSXTSP]SfX[[QT ple who might work in dangerous situations
skin ageing and fight the throat and helps replenish- at two-hour interval. Day 2 — ^][hQPRcTaXPcWTF7>bPXS^]Xcb^UUXRXP[ cTbcTSX]R[X]XRP[caXP[bcWTF7>bPXSPSSX]V shortly after waking, like firefighters or
several skin infections. It is also ing fluids. four time at equal intervals. Day fTQbXcT]^cX]VcWPcPbXcfPbPeXadb cWPcXcfPbf^aZX]VfXcW_Pac]Tabc^WT[_ pilots, but also for anyone who has to be
good for hair growth. Q Haldi (turmeric) and 3 — twice in a day. Day 4 — P]cXQX^cXRbfTaT]^cTUUTRcXeTX]_aTeT]cX]V^a PRRT[TaPcTaT[PcTSaTbTPaRWP]SSTeT[^_\T]c rapidly alert, such as someone driving to
Consuming garlic daily can also help boost immunity and doodh (milk) was another once — in the morning ever- caTPcX]VXcaT_^acbGX]WdP]TfbPVT]Rh f^aZ hospital in an emergency,” McFarlane
help the body fight against many diseases. favourite during our time. day until cold is gone. 7^fTeTaXUP_PcXT]cXbW^b_XcP[XiTSU^a °80=B added. — IANS
17D10=4BF0AkCD4B30H k541AD0AH #!! f^a[S !

'Efc\ZdYec``ad"$DjcZR_ 7ROOUHDFKHV
DBb_aTPSX]VV[^QP[³_P]XR^eTaR^a^]PeXadb)2WX]P
d`]UZVcd\Z]]VUZ__`ceYDjcZR
Ankara: Turkey hit targets in
northern Syria, responding to
shelling by Syrian Government
forces that killed at least six
Turkish soldiers, the Turkish
president said Monday.
A Syrian war monitor said
13 Syrian troops were also
killed.
Also, Syrian activists said
airstrikes in the country's
northern, rebel-held region
killed at least nine civilians on
Monday.
The exchange between
Ankara and Damascus came
hours after a large Turkish
military convoy entered the
northwestern province of Idlib,
the last rebel stronghold in
Syria.
It is likely to further
increase tensions between the
two neighboring countries as
such direct clashes have been
rare and could also cause fric-
tion between Moscow and
Ankara, which have sought to
coordinate their actions in
Syria.
Earlier, Turkey's National
278=0>?4=B 1437>B?8C0;
1468=BCA80;B5>A=4F3AD6
Defense Ministry said the
Turkish forces were sent to
Idlib as reinforcement and
were attacked there despite
prior notification of their coor-
dinates to the local authorities.
It said Turkish forces
responded to the attack,
destroying targets. Four
Turkish soldiers died at the
scene while two others died
later in hospital. Seven Turkish
troops were wounded.
Speaking to reporters
before departing for a visit to
Ukraine, President Recep
Tayyip Erdogan said Turkish
artillery hit some 46 targets in
Syria. Erdogan said Turkish
warplanes were also involved
and claimed that there were
between 30 and 35 casualties
on the Syrian side but offered
no evidence.
“Those who test Turkey's
determination with such vile
attacks will understand their
mistake," Erdogan said. He
said Russia was told that
Ankara would not stand for any
“situation where we are pre-
vented" from responding to
Syrian assaults.
“It is not possible for us to
remain silent when our soldiers
are being martyred," Erdogan
said.
The exchange occurred
near the Syrian flashpoint town
of Saraqeb, according to the the
Britain-based Syrian
Obser vator y for Human
Rights, a war monitoring
group.
It added that Turkish
troops shelled Syrian army
positions in three provinces,
killing eight soldiers in Idlib,
three in Latakia province and
two in the Hama region.
However, Syria's state
news agency SANA said gov-
ernment forces captured two
new villages on the way to
Saraqeb. It added that as
Syrian troops were chasing
insurgents, four Turkish sol-
diers were killed and nine
wounded triggering a Turkish
retaliation — but it claimed
there were no casualties
among Syrian troops.
'=4?0;8B8=278=0 6&<8=8BC4ABC>38B2DBB
34<0=340A;H4E02D0C8>= 2>A>=0E8ADB>=<>=30H
Kathmandu: A total of 180
Nepalis, mostly students, living
in China have approached the
country's embassy in Beijing,
demanding their immediate
evacuation as they fear
contracting the novel coron-
avirus that has claimed over 360
lives and infected thousands of
people in the neighbouring
country.
The coronavirus outbreak,
Beijing: China on Monday
accused the US of spreading
"panic" through its actions like
travel bans and evacuation of
diplomats and said there was no
"substantial help" from
Washington to contain the virus
that has killed 361 people and
infected 17,205 others in the
country.
The deadly virus — first
emerged in Wuhan in China's
central Hubei province — has
spread to 25 countries, includ-
ing India, the US and the UK.
Joining a growing list of
nations to impose travel restric-
tions, the US has announced a
14-day travel ban on all visitors
from China, regardless of their
nationality. The US citizens
arriving from China's virus-hit
Hubei province will have to
undergo a 14-day mandatory
quarantine on arrival, while
those travelling to other parts of
China will face screening and
monitoring. A CNN report
said the mandatory quarantine
is the first time the US has
issued such an order in 50
years. "What the US has done
could create and spread panic,"
which originated in the central
Hubei province in December,
has killed 361 with 57 deaths
reported on Sunday while the
number of confirmed cases has
climbed to 17,205.
The Philippines on Sunday
reported the first death outside
China from the epidemic that
has spread to 25 countries,
including India, the US, the UK
and Russia. PTI
Foreign Ministry spokesper-
son Hua Chunying said
addressing the first online
media briefing.
"The US Government has
not provided any substantive Beijing/Wuhan: China on that based on the fresh evi-
help to the Chinese side yet. On Monday opened a 1,000-bed dence, the novel coronavirus
the contrary, it was the first to hospital built in record nine which is spreading rapidly in
withdraw its consulate staff days in Wuhan city, the epi- China and the world may
from Wuhan, the first to suggest centre of the coronavirus, and reach its peak in the next 10
the partial withdrawal of started clinical trials for a drug to 14 days, contrary to earli-
embassy staff, the first to to treat the virulent virus as er estimates of climaxing
announce a ban on entry by the death toll in the outbreak sooner.
Chinese citizens after the WHO soared to 361, with 17,238 This means that the cases
made it clear that it doesn't rec- confirmed cases. would drastically increase in
ommend or even opposes trav- A noted Chinese health the next two weeks before
el and trade restrictions against expert Zhong Nanshan said slowing down.
China," she said. PTI
7:B7DCB<>BC278=02A>BB8=6B DecR_UVU
>E4AE8ADB0B<4382BBCA8:4 AR\ZdeR_ZddeRce
7^]V:^]V) 7^]V:^]VP]]^d]RTSXcfPbR[^bX]VP[[Qdccf^[P]S
Ra^bbX]VbfXcWcWT2WX]TbT\PX][P]S^]<^]SPhc^b[^fcWTb_aTPS
RccZgZ_XY`^V
^UPSTPS[h]TfR^a^]PeXadbPb\TSXRbbcPVTSbcaXZTbRP[[X]VU^acWT Islamabad: Some of the
Q^aSTac^QTR^\_[TcT[hbTP[TSCWTbT\XPdc^]^\^dbUX]P]RXP[ Pakistani nationals stranded
RT]caTWPb $R^]UXa\TSRPbTb^UcWTSXbTPbT\^bcQa^dVWcUa^\cWT in coronavirus-hit China
\PX][P]SfWTaTcWTT_XST\XRQTVP]P]SWPbb^UPaZX[[TS\^aTcWP] started arriving home as
"%_T^_[T>]<^]SPhPUcTa]^^]RXch[TPSTa2PaaXT;P\bPXSP[[[P]S Islamabad on Monday
Ra^bbX]Vbf^d[SQTR[^bTSPc\XS]XVWcTgRT_cU^acf^QaXSVTbcWT allowed two Chinese flights
UXabcR^]]TRcX]V7^]V:^]Vc^BWT]iWT]P]ScWTbTR^]S[X]ZX]VXc to land here, a day after it
fXcWIWdWPXP]SRPbX]^WdQ<PRPdCWTRXchbPXa_^acf^d[SaT\PX] received special medical kits
^_T]c^\PX][P]STabP[cW^dVWcWTaTPaTP[aTPShaTbcaXRcX^]b^] from Beijing to detect the
_T^_[TUa^\RT]caP[7dQTX_a^eX]RTfWTaTcWTT_XST\XRQTVP] 05? deadly virus cases.
Pakistan suspended
f lights f rom China on
January 31 till February 2, a
day after the World Health
Organisation declared the
outbreak of the virus as a
Paris: The health ministers of that there should be a confer- global health emergency.
the Group of Seven countries ence call, a discussion by G7 According to the
will on Monday discuss a joint health ministers about this Pakistan Civil Aviation
response to the coronavirus question with the aim of deal- Authority (PCCA), two
epidemic, France's health min- ing with it together". flights of China Southern
istry told AFP. Spahn added: "There is Airlines from Urumqi city of
They will hold talks via a no point in each country decid- China landed at the
telephone conference at 1400 ing on measures alone". Islamabad International
GMT, it said. The G7 comprises rich Airport.
Germany's Health Minister nations Canada, France, One of the f lights-
Jens Spahn said Sunday he had Germany, Italy, Japan, the CZ6007- carried 69 passen-
talked on the phone with his United Kingdom and the gers, including 57 Pakistanis
US counterpart and "we agreed United States. AFP and 12 Chinese.

-RKQVRQ%DUQLHUWUDGH
EORZVRYHUSRVW%UH[LWWLHV
London: Britain and the EU
laid down on Monday their
red lines for post-Brexit trade
talks, offering contrasting
visions for their future rela-
tionship that raise the prospect
of clashes to come.
British Prime Minister
Boris Johnson envisioned
his country as a global cham-
pion of free trade, emphati-
cally rejecting EU insistence
on full alignment with
Brussels.
But he still pledged not to
"undermine EU standards",
after the UK finally went its
own way on Friday after near-
ly half a century in the bloc
and an 11-month transition
period began.
Worries over trade nego-
tiations sent the pound sink-
ing more than 1.1 per cent
against the dollar in London
midday deals on Monday.
"I see no need to bind
ourselves to an agreement
with the EU," Johnson said in
a speech at the Old Royal
Naval College, which chroni-
cles Britain's past as a maritime
superpower.
"We will restore full sover-
eign controls over our borders,
immigration, competition, sub-
sidy rules, procurement (and)
data protection." AFP
³<P]bW^cSTPSX];^]S^]bcPQUaT]ihfPb
R^]eXRcTS8Bd[caPfXcWUP\X[h[X]Zbc^;P]ZP
London: A man shot dead by
the Scotland Yard after he went
on a stab frenzy on a busy high
street in south London was a
convicted Islamist terrorist,
with family links to Sri Lanka,
who was recently released from
prison after serving half of his
sentence period for preparation
of acts of terrorism, police
said.
The Metropolitan Police
said Sudesh Mamoor Faraz
Amman, a 20-year-old British
national with extended family
in Sri Lanka, had pledged alle-
giance to the Islamic State
(ISIS).
In a statement in Arabic via
its Amaq propaganda agency,
the Islamic State on Monday
claimed responsibility for the
London attack and said Sudesh
was a "fighter" with the group,
according to the SITE
Intelligence Group, a US-based
monitoring firm which moni-
tors jihadist activities.
Amman was sentenced to
three years and four months in
prison in December 2018 after
being charged with 10 terror-
related offences. He was aged
18 that time. He was released
under licence last month. He
was under surveillance.
"The suspect had been
recently released from prison
where he had been serving a
sentence for Islamist-related
terrorism offences. We are con-
fident that this is an isolated
incident that has been con-
tained," said Met Police Deputy
Assistant Commissioner Lucy
D'Orsi on Sunday night.
Of the 10 offences under
which Amman was jailed,
seven were of making records
of information likely to be
useful to a person committing
-or preparing an act of terror-
ism and three of dissemination
of terrorist publications. PTI

3DQ,VODPLFERG\2,&UHMHFWV )LUVW81µPHUF\
7UXPS
V:HVW$VLDSHDFHSODQ IOLJKW
OHDYHV<HPHQ
V
Jeddah: The Organisation of
Islamic Cooperation on
Monday rejected US President
UHEHOKHOG6DQDD
Donald Trump's peace plan
for the Middle East, calling on
its 57 member states not to help
implement it.
The pan-Islamic body,
which represents more than 1.5
billion Muslims worldwide,
"rejects this US-Israeli plan as
it does not meet the minimum
aspirations and legitimate rights
of the Palestinian people and
contradicts the terms of refer-
ence of the peace process", it
said in a statement. A meeting
of foreign ministers at OIC
headquarters in the Saudi city
of Jeddah called on "all mem-
ber states not (to) deal with this
plan or cooperate with the US
administration efforts to
enforce it in any way or form".
Under the US plan unveiled
last week, Israel would retain
control of the disputed city of
Jerusalem as its "undivided
capital" and annex settlements
on Palestinian lands. Trump
said Palestinians would be
allowed to declare a capital
within annexed east Jerusalem.
The OIC reiterated its support
for east Jerusalem as capital of
a future Palestinian state, stress-
ing its "Arab and Islamic char-
acter". It said peace would "only
be achieved with the end of the
Israeli occupation, the full
withdrawal from the territory of
the State of Palestine in partic-
ular the holy city of Al-Quds
Al-Sharif (Jerusalem) and the
other Arab territories occu-
pied since (the) June 1967
(Middle East war)". AFP
Sanaa: Children in critical
need of medical care were
evacuated Monday from
Yemen's rebel-held capital
Sanaa, in what the United
Nations hopes will be the first
of many mercy flights.
Seven young patients and
their families had gathered at
Sanaa airport, closed to com-
mercial flights since 2016,
clutching their transport doc-
uments for the trip to
Amman.
"This is the first of what
we hope and believe will be
many flights," said UN
Resident Coordinator for
Yemen Lise Grande.
"It's a very important day,
it's a day of hope. It shows that
everyone wants the people
who need help to get that
help," she told reporters.
"The key is to have many
flights, bigger planes, so that
the people who need aid can
get to the places where they
will receive it." Yemen's inter-
nationally recognised gov-
ernment, backed by a Saudi-
led military coalition, has
been fighting Iran-backed
Huthi rebels since 2014 when
they seized control of the cap-
ital.
In November, the coali-
tion -- which controls
Yemen's airspace -- said
patients needing medical care
would be allowed to fly out of
Sanaa.
The move was among
confidence-building mea-
sures aimed at ending the
five-year war that has killed
thousands of people and dis-
placed millions in what the
UN has termed the world's
worst humanitarian crisis.
One of the children wait-
ing for the evacuation flight,
Abdullah Abed, is suffering
from kidney failure and needs
an organ transplant, his father
told AFP. AFP
17D10=4BF0AkCD4B30H k541AD0AH #!!
eXePRXch "

1W^^c?Pac>]T Xb
HH:RdRWVSVeW`c327E2
GXY\UG_b\TGQb9U`YS ( &gQc^Q]UTdXURUcd`YSdebUQddXU
_daTW^aa^a):PaP] 2bYdYcX1SQTU]i6Y\]1gQbTc:_QaeY^@X_U^YhSQ\\UT_ed
5X[\\PZTa:0A0=9>70A bPhb
WXbU^acWR^\X]V_a^SdRcX^]1W^^c cicdU]YSbQSYc]Y^dXUY^Tecdbi
?Pac>]T)CWT7Pd]cTSBWX_Xb
G
ut-wrenching World War I epic
UXabc^UXcbZX]SP]SP_daTW^aa^a 1917 was the big winner at the
UX[\ British Academy Film Awards,
winning seven prizes including best pic-
°7^aa^aVT]aTXb_^_d[Pa ture and best director. Sam Mendes’
f^a[SfXSTP]SXcbPdSXT]RT drama about one of the most devastat-
UaXT]S[hQdcd]U^a ing conflicts in British history bested
cd]PcT[hXcXb hotly tipped American contenders
\PST[Xcc[T[TbbX] including Joker, The Irishman and Once
Upon a Time in Hollywood at a glitzy
8]SXP]RX]T\P8 event that was overshadowed by criticism
P\VaPcTUd[cWPc of the nominees’ lack of diversity — even
EXRZh:PdbWP[ from some of the nominees themselves.
WT[\TScWTUX[\ Director Mendes based 1917 on his
fXcWdbQTRPdbT grandfather’s wartime experiences. Shot
XcVXeTbdbR^] in sinuous long takes that immerse
viewers in the action, it follows two
UXST]RTcWPc British soldiers on a perilous mission
bdRWUX[\bRP] across No Man’s Land to try to avert a sui-
QT\PSTFT cidal offensive. The film was also named
f^d[S[XZTc^ best British film and won the cinematog-
cPZTcWXbUaP] raphy prize — Roger Deakins’ fifth win
in that category. It also took trophies for
RWXbTU^afPaS± production design, sound and visual
bPXS9^WPaPccWT
effects.
UX[\bcaPX[Ta[Pd]RW Joaquin Phoenix was named best
fWXRWWTPccT]STSfXcW actor for superhero story Joker, which
[TPSPRc^aEXRZh charts the origins of Batman’s ginning
:PdbWP[R^_a^SdRTa nemesis. Renee Zellweger won the best
actress prize for the Judy Garland biopic
BWPbWP]Z:WPXcP] Judy. Joker took three awards — best
P]SSXaTRc^a1WP]d actor, casting and score — from 11 nom-
?aPcP_BX]VW inations. Martin Scorsese’s mob drama
The Irishman had 10 nominations but
went home empty-handed.
³4eTahX]SXeXSdP[WPbWTa Victory at the British awards, known
as BAFTAs, is often a good predictor of
^f]aTP[XchP]STeTah success at Hollywood’s Academy Awards,
PRcX^]bWTcPZTbbWT being held this year on February 9. Like
UTT[bXbYdbcXUXTSX]cWT the Oscars, the British awards have
struggled to become less male and white.
bXcdPcX^]cWPc No women were nominated as best
bWT[XeTbCWPc director for the seventh year running and
all 20 nominees in the lead and support-
XbfWPc\h ing performer categories were white.
RWPaPRcTaXb Phoenix slammed the lack of diversity in
his acceptance speech, saying it sent “a
PQ^dcX] very clear message to people of colour
<P[P]V5^a
TgP\_[T
that ‘You’re not welcome here.’”
Awards organisers called it “disap-
cWTaTPaT_bhRW^_PcW
pointing” that there were no performers
of colour among the acting nominees,
ZX[[TabP]S^UR^dabT who are chosen by 6,500 academy mem-
bers who work in the UK and interna-
fWPccWThPaTS^X]VXb
]^caXVWcB^fWT]cWT
tional film industry.
The rising star award — the one tro-
PdSXT]RTfPcRWTbcWT phy decided by the public — went to
Black British actor Micheal Ward. British
UX[\8S^]^cfP]ccWT\ star Cynthia Erivo, who is Oscar-nomi-
c^VTcX]b_XaTSQhWTa
PRcX^]bP]ScahcWT\X]
nated for her performance as abolition-
ist Harriet Tubman in Harriet but was
aTP[Xch8cXbPf^aZ^U
snubbed by Britain’s Academy, declined
an invitation to perform at the award cer-
UXRcX^]´°3XbWP?PcP]X emony in protest.
The British Academy has promised
0Rc^ab64=4;8034B7<D:7 P]S
to review its voting procedures. BAFTA
chairwoman Pippa Harris said the prob-
A8C48B734B7<D:7 RT[TQaPcTS
BP\<T]STb
AT]TTIT[[fTVTa
lem was “an industry-wide issue.” “It takes
everyone to look at what they’re doing,”
she said. “Awards are right at the end of
a whole process and so we need to look
at the types of films being made, the
opportunities that people are getting, how
the films are being promoted. All of these
things play a part.”
Presenting the best-director award,
Australian actress Rebel Wilson quipped
that she could never achieve what the
nominees did: “I just don’t have the balls.”
Scarlett Johansson, a best-actress nomi-
nee for Marriage Story, said the lack of
recognition for female directors was
disappointing. “So many women made
great films this year,” she said. “And I
think it just goes to show you that there
is a systemic problem that is very preva-
9^P`dX]?W^T]Xg
A LIST OF AWARD WINNERS
58;<) ( &
1A8C8B758;<) ( &
38A42C>A)BP\<T]STb ( &
B>D=3) ( &
?A>3D2C8>=34B86=) ( &
E8BD0;45542CB) ( &
28=4<0C>6A0?7H)A^VTa3TPZX]b
( &
02C>A)9^P`dX]?W^T]Xg9^ZTa
20BC8=6)9^ZTa
A8B8=6BC0A)<XRWTP[FPaS
02CA4BB)AT]TTIT[[fTVTa9dSh
BD??>AC8=602C>A) 1aPS?Xcc>]RT
D_^]PCX\TX]7^[[hf^^S
BD??>AC8=602CA4BB) ;PdaP3Ta]
<PaaXPVTBc^ah
58;<=>C8=C744=6;8B7;0=6D064)
?PaPbXcT
2>BCD<434B86=) ;Xcc[TF^\T]
3>2D<4=C0AH)5^aBP\P
>DCBC0=38=61A8C8B72>=CA81DC8>=
;PdaP3Ta]
C>28=4<0)0]ShBTaZXb
³BcPabfP[ZX]VcWT lent.”
aTSRPa_TcfTaT Hours before the event and several
miles away, three people were wounded
T]R^daPVTSc^ and a knifeman shot dead by police in
what police called a terrorism-related
\PZTbdbcPX]PQ[T attack. The BBC canceled plans to broad-
cast interviews from the red carpet on its
UPbWX^]RW^XRTbQh news channel as a result.
Brad Pitt was named best supporting
fTPaX]VP]^dcUXc actor for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,
cWThP[aTPSh Quentin Tarantino’s bloody fairy tale of
1960s Los Angeles. He didn’t attend but
^f]TS^aaT]cX]V sent a jokey acceptance speech, read out
by his co-star Margot Robbie. “Hey
^]TU^acWT Britain, heard you just became single.
Welcome to the club,” he said — one of
^RRPbX^]´ several references during the ceremony
to the UK’s exit from the European
Union, which became official on Friday.
Pitt also referenced recent tumult in
Britain’s royal family, saying he was
going to name the trophy Harry, “because
he’s really excited about bringing it back
to the States with him.”
Laura Dern was named best support-
ing actress for playing a take-no-prison-
ers divorce lawyer in Marriage Story. She
noted that her mother, Dianne Ladd, had
won the exact same prize in 1975, when
Dern was 6, for Alice Doesn’t Live Here
Anymore.
Bong Joon-ho’s Korean-language
drama Parasite was named best foreign-
language film and also took the prize for
best original screenplay. Organisers set
out to make the awards ceremony carbon
neutral for the first time. The red carpet
was made from recycled fibers. Instead
of the goody bags of past years, guests will
receive a “gifting wallet” made from recy-
cled plastic and containing vouchers. The
post-awards dinner featured sustainably
sourced food, including a vegan option.
Stars walking the red carpet were encour-
aged to make sustainable fashion choic-
es by wearing an outfit they already
owned or renting one for the occasion.
Prince William, the British
Academy’s president and his wife Kate,
the Duchess of Cambridge, were the
guests of honor at the ceremony. William
presented a BAFTA Fellowship, the
academy’s top honour, to Lucasfilm boss
Kathleen Kennedy. The Lord of the Rings
and Planet of the Apes star Andy Serkis
— the maestro of motion-capture acting
— was handed a prize for outstanding
British contribution to cinema.
Falling two days after Britain left the
European Union, the evening couldn’t
avoid the subject of Brexit. “We know it’s
been a hard week for you guys and it’s
very nice to take a little bit of your gold,
back home where it belongs,” joked
New Zealand director Taika Waititi as he
collected the best adapted screenplay
prize for Jojo Rabbit. °0?

HYRe¶dSVYZ_UaRZ_e_R^Vd0 $ZDUGVVHHPIDLU
cWTXaTXVWcW\PaaXPVTP]]XeTabPah
6T]T[XPbPXSbWT[^eTbQTX]V
WTaWdbQP]SbfXUTP]Sc^^Zc^
8]bcPVaP\fWTaT
bWTbWPaTSPeXST^
R^[[PVT^UWTabT[U
fXcWAXTcXbW
°3TPaTbc E
ZKHQ\RXZLQ9LG\D
2P[P\X]T_X]Z^a3TPSBP[\^].=P\TbRP]bfPhP_Tab^]bPhR^[^daTg_Tacb
ver wonder how paint colours get
their names? If you’re shopping for
5^aTeTa6a^f^[S
fXcW\T8_a^\XbT
pink, say, you’ll find dozens of shades
referencing roses, bubblegum and
shells. There are some extra-evocative
cWTQTbcXbhTcc^R^\T7P__h names like Calamine and Dead
0]]XeTabPah/aXcTXbWS9dbcc^[Tc Salmon. And what about a pink called
h^dZ]^f8[^eTQTX]V\hWdb Harajuku Morning? Modern Love?
Names can sway a person, says New
QP]SbfXUT±bWTfa^cT York designer Daun Curry. “We once
AXcTXbWbWPaTSPUd]]heXST^ had a client choose one paint colour
^UWX\bT[UP[^]VfXcW6T]T[XPP]S over another because the name was
Peace and Happiness,” she says. More
fa^cT°7P__h0]]XeTabPah1PXZ^ often, we pick a shade because we like
/VT]T[XPS± it, says colour consultant Debra Kling
of New York, and ‘the names’ associa-
tions serve to augment our feelings
9T]]XUTa0[Tg_[P] about the hues.’’ She warns clients that
Pbd\\TafTSSX]V paints when applied can look very dif-
ferent from their names: Creams,
0RcaTbbbX]VTa94==854A;>?4I especially, easily veer into yellow ter-
ritory, even when there’s no hint of that
P]SQPbZTcQP[[XR^]0;4G hue in their name.
A>3A86D4IPaT_[P]]X]VPbd\ Natalie Ebel, co-founder of the
\TafTSSX]V direct-to-consumer paint company
0b^daRTc^[SDbFTTZ[hcWPc Backdrop — which is behind Harajuku
9;^P]S0A^S°PaTVTccX]V\Pa Morning and Modern Love — says that
choosing the right names for paint
aXTScWXbbd\\Ta± colours is essential. “We encourage cus-
CWXbXb]^ccWTUXabccX\TcWT tomers to not just paint their walls but
R^d_[TXbaT_^acTSc^QTThTX]VP create their backdrop,’’ she says. “So
bd\\TafTSSX]V1PRZX]! & each name was chosen to evoke an
;XUTP]Sbch[T\PVPiX]TR[PX\TS emotional connection; we were
inspired by real people, places, things
cWPccWT_PXafTaT_[P]]X]VP and moods.”
a^\P]cXRfTSSX]VX] Farrow & Ball is known for creative
2dQP naming; their latest Colour By Nature
0b^daRTc^[ScWT palette, made in collaboration with
\PVPiX]TcWPccWT London’s Natural History Museum, was
inspired by Werner’s Nomenclature of
cf^^UcWT\ Colours, an 1814 guide that cross-ref-
°Z]^ffWPc erences hues with markings and col-
cWThfP]cP]S orations found in nature. Scotch Blue,
cWThfP]cc^QT for example, suggests both the throat
WdbQP]SP]SfXUT of a blue titmouse and copper ore.
Time and place also provide inspi-
b^^]TaaPcWTacWP] ration, says Farrow & Ball’s colour con-
[PcTaCWTh[[QT sultant Joa Studholme. “Occasionally,
\PaaXTSQhcWT the paint name comes almost before the
bd\\Ta± colour. Plummett was mixed after an
afternoon spent fishing on the river,
;^_TiP]S where the colour of the lead used to
A^SaXVdTiR^] weight the fisherman’s line was a thing
UXa\TScWTXa of such beauty that it just begged to be
a^\P]RTX]cWT added to the Farrow & Ball palette,’’ she
b_aX]V^U! & says.
Studholme shares the backstories
on two Farrow & Ball pinks, Calamine
and Dead Salmon: “For many people
of a certain age, Calamine lotion was
an intrinsic part of early life. Applied
to treat scraped knees, stings and the
general travails of a lively childhood, it
was always of comfort. And what was
more calming, the actual lotion or its
extraordinary delicate colour? It cer-
tainly creates soothing rooms in the
modern world,” she says.
As for the fishy one, the name was
found on a decorator’s invoice dated
1805 for a library. “Salmon is the colour,
and Dead actually refers to the matte
paint finish,” Studholme says. Another
rosy paint that Studholme thinks is
well-named was inspired by the soft,
feminine shade found in traditional
ladies’ private quarters. But “Boudoir
Pink’’ didn’t sit right, she says. “So, we
spent time considering how the
boudoir got its name, only to discov-
er it comes from the French bouder,
meaning ‘to sulk.’ Thus, Sulking Room
Pink was born,” she says.
Pink has enjoyed a favoured posi-
tion in the colour pantheon since at
least 2014, when film director Wes
Anderson clad his “Grand Budapest
Hotel’’ in the hue. That was followed
by rose gold fever. Colour company
Pantone designated light pinks as sig-
nature colours in both 2016 and 2017.
Paint marketers generally like
names that are aspirational, that stir the
imagination. First Light is Benjamin
Moore’s 2020 Colour of the Year, a
dreamy, soft shade of pink. The com-
pany’s director of colour marketing and
development, Andrea Magno, says
that while the colour was already part
of Benjamin Moore’s 3,500-hue library,
“it’s always fortuitous when the trend
concept and colour name complement
one another. While descriptions like
‘light pink’ are quite straightforward,
we also look for names that evoke pos-
itive associations and experiences.”
PPG Paint’s senior colour market-
ing manager, Dee Schlotter, says Linen
Ruffle is the top pink requested on the
company’s Paintzen platform. It’s a
pale, taupe-tinged white with a pink
undertone, named to evoke images of
ruffly pillows and curtains.
And what about Kenny’s Kiss or
Salsa Diane, two other pinks in the
PPG collection? The former was
named after an employee’s dog; the lat-
ter after a colour lab stylist’s beachy
dress. HGTV Home by Sherwin-
Williams’ colour of the year is
Romance, another gentle pink with a
name that stirs feelings. Ebel, of
Backdrop, says pinks have been the
most fun to name.
“I wanted to keep the colours and
names approachable for people like me
— I wasn’t a huge pink person before
Backdrop,’’ she says. “Harajuku
Morning was inspired by a trip we took
to Tokyo in 2016. The colour is bright,
airy and fun, and reminded us of the
playfulness of Takeshita Street, but in
the morning before the crowds.
°0?
A ctor Vidya Balan, who has won many
accolades in her successful film career,
contradicts the popular notion that award
ceremonies in India are rigged. At an event
to promote the 2020 edition of a popular
Bollywood awards function, she said that
everything seems fair when an artiste wins
an award.
“People often say many things about
award ceremonies but I feel when you get that
(award) in your hand then everything is fair,”
said Vidya, at an event for the forthcoming
65th edition of Amazon Filmfare Awards
2020. She further said, “It’s a special feeling
(to be an award-winner). First, the statue of
Filmfare Award in itself is so beautiful. It is
a symbol of love and appreciation from the
audience and the industry, so it is very spe-
cial for me.”
“I feel it’s every Indian actor or actress’
dream to win a Filmfare Award. It was my
dream as well but I never prepared my accep-
tance speech, because the more you want to
win an award, the more you feel anxious after
winning it. It actually happened with me four
years in a row. I won Best Actor (Female)
award for three year and one year in between
I won the Best Actor (Female) Critics’
award,” she added.
“For four consecutive years, I went on
stage to receive an award and I asked myself,
‘how can this get any better’. When I got Best
Actress for the first time, I thought that I
would become mad but when I went on to award. I got it and I felt really good about it.
win it for four consecutive years, I didn’t As long as enough people felt that my work
believe it,” the actress said. was worthy a Filmfare Award that year, I am
Vidya Balan has won Filmfare Awards for happy. I think this has happened many times
her performance in Paa (2010), Ishqiya in the history of awards where two perfor-
(2011), The Dirty Picture (2012) and Kahaani mances run neck-and-neck and then one per-
(2013). son gets it.”
“I also feel happy when I am nominat- In 2019, Vidya garnered praise for her
ed for a Filmfare Award because they hon- performance in Mission Mangal. Asked
our the best of the year, so just to be there is which actresses’ performances she liked the
a good feeling. If you win, then it’s icing on most in the year gone by, Vidya said,
the cake but if you don’t win, and if you are “Unfortunately, I have seen very few perfor-
at least nominated, then you feel good mances, but I think Alia (Bhatt) was lovely
about it by thinking that at least you are in Gully Boy. I believe Taapsee (Pannu) and
among the best in that particular year,” she Bhumi (Pednekar) are lovely in Saand Ki
said. Aankh and that’s something I want to watch.
In 2012, when Vidya won for Kahaani, Again, I believe Yami (Gautam) was lovely
Priyanka Chopra was reportedly miffed for in Bala.
losing out for her performance in Barfi. The 65th Amazon Filmfare Awards 2020
Asked for her reaction on that controversy, will be held on February 15. Breaking away
Vidya said, “I was glad I won it that year,” she from a 64-year-old tradition, this year the
laughed, and asserted: “I am not that kind to awards will take place in Assam.
think that she (Priyanka) should have got the °80=B
17D10=4BF0AkCD4B30H k541AD0AH #!!
1Sd_bTYbUSd_b1=?<@1<5;1BgX_YcRQS[_^cdQWUQVdUb"%iUQbcgYdXXYc
`\Qi:PbdadQ\[cQR_edbUQ\Yc]Y^VY\]cSXQb]_VdXUQdbUQSd_bcf_YSY^WdXUYb
_`Y^Y_^Q^T]eSX]_bU2iC1;C89 C81B=1
A
mol Palekar is known for
embodying the Indian mid-
dle class, replete with flaws,
in films such as Gol Maal, Choti Si
Baat, Rajnigandha and Baaton
Baaton Mein. This realism is what
has given him an unparalleled con-
nect with the audience.
The actor-director has returned
to the stage after 25 years with Kusur
(The Mistake), an adaptation of the
Danish thriller, Den Skylidge. A
social thriller, the play focusses on
the complexities of a contemporary
1^_TiccUi_VcU\VTYcS_fUbi
0acXbc64A0A360A>DBC4 RaTPcTbP\TS[ThQTcfTT]cWT\TcP_W^aXRP[P]ScWT\T[P]RW^[XR
cWa^dVWWXbaPSXRP[P]SaTe^[dcX^]Pah_PX]cX]VbbPhbD<0 =08A
T ake the transcription of truth,
colour it with the fantasy of lit-
erature, brush it with the spirit of the
Bible, weave in the miracles of a few
saints and you get the surreal palette
of Gerard Garouste, France’s favourite
artist. Framed in the pinnacle of pain
amid trials and conflicts, he showcas-
es his select Retrospective of 60
paintings that mirror the beauty of
creating something new for one’s own
satiety.
Author and artist Garouste’s
words form the ferment of fantasy
and surrealism. He said, “If art is
everywhere, it is nowhere. If I believe
neither in progress in art nor in the
diktat of the clean slate, I think on the
other hand a painter must know his
culture well to be able to forget it and
to play it freely.”
Learning at the Louvre in iso-
lation
Garouste learnt his profession as
a painter during his initiation at the
Louvre Museum in Paris. “For
Garouste to stand alone in front of
the works and study the history of art
and techniques of painting was an
odyssey of self-discovery,” says direc-
tor-general, NGMA Adwaita
Gadanayak. According to Garouste,
learning a lot from the masters who
preceded him made him aware of his
heritage and he was indebted. But he
is a rare example of a genius who has
struggled between a hoary world of
a bipolar disorder and the sanity of
sitting in his studio and painting.
^TcWT8]bcXcdc<Pg<dT[[Ta1WPeP]X]
6R^[[PQ^aPcX^]fXcWAP`b<TSXP2^[[TRcXeT
_aTbT]cb5XeT<X[[X^]8]RXST]cbfWXRW
X]eXcTb_aPRcXcX^]Tab^UP[[ZX]SbP]SVT]aTb
c^bdVVTbcP]SaTP[XbTX]cTaeT]cX^]bb\P[[^a
QXVbW^ac^a[^]VP]SbdQc[T^a
\^]d\T]cP[F74=)CX[[0_aX[ 'C8<4)  [XUTF74=)CX[[
P\c^&_\F74A4)6^TcWT8]bcXcdc<Pg
<dT[[Ta1WPeP] BP]VP\!$CP]bT]<PaV
324<
E@
E96
life in a modern Indian city. Palekar
has essayed the role of a retired assis-
tant police commissioner
Dandavate, whose life changes over
the course of the night he volunteers
at a police control room. One phone
call leads to a series of twists and
turns and when he leaves the con-
trol room, he’s a changed man.
Returning to the stage after a long
hiatus and experiencing both sides
being the lead as well as the direc-
tor, he tells us how he navigated that
space.
Garouste says that in every artist,
two characters co-exist — the clas-
sic and the Indian. In his words to
France’s legendary paper, Le Figaro,
he said, “One never moves without
the other just as intuition cannot do
without reason. They are insepara-
ble. I have one foot in a classic tech-
nique, which involves roughing,
glazing and impasto, and the other
in a surreal and expressionist way of
treating my subjects.”
Influence of Christianity
Garouste has long been fascinat-
ed with the influence of Christianity
on French culture and his most
famous work explores the myth of
Faust as presented by Goethe in 1808
— a man arguing with God and the
Devil about his fate. Using oil on can-
vas and gouache, he examines the
main themes of Goethe’s tragedy, and
the quest for knowledge, desire for
pleasure, nature of evil, the idea of
wagers, pacts with the malevolent
forces and the alchemy of life.
Literature and the art of ques-
tioning
He uses the powerful imagery
stemming from literature and the
essential art of questioning to create
his enchanting canvasses. His fantas-
tical paintings combine restlessness
and joy of their various protagonists.
There are creatures like apes, scape-
goats and geese, which keep us
agog.
His sensibility is born of self-
P[[Tah
6 APVX]X
_aTbT]cbCWT
Bd]Sah4UUTRc)
CWTBc^aXTbFT
0aTP]
TgWXQXcX^]cWPc
]PaaPcTb
bTeTaP[\XRa^ R^]cT\_^aPahPacb^U
bc^aXTb^dc^U
fWXRWb^\T
PaTeTah
^aSX]PahQdc
^UcT]VTc[^bc
P]SPaT]TeTa
WTPaSF74=)CX[[5TQadPah$C8<4) P\c^&
_\F74A4)1XZP]Ta7^dbT?P]SPaPA^PS 6P[[Tah 7PQXcPc2T]caT
C@@ED
Y How challenging was it to
return to the stage after 25 years?
For anybody, 25 years is a very
long time. After such a huge gap, it
becomes a challenge to be back in
form. For instance, you know dri-
ving but then you don’t drive for 10
years, it is very obvious that you will
get apprehensive. This is some-
thing very natural.
Y How did the audience receive
the play, especially the Tier-II
cities?
learning. His interest in the texts of
Western culture began in the 1980s.
Dante’s Divine Comedy, Cervantes’
Don Quixote and Rabelais’
Gargantua, followed by examining
sacred texts of the Bible, Judaisim and
the Talmud for a decade.
His satirical stances are full of
stories and Warsaw Bridge and
Donkeys is an emblematic image that
adds to the richness of repertoire, full
of metaphors and meandering con-
versations within and without.
Faces of friends and family
The faces in these canvasses are
full of intensity. He uses the faces of
his friends and family to illustrate the
various characters. They are
swamped with references and allu-
sions. Some are softer but they are all
living within the intensity of dreams.
His human figures leap out of the
canvas. He transforms possibilities of
representation by co-opting classic
models of antiquity and recreating
them with a new, expressive and
imaginative power. In his own self
portrait, we see a portrait of
Renaissance blended into the
promise of the Baroque, oscillating
between Classicism and Christianity.
Riot of spectrum
Colours for Garouste are a riot
of spectrum — ranging from elegant
greys to puissant purples, gay greens
and velvet blacks. His characters do
not have predictable forms but they
are theatrical sometimes and have
6
P]SWPaP0ac6P[[Tah
X]R^[[PQ^aPcX^]
fXcW3W^^\X\P[0ac
2T]caTW^bcbP
R^]cT\_^aPahPac
bW^f0ac)1T]VP[
=^f8c_aTbT]cb
1T]VP[fWXRWWPeT
X]WTaXcTSPbXV]XUXRP]c
PacUa^\Xcb\^STa]
_PbcF74=)CX[[
5TQadPah&C8<4)
P\c^&_\F74A4)
3W^^\X\P[0ac
The way people are responding
is overwhelming and extremely ful-
filling. It is received very perceptive-
ly. We find a pin-drop silence in
those 90 minutes. There are cities
where people appreciate the play
with a standing ovation towards the
end. And this makes me very happy.
I am also happy because I had
earlier decided that I will only per-
form the play at 25 locations. We
have already performed at more
than a dozen now. But I also said
that I don’t want to perform only in
archaic outlines that emerge as in his
earliest work, The Boat and the
Fisherman.
Each face on his canvas is a char-
acter to be studied. He is constantly
metamorphosing between characters
from literature and history. The Boat
and the Fisherman and Three Masters
and Fatted Geese are examples of bril-
liance in conception and composi-
tion. His mastery of the rules of clas-
sical painting is counterbalanced by
his total pictorial freedom, intuition
and rambling wildness in his com-
position of human hybrids.
Timeless figurative
His pliant brush celebrates
human figures. He extols a timeless,
figurative painting style, which was
a daring choice at a time when France
was in the grip of avant grade
expression. His works have a lyrical
moodiness to them and you, at
once, know that music is a part of his
everyday sensibility. His words in an
interview hold true, “The more I
apply myself to a simple, basic shape,
like someone practising a violin, the
more I am able to start inventing my
own music.” It is in this spirit that
Garouste approaches the old masters
and ancient texts. Oscillation of the
past and the present like a pendulum
that keeps time — you get drawn into
the maw of his characters.
The scenes depicted in these
paintings are particularly radical,
revolutionary and resonating with
rhythms full of human emotions.
At the NGMA, around 60 oil
paintings draw on satire, sadness and
humour to produce a fusion of a
whole range of symbols. Between
bridges and rivers, animated and
morphed characters, we see fat and
plucked geese, herds of cute donkeys,
and familiar and unfamiliar figures
like Pinocchio, Kafka and Borges. In
a free association of images and
ideas, Garouste delights us with
overthrowing prevailing interpreta-
tions and creating a medley between
the metaphorical and the melan-
cholic.
(The show runs at NGMA till
28 March.)
F0C27>DC
the metro cities like Mumbai, Delhi
and Kolkata. I wanted to perform
beyond that and reach out to the
audience with this very rich and dif-
ferent theatrical experience. I am
glad that we have been able to do it.
We have already performed in
Guwahati, Bhubaneswar and
Ahmedabad and we are set to per-
form in Chandigarh as well. The
response in all these places has been
humbling. It makes me feel that peo-
ple love me so much even at this
stage of life. They even said that the
play has given them something to
cherish for a long time. Isse jyada
kya chahiye? (What more do you
need?)
Y You have usually played realis-
tic roles which are said to have
epitomised the middle class. We
are again seeing an upsurge of such
films. What’s your take?
This is forming a full circle now.
During my time, it was more about
larger-than-life cinema. There were
people like Amitabh Bachchan,
Rajesh Khanna, Dharmendra and
Jeetendra ruling the industry. But
parallel to it, there was a cinema
movement, which dealt with day-to-
day issues of a common man. And
now it is the same again. That’s how
you can see it forming a circle. There
are films where realism takes the
6HUHQGLSLW\LQWKHFLW\
1^QRbYTWUTfUbcY_^_VdXUQbdcVUcdYfQ\gY\\RUc__^
XU\TY^dXUSQ`YdQ\
W e are very excited to do an
abridged version of the
Serendipity Arts Festival in Delhi
around the end of March. A show-
case consisting of select excerpts
will be presented and we hope to
bring a slice of the experience to
Delhi,” said Smriti Rajgarhia, direc-
tor, Serendipity Arts Foundation
and Festival.
India Art Fair witnessed a host
of artists with excerpts from the
Serendipity Arts Festival, which is
held every year in Goa, as well as
their own body of work. Artworks
by Iftikhar Dadi at the Jhaveri
Contemporary, who served as an
Advisor to ‘Look, Stranger!’ exhi-
bition curated by Rahaab Allana at
Serendipity Arts Festival; artworks
by Sahil Naik at Experimenter,
whose work showcased as part of
Urban Re-imagined 2.0 curated by
Ravi Agarwal at SAF- 2019; those
by Nikhil Chopra at Chatterjee &
Lal, who concluded a residency at
the Metropolitan Museum of Art,
New York with support from the
Foundation, and as part of HH Art
Spaces.
Also present was Maya Krishna
Rao, Special Curator, from the
2018 edition of the festival, who
performed a reprised iteration of
‘Loose Woman’, first commissioned
for the SAF- 2018.
Speaking about the plans ahead
in 2020, Rajgarhia said, “We have
received an excellent response
from the people in Delhi, our
patrons, partners, visitors and the
friends of the festival. We are
happy to have shared excerpts of
the festival at the India Art Fair,
where we also released our festival
film and new catalogue for 2019-
20. As an institutional partner, we
are thankful to the fair committee
for hosting us.”
The artworks showcased at
the fair prominently features
emerging artists from the region
like Farah Viraf Mulla, who partic-
ipated in Dharti Arts Residency
Programme 2019, the Foundation’s
flagship artist residency pro-
gramme. In addition, Israeli mul-
0
acXbc:XbP[PhE^aP_aTbT]cbP]PacX]bcP[[PcX^]CWT
<hbcTaX^dbBcaT]VcW^U0]cWa^_^\^a_WXb\fWXRWXb
P]Tg_TaXT]cXP[_XTRT^UPacRaTPcTSdbX]VcWTT[T\T]c^U
[X]TCWXbXbPfPh^UcaP]b[PcX]VcWTR^]RT_c^U
X\_a^YTRcX^]^U^]T³bUTT[X]Vb^]TeTahcWX]VX]^]T³b
T]eXa^]\T]cC8<4)$)"_\c^ _\F74=)CX[[
5TQadPah F74A4)EXbdP[0acb6P[[TahPcaXd\8]SXP
eXePRXch jPacl #
upper hand, where the hero isn’t
bashing 30 people and isn’t perfect
or an epitome of goodness. But that
is just a part of the mainstream cin-
ema. The majority of it still strives
on stories that don’t revolve around
such issues. But I am glad that the
aspect of realism is making a strong
presence in filmmaking today.
Y Do you think the change has
come about due to a change in
actors’ professionalism and mind-
sets?
I feel that young actors are much
more professional than us. During
our time, a lot of wrong things were
practised as a part of the star system.
And yet glorified. An actor who
usually arrived late on the sets was
considered to be the biggest star.
These were the wrong norms,
which were completely unprofes-
sional, yet were followed during that
time. Today’s generation is doing a
better job. They give their entire
attention to one film at a time or
whatever project they are doing and
nail it.
Y Do you think the charm of the-
atre is still intact, especially at a
time when they are owned by cor-
porate houses?
The charm of theatre is intact
and that is because more and more
people prefer watching a live per-
formance. The interaction between
one human being with another is
the crux and magic of theatre.
This has remained the same over
the years. Long time back, even
before my coming into this field,
many theatre companies collapsed
with the advent of cinema. It was
feared that theatre will be dead but
it created its own space, identity and
attention. Then when television
came, once again it was said that
theatre cannot survive because
people do not like to watch cinema
outside, they prefer watching it at
home. Even cinema was threatened
at that time but both the artforms
survived.
The role of corporate houses in
theatre is not a cause of worry
because of the intrinsic strength and
timedia artist Achia Anzi, support-
ed by the SAF presented a LED-
based light project composed of
lines from poems penned by five
thinkers and philosophers across
time periods: Judah Abravanel
(1464-1530), Henry Louis Vivan
Derozio (1809-31), Aime Cesaire
(1913-2008), Paul Celan (1920-
1970) and Mahmoud Darwish
(1941-2008), curated by Ravi
Agarwal for the SAF 2019.
The fair also witnessed a selec-
tion of videos from Sudarshan
Shetty’s 2019 curation from
Serendipity Arts Festival titled
Look Outside This House. Broadly,
at the festival, the project was
aimed to present indigenous inven-
PSP]<TT]P
<_aTbT]cbP]
TgWXQXcX^]^U
_PX]cX]VbP]SbX[Z
bRaTT]_aX]cb¯
<P__X]V
<T\^aXTbCWa^dVW
cWTTgWXQXc^]
<PSP]RPaTUd[[h
R^]bcadRcbcWT
_PccTa]b^U
]^bcP[VXPP]S
[^]VX]VcWPcbcT\
Ua^\bcPhX]VPfPh
Ua^\W^\TP]S
[TPSX]VP]^\PSXR
5TQadPah #C8<4) P\c^'_\ F74A4)CaXeT]X:P[P
magic of theatre. It will always sur-
vive.
Y How has storytelling evolved
overtime?
Everybody tries to tell a story
in a way which is different and
holds the audience attention for a
long time. That’s the basic about sto-
rytelling. You may do it in a tradi-
tional, classical, folk or contempo-
rary way, that is your choice, or
there might be somebody who
doesn’t want to tell a story yet finds
a narrative which leaves one spell-
bound. And this has been going on
and will go forever. That’s the beau-
ty of it. It’s like our grandmother
used to tell us stories. Now my wife
or I will not be able to tell a story
in that manner to our children. The
stories which we tell them will be
different and something which is
related to our times and lives. So it
will go on evolving and the more
evolved it is, the more exciting it
becomes.
Y What would you say about
actors voicing their opinion strong-
ly and Bollywood going political?
Of course, actors should voice
their opinions. When other profes-
sions, for example, journalism has
the right to put views out, why
shouldn’t you give it to the actors?
It is unfair to put a gun under them.
At the same time, we can see many
journalists meekly accepting what-
ever is being told. It’s the same scene
in every field, even in Bollywood.
The reason politicians question
the industry or performers is because
actors have a tremendous following
and their stance makes an impact.
Same is the case with politicians, so
they are scared of them. They try to
brush aside their opinion and muz-
zle their voice. They tag actors with
a certain political party. I want peo-
ple to go beyond the party politics.
Once you go beyond that as a con-
scious educated, thinking citizen,
you will express your opinion.
Everybody keeps voicing their opin-
ion instantly on digital media. So, if
all of us want to express our views
why are you denying that right to the
actors?
tions and informal industries that
have origins in catering to real-life
circumstantial needs with lasting
social impact on communities at
large.
The SAF also showcased its
broad spectrum of research in the
arts explored through its publica-
tion series titled Projects &
Processes, which has recently
released five volumes in partner-
ship with HarperCollins India.
The volumes present critical per-
spectives on projects at the festival.
The essays have been commis-
sioned by Serendipity Arts
Foundation and are authored by art
writers from across the country.
°80=B
17D10=4BF0AkCD4B30H k541AD0AH #!! b_^ac $

‘All-weather bowling attack makes India formidable’

5^a\Ta:XfXR^PRW7Tbb^]_aPXbTb<T]X]1[dTbPhX]VRdaaT]c[^c^U8]SXP]_[PhTabXbTgRT_cX^]P[[hcP[T]cTS
?C8Q 70<8;C>= in the surface, likes of Tim Southee
8=3800A450A14CC4A will exploit it and Trent Boult
B834=>F0C?A4B4=C
A
n all-weather bowling attack should be back as well. Neil Wagner
and batsmen’s improved abil- 0=3C74H0A4 asks different questions too, so I am
ity against pacers in overseas really looking forward to it.
conditions have made India a for- 8<?A>E8=60;;C74 “India will have an expectation
midable unit across formats, feels C8<4C748A1>F;8=6 of winning this Test series. But New
former New Zealand head coach 0CC02:=>FBD8CB0;; Zealand is a very tough place to
Mike Hesson. come and win Test matches. You
Hesson, who will take charge of 2>=38C8>=B0A>D=3C74 cannot take anything for granted 7PaSXZ?P]ShPQ^f[bSdaX]V8]SXP´b]TcbbTbbX^] ?C8
Royal Challengers Bangalore in the F>A;31420DB4C748A and I am sure India won’t,” said

1T_PcXT]cS^]´c
2020 IPL season, also said the 5-0 1>F;4AB?024AB0=3 Hesson.
rout of New Zealand in the T20 Hesson also blamed New
series shows the current lot of B?8==4AB0A4B>6>>3 Zealand for making some question-

adbWR^\TQPRZ)
Indian players is exceptionally tal- C70CBB><4C78=6C74H able decisions during the T20 series
ented. in which they lost back-to-back
“India are far better side now at 70E4=C0;F0HB703 games in a Super Over.
— MIKE HESSON
IPWTTac^?P]ShP
present and they are improving all “Losing in such a manner can
the time. Their bowling attack now become a bit of habit. Once New
suits all conditions around the Zealand’s new-look pace attack will Zealand lost a couple (Super Overs),
world because their bowlers, pacers have its task cut out. they almost started dreading the
and spinners, are so good. That’s However, he feels the subse- Super Over. And once you do that, ?C8Q <D<108
something they haven’t always had,” quent two-Test series will be a dif- you are not in the right frame of
Hesson said.
“And their batsmen’s ability to
play pace bowling has also got bet-
ferent proposition despite New
Zealand’s recent 0-3 loss in
Australia.
mind.
“Once again, even in both those
Super Overs, New Zealand were in
F ormer India speedster Zaheer Khan
on Monday advised injured all-
rounder Hardik Pandya to be patient and
ter the more they have toured. So “New Zealand had a poor tour situations in this series where they not rush his comeback from a back injury.
this group of players is exception- of Australia and they would be hurt could have won it. They will look Pandya has been out of action since
ally talented group. This series’ with that. But up to that point, their back in hindsight and wonder if September and underwent a surgery for
win will help them (for the World Test cricket was exceptional in the they used the right bowling option an acute lower-back injury in October.
Cup in Australia later this year).” last 2-3 seasons, probably even (Tim Southee) at that time. The 26-year-old, who plays for Mumbai
Up next is a three-match ODI longer. “Changes of pace can be useful Indians in the IPL, is not expected to
series, and India-New Zealand will “New Zealand know these con- in a Super Over rather than neces- make a comeback before the cash-rich
play the first match in Hamilton ditions well. From a Test bowling sarily trying to bowl yorkers,” reck- T20 league, beginning March 29.
tomorrow. Hesson said New =PeSTT_BPX]XRT[TQaPcTbfXcW9Pb_aXc1d\aPWP]S^cWTa8]SXP]cTP\\PcTbPUcTacPZX]VfXRZTcSdaX]VUXUcWC!8 PVPX]bc=TfITP[P]S 0? point of view, if there is something oned Hesson. “For MI, IPL is still a long way away,
and for Hardik it’s important he should

5RKLWRXWRI1=WRXU
take his time to comeback 120 percent.
1WQbgQ\Y^V_b?49c+
7Y\\RQS[V_bDUcdc
BQXe\]_fUcd_"^T I can say it by experience, when anyone
goes through injuries, it’s not about
coming back, it’s about how you come

Y^D" bQ^[Y^Wc
back,” Zaheer, who himself made multi-
ple comebacks after being injured said.
?C8Q =4F34;78 “You have to be patient through that
CALM DEMEANOUR HELPED DHONI process and you have to listen to the team

IMonday
n a blow to India, limited-overs
vice-captain Rohit Sharma was on
ruled out of the upcoming
ODI and Test series against New
Zealand after sustaining a calf
injury during the fifth T20I.
Rohit retired hurt after scoring
60 off 41 balls after he pulled his calf
muscle while going for a quick sin-
gle during the match that India won
on Sunday.
“He is out of the tour. Right
now, it’s not looking good. The
physio is assessing him. We will get
to know how bad it is but he is not
taking any further part in the
series,” a top BCCI source said.
It has been learnt that Mayank
Agarwal will be replacing Rohit as
the third opener in the ODI set-up
along with KL Rahul and Prithvi
Shaw.
Agarwal was the logical choice
in the white-ball format since he was
the reserve opener in the side dur-
ing the home ODI series against the
West Indies when Shikhar Dhawan
was absent due to knee injury.
In the Test squad, Shubman Gill
will join KL Rahul and Prithvi Shaw
as the third opener in the absence
of Rohit.
During India’s last two Test
series at home (vs South Africa and
A^WXcBWPa\P_[PhbPbW^cSdaX]VUXUcWC!8
PVPX]bc=TfITP[P]SPc1Ph>eP[
Bangladesh), Gill was the back-up
opener to Rohit and Agarwal. His
place was sealed in the squad after
scores of 83 and 204 not out in a
drawn first A Test against New
Zealand in Christchurch.
The Test squad is yet to be offi-
cially announced but it is learnt that
it has already been selected and only
the official announcement is due.
The old selection committee
under MSK Prasad picked the
BECOME INDIA'S BEST CAPTAIN
=4F 34;78) Mahendra Singh
Dhoni’s calm demeanour under
pressure has helped him emerge
as India’s most successful captain
and a role model for youngsters,
feels Rohit Sharma.
Rohit, who made his debut
under Dhoni during the T20WC
in South Africa, was effusive in
his praise for his former captain.
“Whole India knows MS
Dhoni is the one who has been
like that. It has helped him to
make such good decisions on the
field and now you see he is the
most successful Indian captain,
having all three ICC Trophies
with him and many IPL titles as
0?
well,” Rohit said in a chat show
Curly Tales.
“He is the best captain India
replacements but it might take
some time for the official announce-
ment as convenor of the selection
committee, secretary Jay Shah, is on
his way to New Zealand along with
treasurer Arun Dhumal.
“Once the secretary’s approval
comes, the replacements will be offi-
has seen and there is a reason
behind it and that reason is him
being calm and composed under
pressure situation.”
Rohit said during his cap-
taincy days Dhoni used to put
the young and inexperienced
bowlers at ease, getting the best
out of them.
“I have seen him handle a lot
of younger bowlers when they
get under pressure, he goes
around and puts his arm around
their neck and talks to them what
he needs to do and what not,”
Rohit said.
“You know when a younger
player is being treated like that by
the senior member of a team, you
obviously feel confident and want
to deliver for the team.” PTI
cially announced. But the selectors
have already sent the names,” the
source added.
It has still not been ascertained
whether Rohit has endured a calf
muscle tear but he looked in severe
pain even after physio Nitin Patel
attended to him.
:; APWd[aPXbTbWXbQPcPUcTaUXUch
?C8Q 3D108
K L Rahul reaped rewards for
his stellar all-round show in
India’s 5-0 win as he rose to a
career-best second position in the
ICC T20 Rankings released on
Monday.
Rahul scored 224 runs,
including two fifties and a 40 plus
score, in the five-match series
besides keeping wickets.
Pakistan’s Babar Azam main-
tained pole position while India
vice-captain Rohit Sharma
entered the top-10 of the batsmen
rankings. Skipper Virat Kohli
remained in ninth position.
Among other Indians,
Shreyas Iyer (up 63 places to
55th) and Manish Pandey (up 12
places to 58th) are others who
have advanced in the latest rank-
ings.
The story is similar for the
India bowling attack as Jasprit
Bumrah has gained 26 places to
reach 11th position, Yuzvendra
Chahal has advanced 10 places to
30th and Shardul Thakur’s eight
wickets in the series have lifted him
34 places to 57th position.
0?
Navdeep Saini (up 25 places to
71st) and Ravindra Jadeja (up 34
places to 76th) have also moved up.
New Zealand captain Kane
Williamson’s 160 runs in the
series have taken him from 23rd
to 16th position while Tim
Seifert (73rd to 34th) and Ross
Taylor (50th to 39th) have also
made notable gains in the bats-
men’s list. Leg-spinner Ish Sodhi
has advanced six places to the
13th spot.
which is around you — the support staff,
be it your doctor, your physio, your train-
ers. Those are the key people one should
communicate with and control the con-
trollables.
“I have always been advising every-
one in the same fashion: you have to take
your time; you cannot be impatient and
rush your comeback. It’s about when you
come back, it should be in for a long haul,”
he said.
Pandya is undergoing rehab and
also failed a fitness test which delayed his
comeback bid.
Asked if he has spoken to Pandya
recently, Zaheer said: “I have (spoken to
him). I will say this to anyone who is a
sportsman and is going through an
injury phase. It’s frustrating at times when
you’re away from the game, but it’s very
important to stay patient and control
things in your control. It’s about listen-
ing to your body...”
The former Indian pacer also rated
India’s recent 5-0 T20 triumph in New
Zealand as a huge achievement.
“New Zealand was having a tough
time; they tried to find answers to beat
this Indian team. But I feel 5-0 victory
is a huge achievement. They should take
a lot of pride from what they have done
from the New Zealand.
“It is definitely going to be a tough
(ODI) series for New Zealand for sure.
For India, it is about maintaining that

5`^Z_X`cfVdAR\WZiefcV]Zde
370:0) Bangladesh begin a
to-and-fro commute to
Pakistan on Wednesday for
a Test and ODI series sand-
wiched between home fix-
tures — a quirky fixture list
prompted by security fears.
They play a first Test in
Rawalpindi starting Friday,
but head home immediate-
8]SXPD (_[PhTabfPa\d_SdaX]VcTP\´b_aPRcXRTbTbbX^] 2F2CfXccTa ly afterwards for a series
against Zimbabwe.
before a Test match,” coach
Russell Domingo told
reporters on Monday.
Bangladesh wanted to
play the series in phases
because they want to spend
as little time in the country
as possible due to safety
concerns.
Domingo said he was
happy with the form shown
by some of the Bangladesh
Sunday — the highest first-
class innings ever on
Bangladesh soil — in a local
league game.
Skipper Mominul
Haque and senior batsmen
Mahmudullah Riyad and
Liton Das have also scored
recent centuries.
“The wickets that they
are playing here don’t have
much pace and bounce,”
momentum and carrying the confidence
from previous series win to the ODI and
Test matches,” he said.
Asked whether injury to senior
pacer Ishant Sharma could affect the
commitment from his bats- India attack in New Zealand, Zaheer
men — especially away from said there was no need to worry as
home. bench-strength was good. Ishant, who
“Some of the boys know had twisted his right ankle during a
that they have to put in some Ranji Trophy, is unlikely to recover in
big performances on the time for the Test series beginning
back of a poor Test series February 21.
against India,” he said. “What was the result in the previ-
“We have to show a bit ous series? It’s not about that; it’s about
more commitment with the putting up a team there together. That’s
bat, and find ways to man- the strength right now this Indian
ufacture scores even when team has. The strength of any squad is

9^TYQdQ[U_^@Q[ They then return to

Pakistan for the second Test
beginning April 5, after an
batsmen in domestic com-
petition this season, but
acknowledged conditions
Domingo said.
“I am sure Rawalpindi
might have some pace and
the conditions are not good.”
Bangladesh lost all five
of their Test matches in
seen with their bench strength as well.
We are in a position at the moment
where the talent and pool of players we

Y^E!)cU]Yc
ODI on April 3. would be different away bounce... It is going to be a 2019, with their last two have is excellent,” said Zaheer.
“It is not ideal. You from home. big challenge for the boys. defeats coming by an “The roles are shared by different peo-
always want to go there at Tamim Iqbal scored an The South African said innings margin against ple. We are in a great space as a team at
least seven or eight days unbeaten 334 runs on he had demanded more India. 1´STbWR^PRWAdbbT[[3^\X]V^X]UX[T_W^c^ the moment with regard to that,” he said.
?C8Q ?>C2745BCA>><
9^TYQfc @Q[YcdQ^

<d\QPXUPRTBPdaPbWcaPX]\dbcfX]VP\T Banton eyes WT20 spot via IPL

<YfUVb_]!*# `]9CD
F our-time champions India
will back themselves to reach
their third successive
DE2CDA@CED" $

final at the U-19 World
Cup when they face arch-
rivals Pakistan in a last
four clash here today.
Both teams go into
the semifinal unbeaten.
While India beat Australia in the
quarterfinals, Pakistan outplayed
Afghanistan.
Pakistan captain Rohail
Nazir played down the hype sur-
rounding the game but an India-
Pakistan contest is always a
high-pressure one which tests
the character of players on either
side. Doing well in the game
makes them overnight stars and
the players know that.
Like at the highest level, the
India juniors have had the upper
hand over Pakistan of late, hav-
ing beaten them in the Asia Cup
last September when they
emerged tournament winners.
India, who are the defend-
ing champions of the U-19
World Cup, had inflicted on
Pakistan a 203-run hammering
in the last edition in 2018.
However, history counts
for little and the Priyam
Garg-led India will have
to play their best game to
knock Pakistan out of
the competition.
Opener Yashasvi
Jaiswal has been the backbone
of India batting, scoring three
half-centuries in four games
including against Australia.
The rest of the batsmen
have not done much to write
home about and if the lower-
order had not rescued India in
the quarterfinal, the outcome of
the game could have been dif-
ferent. Not to forget the match-
winning spell from pacer Kartik
Tyagi.
Facing Pakistan fast bowlers
Abbads Afridi, Mohammad
Amir Khan and Tahir Hussain
will be a challenge for the
Indian batsmen.
Opener Huraira made an
impressive debut in the last
game, scoring 64 to lead his
team to a comprehensive win
over Afghanistan after bowlers
nicely set up the game.
80=BQ ;>=3>=
?C8Q A09:>C Khan, who has hit back-to-back triple and
BQ^ZYDb_`Xi
H aving endured a disap-
pointing so far, 41-time
<YfUVb_])*# `]9CD
9@EDE2C
double hundreds, would look to contin-
ue from where he left in Dharamshala.
He had remained unbeaten on 226 on
E ngland batsman Tom Banton
has said he would love to play
the Indian Premier League despite
champions Mumbai face a the opening day of Mumbai’s game former England captain Michael
must-win situation to keep their slim against Himachal Pradesh and before that Vaughan asking the England
knock-out chances alive when they take he had notched up a triple hundred against Cricket Board to withdraw him
on an in-form Saurashtra in an Elite Uttar Pradesh. from the upcoming season.
Group B Ranji Trophy game Another positive sign for Mumbai is Vaughan wants the youngster
starting here today. that ‘crisis man’ Siddesh Lad and skipper to play in the County
The road to the knock- Aditya Tare are back among runs. Championship and make a claim
outs for Mumbai became However, their top-order needs to fire big for England’s Test team.
even tougher after their time. Banto was snapped up by
match against Himachal Mumbai bowlers led by experienced Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for
Pradesh was washed out and Tushar Deshpande would also need to the upcoming season of the IPL
both the teams shared a point each. deliver for the team. for his base price of C1 crore.
Mumbai, with 13 points, are languish- Spinners Shashank Attarde and Shams Speaking in an interview to
ing are at the 12th spot in the combined Mulani have been playing their part well Metro, Banton said: “Yes, 100 per C^\1P]c^]aPXbTbWXbQPcPUcTaR^\_[TcX]V
Group A and B table with one win, two and they would be more than keen to rat- cent (I will be playing in the UXUchSdaX]V11;\PcRW 7TPcbCfXccTa
losses and three draws. tle the opposition one more time. Indian Premier League). When I also boost his chances of making
Only five teams from combined Saurashtra, on the other hand, are sit- was growing up, the IPL was def- it to the T20I World Cup squad
Group A and B can make it to the knock- BdahPZd\PaHPSPe_[PhbPbW^cSdaX]VAP]YXCa^_Wh ting pretty on the third spot in combined initely something I thought I’d this year.
outs. An outright win here would take VP\TPVPX]bc:Pa]PcPZP ?C8 A and B table, with 25 points. love to do and play for England in “Definitely, I’d love to be part
Mumbai to 19 points and a win with return of senior batsman Suryakumar Their skipper Jaydev Unadkat is lead- Test cricket as well.” of the World Cup. The white-ball
bonus point will take them to 20 points. Yadav, who was with on India A duty in ing from the front and his 12 wickets in Banton, who had a great sea- team seems so strong at the
Anything less than a victory, would New Zealand. And he would be more than the last match against Baroda helped his son in the T20 blast last year, moment but I’d love to go. We’ve
mean that Mumbai are virtually out of the eager to contribute with the bat for his side win the game. where he scored 540 runs at a got the IPL coming up, so some
tournament. side. But Saurashtra need make improve- strike rate of 160 in last summer, strong performances there are
The visitors would be bolstered by the Another young batsman Sarfaraz ments in their batting department. added that a good IPL season will going to help.”
17D10=4BF0AkCD4B30H k541AD0AH #!! b_^ac %

C44=064?A>386H <e[Q[eWYfUc
9^dUb#`_Y^dc
5PcXQTR^\Tbh^d]VTbcTeTa;P;XVP_[PhTac^bR^aTQaPRTPb1PaRPW^[S^]PVPX]bc;TeP]cT CONTE SATISFIED
05?Q 10A24;>=0 the teenager with too much too However coach Antonio
soon. Conte insisted he was pleased

A
nsu Fati became the youngest
player ever to score a brace in
La Liga on Sunday by capital-
ising on two brilliant Lionel Messi
assists to give Barcelona a 2-1 victo-
ry over Levante.
Fati, at 17 years and 94 days old,
broke the previous record held by
Juanmi Jimenez, who scored twice
for Malaga against Real Zaragoza at
17 years and 115 days old in 2010.
Messi teed up Fati’s quick-fire
double with a defence-splitting pass
and then a trademark weaving run
before Ruben Rochina scored
Levante’s goal in the 92nd minute,
which really should have come
sooner.
Barca reduce the gap at the top
to three points behind Real Madrid
and begin to regain some rhythm
under new coach Quique Setien after
Thursday’s 5-0 thumping of Leganes
in the Copa del Rey.
“We could have won 8-2 or 8-3,”
said Setien. “We lost a little control
in the second half and conceded too
much but it was a good job from the
team.”
Yet Levante should have convert-
ed more of a handful of excellent
chances in the second half, that sug-
gested Barcelona’s defensive prob-
lems and fragility when in the lead
are far from solved.
Leganes and Levante, who sit
18th and 13th respectively, offered
a relatively straight-forward route
back to winning ways too for
Barcelona, who were wobbling last
weekend when they followed a last-
gasp win over Segunda side Ibiza
with a convincing defeat by Valencia.
Setien, who replaced Ernesto
Valverde as coach last month, found
his methods questioned and there
was evidence against Levante to
suggest he may have decided to
introduce his style of play more
gradually.
Barca played with more urgency
0]bd5PcXXbT\QaPRTSQh;X^]T[<TbbXPUcTa5PcXbR^aTS1PaRT[^]P´b^_T]X]VV^P[SdaX]V;P;XVP\PcRWPVPX]bc;TeP]cT
and ambition, their dominance of
possession sacrificed occasionally for
riskier passes forward.
Yet Levante also pressed high
and left gaps to be exploited, despite
the likes of Valencia and Granada
enjoying more success against
Setien’s team by sitting deep and
bursting out on the break.
Fati has been one of the main
0?
beneficiaries of Setien’s arrival.
He exploded onto the scene at
the start of the season but was used
increasingly rarely by Valverde, who
may have been wary of burdening
Instead, Setien has started Fati in
all five of his games in charge so far
and this was the first time his faith
has really been rewarded.
“He is a boy who is emerging
and has great potential,” Setien said.
“Today he had a historic day for his
goals and for helping the team.”
Messi’s own excellent form also
continues. He now has nine goals
and four assists in his last 10 league
games.
His first set-up for Fati came
from the centre circle where he
played a reverse pass through three
Levante players that sent clear his
teammate, who cut inside Jorge
Miramon and finished.
Less than two minutes later,
Fati was in again. Levante lost the
ball upfield and Gerard Pique fired
straight into Messi inside the
right flank, midway inside the
opposition’s half.
He drove into the penalty
area and when he finally
stopped by a cluster of Levante
chasers, he slid left to Fati, who
fired through the legs of Aitor
Fernandez for a second.
Nelson Semedo crashed a shot
against the crossbar and then
hopped over Tono only for Antoine
Griezmann to tap wide at the front
post.
But Levante were more danger-
ous in the second half and could
have taken a draw if they had been
more clinical with a handful of
opportunities.
The best of them fell to Gonzalo
Melero, who blazed over, and by the
time Rochina’s shot flew through one
pair of legs and in off the hands of
Marc-Andre ter Stegen, there were
only two minutes remaining.
There was time for one Levante
attack and Sergio Busquets’ weak
header gave Rochina another chance
but he could not keep his shot
down.
05?Q <8;0=
I nter returned to winning ways
in Serie A as Romelu Lukaku
scored twice in the second half to
secure a 2-0 triumph away at
lowly Udinese.
Antonio Conte’s side had
drawn their three previous league
outings and, with leaders
Juventus defeating Fiorentina 3-
0 earlier on Sunday, appeared in
danger of losing further
ground in the title race.
However, after a
scoreless first half,
Lukaku’s brace moved
Inter back above Lazio
and into second place,
three points behind the
reigning champions.
January additions Christian
Eriksen and Victor Moses were
handed their full debuts by Conte
while teenager Sebastiano
Esposito filled in up front for the
with Christian Eriksen’s perfor-
mance despite substituting the
midfielder early in the second
half.
Following his arrival from
Tottenham, Eriksen came off the
bench in the midweek Coppa
Italia tie against Fiorentina,
replacing Alexis Sanchez.
The Denmark internation-
al was handed the chance to
start for the first time in Serie A
on Sunday, recording 51 touch-
es and completing 78 per cent of
his attempted passes before he
was replaced in the 58th minute.
Conte — who saw his team
end a run of three successive
league draws — called for
patience with Eriksen, despite
expressing his satisfaction with
the 27-year-old’s efforts during
his time on the pitch.
“I think that for someone
who arrived five days ago, and
we should not forget we had to
rush him in because we were
missing several midfielders,
Eriksen still made a positive
impact,” Conte told Sky Sport
Italia.
“Obviously, he needs to get
settled into our style of football
and also find the right fitness
levels for Serie A, but I am very
pleased with his full debut.
“He will get to learn the
positioning we ask of our mid-
fielders, but these are early
days and I am satisfied.”
The result sees Inter
move above Lazio into
second place in the table,
three points behind lead-
ers Juventus, ahead of next
weekend’s Milan derby at
San Siro.
“The match against
Fiorentina in the Coppa Italia
gave us a boost,” Lukaku told Sky
Sport Italia. “We knew that it
wouldn’t be easy here in

-LQVRQORRNLQJWRERRN2O\SODFH
suspended Lautaro Martinez.
Yet the fresh faces failed to
inspire, and it was Udinese who
were the more threatening side in
the first half. Seko Fofana fired
?=B Q =4F34;78 ty level are not working, so they need the into the side netting and Jens
funds to pursue sports. All equipment for Stryger Larsen saw an on-target
Udinese, but in the second half
we did well.
“We managed to score two
goals and get all three points. It’s
an important victory on our
journey. We must now keep this
up and turn our attention

J inson Johnson, who holds the national

record in 800m and 1500m, expressed that
the upcoming Khelo India University Games
any sport is expensive. So more competitions
are good for athletes, but they need to be
financially supported as well,” said the run-
strike blocked by Ashley Young.
Lukaku had been on the
periphery of proceedings before
immediately to the derby against
Milan.”

will be a big boost for the young sportsper- ner. converting his first attempt of the HANDANOVIC A DOUBT
sons in the country. After successfully host- Johnson, who missed the Tokyo game, his low, left-footed effort in Inter goalkeeper Samir
ing the Khelo India Youth Games, the Indian Olympics qualification mark by 24 millisec- the 64th minute going through Handanovic is set to miss the
government has decided to conduct the onds at the ISTAF Berlin event last year, is the legs of Bram Nuytinck to beat Milan derby this weekend after
Khelo India University Games in currently looking to book a berth at the qua- Juan Musso. fracturing a finger.
Bhubaneshwar from 22 February to 1 drennial event. The Belgian’s second arrived While no time frame was
March, 2020 to unearth more talent for the “I am currently looking to book my place from the penalty spot seven provided for the Slovenia inter-
Olympics. at the Olympics. The qualification mark is minutes later, Musso having been national’s return to action, he

3Y^ZTacPZTbPX\
“I went to the United States of America 3:35 minutes for the 1500m event and I spectacularly up-ending Alexis seems unlikely to recover in
for training last year. The college-level recorded a timing of 3:35:24 last year, so I Sanchez as the substitute attempt- time to face Milan.
tournaments are very popular there and the missed the qualification mark by 24 millisec- ed to skip beyond the advancing “Samir Handanovic has

Pc5TSTaTa´baTR^aS
level of competition is very high. The com-
petition level is high in European universi-
ty tournaments as well. Some of the univer-
sity-level athletes go on to represent their
05?Q <4;1>DA=4 country as well. So it’ll be good if the uni-
versity-level athletes receive support in
ed in India, but they will need financial assis-
tance as well.
“Athletes need good support to perform
onds. The competition level in athletics is
very high. More than 200 countries partic-
ipate in athletics events. I have seen a rise in
sportspersons taking up athletics in the last
few years. Many national records have been
broken in the last few years. Neeraj Chopra
goalkeeper.
Kevin Lasagna twice dragged
efforts wide in the closing stages
as Udinese drew a blank, the
hosts managing just one shot on
target as they allowed Inter goal-
undergone an X-ray examina-
tion following an injury to his
left hand suffered in training,” a
statement published by Inter on
Monday read.
“Results showed a hairline

N ovak Djokovic put Roger Federer on notice as he

won his 17th Grand Slam title at the Australian
Open and warned he was going all-out for the Swiss’s
India,” said the 28-year-old.
Johnson said that the athletes will get
better with more tournaments being host-
well in world events. The Sports Authority
of India is trying to garner sponsorships for
athletes. The sportspersons at the universi-
(javelin thrower) has come up really well. The
sports culture in India has improved in the
last two-three years,” signed off Johnson.
keeper Daniele Padelli a comfort-
able outing while standing in for
the injured Samir Handanovic.
fracture to his little finger. His
condition will be reassessed on
a daily basis.”
record of 20 — and his mark for weeks as world num-
ber one.

Vinesh, Sindhu, Mary in race for BBC Sportswoman award

Djokovic, who came through a mid-match slump
to win his eighth title in Melbourne, is relentlessly tot-
ting up the victories that could soon end the debate over
who’s the greatest in history.
The five-set victory over Dominic Thiem was his
eighth in eight finals in Melbourne, putting him along- ?C8Q =4F34;78 which will be open till February Silver at the 2018 Jakarta Asian towards them and their lives there. That was the thought
side Federer and Nadal as the only men to win the same 18 on six BBC vernacular web- Games. beyond sport. A research is behind starting this award,” she
Slam eight times.
It makes Djokovic, 32, the first man in the Open
era, and only the second in history, to win Grand Slam
Sandtarbadminton
wrestler Vinesh Phogat,
queen PV Sindhu
boxing great MC Mary
sites.
Vinesh had won a Bronze at
the 2019 World Championship
Rupa Jha, the Head of BBC
Indian languages, informed that
the nominees were picked up by
being conducted on this, simul-
taneously,” she added.
Rupa said that in sports
said.
When a journalist asked
why Manasi was among able-
titles in three different decades — and as a not-insignif- Kom will compete for the inau- in Nur Sultan to secure a quota a panel of 40 eminent sports women’s journey is compara- bodied athletes, Rupa said “they
icant bonus, returns him to world number one. gural BBC Indian sportswoman for the Tokyo Olympics while journalists. tively tougher than their male have kept in mind only the spir-
In an ominous sign for his rivals, the Serb has start- of the year award after being Sindhu became the first Indian “We had asked our panel counterparts, so they thought of it of the sport while deciding
ed the year unbeaten with Wimbledon, the French Open, nominated for the honour with shuttler to become world cham- members to pick their candi- honouring their achievements. and no discrimination was
the Tokyo Olympics and the US Open all lying in front two other athletes. pion last year. dates. The five athletes who got “We feel that though, of late, made”.
of him as tantalising opportunities. Sprinter Dutee Chand and Manasi became a world the maximum number of votes, the media has started taking “I am very pleased to know
He is clear-sighted about his goals: overtaking para-badminton player Manasi champion after winning gold at were eventually selected as the interest in women athletes, still that I am nominated not in
Nadal’s 19 Major titles and Federer’s 20 to become the Joshi are the other nominees for the para world championship final nominees,” Rupa said they are not promoted as male para-athlete category but in
all-time Grand Slam king, and outdoing the Swiss mas- the award, the winner of which while Mary Kom is the only while addressing a press confer- athletes. Since 2000, of the 13 the able bodied, normal catego-
ter’s record 310 weeks in the top ranking. will be announced on March 8. Indian boxer to win eight world ence. Olympic medals, 5 are won by ry of sportswomen,” Manasi
Djokovic has so far clocked up 276 weeks as num- The winner will be decided medals, including six Gold. “We will cover their jour- women but we feel the recogni- was quoted as saying in a
ber one and could pass second-placed Pete Sampras’s on the basis of public voting, Dutee had won a 100m neys, the societal attitude tion they should have got, is not release.
286 in April, and Federer’s 310 on October 5.

“Obviously at this stage of my career, Grand Slams
are the ones I value the most. They are the ones I pri-
oritise,” said Djokovic, adding “there’s a lot of history
on the line”.
“Grand Slams are one of the main reasons why I
am still competing and still playing full season, trying
to obviously get the historic number one (record). That’s
the other big goal,” he said.
‘HUGE WIN’
With five Major titles in just over two years, and
unbeaten by Nadal and Federer at the Grand Slams since
2014, there’s no question who’s now the leading mem-
ber of the Big Three.
The latest rankings tell the story at the top of men’s
tennis: Djokovic is number one, Nadal, one year older
at 33, is second and 38-year-old Federer is a relatively
distant third.
Seven-time Major winner Mats Wilander said
Djokovic’s win in Melbourne sets a marker for a year
in which he could sweep all before him.
“At the end of the year, we could have two players
on 20 or two on 19 or even more because Novak can
win all four,” he said.
“This is a huge win for him going forwards. A loss
here would have been very difficult to get confidence
and come back.
“But the door is open for him to start climbing
through it and talk about being the greatest ever.”
0DQSUHHWOHDGV,QGLDDJDLQVW%HOJLXP
=4F 34;78) Manpreet Singh will lead tunities for Olympic selection, working
India in the upcoming FIH Pro League out our strongest combinations and con-
matches against world No 1 Belgium, a tinuing to demonstrate that we can com-
24-member team for which was pete with the best teams in the world.”
announced on Monday and includes a Reid added, “Raj Kumar Pal has
lone newcomer in Raj Kumar Pal. been rewarded for his outstanding form
Harmanpreet Singh will do duty as in the recent camps and named in the
the vice captain in the matches taking squad. He possesses extra-ordinary
place on February 8 and 9 at the Kalinga skills and speed, which if given the
Stadium in Bhubaneswar. opportunity will excel against the World
Raj Kumar Pal was impressive in his No 1 Belgium.”
stint with the India Colts team in the past TEAM: PR Sreejesh, Krishan Bahadur
season when it won a silver medal at the Pathak, Harmanpreet Singh, Gurinder
Sultan of Johor Cup in Malaysia. Singh, Amit Rohidas, Surender Kumar,
The seasoned P R Sreejesh, Krishan Jarmanpreet Singh, Rupinder Pal Singh,
Pathak, Gurinder Singh, Amit Rohidas, Manpreet Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad,
Surender Kumar, Jarmanpreet Singh, Chinglensana Singh, Raj Kumar Pal,
Rupinder Pal Singh are also part of the Dilpreet Singh, Hardik Singh,
squad. Ramandeep Singh, Lalit Kumar
Chief coach Graham Reid said, Upadhyay, Mandeep Singh, Shamsher
“The objective of these matches of the Singh, Gursahibjit Singh, Kothajit Singh
FIH Hockey Pro League is to find the Kadangbam, Birendra Lakra, Nilakanta
balance between giving players oppor- Sharma, Gurjant Singh, SV Sunil. PTI