NEW DELHI/METRO
Tuesday, September 29, 2020
n VOL. XCVI NO. 233
Farm protest spills over
Charred remains of a tractor
that was set on fire at Rajpath
by Youth Congress activists on
Monday to protest against the
new farm laws . PTI
Related story on page 8
Not being risk-averse in
face of Covid crisis: FM
R Sukumar
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: Finance minister
Nirmala Sitharaman said she is
not being “risk averse” in her
response to coping with the eco-
nomic impact of the Covid-19
pandemic and the 68-day lock-
down imposed to slow its
spread, which saw India’s econ-
omy come to a near-complete
halt for part of the first quarter
of 2020-21.
She added that she has no
option but to increase govern-
ment spending. “After all,
among the four engines that
support the economy, three
have come to a complete stand-
still. It is public expenditure
which has to do the heavy lift-
ing.” The government’s borrow-
ing calendar that has already
been announced indicates as
much, Sitharaman said. The
government has already raised
Woman dragged off bike by
snatchers, nearly run over
HT Correspondent
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI : A 50-year-old
woman was dragged off a two-
wheeler, and thrown on to a
busy intersection even as vehi-
cles zipped past her, by snatch-
ers who violently tugged off her
gold chain and drove away on
their motorbike.
The woman, who works in a
hospital, was left with a fracture
in one arm, injuries to her head
and knees, and may lose the use
of her left ear because of the fall,
said her husband, who was rid-
ing the motorcycle on which she
was riding pillion at the time of
the incident near Kashmere Gate
on Friday night.
Pramila Singh continues to be
in hospital at Sushruta Trauma
Centre in Civil Lines, and doctors
{ US PRESIDENTIAL RACE } PERSONAL FINANCE
Trump paid $750 in taxes in 2016, 2017: Report
Agencies
letters@hindustantimes.com
WASHINGTON: President Donald
Trump paid just $750 in federal
income taxes in both 2016 and
2017, after years of reporting
heavy losses from his business
enterprises to offset hundreds of
millions of dollars in income, the
New York Times reported on
Sunday, citing tax-return data.
In a report that Trump dis-
missed as “fake news”, the Times
said the Republican President
also paid no federal income
taxes in 10 of the previous 15
years through 2017, despite
Amarinder’s attack
Punjab CM Amarinder Singh said
his government will approach the
SC against the new farm laws and
warned that Pakistan’s ISI could
exploit the farmers’ anger.
{ HT INTERVIEW } NIRMALA SITHARAMAN
{ NIRMALA SITHARAMAN } FINANCE MINISTER
P one more stimulus. “One more
I am open to one
more support
(stimulus) if
necessary. We are
exchanging a lot of
thoughts...
A
its gross market borrowing tar-
get for the year to ₹12 lakh crore
from the ₹7.8 lakh crore
announced in the Union Budget
in February. Debt market ana-
lysts expect a further increase in
this to ₹13 lakh crore.
The government’s relief pack-
THE 50-YR-OLD
WAS LEFT WITH A
FRACTURE IN ONE
ARM, INJURIES TO
HER HEAD AND
KNEES, AND
EAR DAMAGE
say her condition is now stable.
“But doctors have told us that
she may have suffered perma-
nent damage to her left ear,” Sur-
ender Singh said.
The two motorbike-borne
attackers are yet to be identified,
police said.
Pramila is a Grade IV health
worker at the Girdhar Lal Mater-
nity Hospital in Kamla Market,
and her husband is a supervisor
with the Delhi Jal Board. The
IN 2017, TRUMP PAID
OVER $145,000 IN
TAXES IN INDIA,
MUCH HIGHER
THAN WHAT HE
PAID IN THE US
receiving $427.4 million through
2018 from his reality television
programme, and other endorse-
ment and licensing deals.
The disclosure of previously
private tax information came lit-
tle more than a month before the
November 3 election between
Trump and Democrat Joe Biden.
Sonia’s ‘negate’ call
Sonia Gandhi asked states ruled
by the Congress to explore the
possibility to pass laws under
Article 254(2) of the Constitution
to “negate” central laws.
age announced in May has been
criticised for not having an ade-
quate direct fiscal stimulus
component and not doing
enough to spur demand, but in
an interview to HT, the finance
minister said that she believes it
does enough for both supply
crime occurred at around
8.45pm on Friday, when Suren-
der was taking his wife to the
hospital for night duty.
“We were on Ring Road, and
close to Nigambodh Ghat. Two
men on a motorcycle pulled over
close to us. The pillion rider vio-
lently tugged at my wife’s neck to
snatch her gold chain,” said Sur-
ender. The violent jerks as his
wife tried to fend off the attack-
ers made Surender lose balance
after which Pramila fell on the
road. Surender said his wife had
a close shave as other passing
vehicles swerved to avoid her,
some barely avoiding running
her over as she lay bleeding in
the middle of the road.
DCP (North) Anto Alphonse
said a case of theft and “assault
in attempt to commit theft” has
been registered. →P4
Democrats were quick to seize
on the report to paint Trump as a
tax dodger and raise questions
about his carefully groomed
image as a savvy businessman.
During his first two years as
President, Trump received $73
million from foreign operations,
which in addition to his golf
properties in Scotland and Ire-
land included $3 million from
the Philippines and $2.3 million
from India.
The President in 2017 paid
$145,400 in taxes in India and
$156,824 in the Philippines, com-
pared to just $750 in US income
taxes. The Times said the tax
BJP hits back
The BJP attacked the Congress
over the burning of a tractor near
India Gate, saying it “shamed” the
country with its “drama” aimed at
publicity.
and demand. Still, she admitted,
she has been receiving feedback
from industry on the need for
may be needed is what we are
hearing from the people who
interact with us, and we are try-
ing to see what it is that we can
do.” Sitharaman said, like she
has several times in the past,
that she is open to providing
more support but declined to
get into details of when this
might be forthcoming. “There’s
no point in me hurriedly getting
something out.”
She also refused to get into a
continued on →13
FULL INTERVIEW →P9
wREAD: Nirmala
takes on Oppn
over criticism in Parliament
DELAYING EXAM
IMPOSSIBLE, UPSC
TELLS TOP COURT
NEW DELHI: With just a few days
to go for Civil Services Prelimi-
nary Examination, scheduled for
October 4, the Union Public Ser-
vice Commission (UPSC) told the
Supreme Court on Monday that
delaying the test further was
“impossible”.
Responding to a plea by 20
aspirants who want the exami-
nation postponed in the wake of
the Covid-19 pandemic and
floods in some states, the UPSC
counsel told the court: “The
examination was to be con-
ducted on May 31...Any further
deferment will scuttle the
appointment process.” →P15
READ: Scan
the QR code
to access the
digital version
of today’s
edition
records did not reveal any unre-
ported connections to Russia.
Later in the day, Trump also
said he paid “many millions of
dollars in taxes” but was entitled
to depreciation and tax credits,
adding: “I am extremely under
leveraged - I have very little debt
compared to the value of assets.”
Trump’s consistent refusal to
release his taxes has been a
departure from standard prac-
tice for presidential candidates.
He is currently in a legal battle
with New York City prosecutors
and congressional Democrats
who are seeking to obtain his
returns. →P17
 NEW DELHI
TUESDAY
SEPTEMBER 29, 2020

Number Theory
The GST compensation
cess payment debate
By Roshan Kishore
The Centre has expressed its inability to immediately compensate the states for an expected
shortfall of Rs 2.35 lakh crore, which they are constitutionally entitled to, although it has committed
to paying the money after the compensation cess is extended. The states have been asked to borrow
(to make good either the shortfall in compensation arising from GST implementation or the overall
shortfall), but the controversy has given fiscal federalism a jolt. At the root of this crisis are three
factors. The first is the structural deceleration in the Indian economy along with a fall in tax
buoyancy. The pandemic’s economic shock has only made things worse. The second is a growing
w
READ: To read
the full version
squeeze on states’ share in central taxes. These two factors have been compounded by an ongoing of this story
on the web,
political struggle between the centralisation that has been unleashed in India’s polity due to the scan this
continuously growing political capital of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the insecurity it has QR code
generated among the non-BJP state governments.

Falling tax buoyancy has compounded the

1 growth problem’s revenue impact
Data from Controller General of Accounts
(CGA), which works under the ministry of TAX BUOYANCY IN INDIA
finance, shows that tax buoyancy in India Nominal GDP growth (%) Tax buoyancy
went into negative territory in 2019-20.
This is a first since 1962-63. Tax buoyancy
is the ratio of change in the Centre’s gross 20
19.9 0.20
total revenue and change in GDP. So, a
negative tax buoyancy in a period of
positive GDP growth implies that taxes 16 0.16
actually fell even though GDP was rising.
Tax buoyancy has fallen sharply between 0.13
2017-18 and 2019-20. It was 0.16 in 2016-17, 12 0.12
0.12 in 2017-18, 0.09 in 2018-19 and -0.05 in
2019-20. The sharp fall in tax buoyancy,
when read with the equally sharp fall in 8 7.2 0.08
nominal growth – the last few budgets
have been grossly overestimating this –
has only compounded the slowdown’s 4 0.04
revenue impact.
This matters because over-optimistic
projections of tax buoyancy and nominal 0 0.00
growth lead to higher revenue projections,
and therefore a higher revenue share for -0.05-0.04
state governments. When these
projections do not materialise, states face
2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20
a retrospective hit in their receivables.
Tax buoyancy is the ratio of change in gross tax revenue and nominal GDP between two periods

The Centre has passed on a greater burden

2 of the tax shortfall to states
India’s constitutional framework provides for a
rules-based distribution of tax revenues STATES’ SHARE IN CENTRAL TAXES
between the Centre and the states. The
revenue-sharing formula is updated every five NEVER REACHED 42%
years by the Finance Commission. The 14th
Finance Commission set the share of states in States' share in Centre's gross total revenues (%)
central taxes at 42%. This promise has not been
realised. States’ share reached a peak of 36.6% in 40
2018-19 and has fallen sharply since.

Why has this happened? 35

The Centre does not share cess and surcharges

with states. Over time, the share of these 30
heads has been rising in central taxes. 32.4
Research by ICICI Securities PD shows that it 25
was less than 10% in 2014-15, but has gradually
increased to 15% in 2019-20. A more granular
analysis shows that the Centre’s tax policy
works with this objective in mind.
20
17
RBI’s report on state finances gives the share 15
of states in different central taxes. In 2019-20
(Budget Estimates), states received the 10
smallest sharer in Union excise duties (14.5%)
1961-62 2020-21
collected by the Centre. Their receivable share
was greater for other taxes. It was 34.5% for 2019-20 and 2020-21 figures are Revised Estimates and Budget Estimates
corporate tax, 40.3% for income tax and 34.7%
for custom duties.
Corporate tax collections took the biggest hit
in 2019-20, thanks to the sharp reduction in CUMULATIVE COLLECTION UP BETWEEN
tax rates announced in September last year.
The government slashed corporate tax rates APRIL-JULY ’20 AS % OF APRIL-JULY ’19
for domestic manufacturers from 30% to 22%,
while for new manufacturing companies, the April-July 2019 April-July 2020 ( crore)
rate was reduced from 25% to 15% provided
they did not claim any exemptions. This was
expected to lead to a revenue loss of 1.45
lakh crore. The actual shortfall, according to
Controller General of Accounts numbers, 88,381 53,724 128,752 91,244 51,719 23,747
turned out to be 2.09 lakh crore.
This decision is in sharp contrast to the present
tax policy, where the Centre has announced a
large hike in excise duty on petrol and diesel.
An HT analysis had found that between April 1 Corporation Tax Income Tax Customs
and July 1, the share of central and state taxes
in petrol and diesel prices in Delhi increased
from 45% to 63% for diesel and 54% to 64%
for petrol. Central taxes per litre were almost
twice state taxes. Because the additional duty
is not meant to be shared with the states, the 210,326 137,804 54,844 67,895
Centre will keep all the windfall revenue gains
from fall in international crude prices. Tax
collection data from CGA shows that Union
excise duties are the only tax component
which shows an increase in cumulative
GST Union Excise Duties
collections up to July in the current fiscal year
compared to a year ago. Source: CMIE, Ministry of Finance

Politics will present a challenge to

3 India’s fiscal federalism framework
All along, one of the key constituents of the
BJP’s political strategy has been to portray
the Narendra Modi government as the sole
harbinger of welfare benefits. This has
helped the BJP in squeezing its opponents in
national elections. The biggest proof of this
success can be seen in the vote share
premium the BJP enjoys in national elections
in comparison to state elections. A recent
paper by Yamini Aiyar and Neelanjan Sircar
attributes this to three factors: the Modi
government putting into place an
administrative environment where state
governments, and therefore regional parties,
are not seen as critical for delivery of welfare
benefits; a technology-enabled welfare
regime which claims to be more efficient and
also leads to further centralisation of welfare
handouts; and the use of ground-level BJP
cadre to popularise these schemes, and, by
extension the Prime Minister’s popularity.
The BJP’s political offensive on state
governments led by other parties, when read
with stylised facts on the state of fiscal
federalism – states’ share in central taxes
never reached the promised 42%, it has fallen
sharply in the recent past, and they are now
staring at the Centre delaying guaranteed
GST compensation payments – is bound to
vitiate political trust rather than create an
amicable environment for solving what is
now a deep-rooted crisis. This will only
render the challenge of preserving India’s
fiscal federalism framework, both in letter
and spirit, more difficult.
hindustantimes.com NEW DELHI/METRO
f @hindustantimes t @httweets i @hindustantimes l @hindustantimes
n VOL.XCVI NO. 233 n PRICE ₹5.00/WITH HINDUSTAN ₹ 9.00 (₹ 7.50 IN FARIDABAD)/WITH MINT ₹ 9.50 n 21 PAGES + 3 PAGES OF HT CITY. AREA
SPECIFIC PAGES EXTRA.
Tuesday, September 29, 2020

{ ACQUISITION } GOVT-TO-GOVT, SINGLE-VENDOR

China takes 1959 line

RBI POSTPONES
MPC MEETING
AS KEY POSTS
REMAIN VACANT
Gopika Gopakumar
gopika.g@livemint.com
MUMBAI: The Reserve Bank of
India (RBI) on Monday abruptly
postponed a meeting of its mon-
etary policy committee (MPC),
scheduled to begin on Tuesday,
puzzling a market waiting for its
views on growth and inflation.
“The meeting of the Monetary
Policy Committee (MPC)... is
being rescheduled. The dates of
the MPC’s meeting will be
announced shortly,” an RBI
statement said, without ascrib-
ing any reason for the postpone-
ment.
The rescheduling comes at a
time the strength of the six-
member MPC is down to half,
after the four-year tenure of its
three external members ended
in August. “Till Sunday, RBI was
expecting an announcement
from the government and was
scheduled to hold the MPC meet-
ing as planned,” an official said.
There were expectations the
meeting would offer inflation
and growth projections for the
first time since February, reveal-
ing RBI’s view of the extent of the
current slowdown. “Such a post-
ponement doesn’t send a good
signal to the market,” said A Pra-
sanna, chief economist, ICICI
Securities Primary Dealership,
adding that it would have been a
good occasion for RBI to give
clarity on liquidity and open
market operations.
on perception of LAC
Experts say Beijing’s
position, which India
has rejected in the
past, suggests the
standoff is unlikely
to be resolved soon
Sutirtho Patranobis
spatranobis@htlive.com
BEIJING: China has said it abides
by the Line of Actual Control
(LAC) as proposed by Premier
Zhou Enlai to Prime Minister
Jawaharlal Nehru in a letter
dated November 7, 1959 — the
first time in decades that it has
clearly spelled out its stand on
the notional Sino-India bound-
ary by reiterating a position that
New Delhi has consistently
rejected since it was first made
61 years ago.
Beijing’s position, in an exclu-
sive statement to HT amid the
ongoing border friction in east-
ern Ladakh, is a reiteration of
the long-existing differences on
the boundary question and a
sign that the ongoing military
standoff is unlikely to be
resolved soon.
In the statement in Mandarin,
the Chinese foreign ministry,
while blaming the Indian Army
for the ongoing tension since
May and for the June 15 clash in
Historical differences
For the first time in decades, the Chinese govt has
referred to its definition of the Line of Actual Control
(LAC) that it had proposed in 1959.
An Apache helicopter belonging to the Indian Air Force
seen in the Ladakh region earlier this month.
The definition of LAC is a point of contention as both sides have separate understanding of it. The
months-long border standoff in eastern Ladakh is the latest consequence of the historical dispute.
the international community
including India are also clear
about it,” the ministry said on
Friday.
REUTERS
key to disengagement between
the two armies is India’s with-
drawal of all illegal cross-border
personnel and equipment,” it
Offset system out of
direct defence deals
Rahul Singh
rahul.singh@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: In a significant
departure from India’s existing
weapon-buying procedures, a
new policy announced on Mon-
day has done away with offsets
THE 1959 CLAIM in government-to-government
deals and single-vendor con-
In a letter to then PM Jawaharlal
tracts for purchasing military
Nehru, former Chinese Premier
Zhou Enlai proposed in 1959 that
equipment on the grounds that
forces of the two countries this has not resulted in bringing
withdraw 20km from the cutting-edge technology into the
“McMahon line in the east, and country, a top official said.
from the line up to which each This overrides the offset pol-
side exercises actual control in icy that required foreign vendors
the west”. to invest in the country to boost
indigenous capabilities at least
INDIA'S REJECTIONS 30% (it could go up to 50%) of the
l New Delhi had then, and value of all contracts worth
several times after, disagreed more than ₹300 crore awarded
with China. to them.
l In 1963, Nehru told China The scope of the offset policy
“there is no sense or meaning” will now be confined only to mil-
in Beijing’s offer to withdraw itary contracts that involve com-
from what it called the LAC. petitive bidding, said director
l In 1993, the term LAC was used
general (acquisition) Apurva
in the Sino-India 'Agreement on
Chandra during a presentation
the Maintenance of Peace and
on the new Defence Acquisition
Tranquility along the LAC in the
India-China Border Areas' but Procedure-2020. The DAP-2020,
India insisted the phrase not be
defined as per China's 1959 claim.
Tracking the virus
WORLD
sis, when the Chinese foreign 33,393,311 CASES
ministry spokesperson Hua Chu-
nying spoke of the “1959 LAC” 1,003,567 DEATHS
while blaming Indian troops for
THE SCOPE OF THE
OFFSET POLICY
WILL NOW BE
eral offset contracts built into
multiple defence deals had failed
to bring in high-end military
technology into the country. The
CONFINED ONLY critical observations were part of
TO CONTRACTS CAG’s scrutiny of the status of a
raft of offset contracts — includ-
THAT INVOLVE ing the September 2016 Rafale
COMPETITIVE deal — between 2005 and 2018.
Commenting on the ₹59,000-
BIDDING crore Rafale deal, the top auditor
said that the plane’s maker Das-
cleared by defence minister Raj- sault Aviation and weapons-sup-
nath Singh on Monday, will be plier MBDA had not confirmed
effective from October 1. the transfer of technology to the
“No offset contract has led to Defence Research and Develop-
transfer of technology into the ment Organisation (DRDO),
country, with the scope being which was part of the offset con-
limited to product purchase as tract.
pointed out by the Comptroller “DRDO wanted to obtain
and Auditor General in a recent Technical Assistance for the
report. There will be no offsets in indigenous development of
intergovernmental agreements, engine (Kaveri) for the Light
government-to-government Combat Aircraft. Till date the
deals and ab initio single-vendor Vendor has not confirmed the
cases,” Chandra said. transfer of this technology,” said
This appeared to echo and the report.
address concerns raised in a CAG also sharply criticised
Comptroller and Auditor Gen- foreign vendors who made sev-
eral (CAG) report tabled in Par- eral offset commitments to qual-
liament last week that said sev- continued on →18
INDIA DELHI
CASES DEATHS
6,142,995 96,354 CASES 273,098 (+1,984)
(+69,685) (+787) DEATHS 5,272
(+37)
CASES LAST 5 DAYS
WORST-HIT STATES

w eastern Ladakh’s Galwan valley, “However, ever since this added. a scuffle with Chinese soldiers United States Rest of the Maharashtra 1,351,153 3,834 3,827
said the clash was an “unfortu- year, the Indian Army has con- It’s the first time in recent near Pangong lake in Ladakh in 7,328,926 world Andhra Pradesh 3,372 3,292
681161
nate” event. tinued to arrive and illegally years that Beijing has said in August that year. 26,064,385 Tamil Nadu 586397 1,984
READ: We are “Firstly, China-India border cross the border, unilaterally unequivocal terms that it still India has repeatedly and con- Karnataka 582458
battle-ready for LAC is very clear, that is the LAC expanding the scope of actual goes by the 1959 LAC. It did, sistently rejected China’s allega- Uttar Pradesh 390,875
recovery, says RBI governor on November 7, 1959. China control. This is the source of ten- however, make a passing refer- tions that Indian troops crossed Sep 24 25 26 27 28
India data compiled by covid19india.org and cross-checked from inputs by HT’s correspondents and news agencies
announced it in the 1950s, and sion on the border issues. The ence during the 2017 Doklam cri- continued on →18
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something exciting, thrilling and engaging to represent it.”
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02 NEW DELHI
TUESDAY
SEPTEMBER 29, 2020

Page One Plus

{ MY INDIA } CBI ON SUSHANT CASE { MY DELHI } MANHUNT ON { WORLD } DECADES-OLD CONFLICT { MY INDIA } J&K { MY DELHI } UBER DATA

‘Nothing ruled out, Cop shoots woman, Several killed in Armenia, SC to hear plea on People in Delhi took
probing all angles’ kills father-in-law Azerbaijan border clash Mufti’s detention 1mn rides per week

The CBI on Monday said that it has not ruled out
any angle in its probe into the death of actor Sushant
Singh Rajput, asserting that all aspects are being
investigated. “The CBI is conducting a professional
investigation... in which all aspects are being looked
at and no aspect has been ruled out as of date,” CBI
spokesperson RK Gaur said, days after Rajput’s
family expressed displeasure over the pace of the
probe. Last week, Rajput’s lawyer alleged that the
central agency’s investigation was drifting in a
different direction. →P12
A Delhi Police sub-inspector shot dead his 62-
year-old father-in-law in Rohtak’s Bhainsi village on
Monday morning, nearly 12 hours after he shot at a
woman friend in Delhi’s Alipur. Both Haryana and
Delhi Police have launched a manhunt. Officials said
Sandeep Dahiya was in a relationship with the
woman for over a year. According to the woman,
who is recovering, Dahiya shot her after an argument
and that he had strained relations with his wife. The
sub-inspector’s wife also alleged Sandeep had illicit
relations with her sister-in-law. →P6
Armenian and Azerbaijani forces fought over Nagorno-Karabakh
for a second day on Monday, with both sides blaming each other for
resuming the attacks that reportedly killed and wounded dozens. The
Azerbaijani government claimed Armenian forces shelled the town of
Tartar, while Armenian officials said the fighting continued overnight
and Baku resumed “offensive operations” in the morning. The heavy
fighting broke out on Sunday in the region that lies within Azerbaijan
but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces since 1994. AP
The Supreme Court will hear on Tuesday a plea
seeking the release of former Jammu and Kashmir
chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, who has been under
detention since August 5 last year, when the Centre
revoked the special status of the erstwhile state,
reported news agency ANI. The habeas corpus
petition, filed by Mufti’s daughter Iltija, earlier this
month challenges her mother’s detention under the
Public Safety Act (PSA). The former CM is currently
lodged in her Gupkar home, which has been turned
into a sub-jail, where she was shifted on April 27. HTC
Ride-hailing company Uber said on Monday that
Delhi-NCR ranked among its top 10 markets globally
based on the number of trips taken in the month of
September, with people in the national capital and its
adjoining cities taking more than a million rides each
week. “As Delhi residents resume travel after the
lengthy lockdown, Uber data reveals that cars have
emerged as the most preferred mode of commuting,
followed closely by low cost products such as Auto
and Moto,” according to a statement quoted by news
agency PTI. PTI

{ LOAN REPAYMENT } KEY DECISION { CHANGING SEASONS } TRACKING THE RAIN

Govt to take call on

moratorium interest Mapping the monsoon
By Jayashree Nandi
soon, mkts see hope The monsoon has begun withdrawing from India, starting with the country’s northwest. This year’s rains have
THE UNION GOVT been uneven, with some regions recording a large deficiency in the latter half.
TOLD THE COURT STATUS CHECK Large deficient -99% to -60% Deficient -59% to -20% Normal -19% to 19% Excess 20% to 59% Large excess 60% or more
Japnam Bindra THAT IT WILL SEND
AN AFFIDAVIT BY
japnam.b@livemint.com

NEW DELHI : The Union govern-

OCTOBER 1 ON ITS JUNE 2020 JULY 2020 AUGUST 2020 SEPTEMBER 2020
ment told the Supreme Court on CALL REGARDING
Monday that it is likely to decide
within 2-3 days the issue of
whether people will need to pay
interest for the period during
INTEREST WAIVERS

hear all the submissions on the

17.6% Overall
India -9.7% Overall
India 26.6% Overall
India 7.6% Overall
India
which they used a repayment next date of hearing. The Solici-
moratorium for their loans, tor General was also directed to North West North West North West North West
which was announced as a serve a copy of his affidavit upon India India India India
measure to mitigate financial
hardship due to the Covid-19
all appearing parties in the mat-
ter. 3.5% -25.7% 4.8% -45.3%
lockdown. The top court bench, headed
The court granted more time by Justice Ashok Bhushan and
to the Centre, the Reserve Bank comprising Justices R Subhash
of India (RBI), and banks to file Reddy and MR Shah, on Septem-
their replies on an issue that was ber 3 passed an interim direction
brought to court as a clutch of holding that the accounts not
petitions seeking waiver of declared as non-performing
accrual of interest for the loan asset (NPA) as on August 31 shall
moratorium period. The case not be declared as NPAs till fur- East and East and East and East and
was adjourned till October 5 and ther orders. The interim order North East North East North East North East
the Centre said it will file its
reply by October 1.
had been extended on the last
date of hearing. 15.7% Central South
9.2% Central South
-19.1% Central South
28.3%
Shares rose on Monday, led by On September 10, the court Central South
banking stocks on hopes that the granted the Centre, the RBI and India Peninsula India Peninsula India Peninsula India Peninsula
government may offer support
and infuse some capital into the
banks two weeks to work
together and file a concrete reply 30.5% 7.7% -22% 16.2% 61.2% 35.4% -8.1% 70%
sector, with gains in global mar- on their stand on waiving inter-
kets also aiding investor senti- est charged during the loan mor-
ment. atorium and related issues. The
The broader NSE Nifty 50 court had ordered the interim KEY EVENTS WHAT HAPPENS “We are expecting monsoon to withdraw from
index rose 1.6% to 11,227.55 and
the S&P BSE Sensex climbed
extension of the loan morato-
rium till September 28, directing l Floods in l Large l Five low l Apart from
DURING WITH- Delhi by October 1. The sky will be clear, not
1.6% to 37,981.63. banks not to tag any loans as Assam, deficiency in pressure areas northeast DRAWAL cloudy. Humidity will be 60% to 70% maximum.
“Expectations of a stimulus non-performing till further other parts core monsoon in August over India, flash l Winds change from All of this week, we are expecting maximum to
package from the (Indian) gov- orders. of northeast zone as no Bay of Bengal, floods in south, southeast
ernment are also helping,” said The court had also noted that be around 37 to 38 degree C and then reduce
India and low-pressure causing 24% Konkan, direction to west,
Aamar Deo Singh, head advi- an expert committee had been
Bihar in June area develops excess rain -- Mumbai, northwest gradually from next week,”
sory, Angel Broking, according constituted to look into all the
to Reuters. issues and action will be taken over Bay of highest since Gujarat, l Humidity levels in -Kuldeep Shrivastava, head, regional weather
“Markets have bounced back by the government. Bengal in July 1983 Telangana the air drop forecasting centre.
from important technical levels. Petitioner Gajendra Sharma
10,800 was an important techni- submitted that the interest
cal support level and a lot of would continue to accrue during
short covering has also hap- the moratorium, which ulti-
pened,” Singh added. mately the borrower would have
Solicitor general Tushar to pay. The petition contended { CHINESE APPS UNDER SCRUTINY } NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERN
Mehta, appearing for the Centre that no interest should be { ALEXEI NAVALNY } RUSSIAN DISSIDENT
in the court, submitted that the
government was at a very
advanced stage in its decision-
making process on the morato-
rium period interest issue. He
charged during the moratorium
because people are facing
“extreme hardship”. It also
stated that paying additional
interest on top of regular EMIs
P
Grateful to
US court blocks Trump’s
sought some more time to place
on record the details of actions
to be taken by the government.
Senior advocate Rajiv Dutta,
would be difficult. The Centre
recently told the court waiver of
interest on deferred EMIs during
moratorium period would be
Chancellor [Angela]
Merkel for visiting ban on TikTok downloads
representing the petitioners, against “the basic canons of
me in hospital Bloomberg tion”, but much of that filing was

opposed the adjournment and
said the case must be heard and
listed at the earliest. The bench
said that it will consider and
The world’s a stage
The stage awaits the first presidential debate between US President Donald Trump, and
Democratic nominee Joe Biden in Cleveland, Ohio. The two leaders will square off for 90 minutes
in their first debate on Tuesday, weeks ahead of the November election.
A
finance” and unfair to those who
repaid loans as per schedule. Story on page 17
(With Reuters inputs)
PD VAGHELA
NAMED NEW TRAI
CHIEF, SUCCEEDS
RS SHARMA
Press Trust of India
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: Senior bureaucrat
PD Vaghela was on Monday
appointed as chairman of the
Telecom Regulatory Authority
of India (TRAI), according to a
Personnel Ministry order issued
on Monday.
Vaghela, a 1986-batch IAS
officer of Gujarat cadre, is cur-
rently secretary, Department of
Pharmaceuticals. He has been
appointed as the TRAI chief for
three years or till he turns 65,
according to the order.
The senior bureaucrat was
due to retire on Wednesday.
He will succeed RS Sharma,
who completes his tenure on
Wednesday.
In 2015, Sharma was
appointed chairman of the tele-
com regulator for three years
and in August 2018, his term
REUTERS
was extended till September 30,
2020.
letters@hindustantimes.com
WASHINGTON: President Donald
Trump’s ban on TikTok was tem-
porarily blocked by a federal
judge, dealing a blow to the gov-
ernment in its showdown with
the popular Chinese-owned app
that it says threatens national
security.
After an unusual Sunday
morning hearing, US District
Judge Carl Nichols granted a
preliminary injunction against
the ban on new downloads of the
video-sharing network, which
would have gone into effect at
11:59pm in Washington. The
judge declined to grant an
injunction on a separate set of
prohibitions scheduled for
November 12 that are designed
to further curb the app’s use in
the US.
TikTok’s owner, ByteDance
Ltd, requested the hold after the
President ordered the app out of
American stores unless the com-
pany sold a stake in its US opera-
tions to a domestic buyer. The
ban would have removed TikTok
from stores run by Apple Inc and
Google’s Android, the most
widely used marketplaces for
apps. People who didn’t yet have
the app wouldn’t have been able
to get it, and those who already
had it wouldn’t have access to
updates needed to ensure its safe
and smooth operation. TikTok
has been downloaded by more
than 100 million Americans.
TikTok’s office in Culver City, California.
“We’re pleased that the court
agreed with our legal arguments
and issued an injunction pre-
venting the implementation of
the TikTok app ban,” the com-
pany said in a statement.
“We will continue defending
our rights for the benefit of our
community and employees. At
the same time, we will also
maintain our ongoing dialogue
with the government to turn our
proposal, which the President
gave his preliminary approval to
last weekend, into an agree-
ment.”
Vanessa Pappas, TikTok’s gen-
eral manager, also tweeted sup-
port for the judge’s decision.
It’s the second legal ruling
against the Trump administra-
tion’s efforts to crack down on
popular apps with Chinese own-
AFP
ers. Trump has called for bans
on both TikTok and WeChat,
owned by China’s Tencent Hold-
ings Ltd, arguing that the apps
could give China’s government
access to millions of Americans’
personal data. WeChat users
won a court injunction against a
ban last week. The bans are part
of an increasingly hard line
Trump has taken on Beijing as
the election approaches.
The TikTok order was issued
with a sealed opinion, so the rea-
sons for the judge’s ruling
weren’t immediately available.
The judge asked both parties to
submit filings by 11am on Mon-
day to say whether the opinion
should be unsealed. The govern-
ment submitted sealed papers
on Friday that it said contained
“confidential business informa-
later released with minor redac-
tions. The judge also ordered
both parties to submit a joint
proposed schedule for further
hearings “on or before” Septem-
ber 30.
“The government will comply
with the injunction and has
taken immediate steps to do so,
but intends to vigorously defend
the E.O. and the secretary’s
implementation efforts from
legal challenges,” the Commerce
Department said in a statement,
referring to the President’s exec-
utive order.
A Treasury Department
spokesperson noted that the
November sale deadline remains
in effect. If the government
chooses to appeal the decision, it
would go to the US Court of
Appeals for the District of
Columbia Circuit, one level
below the Supreme Court.
ByteDance is fighting the
Trump administration in court
even as it pursues its approval
for the sale of a stake in the US
business to Oracle Corp and
Walmart Inc. The ruling on Sun-
day doesn’t affect a November 12
deadline for the sale.
Even as the sale of TikTok is
still awaiting final US approvals,
two of China’s state-backed
media mouthpieces last week
denounced the deal. On Monday,
Chinese foreign ministry spokes-
person Wang Wenbin said that
Beijing opposes “the US abusing
the concept of national security”.
 03
WOMAN FOUND
DEAD WITH
THROAT SLIT IN
MOHAN GARDEN
HT Correspondent
htreporters@hindustantimes.com

NEW DELHI: A 26-year-old

woman was found murdered
with her throat slit and multiple
stab wounds in her abdomen at
her in-laws’ home in outer
Delhi’s Mohan Garden near Ran-
hola on Saturday, police said.
A case of murder was regis-
tered at the Ranhola police sta-
tion and the matter is being
probed, officers associated with
the case said.
“The first information report
(FIR) was registered under Sec-
tion 302 (murder) of the Indian
Penal Code. Our probe is on,”
said deputy commissioner of
police (outer) A Koan.
The woman identified by her
first name Manisha was married
to Pankaj (first name) four
months ago. The couple lived on
the ground floor of a building,
the first floor of which is occu-
pied by Pankaj’s brother and his
family. Pankaj is a mechanic
and repairs cluster buses.
A senior police officer said
Manisha’s body was discovered
by her husband around 10pm,
when he returned home after
work. The husband told the
police that he had left home for
work around 9.30 am, leaving
his wife alone at home.
According to Pankaj, when he
returned home, he found the
main door bolted from inside.
But it did not make him suspi-
cious because he had asked his
wife to fasten the latch from
inside before going to sleep as he
usually returned home late.
“Pankaj unbolted the door by
reaching the latch through the
window. He went inside and
found his wife bleeding and
unconscious on the floor,” the
officer said.
Pankaj raised the alarm,
informed his brother and neigh-
bours before calling the police
control room. A police team
reached there and took Manisha
to a nearby hospital, where she
was declared brought dead.
Police spoke to Pankaj’s
brother and his family members.
But they claimed that since the
air cooler in their house was on,
they did not hear Manisha’s
screams. The neighbours also
did not hear anything.
“Prima facie, it appears that
the killer is known to the woman
as there was a friendly entry. The
suspect knew how to fasten the
main door’s rear latch through
the window. Nobody has been
given a clean chit, so far,” the
officer said.

CASTE-RELATED
CRIMES ON THE
RISE IN UP, SAYS
AAM AADMI PARTY
HT Correspondent
htreporters@hindustantimes.com

NEW DELHI: Delhi minister for

social welfare Rajendra Pal
Gautam and Aam Aadmi Party
(AAP) chief spokesperson Sau-
rabh Bharadwaj on Monday
condemned the sexual assault
on a 19-year-old girl at Hathras
district of Uttar Pradesh.
Talking about the incident in
which the Dalit girl was
assaulted by upper caste men,
Gautam said there has been a
“continuous rise” in the number
of crimes against Dalits and
Brahmins in UP.
Bharadwaj said under the
Yogi Adityanath government in
UP, the condition of Dalits and
Brahmins has deteriorated
drastically. He also said that
members of Thakur community
have been appointed to most of
the top positions since the CM
belongs to the same caste.
He said two other minor girls
were targeted in the same dis-
trict (Hathras) on August 24
and on August 14.
“Looking into the crimes that
are happening in Uttar Pradesh,
we have found that Scheduled
Castes and Tribes, OBCs and
Brahmins are constantly being
targeted. This is happening
because of the attitude of Uttar
Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi
Adityanath. The morale of the
people of a particular commu-
nity is high because whenever
the people associated with that
community commit any crime,
no action is taken against them.
A recent survey has shown 25%
of caste-related crimes are
reported from UP followed by
Madhya Pradesh. Both these
states are run by BJP. On the
other hand, in Congress-ruled
Rajasthan caste-related crimes
are also increasing,” he said.
Gautam said that all such
crimes should be stopped and
the government should be pro-
active in handling these cases.
Referring to the gang rape of
the 19-year-old girl, a senior UP
police officer said, “The police
have arrested all the four
accused named in the FIR. And
the victim is undergoing treat-
ment at Aligarh medical col-
lege.”
04
2 pull woman down from bike, flee with gold chain
Unsafe streets
Snatchers targeted a woman riding pillion on a bike on the busy
Ring Road, near Kashmere Gate ISBT. Experts say criminals are
on the prowl as police are busy with additional Covid duties
Two snatchers on bike rode close another motorcycle on which
the Pramila was riding pillion on the busy Ring Road near
Kashmere Gate ISBT. One of the snatchers tugged at her gold
chain. She tried to fend off the attackers but lost balance and
fell on the road. The snatchers fled with chain. One of them
glanced back, he was masked, wearing a handkerchief.
A man dressed as Yamraj — the god of death in Hindu mythology — during a special Delhi Police drive to raise awareness about the importance of wearing masks and
maintaining social distance at Connaught Place in New Delhi on Monday.
51k fined, ₹2.53cr collected
for violating Covid protocols
The government
deployed more than
180 teams across the
city’s 11 districts to
prosecute violators of
Covid-related norms
Sweta Goswami
sweta.goswami@htlive.com
NEW DELHI: The Delhi govern-
ment has so far issued more
than 51,600 challans and col-
lected around ₹2.53 crore in fine
from people for flouting Covid-19
safety rules even since a crack-
down began on violators on June
13, according to data shared by
officials on Monday.
Of this, ₹1.19 crore was col-
lected in just the past eight days,
from September 20 to 27.
The government deployed
more than 180 teams across the
city’s 11 districts to prosecute vio-
lators of Covid rules, the officials
said. These teams are in addition
to those stationed by police and
the three municipal corpora-
tions.
Data shared by the revenue
department showed that from
June 13 till September 17, a total
of 182 teams across 11 districts
prosecuted as many as 27,678
people for different violations
under five categories -- not wear-
ing a mask, no social distancing,
spitting in public, being part of
large gatherings and consuming
liquor or tobacco in public pla-
ces -- collecting ₹1.34 crore as
fine.
A separate data set shared by
the department showed that the
government intensified the drive
from September 20. Between
September 20 and 27, the gov-
ernment issued as many as
23,925 challans, including
22,570 for not wearing masks
and 1,050 for not maintaining
social distancing, amounting to a
total of Rs 1.19 crore in fine.
Five FIRs were also registered,
all on September 27.
No numbers were available
for two days -- September 18
and 19.
On June 13, lieutenant-gover-
nor Anil Baijal had empowered
enforcement officers to impose a
fine of Rs 500 each for flouting
these Covid management rules.
A Delhi government spokes-
person said majority of the pros-
ecutions are for not wearing
masks, followed by not main-
taining social distancing. “Apart
from enforcement officials, we
have deployed thousands of civil
defence volunteers across Delhi
to ensure Covid-19 social rules
are followed by people. These
volunteers do not have prosecu-
tion powers but since they are in
khaki uniform, their warnings
work to a large extent. A lot of
them have been deployed at
major bus stops in the city,” the
spokesperson said.
Till September 17, as many as
25,957 challans were issued for
not wearing masks, the highest
among all five categories.
This was followed by 1,140 for
not maintaining social
distancing and 501 for spitting in
public.
If seen district-wise, the west
district with 13 enforcement
teams made the maximum pros-
ecutions (5,650), till September
17.
Neha Bansal, district magis-
trate (west), said apart from con-
tainment activities, testing and
surveillance, the administration
increased its Covid-19 behaviour
activities with special focus on
hot spots. West Delhi has three
hot spots -- Paschim Vihar, Hari
Nagar and Tilak Nagar (includ-
ing Vishnu Garden).
The West district was fol-
lowed by Central district with
3,759 prosecutions and South-
west district with 5,650 challans
till September 17.
Dr Lalit Kant, former head of
epidemiology and infectious dis-
ease at ICMR said enforcement
should be further tightened.
“Checking should not only be
about whether masks are being
worn or not. It should also be on
checking if masks are being
worn the right way. The enforce-
ment teams need to be trained
accordingly for this,” he said.
From ISBT
Kashmere
Gate
INCIDENT
SPOT Yamuna
Public river
Kashmere food
Gate shelter
To
Ring Nigam-
Road bodh Ghat
DELHI
Vehicles following closely
barely managed to avoid
Pramila. She fractured her
left arm, and suffered
injuries to head, knees and
left ear. Passersby took
Pramila to hospital.
ILLUSTRATION: Mohit Suneja
Active cases in Capital below 30,000, but daily
death number remains a concern for experts
HT Correspondent
htreporters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: Delhi saw its
number of active Covid cases
drop to below 30,000 for the
third day in a row on Monday.
This has happened after ten
days, according to the daily
health bulletins released by
the Delhi government.
There were 27,123 active
cases as on Sunday, fewer
than the highest 28,329 active
cases reported during the
surge in June. The maximum
peak in active cases during the
current surge was 32,250,
recorded on September 18,
data shows.
The number of deaths,
however, has seen a steady
rise over the last seven days.
On an average, almost 37
deaths has been reported daily
during the last seven days as
compared to almost 35 the
Apart from the Delhi govern-
ment, Delhi Police and the
municipal corporations also are
prosecuting people for similar
violations.
Delhi Police constituted dedi-
cated teams in each police sta-
tion to carry out such prosecu-
tions. Teams are deployed at spe-
cific locations within the
jurisdiction of each police sta-
tion from 10am to 6pm daily to
prosecute violators of hygiene
norms.
Since March till September 8,
Delhi Police issued more than
306,693 fines for violations of
various hygiene rules. These
include over 277,131 for
not wearing masks, 27,116 for
violating social distancing rules
and over 2,434 for spitting in
public.
No information was readily
available on what action was
taken by the municipal corpora-
tions
My Delhi
HT Correspondent
htreporters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI : A 50-year-old
woman was dragged off a two-
wheeler, and thrown on to a
busy intersection even as vehi-
cles zipped past her, by snatch-
ers who violently tugged off her
gold chain and drove away on
their motorbike — another inci-
dent that highlights the menace
of street crime in the national
capital.
The woman, who works in a
hospital, was left with a fracture
in one arm, injuries to her head
and knees, and may lose the use
of her left ear because of the fall,
said her husband, who was rid-
ing the motorcycle on which
she was riding pillion at the
time of the incident near Kash-
mere Gate on Friday night.
Pramila Singh continues to
be in hospital at Sushruta
Trauma Centre in Civil Lines,
and doctors say her condition is
now stable. “But doctors have
told us that she may have suf-
BIPLOV BHUYAN/HT PHOTO
week before and 24 daily
deaths a day a fortnight ago.
The higher number of fatali-
ties due to Covid-19 reported
during the week, has led to an
increase in the seven-day case
fatality ratio (CFR) – fraction
of deaths among those who
tested positive for the infec-
tion – to over 1% for three days
in a row. It was as low as
0.68% in mid-September as
per the data.
“We should not look at sin-
gle day fatalities because the
patients do not die the same
day they are diagnosed with
the infection, people who have
been infected before die over a
week or ten days. That is why
we look at the ten-day average
case fatality ratio. And, there
will be a decline in the num-
ber of deaths also as the cases
have declined,” health minis-
ter Satyendar Jain had said
during a media interaction on
No quarantine for
patients above 60 in
south-west Delhi
The southwest district of Delhi
withdrew an order on Sunday
that mandated isolation in a
Covid Care Centre or Covid
Health Centre for any Covid-19
patient above the age of 60 or
with comorbidities. The home
isolation guidelines by Delhi
government, similar to the Cen-
tral government guidelines,
allow those who are asympto-
matic or have mild symptoms to
isolate at home, provided there is
enough space for them to isolate
themselves from other members
of the family.
Delhi chief minister Arvind
Kejriwal has described home
isolation, along with aggressive
testing, as the “most important
strategy” for fighting coronavi-
rus disease (Covid-19) in the city.
In June, when the number of
fered permanent damage to her
left ear,” Surender Singh said.
The two motorbike-borne
attackers are yet to be identified,
police said.
The couple live with their two
sons in the MCD flats in North
Delhi’s Jahangirpuri.
Pramila Singh is a Grade IV
health worker at the Girdhar
Lal Maternity Hospital in Kamla
Market, and her husband is a
supervisor with the Delhi Jal
Board. The crime occurred at
around 8.45pm on Friday, when
Surender was taking wife to the
hospital for night duty.
“We were on Ring Road, and
close to Kashmere Gate ISBT,
two men on a motorcycle pulled
over close to us. The pillion
rider violently tugged at my
wife’s neck to snatch her gold
chain,” said Surender. The vio-
lent jerks as his wife tried to
fend off the attackers made Sur-
ender lose balance. Pramila,
who was sitting with her legs to
one side, fell on the road.
“The snatchers managed to
Sunday.
“There is slowly a decline in
the number of Covid-19
patients getting admitted to
the hospital over the last week
or so. The number of cases
being reported in the city is
still high at about 3,000 a day
and it might go up in the win-
ters like other infectious dis-
eases,” said Dr Neeraj Gupta,
professor of pulmonary medi-
cine at Safadarjung hospital.
Delhi only reported 1,984
new Covid-19 cases on Sunday,
however this is a result of
fewer tests conducted over the
weekend. Only 36,302 tests
were conducted on Sunday as
compared to an average of
57,669 tests conducted each
day during the week. The posi-
tivity rate – fraction of sam-
ples that return positive
among the samples tested –
dipped below 6% to just 5.47%
on Sunday, the data shows.
cases had last surged, the gov-
ernment had fought the lieuten-
ant governor’s decision of man-
datory institutional quarantine
for all Covid-19 patients.
According to data shared by
the government, over 101,000
patients have recovered in home
isolation in the city and only 40
people died of the infection in
home isolation till September 17.
Last week, the government had
directed all district commission-
ers to mandatorily shift any Cov-
id-19 patient in home isolation to
institutional isolation if they
were found to be violating guide-
lines.
w
READ: Covid-19
shadow over big,
fat weddings in Delhi
ON AVERAGE,
NEARLY 20
INCIDENTS OF
SNATCHING AND
FIVE ROBBERIES
WERE REPORTED
EVERY DAY IN
DELHI TILL AUG 15
pull the chain off. I saw the pil-
lion rider snatcher turn back
and glance at us. He was
masked, wearing a handker-
chief,” Surender said.
He added that his wife had a
close shave as other passing
vehicles swerved to avoid her,
some barely avoiding running
her over as she lay bleeding in
the middle of the road.
A motorist eventually
stopped to offer the couple a
ride to Sushruta Trauma Centre.
Anto Alphonse, deputy com-
missioner of police (North), said
a case of theft and ‘assault in
attempt to commit theft of prop-
Safety norms key at
social gatherings: Jain
Anonna Dutt
htreporters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: Delhi health minis-
ter Satyendar Jain on Monday
urged people to take adequate
preventive measures against
Covid-19 if they organise small
gatherings as he shared tips on
social media on how to do that
amid a decline in the number of
infections in the city.
“If you are organising a small
gathering or event, take precau-
tions to prevent the spread of
Covid-19 among guests. You
should provide all necessary
supplies: Tissues, hand sanitis-
ers or soap and water, masks,
distance markers, closed bins,”
Jain said in a Facebook post.
Experts cautioned against
indicating to people that things
are okay.
“These kinds of messages
make people believe that the sit-
uation is better; things are
returning to normal. But the
truth is that over 3,000 infec-
tions are still being reported.
Plus, we are moving towards
winter when the incidence of
infections goes up and [it] likely
will happen with Covid-19 too.
With the Unlock [easing of
restrictions for social distancing]
process in place, people have
thrown caution to the wind,
especially those who do not have
comorbidities or are not old,”
said Dr Neeraj Gupta, a profes-
sor of pulmonology
at New Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospi-
tal.
Gupta added people must not
be encouraged to flout norms. “If
{ ICU BED RESERVATIONS }
‘Are there enough
ICU beds for all
non-Covid patients?’
Richa Banka
richa.banka@htlive.com
NEW DELHI: The Delhi High
Court on Monday wanted to
know from the Delhi govern-
ment if there are sufficient Inten-
sive Care Unit (ICU) beds for
non-Covid patients and if hospi-
tals are being compensated for
keeping these beds vacant for
coronavirus patients.
The court also sought the
response of the Association of
Healthcare Providers on a Delhi
government plea, challenging a
single-judge bench’s September
22 ruling that stayed an order
reserving 80% of ICU beds in city
hospitals for Covid-19 patients.
A bench of Chief Justice DN
Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan
said the only question now is
whether the government is
blinding to needs of other
patients. “You are a government
and the executive has the liberty
of experimenting. But the only
thing is whether we are blinding
ourselves to the other patients,”
Justice Jalan said during the
hearing.
The Delhi government did not
comment on the matter.
The bench did not grant
interim relief to the government
even as its additional standing
counsel, Sanjoy Ghose, said Cov-
id-19 cases were increasing, war-
ranting the reservation.
On September 22, the court
erty’ has been registered at the
Kashmere Gate police station.
“We are checking CCTV foot-
age for the suspects, but are yet
to make a breakthrough,” the
DCP said.
On average, nearly 20 inci-
dents of snatching and five rob-
beries were reported every day
in the capital till August 15 this
year.
Despite relatively empty
streets during the lockdown,
there was a 6% increase in
snatching incidents this year
compared to the corresponding
period last year --- 4,257 till
August 15 as compared to 4,010
in the same period in 2019.
Robberies have, however,
dipped by over 18% -- 1,086 cases
till August 15 as compared to
1,333 in the same period last
year.
Vikram Singh, former DGP of
Uttar Pradesh, said that snatch-
ing gold chains has become a
lucrative crime because of the
involvement of people who buy
the stolen booty from them and
{ SATYENDAR JAIN }
HEALTH MINISTER
P
If you are
organising a small
gathering, take
precautions to
prevent spread
A
of Covid-19
such gatherings do happen, they
have to be monitored closely,” he
said. “If people travel unneces-
sarily, they might spread the
infection to those who are vul-
nerable and at risk of severe dis-
ease.”
Jain also shared a post about
herbal remedies like chyawan-
prash, turmeric milk, and herbal
tea made with basil, cinnamon,
black pepper, dry ginger, and
raisin to boost immunity.
On Saturday, Jain said the
number of Covid-19 cases has
been consistently below 4,000
over the previous week. “Over
the week, the positivity rate has
also reduced to an average of
6.5%. The hospital bed occu-
pancy has also gone down a lit-
tle, with about 6,800 people hos-
pitalised. Over 55% of the beds
earmarked for Covid-19 are
vacant,” Jain said on Saturday.
HC asks state prisons if
had stayed the government’s
September 12 order reserving
80% of all ICU beds in private
hospitals and nursing homes for
Covid-19 patients, saying it
appeared to be “arbitrary”,
“unreasonable” and in “violation
of the fundamental rights of an
individual”.
It said the state cannot dis-
criminate between Covid-19 and
non-Covid-19 patients.
In the order, the Delhi govern-
ment directed nursing homes
and private hospitals to reserve
the beds with immediate effect.
On Monday, additional solici-
tor general Sanjay Jain, who
appeared for the Delhi govern-
ment, told the court that Cov-
id-19 cases were again rising in
the city. He said Covid-19
patients require care related to
lungs, kidney, etc, as the virus
attacks these organs.
The court said the govern-
ment has to first satisfy the court
that there are sufficient numbers
of ICU beds available for non-
Covid patients. “Also show us
how you are compensating pri-
vate hospitals for keeping their
ICU beds vacant for Covid
patients,” the bench said.
Advocate Ghose told the court
that there are 3,222 ICU beds and
only 1,186 of them are being
reserved for Covid-19 patients.
Following some arguments,
the court posted the matter for
further hearing on October 9.
NEW DELHI
TUESDAY
SEPTEMBER 29, 2020
go on to melt the gold, thus leav-
ing the stolen property untrace-
able. “A few successful gold
snatching a month earns these
snatchers more than what an
MNC executive makes. The
police need to go after such jew-
ellers if they intend to control
this menace,” said Singh.
He said that the pandemic
has caused a lot of unemploy-
ment which is making the
snatchers desperate to target
people even at crowded and
busy streets. “They also under-
stand that the police is fatigued
due to their duties during the
pandemic. They know that the
street policing is relaxed com-
pared to earlier,” said the
former UP Police chief.
w
READ: Crimes
go up by 275% in
Delhi, says CAG report
they have enough Covid
isolation wards
The Delhi High Court on Mon-
day sought to know from prison
authorities whether they have
sufficient number of isolation
wards to accommodate all pris-
oners who would surrender if
the bail extension orders issued
by it are recalled.
The query by the court came
after a plea was moved before it
seeking clarification on interim
bail granted to a prisoner in
wake of Covid-19.
A bench of Chief Justice DN
Patel, Justice Siddharth Mridul
and Justice Talwant Singh also
posed a query to the jail authori-
ties on details regarding the
number of Covid cases in the
three jails in the national capital,
the number of prisoners who
were out on bail but needed to
surrender next month and the
number of isolation wards in
each of the three jails.
HINDU RAO
DOCTORS START
PEN-DOWN STRIKE
FOR WAGE DUES
Vatsala Shrangi
vatsala.shrangi@htlive.com
NEW DELHI: Doctors of the north
municipal corporation-run
Hindu Rao Hospital, a Covid-19
designated facility, are on a pen-
down strike for three hours
every day since the past week
over the long delay in the pay-
ment of salaries.
According to the hospital’s
Residents Doctors Association
(RDA), they were last paid on
June 15 after they moved court
over delayed wages.
The doctors have warned that
if they are not paid their dues by
this month, they may have to
stall work or go on a full-fledged
strike from next month.
“We have been working
through the pandemic without
being paid regularly for our job.
It was the 105th day that we
reported to work without having
been paid our dues. Despite the
high court’s directions, salaries
have again not been paid,” said
Dr Abhimanyu Sardana, presi-
dent of the RDA.
The doctors do not attend to
non-emergency patients and
make reports between 9 am and
12 pm in the day to register their
protest.
On Monday, a doctor on Covid
duty wearing personal protective
equipment (PPE) overalls stood
with a placard that read “Doc-
tors on covid duty : Unpaid Day-
105”. The doctors had
approached the Delhi High
Court in May over the non-pay-
ment of dues, after which sala-
ries were paid till June.
NEW DELHI
TUESDAY
SEPTEMBER 29, 2020
In Urdu-medium Heart surgeries down by 89.5% at AIIMS during lockdown
schools, a struggle
without worksheets
Fareeha Iftikhar
fareeha.iftikhar@htlive.com
NEW DELHI: Delhi government
schools that use Urdu as the
medium of instruction have
been struggling to ensure unin-
terrupted learning to students
amid the Covid-enforced restric-
tions because no online study
material or worksheets in the
language are being provided by
the state’s education depart-
ment, according to several offi-
cials and students in these
schools.
With schools shut since
March and classes shifted
online, government institutions
-- where a majority of the stu-
dents do not have access to
smart devices and the internet --
are dependent on the work-
sheets or study material pro-
vided by Directorate of Educa-
tion (DoE) for virtual learning.
These worksheets contain both
notes and questions. Students
can either access them on their
class WhatsApp groups, or their
parents can physically pick them
up from the schools.
DoE has been providing work-
sheets every day for all subjects
-- in both Hindi and English -- to
all its schools. However, there
are no worksheets in which
Urdu is the language of instruc-
tion. The vice-principal of an
Urdu-medium school in the
Walled City said: “We receive at
least 2-3 worksheets per class
every day from DoE, but they are
either in Hindi or English. It has
become a major task for us to
translate those for our students.
Though our students can under-
stand both Hindi and English, if
they do not read and write in
Urdu they will lose grip over the
language.”
There are around 20 govern-
ment schools in Delhi offering
Urdu-medium education that
cater to around 20,000 students.
Most of these schools are in the
Walled City.
After receiving the work-
Govt school principals
helping students pay
CBSE board exam fee
Kainat Sarfaraz
kainat.sarfaraz@htlive.com
NEW DELHI: With deadline to
submit the fees for the Central
Board of Secondary Education
(CBSE) board exams nearing,
principals of various Delhi gov-
ernment schools have expedited
efforts to help poor students
arrange money to pay the fee.
The students have to submit
the fee before October 15, the
deadline for the schools to
upload the complete list of can-
didates appearing for class 10
and 12 board exams.
“Several parents are con-
cerned over paying the fee. Loss
of jobs and businesses due to the
Covid-19 pandemic has made it
difficult for many of them to
arrange the money. We have set
up a fund of ₹15,000 to help stu-
dents who won’t be able to pay
the examination fee this time,”
said Awadhesh Kumar Jha, prin-
cipal of Sarvodaya Co-ed Vidyal-
aya in Rohini Sector-8.
Jha said he has been holding
digital parent-teacher meetings
to discuss the issue with parents.
Last year, after the CBSE hiked
the board examination fee, the
Delhi government announced
that it would pay the fee for over
3.14 lakh Class 10 and 12 students
in government schools. How-
ever, this year, the education
department asked its heads of
schools to follow the “2018-19
status”, meaning the fee had to
be paid by the students.
My Delhi 05
NEW DELHI: There was a drop of
89.5% in the number of cardiac
surgeries that were performed
ment of patients with Covid-19 in
a virtual interactive session.
The data shows 411 cardiac
formed.
However, there was a drop in
the number of emergency car-
heart diseases are comorbidities
that lead to poorer outcomes as
far as Covid-19 is concerned,”
pitals saw a decline in the num-
ber of patients coming in for
emergency procedures mainly
attacks coming in so late that
they needed complicated surger-
ies to repair the damage.”
between April and July at the All
India Institute of Medical Scien-
ces, according to data shared by
surgeries were performed
between April and July in 2019
as compared to just 43 in 2020.
diac surgeries as well. According
to data, 35 such surgeries were
performed in 2020 as compared
said Dr Randeep Guleria,
director, AIIMS.
Dr Mukesh Goel, senior con-
because of two reasons – one, the
fear of getting Covid-19 kept
them away from hospitals and
Cardio-vascular disease such
as heart attacks and strokes are
the biggest killers in India with
a doctor during one of the The hospital had shut its outpa- to 58 done in the same period sultant of cardio-thoracic and two, those from outside Delhi 28.1% of all deaths being attrib-
sheets from their zonal offices, National Grand Rounds, where tient clinics in March during the last year. This amounts to a drop vascular surgery at Indraprastha weren’t able to travel. Because of uted to it in 2016, according to a
the teachers at these schools doctors from across the country lockdown and only the emer- of 39.6%. Apollo hospital said, “During delays in seeking treatment, I state-level burden of disease
divide the work among them- learn about issues in manage- gency surgeries were being per- “Diabetes, hypertension and and after the lockdown, all hos- have had patients with heart study. ANONNA DUTT
selves. They manually translate
the worksheets, click pictures of
them, and then send them to the
students. The schools have also
formed WhatsApp groups to
share the translated study mate-
rial with each other.
A teacher at an Urdu-medium
School in Jafrabad said, “It takes
a day or two to translate the
worksheets and send them to the
students since only Urdu-know-
ing teachers can do that. Many of
our teachers are acquainted with
the language, but can’t write in
the script. That’s why the trans-
lation work takes a lot of time
and due to which the worksheets
reach late to our students.”
When contacted, a senior offi-
cial in Delhi government’s edu-
cation department said: “DoE is
providing worksheets only in
Hindi and English because they
are the most preferred mediums
in our schools. The education
department has given independ-
ence to the schools to modify
them or introduce anything suit-
able for their students. .”
An official in Delhi education
minister Manish Sisodia said,
“The education department will
assess the situation and will pro-
vide any other support required
to ensure uninterrupted learning
to these students.”
Manzar Ali Khan, member of
the Delhi Minority Commission’s
advisory committee, said, “It’s
important to have worksheets in
Urdu for the students enrolled in
Urdu-medium schools. If the stu-
dents will continue study in any
other language than it will affect
their language proficiency. . The
government should look into it.”
w
READ: Second
round of
admissions begin in govt schools
A senior official in Delhi edu-
cation minister Manish Sisodia’s
office said, “We have written to
the CBSE, requesting them to
waive the exam fee for the cur-
rent academic year due to the
economic slowdown owing to
Covid-19. The government also
lacks funds because of the major
shortfall in revenue collection.”
CBSE controller of examina-
tion Sanyam Bhardwaj said the
board had not received any letter
from the Delhi government. “We
are a self-financing board. The
expenditure over conducting
exams is likely to increase this
time. It is anyway a challenge to
conduct the exams using the
current exam fee,” he said when
asked about a fee waiver.
Bijesh Kumar Sharma, princi-
pal of Shaheed Hemu Kalani Sar-
vodaya Bal Vidyalaya in Lajpat
Nagar, said, “Based on the num-
ber of requests we receive from
students and parents, we will
rope in school management
committee members and alumni
to look for donors who may help
these students.”
Several principals HT spoke to
said they were planning to use
the school’s People Welfare
Fund to help needy students.
Mary Jyotsna Minj, principal of
the Government Girls Senior
Secondary School in New Kon-
dli, said, “Many parents are wor-
ried about how they will pay the
examination fee. We are plan-
ning to use PWF to help these
students,” she said.
06 My Delhi
NEW DELHI
TUESDAY
SEPTEMBER 29, 2020

{ SECOND CRIME IN 12 HOURS } SUB-INSPECTOR ON THE RUN

Cop shoots father-in-law dead Delhiwale Mayank

Sunil Rahar
sunil.kumar3@htlive.com
ROHTAK/NEW DELHI: A Delhi
Police sub-inspector shot dead
his 62-year-old father-in-law in
Rohtak’s Bhainsi village on Mon-
day morning, nearly 12 hours
after he shot at his woman friend
in a car in outer Delhi’s Alipur.
Both Haryana and Delhi Police
have launched a manhunt.
The suspect, Sandeep Dahiya,
35, was posted at the Lahori Gate
police station in north Delhi,
officials said.
Deputy commissioner of
police (north) Anto Alphonse
said, “Multiple teams are now on
a lookout for Dahiya. We are
working in coordination with
the Alipur police and our coun-
terparts in Haryana,” said DCP
Alphonse.
Meham deputy superintend-
ent of police (DSP) Shamsher
Singh Dahiya said the suspect, a
resident of Sisana village in Son-
epat, has been booked under
Section 302 (murder) and other
sections of the Indian Penal
Code. He said that the victim’s
family have told the police that
the accused had threatened to
kill him a few days ago.
Witness to Alipur
shooting
Dahiya had fled after the shoot-
ing in Alipur. However, now the
police have found a witness who
was passing through the area
and suffered a shrapnel injury in
his leg.
Police said Satbir (who goes
by his first name) was on his way
to Sonepat when he was injured.
However, he did not realise
when a shrapnel from the three
bullets that Dahiya had fired at
his woman friend got lodged in
his leg. On Monday, a Delhi
police team met Satbir in a Sone-
pat hospital where he is under-
going treatment.
Deputy commissioner of
police (outer-north) Gaurav
Sharma said Satbir is a key
witness to the Alipur firing inci-
dent.
Officials said Sandeep was in a
relationship with the woman for
over a year. She was found
injured in the car on GT Karnal
Road on Sunday evening by
another police sub-inspector,
Jaiveer, who took her to a nearby
hospital. “On the way, the
woman told him that Sandeep
Dahiya, had shot her following
an argument. She also told him
that Dahiya had strained rela-
tions with his wife. We regis-
tered a case and formed teams to
search for Dahiya. The woman
suffered bullet injuries in her
right shoulder and arm. Her con-
dition is stable,” Sharma said,
adding that they are probing
whether Dahiya used his service
weapon in the crime.
Second crime
On Monday morning, Sandeep
reportedly drove up to his
in-laws’ house in Rohtak’s
Bhainsi village and shot his
father in-law, Ranbir Singh, 62.
Sandeep’s wife, Rajesh Devi, said
the incident took place around
7am when her father was clean-
ing the street outside their
house.
“Dahiya, along with my
brother’s father-in-law and
cousin Pawan, came in an SUV
and pumped a bullet into my
father’s forehead, killing him on
the spot,” Rajesh Devi said.
She told the police that she
had moved back to the house of
her parents four years ago, fol-
Austen Soofi
EXPERIENCE YOUR CITY LIKE NEVER BEFORE
lowing marital discord. She also
said that a was pending in the
local court.
“My husband had illicit rela-
tions with my sister-in-law. My
sister-in-law, Reena, had also
filed a case against my brother,
seeking divorce as she wanted to
marry Sandeep. He wanted to
take custody of our son but I was
against it,” she added.
Delhi Police officials said San-
deep joined the force as a consta-
ble in 2006. In 2016, he was pro-
moted as a sub-inspector after
clearing the exam.
“Dahiya has been in a marital
dispute with his wife, who has
filed a dowry harassment case
against him in a police station in
Rohtak. He faced a departmental
enquiry also,” said a police offi-
cer who knows Dahiya said on
the condition of anonymity.
WITH INPUTS FROM KARN PRATAP
SINGH IN NEW DELHI
w
Life with a kitchen novelty
READ: Delhi
police head
constable kills gym owner
Ms Singh shows off her newly acquired how easy their life had become after getting the
admirable appliance.
dishwasher bought during the lockdown Following a brief discussion with her husband,

IGI’s Terminal 2 to reopen from Oct 1 It is taking so much space in the small
Ms Singh ordered the machine online “and the
company’s people helped us install it... they came

Anvit Srivastava
anvit.srivastava@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: Flight operations are
set to be resume from the Delhi
Airport’s Terminal 2, or T2, from
October 1 after its six-month clo-
sure, the airport operator said on
Monday.
Only Terminal 3, or T3, of the
airport, has been functional
given the low frequency of
flights since they resumed in
May two months after their sus-
pension on March 25 as part of
sweeping measures to enforce
social distancing to check the
Covid-19 pandemic. Terminal 1 is
undergoing expansion and
remains closed.
The Delhi International Air-
port Limited (DIAL), the opera-
tor, said the resumption of flight
operations from T2 will be with
96 air traffic movements — 48
departures and 48 arrivals —
daily. The movements are
expected to increase to 180 by
Terminal 2 will resume operations with IndiGo and GoAir flights,
DIAL said.
October end.
“The terminal [T2] will
resume operations with IndiGo’s
2000 series flights and entire
operations of GoAir in the initial
phase. About 27 counters--11 for
GoAir and 16 for IndiGo — have
been created to cater to the pas-
sengers... The first flight sched-
RAJ K RAJ/HT ARCHIVE
uled from T2 after reopening of
this terminal would be Srinagar
bound Indigo flight, which will
depart at 6:25 AM,” the airport
operator said in a statement.
It said added to start with,
IndiGo will cater to 20 destina-
tions from T2. The destinations
include Ahmedabad, Amritsar,
Bhubaneswar, Bhopal, Benga-
luru, Cochin, Guwahati, Indore,
{ PRIVATE
CAPITAL }
kitchen. But Babua Singh won’t crib
about that. “You stack the bartan
(dishes) in it, go to office, and when you
come back in the evening everything is
in mask.”
The new machine seems the most ostentatious
object in Ms Singh’s kitchen. A simple two-burner
gas range reigns over the counter. “Lakshman
Jammu, Lucknow, Chennai, spotlessly clean and dry,” she says. Rekha” chalk is drawn around an aata jar to keep
Patna, Srinagar, Thiruvanantha- A textile designer, Ms Singh is showing her off the ants. The microwave is in the corner and
puram, and Visakhapatnam. newly acquired dish-washing machine in the the spices and lentils are stocked behind wooden
“In the next phase, from Octo- Ghaziabad flat that she shares with her husband closets.
ber 8, [flights to] at least 12 more and college-going daughter. Like many middle- “Even the pressure cooker cleans up very well...
destinations, including Mumbai, class households, Ms Singh used to depend on the the only thing I have to wash in the sink is the kad-
Kolkata, Coimbatore, Dehradun, services of a part-time house maid for washing ahi and the tawa,” she says.
Goa, Hyderabad, Madurai, Jai- the dishes. The coronavirus pandemic changed Dishwashing machines are novel to Indian
pur, and Nagpur, will start oper- that as visits from the outside now involve fears of homes — during the harshest days of the lock-
ating from T2,” the statement getting the virus. Ms Singh says she nevertheless down, some of the more popular online videos
said. supported Asha, her long-time housemaid, until were of Hindi film stars trying their hand at wash-
DIAL CEO Videh Kumar Jai- she left for her village in Bihar a couple of months ing the dishes in the sink.
puriar assured the passengers of
a safe and healthy environment
at the airport. “We have imple-
mented several measures at the
ago.
While her family would give a hand in house-
hold chores during the ongoing pandemic, Ms
Singh would still find herself too involved in the
Ms Singh confides that some of her friends also
got the machine “in dekha-dekhi (got inspired)
but they use it rarely, as if too much handling
might spoil it... just like during the early days of
w
READ:
For more
airport to ensure passenger kitchen duties. “I leave for office at 9.30 in the the washing machines (for clothes), when we
safety without compromising morning and come back around 6pm, so there would use it only on Sundays!” Native of a UP vil- stories by
their comfort and experience. isn’t so much time to relax.” lage, Ms Singh reveals that nobody in her circle of Mayank
Our teams have worked round- The house always had a washing machine to immediate relatives has ever used a dishwasher. Austen
the-clock to sanitise the vast ter- take care of the laundry “but the idea of getting a And now she playfully poses with the machine, Soofi, scan
minal. DIAL will continue its dish washer came after Mukul Bhaiya and Anita making sure that her face is not visible “because the above
awareness drive by educating Bhabhi got one for themselves,” she says, refer- of shyness.” QR code
and encouraging passengers to ring to a couple who couldn’t stop gushing about
maintain social distance while at
the airport.”

Homage Unforgettable

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NEW DELHI
TUESDAY
SEPTEMBER 29, 2020
Smoke rises from a field after a farmer burnt straw stubble near Jandiala Guru in Amritsar on Monday.
Rules go up in smoke as
farm fires rage in Punjab
Despite state govt
deploying 8,000
nodal officers,
farmers in Majha
region continues to
burn paddy straw
Surjit Singh and
Vishal Rambani
letterschd@hindustantimes.com
AMRITSAR/PATIALA: Farmers in
Punjab, particularly in the
Majha region --- comprising
Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Tarn
Taran districts --- have started
burning the paddy residue early
this year to prepare the fields
for sowing vegetables.
Agriculture department offi-
cials said potato and peas are
sown in a significant portion of
cultivable land in these regions.
The farmers here prefer to culti-
vate the Pusa basmati-1,509 and
some other hybrid varieties of
paddy that ripen fast and thus
are harvested early.
Compared to 159 farm fires
reported in the state till Septem-
ber 28 last year, as many as 520
incidents, most of them from
Majha, have been witnessed
during the corresponding
period this time. Of the total 407
incidents that took place in the
Majha region, 358 were in
Amritsar, the state’s worst-hit
district in terms of farm fires.
Jagmohan Singh of the Bhar-
tiya Kisan Union (Dakunda)
said the farmers have no option
but to burn the paddy residue.
“Since the government has not
announced any incentive for
straw management, the farmers
are left with no option but to
burn it. If the government is
serious about stopping farm
fires, it should announce Rs 200
per quintal funds for handling
of straw,” Singh said.
An agriculture department
official said, “Actually, the farm-
ers find burning of stubble the
easiest method of disposing it
even though it is a health haz-
ard. Since the agriculture
income is going down, they try
to utilise the gap between paddy
harvesting and wheat sowing by
cultivating vegetables.”
The government has deputed
8,000 nodal officers in paddy
growing villages, with 23,500
machines being given to farm-
ers for in-situ management of
paddy straw. Chief minister
Captain Amarinder Singh has
appealed to the farmers to shun
the practice of burning straw on
several occasions.
At Devidas Pura village of
Amritsar district where farmers
were spotted burning the paddy
straw, the HT team was asked to
leave the place promptly. Some
farmers said, “We are already
facing harassment at the hands
of government officials for
burning the stubble. We cannot
afford any method of managing
the straw other than burning it.”
But in some fields, labourers
were seen lifting the straw with
bailer machines and using trac-
tor-trailers to transport it to the
nearby sugar mills.
Kulwant Singh, a farmer
from Phoolke village near Bat-
ala in Gurdaspur district, said,
“The farmers know the side-ef-
fects of burning stubble, but
they still do it. In view of their
precarious financial condition
and increasing cost of cultiva-
tion, they cannot afford any
other method of managing the
residue.”
SAMEER SEHGAL/HT PHOTO
“Nearly 80 per cent farmers
have a land holding of 2 to 5
acres. The government asks us
to buy a happy seeder machines
to prevent stubble burning. This
machine can be operated with a
new model of tractor only. It
costs around 11 lakh to buy such
a tractor. How many of the
farmers can afford to buy these
machines?” he asks.
Sukhwinder Singh, a farmer
from Thatha village of Gurdas-
pur, said, “Without the govern-
ment’s support, managing the
residue with eco-friendly meth-
ods is not possible. As far as the
use of bailer machines are con-
cerned, a sizeable quantity of
grain goes waste,” he added.
The administration in Amrit-
sar has imposed ₹55,000 fine on
15 farmers in the district, said
deputy commissioner Gurpreet
Singh Khehra.
wREAD: Farm
fires to continue,
says leaders of farmer bodies
My Delhi
Farm bills: Protesters set tractor on
fire near India Gate, five arrested
HT Correspondent
htreporters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: In a security breach,
a group of men claiming to be
members of the Punjab unit of
Youth Congress set a tractor on
fire at Rajpath near the India
Gate lawns on Monday morning
in support of the farmers’ agita-
tion against laws enacted by the
central government that they
claim will undermine the agri-
cultural sector.
The police arrested five peo-
ple and a search is underway for
others. No one was injured in the
incident.
Police said the incident took
place around 7.30am when a
group of 20-25 men arrived at
{ AIR POLLUTION } PLEA IN HC
‘Stubble burning may
worsen Covid crisis’
HT Correspondent
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: The Delhi High
Court on Monday sought the
Centre’s response on a plea
seeking immediate steps to pre-
vent stubble burning in the
neighbouring states of Punjab
and Haryana on the grounds it
could aggravate coronavirus-
related problems.
A bench of Chief Justice D N
Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan
issued notice to the Centre on
an application that contended
that stubble burning would
increase air pollution drasti-
cally in the national capital and
could further aggravate health
problems in view of the corona-
virus pandemic.
In his plea, advocate Sudhir
Mishra, urged the court that the
central government should be
directed to coordinate a meet-
ing between the chief secretar-
ies of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana
and Uttar Pradesh to address
the issue.
Mishra told the court that
stubble burning has already
started in Punjab and Haryana.
He said the deadly virus has
already claimed 92,000 lives
and stubble burning would fur-
Rajpath in different vehicles and
a truck, on which the tractor was
laden.
Witnesses and passersby told
the police that the men pushed
the tractor out of the truck and
set it on fire as it turned over.
“According to people who
were present there, the men
chanted slogans like Jai Jawan,
Jai Kisan and Bhagat Singh Amar
Rahein in support of the farmers’
agitation and were also carrying
effigies, which they hung onto
the street light poles. They then
went live on social media and
clicked group pictures with the
burning tractor,” said a police
officer.
Soon after, a police patrol
vehicle arrived at the scene.
ther weaken the immunity of
people.
He said the chief ministers of
Delhi, UP, Haryana should sit
and bring out a solution to the
problem.
The Centre told the bench
that despite directions from the
respective state governments
not to burn stubble or face pen-
alty for violation, farmers were
doing it.
Delhi government additional
standing counsel Naushad
Ahmed Khan told the court that
a similar matter with respect to
air pollution is pending and
hence this matter should be
tagged along with that.
The court listed the matter
for hearing on October 22 and
asked the central government to
find out if any similar matter
was pending before the
Supreme Court.
The application was filed by
Mishra in his main public inter-
est litigation moved in 2015
seeking directions to the Centre
to take immediate steps to con-
trol increasing air pollution in
the national capital.
He claimed there is a direct
connection between the
increase in air pollution and the
rise in Covid-19 cases in Delhi.
“Seeing the police, the men who
had set the tractor on fire fled.
Backup was called and other
police vehicles in the area were
alerted. Later, the fire was
doused and five of the men
arrested. The charred remains of
the tractor was removed from
the road,” said the police officer.
A video of the group setting
the tractor on fire was widely cir-
culated on social media. Some
policemen who had reached the
spot were also seen standing
near the tractor that was on fire.
Police said all arrested men
are from Punjab. They were
identified as Manjot Singh, 36,
Sahib, 28, and Sumit Pal, 28,
from Mohali, Raman Deep Singh
Sindhu, 28, from Mansa and
2 students move
SC against crop
residue burning
Abraham Thomas
abraham.thomas@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: Pollution caused by
stubble burning in Delhi’s neigh-
bouring states can exponentially
increase the mortality rate due
to the coronavirus disease (COV-
ID-19) pandemic, claimed a peti-
tion filed in the Supreme Court
seeking total ban on stubble
burning.
The plea has been moved by
two young environmental activ-
ists — a Class 12 student who
under his own initiative of “Plant
A Million Trees” has planted 1.5
lakh trees in Delhi and National
Capital Region (NCR) and a
third-year law student who is an
active campaigner against use of
Single Use Plastic.
A three-judge bench headed
by Chief Justice of India (CJI) SA
Bobde has listed the petition for
hearing on October 6 along with
the batch of MC Mehta matters
pertaining to pollution in the
national capital. The petition
was mentioned by senior advo-
cate Harish Salve who is assist-
ing the Court as amicus curiae
(friend of Court).
07
Rahul Kumar, 28, from Ludhi-
ana.
“We had pooled in money to
get the tractor. This was a sym-
bolic protest to send a loud and
clear message to the government
at the Centre that they should
talk to farmers,” said Brinder
Singh Dhillon, president of the
Punjab Youth Congress. “They
(Centre) have not just trampled
upon the federal structure, but
these three legislations will also
destroy the farmers of my state,”
he added
Deputy commissioner of
police (New Delhi) Eish Singhal
said his men had reached the
spot in time and the fire was con-
tained before the tractor was
completely gutted.
“The consequence of allowing
any stubble burning to take
place in the times of this pan-
demic will be catastrophic,” the
petition by the two young envi-
ronmentalists said. Citing inter-
national medical studies, the
plea stated that medical studies
have found that persons with
weak respiratory system or liv-
ing in polluted areas are at seri-
ous risk of contracting COVID-19
leading to death in some cases.
“Any increase in air pollution
levels in Delhi-NCR this year
while the COVID-19 pandemic is
spiraling out of control, will
exponentially increase the mor-
tality rate due to COVID-19 by
compromising the respiratory
system of the citizens, particu-
larly in the case of senior citizens
and children,” the petition
stated.
Salve told the Court that the
petition raised an important
issue and requires to be heard.
Delhi witnesses exponential rise
in air pollution levels around
this time of the year due to stub-
ble burning by farmers in Pun-
jab, Haryana Rajasthan and
Uttar Pradesh.
08
Punjab set to move SC on
farm laws as stir intensifies
Chief minister
Captain Amarinder
Singh holds sit-in
protest in state,
says Centre trying
to dismantle farming
system as it exists
Gagandeep Jassowal
letters@hindustantimes.com
KHATKAR KALAN: Punjab, where
angry farmers are protesting
against the three farm bills
enacted by the National Demo-
cratic Alliance (NDA), will chal-
lenge the legislation in the
Supreme Court, chief minister
Captain Amarinder Singh
said on Monday, accusing the
federal government of trying to
dismantle the farming system as
it exists now.
“Our lawyers are coming from
Delhi tomorrow (on Tuesday).
We will discuss how to proceed
in the matter and then challenge
the legislation in the Supreme
Court,” Captain Amarinder
Singh said in Khatkar Kalan,
where he staged a sit-in protest
against the laws.
Khatkar Kalan is the village of
Shaheed Bhagat Singh and Mon-
day marked the freedom
fighter’s birth anniversary.
The three bills - the Farmers
Produce Trade and Commerce
(Promotion and Facilitation) Bill,
2020, the Farmers (Empower-
ment and Protection) Agreement
on Price Assurance and Farm
Service Bill, 2020, and the Essen-
tial Commodities (Amendment)
Bill, 2020 - have become acts
after President Ram Nath
Kovind signed them into law.
Farmers, especially in Punjab
and Haryana, have been protest-
ing against the legislation, which
the government says will enable
them to sell their produce in any
market of their choice rather
than limit them to government-
run mandis called agricultural
produce marketing committees,
or APMCs. The protesters say
the Centre’s farm reforms could
pave the way for the dismant-
ling of the minimum support
price system, leaving them at the
{ SONIA’S ADVICE TO CHIEF MINISTERS } CONSTITUTIONAL OPTION
Cong states look to bypass new laws
HT Correspondent
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: Congress president
Sonia Gandhi on Monday
advised party-ruled states to
explore the possibilities of pass-
ing legislation under Article
254(2) of the Constitution to
negate the Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP)-led central govern-
ment’s “anti-agricultural laws”
and prevent “grave injustice”
from being done to farmers.
The opposition party is citing
the BJP government’s move in
2015, when it asked party-ruled
states to bring own laws to over-
ride the Land Acquisition Act of
2013 passed during the tenure of
the Congress-led United Progres-
sive Alliance to boost infrastruc-
ture development.
“Congress president has
advised Congress ruled states to
explore the possibilities to pass
Farmers, agri sector exempted from
seeking permit for groundwater use
Zia Haq
zia.haq@htlive.com
NEW DELHI: The Centre has noti-
fied new guidelines for groundwa-
ter use in the country, prescribing
a penalty of ₹1 lakh on industrial
and commercial users who extract
it without permission, but exempt-
ing farmers and the agriculture
sector, the largest users of ground-
water, from the requirement of a
no-objection certificate or penal-
ties for drawing water up to a limit.
An environmental compensa-
tion of ₹1 lakh on industrial, min-
ing and infrastructure users for
extracting water illegally could be
increased depending on the quan-
tum of illegally extracted water,
states the new notification issued
by the Central Ground Water
Authority (CGWA) under the Jal
Shakti ministry on September 24.
For industries, the new guide-
lines state that a no-objection cer-
tificate shall be granted “only in
such cases where local govern-
Punjab CM Amarinder Singh at a protest over farm laws, at Khatkar Kalan, Bhagat Singh’s village, in Punjab on Monday.
“mercy” of big companies.
The legislation seeks to give
farmers the right to enter into a
contract with agribusiness firms,
processors, wholesalers, export-
ers and large retailers for the
sale of future farming produce at
pre-agreed prices. The amend-
ment to the Essential Commodi-
ties Act will remove commodi-
ties like cereals, pulses, oilseeds,
onion and potato from the list of
essential items and do away with
the imposition of stock holding
limits.
Captain Amarinder Singh said
that he will request Congress
leader Rahul Gandhi to join the
farmers’ protest. People famil-
iar with the matter said that
Gandhi was likely to lead a pro-
test in the state this week.
“The BJP has snatched away
the constitutional powers of one
state after the other. How do we
run the state? BJP leaders think
they will remain in power, but I
want to remind them that the
Akalis also thought so. People
threw them out. It is a decision
of the people to keep political
laws in their respective states
under Article 254(2) of the Con-
stitution which allows the state
legislatures to pass a law to
negate the anti-agriculture cen-
tral laws encroaching upon
state’s jurisdiction under the
Constitution,” party general sec-
retary in-charge of organisation
KC Venugopal said in a state-
ment. “This would enable the
states to bypass the unaccepta-
ble anti-farmers’ provisions in
the three draconian Agricultural
laws including the abolition of
MSP and disruption of APMCs in
Congress-ruled states,” he added.
The party is in power in three
states, Rajasthan, Punjab and
Chhattisgarh, and the Union ter-
ritory of Puducherry.
The National Democratic Alli-
ance government pushed three
bills to deregulate agricultural
trade, which were passed by Par-
liament, overriding demands by
the Opposition for greater scru-
ment water supply agencies are
not able to supply the desired
quantity of water”. All industries
will be required to adopt “latest
water efficient” technologies to
“reduce dependence on ground-
water resources”, guidelines in the
fresh notification state.
The revised guidelines, which
will apply across India, however,
state that rural drinking water
schemes, armed forces, agricul-
ture activities, and small enter-
prises will not require any prior
permission for groundwater use.
Agriculture consumes nearly
90% of all water resources in the
country. According to the think-
tank Niti Aayog report in 2017,
groundwater accounts for 63% of
all irrigation water and over 80%
of the rural and urban household
water supplies.
Yet, the Centre’s new guidelines
say that regulating water use in
agriculture “will prove to be an
arduous task”. The guidelines state
that according to the country’s
parties in power or not,” the
chief minister said.
Targeting the Shiromani Akali
Dal, the Congress leader said,
“The Akalis are trying all tactics,
but they’re not working because
once you let people down, they
don’t forget.”
The Akali Dal has walked out
of the BJP-led National Demo-
cratic Alliance (NDA) govern-
ment at the centre to protest
against the farm legislation.
Defending farmers for hold-
ing protests against the newly
enacted laws, the CM said they
had the right to do so as “you are
taking away their livelihood”.
He accused the central gov-
ernment of snatching the rights
of states and of trying to dis-
mantle the minimum support
price, mandi system and the
public distribution system (PDS)
with the farm laws.
“Their motive is to demolish
everything which farmers have
got after a long struggle. From
the green and white revolution
till now, rights which farmers
acquired, one by one all of them
P Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), has
Cong president has
advised Congress
ruled states to
explore the
possibilities to pass
laws under Article
254 (2) of the
Constitution...
KC VENUGOPAL, general
secretary in-charge
tiny and voting. Big farmers’
groups, particularly in Punjab
and Haryana, are protesting
against the bills out of concern
that deregulation will leave them
vulnerable to powerful agribusi-
nesses and in an even weaker
negotiating position than before.
One of BJP’s oldest allies, the
minor irrigation census 2013-14,
87.86% of groundwater wells are
owned by marginal, small and
semi-medium farmers having
land holding up to four hectares.
Around 9.18 % of wells are owned
by medium farmers and 2.96% are
owned by big farmers having land
holding more than 10 hectares.
The new rules highlight free
electricity for farmers as the main
reason for over-extraction of
groundwater. The guidelines
advise states to “review their free/
subsidised electricity policy to
farmers”, “bring suitable water
pricing policy and may work
further towards crop rotation/
diversification/other initiatives” to
reduce over-dependence on
groundwater.
“Some states like Punjab have
started to adopt policies to reduce
agriculture’s dependence on
groundwater but they are yet to be
adopted by a large number of
farmers,” said Ashok Desai of the
Natural Resources Institute, Pune.
My India
are being demolished with these
farm laws,” Singh said.
“MSP and mandi system will
be dismantled with these farm
laws and their next target is FCI
{Food Corporation of India},” he
said, claiming that the govern-
ment also want to dismantle the
public distribution system that
channels subsidised foodgrains
to the poor.
The government has denied
that either the federally fixed
MSPs or the PDS will be done
away with.
Kerala Congress MP
moves SC against law
A Congress MP from Kerala’s
Thrissur, T N Prathapan, moved
the Supreme Court on Monday
challenging the constitutional
validity of various provisions of
the contentious new farm Act.
Prathapan has alleged that the
Farmers’ (Empowerment and
Protection) Agreement of Price
Assurance and Farm Services
Act, 2020 is violative of right to
equality (Article 14), prohibition
of discrimination (15) and right
quit the ruling NDA.
The Farmers’ Produce Trade
and Commerce (Promotion and
Facilitation) Bill, 2020, the Farm-
ers (Empowerment and Protec-
tion) Agreement on Price Assur-
ance, Farm Services Bill, 2020
and the Essential Commodities
(Amendment) Bill 2020 seek to
liberalise farm trade, enable
modern supply chains, allow
agribusinesses and farmers to
enter into contracts, break inter-
locked markets and create a
seamless commodities trade,
currently fragmented.
The main provisions of the
first bill allows barrier-free inter-
state and intra-state trade of pri-
mary agricultural commodities,
bypassing notified markets
under the Agricultural Produce
Market Committees. The bill will
enable food traders to buy farm-
ers’ produce from any market.
Earlier in the day, former
‘Oppn creating row over issues not in the laws’
Congress and other
opposition parties are
misleading the people
about the three farm laws,
Union minister for water
resources Gajendra
Shekhawat said in an
interview to Smriti Kak
Ramachandran
Why this reluctance to
include minimum support
price in the laws? If this is
good legislation, then why
not allow the opposition to
scrutinise it more?
To create a controversy about
issues that are not part of the bill
has become the modus operandi
of the Congress and a few other
opposition parties. Their criti-
cism is without basis... In the
case of the farm bills, they are
creating a conspiracy about
issues that or not even part of the
PTI
to life and liberty (21) of the Con-
stitution.
The law, which provides for
contract farming and was
accorded presidential assent on
Sunday, is “liable to be struck
down as unconstitutional, illegal
and void”, Prathapan claimed.
As per the government, the
new law intends to provide a
national framework for farm
agreements to protect and
empower farmers while engag-
ing with agri-and food process-
ing firms, wholesalers, exporters
and large retailers for farm servi-
ces and sale of produce at a
remunerative price framework
in a fair and transparent man-
ner.
(With agency inputs)
w to counter Oppn’s drive
READ: In
Karnataka, the
stir evoked a mixed response,
scan the QR code to know more
Union minister Jairam Ramesh
tweeted: “As FM Arun Jaitley got
states to resort to Article 254(2)
of the Constitution to override
provisions of 2013 Land Acquisi-
tion law, a law he’d fully sup-
ported as LoP {leader of the
opposition} in RS {Rajya Sabha}.
States should now follow the
same advice to undo the damage
caused by the #FarmBills that
have become Acts.”
BJP’s national spokesperson
Gopal Krishna Agarwal said,
“They [APMC act and the local
mandis] will continue as it is. So,
what law does Soniaji wants to
pass is not clear. Also, MSP is
declared by the Centre every
year on different commodities
on the recommendations of the
CACP, (which has representa-
tives from the farmer’s commu-
nity) as an administrative order.”
He said the procurement has to
be done by respective state gov-
ernments through the mandis.
{ HT INTERVIEW } GAJENDRA SHEKHAWAT, UNION MINISTER FOR WATER RESOURCES
bill, for example MSP. For 50
years in this country, the agricul-
tural scenario remained
unchanged; we moved from
being a food-deficit country to a
food -sufficient and now a sur-
plus country, but the policy deci-
sions that should have been in
place to plan ahead were miss-
ing. India is among the top 10
agri-export nations, but no deci-
sions were taken during the 10
years of the UPA {United Pro-
gressive Alliance} rule, which led
to farmers’ distress.
As for the issue of MSP, the
Centre ensured that between 50-
100% of the crop production cost
is given as MSP for as many as 22
notified crops. But what if we
had only announced it, not make
the procurement? So, there has
been 42% growth in MSP that
has added over a lakh a year to
the income of the farmers and
procurement has increased by
25 times over what was being
procured during the UPA
Farm protests across India
Several farmers’ bodies across the country have held agitations in recent days against the
three farm laws passed by the Parliament earlier this month. A look at recent protests:
l
PUNJAB
Punjab CM Capt. Amarinder
Singh, his cabinet
colleagues, MPs and MLAs
stage a sit-in at Khatkar
Kalan village in Shahid
Bhagat Singh Nagar, the
ancestral village of Shaheed
Bhagat Singh
l Former cabinet minister
Navjot Singh Sidhu joins
protest in Maanwala,
Barnala
l Bharatiya Kisan Union BKU
(Ughrahan) holds a protest
in Longowal, Sangrur.
l All India Kisan Sangarsh
Coordination Committee
continues to block railway
track near Jandiala in
Amritsar
RAJASTHAN
Congress workers
protest outside the
Raj Bhawan and
submit a memoran-
dum to governor
Kalraj Mishra
GUJARAT
Congress workers and
farmers’ groups protest
at district headquarters,
and submit a memoran-
dum to the governor.
GOA
Protest march on the road
leading up to the Raj Niwas
KARNATAKA
l Protests in 30 l Farmers and members of
districts, including
Bengaluru,
Mysore, Hassan
and Raichur
BJP plans farm outreach
Amandeep Shukla
amandeep.shukla@htlive.com
NEW DELHI: To counter the
Opposition’s campaign against
farm laws enacted by the central
government, the ruling Bharat-
iya Janata Party (BJP) is plan-
ning an outreach to farmers that
will include door-to-door
Atmanirbhar Kisan (self-reli-
ance farmers) campaigns in
rural India, public rallies, press
conferences and social media
broadcasts.
The initiative is aimed at what
the BJP thinks is opposition
propaganda based on “false and
absurd” notions of the Narendra
Modi government’s agricultural
reforms, which it says will liber-
alise farm trade, enable farmers
to earn more remunerative pri-
ces by selling their produce any-
where and benefit consumers by
excluding middlemen.
In a letter to party MPs and
top leaders, a copy of which has
been seen by HT, BJP’s national
general secretary Arun Singh
said the historic farm laws
passed by Parliament had freed
farmers from the clutches of
middlemen. Singh said that
these reforms, along with earlier
measures like soil health cards,
crop insurance and increases in
the Minimum Support Price
(MSP) would all help in doubling
the income of farmers.
“The opposition parties are
regime. Besides, MSP is an
administrative order.
Did you fail to convince
your former ally, the Shiro-
mani Akali Dal. Even the
Bharatiya KIsan Sangh
(BKS) has apprehensions
about MSPs not being part
of the laws.
If the SAD was not convinced
and had problems with the ordi-
nances, which were brought six
HARYANA
l Farmer bodies and
Congress workers
hold protest with
Congress workers
at Rohtak, Karnal,
Hisar and Sonepat.
No roads blocked
l
on Monday
MADHYA
PRADESH
Congress workers
protest at district
headquarters
TAMIL NADU
Congress, SDPI, KRV held DMK and Congress
for attempting to block workers hold protests
highways and some in various parts of the
arterial roads. They were state and block traffic
later released. at some highways
STATE LEADERS, RS
AND LS MPS ASKED
TO CHALK OUT
PROGRAMMES IN
THE NEXT TWO
WEEKS AS PART OF
THE CAMPAIGN
spreading false and absurd
rumours about it in their ulterior
political motive,” Singh said in
the letter. Singh added that
MSPs, government procurement
and Agricultural Produce Mar-
ket Committees (APMCs) will
continue to exist while farmers
gain wider market access.
On the directions of party
chief J P Nadda and in a bid to
dispel the concerns of farmers,
the BJP has planned the mass
awareness programme on the
new legislation, which will be
implemented in line with health
protocols imposed to curb the
spread of the coronavirus dis-
ease, the letter said.
Among the activities planned
are: door-to-door contact in the
villages, public rallies in rural
areas, seminars in every district,
discussions with farming com-
munities and agricultural bodies
and also press conferences.
The party is also likely to
encourage people to write appre-
ciation or felicitation letters to
PM Narendra Modi and agricul-
months ago. they should have
left the government then. They
have been part of discussions
and talks with agriculture minis-
ter during outreach to farmers’
representatives and groups
where they have supported the
contents of the ordinances. Now
for the own political interest,
they have done a U-turn.
As for the BKS; they are an
independent organisation that
works with the farmers. But they
have also raised the issue of MSP
over which the Congress and the
other opposition parties are cre-
ating misgivings.
The new water policy, in
the pipeline, talks of allow-
ing water-surplus states to
trade their excess supply,
how will it work?
We have formed a committee
under {economist} Mihir Shah.
After wide consultations, it has
given a basic draft of the policy.
We are discussing it, but we have
NEW DELHI
TUESDAY
SEPTEMBER 29, 2020
l
UTTARAKHAND
Congress leaders hold a protest
at the Governor’s house in
Dehradun
l Protesters burn the effigy of
PM Narendra Modi in Haldwani
town
UTTAR PRADESH
l Farmers' bodies protest in
several part of western UP.
Bhartiya Kisan Union, others
protest at Moradabad, Meerut
and Saharanpur
l UPCC president Ajay Kumar Lallu
taken into custody with other
party workers, while trying to
hold a march in Lucknow
JHARKHAND
l Congress workers protest
against the laws and submit
a memorandum to President
through the governor
ODISHA
Congress workers
take out a rally in
Bhubaneswar
TELANGANA
Congress workers
hold several
protests and submit
a memorandum to
district collectors
ture minister Narendra Singh
Tomar for introducing the legis-
lations. In addition, the BJP has
also decided to take on its adver-
saries on social media turf.
The party has asked all its
state leaders, Rajya Sabha and
Lok Sabha MPs to chalk out pro-
grammes in the next two weeks
as part of the campaign.
The three bills - the Farmers
Produce Trade and Commerce
(Promotion and Facilitation) Bill,
2020, the Farmers (Empower-
ment and Protection) Agreement
on Price Assurance and Farm
Service Bill, 2020, and the Essen-
tial Commodities (Amendment)
Bill, 2020 - have become acts
after President Ram Nath
Kovind signed them into law.
Farmers, especially in Punjab
and Haryana, have been protest-
ing against the legislation.
Eminent political scientist Nil-
anjan Sircar said “On one level, it
[outreach] is extraordinary,
given the advantages BJP has,
they feel the need to take this
step, which means at some level,
their internal matrix are show-
ing that the protest and the
opposition are causing some
problems on the ground for their
popularity. I think the BJP has
shown that it has the ability to
change the narrative quite
quickly”. He, however, added
that it is not easy to convince
people on a subject about which
they already know a lot.
requested them to clarify some
more issues, we will study it
internally and then take it to the
stakeholders.
What is the status of the
Inter-State Water Disputes
(Amendment) Bill?
We already have tribunals in
place. It has been observed that
as per the act (Interstate Water
Disputes Act) while under sec-
tion 5(2), the tribunal have to
give their judgment within three
years, under section 5(3) any
state or stakeholder can file an
appeal. There is a time limit of
one year for disposal of appeals,
but it can be further extended
with no time limit... We brought
a bill to fix a time limit and
establish a single permanent tri-
bunal. It was unanimously
passed in the Lok Sabha, but
again Punjab has opposed it and
the SAD has done a U-turn...
Hopefully it will be discussed in
the next session.
NEW DELHI
TUESDAY
SEPTEMBER 29, 2020
‘Open to one more stimulus if necessary’
F
inance Minister Nirmala Sithar-
aman expects the economy to
take a turn for the better in the
second and third quarters of the
financial year after contracting
by a record 23.9% in April-June
following the outbreak of the coronavirus
disease pandemic and subsequent
lockdown. In an interview to R Sukumar,
she said the government may offer a sec-
ond stimulus package, adding: “...we are
trying to see what it is that we can do.”
Asked how she would describe the econ-
omy now, Sitharaman said: “My sense is
people are doing their best against all odds
to stand up and be ready to run.” She added
a caveat in the context of the ongoing
India-China military standoff in the
Ladakh sector: “Of course, Ladakh is one
imponderable; we will have to keep
everything in that context ready.”
First-quarter GDP declined 23.9%.
Half the year will be over soon.
Have you done any assessment on
what’s likely to happen to the
annual GDP?
We are doing an assessment but I don’t
think we have arrived at any number. Logi-
cally, Q1 and its number was influenced by
the total lockdown. Post-Q1, gradually the
unlocking has happened. Possibly, even by
July, you had levels of capacity utilisation
rising in certain industries, and today,
roughly, many industries tell me they have
reached pre-Covid levels. If in the second
quarter, at least 50% levels have been
reached, then it can’t be as bad as Q1. The
revival is also happening in many labour-
intensive areas. This is also corroborated
by the fact that migrant workers from
many states have started going back
(to their places of work); on their own
volition, and some industries, I am told,
have also arranged to pick them up.
Labour is returning.
Some industries are telling me that
domestic demand is increasing, no doubt,
but that they are also seeing export orders
increasing faster than their expectations.
I’ve heard this from the steel industry, for
instance. I guess, the second quarter, the
third quarter, will be better.
But will it be a recessionary year?
I don’t know if I should conclude
that about the whole year even now. There
is no denying the first quarter’s decline
is substantial.
What about revenue receipts? Do
you see them picking up?
Yes, and the signs of it picking up are
already being seen in GST (Goods and Ser-
vices Tax) collections, in some other state-
level revenue, but the assessment about
the direct taxation is a bit mixed because it
has to be taken on board that last Septem-
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CAUVERY WATER MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY
(A Body Corporate under the Department of Water Resources,
River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation)
Vacancy Circular for one post of Chairman, CWMA
Applications are invited for the post of Chairman, Cauvery Water
Management Authority (CWMA), in Level - 17 (Rs. 2,25,000/- fixed) of
pay matrix to be filled by deputation (including short term contract).
The Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) has been
constituted by Government of India vide its Notification No. S.O.2236
(E), dated 01.06.2018 under the provisions of Section 6A of the
Inter-State River Dispute (ISRWD) Act, 1956 to give effect to the
decision of the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal as modified by the
Hon’ble Supreme Court in its order dated 16.02.2018.
The last date for receipt of applications for appointment on
deputation (including short-term contract) basis to the post of
Chairman, CWMA, earlier published in the Employment News
editions dated 9-15 November, 2019, 25-31 January, 2020, 21-27
March, 2020, 30 May-05 June, 2020 and 25-31 July, 2020, is hereby
extended up to 02.11.2020.
Persons meeting the eligibility criteria may apply for the post by sending
their application, duly signed (in triplicate), in the prescribed proforma,
to the Under Secretary (Estt.-IV), Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of
Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Room
No. 435, Shram Shakti Bhawan, Rafi Marg, New Delhi-110001 and by
email at usbm-mowr@nic.in, through proper channel.
Advance copies of applications or applications received after the
prescribed period or not accompanied with the requisite
information/documents are liable to be rejected.
Details of the post, eligibility conditions etc. are available at
www.dopt.gov.in and www.mowr.gov.in
(Shalini Juneja)
Under Secretary to the Government of India
ber we announced a drastic reduction
in corporate tax. The impact of that will be
seen in corporate tax collections — one of
the main components of our direct tax rev-
enue. Income tax will suffer on account of
the Covid lockdown.
The corporate tax cut last year
and many of the measures
announced as part of the relief
package have longer gestation
periods — they’re not going to
kick in immediately. What are
your immediate plans to boost
sentiment, growth, and employ-
ment?
The ‘vocal for local’ campaign, together
with Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-reliant
India) campaign, is one of the biggest ways
to improve sentiment. When you direct the
government’s focus towards promoting
local products, ensuring policy support
exists for them, ensuring incentivisation
will happen for them, and create the
necessary ecosystem for them... Even if you
think the result will be long-term, there
will be an immediate change in sentiment,
production priorities and investment
priorities.
There have been demands for a
second stimulus. You’ve said you
were keeping your options open.
Is there any thinking as to when
this might happen? When will
industry need it the most?
We are hearing everyone out, we are
analysing every area of the economy.
I am open to one more support if neces-
sary. We are constantly exchanging a lot of
·Fû´FF»F, dQ³FFaI 26/09/2020
ÀFW-C´FÀFd¨F½F
{ HT INTERVIEW } NIRMALA SITHARAMAN, FINANCE MINISTER
SONU MEHTA/ HT ARCHIVE
thoughts with industry...
They must be asking you for one
immediately...
One more may be needed is what we are
hearing from the people who interact with
us, and we are trying to see what it is that
we can do. There’s no point in me hur-
riedly getting something out. What we
have announced till now, it is not as if it has
benefited one at the cost of another.
An area where people have con-
sistently asked for some kind of
intervention is on the demand
side. One way is to simply put
more money in the hands of peo-
ple through some mechanism.
Have you been thinking of a
demand-side intervention?
My argument has always been that
whatever we have done hasn’t segregated
supply from demand. I’ve also argued that
this distinction is purely for the textbooks
and isn’t all that watertight. Any spend on
one does have the effect of overflowing to
the other. Whatever we have done so far,
people may see it as only supply side, I can
see it flowing to also stimulate demand.
To elaborate, in the UK, busi-
nesses were given cash to retain
workers, or in the US, many
Americans got a cash payment...
The expectation here is that at
some point of time there will be a
direct cash, fiscal stimulus for
businesses and individuals to
boost demand.
I can’t really say I’m tailor-making
My India
something now whilst I have also not
closed the option of giving where
necessary. The inputs are continuously
coming from various sectors and also seg-
ments of society. Let’s see how it works out.
One of the things India has also
tried to do is to wean away busi-
nesses from China. The logic
being that if we have the right
kind of tax structure, policies, and
labour laws, companies would be
happy to do business here...
That’s actually working out. Between
November and March, we met a lot of
companies likely to move. We also worked
out the Productivity Linked Incentive
Schemes (PLIs), which has been a good
success, particularly in the telecom sector
— the first PLI was launched for IT and
electronics. Other departments are seeing
the ministry of electronics and IT being
successful in getting companies to come
and start businesses here. Departments are
building their case up for this.
Where do things stand with the
states on GST?
We will wait for the GST Council to
meet. The options given were explained;
detailed notes were sent; the finance and
expenditure secretary sat together...
How many states have reverted?
Twenty; all want option 1 (of borrowing
₹97,000 crore without the obligation of
paying interest and principal) . We will go
to the Council on October 5 and take it
from there.
Have you looked at how much
fiscal headroom the states have to
spend? From the point of view of
coping with the pandemic, the
revival...
We do keep monitoring their borrowing
limits. Even as we speak, not even one
state has exceeded the 3% of GSDP limit
available to them in a normal year. Of
course, we have another six months to go
for the end of the year. Over and above, we
have allowed them to borrow another
half a percent more unconditionally;
another 1% with conditions; and another
half percent contingent on certain reforms.
So they can take it up to 5%. Even during
the last GST Council meeting, we sug-
gested that the last half percent could be
given unconditionally if the situation war-
rants. So up to 4% is unconditional. Of
course, this is yet to be finalised.
If states haven’t exhausted the
basic limit, why is there a refrain
of a financial crunch from them?
They are facing challenges; there is no
denying that. They are the ones fighting
Covid at the ground level. And they expect
the Centre to be more supportive, which is
understandable
Are you looking at some relaxa-
tion of the Fiscal Responsibility &
Budget Management (FRBM) Act?
I am not sure I have a choice (of not
doing so). The borrowing calendar which
we have issued is far more than what I
announced in the Budget. That should
send out the message that I am not really
being risk-averse because I do not want to
exceed my fiscal deficit. However, there is
an FRBM law and I am conscious of it, but
if I don’t support, don’t spend... After all,
among the four engines that support the
economy, three have come to a complete
standstill. It is public expenditure which
has to do the heavy lifting.
You’re not worried about the fis-
cal deficit...
Well, if I have already issued a borrow-
ing calendar that is far in excess of my
Budget announcements...
Are you looking at radical or
unconventional solutions such as
helicopter money, or monetising
the deficit like Indonesia has?
Specifically, we are not, but I am also
looking at various ways in which I have to
be ready to meet the challenges.
You have been defence minister.
Especially in the context of what’s
happening in Ladakh, on the bud-
getary or spending side, do you
see any constraints?
Not at all. I have been there , albeit not
for a long tenure. I do understand
the needs of the defence ministry. Now that
I am here and you have a PM who is con-
scious of India’s defence requirements, we
will not let it suffer. When there is a need,
we will definitely meet it.
Which sectors give you the most
hope?
What great encouragement it is to see
the agricultural and rural economy have so
much life. Covid, floods, landslides, noth-
ing could put them down. Given that even
today more than 50% of the population
depends on either agriculture or allied
activities, that is the big spark plug for
Indian revival. I think that’s where the life
of the revival is. That’s where I give com-
plete credit to the Prime Minister for push-
ing through the farm reforms. In the post-
Covid era, with liberated farm producers
you will have a bigger multiplier effect — it
will immediately have a bearing on rural
labour; it will immediately have a bearing
on agri-processing units; it will immedi-
ately have a bearing on inflation.
One demand that farmer groups
09
and the opposition have raised in
the past few days is some kind of
legal standing, a guarantee for the
minimum support price; writing
it into the law, for instance.
Government procurement will still hap-
pen. Where it has happened through an
APMC (Agricultural Produce Marketing
Committee), it will still happen through
them. MSP has been given in this country
for decades. The list of items has increased
to about 23. However, during the Congress
rule, the emphasis has always been on rice
and wheat — resulting in distortion in
acreage under crop, at the cost of coarse
grain, pulses, and oil seeds.
Pulses, at least till 2014, we grew far less
than we need — ending up importing it.
After crude oil and gold, edible oil is a
significant import.
Between 2014 and 2016, the PM gave
attention to ensuring India became self-
sufficient in pulses. We were able to give
MSP and bonus for pulse growers.
The Congress was myopic with MSPs;
we have given priority to other crops too. If
MSP has been used smartly by us... MSP
and its versatile use has been far more
established under the government. The
quantum procured through government
procurement has been higher since 2014.
So who are you (the Congress) asking to
hard wire MSPs into the law? Did your
manifesto say that?
On a personal note, there’s been 6
months of Covid; it’s been a stress-
ful time; there’s been a lot of eco-
nomic pain. How has it been for
you? Have you felt overwhelmed?
Are you under pressure?
Every day, there is a challenge, and
Covid is not over yet. The economy’s
revival is topmost in the mind of the PM.
We’ve all gone through this together — not
just me, all Indians are going through this.
If you were to objectively look at
the economy now, how would you
describe it?
My sense is people are doing their best
against all odds to stand up and be ready to
run. Very clearly, there’s a sense that “we
will come out of it.” Everyone is very
descriptive about the kind of struggle they
are going through and I can understand
that, yet they are full of hope. I’m hopeful
too — that the coronavirus will recede, and
the Indian entrepreneur, small, big,
medium, will succeed. Of course, Ladakh is
one imponderable; we will have to keep
everything in that context ready. READ
w
Scan the
How much time do you think we QR code
have lost as an economy on to read
account of the crisis? the full
That’s a question I can answer if the interview
Covid crisis has passed.
12
Tejasvi Surya
BJP’S TEJASVI
KICKS UP ROW
WITH ‘TERROR
HUB’ REMARK
Venkatesha Babu
letters@hindustantimes.com
BENGALURU: Tejasvi Surya, the
newly appointed national presi-
dent of the BJP’s youth wing,
has stirred up a political storm
over his remark that Bengaluru
has become the “epicentre of
terror activities”, with the oppo-
sition Congress calling for his
removal.
“In last few years, Bengaluru,
the Silicon Valley of India, has
become epicentre of terror
activities. It has been proved
through many arrests and
sleeper terror cells busted by the
investigative agency in the city,”
Surya said on Sunday, citing the
August riots in the city in which
three people were killed.
The MP, who represents Ben-
galuru South in Lok Sabha, said
he has asked Union home minis-
ter Amit Shah to open a cell of
National Investigation Agency
in the city. “For a long time there
was a demand that there must
be a full-fledged NIA office in
Karnataka,” he said, pointing
out that the Central agency cur-
rently has their base in Hydera-
bad.
Karnataka Pradesh Congress
Committee president D K Shiva-
kumar condemned Surya’s
remarks, pointing out that Ben-
galuru has been known as a city
of technological innovation.
“GDP growth has crashed. With
such statements, who will come
and invest in Bangalore and Kar-
nataka? Will the PM and FM
answer?”
The social media in-charge of
JD(S) Prathap Kangal, too, hit
out at Surya. “Dear Bengaluru
South, you elected this clown!
Now sit back relax and enjoy his
circus!,” he tweeted.
Chief minister Yediyur-
appa,however, extended sup-
port to the MP. “He said in the
sense that in Bangalore terror
activities these days are more.”
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{ SUSHANT DEATH CASE } FAMILY QUESTIONS INVESTIGATION
Probing all angles, says CBI
HT Correspondent
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau
of Investigation (CBI) on Mon-
day said that it has not ruled
out any angles in its probe into
the death of actor Sushant
Singh Rajput, and all aspects
are still being investigated.
“The Central Bureau of
Investigation is conducting
professional investigation
related to death of Shri Sushant
Singh Rajput in which all
aspects are being looked at and
no aspect has been ruled out as
of date,” CBI spokesperson RK
Gaur said, days after Rajput’s
family expressed displeasure
over the pace of the probe.
Last week, Rajput’s lawyer
said that the central agency’s
investigation was drifting in a
different direction, with more
Top MP cop relieved of { BABRI DEMOLITION CASE }
duty for assaulting wife Accused may ask to
not be present in court against anyone who holds a
Ranjan
letters@hindustantimes.com
BHOPAL: The Madhya Pradesh
government transferred a senior
IPS officer on Monday, after a
viral video clip purportedly
showed him beating his wife.
As per the order issued by the
state home department, Puru-
shottam Sharma, Director Gen-
eral of Police, in charge of
Directorate of Public Prosecu-
tion, has been transferred and
relieved of his charge “with
immediate effect”. The depart-
ment has asked him to appear
before it on Tuesday.
The show cause notice states,
“Two video clips went viral in
social media on September 27
and 28 in which prima facie
there appears to be unethical
conduct and domestic violence
with your wife by you. Hence,
your act makes you liable for dis-
ciplinary action under rule 10 of
All India Service (Discipline and
Appeal) Rules- 1969.”
Madhya Pradesh chief minis-
ter Shivraj Singh Chouhan, too,
confirmed that action has been
taken against the officer. “The
officer has been relieved of his
duties. Action will be taken
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Sushant Singh Rajput
focus on drug-related offences
rather than the actor’s death,
suspected to be a suicide onset
of the police probe.
“All attention is being
diverted towards the drugs
case. Today, we are helpless as
we don’t know which direction
the case is going in. Till today,
CBI has not done a press brief-
ing on what they have found
responsible position, but indul-
ges in illegal activities and taking
law into his hands,” he said.
In a less than five-minute
video clip, Sharma is purport-
edly seen pushing, hitting and
pinning down his wife.
Sharma’s son Parth, a deputy
commissioner in the Income Tax
Department, has written a letter
to the CM, home minister Narot-
tam Mishra and director general
of police Vivek Johari, seeking
action against his father under
domestic violence charges, gov-
ernment officials said.
Sharma, however, denied the
charges and dismissed the inci-
dent as a family matter. “I have
not indulged in any violence.
This is a matter between my wife
and myself. She complained
against me earlier, too, in
2008...She is living with me and
enjoying all the facilities and
even travelling abroad on my
expenses. The point is if she is
not happy with me, why she is
living with me?,” he said.
MP State Women Commis-
sion chairperson Shobha Oza
said, “We are going to take suo
moto cognizance of the incident
based on the video.”
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My India
NEW DELHI
TUESDAY
SEPTEMBER 29, 2020
{ THE CROSSWORDS }
CRYPTIC CLUES
ACROSS
1 Accepts an invitation to have a drink (5,2)
PUZZLE 15728 © Gemini Crosswords 2018 All rights reserved
out,” Vikas Singh, Rajput’s law- ing that the reports regarding 5 Highest tree by the way (5)
yer said. the probe, attributed to its offi- 8 Is it used for playing currently popular
tunes? (8,5)
The 34-year-old actor was cers, were speculative.
9 A grain seen only in oak (5)
found dead in his apartment in “Certain media reports
10 An old Empire sofa (7)
Mumbai’s Bandra on June 14. attributed to CBI investigation
Rajput’s father, KK Singh,
lodged a complaint with Patna
are speculative and not based
on facts. It is reiterated that as
11 Form of decoration in the forces, perhaps (6)
12 One boy about to finish backing another (6)
police against Rhea Chakra-
borty, her parents and her
a matter of policy, CBI does not
share details of ongoing inves-
15 Monks and nuns may dwell this way (7)
17 Groups of mates (5)
brother, Showik, on June 25.
The case was later transferred
tigation,” the agency had said
on September 3.
19 Demolition of homes is a crime (13)
20 Spot and point to how birds eat corn (5)
to CBI. The case is also being
investigated by two other cen-
“CBI spokesperson or any
team member has not shared
21 Signs I’d put out for track runners needing a
rest (7)
tral agencies -- Enforcement any details of investigation
Directorate (ED) and Narcotics with media. The details being DOWN
Control Bureau (NCB). reported and attributed to CBI 1 The task is halved with a letter from Greece (5)
While ED is looking into alle- are not credible,” it had said. 2 Offer hospitality to all, though it would be cold
gations of money laundering, in winter (4,4,5)
QUICK CLUES
NCB is probing a drug link in
w
3 Like hell cats in a melee (7)
the case. 4 I snoop around and discover a cause of ACROSS DOWN
NCB arrested Rhea Chakra- death (6) 1 Cry out (7) 1 Follow as result (5)
borty on September 8 for alleg- READ: Scan the
5 Negotiate loan for fishing tackle (5) 5 Juncture (5) 2 Transformation in attitude (6,2,5)
edly procuring drugs for Raj- 6 Possibly get into and remain in a disciplined 8 Be logical (5,2,6) 3 Speak to (7)
QR code for a organisation (13) 9 Big bird of prey (5) 4 Short-sighted (6)
put. Earlier this month, CBI related story on the NCB probe 7 A temporary occupation (7) 10 Dishonourable (7) 5 Primp (5)
issued another statement say-
11 Highly polished (6) 6 Disobedient (13)
11 Steps taken by travellers (7)
12 Scamper (6) 7 Leather factory (7)
13 Evident, but not in treatment room (7)
15 Moral (7) 11 Type of small bomb (7)
14 Supplies rushed on board (6) 17 Damp (5) 13 A mutual agreement (7)
16 Chance of a rest (5)
18 Expresses regret for glue that’s weak, we
19
20
Repeatedly (5,3,5)
Vestibule (5)
14
16
Settle decisively (6)
Shrewd (5)
hear (5) 21 Impetuous person (7) 18 Adjusted to correct pitch (5)
YESTERDAY’S SOLUTIONS (15727) DIFFICUL
DIFFICUL
DIFFICUL
DIFFICUL
{ SUDOKU } DIFFICULTY LEVEL
CRYPTIC
Pawan Dixit that day itself,” said lawyer KK
Mishra. Mishra is representing
pawan.dixit@htlive.com
25 of 32 accused in the case,
LUCKNOW: Some senior political including Advani, Joshi and
leaders, who are among the former Uttar Pradesh chief min-
accused in the Babri Masjid ister Kalyan Singh.
demolition case, may seek During the hearing of the
exemption from personal case, the court had permitted
appearance when a special Cen- Advani, Joshi and several others
tral Bureau of Investigation to record their statements
QUICK
(CBI) court announces its verdict through video conference.
on Wednesday. Two other accused -- Sri Ram
The law says all accused per- Janmabhoomi Tirath Kshetra
sons have to be physically Trust chairman Mahant Nritya
present in the court on the day of Gopal Das and Shiv Sena leader
verdict. Satish Pradhan -- have also
But some of the 32 accused – expressed their inability to
including senior Bharatiya Jan- appear before the court on Fill in all the squares in the grid so that each row, column and
ata Party (BJP) leaders LK Wednesday. each of the 9X9 squares contains all the digits from 1 to 9.
Advani and Murli Manohar Former union minister Uma
Joshi -- may ask the court to Bharti, another accused,
allow them to appear via video announced on Monday that she
conference, citing their was admitted to AIIMS Ris- { WEATHER } TEMPERATURE IN
ALMANAC
advanced age and the coronavi- hikesh after she tested positive TEMPERATURE HIGH LOW Today is FOUR METROS
29th September 2020 Delhi
rus pandemic, their lawyer KK for Covid-19. “If I get a positive 11 Safar 1442
●
35°c I 22°c
Mishra said. nod from the AIIMS after tests, ● Ashwina (Adhik),
Shukla Paksha, 13 Mumbai
“I will inform the court about then I would like to appear in the TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY ● Samvat 2077
32°c I 26°c
the status of my clients on CBI court of Lucknow the day Mainly clear sky Mainly clear sky Mainly clear sky
Sunset: Tuesday
at 06:09 p.m. Kolkata
Wednesday. I have informed after tomorrow,” she tweeted. Sunrise: Wednesday
at 06:13 a.m. 34°c I 26°c
Advani, Joshi and my other cli- Former chief minister Singh Moonrise: Wednesday
ents about the judgment day. is undergoing treatment for Cov- at 05:40 p.m.
Chennai
33°c I 26°c
Whether they will appear before id-19 at a private hospital in 35°c I 22°c 35°c I 22°c 35°c I 22°c Moonset: Thursday
at 05:31 a.m.
the court or not will be clear on Ghaziabad.
City
BHUMI
IS FOR
THEATRE
REOPENING,
BUT
WITH
AUDIENCE CHECK
SAFETY OUT
TODAY’S
EDITION
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NEW DELHI
TUESDAY
SEPTEMBER 29, 2020
Army vehicles, ferrying military equipment, move along the Manali- Leh highway in Kullu on Monday.
Drone, tech upgrades
to boost LAC defence
The upgrades
will allow India to
enhance surveillance
capabilities amid
standoff with China
Shishir Gupta
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: India has decided in
favour of the weaponised MQ-9B
Sky Guardian drone from the US
and to upgrade its existing Isra-
eli Heron fleet with satellite
communication capability in an
attempt to enhance its range as
well as surveillance capabilities
in the midst of the Ladakh mili-
tary stand-off with China.
At the same time, the face-off
between the Indian Army and
People’s Liberation Army (PLA)
has spurred the Indian private
sector and the Defence Research
and Development Organisation
(DRDO) to start manufacturing
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short-range tactical drones as
well as anti-drone systems to
boost border defences.
The three services have come
to a conclusion that India should
opt for a weaponised drone
rather than the 22 reconnais-
sance and surveillance Sea
Guardian drones approved in
2017 by the US administration
for supply to India, according to
authoritative government offi-
cials with knowledge of the
matter.
The MQ-9B, manufactured by
General Atomics, has a 40-hour
endurance with a maximum alti-
tude of 40,000 feet and payload
or weapon carrying capacity of
over 2.5 tonne, including air-to-
surface missiles and laser-
guided bombs.
“We are in negotiations with
the Trump administration,
which is willing to provide India
with the latest armed drone
technology. In this, it is the pro-
hibitive cost of the system that is
a hurdle, not the Trump admin-
istration,” said a South Block
THE MATH EXPERT
PRESENTS
THE MQ-9B HAS A
40-HR ENDURANCE
WITH A MAXIMUM
ALTITUDE OF
40,000 FEET AND A
PAYLOAD CAPACITY
OF OVER 2.5 TONNE
official who requested anonym-
ity.
Besides, India has asked Israel
to upgrade its existing Heron
medium-altitude, long-endur-
ance surveillance drone by
upgrading its communication
links. Presently, due to lack of a
satellite link in the Heron, two
such unmanned aerial drones
have to be flown in tandem with
a time gap so that information is
relayed back to base through the
second drone in case of long-
range surveillance.
The upgrade involves fitting
the Heron drone with a satellite
package so that the unmanned
aerial vehicle (UAV) links with
ANI
the satellite above and informa-
tion is sent on a real-time basis.
The upgrade will allow the
Heron to conduct long-range
surveillance without the fear of
losing contact with the base or
go into no-contact zone. The
Heron upgrade programme was
approved by the defence minis-
try last month.
The drone revolution in the
Indian military has come after it
was felt that India had no
answer to Chinese armed drone
and surveillance drone capabili-
ties, with the PLA deploying the
unmanned devices in significant
capacities in the Ladakh theatre
apart from sensors and surveil-
lance cameras that provide
advance warning on moves by
the adversary.
wREAD: PLA
mobilises four
of five theatre commands
My India
Sterling Biotech promoters
‘fugitive economic offenders’
Neeraj Chauhan
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on
Monday declared the Sandesara
brothers, Nitin and Chetan San-
desara, the latter’s wife Dipti
and close associate Hitesh
Kumar Patel fugitive economic
offenders, allowing government
agencies to confiscate their
properties in India and abroad
to recover the money they are
alleged to have swindled.
The Sandesara brothers, pro-
moters of the Gujarat-based
pharmaceutical company Ster-
ling Biotech Ltd, who fled India
sometime in 2017, are accused
of swindling several banks to
the tune of ₹14,500 crore by
taking loans and laundering the
money in other countries.
The fraud is considered to be
one of the biggest banking
scams in recent times; it
involves an amount larger than
that owed by former liquor
baron Vijay Mallya and dia-
mond trader Nirav Modi. Before
the Sandesaras and Patel, only
Mallya and Modi, both of whom
are in the UK, had been declared
fugitive economic offenders.
At UNHRC, India takes on
Pak over rights’ violations
HT Correspondent
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: India on Monday
rejected Pakistan’s criticism of
the human rights situation in the
country and called on Islamabad
to do more to tackle issues of
persecution of minorities,
enforced disappearances and
influx of outsiders in Pakistan-
occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Exercising its “right of reply”
at a discussion in Geneva on sit-
uations requiring the attention
of the UN Human Rights Coun-
cil, India also pointed to Pakistan
continuing to be a “safe harbour
for terrorists” and said more
training camps and launch pads
for terrorists had come up in
PoK. “None of Pakistan’s vile
accusations against India could
Enrol with a
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People familiar with the loca-
tion of the Sandesaras said that
they were last seen in Nigeria,
but intelligence agencies have
suggested that they could be in
the United States, the United
Kingdom or the United Arab
Emirates.
Additional sessions judge at
the Patiala House Courts Dhar-
mender Rana, while declaring
Sandesaras and HItesh Patel
fugitives under the Fugitive Eco-
nomic Offenders Act 2018, said:
“I have no hesitation in observ-
ing that this court is satisfied
that the ED {Enforcement
Directorate} has successfully
pleaded and proved that the
respondents herein are fugitive
economic offenders”.
“The conduct of the respon-
dents (Sandesaras), unambigu-
ously, establishes on record that
they have left India to avoid
criminal prosecution and they
are deliberately avoiding to
return back to India to face the
instant prosecution,” the judge
said in the order.
Appearing for the ED, addi-
tional solicitor general S V Raju
and special public prosecutor
Nitesh Rana argued that the
stifle the voice of the minorities
and the people under its subju-
gation. The fate of religious and
ethnic minorities is well known
when beheading is the only
option in Pakistan in exchange
for freedom of religion,” India
said in its response delivered by
Pawan Badhe, first secretary to
the permanent mission in
Geneva.
“It should be a matter of con-
cern for the Council that Paki-
stan has been continuously mis-
using this august forum for mali-
cious propaganda against my
country,” he added.
Various international organi-
sations had described Pakistan
as the “killing field for minori-
ties” and the Ahmadi commu-
nity continues to be the most
persecuted in Pakistan. “Hun-
499*
Sandesaras had fled India and
were evading criminal prosecu-
tion. They said they had chosen
deliberately not to return to
India to face trial and were
shifting their base from one
country to another to escape the
law.
Rana informed the court that
“provisional arrest requests
were sent to the UAE but the
same has also failed to yield any
results. Based on intelligence
inputs, Sandesaras are presum-
ably in Nigeria, the UK, USA or
UAE”.
The brothers are being
probed by multiple agencies,
including the Central Bureau of
Investigation (CBI) and the
Income Tax Department.
In June 2019, the ED attached
moveable and immovable prop-
erties worth ₹9,778 crores
belonging to the Sandesaras,
including four oil rigs and oil
fields in Nigeria, and several
ships apart from a Gulfstream
aircraft and flat in London.
Reacting to the order, the
Sandesaras’s lawyer Hemant
Shah said: “We are perusing the
order. We will avail the reme-
dies available in the law”.
dreds of Christians are perse-
cuted every year while maxi-
mum of them are subjected to
violent deaths in Pakistan,”
Badhe said.
Pakistan had also “institution-
alised enforced disappearance as
a tool of subjugation against dis-
sent and criticism” against indi-
viduals and the entire society,
the Indian response said.
“Children as young as 12 years
old in Balochistan, Khyber-Pakh-
tunkhwa and Sindh are normally
abducted and trained to be sui-
cide bombers. In a chilling
reminder to what Pakistan is
capable of, ministers of Pakistan
proudly call for another full-
scale genocide against [the
Baloch people] to resolve the
political crisis in Balochistan,” it
added.
13
{ FROM PAGE 1 }
NIRMALA SITHARAMAN
guessing game on this year’s
GDP. Sitharaman said that
while the decline in GDP in the
first quarter of 2020-21, at
23.9%, has been substantial, she
does not want to conclude any-
thing about the entire year’s
number just yet. She added that
she expects the second and
third quarter of the financial
year to be better.
Most analysts expect the
country’s GDP to shrink by at
least 5% and as much as 10% in
2020-21.
But things are getting better,
the minister insisted, referring
to conversations she has been
having, with some industry rep-
resentatives who are telling her
that their sectors have reached
pre-pandemic levels of produc-
tion. Numbers bear out some of
that. The latest value of the
Nomura India Business
Resumption Index was 82.3 on
September 20, where 100 is the
pre-pandemic level of business.
The index has been steadily
inching upward. “The revival is
also happening in many labour
intensive areas. This is also cor-
roborated by the fact that
migrant workers from many
states have started going back
(to their places of work),”
Sitharaman said.
HT reported on Monday that
demand for jobs under the
schemes has dipped, and sur-
mised that this could be because
some migrant workers have
returned to their places of work
in the cities. The minister sin-
gled out the agricultural sector
(which grew 3.4% in the first
quarter) as a symbol of resil-
ience and talked up the farm
reform laws passed by the gov-
ernment last week, even as she
criticised the Opposition, and
especially the Congress party,
for opposing them.
Responding to a question on
the future of the economy, she
said she is “ hopeful — that the
coronavirus will recede, and the
Indian entrepreneur, small big,
medium, will succeed” but
added that Ladakh, where the
Indian and Chinese armies are
in a face-off following transgres-
sions by the latter “ is one
imponderable”.
SITHARAMAN
SAID REVIVAL IS
HAPPENING IN
MANY AREAS
Scan the
QR code here
*T&C
14 NEW DELHI
TUESDAY
SEPTEMBER 29, 2020

Opinion

{ OUR TAKE }
E STA B L I S H E D I N 1 9 24
UN must go back to
Crop burning: its original mandate
No end in sight Its handling of the
pandemic shows its
Despite the pandemic being a version of its founding ideals and
global crisis, it is being tackled as a there are several reasons for this. Its
public health emergency mostly at the original democratic impulse, limited
In a year of farm protests, the issue becomes diminished role in national level. The results are subopti- though it was by the institution of the
mal as is to be expected. The pan- UN Security Council with five perma-
more complex. Innovate to tackle it effectively multilateral processes demic has spawned a major economic nent members with veto power, is
crisis, but countries are held in thrall now weak. Resolutions of the UN

T
he United Nations (UN) is by the growing confrontation General Assembly are rarely taken The major powers have no interest in leading the UN back to its original

T
he harvest season has begun in northwest observing the 75th anni-
India, and so has stubble burning and the versary of its founding
amid the Covid-19 pan-
unending search for a permanent solution to demic. Heads of States/
a problem that leads to severe air pollution in governments marked the
the region, especially in Delhi and the National occasion with speeches delivered
through the digital medium. They
Capital Region, every winter. According to a report applauded the UN and the role it has
in this paper on Monday, stubble burning may played in the maintenance of interna-
continue this year because central subsidies on tional peace and security and in
addressing major social and eco-
straw management machinery are not attractive nomic challenges.
enough for small farmers to switch to them. Last The reality is that the original and
week, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal wrote to uplifting vision, which underlay the
establishment of the UN, has lost its
Union environment minister Prakash Javadekar, focus. The UN faces a crisis of credi-
saying that the Centre must look into the Indian bility at the root of which is the enfee-
Agricultural Research Institute’s (IARI) suggestion blement of the spirit of international-
ism and related to that, the diminish-
of converting stubble to manure using a chemical. ing role of multilateral processes in
Last year, an analysis of satellite data from the NASA addressing cross-cutting and global
Goddard Space Flight Center suggested no decline in challenges. This is evident in the mar-
ginal role that the UN is playing in
the number of crop stubble fires in 2018 compared to dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic
2017, despite the new policy for in-situ management and the doubts expressed over the
of crop residue. credibility and effectiveness of the
World Health Organization (WHO) in
The challenge of disposing agricultural waste in mobilising the international commu-
India is significant. According to IARI, the net nity in the fight against the virus.
cropped area is 141.4 million hectares, and crop Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke
of the concerns of countries like India
residues are estimated to be around 600 million and the need for reform in his address
tonnes every year, with generation being the highest to the UN.
in Uttar Pradesh, followed by Maharashtra, Punjab
and Gujarat. Over the years, several policies have
between the largest and the second- seriously. Its agenda is limited by the vision and mandate. They are comfortable with its current role as their
largest economies of the world: The narrow sensitivities of its most power- handmaiden and its collaboration with big business PTI
United States (US) and China. Without ful members.
a minimal agreement between them A major problem relates to finance. countries the tendency is to mimic the mandate. They are comfortable with
on supporting the recovery of the The assessed contributions to the UN, behaviour of the affluent countries. its current role as their handmaiden
global economy and trade, it is impos- based on the Gross Domestic Product They, too, would rather seek to influ- and its collaboration with big busi-
sible to recreate the G-20 collabora- (GDP) of its members, is barely ence the activities of the UN to pursue ness. It is the large constituency of
tion which dealt successfully with the enough to support the UN establish- their own foreign policy aims rather developing countries, including mid-
global financial and eco- ment leaving virtually noth- than serve the larger purpose of a rel- dle powers like India, whose interests
nomic crisis of 2007-08. ing for its wide range of activ- atively more autonomous UN. would be served by a UN which in its
The World Trade Organi- ities, including peace-keep- It is now apparent that in key areas role and activities, truly reflects the
zation has been rendered ing. The UN and its of technology and public health, large interests of its larger membership. I
irrelevant by the growing specialised agencies are able multinational corporations are play- recall my experience as India’s Alter-
salience of large multi-na- to engage in their mandated ing an increasingly influential role. nate Representative to the Committee
tion regional trade and Shyam activities only through The turnover of five big tech compa- on Disarmament (CD) in the early
investment arrangements project funding from major nies, Amazon, Google, Apple, Micro- 1980s. The Disarmament Secretariat
such as the Regional Com-
Saran donor countries. They deter- soft and Facebook together exceeds led by Ambassador Rikhi Jaipal,
prehensive Economic Part- mine where and how these the GDP of some of the largest econo- played the role of adviser and coun-
nership (RCEP) and the funds will be spent. It should mies of the world at over $5 trillion. sellor to the Non-aligned and Neutral
increasing recourse to bilateral deals. come as no surprise, therefore, that They run large philanthropic founda- Countries in the CD, helping them set
Both global economy and trade flows the activities of the UN are heavily ori- tions and agencies but it would be the agenda, marshall their arguments
are becoming fragmented and the ented towards the preferences of the naïve to think that their activities are and acquaint them with procedural
international economic environment donors and not the priorities of its de-linked from their business inter- issues. If such secretarial positions are
is less conducive to the development larger membership. ests. When the UN becomes a partner financed by project funds, independ-
of countries like India. Developing countries who are in of these foundations and receives ence of action by UN functionaries is
Multilateralism is more important the category of middle powers, such funds from them, then it is unlikely to impossible. It is these fundamental
to emerging countries whose bar- as India, Indonesia, Brazil, South encourage any questioning of their issues which need to be addressed by
gaining clout is still limited. But India, Africa and Mexico, for example, could activities. The credibility of the UN is the UN at 75 if it is to regain its credi-
too, appears to have adopted the cur- prevent the capture of the UN by a further undermined through these bility and effectiveness.
rent preference among major coun- small cluster of richer countries, associations.
tries to deal with issues through a nar- China now among them, through The major powers and more afflu- Shyam Saran is a former
rower and more self-centred national- larger contributions to the general ent nations have no interest in leading foreign secretary and senior fellow, CPR
ism prism. The UN today is a depleted budget. However, even among these the UN back to its original vision and The views expressed are personal

Pakistan army’s role in

been proposed to address the issue, but they have
been mainly in-situ technologies. The failure of { AMARINDER SINGH } PUNJAB CHIEF MINISTER
these policies show that it is time to try out new
P
multi-pronged approaches to tackle the problem:
Incentivising farmers to shift away from water-
guzzling paddy and diversifying cropping patterns is
politics angers public Most of our farmers are
one. Uutilising crop residue in power plants, brick ormer Pakistan prime minister (PM), anyone else — in all over nine years but small & marginal who will
kilns and biomass gasifiers is another. A report by
the Council on Energy, Environment and Water
suggests that increasing farmers’ accessibility to
F Nawaz Sharif’s, defiant roar summa- spread over three terms in which the first
rises both his biography and Paki- (November 1990-July 1993) and the third
stan’s history over the past three dec- (June 2013-July 2017) are separated by a
ades. The occasion was an opposition confer- quarter of a century. While the military, or at
be severely impacted by
these legislations. We ...
stubble managing equipment by setting up more ence on video on September 20. Quite apart least certain generals, had much to do with
from what the former PM said, the occasion his meteoric rise through the 1980s, once PM, will do everything to
custom hiring centres and promoting rental models
oppose it [farm bills]
A
was significant. The conference was hosted Nawaz Sharif acted as if he was in charge. His
may work. Last year, Punjab and Haryana provided by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). It first tenure ended, therefore, with a bitter
incentives to farmers, at ₹2,500 per acre, for brought together all the major opposition feud with the president; the second with a
parties and leaders. The Pakistan Muslim coup after General Pervez Musharraf’s Kargil
managing the residue in alternative ways. But it was League (N) — Nawaz Sharif’s party — coordi- misadventure; the third with what amounted
announced in the last week of November after much nating action with the PPP has not been seen to a judicial coup – or so at least many in Pak-
of the residue had already been cleared and for some time. These two together make up istan felt. In each of the three terms, his party

To beat the pandemic,

a large chunk of the political spectrum and had a majority but this was no defence
was dropped this year after reports of the funds both are now increasingly led by charismatic against the forces arrayed against him.
being misused at the panchayat level. next generation leaders — Nawaz Sharif’s The third term was marked by near con-
For any multi-pronged approach to work, there daughter Maryam Nawaz and Benazir stant friction with the military on a whole
needs to be coordination between four groups:
Farmers, states, Centre and scientists. At present,
there seems to a disconnect among all these groups
Bhutto’s son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. What is range of issues. A close political associate
common to both is that they attach to their and astute observer, former foreign minister
names that of a parent who was the
political face of Pakistan for long
Sartaj Aziz, has recently written:
“Nawaz Sharif’s transition away
begin a mass campaign
and a lack of political will to find a solution. Mere lip-
service from political leaders — the farm protests
periods of its history — Nawaz Sha-
rif and Benazir Bhutto. This is
dynastic politics, of course, but it is
also real politics.
from the military establishment
grew incrementally when his core
political interests or stakes were
threatened by the absence of real
on safety protocols
complicate the situation further this year; any

What made the news most was
policing move to control stubble burning will be Nawaz Sharif’s broadside against
seen as anti-farmer — is unlikely to take us forward. Prime Minister Imran Khan and his
government, of course, but more
against those “who installed Imran
Khan and who manipulated elec-
A
democracy”. Nawaz Sharif’s second s the Covid-19 cases keep which covered 3,400 respondents from seven
TCA and third terms stand out for his increasing, people across the countries (India, the United States, the United
Raghavan willingness to walk Pakistan’s most world are desperate for a solu- Kingdom, France, Germany, South Korea, and
dangerous minefield — relations tion. While many vaccine trials Singapore), found that at 83%, India has the
with India. That story is well known. are ongoing, should we treat the highest receptivity rate for a government-ap-
The point, however, is that Nawaz vaccine as a silver bullet, an proved, no-cost vaccine among the countries

Why herd immunity tions to bring an incapable man like him into Sharif understood intuitively that his author-
power and thus, destroyed the country”. ity as PM could be cemented only by limiting
Khan’s failures of economic and foreign pol- the role of the military and for this to happen
exclusive solution to the pandemic? Perhaps surveyed. In comparison, only 65% of all
not. Developing vaccines takes time. Histori- respondents in the seven countries surveyed
cally, the world’s fastest vaccine to be devel- were willing to take such a vaccine.

may not work icy, on Kashmir, Pakistan’s international iso- some improvement of relations, if not nor-
lation, alienation from Saudi Arabia and the malisation with India, was essential. Sartaj
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Aziz also notes, “Fundamentally, Nawaz Sha-
oped – for mumps – took five years. A vac- India’s successful polio communication,
cine receives regulatory approvals after rig- exemplified by the vaccination efforts, can
orous tests for efficacy and patient safety. give us some learnings we can apply now.
the stagnation of the China-Pakistan Eco- rif did not fully comprehend the depth and And then, there is the challenge of inoculat- Considering that Covid-19 outbreaks take
nomic Corridor (CPEC), thus formed one strength of de facto forces and also ignored ing billions of people in diverse place at the community level, fight-

O
n Sunday, as India crossed six million
aspect of the speech. The real firepower was the importance of a broader coalition of countries. ing the disease will also need con-
Covid-19 cases, the Union health minister in the references to the erosion and throt- political forces for establishing the suprem- The little that we know about certed local action. According to Dr
Harsh Vardhan said the country is far from tling of democracy, that “every child knows acy of democratic institutions.” what curbs the spread of the virus David Nabarro, World Health Orga-
achieving herd immunity. The minister that no prime minister has been allowed to Whether this present front of opposition forms the basis of Covid-19 safety nization Special Envoy for Covid-19,
complete five years in power”, of a “state unity and better atmospherics between the advisories: Wearing masks, social prioritising three universal essen-
cited the soon-to-be released findings of the second above the state”. leaders of the PML-(N) and the PPP, there- distancing, and handwashing give us tials can help keep people safe:
Rakesh
nationwide serological survey. The reality is that not All this refers to the role of the military — fore, heralds something new happening in a reasonable degree of protection. Wearing masks, hand hygiene and
euphemistically called the establishment — Pakistan is too early to say. Nawaz Sharif Yet, as soaring case numbers indi- Thukral physical distancing. From rural hubs
enough Indians have built an immunological
in politics. What has been less reported than stands disqualified from politics for life and cate, there is a gap between the mass to urban wards, we require a mass
protection that could allow for going back to pre- his references to the military and the gener- effectively in exile. Most Pakistani politicians communication of Covid-19 preven- campaign to communicate these
pandemic behaviour. als were the comments about the judiciary in the opposition are fearful of the skeletons tion information and its uptake. fundamentals to every citizen through con-
What is also established is that India cannot and how it acts in concert with the military. in their cupboards and the risk of jail or We, in India, can perhaps find lessons in stant reiteration.
Nawaz Sharif has been PM longer than worse is real. Yet for all this both the PML-(N) how we faced another challenge not so long The prevention campaign needs to engage
pursue a herd immunity-focussed strategy. Letting and the PPP have remained largely intact ago. Accounting for 60% of global cases, India large audiences. Places of congregation, like
the virus run its course will overwhelm the health with no major desertions or breakaways in was once the world’s polio epicentre. We had markets, offices, public transport, slums, and
care system. Mumbai is believed to have faced this the past two years. Khan’s problems, on the the vaccine; however, what was lacking was residential areas, must be specially targeted.
other hand, are mounting — not the least of mass understanding of the need to immunise Just as non-compliance with road safety rules
scenario. In Delhi, hospital beds dwindled rapidly which is managing the growing clamour in children well in time. Such was the distrust leads to traffic fines and more, there must
before additional resources were mobilised. public discourse that the military is too among many people that in many cases, vac- also be strict emphasis on compliance for the
Additionally, some research suggests individual involved in national affairs. Nawaz Sharif’s cinators were regularly turned away. In the Covid-19 safety protocols.
speech is designed clearly at advancing this face of this resistance, India’s polio vaccine The campaign against the virus must also
immunity may not last long enough to prevent discourse. Certainly he knows that what dis- campaign at the time leveraged opinion lead- fight misinformation, a major risk amid an
future infections, making herd immunity an even pleases the military more than anything else ers and deployed a mass communication out- ‘infodemic’ of Covid-related content. As the
riskier gamble. Many scientists have pointed out that is an open discussion of its political role. Pos- reach to support behaviour change. The cam- economy reopens, it is imperative that there
sibly he believes that agitation on this front paign’s compelling appeal gave frontline is sustained dissemination of Covid-19 pre-
herd immunity is a scientific tenet that cannot be will increase pressure — both on Khan and health workers the social licence to go door- vention messages using every channel of
used in the context of infection-acquired protection; the military — and mistakes happen under to-door to ensure coverage. The campaign mass communication, from posters, bill-
it is possible only through an effective vaccine. And pressure. The September speech may well won the trust of communities at the grass- boards and wall-writings to radio, TV, and
mark Nawaz Sharif’s fourth foray into Paki- roots level, making the two polio drops for social media. In addition to the three essen-
since vaccines are at least another year away, the stan’s murky terrain of curbing the military. infants socially acceptable. tials, communication also needs to provide
minister’s comments are a reminder that India must If that is so, then describing Nawaz Sharif as While India was familiar with vaccines (for clarity on how the virus spreads. The vaccine
keep its focus on preventive measures as it heads epitomising a man with his future behind smallpox, cholera, typhoid, and TB, among will come in due course. Until then, stringent
him may well sum up his biography as also others) early on, the polio campaign was a caution, robust communication of Covid-19
into the festive season. Its citizens are battling Pakistan’s political history. unique one. Along with ending polio, the safety protocols, and compliance to trusted
behaviour fatigue and economic compulsion and campaign provided the proof that vaccina- actions are the vaccine.
may not adhere to social distancing and compulsory T C A Raghavan is a former high commissioner to tions work; and, the collective journey to a
The September speech may well mark Pakistan. He is currently director-general, Indian polio-free India built a trust of vaccines Rakesh Thukral is managing
face-covering. It is important to address these while Sharif’s fourth foray into Pakistan’s murky Council of World Affairs among citizens. This month, a special Cov- director, Edelman India
keeping distractions like herd immunity aside. terrain of curbing the military REUTERS The views expressed are personal id-19 edition of the Edelman Trust Barometer, The views expressed are personal

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Editor: KUNAL PRADHAN

NEW DELHI
TUESDAY
SEPTEMBER 29, 2020
CENTRE LAUNCHES
NATIONAL
COVID-19 CLINICAL
REGISTRY AND
VACCINE PORTAL
HT Correspondent
letters@hindustantimes.com
NEW DELHI: Union health minis-
ter Dr. Harsh Vardhan on Mon-
day launched the National Cov-
id-19 Registry and a vaccine por-
tal aimed at collecting quality
real-time clinical data on coro-
navirus disease (Covid-19)
patients from hospitals and labo-
ratories. It will also document
India’s efforts towards develop-
ing vaccines against the viral dis-
ease. The need for maintaining a
registry was felt as documenta-
tion and description of people
infected by Sars-CoV-2, the virus
that causes Covid-19, and their
course of illness is imperative for
obtaining useful information
about the disease and its behav-
iour in various groups of
patients.
The vaccine web portal that
was also launched alongside has
detailed information on the
development of Covid-19 vaccine
candidates, especially the three
candidates that are currently
under advanced stages of human
trials in India.
NIA COURT GIVES
LIFE TERM TO MAN
WITH I.S. LINKS
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The
National Investigation Agency
(NIA) court in Kochi on Monday
sentenced Subahani Haja Moi-
deen (34), who had returned
from Iraq after fighting for the
Islamic State (IS), to life impris-
onment and fined him
₹2,10,000.
He was found guilty under
sections 125 (waging a war
against a friendly country) and
120 B (criminal conspiracy) of
the Indian Penal Code, and the
Unlawful Activities Prevention
Act (UAPA) September 25.
In its probe, the NIA found
that Moideen, a resident of Tho-
dupuzha in Idukki district, had
left for Saudi Arabia in 2015 and
later reached Turkey. He was
taken to Syria border by his
handlers and later shifted to
Raqqa in Syria, where he under-
went intense arms training. HTC
PAGE ONE PLUS
FOR TOP NEWS ARTICLES
AT A GLANCE
SR. NAME OF BOARD/CORP./AUTH
NO.
1 THE SONIPAT COOPERATIVE
SUGAR MILLS LTD. SONIPAT
2 THE AMBALA DISTT. COOP. MILK WEIGHING SCALE (200 KG)
PRODUCERS UNION LTD
3 KARNAL SMART CITY
4 MUNICIPAL COMMITTEE
NILOKHERI
5 THE KARNAL COOP. SUGAR
MILLS LTD. KARNAL
6 HPGCL, HISAR
7 HPGCL, HISAR
8 HPGCL, HISAR
9 HPGCL, HISAR
10 HPGCL, HISAR
11 HSAM BOARD, BHIWANI
12 UHBVN, PANCHKULA
13 UHBVN, KARNAL
14 HARYANA WOMEN
DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
15 HARYANA STATE POLLUTION
CONTROL BOARD, HARYANA
83037
My India 15
Can’t defer exams, says UPSC The spread of Covid-19
Abraham Thomas THE COMMISSION Murari, said, “You file an affida-
vit putting out all logistical
mandant with one of the central
paramilitary forces who is per-
Total confirmed
cases
Total
deaths
States cases Below
50,000
50,000 to
100,000
100,000 to
300,000
300,000
above
letters@hindustantimes.com
WAS RESPONDING arrangements that have been forming duty at a Covid-19 quar-
NEW DELHI: With just days TO A PLEA BY 20 made. We will hear the matter antine centre while at the same
Total Covid-19 cases Total
remaining for the October 4 Civil
CIVIL SERVICES on Wednesday.” time preparing for the exam.
deaths
96,354 (+New deaths
Services Preliminary Examina-
tion to be taken by nearly
600,000 candidates across India,
the Union Public Service Com-
mission (UPSC) told the
Supreme Court on Monday that
ASPIRANTS WHO
WANT EXAMS TO BE
POSTPONED
BECAUSE OF THE
The 20 petitioners before the
Court belonged to different parts
of the country and claim that
participating in an examination
in the prevailing circumstances
poses a risk to their safety and
The application urged the
court to defer the exam as the
petitioner’s son was faced with
“a peculiar position of difficulty”
owing to his special and
increased workload because of
6,142,995 (+New cases 69,685)
Total
recoveries 5,098,502
787)
delaying the test further was COVID-19 PANDEMIC health. Their petition stated that the pandemic. “It is purely a
UT Ladakh Sikkim
“impossible”. unlike engineering or medical recruitment examination and Chandigarh
The Commission, the top gov- 31, but could not be conducted entrance examination where weighing the pros and cons of 4,152 11,678 2,815
ernment recruitment body, was due to the pandemic. Any fur- non-conduct of examination will conducting the exam in the 58 153 34
responding to a plea by 20 civil ther deferment will scuttle the disturb the entire academic backdrop of the pandemic situa-
services aspirants who want a appointment process.” year’s curriculum, the Civil Ser- tion...appears that such a mas- Assam
postponement of the examina- The UPSC came out with a vices Preliminary Examination sive movement in these times is UT J&K Delhi 173,629
tion because of the Covid-19 pan- revised examination schedule on was simply a recruitment test. beyond all logic and respect for 73,014 273,098 667
demic and floods in some states. June 5, fixing the date for the The petitioners claimed that human lives,” it stated. 1,146 5,272
“I have gone through the peti- preliminary examination on in some states, active Covid-19 Meghalaya
tion filed before the Court and I October 4. “Four months time cases were large and in some Himachal
w
5,362
find that it is completely impos- was given to all states to prepare states, cases were few. Holding Punjab Pradesh 46
sible to consider shifting the for the offline examination to be an exam in such a scenario 111,375 14,457
examination,” UPSC counsel conducted across many cities. By would be discriminatory against 3,284 Arunachal
READ: Scan the 175
Naresh Kaushik told a three- now, all machinery has been put students facing curbs. QR code know
Pradesh
judge bench headed by justice in place,” Kaushik said. Along with the petitioners, an Haryana 9,332
AM Khanwilkar. “The examina- The bench, also comprising application was moved by the
more about Covid protocols govt Uttarakhand
followed during NEET 125,412 47,502 15
tion was to be conducted on May justices BR Gavai and Krishna father of a serving assistant com-
1,331 580 Nagaland
5,957
Rajasthan Uttar Pradesh 17
{ COVID-19 } GOVT TELLS PVT HOSPITALS
RLYS MAY LEVY IIM-A,B,C AMONG 130,971 390,875
UP TO ₹35 USER TOP INDIAN 5,652
‘Avoid routine use
1,456
FEE IN ITS FARES B-SCHOOLS IN Gujarat Manipur
GLOBAL RANKING
Anisha Dutta
letters@hindustantimes.com of plasma therapy’ Amandeep Shukla
134,623
3,431
10,477
64
NEW DELHI: The Indian railways
amandeep.shukla@htlive.com
Mizoram
may levy up to ₹35 user fee as its webinars that are meant to NEW DELHI: Three Indian Insti-
part of train fares seeking to
Rhythma Kaul
handhold peripheral hospitals in tutes of Management (IIMs) are Dadra and 1,907
raise funds for redeveloping rail- letters@hindustantimes.com
providing critical care have also among the top Indian B-Schools Nagar Haveli Bihar 0
way stations as part of its pro- NEW DELHI: The Centre has been emphasizing on it,” he said. in the latest Financial Times 3,002 180,032
posal being finalised for seeking directed private hospitals not to Currently, no effective treat- global ranking. Tripura
2 892
Union Cabinet’s nod, said offi- use experimental therapies such ment is available for Covid-19, In the Masters of Manage- 24,918
cials familiar with the develop- as convalescent plasma or drug but there are certain drugs and ment category, IIM Ahmedabad, Maharashtra 270
ment. remdesivir routinely for treating therapies that have been ranked 20th, is the top-ranked 1,351,153 Jharkhand
As per the current proposal, Covid-19 patients after receiving approved by country’s drug reg- Indian institution followed by 35,751 81,417 West Bengal
the fee would range from ₹10 to complaints of its rampant use, ulator under investigational IIM Calcutta at the 21st spot. 688 250,580
₹35 with a higher fee for AC first particularly in tier 2 and 3 cities. therapy or emergency use autho- IIM Bangalore and SP Jain Goa 4,837
class passengers, said the offi- “Government has held consul- rization based on the limited evi- Institute of Management and 32,396
cials. To be sure, the railway tations with big corporate hospi- dence available from research Research (SPJIMR) stand third
ministry has clarified that no tals on this matter. The director taking place globally and in with a joint ranking of 36. IIM at
407 Madhya Pradesh Odisha
final decision has been taken on of All India Institute of Medical India. Udaipur is placed at 72nd rank. Karnataka 124,166 212,609
the amount of the user fee to be Sciences, Delhi, has also been a Under health ministry’s clini- The overall rankings are dom- 582,458 2,242 866
levied and added that it will be a part of these consultations. Pri- cal management protocol, off-la- inated by European institutions
8,641 Andaman and
“minimal” amount. “User char- vate hospitals have been given bel use of plasma therapy has with University of St Gallen in Chhattisgarh
ges are a small token amount clear instructions to not use been included to be used in Switzerland in the top followed Kerala 108,458 Nicobar
which when collected, will be these investigational therapies patients with moderate disease by HEC Paris and Essec, also in 179,922 877 3,794
ploughed back into the improve- routinely,” said Union health who are not improving (oxygen France. 53
ment of conveniences and facili- minister Harsh Vardhan. requirement is progressively At the Global MBA category, 697
ties at the railway station. The “All states have also been increasing) despite use of ster- dominated by US colleges, IIM Tamil Nadu Puducherry Andhra Pradesh Telangana
amount of this fee is expected to instructed to keep a check to oids. Antiviral drug remdesivir Bangalore is ranked 27th fol-
586,397 26,685 681,161 187,211
very reasonable so that there is avoid routine use of these thera- has been approved for use under lowed by International School of
no burden on anyone especially pies, and give only to those Cov- emergency use authorization in Business Hyderabad at 28th 9,383 515 5,745 1,107
common people,” a railway min- id-19 patients for whom it is patients with moderate disease while IIM Calcutta is ranked *Data compiled by covid19india.org and cross-checked from inputs by HT’s correspondents and news agencies.
istry spokesperson said. intended. AllMS, Delhi, through (those on oxygen). 42nd.
{ }
Economy showing
Experience, engage signs of recovery: PM { }
Rellief for students as
and express with
US rolls back visa rule
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NEW DELHI-110011
TO 160 KW CAPACITY AT RGTPP, KHEDAR, HISAR. e-Mail: apo-mod@nic.in
NIT NO. 27/RGTPP/CHEMICAL/CEM-84 VOL-VII DT. 24.09.2020. FOR CLOSING DATE 9800/- https://etenders.hry.nic.in 9355084343 Tele No.: 23014517
RELINING OF 2 NO. RUBBER LINED CHEMICAL STORAGE TANKS 26.10.2020 xenchemical.rgtpp@hpgcl.org.in
ALONG WITH FABRICATION, SUPPLY AND INSTALLATION OF 1 NO. NOTICE OF TEC DATES OF APO
ADDITIONAL MANHOLE COVER ON CHEMICAL STORAGE TANKS Army Purchase Organization intends to inform prospective bidders that tenders for the under
INSTALLED AT RGTPP, KHEDAR, HISAR. mentioned item has been uploaded and can be accessed through the mentioned tender ID’s on
CONSTRUCTION OF LINK ROAD FROM VILL. BAIRAN TO BUDHERA CLOSING DATE 1.66 CRORE https://etenders.hry.nic.in eebhiwani.hsamb@gmail.com
(ID-10292) IN LOHARU CONSTY. DISTT. BHIWANI (HON’BLE C.M. 09.10.2020 the Govt website http://defproc.gov.in/eprocure/app
ANNOUNCEMENT CODE NO. 25401 DATED 07.03.2020) + 2 OTHER Sl. Items Quantity Tender ID on CPP Portal Last date of Bid
WORKS
HIRING OF VEHICLE I.E JEEP (MAHINDRA BOLERO) FOR SDO CIVIL CLOSING DATE EMD for Contr. www.uhbvn.org.in 9356063248 No. (in MT) Submission
CONST.S/DIVISION UHBVN, KARNAL 08.10.2020 Rs.6000/- xenciviluhbvnpanchkula@gmail.com 1. Almond Girl 101 MT 2020_ARMY_380753_1 05 Oct 2020
HIRING OF 2 NOS. VEHICLE (HALF BODY JEEP/MAHINDRA CAMPER) CLOSING DATE 7000/- www.uhbvn.org.in 9315457383 02.00 PM
OPEN FROM BACK SIDE FOR USE S.D.O (OP) S/DIVN.UHBVN 12.10.2020 xenopsu1karnal@uhbvn.org.in
INDRI & JEEP WITH HARD TOP I.E. BOLERO/SUMO WITH DRIVER 2. Raisin Brown 105 MT 2020_ARMY_380833_1 05 Oct 2020
MAHINDRA BOLERO FOR USE OF S.D.O. (OP) SUB-DIVISION, AMIN 02.00 PM
UNDER XEN S/U DIVN. NO.1, UHBVN, KARNAL
TENDER FOR SUPPLY OF MANPOWER SERVICE 28.09.2020 2 LACS www.hwdcl.org.in 0172-2564720 3. Fruit Dried 29 MT 2020_ARMY_380879_1 05 Oct 2020
16.10.2020 02.00 PM
HIRING OF SERVICES OF MANPOWER/WORKFORCE REQUIRED 30.09.2020 10 LACS www.hspcb.gov.in 9873511106
UNDER PART-I OUTSOURCING POLICY OF GOVERNMENT NO. 21.10.2020 hspcbpublicitycell@gmail.com Sd/-
16/7/2015-IGS II DATED 06.05.2015. Chief Director of Purchase (GDP)
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION KINDLY VISIT: www.haryanaeprocurement.gov.in or www.etenders.hry.nic.in davp 10602/11/0013/2021 Army Purchase Organisation
16
Today’s business world is a little like
instant noodles. Something is always
cooking every two minutes.
That’s why we always keep you two steps
ahead with the latest news on mergers,
acquisitions, and everything in between.
To get your MINT copy, give a missed call on 7039035039 or visit
www.mintreaders.com or write to us at subscription@livemint.com
EMPLOYMENT
ACADEMIC
PP INTERNATIONAL School reqd REQ IN Export Sales with 3-5 yrs sales
TGT Science, TGT French, PRT- Gen-
eral & TGT English.(Teacher Must be
regular Collegiate) LD Block, Pitam-
pura, Delhi-34, E: hr@ppischool.in
REQ. TGT / PGT (All Subj) & Acdmic
Coordinator (J/S) Snd c.v in 5 days,
frm 9-11:30am, Saarthi Intrnl. Schl
Begumpur, Rohini preference #
9811082600, sis1413279@gmail.com
ACCOUNTS/FINANCE
FEMALE BSC / BCom for Back
Office Age 30 yrs+, Computer must.
From around Nariana,
Mail : 1966rk@gmail.com ,
call 9810048988
URGENT REQ. For Exp.Cashier-9
M/F Qualification Graduate.
Salary: 15,000 to 25,000 Bansiwala
Sweets Rohini (M):-9818975797
REQUIRED SENIOR Manager
(Finance & Admin) Graduate, English
proficiency, Exp 10 yrs. Salary: 30K.
Age 45-60 yrs. Apply in 1 week
iccw.delhi@gmail.com
CA FIRM Reqs. Exp. Audit Assists.,
B.Com, Semi Qulfd CA, Apply at
V.Ahuja & Co. 24, School Lane,
Bengali Market, ND-01.# 9968651830
or Email : v_ahuja101@yahoo.com
REQD. ACCOUNTANT Min exp-5
yrs having good knowledge of Tally
Erp 9, word, Excel for Construction
Co in Greater Noida email- kpdubey
milestone.earthcon@gmail.com
REQUIRED ACCOUNTANT in
Kirti Nagar Industrial Area Delhi,
with min. 5 years exp., knowing
computer. Send your CV at:
parmod.malhotra@yahoo.in
REQUIRED ACCOUNTS Person
for A Group of Company in Uttam
Nagar office near by candidate
preferred Contact : 9958814998,
9310211139
CA FIRM req CA Inter, Exp. Account-
ant with knwlge of Tally, Income
Tax, TDS, GST. Preff wrkng exp of CA
firm South Delhi ( Mahipalpur)
# cavijaykrishnkant@gmail.com
SALES & MARKETING
ADVT AGENCY Req. Jr. Graphic
Designer, Tele caller F., Mktg Exec.
# 206, Wegman House 21, V.S, Block
Shakarpur, Delhi-91, # 9911016273
Email: acc.addmark@gmail.com
URG REQ Hdwkg for Ncr-Delhi:
Field Exec, Field Boy,
Fast-Eng-Typist, TeleCaller,
Tender filler, Acountt, Admin,
Coordinator # 7982313564
Deals
THE MOST AWESOME BUSINESS DAILY THERE IS.
REQD MECH. Engg. knowledge of
SALES & MARKETING
REQ B.TECH Engineer for Electrical
exp in Orthopaedic Implants &
Surgical Instruments. Shd know
Computers, export terms & surgical
techniques. Location Noida Sec 63.
Send CV to 9810053889 or
himanshu_sachdev@hotmail.com
REQUIRED EXPERIENCED
Sales Executive for DSA of LAP,
Home Loan. conveyance must.
Salary 10k-15k + Incentive at
SPACE COMBINE Associates
Rani Bagh. Contact: 9871418186
REQUIRED SALES Professionals
for IT products with 3-5 yrs exp. For
Authorised Partner of Dell & Lenovo.
Contact : 9810076839, Email:
anjanij@gmail.com
ADMINISTRATION/
SECRETARIAL
CALL CENTER JOBS
REQUIRED FEMALE Telecallers,
fresh/experienced near Dashrath
Puri/ Laxmi Nagar metro station
Delhi, Mail: neeraj03@icloud.com
8447730444- Vishal Aggarwal
COMPUTER
OPERATOR
REQD EXP. Ecommerce staff with
know. of online listing,order process
on Amazon/Flipkart etc Loc.Paschim
Vihar # 9891893839, 9599404040
Em: avenueoverseas@hotmail.com
ENGINEER/
PROD/TECHNICAL
MANAGER-CUM- CHEMIST
reqd. with exp. in FMCG/Package
drinking water Plant in Dhaulana,
near Ghaziabad. 9968246753. Email
CV at : anglesagrofoods@gmail.com
REQUIRED GM/ Factory Head for
Resin & Paint Manufacturing Unit at
Guwahati -Assam. Mininum 20 years
experience in similar Field. Mail
your CV's at: tanuj@jaighy.in
ENGINEER/
PROD/TECHNICAL
Design at Autotest, Delhi unit.
M: 7011116796, 25187023,
REQ. EXP. Female Office Executive,
alok.autotest@gmail.com,
www.autotestmachines.com
Switchgear Co.Mfg MCB MCCB & Dis-
tribution Boxes.Should knowledge
of BIS Exp 3-6 yrs.& Plastic Inj. Mou-
lding Incharge for 10 Machines. 981-
0762743, pawankohli1223@gmail.com
ARCHITECT
connaught place, Req. Architects
Interior Designers Arch. & Str.
Draftsmen, 3d visualizer & Engineer
EM: sca2006@gmail.com
GENERAL MULTIPLE
VACANCIES
REQ. DATA Entry Operators, with
7 MANJILA Sanatan Dharm Mandir,
NEW DELHI
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2020
GENERAL MULTIPLE
VACANCIES
Computer Operator & Stock Market
Technical Analyst. Walkin Interview
REQ. LAB Tech. with Microbiology
Add: 909, New Delhi House, Barakh-
amba Road, C.P, Delhi. # 43043471
REQD. RECEPTIONIST (M/F)
PANCHSHEEL HOSPITAL
MEDICAL SUPERINTENDENT,
REQD MT, Sr Receptionist, X-Ray
DATA ENTRY
OPERATORS
Good English, Day/Night shift,
5 days week, Add: 335, Udyog
Vihar-II Gurgaon, Bet. 3 to 7 pm.
Mob: 9910768257, Em: hr@infox.in
MEDICAL
Tilak Nagar, Delhi. Required
Dental Surgeon (Orthodontist)
with specialisation in RCT.
Contact: 9013458468.
Ex Army Man 2 - 3 Years Experience
MEDICAL
exp. /Electrician for night hrs. at
Goyal MRI, B-1/12, SJE Call-40771234
Email : goyalmri@yahoo.com &
Radiology Billing Staff at SAIH Rohini
staff nurse, P.R.O & sales person for
field work. contact- soni medical
centre, M.I.G flats East of Loni road
shahdara delhi # 9868072437
Yamuna Vihar, Delhi Required
Sonologist, RMO, MBBS, Nurses,
GNM, Accountant. Dr Goel
01143541234, 9810106800
HR Manager, Quality Manager,
Billing Executive, Dietician, RMO /
CMO. ICU / NICU / labour room staff
nurse. Email: hr@prayaghospital.in
tech with atleast 3yrs exp & Market-
ing Exec. with good English speaking
skills at Platinum Imaging Centre,9
Dayanand Vihar DL-92, # 40303314
Email: platinumimaging@yahoo.com
EARN 20000/- Invest 70,000/-
I PRAVEEN Kumar, S/o Inderpal
3.5 TO 4 LACS PER MONTH.
Hospital Administrator
Punjab Water Supply & Sewerage Division, Ludhiana
eepwssdivn2ldh@gmail.com
No. 3672
Name of Work: Construction of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), Pumping Stations,
ETPs for Dairy Complexes, Rehabilitation of existing STPs & Main
Pumping Stations for abatement of pollution in Buddha Nallah,
Ludhiana including Operation & Maintenance for a period of 10
years (on DBOT basis) under AMRUT scheme.
Cost of Project: Lump Sump (including 10 years O&M)
The online bid submission for the tender notice no. 17/PWSSD/LDH of 12/2019,
published in “Hindustan Times” “The Tribune” & “Indian Express” has been extended
upto 5.00 PM on 05.10.2020.
For detailed terms and conditions, including Addendums and reply to bidder
queries, refer to website https://eproc.punjab.gov.in
82933
EDUCATION/
ADMISSIONS
MEWAR
INSTITUTE
Affiliated to C.C.S. University, Meerut
App. by Bar Council of India, N. Delhi
Admission 2020-21
Premier Institute in NCR
B.Com
10 + 2 with 45% marks
BBA BCA
10+2 with 45% marks 10+2 with 45% marks
LLB
5 3
Yrs.
10 + 2 with 45% marks
M.Sc
(Bio-Tech)
50% Marks in Grad. with
CBZ or Bio-Tech
For online Admission go to
www.mimcs.com/admission.php
Sec - 4C, Vasundhra, Ghaziabad
0120-2698218/19/20 , 9818511145
BUSINESS
BUSINESS OFFER
Install Auto Bulb Plant Labour,
Marketing Facility with 100%
Buyback Agreement
# 011-45720199, 9910492487.
LOST & FOUND
Singh, R/o Flat No. 1069, Akshard-
ham Society, Pocket-3, Sector-19
Dwarka, New Delhi-110 075 have
lost my Share Certificate No. 100 of
my property in Shama Cooperative
Group Housing Society Limited for
my Flat No. C-57 at Plot No. 32, Sec-
tor-10, Dwarka New Delhi-110075. If
anyone finds this, please contact Mr.
Praveen Kumar on the mentioned
addresses or kindly call on my
Mobile Number- +918826402020.
Notice
Dated: 25.09.2020
Sd/-
Executive Engineer
Punjab W/S & Sew. Divn.
Ludhiana
{Tuesday}
Estd 1997
B.Sc
(Maths)
10 + 2 with 45% in PCM
LLB
Yrs.
Grad/PG with 45% marks
B.Lib
Graduation with 45% Marks
LOST & FOUND
I, MANJU Narula W/o Late Sh. Arun
Narula R/o H-35/7, DLF Phase-1,
Gurugram (HR) Have lost original
Sale Deed No. 27955 Dated
31/03/2010 of P. No. H-3/13 DLF
Phase-1, Gurugram (HR) if found
inform, 9811327228
IT IS notified for the information that
my original qualifying examination
certificate of main secondary school
examination class 10th year 1992 and
roll No-1110021 issued by C.B.S.E
Board has been actually lost. name of
the candidates Karan Singh Mumick
R/o 26, Espace Nirvana Country, Sec-
50, Gurgaon, Haryana, Mobile No.
9818809034
CHANGE OF NAME
I, SNEHA Sharma alias Sneh Sharma
D/o Harish Sharma R/o Flat No.
B -102, Hindon Apartment (Near
Somerville School) Vasundhra
Enclave, Delhi-96 inform that both
name are one and of the same
person. In future I will be known as
Sneha Sharma only.
I, MOHAN Singh Yadav S/o Sh. Shish
Ram R/o Vijay Nagar, Rewari (HR)
have changed my name from Mohan
Singh Yadav to Mohan Singh for all
future purposes.
MY DAUGHTER kiran dhama high
school year 2020 serial number
7073483 marks her mother name as
PARMILA DHAMA which is incorrect
while her mother correct name is
PARMITA DHAMA. Rajeev Dhama
S/O Mr.Veerkishan, Address- Khekra
patti Mundala Tehsil Khekra District
Baghpat
I, AASHEESH Gupta S/o MC Gupta
R/o The Legend Tower D2flat 1404
Sector 57 Gurugram, have changed
my Minor daughters name Akshita
Gupta to Saisha Gupta
M.P. MADHYA KSHETRA VIDYUT
VITARAN COMPANY LIMITED
(Government. of M.P. Undertaking)
Regd. Office : Nishtha Parisar, Govindpura, Bhopal - 462023
Phone : (0755) 2602033-36, 2678325, Fax : 2589821
Website : portal.mpcz.in, E-mail : md@mpcz.co.in
CIN Number : U40109MP2002SGC015119
CORRIGENDUM
The purpose of this corrigendum is to publish the change in the eligibility
criteria mentioned in the Advertisement issued on 17th September,
2020 regarding- "A Challenging Opportunity in Power sector" for the
position of Director (Commercial) and Director (Technical).
Point No. D 1 (ii) may now be read as under :
The applicant shall be a serving officer, working on the rank of
Additional Chief Engineer and equivalent or above in any of the
successor companies of erstwhile MPSEB, with minimum 5 years
experience as regular Superintending Engineer or equivalent and
above.
Interested persons may visit our website portal.mpcz.in for more details
and download the application form.
All other terms and conditions remain unchanged.
M.P. Madhyam/98616/2020 CHIEF GENERAL MANAGER (HR & A)
Short Term E-Tender Notice
FOR CONCEPTUALIZING, DESIGNING AND FABRICATING THE
TABLEAU OF THE STATE OF HARYANA FOR REPUBLIC DAY PARADE
AT RAJ PATH ON 26TH JANUARY, 2021
E-Tender Bids are invited from Reputed Tableau designers/Art agencies/Award winner
agencies preparing of eye catching Tableau for Republic Day Parade, 2021 at New Delhi
as per themes prescribed by the Government of India, namely any important episode from
the history of the State, Festivals Celebrated, Cultural/Architectural Heritage including any
aspect of the life of people, any important social and economic development scheme,
project or achievement of outstanding nature which merits a display in the National Parade,
environment, vision for the future. Besides the prescribed themes, tenderers are also free
to submit novel and varied themes/designs having relevance to the state. The suggestive
themes are listed below.
1 Haryana No. 1 in Sports/Marching ahead in the field of Sports.
2 Educated Panchayats in Haryana.
3 Mera Parivar Meri Pehchan.
4 Swamitav Scheme.
5. Mera Pani Men Virasat (Jal Sanrakshan).
Bids to be submitted as per description below:
Item No. Description/Specification of the work Quote (Rate to be given inclusive
of all taxes)
1. Conceptualizing, designing, fabricating These rates include all material, labour
and presentation till dismantling the charges and incidental charges (on
Tableau of Haryana for participating in turnkey basis).
the Republic Day Parade 2021 at New
Delhi
2. Approx. cost 35 Lakh (Thirty Five Lakh)
Bid Opening Date: 28.09.2020 at 11.00 A.M
Bid Opening publically & starts for submission : 29.09.2020 at 11.00 A.M
Bid Submission Closing Date : 09.10.2020 at 5.00 P.M
Date & Time of opening of Technical bids : 12.10.2020 at 11.00 A.M
Date & Time of opening of Financial bids : 19.10.2020 at 03.00 P.M
The tenders have to upload PDF file of technical bid/design/documents along with online
Payment EMD (refundable) of Rs. 1,00,000, Tender Document Fee Rs. 1,000/- and Tender
processing fee Rs. 1180/- at online E-Tender portal etenders.hry.nic.in
1) Bidders have to deposit the refundable EMD of Rs. 1,00,000/- (One Lakh Rupees Only)
Online through E-Tender portal.
2) Tender document fees Rs. 1,000/- (Non refundable) Online through E-Tender portal.
3) Tender Processing Fees Rs. 1,180/- (Non refundable) Online through E-Tender portal.
Sd/-
Director General
Information, Public Relations & Languages Department, Haryana
Note: For any other clarifications/Detailed Terms and Conditions, kindly log on to website etenders.
hry.nic.in or contact Visualizer, Office of Director General, Information, Public Relations and
Languages, Haryana, SCO No. 200-201, Sector 17-C, Chandigarh, Phone : 0172-5059128, 5059125.
83042
CHANGE OF NAME
PUBLIC NOTICES
I, SHAILESH Kumar S/O, Rajender
Kumar Baldodia R/o 1099, First
Floor, Sector 16, Old Faridabad,
Faridabad -121002 have changed my
name to Shailesh Kumar Baldodia.
I, SHIYA Dulari W/o Shivram R/o
125, O-Block, Yashoda Nagar,
Kanpur, UP, have changed my
name Shiya Dulari to Siya Dulari
for all future purposes.
I, KETKI Dube w/o Uday Bhaskar
Dube R/o K 123,Windsor Park.
Indrapuram ,Gzb has changed my
name to Ketki Uday Dube for all
purposes.
I, VINOD Kumar Sharma R/o
25,gyan Park,krishna Nagar East
Delhi have changed my minor son's
name from Radhey Sharma to
Radhey Kaushik for all purposes.
KAVITA W/O Sonindra Kumar R/O
Bhatona (Bulandshahr), I say that
my DOB in army record of my
husband is 10.6.1986, that is wrong
& in my adhar card 10.6.1985, that is
right.
I, PAMOD Kumar S/O Azrail Singh
Yadav R/O Flat no 280, Pocket 1, PH
2, Sector 13, Dwarka New Delhi
110078 shall be known as Pramod
Kumar Yadav for all purpose
I, RAJESH Kumar S/o Sh. Surat
Singh R/o HNo. RZ-202G, Gali No. 13,
Sadh Nagar, Palam Colony, Delhi-
45. Riya Mehalawat is my daughter
and in her school records my name
is written as Rajesh Mehalawat
instead of Rajesh Kumar. In future I
must be called, known or designated
as Rajesh Kumar for all purpose.
DEEPAK KUMAR singh, R/o
D-344 New Ashok Nagar New Delhi-
110096, Change my daughter Name
Drishti kumari Singh to Drishti
Singh.
I, ARCHANA Tyagi W/o Amit Tyagi
R/o 3-F-355, 1st floor, Sector-3
Vaishali, Sahibabad, Ghaziabad UP
have changed the spelling of my
name from Arachana Tyagi to
Archana Tyagi forever.
I, BUDHI Ballabh R/o Plot No. 10
F/f, Pratap Nagar, Hari Nagar, New
Delhi 64 have changed my minor
daughter's name from Vani
Kapurwan to Vaani Kapurwan.
MY ACTUAL name is Kuldeep
Kumar Meena S/o Sh. Onkar Mal
Meena R/o G-8/303, Ganga
Apartment, Sector-D Vasant Kunj,
New Delhi-70 but by mistaken in
my daughter's (Sneha Jeph) school
record my name wrongly mentioned
as Kuldeep Meena
I, CHANDRA Kant Kumar S/O,
Sh. Sant bilash Sharma D/O,Mannat
R/O, FNo.248,Patrakar Vihar Nyay
Khand-1,Indirapuram,Ghaziabad(UP)
have Changed my name to Mannat
Sharma for all future purpose.
I, KRISHAN Kant S/O, Sh Tirath
Ram R/o 381 B, Pocket 2 Mayur
Vihar Phase 1 Delhi 110091 have
changed my name to Krishan
Kant Arora.
I, JYOTI Rajpal W/o Lalit Makkar,
R/o G-1, Arjun Nagar, Street No 4,
Krishna Nagar, Delhi 110051, have
changed my name to Jyoti Makkar
for all future purposes after
marriage.
I, ASHISH Kumar Sharma S/o Krishan
Avtar Sharma R/o P-170 Sanjay Nagar
Sector-23 Ghaziabad UP have chang
ed my name minor son's name from
Divyansh Sharma to Saransh Sharma
I, RATNA Shree W/o Dr. R.N. Prasad
R/o C-2, MCD Flats, Block-R, Greater
Kailash Part-1, New Delhi-110048
have changed my daughter’s name
from Garima to Garima Prasad for
all future purposes.
NEW DELHI
TUESDAY
SEPTEMBER 29, 2020
Trump’s tax in 2016, 2017: $750
NYT report claims
Trump’s businesses
paid $145,400 taxes in
India the same year,
prez calls it fake news
Yashwant Raj
letters@hindustantimes.com
WASHINGTON: US President
Donald Trump paid only $750 in
federal income tax for 2017, his
first year in the White House,
compared to $145,400 his busi-
nesses paid in taxes in India that
year, The New York Times
reported. Trump dismissed
claims in the bombshell report
as “fake news”.
In 2017, his businesses also
paid substantially more taxes in
Panama ($15,598) and the Philip-
pines ($156,824), reported The
Times, which said it had
accessed the president’s previ-
ously undisclosed tax returns.
Trump paid $750 in 2016 as well,
the year he ran for president and
won. That was still way more
A
l Nearly 200,000 Californians in the dark amid more wildfires
Iraq: Rocket kills 5
as US warns it will
shut embassy
BAGHDAD: Five Iraqi
civilians were killed on
Monday after a
Katyusha rocket hit near
Baghdad airport, Iraq’s
military said, just as US
warned Iraq of Baghdad
embassy closure if such
attacks continue. It was
the first time in months
an attack caused civilian
casualties. The rocket
targeted the
international airport but
struck a residential
home close by instead.
A US official said the
administration’s
warning was given to
both Iraq’s president
and prime minister but
that it was not an
imminent ultimatum.
The warning signals
Washington’s
increasing anger at
ongoing rocket fire from
Iranian-supported
militia groups on or
near the vast US
embassy compound in
Baghdad, even as the US
puts pressure against
Iran. AGENCIES
Turkey indicts six
more Saudis over
Khashoggi murder
ISTANBUL: Six new
Saudis were indicted for
suspected involvement
in the 2018 murder of
dissident journalist
Jamal Khashoggi, the
official Anadolu news
agency reported on
Monday. Istanbul
prosecutors are seeking
life imprisonment for
two of the suspects and
up to five years in jail for
the remaining four. AFP
Malta to seek
return of fossil
given to UK prince
VALLETTA: Malta wants
back a prehistoric shark
tooth that was given as a
present to UK’s Prince
George by naturalist Sir
David Attenborough,
saying the fossil should
be put on display in the
island where it was
discovered. The giant
tooth was given to the
seven-year-old prince
when Attenborough
attended screening of
his latest film. REUTERS
{ TIME FOR CHANGE } NO MORE ‘LADIES AND GENTLEMEN’
Japan Airlines embraces gender-neutral greetings
Agence France-Presse
letters@hindustantimes.com
TOKYO: Japan Airlines is ditch-
ing the phrase “ladies and gen-
tlemen” and instead embracing
gender-neutral terms during
in-flight and airport announce-
ments from next month, the
company said on Monday.
From October 1, JAL “will
abolish expressions that based
on (two types of) sex and use
gender-friendly expression”
like “good morning” and “good
evening,” a spokesperson for
the airline told AFP.
In Japanese, the expression
generally used for such
announcements is already gen-
der-neutral, but the decision
applies to other languages used
than what he had paid the previ-
ous years. “He had paid no
income taxes at all in 10 of the
previous 15 years, largely
because he reported losing
much more money than he
made,” the report said.
He also got tax write-offs on
business expenses such as meals
and his aircraft, as well as on
“the cost of haircuts,” including
the more than $70,000 paid to
style his hair during The
Apprentice, a TV show he
hosted, it said. Together, nine
Trump entities have written off
at least $95,464 paid to a favour-
ite hair and makeup artist of
Ivanka Trump, the president’s
daughter, said the report.
It cited Trump businesses’ tax
payments in India to underscore
his manipulation of finances to
pay less to negligible taxes at
home, which he has not
acknowledged by refusing to
release his tax returns, claiming
they are being audited. Accord-
ing to previous media reports,
the Trump Organization’s larg-
est overseas operations are in
India. In the first two years of his
A CalFire airplane drops fire retardant along a burning hill during the Glass fire in Napa Valley, California. Electricity was cut to about 195,000 people across
northern California in an attempt to keep its power lines from sparking more wildfires amid another round of extreme heat, dry weather and high winds. A wind-
driven wildfire erupted on Sunday in the heart of northern California’s Napa Valley wine country and spread across more than 1,000 acres.
UK starts £10,000 Covid-19 penalty
regime; G20 summit to go virtual
Prasun Sonwalkar
and Agencies
letters@hindustantimes.com
LONDON/BEIJING: A new regime
of fines up to £10,000 (nearly
₹9.5 lakhs) for those refusing to
self-isolate or breach quarantine
rules came into force on Monday
as UK grappled with a spike in
new Covid-19 cases.
As of Sunday evening, 5,693
new cases were recorded, the
same level of daily cases in the
peak months of April and May.
Daily deaths remained low at 17.
The government is facing a
new front in at least 40 universi-
ties, where the new academic
year has begun but thousands of
students have been placed in iso-
lation due to new cases. There
are demands that universities
refund the high fees.The new
regime also includes a payment
of £500 to those who test posi-
tive, self-isolate and cannot work
by the airline.
The decision appears to be a
first for major Japanese carri-
ers, with a spokeswoman for
rival ANA Holdings telling AFP
they would “study the issue
based on comments from our
customers”.
Same-sex marriage is not
legally recognised in Japan but
the government has gradually
expanded rights protections for
lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender citizens in recent
years.
JAL last year operated a trial
“LGBT Ally Charter” flight for
same-sex partners and their
families, and has already
changed rules to extend spouse
and family allowances to same-
sex partners.
President Donald Trump
taking office, the India busi-
nesses earned him $2.3 million,
The Times said. In Trump’s first
two years in the White House,
the bulk of his $73mn earnings
from foreign operations came
from properties in Scotland and
Ireland, while $3mn came from
the Philippines.
The report drew a picture of
Trump that runs contrary to his
self-propagated image of a suc-
cessful businessman. His mar-
quee golf course in the US and
Europe, for instance, are all run-
VIRUS TRACKER
WORST-HIT NATIONS
Global cases
33,393,311
Global deaths
1,003,567
(AS OF 10:30 PM IST) SOURCE: WORLDOMETER *COMPILED BY HT
from home.
For the first time in its history,
G20 summit will be held virtu-
ally on account of the pandemic,
Saudi Arabia, the group’s cur-
rent president, said on Monday
King Salman will chair the sum-
mit on November 21-22.
Beijing’s city government will
protect “non-malicious” medical
whistleblowers under a new law,
passed months after a Chinese
Employees of Japan Airlines group hold paper planes at a hangar
of Haneda airport in Tokyo, Japan.
World
ning in losses. So is his luxury
hotel in Washington DC, just a
few blocks from the White
House, which is being patro-
nised by his supporters and for-
eign governments lobbying his
administration.
Alan Garten, a lawyer for the
Trump Organization, told The
Times that “most, if not all, of
the facts (in the report) appear to
be inaccurate”.
“It’s totally fake news. Made
up. Fake,” Trump told reporters
at the White House. “Actually, I
AFP paid tax, but - and you’ll see that
as soon as my tax returns - it’s
under audit.”
The shocking revelations in
the NYT report came just before
the first of the three presidential
debates scheduled on Tuesday
from 9pm local time (6:30 am on
Wednesday in India). Trump’s
taxes might by brought up by his
Democratic challenger Joe
Biden, whose campaign is
already running ads slamming
him for paying far less in taxes
than average Americans.
Trump could hit back using
allegations that Hunter Biden,
COUNTRY CASES DEATHS
1
2
US
India*
7,328,926 209,526
6,142,995 96,354
3 Brazil 4,736,831 141,776
4
5
Russia
Colombia
1,159,573 20,385
813,056 25,488
doctor was punished for sound-
ing the alarm at the very begin-
ning of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Chinese capital also
urged companies to halt imports
of frozen food from countries
that have been severely hit by
the pandemic.
Canada reported 700 new
Covid-19 cases in Ontario, a sin-
gle-day record for the country’s
largest province.
REUTERS/FILE PHOTO
the Democrat’s younger and sur-
viving son, earned enormous
sums of money as a director on
the board of a Ukrainian com-
pany while his father was vice-
president of the United States.
Ex-campaign aide held
Trump campaign was also jolted
by his former campaign man-
ager Brad Parscale’s “self-harm”
threat, which led to his arrest.
He was detained in Fort Laud-
erdale, Florida, on Sunday after
barricading himself in his home
and threatening to harm him-
self, police said. He is in hospital.
He has been in-charge of the
campaign’s digital operations.
Police reports released on Mon-
day described a chaotic scene
when officers arrived at Par-
scale’s home about 4pm local
time after receiving a 911 call
about an armed man who was
threatening suicide. Parscale’s
wife, Candice Parscale, told the
officers who responded that
after an argument, her husband
had loaded a gun in front of her.
She fled the house and heard “a
loud bang,” she told police.
{ EYE ON PAKISTAN }
Oppn leader Shahbaz Sharif
held ahead of national stir
Imtiaz Ahmad and Agencies
letters@hindustantimes.com
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan opposition
leader Shahbaz Sharif was
arrested in Lahore on Monday
by the country’s anti-corruption
watchdog in a money laundering
case after the Lahore High Court
rejected his bail plea, ahead of a
nationwide stir against the
Imran Khan government.
The Pakistan Muslim League-
Nawaz (PML-N) president was
arrested by the National
Accountability Bureau (NAB)
from the court premises after the
court rejected his bail plea in a
case related to assets beyond
income and money laundering.
The NAB prosecutor had chal-
lenged the plea, telling the court
that Sharif’s arrest was required
because he needs to be interro-
gated. NAB prosecutor Faisal
Bukhari told the court that the
women in Shahbaz’s family were
issued a questionnaire but no
one replied to them. He further
claimed that no reason was pro-
vided for the purchasing of flats
in London, an issue at the heart
of the case.
Sharif’s niece and PML-N vice-
president Maryam Nawaz
tweeted that the PML-N presi-
dent was arrested only because
he refused to play into the hands
of those who wanted to use him
against his elder brother, Nawaz
Sharif, her father and ousted
former prime minister who is
undergoing treatment in Lon-
don. The development comes
just ahead of the planned pro-
tests next month by PML-N to
demand the resignation of Prime
Minister Imran Khan.
SC stays release of Daniel
Pearl murder convicts
Pakistan’s Supreme Court on
Monday barred the Sindh gov-
ernment from releasing British-
Biden woos Sikhs in US
The Biden campaign has
launched an initiative to reach
out to the Sikh community in the
US and vowed to address the
unique challenges, including
xenophobia, faced by the com-
munity. The ‘Sikh Americans for
Biden’ initiative has plans for
protecting Sikh-American youth
in schools. Sikhs in US face bul-
lying at rates twice the national
average and have reported a
spike in these encounters since
2017. “The Biden campaign plans
to highlight the specific plans
and policies that... Biden has out-
lined in his platform to address
the unique challenges that the
Sikh American community
faces,” it said.
With inputs from Agencies
w
READ:Scan code
to know what to
expect from presidential debates
AFP
Shahbaz Sharif (C) leaves the high court in Lahore on Monday.
born al Qaeda leader Ahmed
Omar Saeed Sheikh and his three
aides accused in the abduction
and murder of US journalist
Daniel Pearl in 2002.
The court also accepted an
appeal by the family of the slain
Wall Street Journal reporter to
join as a party in the case.
A three-member judge bench
granted the petitions against the
judgment of the Sindh High
Court in April this year to release
British-born Shaikh, the main
accused in the case.
The Sindh High Court had
commuted the death sentence of
Sheikh – convicted for kidnap-
ping and murdering Pearl in
2002 – to seven years. This deci-
sion had been handed down
almost two decades after he was
found guilty and jailed. The
detention period of the accused
was set to end on September 30.
Afghan govt’s top peace
talk negotiator visits Pak
Abdullah Abdullah, chairman of
Afghan High Council for
National Reconciliation, the top
official in peace talks with the
Taliban, met senior officials
Navalny says
Merkel visited
him at hospital
Bloomberg
letters@hindustantimes.com
BERLIN: German Chancellor
Angela Merkel visited Russian
opposition leader Alexei
Navalny during his hospital
treatment for poisoning, a sign
of how seriously the case is
being taken in Berlin.
“I’m very grateful to Chancel-
lor Merkel for visiting me in the
hospital,” Navalny said on Twit-
ter. “The meeting happened. It’s
not worth calling it ‘secret.’
More a private meeting and
conversation with the family.”
German government spokes-
man Steffen Seibert confirmed
that there was a “personal meet-
ing” between the chancellor and
Navalny last week.
Navalny’s spokeswoman
didn’t immediately respond to a
request for comment on the
visit.
The meeting between Merkel
and the Vladimir Putin critic,
who was treated at a Berlin hos-
pital, underscores just how
important the Navalny case is
for the German chancellor.
The issue has threatened
already-tense relations between
the two countries.
Merkel has demanded the
Kremlin investigate the attack
and is discussing a response
with European and NATO allies.
In the process, she has backed
away from her support for the
Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline,
which would bring Russian gas
straight to Germany.
Relations with Russia have
been strained over issues such
as the war in eastern Ukraine, a
{ AI WEIWEI } CHINESE DISSIDENT ARTIST
P
He truly
represents a core
value of why we
are free: because
we have freedom
of the press
At a protest to oppose
US extradition of
A
WikiLeaks founder
Julian Assange
AFP
in Pakistan on Monday as he
began a three-day trip during
which he will meet Prime Minis-
ter Imran Khan and the coun-
try’s military leadership. In his
meeting with Pakistan foreign
minister Shah Mahmood Qure-
shi, Abdullah appreciated Paki-
stan’s efforts in taking the peace
process ahead.
Proud of son, says Paris
knife attacker’s father
The father of Ali Hassan, a
young Pakistani who stabbed
four persons using a meat
cleaver outside the former Paris
office of the controversial Char-
lie Hebdo magazine last week,
has said he is “proud” of his son.
In an interview to the web-based
channel Naya Pakistan, the
father, whose name is not
revealed, said his son has “done
a great job” and he is “very
happy” about the attack.
The French government had
condemned the stabbing on Fri-
day outside the former office of
the magazine as an act of “Isla-
mist terrorism”. The man, ear-
lier identified as Ali Hassan, seri-
ously injured two people.
17
Alexei Navalny REUTERS
cyber attack on German parlia-
ment and the murder of a Che-
chen national in a Berlin park.
Navalny, 44, was discharged
last week from the Charite hos-
pital in downtown Berlin with
doctors saying that he may
make a full recovery. He plans
to stay in Germany for further
treatment before returning to
Russia.
He had initially been hospi-
talised in the Siberian city of
Omsk, where his domestic Rus-
sian flight made an emergency
landing after he fell violently ill.
The Kremlin has rejected
allegations it had any role in his
illness and accused German
authorities of failing to cooper-
ate. Laboratories in Sweden and
France have confirmed that
Navalny was poisoned with
Novichok and the Organization
for the Prohibitiwon of Chemi-
cal Weapons has taken its own
sample for testing, according to
the German government.
Der Spiegel magazine first
reported that Merkel visited
Navalny.
CHINA HOLDS FIVE
SIMULTANEOUS
MILITARY DRILLS IN
FOUR SEAS, AGAIN
Agencies
letters@hindustantimes.com
BEIJING: China began military
exercises simultaneously along
different parts of its coast on
Monday, the second time in two
months it will have such concur-
rent drills against a backdrop of
rising regional tension.
Two of the exercises are being
held near the Paracel Islands in
the disputed South China Sea,
one in the East China Sea, and
one in further north in the Bohai
Sea, the Maritime Safety Admin-
istration said in notices on its
website.
In the southern part of the Yel-
low Sea, drills including live-fire
exercises will be held from Mon-
day to Wednesday, it said in
another notice.
In a bid to train a combat-
ready military force, China holds
military drills periodically, but
rarely do multiple exercises hap-
pen at the same time.
Last month, China announced
four separate exercises, from the
Bohai Sea to the East and Yellow
Seas and down to the disputed
South China Sea, in a rare
arrangement of drills.
China fires back at US
over environment, SCS
US-China tensions flared on
Monday, with Beijing firing back
at accusations by Washington
that it is a leading cause of global
environmental damage and has
reneged on its promise not to
militarise the South China Sea.
Foreign ministry spokesper-
son Wang Wenbin asked why the
United States was withdrawing
from the Paris agreement on cli-
mate change, calling the US the
“biggest destroyer of interna-
tional environmental coopera-
tion.”
He also said US military
actions have made it “the biggest
threat to the peace and stability
of the South China Sea.”
18
PAYTM’S IPL
CASHBACK
PLAN IS BACK
Tarush Bhalla
tarush.bhalla@livemint.com
BENGALURU: Paytm on Monday
brought back the cricket-led
cashback scheme it removed
from its app last week amid a
fracas with Google.
Paytm had earlier claimed
that the cashback feature was
the reason why Google dropped
it from its PlayStore. However,
Google said cashbacks do not
violate its policies but linking to
an external website where users
enter paid tournaments to win
real money does.
“While we remain firm in our
stance on the action taken by
Google, we have made a few
changes to our promotions so
that our cricket celebrations
with you continue uninter-
rupted. The essence of ‘Paytm
Cricket League’ remains the
same—you get surprise cricket
player stickers on each transac-
tion and earn cashback on col-
lecting them,” Paytm said in a
blog post on Monday.
On 18 September, Google
removed the Paytm and Paytm
First Games from its Play Store,
citing violation of its guidelines
on gambling. The Paytm app
was restored after the company
complied with the platform’s
rules.
“Our users can be assured
that Paytm has never been
involved in anything that can be
considered betting or gambling.
We believe such arbitrary
actions and accusatory labelling
go against the laws of our coun-
try and acceptable norms of fair
competition by arbitrarily
depriving our users of innovative
services,” Paytm said.
Through its ‘Paytm cricket
league’ cashback, Paytm claims
its users can earn ‘Paytm cricket
player stickers’, and add them to
their album on the app. On com-
pleting player sticker related
milestones, Paytm users will be
eligible to get cashback up to
₹1,000.
Top Apple suppliers
commit ₹6,500 crore
Prasid Banerjee
prasid.b@livemint.com
NEW DELHI: The government’s
ambitious scheme to boost
local electronics manufactur-
ing seems to have started pay-
ing dividends.
Reuters reported on Monday
that three suppliers to Apple
—Foxconn, Wistron and Pega-
tron—have committed invest-
ments totalling ₹6,500 crore in
India over five years. The three
plan to invest ₹4,000 crore,
₹1,300 crore and ₹1,200 crore,
respectively, said the report.
According to two industry
executives, the investments
will be made towards adding
capacities. Foxconn and Wis-
tron already make smart-
CHINA
over to the Chinese side of the
LAC in eastern Ladakh, asserting
that New Delhi has always taken
a responsible approach towards
border management and main-
taining peace and tranquillity in
the border areas.
The Indian ministry of exter-
nal affairs did not respond to
requests for a comment on the
fresh Chinese statement.
The November 7, 1959 date
mentioned in the Beijing state-
ment was in reference to a letter
written by Zhou to Nehru – the
two leaders under whom the two
countries experienced the best
and the worst of bilateral diplo-
matic ties. “In order to maintain
effectively the status quo of the
border between the two coun-
tries, to ensure the tranquillity of
the border regions and to create
a favourable atmosphere for a
friendly settlement of the bound-
ary question, the Chinese gov-
ernment proposes that the
armed forces of China and India
each withdraw 20km at once
from the so-called McMahon
Line in the east, and from the
line up to which each side exer-
cises actual control in the west,”
Zhou wrote.
A year later, during his high-
profile visit to New Delhi in 1960,
Zhou had used the phrase “LAC”
during a press conference.
“There exists between the two
counties a line of actual control
up to which each side exercises
administrative jurisdiction,” he
said as part of a six-point pro-
posal to maintain peace at the
border.
Zhou went on to say that both
sides should keep to the “…line of
actual control and should not
put forward territorial claims as
pre-conditions, but individual
adjustments may be made”.
FIIs lap up debt in September
as govt readies to borrow more
Foreign investors
turned net buyers
of govt debt after
six consecutive
months of selling
Shayan Ghosh and
Ravindra Sonavane
shayan.g@livemint.com
MUMBAI: Foreign institutional
investors (FIIs) have turned net
buyers of government debt after
six months of selling, anticipat-
ing that the central bank will try
to soften long-term bond yields
to support the government’s
massive borrowing programme.
Net purchases of debt securi-
ties by FIIs this month stood at
$543.2 million till 25 September,
compared with net sales of
$470.2 million in the previous
month, data compiled by
Bloomberg showed.
Experts attributed the buying
to the Reserve Bank’s recent
moves to keep long-term bond
yields from spiking ahead of the
coming borrowing calendar,
which is likely to increase sig-
nificantly from the preceding
years given the current eco-
nomic scenario.
In the past few weeks, RBI
has kept a close watch on bond
yields and refused to accept bids
in the last four government
bond auctions where the yield
did not match its expectations.
“Ahead of the second half
borrowing schedule, expecta-
tions are high that any volatility
in the debt space will attract the
central bank’s hand to cap
yields,” said Radhika Rao, an
economist at DBS Bank. Rao
said that apart from attractive
returns, investors also see
THE INVESTMENTS
WILL BE MADE
TOWARDS ADDING
CAPACITIES
phones for Apple in India,
while Pegatron has recently set
up a local entity as per a filing
with the Registrar of Compa-
nies.
Apple has been moving parts
of its manufacturing opera-
tions to India through these
firms. Foxconn makes the
iPhone 11 at its Chennai factory
while Apple confirmed previ-
ously that the 2020 version of
the iPhone SE is also being pro-
duced in India.
In 1962, when India and China
fought a war between October
and November, Nehru rejected
the definition. “There is no sense
or meaning in the Chinese offer
to withdraw twenty kilometers
from what they call ‘line of
actual control,” he said. The Chi-
nese Premier responded to
Nehru, defining the LAC – again
as per November 7, 1959.
The LAC was “basically still
the line of actual control as
existed between the Chinese and
Indian sides on 7 November
1959: To put it concretely, in the
eastern sector it coincides in the
main with the so- called McMa-
hon Line, and in the western and
middle sectors it coincides in the
main with the traditional cus-
tomary line which has consist-
ently been pointed out by
China”, Zhou said in reply to
Nehru.
The phrase LAC was used in
the 1993 Sino-India “Agreement
on the Maintenance of Peace and
tranquillity along the LAC in the
India-China Border Areas.” At
New Delhi’s insistence the
expression wasn’t qualified in
terms of whether it was the 1959
one.
Former Indian ambassador to
China, Gautam Bambawale said
the “…significance (of the state-
ment) is that they are telling
India that the LAC is the line of
November 7, 1959, as explained
by Zhou Enlai to Nehru in his let-
ter. That’s it. They are going by
that.” Bambawale added: “We
have never accepted it. There
were several pockets of disagree-
ments and the largest number of
pockets (of disagreements) were
in Ladakh. Obviously, we did not
accept the offer.” He added that
New Delhi has conveyed this to
Beijing in “no uncertain terms”.
A leading China-hand, Bam-
Net purchases of debt securities by FIIs this month stood at $543.2 million till 25 September, compared with net sales of $470.2 million
in the previous month.
authorities turn more tolerant
of currency gains in recent
weeks, which likely helped
attract offshore inflows.
As the pandemic strains gov-
ernment’s finances, its borrow-
ings have exceeded the bud-
geted estimates for the year to 31
March. The target is to borrow
an additional ₹5.02 lakh crore
in the October-March period to
meet expenditure as tax collec-
tions remain sluggish. The total
amount raised so far this year
has been ₹7.7 lakh crore, or 82%
higher than the corresponding
period last year, Care Ratings
said in a report on 25 Septem-
ber.
“I would say it is more of con-
fidence on RBI’s present bal-
Tata courts investors for digi platform
Bloomberg
feedback@livemint.com
MUMBAI: The Tata Group is in
talks with potential investors
about taking stakes in a new dig-
ital platform, people familiar
with the matter said, seeking to
modernise its consumer busi-
nesses as retail giants like Ama-
zon.com Inc. and billionaire
Mukesh Ambani pile into the
country’s fledgling e-commerce
market.
Tata Sons Pvt., the holding
company of the $113 billion cof-
fee-to-cars conglomerate, is
working with advisers to explore
bringing in financial or strategic
investors, including global tech-
nology companies, the people
said, asking not to be identified.
The group plans to bring
together digital assets across
bawale had also served as
ambassador in Bhutan, the only
other country, other than India,
with which Beijing has a land-
territorial dispute.
Bambawale said following the
Chinese understanding of the
LAC, the People’s Liberation
Army (PLA) is attempting to
hold on to the ground positions
right up to it as per the 1959 LAC.
It is clear that the current
aggression at the border shown
by the Chinese since May is to
attempt to control territories up
to where Beijing defines its LAC.
Officials in diplomatic circles,
who asked not to be named, told
HT that India had pointed out its
disagreements with the 1959
LAC even during meetings of the
Working Mechanism for Consul-
tation and Coordination
(WMCC) on India-China Border
Affairs established in 2012 as a
mechanism to consult and coor-
dinate the management of India-
China border areas.
Little is known about the dif-
ferences in perceptions on the
LAC in the western sector, the
most troublesome. Maps have
only been exchanged for the
middle sector until now.
One of the officials above told
HT that the LAC clarification
process for the western sector
broke down “an hour into the
meeting” in 2002. Since then, the
entire process – which was then
an Expert Group headed by a
director general in MEA and
deputy director general in the
Chinese foreign ministry -- has
been stalled. “The western sec-
tion was drawn by Indian sur-
veyor (WH) Johnson, who pri-
vately assigned more than
30,000 square kilometres of land
in the Aksai Chin region of China
to British India. This is the his-
torical origin of the territorial
Business
ance sheet and the exchange
rate. Probably, the forex
reserves are also giving it some
fillip as it gives some comfort
that even if there is a panic sell-
ing or withdrawal of invest-
ments from India, the central
bank had enough dry powder to
intervene,” said Ashutosh Kha-
juria, executive director and
chief financial officer, Federal
Bank.
According to Khajuria, the
FII interest is also because of the
abundant liquidity available in
the overseas market with inves-
tors looking at Indian debt as an
investment opportunity.
“If rupee remains stable, the
kind of long-term and stable
money flowing into India
THE GROUP IS
WORKING WITH
ADVISERS TO
EXPLORE BRINGING
IN FINANCIAL
OR STRATEGIC
INVESTMENT
various Tata businesses to create
the new entity, according to the
people. A Tata Sons representa-
tive declined to comment on the
stake sale discussions.
Tata’s platform—an e-com-
merce gateway for its consumer
products and services ranging
from beverages to jewelry and
resorts—may seek to compete
with the ambitious plans of
Ambani, Amazon.com and Wal-
{ }
dispute between China and India
in the western section,” Wang
Dehua, a South Asia expert at
Shanghai Municipal Centre for
International Studies, said.
“China hopes India will give
more concessions in the western
sector while Beijing could give
more concessions (to India) in
the eastern sector,” Wang added.
The Chinese foreign ministry
statement blamed New Delhi for
the tension, saying: “…the right
and wrong of the Galwan Valley
conflict is very clear. We didn’t
want to see what had happened.
We hope the media doesn’t hype
this unfortunate event”. The
ministry did not respond to the
question on the number casual-
ties that PLA suffered during the
brutal hand-to-hand clash with
Indian army soldiers on June 15.
The ministry’s statement
referred to the recent foreign
ministers’ and military talks held
between India and China.
“Since the bilateral meeting
between the foreign ministers of
China and India in Moscow on
September 10, the two sides have
actively engaged in dialogue and
consultation based on the five-
point declaration,” it said.
Referring to commander-level
talks, it said “constructive meas-
ures to stabilise the border situa-
tion were taken. We hope the
two sides walk in the same direc-
tion and push the frontline
troops to disengage as soon as
possible”. Asked to comment on
reports arguing Beijing is esca-
lating tension with neighbours
to divert attention from a badly
hit economy, the ministry said
though hit by the pandemic, the
economy is reviving.
“Due to Covid-19, China’s
economy has been affected but it
has regained growth and has
contributed to the recovery of
Powered by
because of some recent FDI
deals like Reliance Retail or Jio
Platforms or even the stressed
asset funds bringing in money,
people think that there is a good
opportunity right now,” he said.
The central bank has reiter-
ated that financial market con-
ditions have eased across seg-
ments in response to the front-
loaded cuts in the policy repo
rate, coupled with the infusion
of liquidity.
While the yield on 10-year
government securities bench-
mark surged by 35 basis points
in August amid concerns over
inflation and a further increase
in the supply of government
papers, RBI’s announcement of
special open market operations
mart Inc.’s Indian venture Flip-
kart to tap the nascent market of
more than 1 billion consumers.
Ambani, chairman of Reliance
Industries Ltd, is looking to forge
a digital empire, raising more
than $20 billion from Facebook
Inc. and Google for his newly
formed technology venture, Jio
Platforms Ltd.
Discussions with potential
investors are at a very early stage
and there’s no certainty they will
result in a deal, the people said.
While bringing in outside
investors would lend credence to
Tata’s digital ambitions, it may
also help the group pare debt
after the coronavirus pandemic
hammered its flagship busi-
nesses.
Tata Steel Ltd’s group net debt
was at $14 billion as of June 30,
while the net automotive debt of
the global economy, the state-
ment added.
On relations with neighbours,
the ministry said: “The relation-
ship between China and its
neighbouring countries is gener-
ally good. China has always
insisted on resolving differences
between neighbouring countries
through friendly consultations.”
Sameer Patil, a fellow for
international security studies at
Gateway House, said the state-
ment indicated that China was
clearly adopting a maximalist
position that disregarded all the
developments that have taken
place since 1959, including the
bilateral boundary talks, mecha-
nisms and agreements on peace
and tranquillity on the LAC.
“When the Special Represent-
atives mechanism was set up,
this wasn’t their position. Even
though this matter [China’s
stance on the LAC of 1959] may
have been known, it was not reit-
erated when important bilateral
mechanisms and arrangements
for handling the border dispute
were set up,” he said.
“This reflects China’s obdu-
rate attitude towards the border
dispute. Reiterating this maxi-
malist position amid the five-
month-long standoff shows
China has no intention of going
in for an early solution to the
problem,” Patil added.
(With inputs from Rezaul H Laskar)
OFFSET
ify for a contract, but were later
not earnest about fulfilling their
commitments.
According to experts, doing
away with offsets could result in
savings as foreign military con-
tractors tend to increase their
prices by about 10% to cater for
their offset commitments.
BLOOMBERG
(OMOs) has led to a softening in
September, RBI governor Shak-
tikanta Das said on 16 Septem-
ber.
The 10-year benchmark bond
yield stood at 6.057% on 28 Sep-
tember.
Others are not so confident
that foreign investors’ outlook
on India has changed to the
extent that they would be bull-
ish on Indian debt.
According to a treasurer at a
foreign bank, there is no provo-
cation for FIIs to buy govern-
ment securities at the moment,
considering there is no rate cut
in the offing.
“We do not even have a mon-
etary policy committee yet,” the
treasurer said.
Tata Motors Ltd, which owns
Jaguar Land Rover, was around
₹48,000 crore.
Tata Group already has a
bunch of entrenched consumer
businesses, many of which also
have an online presence. These
include Tanishq’s jewelry stores,
Titan watch showrooms, Star
Bazaar supermarkets, chain of
Taj hotels and a joint venture
with Starbucks in India.
The intention is to consolidate
these currently fragmented
online operations.
As part of that drive, the con-
glomerate is building an all-in-
one e-commerce app for its
swathe of consumer products
and services, Bloomberg News
had reported last month.
It is expected to be launched
by the end of 2020 or early next
year.
The offset guidelines have
been revised to give preference
to the manufacture of complete
defence products over compo-
nents, the ministry said on Mon-
day in a statement.
Self-reliance push
DAP-2020 has been aligned with
the government’s vision of
Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant
India) and empowering the
domestic industry through the
Make in India initiative, with the
ultimate aim of turning the
country into a global manufac-
turing hub, the statement said.
“The three key focus areas of
DAP-2020 are Atmanirbhar Bha-
rat, Make in India and ease of
doing business. The procedure
has five new chapters including
leasing, acquisition from the
DRDO and post-contract man-
agement,” Chandra said. It will
allow the armed forces to lease
military hardware for the first
time — a move that could cut
down on costs associated with
buying weapons and systems.
Leasing could be cheaper in the
longer run, Chandra said.
The policy underlines that
field evaluation trials for weap-
ons and systems are to be con-
ducted with the objective of nur-
turing competition rather than
rejecting players for minor defi-
ciencies. It seeks to increase local
manufacturing and reduce time-
lines for procurement of critical
military equipment. It incorpo-
rates a price variation clause “for
large and protracted contracts in
order to avert inflated initial
quotes by vendors and arriving
at a realistic price of the project,”
the defence ministry statement
said. The policy has also intro-
duced a new provision for
acquiring weapons and systems:
“Buy Global — Manufacture in
India”. It stipulates that only a
The Mistry family believes that a court-supervised separation
will ensure a fair deal.
SP may agree
to staggered
payments
Jayshree P. Upadhyay and
Deborshi Chaki
jayshree.pyasi@livemint.com
MUMBAI: The Shapoorji Pal-
lonji (SP) group will offer the
Tata group easy terms, includ-
ing the option to stagger pay-
ments, to help India’s largest
conglomerate buy out the Mis-
try family’s ₹1.5 lakh crore stake
in Tata Sons Ltd and end a fes-
tering feud between the groups
that were once close allies, two
people directly aware of the
matter said.
The Mistry family is expected
to share the details of the offer
in the Supreme Court, making it
a part of the plea for relief it is
seeking from the court in a
minority shareholder oppres-
sion case, the people said on
condition of anonymity. The
next hearing of the case is
scheduled on October 28.
“Mistry firms believe they
have a strong case on oppres-
sion and pledging shares of Tata
Sons. Owing to the strong legal
position, the firms will include
the intention to separate from
Tata group as an additional
relief in the main oppression of
minority shareholders petition,”
said one of the two people.
The Mistry family believes
{ GAUTAM ADANI } CHAIRMAN, ADANI GROUP
P
I will state without
any hesitation
that, in my view,
over the next
three decades,
India is the world’s
greatest business
opportunity.
A
minimum necessary quantity of
defence equipment will be
bought from abroad with the
rest being manufactured in
India. “The new category incor-
porates manufacture of either
the entire/part of the equipment
or spares/assemblies/sub-assem-
blies and maintenance, repair
and overhaul (MRO) facility for
the equipment through its sub-
sidiary in India,” the statement
said.
DAP-2020 should help self-re-
liance in the defence sector,
most importantly by bringing in
pragmatism into the process,
said Lieutenant General Subrata
Saha (retd), a member of the
National Security Advisory
Board and a former army deputy
chief. “It has acknowledged real-
ities based on experience and
suitably adapted the policy.
Introduction of leasing opens up
new opportunity to get value
with financial prudence.
Increasing indigenous content in
various categories and introduc-
tion of new categories for import
substitution should enable
greater participation by domes-
tic industry,” Saha said.
Formulating general staff
qualitative requirements (GSQR)
on the basis of what’s available
addresses the oft-stated concern
of industry of unrealistic specifi-
cations, he said. “This should
bring in clear distinction
between QRs for systems to be
acquired and QRs for systems to
be developed,” he said, adding
that including post contract
management in the policy was a
good and long overdue step.
Industry thumbs-up
Industry welcomed the new pol-
icy. “DAP-2020 has created prag-
matic avenues for foreign origi-
nal equipment manufacturers
(OEMs) to manufacture in India
NEW DELHI
TUESDAY
SEPTEMBER 29, 2020
REUTERS
that a court-supervised separa-
tion will ensure a fair deal to
them, said the second person.
The two groups are valuing the
shares of Tata Sons on four
parameters—the value of listed
companies, value of unlisted
firms, brand value and debt.
“The Mistry family is appre-
hensive that when it comes to
valuing unlisted entities, there
could be a difference of opinion
and may request the court to
appoint an independent valuer,”
the second person added.
“The legal and management
teams of both groups are work-
ing on the mechanics, which
would become clear in coming
weeks.” By seeking to add ‘sepa-
ration’ from Tata group as an
additional relief, the Mistry
firms are making it clear that
they are not keen on an out-of-
court settlement.
“Court would want to satisfy
itself that the parties are serious
about the exit and resolution. It
would not want to go into a full-
fledged hearing and would like
to exhaust all options to arrive
at an amicable solution. It
would find a way for the Mistry
family to exit, which will be a
win-win for both,” said Ramesh
Vaidyanathan, founding part-
ner, Advaya Legal.
on their own and in collabora-
tion with Indian industries. It
completes the triad of policy,
organisation and procedure
towards creating a vibrant and
capable domestic defence indus-
try base and marching towards
self-reliance,” said CII director
general Chandrajit Banerjee.
He added that for the defence
sector, self-reliance was not just
an economic necessity but also a
strategic imperative.
To leverage the strength of the
Indian software industry, the
DAP-2020 has introduced a new
chapter that deals with acquisi-
tion of products and information
and communication technology
(ICT) systems to address existing
voids. “Peculiar issues related to
procurement of ICT-intensive
equipment especially of interop-
erability and built-in upgradabil-
ity, enhanced security require-
ments and change management
have been included (in the
DAP),” the defence ministry said.
The DAP-2020 states that sev-
eral categories of acquisition and
the strategic partnership model
will be “exclusively reserved” for
Indian vendors who meet the
criteria of ownership and con-
trol by resident Indian citizens
with foreign direct investment
not more than 49%. “This reser-
vation will provide exclusivity in
participation to domestic Indian
industry,” the ministry said.
According to defence ministry
officials, the DAP-2020 has
clearly laid down that only those
firms that have over 50% Indian
ownership will be eligible to take
part in key Make in India pur-
chases. As a measure to
enhance indigenous content, the
policy seeks to promote the use
of indigenous military material
and reward vendors for utilising
indigenous raw material.
NEW DELHI
TUESDAY
SEPTEMBER 29, 2020 19
Sport

De Villiers shows class in

another batting bonanza dom seemed to have a Plan B.
Mumbai Indians’ Young RCB opener Devdutt
Kishan and Pollard Padikkal (54- 42b, 5x4, 2x6)
struck his second fifty in an IPL
force Super Over but career that has started in sensa-
fail to stop Royal tional fashion. If he was the
aggressor in his first half-cen-
Challengers in thriller tury, the 20-year-old showed
maturity as Aaron Finch
N Ananthanarayanan (52-35b, 7x4, 1x6) laid into the Nicholas Pooran says he is getting fitter every
anantha.narayanan@htlive.com bowling. Their 81-run stand in year since 2015 when a car accident in Trinidad
nine overs was followed by the left him wheelchair-bound for months. TWITTER
NEW DELHI: For marquee clashes dip during Kohli’s brief stay, but
in IPL, it seldom gets bigger than Padikkal stepped it up during his

Pooran takes flight, leaves

Mumbai Indians versus Royal
Challengers Bangalore, though
the stands not heaving with fans
as they do due to the pandemic
meant the intensity had to be
built by the players.
Virat Kohli versus Rohit
Sharma is no doubt mouth-wa-
tering though it was AB de Villi-
ers, who has done all it takes to
be crowned an all-time great and
impact player, who stole the
show in the first half.
IPL often produces play
within play as someone stands
up. After months without any
cricket, Kohli struggled to shake
off the rust and both he and
Sharma failed. At the Dubai
International Stadium De Villi-
ers capped RCB’s big-hitting.
Rohit Sharma chose to bowl
despite only three out nine
games having been won by
teams chasing. It ended in a tie,
second of the edition, after sen-
sational hitting by Ishan Kishen
(99-58b, 2x4, 9x6) and Kieron
Pollard (60*-24b). RCB scored
201 and MI, despite an early
wobble, reached 201/5 with Pol-
lard’s last-ball four.
In the Super Over, MI were
restricted to 7/1 by Navdeep
Saini. RCB managed to pull off a
win in the last ball with a bound-
ary by skipper Kohli.
Mumbai Indians batsman Ishan Kishan scored a 58-ball 99 which included two fours and nine sixes
to help the defending champions push the match into the Super Over in Dubai on Monday.
It was the South African stal-
wart who energised RCB’s
innings. De Villiers, 36 and very
much the senior pro, too didn’t
get much practice coming into
IPL. After international retire-
ment, his matches too are
restricted to franchise cricket.
There was hope he would come
out of retirement to help South
Africa in the 2019 ICC World
Cup, but all that happened was
debate around why it didn’t hap-
pen. The South African though
has been in great touch. The talk
of slow pitches and big grounds
has been left to the rest. De Villi-
ers has kept producing his pat-
ent big shots, pushing bowlers
on the defensive early in this edi-
tion. Will the Proteas seek him
out for the 2021 T20 World Cup?
On Tuesday, the RCB innings,
after being asked to bat first, had
paused as Kohli (3 off 11 balls)
had struggled to get going before
BCCI
being dismissed against Rahul
Chahar’s spin. De Villiers took
charge and produced stunning
shots. Jasprit Bumrah felt the
heat as hit short deliveries flew
out of the ground.
De Villiers (55*- 24b, 4x4,
4x6), arguably the best athlete in
international cricket for years, is
also keeping wicket to give RCB
great balance, and shake off the
image as a lop-sided top-heavy
batting unit of the past that sel-
62-run stand with de Villiers,
playing clean lofted shots.
De Villiers simply was the
boss and year after year there is
no sign his powers are waning.
Trent Boult struck his helmet
with a slow bouncer, but another
short one two balls later flew
over square-leg for six. Bumrah
(0/42) struggled for rhythm on
Monday—he had one dot ball in
his four-over spell— and his
short ball too was meted out the
same treatment by the South
African great. Shivam Dube hit
sixes off James Pattinson’s final
over, the last one taking the
score past 200. However,
22-year-old Ishan Kishen’s
anchoring knock and Pollard’s
typical power-hitting set up a
thrilling finale.
Brief scores: RCB 201/3 in 20
overs (AB de Villiers 55*, D
Padikkal 54, A Finch 52; T Boult
2/34) vs MI 201/5 in 20 overs (I
Kishan 99, K Pollard 60*; I Udana
2/45). RCB won in Super Over.
w READ: Can’t
believe Samson
is not in Indian side: Shane Warne
wheelchair days behind
Abhishek Paul
abhishek.paul@htlive.com
NEW DELHI: Five years ago, Nich-
olas Pooran was unsure whether
he would ever walk again. Cut to
Sunday, the 24-year-old Trinida-
dian literally flew while making
an unbelievable save for Kings
XI Punjab against Rajasthan
Royals in Sharjah. Even the great
Sachin Tendulkar termed it as
the ‘best save’ he has ever seen.
It was in January, 2015 when
Pooran met with a car accident
while returning from training in
Trinidad. It left him with a rup-
tured left patellar tendon (a liga-
ment which connects the knee-
cap to the shinbone) and a frac-
tured right ankle. It was not until
six months that he could walk
unassisted again. After two sur-
geries, a significant time spent in
a wheelchair and a lengthy
rehab later, Pooran slowly
regained his composure to
return to top-level cricket.
The supreme proof of Poo-
ran’s athleticism was perhaps on
show in Sunday’s match where
29 sixes were hit. And yet, the
eye. “I kept thinking of catching
the ball regardless of where it
was. I had an idea of where the
boundary rope was and I even
had the ball in my hands. But
then I realised ‘Hang on, I am too
far away.’ So, I threw the ball
back,” Pooran said from Dubai.
Instinct played a big part in
the magnificent save, but prepa-
ration was equally important.
“Jonty Rhodes (KXIP fielding
coach) has been making us prac-
tice such catches in training ses-
sions for the past couple of
weeks. It so happened that I got
to save some runs in similar
fashion. He always tells us to do
spectacular things on the field, to
save some crucial runs in the
outfield,” Pooran said.
“T20 cricket is changing every
day. It’s (saving runs in the out-
field) difficult to execute at first
but with practice it becomes
easy. Awareness is the key.
Anticipating, knowing where the
boundary rope is, knowledge
about the light affecting the
vision, being in the right position
to either catch or throw the ball
back. It comes with a lot of prac-
made me realise the importance
of fitness even more. With each
passing year, I take it as a step
towards getting fitter. Today I
am fitter than I was last year and
the year before that. I have lost
weight and hope to continue this
journey,” Pooran said.
Porran’s rehab started with an
attempt to move his toes again
and then slowly begin walking.
First there were 90-minutes ses-
sions which progressed to two-
hour drills. Pooran started jog-
ging in August and had his first
net session post injury break in
September. Injury rehab went
side by side. Ultimately, he
played his first top-level match
in July, 2016 at the CPL for Bar-
bados Tridents against Trinbago
Knight Riders. He scored a
12-ball 33 in that match. “I
always try to do extra during the
fielding drills. Put that extra
effort. That is why I was able to
return to cricket after that crash.
I always believed in my dream.”
Pooran made his ODI debut in
2019 and has been a regular in
the West Indies squad. The top-
order wicketkeeper-batsman

Patchy Serena advances

one six Pooran saved became the
talk of the cricket world. It was
in the eighth over of RR’s innings
chasing 224, when Sanju Sam-
son pulled Murugan Ashwin’s
tice. It is even more crucial for
me to be aware as I am usually a
wicketkeeper.”
Pooran’s save is a far cry from
the days spent in a Trinidad hos-
made his T20I debut in 2016. So
far, Pooran has played 25 ODIs
and 21 T20Is. “I have good starts
in IPL but am yet to come up
with a big score. The experience

as Thiem aces Cilic test

short of a length delivery. It was
destined to clear the ropes and it
did, only for an out-stretched
Pooran to catch the ball mid-air
and throw it back into the field of
play. All of that in a blink of an
Agence France-Presse
sportsdesk@hindustantimes.com
pital when he could not even
bend his leg, following the car
crash. “That was a tough year
after the accident, the therapy,
learning to bend my leg again,
walking, running and fast. That
of playing in the CPL before the
IPL has put me in good rhythm.
And it is not only on-field prepa-
ration but also about living in a
bubble. I knew what to expect
coming to Dubai,” he said.

PARIS: Serena Williams made a

Totti with Ilenia. FIFA.COM/TWITTER
TOTTI’S VOICE
REVIVES TEEN
FOOTBALLER
FROM COMA
Agence France-Presse
sportsdesk@hindustantimes.com
MILAN: Roma legend Francesco
Totti on Monday visited a teen-
age girl in hospital who
emerged from a nine-month
coma after hearing a recording
of the former Italian football
star’s voice.
Ilenia Matilli, a 19-year-old
footballer with Lazio women’s
team but a great fan of city
rivals Roma, was left in a coma
last December by a car accident
in which her friend was killed.
Former World Cup winner Totti
slow but successful start on
Monday to her latest pursuit of
a record-equalling 24th Grand
Slam title at Roland Garros
while US Open winner Dominic
Thiem navigated a testing first-
round tie against former major
champion Marin Cilic.
The American star is chasing
an elusive 24th Grand Slam title
to match Margaret Court’s all-
time mark, but clay is her least
favoured surface. An error-
prone beginning from Williams
left world No.102 Kristie Ahn
serving for the first set before
the three-time Roland Garros
champion prevailed 7-6(2), 6-0.
Williams, playing at the
French Open for the 18th time,
dropped serve twice as Ahn
moved 5-4 ahead in the opener
in a rematch of their first-round
encounter at Flushing Mead-
ows. But the sixth seed forced a
tie-break that she sealed with an
ace after a 74-minute slog
before charging to an ultimately
comfortable victory. “She
played very well in the first set,
it wasn’t easy for me and she hit
a lot of winners,” said Williams.
“It was important for me to stay
focused.”
Serena Williams returns to Kristie Ahn during their first round match in Paris on Monday.
2014 US Open champion Cilic
6-4, 6-3, 6-3 in their second
meeting at a major this month.
“My level was good. I was very
happy with the way I played
from the beginning to the end
basically,” said Thiem.
Having captured his maiden
Slam in New York, Thiem is try-
ing to become the only man in
Thiem saw the Austrian break
Cilic six times under the roof of
Court Philippe Chatrier on
another gloomy day at Roland
Garros, pushed back from its
customary May-June slot due to
the coronavirus pandemic.
AFP
Egor Gerasimov of Belarus.
World No.2 Nadal can level
Roger Federer’s record of 20
Slam titles with victory in Paris.
MESSI SCORES IN { PEP GUARDIOLA } MAN CITY MANAGER
FIRST GAME SINCE
TRANSFER DISPUTE P
Agence France-Presse We put extra pressure
sportsdesk@hindustantimes.com on ourselves to
MADRID: Lionel Messi scored in score. We don’t have
his first game since trying to
leave Barcelona as Ronald Koe- players to attack the
man began his tenure as coach
by overseeing a 4-0 Liga demoli-
box that we need.
tion of Villarreal on Sunday.
Messi converted from the
after a 5-2 Premier League home
defeat by “defensive-minded”
A
spot 10 minutes before half-time Leicester City
and then the Argentine’s cross
forced Pau Torres into an own-
goal, after an early double from
the 17-year-old Ansu Fati had
already put Barcelona in charge.
It meant Barcelona’s past,
present and future were all
A
l
among the goals on the same Ronaldo double salvages draw for Juventus
afternoon as Luis Suarez, whose
departure was confirmed on ROME: Even on a night when Juventus was outplayed for
Thursday, marked his Atletico long stretches, the nine-time defending Serie A champion
Madrid debut by scoring twice managed to salvage a point in a 2-2 draw at Roma.
in a 6-1 win over Granada. Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice, including a second-half
In a farewell message to his equaliser with a towering header after Juventus had been

Nadal eases into Round 2

had recorded a video message a
few months ago, urging: “Ilenia
don’t give up, you’ll do it, we are
all with you”.
Matilli finally emerged from
the coma and as promised Totti,
Meanwhile Thiem, the run-
ner-up to Rafael Nadal in Paris
the past two years, defeated
the Open era to win his first two
majors at successive tourna-
ments. A steady display from
Rafael Nadal got his bid for a
13th Roland Garros title off to a
comfortable start on Monday
with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 win over
w
READ: Kyrgios
sends volley at
best friend and former neigh-
bour last week, the 33-year-old
Messi took another swipe at the
Barcelona board by saying he
reduced to 10 men while Jordan Veretout had a brace for
Roma. “We got back into it, even after the red card,”
Ronaldo said. “By the end of the season this could prove to
be an important point.” Veretout put Roma ahead twice—
was not surprised by the clumsy first with a penalty in the 31st minute and then in the first-
Wilander over Murray comments way Suarez’s exit had been han- half added time.
dled.

Autumn in Paris: Get ready for fewer winners, sluggish rallies

43, visited her in Rome’s
Gemelli hospital where she is
undergoing rehabilitation. “She
smiled at me, hugged me and
started crying,” Totti said after
the meeting which lasted over
an hour and a half. “It was very
exciting to meet Ilenia, when
she comes out of hospital we
will meet again.”
Her father Stefano Matilli
said: “I have to thank a friend of
my daughter who had the idea
of contacting Francesco and
having him record a message.
Francesco accepted immedi-
ately, you can see that he is a
person with a good heart, talk-
ing to him today in the hospital
was like talking to a brother.”
Matilli can still not speak, but
makes herself understood by
gestures and expresses herself
through a tablet on which she
writes. “You’ll make it,” said
Totti. “Hurry up and get well. I’ll
come and visit you at home
when you can talk and walk.”
Rutvick Mehta
rutvick.mehta@htlive.com
MUMBAI: It perhaps sums up the
situation aptly when even Jannik
Sinner, a national age-group sla-
lom champion in Italy, labels
conditions in Paris as “not easy”.
It’s cold, wet and windy for this
unprecedented French Open,
postponed to autumn from its
annual summer slot of May-
June due to the pandemic. The
sunshine has made way for
gloom, not just with the weather
but also among the players.
It’s an odd sight for the first
two days at the 2020 Roland
Garros; players sporting body
warmers, leggings and even
jackets—usually worn during
warm-ups—while playing and
limited spectators largely
wrapped in their hooded winter
wear. Rain is forecast on almost
all days throughout the tourna-
ment with temperatures hover-
ing around 15-18 degrees Celsius.
While it’s a touch kinder inside
the main Philippe-Chatrier court
thanks to the new retractable
roof, it’s harsh on the other
courts open to the elements.
Far from ideal
Beyond the far from ideal
weather, it’s the impact it has
had on the clay courts that is
bothering many players. The
cold has made the courts slower,
the balls heavier and, as a conse-
quence, rallies much more tax-
ing. On a surface that already
takes a toll on the body, it’s a
double whammy, more so with
players coming off long layoffs
due to the suspended profes-
sional tour.
The conditions also partly
take away the trademark play on
clay; the spin and bounce of the
ball under hot conditions and
sliding by players on a dry sur-
face (think Novak Djokovic,
Rafael Nadal, Dominic Thiem,
etc.). With a moist ball and damp
court, neither of that will be in
currency as much as before.
India’s doubles specialist Divij
Sharan, who has had a few prac-
tice sessions on the outside
courts to tune up for his opening
round with Korean partner
Kwon Soon-woo, dissects the
conditions. “The ball travels
slower through the air when it’s
cold and gets heavier when it
catches moisture from the court
or air in wet conditions. Condi-
tions become slower in both
cases,” Sharan said over phone
from Paris.
It’s precisely why Nadal, with
a record 12 French Open titles,
isn’t sounding too confident
about defending his crown in
“the most difficult conditions for
me ever”. A clay-court maestro,
the Spaniard’s topspin-heavy
forehand shots and the fizz he
generates on the ball to manu-
facture winners will not be as
routine this time. That Nadal is
likely to play most of his
matches under the roof of the
Philippe-Chatrier court might
work in his favour.
Sharan, a southpaw himself,
expects the winners count to be
lower this French Open. “It’s a
lot colder. It’s been raining a lot
as well… And slower the condi-
tions, the harder you have to
work to win the point. There will
be longer rallies and it will not
be so easy to hit aces and win-
ners,” he said.
American John Isner likened
the conditions to slow hard
courts where the advantage of a
good slider will be nullified. “…
the really good movers can’t
slide around like they normally
can because the clay’s really
damp. It kind of played like a
slow hard court, I thought.
There wasn’t much sliding,”
Isner said after his first round
win against Elliot Benchetrit in
conditions he termed as a “bit
nasty”.
New balls
What also compound the play-
ers’ concerns are the new balls.
Roland Garros organisers have
switched to Wilson balls starting
this year from Babolat, used for
almost a decade.
The feedback from players is
that the new balls are heavier
and slower, adding to the dis-
comfort of the heavy conditions.
The Wilson website describes
the Roland Garros Clay Court
Tennis Balls as “boasting a core
designed for longer rallies”. Brit-
ain’s Dan Evans was more col-
ourful in describing the balls,
saying he “wouldn’t give to a dog
to chew”.
Having practiced with Wilson
balls at home in warmer
Mallorca, Nadal could feel the
added heaviness of the ball and
feared players would be vulnera-
ble to elbow and shoulder inju-
ries.
This is the first clay-court
event of the curtailed season for
many players. Some of them are
also carrying the odd niggle, like
23-time Slam winner Serena
Williams with her Achilles ten-
don injury.
While there is consensus
among most players about the
weather and court conditions,
the ball seems to be about one’s
choice.
US Open semi-finalist Daniil
Medvedev, for example, doesn’t
mind the heavy balls with less
scope for spin as it suits his style
of play. “It’s normal that when
one player doesn’t like some-
thing, second one maybe is going
to like it. So far I like it,” he said a
few days ago.
Sharan too said there was
nothing wrong with the balls
except they are different to what
players have been accustomed to
over the years at Roland Garros.
“It’s just a different make, so it
changes the playability a bit spe-
cific to conditions at the French
Open in the previous years.”
18 time out NEW DELHI
TUESDAY
SEPTEMBER 29, 2020

Six shots of life

There’s negativity all around but we will focus on the positivity.
Our editor picks shots of life that bring a smile.
KEEPING SPIRITS SKY HIGH MASKING
1
Skydiving tops many bucket lists. Actor Huma
Qureshi posted a lovely video of her skydiving in
Dubai. “Once you have tasted flight, you will
forever walk the earth with your eyes turned GAME ON: IPL
FANDOM GETS
skyward, for there you have been, and there you
will always long to return,” she wrote.
PHOTO: INSTAGRAM/IAMHUMAQ
PHOTO: INSTAGRAM/
MIRZASANIAR
TWO CUTE TO HANDLE!
Tennis ace Sania Mirza posted a video of her son,
Izhaan Mirza Malik, drawing patterns on a black
board. She talks about the terrible twos, a time
when outbursts of ‘no’ dominate a child’s
vocabulary. Don’t worry, Sania, it’s just his newly 2 A SAFETY SPIN Mallika Bhagat Catering to the rising trend,
burgeoning desire for independence!
Moving mallika.bhagat@hindustantimes.com
Hyderabad-based Rachel Reddy is
offering a customised range of products.
Online
marketplace and
ricket is to India, “People want to get ready for IPL, and social media is flooded
beyond team
PHOTO: TWITTER/
DUMKADC
HEROES NEVER GIVE UP
If you want to shine like a sun, first burn like a t-shirts, face C
what oxygen is to
our lungs, right?
We can’t live with-
masks are another essential that has
been added to the IPL starter kit
(chuckles). I’m customising them
with a variety of face
masks for the fans of
all competing

3
sun. Sapan Kumar, the headmaster of a middle
school in Dumarthar, Jharkhand, turned the walls
of mud houses here into blackboards for his
students to study. His drive to educate children
despite hurdles is indeed inspirational!
A TALENTED ARTIST
Madhu Chaudhari, our reader from Borivali,
out it. But amid the pan- as per order and selling them for teams
masks are the new fans
demic, as the presence of
in the stands is no
₹100 each,” says Reddy, adding
that she expects more sales in the
fan favourites enthusiasts have taken an
longer an option, cricket coming days. “I’m selling on
Instagram and through word of
innovative route to flaunt mouth but we have more than a
their fondness for their favour- month to go, I’m sure more young-
ite Indian Premier League (IPL) sters will opt for IPL masks,”she says.
teams. Blending safety with their love
for cricket, IPL-themed masks have flooded the

4
Mumbai, shared how her son, Yash, drew mandala online marketplace and social media, with sell-
art depicting a heart, on World Heart Day today. ers hoping for a good season ahead.
”Laughter is the best medicine and it protects the Pranay Parekh, co-founder of a company
heart... so keep laughing and be grateful for which is the official mask partner for two of the
everything,” says the 12-year-old, and we agree! IPL teams, says they are seeing good sales due to
the pandemic. “We’re pushing for a greater digi-
tal presence. Both the teams and the manage-
A THOUGHTFUL GIFT ment are wearing our masks at the IPL. We’re
expecting the sale of masks to grow as the sea-
Ajay Kashyap, 10, and Aakash Kashyap, 14, were son progresses,” he says. Priced at ₹250, the

5
very sad, for they didn’t have smartphones to masks are reusable and have a personalised { DAILY HOROSCOPE }
attend online classes. But, a surprise gift changed name tag inside. “We, as a responsible brand,
their lives. Activist Anubhooti Bhatnagar gave
five new, two functional second-hand phones to
want people to safely enjoy the game even amid
the pandemic,” Parekh adds.
Tuesday, September 29, 2020
kids in Ghasola village, Gurugram. Kudos to her! Jagan N, who is supplying IPL-themed masks Dr Prem Kumar Sharma (Astrologer & Vaastu expert) can be contacted at:
in Tamil Nadu, says he is unable to cope with the Delhi: 011-47033152, 40532026 (Sat to Mon); Panchkula: 91-172-2562832, 2572874
surging demand. “I get many calls a day for IPL (Tues to Thurs); Mumbai: 09716145644 (Last week of every month)
STANDING BY THE VOICELESS masks. So now, we’re producing in bulk. So far, I
must have sold 200 masks of each team; it’s obvi-
Pained by the plight of deserted dogs, Vrinda Sharma, 24,
began to feed, vaccinate, deworm these indie breeds. She’s
ous IPL masks are the next big thing,” he says.
ARIES
6
now opened a rehabilitation centre in Faridabad for her furry
friends and has also started a fund-raising campaign.
MAR 21-APR 20
BIRTHDAY TODAY

A
Your multitasking abilities are
Compiled by Swati Chaturvedi likely to gain you instant rec- Halsey: The American
Mail your six shot entries to htcity@hindustantimes.com ognition at work. An offer of singer- songwriter, known
a prime piece of property for songs Closer, Without Me
is likely, but it may come and Bad At Love, among
with its share of hassles. others, turns 26 today.
LOVE FOCUS: Some of you are set to
improve your love life.
LUCKY NUMBER: 2 LUCKY COLOUR: Pink
LIBRA
SEP 24-OCT 23
TAURUS A professional breakthrough is likely to cata-

Jaz Dhami: of
pult you to greater heights. Construction on
APR 21-MAY 20 a plot may be given the nod. You will be

T
{ NUSHRRATT BHARUCCHA } ACTOR You will manage to con- confident to do well on academic front.

There’s a lot g
serve money and boost your LOVE FOCUS: Spending quality time with

P savings. You will remain

totally satisfied on the profes-
the one you love is possible.
LUCKY NUMBER: 7 LUCKY COLOUR:

bi****ng goin in
sional front. Orange
My director asked LOVE FOCUS: Excitement of yes-
teryears may be missing from a long-term rela-
me if I was going on tionship, but mutual efforts will help.

on right now SCORPIO

LUCKY NUMBER: 5 LUCKY COLOUR: Forest Green
a space mission
since I was covered
the industry
OCT 24-NOV 22
GEMINI

S
Things brighten on the financial
from head to toe. MAY 21-JUN 21 front. Professionally, you are

A A
firmly placed in your saddle.

G
On stepping out for You are poised for enjoying LOVE FOCUS: Your love interest is
dubbing post the lockdown Samarth Goyal good profits from a venture that likely to figure prominently in
samarth.goyal@htlive.com
you have initiated. You will your life soon.
manage to remain on the right LUCKY NUMBER: 9 LUCKY COLOUR: Dark Brown
hanks to his family, Jaswinder side of someone who matters on

#instastyle Scan the QR

code for more
T Singh Dhami aka Jaz Dhami
always let “music do the talking”,
something which he feels musicians
the work front.
LOVE FOCUS: Someone’s feeble response on the
love front may disappoint you, but treat it as a SAGITTARIUS
today lack. “I am a bit old-school in temporary phase!
insight into Jaz
that sense,” he laughs, adding, “Today,
NOV 23-DEC 21
A friend in need...and LUCKY NUMBER: 4 LUCKY COLOUR: Turquoise
Dhami’s take

s
furry friends make for music has become entertainment, and Some difficulties arising on the
on the music
some of the most people are more interested in hearing professional front will be suc-
industry
loyal, not to forget,
fuzzy balls of soul-
warming friends.
the back story to an artiste or a song.
It’s not just limited to India. A lot of
international musicians, too, have
CANCER cessfully tackled.
LOVE FOCUS: Prematurely declar-
ing your love for someone may
made a name for themselves because
JUN 22-JUL 22
Actor Richa Chadha prove counterproductive and

C
posted a photo with of controversies. There’s a lot of put your intentions under question.
her cat, Kamli, and bi****ing going on in the industry Money via an inheritance or gift LUCKY NUMBER: 7 LUCKY COLOUR: Golden Brown
wrote, “You’re right now.” is likely for some. You may be
pricey with your Dhami, who started training at the gearing up to commence a new
love, is that
because you’re so
beautiful? Thank
age of nine, “100% agrees” with Ameri-
can rapper Kanye West, who recently
tweeted demanding labels to transfer P
career, so expect things to go
your way. Steps taken on the
property front will be lauded by all.
CAPRICORN
the rights of masters of songs to the
DEC 22-JAN 21
you for looking LOVE FOCUS: Possibility of getting romantically
I prefer to stay away

c
after me.” Actor respective artistes, but is quick to say, linked with someone you secretly love is rife. You will finally succeed in find-
Pulkit Samrat “For new musicians, it’s very hard to from controversies LUCKY NUMBER: 18 LUCKY COLOUR: Coffee ing your rhythm on the aca-
seemed to be get the rights, as they need a platform demic or professional front.
enjoying the to release their music,” and let the music do LOVE FOCUS: Those still single
the talking.
rains with his
girlfriend, actor
Kriti Kharbanda,
The only way to ensure a musician
gets a “good deal” with a label is when
they “invest in the right lawyer” or JAZ DHAMI, Singer-composer
LEO are likely to meet someone who
shares their tastes and interests.
LUCKY NUMBER: 15 LUCKY COLOUR: Off White
understand the laws themselves, some-
JUL 23-AUG 23
and their Husky,

L
Drogo. “It’s raining thing that he himself practices. “I don’t You will be able to turn your
love,” he wrote. own the rights to masters of all my
songs. But, I make sure that for the
songs I work hard on, I get some cut or
his/her work independently, too.
“No label was interested in putting
money on Beparwaiyan, because they
ideas into action as you achieve
stability on both professional
and financial fronts. Pulling out
AQUARIUS
royalty off the masters. Musicians
JAN 22-FEB 19
did not believe in it. But, that song is all the stops in achieving what

today need to understand the law
when they make a deal with a label,”
says Dhami, 34, emphasising that it’s
good for an artiste to release some of
{ CALVIN AND HOBBES | BILL WATTERSON }
such a big hit now. I own the masters
to it. Independent music gives you
complete authority over your music,”
he signs off.
a
you want at work or on the aca- Luck finally smiles on you, both
demic front is likely to soon find you in a posi- on the personal and profes-
tion of strength. sional fronts.
LOVE FOCUS: Lover may compel you to find time LOVE FOCUS: Recent develop-
for love from your busy schedule today. ments on the romantic front
LUCKY NUMBER: 3 LUCKY COLOUR: Red may delight you no end.
LUCKY NUMBER: 6 LUCKY COLOUR: Sea Green

VIRGO PISCES
AUG 24-SEP 23
FEB 20-MAR 20

I
You are likely to set an example

for others to follow at work.
Financially, it appears to be a
satisfying day with money com-
ing your way.
LOVE FOCUS: Making a positive
PHOTOS: INSTAGRAM start is likely to give you oodles of confidence.
LUCKY NUMBER: 22 LUCKY COLOUR: Beige
P
Professionally or academically,
you will not have much to
worry about.
LOVE FOCUS: Search for those
who are looking out for a suita-
ble match is likely to end.
LUCKY NUMBER: 5 LUCKY COLOUR: Lavender
NEW DELHI
TUESDAY
SEPTEMBER 29, 2020
showbiz 19

MAY NOT Be it an insider

or outsider, all
HAPPEN AGAIN, have to slog for
SO ENJOYING IT: success: Dino
KIRTI ON EMMY Shreya Mukherjee
shreya.mukherjee@htlive.com

I
n a career spanning over two decades,

NOMINATION
Juhi Chakraborty
juhi.chakraborty@htlive.com
female-fronted,
A modern setup series
exploring lives of
four urban girls was
always considered path-break-
ing in the Indian context and
the International Emmy nomi-
nation for Four More Shots
Please! is the perfect icing on
the cake, feels Kirti Kulhari.
“It is an international recog-
nition and something from
India has been internationally
recognised. It is competing
with other things internation-
ally is what’s most exciting for
me,” shares the actor.
While she is happy to have
got this acknowledgment for
her work, Kulhari doesn’t
want to get too happy about it
and she has her reasons.
“I do not take this person-
ally or get overexcited about
these things. I know that it will
come my way and it will also
go away or it may or may not
happen again. I take it on face
value, enjoy the moment,
enjoy the glory it brings and
let it go. I will keep doing what
I do with all I have,
purely for the joy of
acting, not based Kirti
on what is going
Kulhari remains
to come my way
and what it
will bring me,”
says the
unfazed with fame
35-year-old,
while adding
or failure, says she
that though
she and her works for ‘joy of
team, including
co-stars Sayani acting’
Gupta, Bani J and
Maanvi Gagroo, may not
have had the opportunity to
celebrate this in
person, they “have celebrated
in spirit”.
Kulhari says when she
opted to do the series, she
never really thought too
much about the laurels that
it would get her but she knew
one thing and that was the
fact that they were creating
something special.
“I don’t anticipate much
when I take on something, I go
by my gut feeling. Four More
Shots Please! always gave me
this feeling that it is here to
stay, here to inspire, make a
statement and change a lot of
things for a lot of people,
including myself. An Emmy
nomination is an icing on the
cake,” she says.
Kulhari also points out how
there is a paradigm shift in
the attitude of people towards
OTT as a medium, and this
recognition will further add
to that.
“The attitude has started to
PHOTO: VIRAL BHAYANI
change and corona has made
that attitude change happen
towards OTT. I think every-
thing in the country has
always been looked at as a
lesser medium or a lesser
thing to do as compared to
Bollywood. I am glad that
there is something like OTT to
challenge Bollywood for all its
norms, all its ways of working,
Dino Morea has always taken rejections in
his stride. And therefore, when you ask
him about the raging debate around nepo-
tism and favouritism in Bollywood, the mod-
el-turned-actor, says whatever profession one
chooses, it takes ‘heart, toil and patience’ to
make a mark.
“Whenever rejected, I thought maybe the
director saw someone better suited for that
role. I didn’t think of it as so and so is some-
one’s son or relative who got preference,”
says Morea, adding that he came into this
industry ‘as a nobody’. “And I got my oppor-
tunity. People will get an opportunity but
you’ve to hang in there and fight. You’ll fall,
but you’ll have to rise again. Someday you
give a hit and things are good, but when your
next movie fails, your stocks fall,” he says.
Morea, 44, doesn’t deny that rejection
hurts, but he prefers to look at the brighter
side. “There are times when I got a role that
someone else didn’t. And there are instances
when someone came from nowhere, is new
to the industry, (and) beat me to a role. The
director and producer know who they want
to work with. Who am I to stop them from
doing that? Everyone has a right to choose.
This is a business that needs to run to sur-
vive,” he explains.
On nepotism, Morea feels that it’s natural
for parents to help their children and he
may also guide his kids in the industry,
if needed. “That’s how it works. But P
The director, o
everything boils down to how the
film fares. Whether you’re an
w wh
insider or outsider, you’ve to slog.
Success is never served on a plat- producer kno ork
ter,” he says. they want to w stop
I to
with. Who am oing
Unperturbed with all the con-
troversies surrounding Bolly-
wood, Morea calls it a “fabulous them from d
place,” that he totally loves. “I’m
who I am because of this industry.
that?
,
Even though I haven’t done too much DINO MOREA
work in last 10 years, I’m still trying, still Actor
fighting. I haven’t given up. I want to do

‘I wa s w ar n e d Pankhuri
Awasthy
people who kind of rule Bolly-
wood or whatever. It is here to
challenge everything that has
good movies,” says the actor, who previously
worked in web show, Mentalhood, and is now
garnering praises for his latest web outing.

in st g et ti ng Scan the code

not been challenged for a

aga
while,” she concludes.
to read more
about

a rr ie d s o e a rly Pankhuri’s

m
thoughts on
getting a lead

in m y ca re e r’ role in movies

Shreya Mukherjee cerns regarding actors getting

typecast and content becoming
fter over six months of regressive on TV, she says it’s

A being cooped up at
home, actor Pankhuri
Awasthy has been craving to
face the camera, and she’ll
finally start shooting for her
debut web project soon. Awa-
sthy, who made her big screen
debut with Shubh Mangal
Zyada Saavdhan, is auditioning
for more films, too.
Asked if she’s planning to
put her TV career on the back-
burner now, the actor say, “I’ve
auditioned for TV shows as
well, and if things materialise
I’ll do it. At this time when
many are dealing with profes-
sional ups and downs, I’d feel
grateful to get a share of what-
ever little work that’s happen-
ing. I’ve not put any restric-
tions on myself.”
Talking of con-
up to the actor as to what kind
of show they want to be associ-
ated with. “People warned me
against doing back-to-back
mythological shows and get-
ting married early might affect
my career. But, after working
in mythological space, I did a
social show. And I’m still get-
ting work. It’s all about how
you think and present your-
self,” she shares.
Excited to play a lead char-
acter in her debut web project,
Awasthy hopes to get similar
break in films, too. “Everyone
wants to play a protagonist.
But I’ve nothing against sup-
porting roles. Yes, I’d love to
shoulder a film, whether I’m
ready for it or when I’ll get it,
only time will decide,”
she adds.

Here’s how
Vidyut Jammwal
gives back love to
his fan family
idyut Jammwal, thanks to his onscreen

V outings, has got the title of an action star.

And it goes beyond his films as he is a fit-
ness icon for many. If social media trends are
anything to go by, Jammwal is also a man of the
people. While his fitness game has won hearts of
millions of netizens, he celebrates and honours
his fans who inspire people with their training
routine and art.
According to a source, the actor arranged for
T-shirts to be distributed to his fan family,
coined as Jammwalions, before leaving for a
vacation. The actor tweeted, “Thank you JAMM-
WALIONS you stood by me in my long journey,
you deserve all my Love and respect...I love you...
More love reaching you soon.”
“For over three years, Vidyut has been sending
giveaways to his fans who train with insane
determination or pursue arts. This year, he
couldn’t send them at the planned time because
of the lockdown... he wanted to honour his fans
with a token of appreciation for inspiring people
despite the odds,” the source shares.
Jammwal is also very responsive to his fans
on social media. “Despite his busy schedule,
Vidyut makes time to interact with his fans
every day,” the source adds.

Juhi Chakraborty
20 time out NEW DELHI
TUESDAY
SEPTEMBER 29, 2020

Six shots of life

There’s negativity all around but we will focus on the positivity.
Our editor picks shots of life that bring a smile.
KEEPING SPIRITS SKY HIGH MASKING
1
Skydiving tops many bucket lists. Actor Huma
Qureshi posted a lovely video of her skydiving in
Dubai. “Once you have tasted flight, you will
forever walk the earth with your eyes turned GAME ON: IPL
FANDOM GETS
skyward, for there you have been, and there you
will always long to return,” she wrote.
PHOTO: INSTAGRAM/IAMHUMAQ
PHOTO: INSTAGRAM/
MIRZASANIAR
TWO CUTE TO HANDLE!
Tennis ace Sania Mirza posted a video of her son,
Izhaan Mirza Malik, drawing patterns on a black
board. She talks about the terrible twos, a time
when outbursts of ‘no’ dominate a child’s
vocabulary. Don’t worry, Sania, it’s just his newly 2 A SAFETY SPIN Mallika Bhagat Catering to the rising trend,
burgeoning desire for independence!
Moving mallika.bhagat@hindustantimes.com
Hyderabad-based Rachel Reddy is
offering a customised range of products.
Online
marketplace and
ricket is to India, “People want to get ready for IPL, and social media is flooded
beyond team
PHOTO: TWITTER/
DUMKADC
HEROES NEVER GIVE UP
If you want to shine like a sun, first burn like a t-shirts, face C
what oxygen is to
our lungs, right?
We can’t live with-
masks are another essential that has
been added to the IPL starter kit
(chuckles). I’m customising them
with a variety of face
masks for the fans of
all competing

3
sun. Sapan Kumar, the headmaster of a middle
school in Dumarthar, Jharkhand, turned the walls
of mud houses here into blackboards for his
students to study. His drive to educate children
despite hurdles is indeed inspirational!
A TALENTED ARTIST
Madhu Chaudhari, our reader from Borivali,
out it. But amid the pan- as per order and selling them for teams
masks are the new fans
demic, as the presence of
in the stands is no
₹100 each,” says Reddy, adding
that she expects more sales in the
fan favourites enthusiasts have taken an
longer an option, cricket coming days. “I’m selling on
Instagram and through word of
innovative route to flaunt mouth but we have more than a
their fondness for their favour- month to go, I’m sure more young-
ite Indian Premier League (IPL) sters will opt for IPL masks,”she says.
teams. Blending safety with their love
for cricket, IPL-themed masks have flooded the

4
Mumbai, shared how her son, Yash, drew mandala online marketplace and social media, with sell-
art depicting a heart, on World Heart Day today. ers hoping for a good season ahead.
”Laughter is the best medicine and it protects the Pranay Parekh, co-founder of a company
heart... so keep laughing and be grateful for which is the official mask partner for two of the
everything,” says the 12-year-old, and we agree! IPL teams, says they are seeing good sales due to
the pandemic. “We’re pushing for a greater digi-
tal presence. Both the teams and the manage-
A THOUGHTFUL GIFT ment are wearing our masks at the IPL. We’re
expecting the sale of masks to grow as the sea-
Ajay Kashyap, 10, and Aakash Kashyap, 14, were son progresses,” he says. Priced at ₹250, the

5
very sad, for they didn’t have smartphones to masks are reusable and have a personalised { DAILY HOROSCOPE }
attend online classes. But, a surprise gift changed name tag inside. “We, as a responsible brand,
their lives. Activist Anubhooti Bhatnagar gave
five new, two functional second-hand phones to
want people to safely enjoy the game even amid
the pandemic,” Parekh adds.
Tuesday, September 29, 2020
kids in Ghasola village, Gurugram. Kudos to her! Jagan N, who is supplying IPL-themed masks Dr Prem Kumar Sharma (Astrologer & Vaastu expert) can be contacted at:
in Tamil Nadu, says he is unable to cope with the Delhi: 011-47033152, 40532026 (Sat to Mon); Panchkula: 91-172-2562832, 2572874
surging demand. “I get many calls a day for IPL (Tues to Thurs); Mumbai: 09716145644 (Last week of every month)
STANDING BY THE VOICELESS masks. So now, we’re producing in bulk. So far, I
must have sold 200 masks of each team; it’s obvi-
Pained by the plight of deserted dogs, Vrinda Sharma, 24,
began to feed, vaccinate, deworm these indie breeds. She’s
ous IPL masks are the next big thing,” he says.
ARIES
6
now opened a rehabilitation centre in Faridabad for her furry
friends and has also started a fund-raising campaign.
MAR 21-APR 20
BIRTHDAY TODAY

A
Your multitasking abilities are
Compiled by Swati Chaturvedi likely to gain you instant rec- Halsey: The American
Mail your six shot entries to htcity@hindustantimes.com ognition at work. An offer of singer- songwriter, known
a prime piece of property for songs Closer, Without Me
is likely, but it may come and Bad At Love, among
with its share of hassles. others, turns 26 today.
LOVE FOCUS: Some of you are set to
improve your love life.
LUCKY NUMBER: 2 LUCKY COLOUR: Pink
LIBRA
SEP 24-OCT 23
TAURUS A professional breakthrough is likely to cata-

Jaz Dhami: of
pult you to greater heights. Construction on
APR 21-MAY 20 a plot may be given the nod. You will be

T
{ NUSHRRATT BHARUCCHA } ACTOR You will manage to con- confident to do well on academic front.

There’s a lot g
serve money and boost your LOVE FOCUS: Spending quality time with

P savings. You will remain

totally satisfied on the profes-
the one you love is possible.
LUCKY NUMBER: 7 LUCKY COLOUR:

bi****ng goin in
sional front. Orange
My director asked LOVE FOCUS: Excitement of yes-
teryears may be missing from a long-term rela-
me if I was going on tionship, but mutual efforts will help.

on right now SCORPIO

LUCKY NUMBER: 5 LUCKY COLOUR: Forest Green
a space mission
since I was covered
the industry
OCT 24-NOV 22
GEMINI

S
Things brighten on the financial
from head to toe. MAY 21-JUN 21 front. Professionally, you are

A A
firmly placed in your saddle.

G
On stepping out for You are poised for enjoying LOVE FOCUS: Your love interest is
dubbing post the lockdown Samarth Goyal good profits from a venture that likely to figure prominently in
samarth.goyal@htlive.com
you have initiated. You will your life soon.
manage to remain on the right LUCKY NUMBER: 9 LUCKY COLOUR: Dark Brown
hanks to his family, Jaswinder side of someone who matters on

#instastyle Scan the QR

code for more
T Singh Dhami aka Jaz Dhami
always let “music do the talking”,
something which he feels musicians
the work front.
LOVE FOCUS: Someone’s feeble response on the
love front may disappoint you, but treat it as a SAGITTARIUS
today lack. “I am a bit old-school in temporary phase!
insight into Jaz
that sense,” he laughs, adding, “Today,
NOV 23-DEC 21
A friend in need...and LUCKY NUMBER: 4 LUCKY COLOUR: Turquoise
Dhami’s take

s
furry friends make for music has become entertainment, and Some difficulties arising on the
on the music
some of the most people are more interested in hearing professional front will be suc-
industry
loyal, not to forget,
fuzzy balls of soul-
warming friends.
the back story to an artiste or a song.
It’s not just limited to India. A lot of
international musicians, too, have
CANCER cessfully tackled.
LOVE FOCUS: Prematurely declar-
ing your love for someone may
made a name for themselves because
JUN 22-JUL 22
Actor Richa Chadha prove counterproductive and

C
posted a photo with of controversies. There’s a lot of put your intentions under question.
her cat, Kamli, and bi****ing going on in the industry Money via an inheritance or gift LUCKY NUMBER: 7 LUCKY COLOUR: Golden Brown
wrote, “You’re right now.” is likely for some. You may be
pricey with your Dhami, who started training at the gearing up to commence a new
love, is that
because you’re so
beautiful? Thank
age of nine, “100% agrees” with Ameri-
can rapper Kanye West, who recently
tweeted demanding labels to transfer P
career, so expect things to go
your way. Steps taken on the
property front will be lauded by all.
CAPRICORN
the rights of masters of songs to the
DEC 22-JAN 21
you for looking LOVE FOCUS: Possibility of getting romantically
I prefer to stay away

c
after me.” Actor respective artistes, but is quick to say, linked with someone you secretly love is rife. You will finally succeed in find-
Pulkit Samrat “For new musicians, it’s very hard to from controversies LUCKY NUMBER: 18 LUCKY COLOUR: Coffee ing your rhythm on the aca-
seemed to be get the rights, as they need a platform demic or professional front.
enjoying the to release their music,” and let the music do LOVE FOCUS: Those still single
the talking.
rains with his
girlfriend, actor
Kriti Kharbanda,
The only way to ensure a musician
gets a “good deal” with a label is when
they “invest in the right lawyer” or JAZ DHAMI, Singer-composer
LEO are likely to meet someone who
shares their tastes and interests.
LUCKY NUMBER: 15 LUCKY COLOUR: Off White
understand the laws themselves, some-
JUL 23-AUG 23
and their Husky,

L
Drogo. “It’s raining thing that he himself practices. “I don’t You will be able to turn your
love,” he wrote. own the rights to masters of all my
songs. But, I make sure that for the
songs I work hard on, I get some cut or
his/her work independently, too.
“No label was interested in putting
money on Beparwaiyan, because they
ideas into action as you achieve
stability on both professional
and financial fronts. Pulling out
AQUARIUS
royalty off the masters. Musicians
JAN 22-FEB 19
did not believe in it. But, that song is all the stops in achieving what

today need to understand the law
when they make a deal with a label,”
says Dhami, 34, emphasising that it’s
good for an artiste to release some of
{ CALVIN AND HOBBES | BILL WATTERSON }
such a big hit now. I own the masters
to it. Independent music gives you
complete authority over your music,”
he signs off.
a
you want at work or on the aca- Luck finally smiles on you, both
demic front is likely to soon find you in a posi- on the personal and profes-
tion of strength. sional fronts.
LOVE FOCUS: Lover may compel you to find time LOVE FOCUS: Recent develop-
for love from your busy schedule today. ments on the romantic front
LUCKY NUMBER: 3 LUCKY COLOUR: Red may delight you no end.
LUCKY NUMBER: 6 LUCKY COLOUR: Sea Green

VIRGO PISCES
AUG 24-SEP 23
FEB 20-MAR 20

I
You are likely to set an example

for others to follow at work.
Financially, it appears to be a
satisfying day with money com-
ing your way.
LOVE FOCUS: Making a positive
PHOTOS: INSTAGRAM start is likely to give you oodles of confidence.
LUCKY NUMBER: 22 LUCKY COLOUR: Beige
P
Professionally or academically,
you will not have much to
worry about.
LOVE FOCUS: Search for those
who are looking out for a suita-
ble match is likely to end.
LUCKY NUMBER: 5 LUCKY COLOUR: Lavender
NEW DELHI
TUESDAY
SEPTEMBER 29, 2020
showbiz 21

MAY NOT Be it an insider

or outsider, all
HAPPEN AGAIN, have to slog for
SO ENJOYING IT: success: Dino
KIRTI ON EMMY Shreya Mukherjee
shreya.mukherjee@htlive.com

I
n a career spanning over two decades,

NOMINATION
Juhi Chakraborty
juhi.chakraborty@htlive.com
female-fronted,
A modern setup series
exploring lives of
four urban girls was
always considered path-break-
ing in the Indian context and
the International Emmy nomi-
nation for Four More Shots
Please! is the perfect icing on
the cake, feels Kirti Kulhari.
“It is an international recog-
nition and something from
India has been internationally
recognised. It is competing
with other things internation-
ally is what’s most exciting for
me,” shares the actor.
While she is happy to have
got this acknowledgment for
her work, Kulhari doesn’t
want to get too happy about it
and she has her reasons.
“I do not take this person-
ally or get overexcited about
these things. I know that it will
come my way and it will also
go away or it may or may not
happen again. I take it on face
value, enjoy the moment,
enjoy the glory it brings and
let it go. I will keep doing what
I do with all I have,
purely for the joy of
acting, not based Kirti
on what is going
Kulhari remains
to come my way
and what it
will bring me,”
says the
unfazed with fame
35-year-old,
while adding
or failure, says she
that though
she and her works for ‘joy of
team, including
co-stars Sayani acting’
Gupta, Bani J and
Maanvi Gagroo, may not
have had the opportunity to
celebrate this in
person, they “have celebrated
in spirit”.
Kulhari says when she
opted to do the series, she
never really thought too
much about the laurels that
it would get her but she knew
one thing and that was the
fact that they were creating
something special.
“I don’t anticipate much
when I take on something, I go
by my gut feeling. Four More
Shots Please! always gave me
this feeling that it is here to
stay, here to inspire, make a
statement and change a lot of
things for a lot of people,
including myself. An Emmy
nomination is an icing on the
cake,” she says.
Kulhari also points out how
there is a paradigm shift in
the attitude of people towards
OTT as a medium, and this
recognition will further add
to that.
“The attitude has started to
PHOTO: VIRAL BHAYANI
change and corona has made
that attitude change happen
towards OTT. I think every-
thing in the country has
always been looked at as a
lesser medium or a lesser
thing to do as compared to
Bollywood. I am glad that
there is something like OTT to
challenge Bollywood for all its
norms, all its ways of working,
Dino Morea has always taken rejections in
his stride. And therefore, when you ask
him about the raging debate around nepo-
tism and favouritism in Bollywood, the mod-
el-turned-actor, says whatever profession one
chooses, it takes ‘heart, toil and patience’ to
make a mark.
“Whenever rejected, I thought maybe the
director saw someone better suited for that
role. I didn’t think of it as so and so is some-
one’s son or relative who got preference,”
says Morea, adding that he came into this
industry ‘as a nobody’. “And I got my oppor-
tunity. People will get an opportunity but
you’ve to hang in there and fight. You’ll fall,
but you’ll have to rise again. Someday you
give a hit and things are good, but when your
next movie fails, your stocks fall,” he says.
Morea, 44, doesn’t deny that rejection
hurts, but he prefers to look at the brighter
side. “There are times when I got a role that
someone else didn’t. And there are instances
when someone came from nowhere, is new
to the industry, (and) beat me to a role. The
director and producer know who they want
to work with. Who am I to stop them from
doing that? Everyone has a right to choose.
This is a business that needs to run to sur-
vive,” he explains.
On nepotism, Morea feels that it’s natural
for parents to help their children and he
may also guide his kids in the industry,
if needed. “That’s how it works. But P
The director, o
everything boils down to how the
film fares. Whether you’re an
w wh
insider or outsider, you’ve to slog.
Success is never served on a plat- producer kno ork
ter,” he says. they want to w stop
I to
with. Who am oing
Unperturbed with all the con-
troversies surrounding Bolly-
wood, Morea calls it a “fabulous them from d
place,” that he totally loves. “I’m
who I am because of this industry.
that?
,
Even though I haven’t done too much DINO MOREA
work in last 10 years, I’m still trying, still Actor
fighting. I haven’t given up. I want to do

‘I wa s w ar n e d Pankhuri
Awasthy
people who kind of rule Bolly-
wood or whatever. It is here to
challenge everything that has
good movies,” says the actor, who previously
worked in web show, Mentalhood, and is now
garnering praises for his latest web outing.

in st g et ti ng Scan the code

not been challenged for a

aga
while,” she concludes.
to read more
about

a rr ie d s o e a rly Pankhuri’s

m
thoughts on
getting a lead

in m y ca re e r’ role in movies

Shreya Mukherjee cerns regarding actors getting

typecast and content becoming
fter over six months of regressive on TV, she says it’s

A being cooped up at
home, actor Pankhuri
Awasthy has been craving to
face the camera, and she’ll
finally start shooting for her
debut web project soon. Awa-
sthy, who made her big screen
debut with Shubh Mangal
Zyada Saavdhan, is auditioning
for more films, too.
Asked if she’s planning to
put her TV career on the back-
burner now, the actor say, “I’ve
auditioned for TV shows as
well, and if things materialise
I’ll do it. At this time when
many are dealing with profes-
sional ups and downs, I’d feel
grateful to get a share of what-
ever little work that’s happen-
ing. I’ve not put any restric-
tions on myself.”
Talking of con-
up to the actor as to what kind
of show they want to be associ-
ated with. “People warned me
against doing back-to-back
mythological shows and get-
ting married early might affect
my career. But, after working
in mythological space, I did a
social show. And I’m still get-
ting work. It’s all about how
you think and present your-
self,” she shares.
Excited to play a lead char-
acter in her debut web project,
Awasthy hopes to get similar
break in films, too. “Everyone
wants to play a protagonist.
But I’ve nothing against sup-
porting roles. Yes, I’d love to
shoulder a film, whether I’m
ready for it or when I’ll get it,
only time will decide,”
she adds.

Here’s how
Vidyut Jammwal
gives back love to
his fan family
idyut Jammwal, thanks to his onscreen

V outings, has got the title of an action star.

And it goes beyond his films as he is a fit-
ness icon for many. If social media trends are
anything to go by, Jammwal is also a man of the
people. While his fitness game has won hearts of
millions of netizens, he celebrates and honours
his fans who inspire people with their training
routine and art.
According to a source, the actor arranged for
T-shirts to be distributed to his fan family,
coined as Jammwalions, before leaving for a
vacation. The actor tweeted, “Thank you JAMM-
WALIONS you stood by me in my long journey,
you deserve all my Love and respect...I love you...
More love reaching you soon.”
“For over three years, Vidyut has been sending
giveaways to his fans who train with insane
determination or pursue arts. This year, he
couldn’t send them at the planned time because
of the lockdown... he wanted to honour his fans
with a token of appreciation for inspiring people
despite the odds,” the source shares.
Jammwal is also very responsive to his fans
on social media. “Despite his busy schedule,
Vidyut makes time to interact with his fans
every day,” the source adds.

Juhi Chakraborty
Tuesday, September 29, 2020
Bhumi
Pednekar
City Delhi
hu mi is fo r theatre
B Scan the code
reopening, but with
audience
Shreya Mukherjee
shreya.mukherjee@htlive.com
n love with the big screen experience,
safety I Bhumi Pednekar is all for theatres to
reopen soon. Even as most countries are
working to find a solution, closer home,
the West Bengal government’s announcement
that it will allow limited reopening of cinemas
from October, has raised hope.
“I completely miss the big screen experi-
ence. Being one in the audience, I’ve always
enjoyed the universal emotion towards some-
thing that’s happening on screen. Nothing can
match that. So, I really hope for theatres to
open soon but not the cost of audience safety,”
she says, adding, “I’m not an expert, so I don’t
know the right way of doing it. But we must
remember that the virus is still spreading.”
The actor also urges people to help showbiz
stakeholders in dire need. “We need to address
the suffering of daily wagers in every way pos-
sible,” says Pednekar, whose latest film Dolly
Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare took the OTT
route recently.
This shifting of platforms has also been a
talking point. While some are fine with the
arrangement, many feel otherwise especially
when it comes to bigger films.
Pednekar feels theatre and OTT can’t be
compared. “Watching a film in a theatre will
always be special. But I feel that Dolly Kitty…
got the kind of audience it deserved on OTT.
The film had travelled a lot internationally and
garnered love. So, this arrangement worked in
its favour as it got the deserved global release,”
she adds.
f @HTCITY t @HTCITY i @HTCITY y /USER/HT. ENTERTAINMENT & PROMOTIONAL FEATURES
PHOTO: PTI
ROAD TO
RECOVERY:
TV REVENUES
SET FOR A
BIGGIE!
to read about
how TV, digital
world’s ad
revenues are Prashant Singh
set to rise
prashant.singh@htlive.com
usinesses, across the
B board, have taken a hit
due to the Covid-19
induced lockdown. And
Scan the code
(From top)
Stills from the Indian
the television industry has
been no different. But by the
end of 2020, the small screen
is likely to recover thanks to
advertising income, and com-
to read more Premier League, Mere Dad mand revenues to the tune of
on what Ki Dulhan, The Kapil ₹34,100 crore, according to a
Bhumi Sharma Show and Taarak report by financial services
Pednekar feels Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah company, Edelweiss. The
about theatres report also suggests that digi-
vs OTT tal media platforms would
also benefit, and make a
whopping ₹23,600 crore.
Experts say the ad spends
are buoyed by the great
Dharmatic response to the ongoing
Entertainment’s (digital Indian Premier League that
arm of Dharma Productions)
ex-employee Kshitij Prasad has STOP PRESS
alleged he was forced by NCB
to falsely implicate Karan Johar
in drug case, a report said. PHOTO:
NCB has denied the INSTAGRAM/
KARANJOHAR
charge.
NOTE TO READERS: Some of the coverage that appears on our pages is paid for by the concerned brands. No sponsored content does or shall appear in any part
of HT without it being declared as such to our valued readers.
Buoyed by the festive season,
IPL and tentpole TV shows,
small screen ad revenues are
set to see a resurgence by the
end of 2020, say experts
coincides with the upcoming
festive season, and tentpole NUMBERS SPEAK
television shows such as Kaun
Banega Corepati, Bigg Boss According to a TAM report,
and Nach Baliye which are set
to start soon, besides other
original programming on TV.
August saw over 450 new
advertisers and over 650
brands on TV. The inventory
“Businesses of most of the
electronic media, including
TV, are likely to recover by the
end of the year,” says ad guru
Prahlad Kakkar, adding, “But
of top 10 advertisers
including top FMCGs, is
believed to have increased
by 34% in the unlock phases
over pre-Covid days. A Pitch
digital/OTT platforms may be Madison report has also
the biggest winners after the estimated ad expenditure in
pandemic as most youngsters the second half of 2020
are glued to online mediums, should grow by 60-72%
unless one is targeting kids compared to the first half.
below 12 or senior citizens.”
An industry estimate sug- says ad filmmaker and Bolly-
gests around 40-45% of a wood director, Vinil Mathew.
year’s total advertising spend In terms of the brand count
is in the festive period, on TV, the number was 4,933
between Janmashtami and the in January that went down to
New Year. And advertisers feel
that since “consumers are in
3,043 in April due to the lock-
down. But last month, it again
the mood to spend” during fes-
tivals, recovery will be faster
went up to 4,100. “Since the
small-screen world depends
in the last quarter of the year.
“Usually, people have a pos-
solely on advertising, it’s
imperative that a sense of nor-
itive outlook during the festive
season. Also, of late, a sense of
malcy comes in at the earliest.
Once the businesses are back
‘normalcy’ is slowly coming in in motion, it will lead to more
and as a result, there are signs ad revenues. That way, every-
of resurgence when it comes thing is interlinked with the
to ad spendings. A number of emotion of normalcy and peo-
top FMCG brands and even ple’s positive outlook,” says
newer e-commerce ones have
already made their way back,”
film exhibitor-distributor
Akshaye Rathi.
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