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Two-time World Cup-win-ning former India captainMahendra Singh Dhoni retiredfrom international cricketon Saturday, endingover one year of sus-pense and also anera during whichhis often unortho-dox leadership andfinishing skillsbecame the stuff oflegends. "Thanks a lot forur love and support through-out. from 1929hrs consider meas retired," Dhoni posted on hisinstagram handle.

The announcement came aday after he joined his ChennaiSuper kings teammates inChennai ahead of this year'sIPL in the UAE.

The 39-year-old's last out-ing in India colours was dur-ing the lost World Cup semi-final against New Zealand.

One of the best runnersbetween the wickets was runout following a hard-earned 50in that tense game, shatteringIndian hopes and leaving himin a state of disbelief.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modion Saturday unveiled an ambi-tious National Digital HealthMission under which everyIndian will get a health ID thatwill ease access to medical ser-vices and also announced thatthe country has made plans formass-producing COVID-19vaccine once scientists give agreen signal.

In his Independence Dayaddress from the ramparts of

the Red Fort, the prime minis-ter said the health ID will storeevery individual's medicalrecords and the Mission willherald a new revolution in thehealth sector.

"From today, a major cam-paign is being launched inwhich technology will play a bigrole. The National DigitalHealth Mission is beinglaunched today. This will bringa new revolution in India'shealth sector and it will helpreduce problems in getting

treatment with the help oftechnology," he said.

"Every Indian will be given ahealth ID, which will work aseach Indian's health account,"Modi said, adding that it wouldease problems faced by citizensin getting healthcare access.

The health ID will containinformation about medicaldata, prescriptions and diag-nostic reports and summariesof previous discharge fromhospitals for ailments.

The Mission is expected to

bring efficiency and trans-parency in healthcare servicesin the country.

Modi said the country hasprepared a roadmap to ensurethat a COVID-19 vaccinereaches everyone in the short-est possible time.

He said three vaccine candi-dates are in different stages oftrials in the country.

The prime minister saidwhenever there is talk ofCOVID-19, the question thatcomes to everyone's mind is -

when will a vaccine be ready."I want to tell people, the tal-

ent of our scientists is like thatof 'rishi munis' and they areworking very hard in laborato-ries. Three vaccines are in var-ious stages of testing. When sci-entists will give us the green sig-nal, it will be produced on amass scale and all prepara-tions have been made for it,"Modi said while addressingthe nation on its 74thIndependence Day.

CM chants decentralisation mantra

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Asserting that his governmentfirmly believed that decen-tralisation of administrationwas the right policy to heal thewounds inflicted upon AndhraPradesh by bifurcation, ChiefMinister YS JaganmohanReddy on Saturday said thatsoon, the foundation stonewould be laid for the ExecutiveCapital at Visakhapatnam, andfor the Judicial Capital atKurnool. "To ensure that we donot suffer more such woundsand that the three regions ofthe state flourish equally, weenacted the three capitals leg-islation. We will soon lay thefoundation stone for theExecutive Capital atVisakhapatnam and JudicialCapital in Kurnool," Jagansaid.

The Chief Minister also triedto balance pragmatism andhope by saying that he does notforesee the Centre accordingSpecial Category Status (SCS)to Andhra Pradesh in the nearfuture as it “is now not depen-dent on other parties”, even ashe hoped that the Central

Government would have achange of heart if not today, inthe future, and accord SCS tothe state in accordance with thepromise made in Parliament.

Addressing the ceremonialIndependence Day functionafter unfurling the Tricolour atthe IGMC Stadium inVijayawada, the Chief Ministersaid his government was deter-mined to achieve SCS for thestate.

"The government at theCentre is now not dependenton other parties (for support),so we don’t see it granting SCS

now. But, if not today, in thefuture with the blessings ofGod we hope the situation willchange and the central gov-ernment will have a change ofheart and accord SCS for thefuture of the state," the ChiefMinister said. He vowed tonevertheless continue to raisethe demand strongly for SCS.

The Chief Minister said his14-month rule so far gave atrue meaning to the terms'justice, liberty, equality, fra-ternity' as enshrined in thePreamble to the Constitutionof India.

In line with the DirectivePrinciples of State Policy andArticle 38 (2) enshrined in theConstitution, the state gov-ernment launched a gamut ofwelfare schemes with SCs, STs,BCs, minorities and econom-ically-backward among theupper castes as the main base,to remove the economic andsocial disparities.

"By introducing the VillageSecretariat system, which is anew chapter in decentralisationof administration, we haveensured Grama Swaraj as list-ed in the Directive Principles,"the Chief Minister added.

He noted that the govern-ment doled out Rs 59,000crore in the last 14 months tovarious sections under differ-ent welfare schemes.

As part of the measures toeliminate corruption, new ini-tiatives like reverse tenderingand judicial preview werelaunched while a review of theprevious government's deci-sions resulted in an overall sav-ing of Rs 4,000 crore to theexchequer, he added.

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Lamenting the increasingattacks on the democratic insti-tutions and theConstitution, Leaderof the OppositionN ChandrababuNaidu said thatthis amounts toa betrayal of notjust an individ-ual but the societyas a whole.

Addressing thegathering after unfurlingthe National Flag at his resi-dence, the former chief minis-ter extended his IndependenceDay greetings to the people ofthe country and both theTelugu States.

The TDP chief said that ourforefathers formulated the fun-damental rights, directive prin-ciples of state policy,Constitution and well-foundeddemocratic systems in India.Naidu said it would be every

Indian's responsibility to protectand preserve our democraticlegacy if anybody tries to under-mine this with their attacks on

the Constitutional institu-tions and systems.

He said that if thedemocratic spiritwas not upheld, wewould becomeresponsible forwasting the

supreme sacrificesmade by our forefa-

thers.He paid rich tributes to the

Freedom Fighters and recalledthe great sacrifices made by ourforefathers to break the chainsof slavery.

Naidu said that this was theday when the Indians achievedvictory in their struggle forrights. He said, "Our freedomwas the result of sacrificesmade by many patriots. Thetrue tribute to their sacrificeswould be to preserve the demo-cratic systems."

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For the first time in 73 years,Independence Day was cele-brated on a low note acrossthe state due to restrictionsimposed following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Very few guests are invit-ed for the State Government’sflag hoisting programme heldat the IGMC Stadium,Vijayawada. This is a markeddeparture from previousyears, when thousand ofschoolchildren used to par-ticipate in the celebrationsand the political leaders usedto conduct numerous flaghoisting programmes at var-ious places across the state.

Apex council meet likely on August 25�� &��"�.��

Union Minister for Jal SaktiGajendra Singh Shekhawathas directed officials of hisdepartment to make arrange-ments for the Apex Councilmeeting on August 25, if thedate was agreeable to the ChiefMinisters of Andhra Pradeshand Telangana to find a solu-tion to water sharing disputesbetween the Telugu states.

While the Jal Sakti Ministeris the ex-officio chairman ofthe Apex Council, which owedits existence to the APReorganisation Act, the ChiefMinisters of both the Telugustates are its members.

After holding the maidenmeeting in 2016, the ApexCouncil has not met again.

The forthcoming meetingwas earlier scheduled to beheld on August 5, butTelangana Chief Minister KChandrasekhar Rao found thedate inconvenient and askedthe authorities to convene themeeting after August 20.

However, his AP counterpartYS Jaganmohan Reddy hassaid that he was ready toattend whenever the meetingis convened.

During the past twomonths, the Telugu states arecomplaining against eachother, especially after Jaganconceived the RayalaseemaLift Irrigation Scheme divert-ing water from Srisailam pro-ject.

The Krishna and GodavariRiver Management Boardshave asked the Telugu states to

submit detailed project reportsof new projects conceived byboth the states.

As per the directions of Jal

Sakti Ministry, the boards haveasked Telugu states not to goahead on these projects.

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The swollen Godavari river hasinundated several 'lanka'(island) villages in East andWest Godavari districts ofAndhra Pradesh on Saturdayand severed road communica-tion links even as the govern-ment deployed the StateDisaster Response Force tohandle any emergency.

Authorities raised the firstwarning signal as 11.21 lakhcusecs of floodwater reachedthe Sir Arthur Cotton Barrageat Dowaleswaram nearRajahmundry.

The entire floodwater wasbeing discharged into the Bayof Bengal as the Cotton barragewas filled to the brim (2.93 tmcft) by Saturday afternoon.

With copious rains in itscatchment, Godavari has beenreceiving heavy inflows since

Friday. The second warning isalso expected by Sunday morn-

ing as the flood level maycross 13 lakh cusecs.

"We have alerted the author-ities concerned to take all pre-cautionary measures along theriver course in view of theflood flow. Two teams of SDRFare positioned at Rajahmundryto attend to any eventualitywhile NDRF teams have alsobeen kept on standby," APDisaster ManagementCommissioner K Kanna Babusaid.

He said that vulnerable peo-ple in the affected villages werebeing moved to safety in viewof the rising flood.

He asked people not to trav-el in the river on boats nor gofor bathing and swimming.

Devipatnam mandal in EastGodavari district remained cutoff due to the f lood inGodavari.

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Andhra Pradesh's Covid-19infection positivity ratecrossed the 10 percent mark onSaturday as thestates aggregatenumber of casesr e a c h e d2,81,817, withthe addition of8,732 infections inthe last 24 hours.

The latest bulletin saidafter a cumulative 28,12,197sample tests, the infectionpositivity rate touched 10.02per cent, the highest so far.

The recovery rate alsoshowed an improvement,

touching 67.82 per cent after10,414 patients got cured, tak-ing the gross to 1,91,117.

In the last 24 hours, 87fresh coronavirus

deaths were alsoreported in thestate, taking thetoll to 2,562.

The state nowhas 88,138 active

Covid-19 cases, thebulletin added.East Godavari dis-

trict continued to reportcases in four digits, adding1,126 afresh, and inched clos-er to the 40,000 aggregatemark.

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A bust of Col Santosh Babuwas unveiled in Kaikaram vil-lage of West Godavari districtto coincide withIndependence Day onSaturday.

Sculptor Chandrasekharof CS Silpakala Nilayam atDuvva in Tanuku mandalhas sculpted the bust as amark of tribute to thesupreme sacrifice made byCol Santosh Babu.

The Colonel laid down hislife defending the country’sborders in Galwan Valley.

The bust was installed withthe financial support fromDistrict Arya VysyaAssociation president KonaSrinivasa Rao. Srinivasa Raoalong with his brotherHanuman Babu unveiled thestatue.

The village already hasstatues of Mahatma Gandhi,Alluri Sitaramaraju, PottiSriramulu and Sir ArthurCotton.

MS Dhoni calls it

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�2��!&"$��"�1��"$�5! ��"!�Krishna River

Management Board sec-retary Harikesh Meena onFriday wrote to the CentralWater Commission to decidethe share of river water notutilised during the last wateryear.

In 2019-20, the govern-ment of AP used 647.435tmc out of its share of651.995 tmc ft, while thegovernment of Telanganaused only 278.33 tmc ft outof its share of 333.527 tmc ft.Also, another 50 tmc ft ofwater remained unused.

The government ofTelangana urged the KRMB

to allow it to use the unusedshare for irrigation anddrinking water purposes inthe early 2020. However, thegovernment of AP objectedto the request.

Both the states, quotingthe Krishna Water DisputesTribunal-I decisions, hadwritten to the KRMB. A tri-partite meeting was pro-posed to be held, but theengineers-in-chief of boththe states had made cleartheir stand on the issue.

Meena in the letter urgedthe CWC to treat it as aninter-state river water shar-ing problem.

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The number of people inIndia who have recuperatedfrom COVID-19 went past18 lakh on Saturday with arecord 57,381 patients dis-charged in 24 hours pushingthe recovery rate to 71.61 percent, according to the healthministry data.

India's 'test, track and treat'strategy has achieved anoth-er peak with 8,68,679COVID-19 tests done in a 24hours taking the cumulativetests done till Friday to morethan 2.85 crore, the ministrysaid. Twelve states and unionterritories have reported theirrecovery rates above thenational average. In 30 statesand UTs the COVID-19recovery rate is more than 50per cent, it highlighted.

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It trembled after the tremor. But thecricket community soon got its act

together. It had to, to remember,savour, cherish and exhaust its stockof superlatives of all manner toadorn Mahendra Singh Dhoni

after the eternal enigma quiet-ly walked into international

sunset. He did so in theMSD way. The

two-t ime

World Cup-winning captain kept every-one guessing about his retirement tillthe end but when he finally did, it leftthe cricket world overwhelmed withemotions.

Such was the impact he had had onhis teammates like Suresh Raina thatthe southpaw chose to retire from inter-national cricket on the same day.Batting great Sachin Tendulkar had bro-ken a plethora of records but the elu-

sive World Cup win only cameat the fag end of his career

and under Dhoni's leader-ship.

"Your contribution toIndian cricket has beenimmense, @msdhoni.

Winning the 2011 World Cup togeth-er has been the best moment of my life.Wishing you and your family all thevery best for your 2nd innings," tweet-ed Tendulkar. Virat Kohli became thechampion cricketer that he is underDhoni's leadership and the latter'sretirement naturally made the currentIndia skipper emotional.

"Every cricketer has to end his jour-ney one day, but still when someoneyou've gotten to know so closelyannounces that decision, you feel theemotion much more. "What you'vedone for the country will alwaysremain in everyone's heart, but themutual respect and warmth I'vereceived from you will always stay in

mine. The world has seen achieve-ments, I've seen the person. Thanksfor everything skip. I tip my hat toyou," wrote Kohli on Twitter.

In his appreciation for Dhoni,BCCI president and former Indiaskipper Sourav Ganguly wrote: "It isthe end of an era. What a player hehas been for the country and worldcricket. "His leadership qualities havebeen something, which will be hardto match, especially in the shorter for-mat of the game. "His batting in one-day cricket in his early stages madethe world stand up and notice his flairand sheer natural brilliance. Everygood thing comes to an end and thishas been an absolutely brilliant one.

Printed and published by B Krishna Prasad for and on behalf of CMYK Printech Ltd., Printed at Sree Seshasai Enterprises, D.No. New 3-88, Old 3-22, Chandra Theatre, Gosala, Penamaluru Mandal, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh - 521 151, Resident Editor: B Krishna Prasad, AIR SURCHARGE of Rs 2.00.

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It is difficult to imagine thatjust one year ago,ChiefMinister of Telangana K.

Chandrashekhar Rao and hisAndhra counterpart Y. S. JaganMohan Reddy were singingpaeans for each other. They hadraised hopes of ending the bit-terness and opening a newchapter in relations between thetwo States. This conclusion hasturned out to be hasty asTelangana and Andhra are backat their old game of squabblingover their share of river watersand other resources.

An impression gainedground after the bonhomiethey displayed in the wake of

KCR's re-election and Jagan'smaiden victory in May 2019that they had decided to burythe past and amicably settledisputes between the twoneighbours that share the samelanguage and culture. Theyhad inherited a legacy of dis-putes ranging from AP's claimsof Rs. 70,000 crore towards set-tlement of fixed assets tointractable differences oversharing Krishna and Godavariwaters.

This feeling was reinforcedby Jagan's description of KCRas 'a good man'. It was a sur-real moment whenChandrashekhar Rao huggedthe young Jagan, son of late Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, whohad done everything withinhis means to thwart creation ofTelangana.Jagan too bentbackwards to please KCR byhanding over all the buildings

under AP's control inHyderabad to Telangana.

After the failure of two formalmeetings, the leaders haveemphatically proved that per-sonal chemistry matters only toa limited extent. Resolving riverwater disputes requires visionbesides consensus among polit-ical parties in each State. Allthese elements are missing.KCR and Jagan are back to theirpre-May 2019 positions, warringover water and power. Theyeven skipped the Apex Councilmeetingconvened by the Centreon August 5 as if to avoid adirect encounter.

The Centre was alarmed bythe flurry of mutual complaints.The trigger was the complaintthat the Andhra Governmenthad issued orders on May 5 todivert 10 tmcft of water dailyfrom the Krishna river toRayalaseema through a lift irri-gation project and for expansionof the Pothireddypadu headregulator. Telangana com-plained that the RLIP wouldaffect several lift irrigation pro-jects besides drinking watersupply to Hyderabad and manyother districts.

AP's complaints were no lessgrave. They ranged from

Telangana changing the scopeof the Kaleswaram lift irriga-tion project, taking up five newprojects using 15.53 tmcft ofwater from Krishna, enhanc-ing the capacity of existingprojects, and generating powerfrom Srisailam in violation of

the agreement to share thebenefit in 50:50 ratio.

The crib list is illustrative. Itcannot be comprehensive in ashort piece because of the longhistory of acrimony over divi-sion of Krishna water amongstthe three regions Andhra,Rayalaseema and Telanganaand with neighbouringKarnataka. The BachawatTribunal's award allocating 811out of 2,060 tmcft failed to sat-isfy AP and the Brijesh KumarTribunalrefused to take a relookat allocation with other States.

Tribunal awards have leftmatters unresolved while theRiver Management Boardshave become toothless won-ders or just complaint boxes.Even the Apex Council com-prising the two Chief Ministersand chaired by the UnionMinister is unable to forge acompromise. Uma Bharati as

Union Minister for WaterResourceshad convened ameeting between then APChief Minister N.Chandrababu Naidu and KCR,but it ended without result.

Many thought thatwithKCR and Jagan striking allthe right chords, a solution tothe vexatious river water dis-putes was round the corner.But theyhave escalated mat-ters. Lessons have to be drawnfrom the past. Telugu Ganga,a project steered by N. T.Rama Rao, was severely casti-gated by YSR and otherCongress leaders for carrying15 tmcft of water to Chennaiwithout fulfillingRayalaseema's needs. It wasextensively discussed withinand outside the AssemblyandNTR vilified before imple-mentation. So was the con-struction of the controversial

Pothireddypadu head regula-tor on the Srisailam project.

Stoutly opposing it, P.Janardhan Reddy, CongressMLA, fought so hard againstthe Chief Minister of his ownparty,YSR, that the matterreached the Congress highcommand.A joke used to dothe rounds that Congress pres-ident Sonia Gandhi even asked"who is this Pothireddy".

When Gujarat was separat-ed from the bilingual BombayState, it was not without bitter-ness and bloodshed.Sixty yearslater, both States are goodneighbours, prosperous, andcompete for investment in anatmosphere of cooperativefederalism.

Andhra and Telanganawould do well to emulate thisspirit of healthy competition.They can begin by initiatingmeaningful dialogues, ratherthan allowing old disputes tofester. As it is, they are fritter-ing away too much time andenergy on building new capi-tals and Secretariat offices.

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wo-time World Cup-winning former TeamIndia captain Mahendra

Singh Dhoni announced hisretirement from the interna-tional cricket on Saturday,ending over one year of sus-pense and also an era duringwhich his often unorthodoxleadership and finishing skillsbecame the stuff of legends."Thanks a lot for your loveand support throughout.

From 1929hrs consider me asretired," Dhoni posted on hisInstagram handle. As soon asthe news spread,#ThankYouMahi startedtrending on Twitter with hun-dreds of Twitter users express-ing their heartfelt thanks tothe legendry cricketer andwished him luck for his futureendeavours. MS Dhoni's fansand his Team Indian col-leagues, who were left in utter

disbelief and shock over hissudden retirement, postedtheir messages on the micro-blogging platform using the#ThankYouMahi.

The announcement came aday after he joined his ChennaiSuper Kings teammates inChennai ahead of this year'sIPL in the UAE. The 39-year-old's last outing in India colourswas during the lost World Cupsemi-final against New

Zealand. One of the best run-ners between the wickets wasrun out following a hard-earned 50 in that tense game,shattering Indian hopes andleaving him in a state of disbe-lief. The reticent man fromRanchi will, however, go downas one of the finest to haveplayed the game for India,turning up for the country ina whopping 350 ODIs, 90 Testsand 98 T20 Internationals.

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As Mahendra Singh Dhonibids adieu to internation-

al cricket, here is a look at thecareer highlights of India'smost successful captain,who led the country to twoWorld Cup trophies.

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MS Dhoni calls it quitsContinued from Page 1

The reticent man fromRanchi will, however, go downas one of the finest to haveplayed the game for India,turning up for the country in awhopping 350 ODIs, 90 Testsand 98 T20 Internationals.

The last leg of his career was,however, marred by a drop inform, prompting several criticsto question his resolve to con-tinue. But he nevertheless signsoff as an ODI legend with10,773 runs, averaging morethan 50 despite batting betweenNo.5 and 7 for a major chunkof his career.

In the Test format, Dhoniaccumulated 4876 runs at anaverage of 38.09 and led Indiato more wins (27) than anyoneelse before him.

However, runs are not the

parameter on which Dhoni'scareer can be truly judged.

Considered a punter by someand a master strategist by sev-eral others, it was Dhoni's cap-

taincy, wondrous reading ofmatch situations and the jaw-dropping hand-speed behindstumps that had the cricketworld mesmerised.

A leader even after he gaveup the official tag of the leader,Dhoni will be remembered asthe nonconformist, who maderisks look like well thought-outstrategy.

Whether it was handing theball to rookie Joginder Sharmain the final over of the 2007World T20 or pushing himselfahead of man-in-form YuvrajSingh in the 2011 50-overWorld Cup, Dhoni's instinctsrarely failed him.

For the record, India liftedthe trophy on both occasions,propelling him to cult status ina country which remains hope-lessly in love with all thingscricket.

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Energizing growth and devel-opment, the NTPC Simhadrihas celebrated 74thIndependence Day. DespiteCovid-19 restrictions, the spir-it to celebrate could not becurbed.

Executive Director of NTPCSimhadri V Sudharshan Babuaddressed employees and fam-ilies through a live webcast toensure minimum contact andmaximum outreach. Heexpressed pride and content-ment in the preventive mea-sures being taken at the NTPCSimhadri for containment ofthe virus with the decision toprocure 500 antigen testingkits, oxygen concentrators,

cylinders, oxymetres and ther-mal scanner among multipleother proactive measures.

Power Excel Awards, GMMeritorious Awards weregiven away and employee ofthe year selection was done onthe occasion. The ceremonymotivated employees to con-tinue the culture of excellenceand innovation in all theirfuture endeavours.

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AP JAC Amaravati ofEmployees, Teachers, Workersand Retired EmployeesAssociations sought an ex gra-tia of Rs 50 lakhs to the kin ofthose died of Covid, separateward in hospitals, Help Desk ineach district to employees andexemption of Covid duties tostaff above 50 years of age.

APJAC Amaravati chairmanBopparaju Venkateshwarlu saidthat they submitted a memo-randum to Chief Minister YSJaganmohan Reddy takingtheir issues to the notice of thegovernment.

Venkateshwarlu said that all

the State government employ-ees are working hard in imple-menting various programmesof the government during thelockdown and also after lock-down despite Covid-19 threatto their lives. He said thatsince April 2020 many (morethan 1,500) employees areaffected with Coronavirus anda few (around 50) employees ofall departments viz. revenue,police, panchayat raj, agricul-ture, education, village secre-tariats and APSEB died ofCoronavirus while dischargingtheir duties.

Venkateshwarlu recalled thatJagan granted an ex gratia of Rs50 lakh to a constable, who

died due to Corona in May2020, though it was not coveredunder Covid InsuranceScheme. He said that the sud-den demise of an employee inthis pandemic situation willseriously affect the family ofthat employee, including theeducation of the children.

Hence, he appealed to Jaganto consider the ex gratia of Rs50 lakh to the families ofdeceased employees, who diedof Covid-19. He said thatemployees above 50 years ofage may be exempted fromCovld-19 duties, since theyare vulnerable and most of thecasualties are above 50 years ofage only.

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Fruits of freedom shouldreach the last man in society,said Speaker TammineniSitaram here on Saturdayafter hoisting the NationalFlag on the Assembly premis-es.

Addressing a gathering,the Speaker said that it wasthe happiest moment to cel-ebrate the 74th IndependenceDay. “Everyone should striveto protect the spirit of thenation and the Constitution,”he said.

He exhorted people toface the Coronavirus pan-demic with courage since ithas become a threat to themankind. Earl ier, hereceived the guard of hon-our from the security staffof the Assembly.

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The administration has beenwaging a relentless battle in con-taining the Coronavirus pan-demic under leadership of CM YSJaganmohan Reddy, said CSNilam Sawhney. She hoisted the

National Flag on the premises ofthe Secretariat here on Saturday.Later, addressing the media, theChief Secretary said that thenation is remembering the sacri-fices of the freedom fighters whilecelebrating the IndependenceDay. She lauded the services of

medical and health personnel,police, sanitation, municipal, ruraldevelopment and the revenue staffin curbing the pandemic. In spiteof financial problems, the govern-ment is focusing on public healthand education, she pointed outand vowed to work hard to serve

the people in the next four monthsof her tenure. Earlier, she receivedthe guard of honour by theSecretariat security staff. Secretaryof Services Sasibushan Kumar,Law Secretary G Manohar Reddyand other Secretariat employeeswere present.

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There was rampant corruptionduring the Congress regimesans development, alleged BJPState president Somu Veerraju.The country was standing onpar with developed nationsafter the BJP came to power, heasserted. Prime MinisterNarendra Modi has been striv-ing not only for the all-rounddevelopment of the countrybut also according importancefor the welfare of the poor, hepointed out. Similarly, he hasbeen giving importance toyouth by providing skill devel-opment.

On the occasion of the 74thIndependence Day, the BJPwas coming up with a newagenda to benefit people, hedisclosed. For the past sixyears, the Prime Minister hasbeen realising the dreams ofMahatma Gandhi and calledupon people to strive for therealisation of the dreams offreedom fighters.

Jana Sena Party presidentPawan Kalyan hoisted theNational Flag at the partyoffice in Hyderabad. Aftersaluting the Tri-colour flag, hegarlanded the portraits ofMother India and Gandhiji.Jana Sena Political AffairsCommittee (PAC) ChairmanNadendla Manohar, Telanganain-charge Sankar Goud, partyleaders Shaik Riyaz, Y Nagesh,party president’s political sec-retary P Hariprasad and oth-

ers participated in the pro-gramme.

AP Congress Committeepresident Sake Sailajanathhoisted the National Flagamidst Corona protocol atAndhra Ratna Bhavan head-quarters of AP Congress here.He recalled the sacrifices offreedom fighters and exhortedthe GenNext to pay back tosociety in all possible manneras freedom has given them achance to strive for the devel-opment of the country.

Indian Union MuslimLeague (IUML) AndhraPradesh unit president

Basheer Ahmad hoisted thenational flag and paid tributesto freedom fighters. He saidthat freedom fighters sacri-ficed their lives for a secularcountry, hence, people,including the younger gener-ation, should respect all reli-gions and faiths as they werepart of Indian culture reflect-ing 'unity in diversity'.

CPI State secretary KRamakrishna expressed fearabout switching Secular Indiainto Saffron Bharat by BJP, RSSand other Saffron organisa-tions. He hoisted the nationalflag in the party office.

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Geetha Madhurya, great-grand-daughter of Pingali Venkayya, wassore for not giving recognition tothe National Flag designer. Shelamented that present generationis not aware about PingaliVenkayya and his greatness, whichis very sad.

She sought the government to

create awareness about theNational Flag designer.She hoist-ed the National Flag during the74th Independence Day celebra-tions conducted under the aegis ofAmrutha Hastham near DharnaChowk at Gandhinagar here onSaturday. She sought the govern-ment to confer Bharata Ratna onVenkayya recognising his services.

Geetha recalled that Pingali

Venkayya was a famous freedomfighter and brought pride toAndhra Pradesh by designing theNational Flag. She said Venkayyagave away all his assets during thefreedom struggle and ignited aburning desire for freedom amongthe masses during his time. Sherecalled that he was an agricultur-ist, geologist and also an education-ist besides freedom fighter.

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Vijayawada TDP MPKesineni Srinivas (Nani)addressed a letter to UnionMinister for Transport NitinGadkari inviting him for theinauguration of Kanakadurgaflyover, which was nearing

completion.He stated that

Kanakadurga flyover was thedream of the people ofVijayawada since twodecades. He recalled that theflyover foundation was laid byGadkari.

“Your endeavour to devel-

op infrastructure as a meansof inclusive and all-pervasivedevelopment is unmatched,without which this could nothave been possible. On behalfof the people of Vijayawada,I express my heartiest grati-tude to you for your unrelent-ing support and coopera-

tion,” he stated in the letter.“Kanakadurga flyover is a

jewel in the crown ofVijayawada and a landmarkfor our historic city and itwould be an honour for thepeople of Vijayawada, if thisflyover is inaugurated byyou,” he appealed.

Continued from Page 1

"Fruits of the schemes andinitiatives we launched nowwill be fully available only after10-20 years. These are not elec-tion schemes but those that areaimed at a better socio-econom-ic and political transformationof the people of the state," Jagansummed up.

The Chief Minister said thatuntouchability still prevails in adifferent form by sneaking intothe field of education.

“Untouchability has come ina different form with vestedinterests opposing children ofthe weaker sections to study inEnglish medium fearing thatthey will have a level playingfield with their kin who are sentto corporate schools. While theaverage illiteracy rate is 33 per-cent, in SCs it is 36 per cent andin STs it is 51.2 per cent whichis a matter of concern.

“The fruits of the reforms inthe education sector we arenow implementing will be clear-ly visible in 10 to 20 years fromnow as the curriculum includesskill development, Englishmedium apart, and will bringout the youngsters ready toface the competitive world,”Jagan said. “In the true spirit ofthe Constitution we are provid-ing opportunities to all and areensuring social justice and ourNavaratnalu are being imple-mented to uplift the weaker sec-tions in an unprecedented man-ner, despite financial con-straints,” he said.

Listing out the welfareschemes, Jagan said that his gov-ernment has brought in AmmaVodi, YSR Cheyutha, YSR Asaraand 50 percent reservation innominated posts besides DishaAct for the economic, social andpolitical empowerment ofwomen. “Rythu Bharosa, house

sites to 30 lakh families, VahanaMitra, Pension Kanuka, zerointerest loans, Law Nestham,Nethanna Nestham, MatsyakaraBharosa, Aarogyasri, ArogyaAsara, Vasathi Devena, VidyaDevena, Chethodu, KapuNestham, Goru Mudha, KantiVelugu, Nadu Nedu in schoolsand hospitals and others havebeen drafted to erase inequalitiesprevailing in the society,” Jagansaid.

He said that the YSRCP gov-ernment has provided opportu-nities to weaker sections andwomen in temple committees,nominated posts, nominatedcontract works have shaken upthe outsourcing system by doingaway with middlemen and com-missions. “The composition ofthe State Cabinet also stands asa shining example of social jus-tice. We have brought in transpar-ent and corruption free gover-nance and introduced Reverse

Tendering, Judicial Preview andDirect Benefit Transfer systemduring the 14 months in ouroffice and have spent Rs 46,000crores towards welfare schemes.As corruption decays the systemthe reforms in the form ofReverse Tendering and JudicialPreview have benefited the StateRs 4,000 crore,” the Chief Ministersaid.

In the times of Covid-19, thepeople of the State salute thefrontline warriors — from doc-tors to nurses, technicians, san-itary workers, Asha workersand others — for their service,Jagan said.

He said that medicare hastaken a big leap now after it wasneglected. “We have madeAarogyasri vibrant by develop-ing infrastructure like morenumber of ambulance vehiclesand improving facilities andextending its scope, coveringmore number of ailments.

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The pandemic has damp-ened the spir it of theIndependence Day celebra-tions after physical distanc-ing protocols were put inplace and permissions grant-ed to only a few people's rep-resentatives and higher offi-cials.

There were no march pastor cultural programmeswhich used to enthral theaudiences resembling thefreedom struggle in thisIndependence Day celebra-tions.

The festive mood in col-leges and universities duringthe Independence Day cele-brations was also washedout with the continuous clo-sure of education institu-

tions from March 24.The Indira Gandhi

Municipal Corporation sta-dium where the AP’s officialIndependence Day celebra-tion was held on Saturdaywore a deserted look due toCovid protocol and furtherthe ground turned muddy asresult of incessant drizzle.

Earlier, children used tocome out on to the streetsand enjoyed the ID celebra-tions holding the Tricolour,wearing colourful dresses.

Sweets were distributed tochildren during the celebra-tions.

This Independence Dayrestricted people to sendinggreetings over social media.Sweet shops which used tohave roaring business wore adeserted look.


The phase-1 and 2 humanclinical trials of two of the vac-cine candidates, developedindigenously by BharatBiotech, in collaboration withthe Indian Council of MedicalResearch(ICMR), and ZydusCadila Ltd, are currentlyunderway.

The Serum Institute ofIndia has been permitted forconducting Phase 2 and 3human clinical trials of thethird vaccine candidate devel-oped by the OxfordUniversity. The Pune-basedinstitute has partnered withAstraZeneca for manufactur-ing the vaccine.

The prime minister reas-sured the nation that “we willwin" against the coronaviruspandemic and a "strong will"will lead to victory.

Modi said the focus on thehealth sector has increasedduring the coronavirus eraand the biggest lesson that hasbeen learnt is that of beingself-reliant in the health sec-tor.

He said that the country isnow producing PPE kits, N95masks, ventilators, etc. whichwere not being manufactureddomestically.

The increase in produc-tion capacity of such world-class items also echoed in hiscall “vocal for local”.

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Chittoor (959),Visakhapatnam (894) andAnantapur (851) also reportedmore cases in the last 24 hours.Chittoor also registered tenmore Covid-19 deaths. Gunturdistrict now climbed to the topspot in the state chart with anoverall toll of 284 after ninefatalities were added in a day.East and West Godavari dis-tricts reported eight new casu-alties each, Anantapur, Kadapaand Kurnool seven each, SPSNellore, Visakhapatnam andVizianagaram six each,Prakasam and Srikakulamfive each.

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Delhi has the highest recov-ery rate of 89.87 per cent fol-lowed by Tamil Nadu at 81.62per cent, Gujarat 77.53 percent, Madhya Pradesh 74.70per cent, West Bengal 73.25 percent, Rajasthan 72.84 per cent,Telangana 72.72 per cent andOdisha 71.98 per cent.

With more patients recover-ing and being discharged fromhospitals and home isolation,the total number of recoverieshave surged to 18,08,936.

"The gap between the num-ber of recovered patients andactive COVID-19 cases hasincreased and crossed 11 lakh(11,40,716 today). This is aresult of coordinated efforts ofthe Centre, state and UTswhich has led to a continuous

increase in average daily recov-eries," the ministry said.

There are 6,68,220 activeCOVID-19 cases, the actualcaseload of the country, whichis 26.45 per cent of the totalcases. They are under activemedical supervision, the healthministry said.

Focus on effective treatmentin hospitals, supervised homeisolation, use of non-invasiveoxygen support, improved ser-vices of the ambulances for fer-rying patients for prompt andtimely treatment, upgradationof clinical management skills ofdoctors treating COVID-19patients have in tandem result-ed in seamless efficient patientmanagement, it said.

"This has ensured thatIndia's Case Fatality Rate(CFR) is maintained below

the global average. It is on acontinuous positive slide andcurrently stands at 1.94 percent," the ministry said.

Graded and evolvingresponse has resulted in a test-ing strategy that steadilywidened the testing net in thecountry. To keep up with thisstrategy, the testing lab net-work is being continuouslystrengthened which now con-sists of 1,465 labs of which 968are in the government sectorand 497 private.

India's COVID-19 tallyreached 25,26,192 on Saturdaywith a spike of 65,002 cases,while the death-toll climbed to49,036 with 996 people suc-cumbing to the disease in 24hours, the health ministry dataupdated on Saturday 8 amshowed.

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The Chakalipalem causeway in PGannavaram constituency got inundated,cutting off the road network to manylanka villages. Vynateya, the Godavari’stributary, is also in spate, adding to themisery in the Konaseema area.

Downstream in West Godavari district,the river has been flowing over theKotturu causeway, disrupting road com-munication to the island villages.

The floodwater also entered the spill-way channel at the Polavaram project site,hampering the construction work.

Meanwhile, the State DisasterManagement Authority said heavy to veryheavy rainfall was likely at isolated placesin Visakhapatnam, East and WestGodavari districts in the next 48 hoursunder the influence of a well-marked low-pressure area over the northwest Bay ofBengal and associated upper level cycloniccirculation.

Light to moderate to heavy rain hasbeen forecast for many districts in the statetill August 19.

The SDMA said a fresh low-pressurearea was likely to form over north Bay ofBengal around August 19.

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However, there has beenno positive response, andboth the States insist that theycould not possibly furnishDPRs when there are no newprojects conceived at all.Following a letter byShekhawat — asking APnot to go ahead with tenderprocess for Rayalaseema LI

Scheme and Telangana notto go ahead with the projectsconceived on River Godavari— both the Chief Ministerstook a serious view of thematter. In this backdrop,convening the second ApexCouncil meeting hasassumed significance. Todiscuss the problems of themanagement boards ofRivers Krishna and

Godavari, the advisor to JalSakti Ministry Vedire Sriramis going to hold a meetingwith chairmen of the twoboards in Hyderabad onAugust 17. The meetingwould also discuss BachawatTribunal, Brajesh KumarTribunal and allocations toprojects and tries to bringconsensus on irrigation pro-jects of Telugu states.

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Young entrepreneur from theState Vangapandu VenkataNagaraju has been selected forIndian Star Award-2020.Nagaraju hails from Pamarrumandal in Krishna district andhas been selected for Star IndiaAward presented by Star Bookof Records located in Bareillyof Uttar Pradesh.

He finished his graduation inAerospace engineering andaccomplished his master’sdegree also in the same fieldfrom RWTH AachenUniversity in Germany. Hehas provided industry partner-ships in the field of industrialrobotics automation to educa-tional institutions and researchcentres.

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High Court Chief JusticeJitendra Kumar Maheswari saidthat they have been conductingvirtual court sessions that is thefirst of its kind in the countryduring the Covid pandemic. Heinformed that during the pan-demic from March 26 till date,5,241 cases have been resolved.

Earlier, he unfurled the tri-colour flag to mark the 74thIndependence Day celebrationson the court premises here onSaturday. Addressing the gath-ering, he said that August 15 isa memorable day in the histo-ry of the country as countryattained independence with thesacrifices of freedom fightersand one should salute to them.Judicial system plays a key rolein the protection of fundamen-tal rights of the people, he said.

He said that courts wereproactive in providing justice to

the poor. He said the AndhraPradesh High Court was serv-ing as an inspiration despite thedifficult situation caused byCorona and appreciated thecourt staff and lawyers for theircooperation.

He called upon the people torededicate themselves andrecalled the quotation of SwamiVivekananda “Every citizenshould be responsible for thedevelopment of the country.” Heappreciated the fair, impartialand independent approach inresolving cases.

Advocate General ShriramSubramaniam, Andhra PradeshBar Council chairman GantaRama Rao and High CourtAdvocates Association secretaryJUMV Prasad addressed thegathering. Later, the ChiefJustice felicitated employees,who rendered exceptional ser-vice in the prevention of Covid-19.

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The RINL-Vizag Steel Plantjoined the nation in celebrat-ing the 74th IndependenceDay with zeal atUkkunagaram. PK Rath,CMD, RINL, unfurled theNational Flag, took the saluteand inspected the guard ofhonour accorded by the CISFJawans at the TrishnaGrounds in the township.

Addressing the employeesand their family memberson the occasion, Rath con-veyed his greetings to all.Paying tributes to the bravesouls of the country, whoscarified their lives for free-dom, Rath stressed the needto reaffirm commitment tomake the country an envi-able nation with an evergrowing economy and a

vibrant democracy. Speakingabout the Covid 19 pandem-ic, he expressed his gratitudeto the RINL’s medical staffand sanitary workers describ-ing them as ‘Covid Warriors’.He requested the Vizag Steelfraternity not to be panicand strictly observe guidelinesas given by the governmentfrom time to time.

He said that though theworld economy is impactedby the pandemic and lock-downs for which steel indus-try is no exception, but theinitiatives taken by the Centrelike the Rs 20 lakh crorepackage and structuralreforms in coal and mineralmining sectors will definite-ly lead to a self reliant Indiathrough maximisation andoptimisation of naturalresources.

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Employees should feel thepresence of the Lord amongdevotees as part of their serviceto Lord Venkateshwara andoffer them the best possibleservices, said TTD additionalexecutive officer AV DharmaReddy. Unfurling the NationalFlag on the occasion of 74thIndependence Day celebra-tions at the Gokulam RestHouse, he appealed to TTDemployees to offer services topilgrims with devotion.

He lauded the employees ofall departments for their con-tributions in eradicating mid-dlemen in the realm of accom-modation, Srivari darshan,Prasadam facilities extended topilgrims.

He said the SVBC channelof TTD is providing spiritual

delight to devotees by livetelecasting programmes likeDhanwantari Maha Mantramand Veda Parayanam.

Almost seven crore devoteesare participating in theSundara Kanda and VirataParva parayanams being tele-cast live by SVBC from the

Nada Niranjanam platformevery day, he said.

He also lauded that all TTDofficials, particularly duringthe Covid-19 restrictions, hadworked in perfect coordinationand cooperation and servingthe devotees with utmost ded-ication

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Madhya Pradesh Chief MinisterShivraj Singh Chouhan onSaturday said the governmentwill develop Ram Van GamanPath and Ramayan Circuit in thestate to boost tourism. He wasspeaking at the state-levelIndependence Day functionafter unfurling the national flagat the Motilal Nehru Stadiumhere. "We will develop RamGaman Path, Ramayan Circuit,Amarkantak Circuit, TirthankarCircuit, Maa NarmadaParikrama, etc, so that tourism

activities can be developed in thestate. This will also generateemployment," Chouhan said.

The Ram Van Gaman Pathproject seeks to retrace the routebelieved to have been taken byLord Ram on his way to theexile. It is proposed to be con-structed from Chitrakoot toAmarkantak. "River Narmada isthe lifeline of Madhya Pradesh.Narmada Expressway will bedeveloped in the areas along thisriver. Industrial clusters willalso be developed along theroute to make the state prosper-ous," he added.

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People must do all it takes to pre-serve the basic principles onwhich this country was found-ed, West Bengal Chief MinisterMamata Banerjee said on theoccasion of 74th IndependenceDay on Saturday. TheIndependence Day celebrationswere subdued in West Bengaldue to the COVID-19 situation.

"Happy Independence Day toall my brothers and sisters. Wesalute all those who sacrificedtheir lives to make the dream ofa 'free nation' come true. Ourfreedom was hard-earned, andwe must do all it takes to preservethe basic principles on which thiscountry was founded," she saidin a Twitter post.

Banerjee unfurled the Tri-colour and inspected the guardof honour of various contingentsof the West Bengal Police at thestate function held on Red Roadin Kolkata.

Only a few ministers and

government officials were pre-sent on the occasion.

She felicitated 25 frontlineworkers who recovered fromCOVID-19 and rejoined duty.

A song composed by Banerjee-- 'Corona chole jabe ekdin,COVID joddhader mone rekho'(Coronavirus will be defeatedone day, but remember theCOVID-19 warriors) - wasplayed on the background dur-ing the felicitation.

The Transport Department's'Save Drive Save Life' tableau dis-

played the message of wearingmasks to defeat COVID-19.

Home Secretary AlapanBandyopadhyay saidIndependence Day was cele-brated in a minimalistic mannerdue to the COVID- 19 situation.

He said the state govern-ment will distribute five lakhmasks among the people start-ing from Saturday. The chiefminister had earlier urged thepeople to celebrateIndependence Day by strictlyadhering to safety measures.

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Gujarat Chief Minister VijayRupani on Saturday called fora mass awareness campaign onthe lines of the Quit IndiaMovement against the Britishin order to drive out coron-avirus from the state and thecountry.

Speaking at theIndependence Day function atSwarnim Park inGandhinagar, he said thatwhile the pandemic hadslowed down the pace ofdevelopment in the state, hisgovernment was committed tomake up for it.

"To achieve independenceand drive out the British, theentire country resonated withthe slogan of Quit India. As aresult, the British left thecountry and we got freedom.

Likewise, let's start a massawareness campaign to freethe country and Gujarat ofcoronavirus," he said.

Rupani also spoke about theinitiatives taken by his govern-ment to help people tide overthe current crisis.

"It is our strength thatdespite earthquake, flood,cyclone, Gujarat and its peo-ple have changed crises intoopportunities. Our develop-ment arc has slowed, but weare committed to make it up,"he said.

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Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwalon Saturday said that the Delhigovernment will not openschools unless it is "fully con-vinced" about the improvedCOVID-19 situation in the city.

Delivering his IndependenceDay speech at Delhi Secretariat,Kejriwal said the COVID-19 sit-uation in the national capital isunder control as compared towhat it was two months backand thanked all the stakehold-ers, including the central govern-ment, 'corona warriors' and dif-ferent organisations.

The chief minister said thesafety and the health of schoolchildren are very important tothe AAP government.

"I meet people and get mes-sages from them asking not toopen schools. I want to assure

them that we care about theirchildren as much as they do.Unless fully convinced, we arenot going to open the schools,"he said.

Kejriwal said Delhi "gave themodel" of home isolation andplasma therapy concept to thecountry in the fight against thevirus. He said that efforts arebeing made to bring Delhi'seconomy back on track.

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The Red Fort lawns thatremain filled to the brim onIndependence Day, saw manyvacant seats this year with theattendees wearing masks andmaintaining social distancing,displaying an image of the"new normal" in times of thecoronavirus pandemic.

The Independence Dayevent at the historic Red Fort,where prime minister unfurlsthe tricolour and delivers aspeech to the nation, was scaleddown this year. Around 4,000invites, a quarter of the usual,were issued to officers, diplo-mats, local leaders and others.

Still, a number of seatsacross all enclosures remainedempty. A security official saidthey expected that a few seatswould remain empty consider-ing the COVID-19 situation.

"The number of invitees was

one-fourth the normal. Still,lesser number of people turnedup. Adequate arrangementswere made to ensure physicaldistancing and masks, sanitis-ers and gloves provided to allthe attendees," he said.

A kit containing a mask, asmall bottle of hand sanitiserand a pair of gloves were kepton all chairs which were posi-tioned at a distance of 6 feet to

maintain the prescribed dis-tance. A hand towel was kepton the back rest of the chairsalong with the programmepamphlet. School children,who would attend the eventdressed in the colours of thenational flag, were missing thistime. Instead, 500 NCC cadetswere invited to the event.

Prime Minister NarendraModi, who would often ven-

ture among the schoolchildrenand shake hands with them atthe end of the event, said,"Today, our children are nothere with us. The pandemichas halted all of us." Colourfulcarpets in enclosure and aislescontrast seating and walkingareas, and posters bearingsocial distancing norms mes-sages like 'keep six ft distance','wear a mask', dot the venue.

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Chhattisgarh Chief MinisterBhupesh Baghel on Saturdayannounced to launch a specialscheme under which school stu-dents will be able to learn in theirrespective localities in view of thesuspension of classes due to thecoronavirus outbreak.

Addressing people duringIndependence Day celebration atPolice Parade ground here,Baghel said Gandhian thinkingof serving humanity andNehruvian institutions and infra-structures enabled his govern-ment to fight againstCoronavirus. After hoisting theNation Flag, Baghel receivedthe guard of honour from thejoint parade of various securityforces. "The online educationplatform 'Padhai Tunhar Duar'scheme launched by the stategovernment earlier during thelockdown yielded better resultsand around 22 lakh children aregetting its benefit," he said.

"Taking the initiative further,we are now starting the 'PadhaiTuhar Para' scheme to teach chil-

dren with the help of communi-ty in their localities and villages,"the chief minister said.

Besides, a Bluetooth-basedprogramme 'Bultu Ke Bol' will beintroduced for providing studymaterials to students in remoteareas who do not have access tointernet facility, he said.

Highlighting various mea-sures taken by his government inthe battle against COVID-19,Baghel said 37 health centres arebeing constructed while 30 hos-pitals, 3,383 beds, 517 ICU beds,479 ventilators have been provid-ed for the treatment of patients.

A total of 155 isolation centres

have been developed in the dis-tricts where about 10,000 bedsare available.

"The testing facility, which hasreached 6,500 per day, will beenhanced to 10,000 per day. Atpresent, 1,900 health and wellnesscentres are there in the state andthe target is to increase them to3,100 by the next year," he said."Gandhian thinking of servinghumanity and Nehruvian institu-tions and infrastructures enabledus to fight against Coronavirus.Following their footsteps, wesucceeded in saving the economyduring the coronavirus-inducedlockdown," he said.

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Bihar Chief Minister NitishKumar on Saturday expresseddistress over "uninformed crit-icisms" faced by his governmentand stressed on the need toapprise people of the abysmalcondition the state was in beforehe took over so that they had abetter idea of his accomplish-ments. Addressing theIndependence Day celebrationsat the historic Gandhi Maidan,for the last time before he seeksre- election for the fourth con-secutive term, Kumar spoke atlength about the strides made by

his government, besides unveil-ing populist measures like newvacancies for teachers andextending the EPF facility tothose already in service.

"It has become a fashion thesedays to tweet anything while sit-ting at home, without having anyidea of what has been achieved,"he said towards the end of hisspeech, which lasted well beyondan hour. His outbursts came inthe backdrop of a sustainedsocial media campaign, especial-ly over his government's han-dling of the COVID-19 pandem-ic and the social and economiccrises that have arisen in its wake.

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Mumbai District FootballAssociation PresidentAaditya Thackeray haspledged to help 1,000 coach-es who have been affected bythe COVID-19 pandemic.

"@AUThackeray pledgesto support coaches acrossIndia. He handed over thefirst box of supplies to AIFCDirector @DineshNair74.AIFC extends our gratitudetowards him on behalf of allthe coaches," the Associationof Indian Football Coachessaid in a tweet.

Aaditya is the son ofMaharashtra Chief MinisterUddhav Thackeray and alsoa Cabinet Minister in thestate government. He is alsoan office bearer of theWestern India FootballAssociation (WIFA), whichgoverns football activities inMaharastra. In response,Aaditya said, "Happy to mybit @DineshNair74 for ourcoaches across."

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The Maharashtra governmenthas made around 29.50 lakhfarmers in the state debt-free bydepositing Rs 18,980 crore intotheir bank accounts, ChiefMinister Uddhav Thackeray saidon Saturday. Thackeray wasspeaking after hoisting thenational flag at Mantralaya (statesecretariat) in south Mumbai onthe occasion of 74thIndependence Day.

He also said that the govern-ment will focus on farmers andworking class as it tries to trans-form Maharashtra into a welfarestate. Stating that the governmenthas started the process of unlock-ing the state "cautiously in a stag-gered manner", Thackeray alsonoted that Maharashtra hasincreased COVID-19 tests on a"big scale".

"Around 29.50 lakh farmershave been made debt-free bydepositing Rs 18,980 crore intotheir bank accounts under theMahatma Jyotirao PhuleShetkari Karjmukti Yojana," hesaid in his speech.

He said the government alsoprocured 418.8 quintal cotton,highest in the last 10 years.

The chief minister observedthat schools could not bereopened in the state due to theCOVID-19 threat, but the gov-ernment took steps to see edu-cation is being imparted to stu-dents through GoogleClassroom initiative."Maharashtra has become thefirst state to take such a step inthe country," he added.

Thackeray said that around66,300 industrial units haveresumed operations after thegovernment set in motion the

process of unlocking. He saidmore than 16 lakh workers havereturned to their workplaces.

"The government has signedMoUs worth around Rs 16,000crore with investors from 12countries and more agreementsworth Rs 8,000 crore will beinked," Thackeray said.

"The government alsolaunched 'MahaJobs' portal toensure that locals, Marathi peo-ple get employment," he added.

Thackeray said thegovernment will lay stress onproviding proper healthcarefacilities in both the urban andremote areas in the state.

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For the first time, women per-sonnel of the CRPF weredeployed for security duties onIndependence Day in Lal Chowkand adjoining areas of the sum-mer capital of Jammu andKashmir.

Dressed in the camouflagecombat uniform, the gun-totingwomen personnel of the para-military force were deployed inthe Kothibagh police stationarea, mainly comprising thecommercial hub of Lal Chowkand surrounding areas.

"We are from the 232Battalion of CRPF. We havebeen in law and order as well assecurity related duties before... Sothis is nothing new for us," awoman constable of the CRPF,deployed at Lambert Lane onResidency Road, said.

She said they do not feel anylesser than their male colleaguesas they all undergo the sametraining.

The women CRPF personnelhad arrived in the Valley as part

of security arrangements for theAmarnath yatra, which was can-celled at the last moment in thewake of the COVID-19 pan-demic.

Meanwhile, stringent securi-ty arrangements were made inand around Srinagar city forIndependence Day celebrationsin the wake of militant attack inNaugam area on Friday that lefttwo police personnel dead andanother injured.

Security forces had sealed allentry points leading towardsSher-e-Kashmir CricketStadium, officials said.

Police and other security per-sonnel were deployed on highrise buildings in many places ofthe city to keep a hawk-eye vigilon any suspicious movement,they said.

The perimeter area aroundsecurity installations across thevalley, including army camps,was sealed immediately after theNaugam attack on Friday.

The officials said all necessarysteps were taken to prevent themilitants from carrying out anyfurther attacks aimed at disrupt-ing the Independence Day cel-ebrations.

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Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju onthe occasion of the 74thIndependence Day launched theFit India Youth Club, an initia-tive to promote fitness across thecountry. The Fit India YouthClub, a part of the Fit IndiaMovement envisioned by PMNarndra, endeavours to harnessthe power of youth to create massawareness about the importanceof fitness, across the country.

The Fit India Youth Clubsbring together fitness and volun-tarism in a unique way in which75 lakh volunteers of Nehru YuvaKendra Sangathan and NationalService Scheme, along withScouts and Guides, NCC andother youth organisations willcome together to register inevery block in the country.

According to a SportsAuthority of India (SAI) mediarelease, under the aegis of a dis-trict unit, each member of theclub will motivate people fromthe community to take up fitnessactivities of 30 to 60 minutes inhis or her daily routine.

Additionally, the clubs willorganise and encourage schools

and local bodies to organise onecommunity fitness programmeevery quarter.

Speaking about the initiative,Rijiju said, "Only a fit citizen cancontribute adequately to his orher country and help fellow cit-izens in their times of need.

"India is a country of 1.3 bil-lion people, and we have 75 lakh

youth volunteers already, andthat number will go up to 1 crorevery soon." Rijiju is confident that1 crore volunteer can motivateat least 30 crore fellow citizens.

"I am sure that these 1 crorevolunteers can motivate at least30 crore Indians in every nookand corner of India to take up fit-ness activities regularly.

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The Congress on Saturday askedwhy those sitting in power arescared of naming China whichhas entered Indian territory,and said every Congress work-er and every Indian is proud ofthe armed forces.

Talking to reporters afterPrime Minister NarendraModi's address, Congress' chiefspokesperson RandeepSurjewala also said all Indiansshould ask the governmentthis Independence Day what itwas doing to protect the coun-try and push China back.

In his speech from the ram-parts of the Red Fort, theprime minister said India'ssoldiers had given a fittingreply to those who had chal-lenged the country's sover-eignty, from "LoC to LAC".Modi, who did not nameChina, added that the wholecountry is united in protectingthe sovereignty of the country.

"Each and every Congressworker and all 130 crore Indians

are proud of our armed forcesand have full faith in them. Wesalute the armed forces for giv-ing China an apt reply every timethere has been an attack. Butwhat about those who are sittingin power. Why are they scared ofmentioning China's name?"Surjewala asked.

"At a time when China hasentered Indian territory, everyIndian needs to ask the govern-ment what it is doing to pushChina back and protect thecountry. On this IndependenceDay they should ask this. Thatis the true sense of democra-

cy," the Congress leader added.He said it is important to

question the government onwhether it believes in the man-date of the people and if thereis freedom to speak freely inthe country.

"Does our governmentbelieve in democracy? Doesour government believe inpublic opinion. Do we have thefreedom to speak, think, totravel, to wear what we like, toearn our livelihood or has thatbeen curbed," Surjewala said.

The foundation of an'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' (self-

reliant India), he said, waslaid by Pandit JawaharlalNehru, Sardar VallabhbhaiPatel and our freedom fighters.

"But a government which isselling public sector undertak-ings, handing over railways andairports to private players andattacking everything from LICto FCI, will that government beable to keep the freedom of thiscountry safe. It is the duty of thegovernment and every citizen tokeep the freedom of the coun-try safe,” he added.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modion Saturday delivered a strongmessage to China and Pakistanagainst challenging India's sov-ereignty in his Independence

Day speech, emphasised onmaking the country self-reliant and announced sever-al initiatives like national dig-

ital health mission and massproduction of COVID-19 vac-cine once it is approved by sci-

entists. In his seventh consec-u t i v eaddress

from theramparts of the

Red Fort, the primeminister stressed on'Aatmanirbhar Bharat'and presented a broad

outline for spurringIndia's economic

growth, asserting that the coro-navirus pandemic cannot haltthe country's march towardsself-reliance.

Modi also underscored hisgovernment's commitment toholding assembly polls in cen-

trally-administered Jammuand Kashmir after the ongoingdelimitation exercise is overand stated that a new era ofdevelopment has begun in theunion territory after Article370 was scrapped a year ago.

Dressed in his customary'kurta pyjama' and safa, theprime minister used the occa-sion to put across a stern mes-sage to China and Pakistanwithout naming them, andasserted that India is fightingterrorism and expansionismwith determination.

"From LoC (Line ofControl) to LAC (Line of

Actual Control), anyone whocasts an eye on the sovereign-ty of the country, the armedforces have responded in thelanguage they understand,"Modi said in his 86-minutespeech at the ceremony heldobserving all COVID-19 pro-tocols amid the presence of alarge number of dignitariesincluding foreign diplomats.

His comments came in themidst of India's bitter borderrow with China along theLAC in eastern Ladakh. Thetension escalated manifoldafter 20 Indian soldiers werekilled in a violent clash in

Galwan Valley on June 15. TheChinese side also sufferedcasualties but it is yet to giveout the details

"The world saw in Ladakhwhat our brave soldiers, thecountry can do for this resolve(to maintain our sovereignty).From the Red Fort, I salute allthose brave soldiers who havestaked their lives for the moth-erland," Modi added.

On foreign policy issues,Modi said that today neigh-bours are not only those withwhom India shares its geo-graphical boundaries but alsothose with whom "our heartsmeet". He said that India wasmaking all efforts to deepenties with all countries in theextended neighbourhood.

Making a mention of theground-breaking ceremonyfor the Ram temple inAyodhya 10 days back, Modisaid the centuries-old issue hasbeen resolved peacefully.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modiand his Nepalese counterpart KP Sharma Oli held a telephonicconversation on Saturday dur-ing which the two leadersexpressed "mutual solidarity"amid efforts being made tominimise the impact of theCOVID-19 pandemic in the twocountries.

Oli called up the Indian primeminister to greet his governmentand the people of India on thecountry's 74th IndependenceDay, and also offered congratu-lations on its recent election asa non-permanent member ofthe UN Security Council, anofficial statement said.

Modi offered India's contin-ued support to Nepal in its fightagainst the pandemic andrecalled the civilisational andcultural links that the two coun-tries share, it said.

"The leaders expressed mutu-

al solidarity in the context of theefforts being made to minimisethe impact of the COVID-19pandemic in both countries.Prime minister offered India'scontinued support to Nepal inthis regard," the statement said.

Modi also thanked Oli fortelephone call.

The talk between the twoleaders comes amid a strain inties after the Himalayan nationcame up with a new politicalmap in May, claiming some ter-ritories that belong to India.

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Union Home Minister AmitShah extended his greetings tothe countrymen on the occa-sion of Independence Day onSaturday and said the dream ofthe freedom fighters of anindependent, strong and self-sufficient India has beenrealised by Prime MinisterNarendra Modi.

After unfurling the nation-al flag at his residence here,Shah said on one hand, theModi government has pro-vided the poor and deprivedsections of the society withhousing, power and healthinsurance, while on the otherhand, India has emerged as apowerful nation.

"Today we are very proud

that the independent, strongand self-sufficient India ourfreedom fighters dreamt of, hasbeen realised by PrimeMinister Narendra Modi," hesaid in a tweet.

The home minister said onthe occasion of IndependenceDay, he bows before those

who contributed to the coun-try's freedom with their valourand sacrifice. He also paidrespects to those brave menand women, who made thesupreme sacrifice for the causeof India's unity, integrity andsecurity.

"On this Independence Day,come, let us pledge to fulfilPrime Minister NarendraModi's dream of an'Atmanirbhar Bharat' and con-tribute to India achievingnewer feats by adopting asmuch 'Make in India' products.Happy Independence Day," hesaid.

On Friday, Shah wasreleased from a hospital, wherehe was undergoing treatmentfor the coronavirus. Currently,he is in home isolation.

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On this Independence Day,every Indian, especially theyouth, must resolve to be at theforefront to fight attempts byforces that try to create dissen-sions among the people, VicePresident M Venkaiah Naidusaid on Saturday.

In a Facebook post to markthe 74th Independence Day, hesaid for India to achieve newheights of development andprosperity, every citizen,including people in public life,must perform their duty.

"As we approach the 75thanniversary of Independence,it is time for an objective intro-spection. At this juncture, we

must ask ourselves what weaspire to achieve as a nation by2022," Naidu observed.

"By 2022, India must beaatmanirbhar (self-reliant) inevery sense of the word. We allmust work with renewedvigour and determination to

eradicate poverty, end socialand gender discrimination andeliminate corruption," he said.

The vice president said Indianeeds a cultural renaissanceand a refreshing flowering ofliterature and artistic expres-sion in its national languages.

"As the country moves for-ward with renewed determina-tion and the tremendous ener-gy of 130 crore people to trans-form and build a 'new India',we are confident of regainingour past glory and becomingan ideal parliamentary democ-racy," he said.

"On this Independence Day,let us also remember withgratitude the countless menand women whose sacrificesbrought us freedom. We mustalways be grateful to them fortheir selfless efforts -- thefruits of which are beingreaped by us now as citizens ofa sovereign and vibrant parlia-mentary democracy," Naidusaid.

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Hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi'sIndependence Day speech as “inspiring”,BJP leaders on Saturday said it reflectedhis resolve to build an all-inclusive andstronger self-reliant India. In hisIndependence Day speech fromthe ramparts of the Red Fort,the prime minister said thecall for an 'AatmanirbharBharat' has captured theimagination of the peopleand become a "mantra" foreveryone.

"A very spirited and inspiringspeech by PM Narendra Modi ji on the74th Independence Day from the ram-parts of the Red Fort. PM Modi ji's speechreflects his vision, mission and resolve to

build an all-inclusive and strongerAatmanirbhar Bharat," said BJP presidentJ P Nadda, who posted a series of tweets.

Echoing similar sentiments, former BJPpresident and Union Home Minister Amit

Shah termed the speech exemplary andsaid ”it clearly reflects his unwa-

vering commitment and resolvetowards a strong and self-reliant India”.

"Today, on the occasion ofIndependence Day, PrimeMinister Narendra Modi's

address reinforces the resolveof a self-reliant India. There

may be challenges in this resolu-tion, but there is the ability to solve all

the problems within this country," seniorBJP leader and Defence Minister RajnathSingh said in a tweet in Hindi.

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The condition of former pres-ident Pranab Mukherjeeremained unchanged onSaturday and he continued tobe on ventilator support, doc-tors attending on him said.They said his vital and clinicalparameters are stable and arebeing closely monitored by ateam of specialists. He wasadmitted to the Army'sResearch and Referral Hospital,he was operated upon for theremoval of a clot in the brain.He had also tested positive forCOVID-19. "The condition ofPranab Mukherjee vital andclinical parameters remain sta-ble and are being closely mon-itored by a team of specialists,"the hospital said in a statement.

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Punjab Chief MinisterAmarinder Singh on Saturdaycalled for readiness to combatthe border threat fromPakistan and China.

With tensions at the borderscontinuing, India will have tobe prepared to deal with anyeventuality, said the CMin his IndependenceDay address here.Warning of a con-tinued threatfrom neighbour-ing countries,Singh said Punjabwill always be atthe forefront offighting the enemy atthe borders.

While Pakistan continuedto resort to firing every day,China, on the other hand,talks about friendship butremains a danger to the nation,said Singh while recalling therecent attack on Indian sol-diers by the Chinese forces inLadakh.

India has always givenPakistan a befitting response,

which is the only way to dealwith them, he said, adding thatChina also needs to be han-dled with the same iron hand.

On this occasion, the CMalso recalled the contribu-tions of the millions of Indiansto the freedom struggle andsaid Punjabis had always beenat the forefront of every battle.

The Cellular Jailreferred to as 'Kala

Pani' (in Andamanand NicobarIslands) have thenames of tens ofhundreds ofPunjabis etched

in immortality, hesaid according to an

official release. Even though the

Independence Day celebra-tions this year were a low-keyaffair due to the coronaviruspandemic, this was the time toremember the sacrifices of allthose who had made freedompossible, said the CM.

It was also the time to salutethe defence forces guardingthe nation's borders from theenemy, he added.

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Reliance Jio's four-year-oldtelecom spectrum sharing dealwith RelianceCommunications (RCom) isnot connected with the latter'spast statutory dues that pertainto the period prior to 2016when Jio wasn't even in oper-ation, sources close to thecompany said.

A Supreme Court benchhad on Friday sought to knowwhy Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd(RJIL) must not pay adjustedgross revenue (AGR) dues ofReliance Communicationssince it has been using the lat-

ter's spectrum since 2016.A source, refusing to be

quoted as the matter is sub-

judice, said RJIL in April 2016entered into a pact to share apart of the spectrum held by

RCom and its unit RelianceTelecom Ltd (RTL).

The shared spectrum waslimited to the 800 MHz bandand was strictly in accordancewith the Department ofTelecom's (DoT) spectrumsharing guidelines. RCom's2G, 3G and 4G spectrum in1,800 MHz band are not beingshared.

The AGR dues of RCom andRTL are in no manner connect-ed with this shared spectrum,the source said, adding that theAGR has been paid by bothRCom/RTL and RJIL on therevenue generated from theshared spectrum.

The AGR dues related to2G/3G business of RCom/RTLwhich it was carrying out priorto 2016, the time when RJILwas not even operational, thesource said. Not just RJIL,even Airtel had bought Aircel's4G airwaves in the 2,300 MHzband and Videocon's 4G spec-trum in the 1,800 MHz bandthrough the spectrum tradingroute in 2016.

The source said the quantumof spectrum used by RJIL isaround 38 per cent of the totalspectrum currently held byRCom. RCom continues tohold spectrum in 900 MHzband, 1,800 MHz band, and

2100 MHz, which is not beingshared with RJIL.

Over 85 per cent of thevalue of the shared spectrumhas been already fully paid andrealised by the government.

Moreover, the right to use 85per cent of the shared spectrumvalue is expiring in July 2021.

Both RJIL and RCom con-tinue to discharge in full theirstatutory liabilities in respect ofrevenue from the shared spec-trum. Further, both the firmscontinue to pay additionalspectrum usage charges to thegovernment towards the spec-trum sharing arrangement,sources added.

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A panel of state finance min-isters on Friday veered arounda proposal to levy 3 per centGST on sale of old gold andjewellery to check tax evasion,Kerala Finance MinisterThomas Isaac said.

The Group of Ministers(GoM) also decided to imple-ment e-way bill for trans-portation of gold within thestates, but implementing it forinter-state movement was notconsidered feasible.

The panel also decided tomake it mandatory for goldand jewellery shops to gener-ate e-invoice for every pur-chase and sale transaction.

Bihar Deputy Chief MinisterSushil Modi said the GoMreached a consensus on lettingstates decide whether to havee-way bill for intra-state move-ment of gold.

"It was decided that if anystate wants to implement e-way bill for gold, they can doso for intra- or within the statetransportation," he told PTI.

Modi, who also holds thefinance portfolio, said whileKerala and Karnataka wanted

e-way bill for inter-state move-ment of goods, Gujarat andBihar felt it was not practicaland feasible.

The GoM, comprisingfinance ministers of Kerala,Bihar, Gujarat, Punjab,Karnataka and West Bengal,set up to examine feasibility ofimplementation of e-way billfor movement of gold andprecious stones met via videoconferencing.

Isaac said the GoM arrivedat a consensus on bringing saleof old gold within the GSTambit under reverse chargemechanism (RCM).

"It was decided that sale of

old gold will attract GST at 3per cent under RCM. Theofficers' committee will nowwork on the modalities," Isaacsaid.

Isaac said this would put acheck on tax evasion as cur-rently most of the smuggledgold is sold as old jewellery toevade GST.

Under RCM, the buyerwould be liable to collect anddeposit the GST with the gov-ernment.

Isaac further said the GoMhas decided to start e-invoic-ing for jewellery traders whichwill help track down the end-user of gold.

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President DonaldTrump on Fridaygave the Chinesecompany ByteDance90 days to divestitself of any assetsused to support thepopular TikTok appin the United States.

Trump's executiveorder said there is “credibleevidence that leads me tobelieve that ByteDance …might take action that threat-ens to impair the nationalsecurity of the United States.”

Trump last week orderedsweeping but vague bans ondealings with the Chineseowners of TikTok and themessaging app WeChat, say-ing they are a threat to USnational security, foreign pol-icy and the economy.

It remains unclear what theTikTok orders mean for theapp's 100 million US users,many of them teenagers oryoung adults who use it topost and watch short-formvideos.

Trump on Friday alsoordered ByteDance to divestitself of "any data obtained orderived" from TikTok users inthe U.S.

Microsoft is in talks to buyparts of TikTok.

White House press secre-tary Kayleigh McEnanydefended Trump's earlier

TikTok and WeChat ordersThursday, telling reporters hewas exercising his emergencyauthority under a 1977 lawenabling the president to reg-ulate international commerceto address unusual threats.

“The administration iscommitted to protecting theAmerican people from allcyber threats and these appscollect significant amounts ofprivate data on users,” saidMcEnany, adding that theChinese government canaccess and use such data.

TikTok said it spent nearlya year trying to engage in“good faith” with the US gov-ernment to address these con-cerns.

“What we encounteredinstead was that theAdministration paid no atten-tion to facts, dictated terms ofan agreement without goingthrough standard legalprocesses, and tried to insertitself into negotiationsbetween private businesses,”the company's statement said.

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Industry leaders on Saturdaysaid India's self-reliance willdetermine how high and strongthe country's flag of freedomflies, and also welcomed PrimeMinister Narendra Modi'sannouncement of NationalDigital Health Mission in hisIndependence Day speech.

In a tweet, Adani GroupChairman Gautam Adani said,

"Every IndependenceDay is a tribute tomillions of sacri-fices that earnedus the freedomto be born andraised in a freecountry full ofopportunities. Fromnow on, ourAtmanirbharta will deter-mine how high and strong theflag of freedom flies. Happy

#IndependenceDay."Welcoming the

National DigitalHealth Mission,Biocon CMDKiran MazumdarShaw said it gives

India's healthcaresector a digital back-

bone and it is vital tomake a difference to India's

healthcare sector.Deloitte India Partner and

Lifesciences and HealthcareIndustry Leader Charu Sehgalsaid the mission can be a verysignificant development inmoving India's healthcaresystem to the next level.“Most importantly, this willimprove access by providinga big boost to consultationthrough telemedicine withspecialist doctors for patientsin smaller towns and remotelocations," Sehgal stated.

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Kolkata, Aug 14 (PTI)Secondary steel makers havesought Prime MinisterNarendra Modi's interventionto resolve the issue of their rawmaterial shortages due to surg-ing exports of iron ore pellet toChina, which, they term, isagainst the idea ofAtmanirbhar Bharat or self-reliant India.

India's export of iron-ore tothe neighbouring country dur-ing the first six months of thecurrent fiscal was at 20 milliontonne, an eight-year high,while the domestic secondarysteel producers are facing adearth of raw materials and ris-ing prices of it, officials said onFriday.

The West Bengal SpongeIron Manufacturers'Association had on Thursdaywritten a letter to the primeminister to address the issue ofincreasing export of the rawmaterial for the secondarysteel products, an official of theindustry body said.

"The association woulddraw your kind attentiontowards a massive increase inexport of iron pellets with thesole purpose to get benefitfrom nil export duty," the let-

ter said. "Exporters are takingadvantage of the drawback inthe government's regulation.There is a 30 per cent exportduty on iron ore but nothingis levied for shipment of pel-lets.

"They are converting ironore fines to pellets and deliv-ering it to China," the officialsaid.

The iron ore pellet priceshave shot up after the neigh-bouring country startedimporting the product in a bigway, he claimed.

The price of iron ore pellethas increased from Rs 4,600per tonne in April to Rs 7,600per tonne in August this year,the industry sources said.

Recently, state-run NMDC

Ltd had hiked the iron-oreprice by Rs 300 per tonne.

The secondary steel makersare facing a double whammy ofsluggish demand in the wakeof the coronavirus pandemicand shortage of key raw mate-rials, the official said.

"The secondary steel indus-try is bleeding throughoutIndia. We, at West Bengal, aremost sufferers as there is noiron ore at our home state andhave import dependency forcoking coal. We are facingfalling prices of steel and ris-ing prices of iron ore due tomine closure for auction andmassive increase in export ofiron pellets," the association'spresident Shankarlal Agarwalsaid.

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Infosys on Friday said therehad been an "inadvertenttrade" by the portfolio man-agement services of BelaParikh, spouse of the compa-ny's independent directorBobby Parikh.

Following this, a penalty ofRs 2 lakh has been imposed onBobby Parikh, Infosys said ina regulatory filing.

Detailing out the inadver-tent trade by a designatedperson, Infosys said the port-folio management services ofBela Parikh had bought 2,754shares during the open trad-ing window period "withoutthe knowledge of Bobby

Parikh and without obtainingpre-clearance of trade".

Bobby Parikh is the jointholder of that account.

"Mr Parikh has confirmedthat he was not in possessionof any Unpublished PriceSensitive Information (UPSI).The Audit Committee of thecompany was notified of thismatter," it added.

Based on Bobby Parikh's

submission, the AuditCommittee has concludedthat this was an inadvertenttrade made without intent toviolate the company's insid-er trading policy or the Sebi'sProhibit ion of InsiderTrading Regulations, 2015(PIT Regulations), the filingsaid. "However, the AuditCommittee has determinedthat there was a violation ofthe company's Policy andPIT Regulations and hastherefore imposed on MrParikh, a penalty of Rs2,00,000 which amount shallbe remitted to InvestorProtection Education Fund(IPEF) in line with the PITRegulations," it said.

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Home-grown auto majorMahindra & Mahindra(M&M) on Saturday unveiledthe all new version of its icon-ic SUV Thar, which it plansto launch later this year.

The model, which comeswith all new exteriors andinteriors, will debut in thecountry on October 2.

The SUV would featureBSVI compliant petrol anddiesel powertrains mated tosix speed manual and auto-matic transmissions.

The diesel variants wouldbe powered by 2.2 litre enginewhile the petrol trims wouldcome with all new 2 litrepowertrain.

While the diesel motorwill generate 120 HP ofpower, the petrol Thar willsee an output of 150 HP ofhauling strength.

"Today, with the unveilingof the all-new Thar, werewrite history once again.The model is firmly rooted inour rich automotive heritageand upholds the MahindraDNA in its purest form,"M&M Managing DirectorPawan Goenka said.

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The country's second largestprivate sector lender ICICIBank on Saturday said it hascompleted the allotment ofequity shares under its qual-ified institutional placement(QIP) and raised approxi-mately Rs 15,000 crore tofund its business growth andmeet regulatory capitalrequirement.

Investors were allocated41.89 crore shares at an issueprice of Rs 358 per equity, thelender said in a statement.

"The issue price repre-sents a 1.9 per cent premiumto the floor price determinedbased on the pricing formu-la as prescribed underRegulation 176(1) of theSEBI ICDR Regulations anda discount of 1.5 per cent tothe closing price of the bank'sequity shares on theBSE/NSE prior to the launchof the issue," it said.

"Pursuant to the allotmentof shares, the paid-up equi-ty share capital of the bankstands increased from Rs12,952,832,416 consisting of6,476,416,208 equity sharesof face value Rs 2 each to Rs13,790,821,242 consisting of6,895,410,621 equity sharesof face value Rs 2 each," it said.

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Wall Street is drifting onFriday after a report showedthat sales for US retailersstrengthened again last month,but by less than economistsexpected.

The S&P 500 was virtuallyunchanged in afternoon trad-ing after earlier flippingbetween small gains and loss-es. The market is taking apause after nearly erasing thelast of the steep losses causedby the coronavirus pandemic.

In each of the last two days,

the index made a brief runabove its record closing high,which was set in February,only to fade in the afternoon.It's now 0.3 per cent below therecord. The Dow JonesIndustrial Average was up 41points, or 0.1 per cent, at27,937, as of 12:27 pm Easterntime, while the Nasdaq com-posite dipped 0.3 per cent.

Consumer spending is themain locomotive for the USeconomy, and Friday's reporton trends for U.S. retailersshowed some more improve-ment, though with caveats.

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As The Faceless AssessmentScheme, 2019 kicks off, theCentral Board of Direct Taxes(CBDT) has stipulated that allcommunications from thedepartment to the taxpayer,assessee, third-party will be inthe name of the National e-Assessment Center (NeAC)and no communication of anynature such as above will bemade by any of the Regional e-Assessment Centres (ReACs)across 20 cities in the country.

The Income TaxDepartment has embarked onthe journey of Faceless TaxAdministration. The FacelessAssessment Scheme, 2019 hasbeen announced by the CentralGovernment. Further, theCentral Board of Direct Taxes(CBDT) has notified theNational e-Assessment Centre(NeAC) in Delhi and variousRegional e-Assessment Centres(ReACs) across 20 cities in thecountry for implementationof the Scheme.

The CBDT has now giventhe detailed guidelines for theimplementation of the Schemeand role of residual charges inthis regard.

On the functions of thefaceless hierarchy, the guide-lines say that the NeAC/ReACshierarchy will be tasked withmanagement of FacelessAssessment proceedings andwill be broadly responsible forfunctions.

All these functions will bethrough electronic means forwhich the NeAC will be thegateway and will function as

such for all the flow of infor-mation. The officers and thestaff in the ReACs will perform

the functions relating to theassessment and verificationfunction under the Income

Tax Act, but all communica-tions from the department tothe taxpayer/assessee/third-party for the purposes of theAct will be in the name of theNeAC. No communication ofany nature such as above willbe made by any of the ReACs.

The functions of the NeAC,ReACs [Assessment Unit (AU),Verification Unit (VU), ReviewUnit (RU) and Technical Unit(TU)] have been delineated indetail separately by the NeACin consultation with the Board.

The Assessment proceed-ings u/s 143, 144, 148 read with143(2)/ 142(1) will be done bythe AU, verification related toassessment by the VU, verifi-cation related to centralizeddissemination of informationby the Directorate of Systems,by the VUs, review of draftorders by the RU, technicalsupport by the TU and passingand dispatch of the final ordersby the NeAC.

On the functions of the fieldformations outside theNeAC/ReACs hierarchy, theguidelines state that thePrincipal Chief Commissionerof Income Tax will be thecadre controlling authoritiesfor all the officers and staff intheir area of jurisdiction inrespect of all field formationsincluding ReACs, centralcharges, international tax andtransfer pricing charges, inves-tigation directorate, exemp-tion charges.

The field formations outsidethe NeAC/ReACs Hierarchywill perform the functions infaceless manner to the extentpossible.

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%"�.�� + � � "��#"�&!�� 3�1"�"��..!��1�Finance Minister Nirmala

Sitharaman has told taxofficials that the responsibil-ities of the Income TaxDepartment have increasedwith the new facelessapproach for appeals andassessments, sources said.

Sitharaman said that thedepartment is setting anexample for the world in theuse of technology for deliveryof better services to the tax-payers.

According to sources, shemet IT officials on Friday andthanked them for their tirelessefforts during the last twomonths to make the vision of

the Prime Minister a reality bybringing in the faceless assess-ment system in a short time.She told them to work withthe same zeal and dedicationto make the faceless appealsystem an equal success.

Expressing her apprecia-tion for the officers and staffof the Income TaxDepartment, she said thatnow the department has toserve the taxpayers withmuch higher standards tomeet the commitments madein the taxpayers charter withthe motto of "TransparentTaxation - Honouring TheHonest".

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Fear is a state of mind thatcan be overcome, say thetwo staffers Harendra andPappu at the Nigambodhelectric crematorium in

New Delhi. For the duo, while thelast four months have been toughgiven the risk they take every daywhen it comes to handling the bod-ies of the COVID-19 patients thatcome to the ghat but the dead needa proper send off even if the bagsin which they come wrapped incan’t be opened as per theGovernment guidelines.

“How will we do our work if weget scared and fear the virus? Westare at death all the time. Yes, theCoronavirus has put fear in theminds of the people but not inmine. I was a bit apprehensive butthen I had to move past that fast.I got rid of it by burning it with theCOVId-19 bodies. The dead com-ing to the ghat needed a propersend-off. How would that have gotthat if we shirked our work ordecided not to do it?” 55-year-oldHarendra asks who hails fromBalia, in Uttar Pradesh.

He had come to the Capital in1990 on the behest of his father-in-law with a promise of a job. Formany years he worked making cal-enders with God and Goddess. Butthe work took toll on his health anddecided to work elsewhere. This iswhen his brother-in-law told himabout working at the crematorium.

“I took this job because it wassafer. At the calender making, I wasending up inhaling fumes and itaffected my health. I have two sonsand had to think about themdecided to work elsewhere. That ishow I ended up here. I like this job.Yes, some people give us strangelooks and think that what we do isweird, but each person on earth hasbeen chosen to do certain kind ofwork. This is what I have been cho-sen to do,” Harendra says who stayswith his family in Rohini andcommutes on his bike.

He gets �16,000 as salary.“Besides this, sometimes peoplegive us �100 or �200. But some-times, there are people who are sopoor that they can’t afford a prop-er cremation for their loved one. In

that case, a few of us at the crema-torium pitch and do the needful.Just because a person is poor does-n’t mean that their dead need to bediscarded,” Harendra tells you.

For a long time, the duo con-tinued to work without PPE kits.“We protected ourselves with whatwe had — a mask. There are somedays when we end up with noPPEs. But I don’t let that scare. I amdoing God’s work and I believe thatHe will protect me. Death is theonly thing that is certain when weare born. Why should one fear it?We are born, we will all die. Thatis the truth,” Harendra says.

For thirty-nine-year-oldPappu, fear was very real. “I wasscared and didn’t want to touch theCOVID-19 bodies that came ini-tially. The scare was what if I spreadthe disease to my family. I have amother, wife and three small chil-dren. What will happen to them ifI test positive or if they test posi-

tive? But humans are resilient. Wehave learnt to live with the virusand the fear that comes with it. Ihave done the same,” Pappu sayswho is paid �12,000 as salary.

There is a silver lining thatinvolves his work, he says. Lastweek he had got to know that hisname had been nominated for anhonour for this service during thelockdown period. However, hetells you that he has not got any let-ter stating the same. “It is goodenough for me to know at least myname was nominated,” he says, whohas kept soap and an antisepticsolution at the ghat. I take a bathhere before I leave for home. OnceI reach home, I take a bath onceagain,” Pappu says.

“Yes, the work that I do is risky,but how many people are honouredfor their work by the Presidenthimself? I am lucky that I havebeen chosen for this honour,”Pappu says.

He used to drive a taxiin the Capital.However, a few yearsback, he had to take atough call when his

father who used to be the caretak-er at the Jadid Qabrastan Ahle Islamin ITO, could no longer carry outhis duties due to old age — whetherhe wanted to step into his fathersshoes. Meet Mohammad Shamim,the present caretaker who has tillnow buried over 550 people in the50-acres of the graveyard since theoutbreak of COVID-19.

His wife was not happy with hisdecision and did try to persuadehim otherwise given that they havefour school-going daughters. ButShamim was adamant. “I just feltthat this was the right thing to do.We are third generation caretakers.Mere dada karte thhe, phir merevalid aur ab main. When my fatherbecame too old to do the work him-self I had a choice. But I felt it wasmy calling. Not everyone gets theopportunity to ensure that man onhis final journey is sent with dig-nity and respect that he deserves.I like the work that I do. It bringsme peace. Every person deserves asend-off; I am just glad that I havebeen chosen to do so,” Shamimsays.

He tells you that the qabrastanwhere he works belongs to a privatecommittee and he is paid �100 foreach body that he helps bury. Butfor the COVID-19 bodies, he ispaid �1000 per day. Though theamount his not much, he says buthe gets by since there is other workthat he does at the graveyard.

While his committee doesn’tprovide PPE kits, it was muchlater that some journalists, somehospitals and even actor VidyaBalan after coming to know thatShamim was burying the deadwith no PPE kit provided him withthe necessary cover. But he tells youthat it is not easy to wear the kitfrom 9 am in the morning till lateevening.

“The doctors and staff workingin the hospital have better, theywork in an air-conditioned environ-

ment. My work entails me to be outthe whole day in the blazing sun. Itis not easy to wear the kit, the twomasks, gloves and a face shield anddig a grave when the temperaturesare touching 46° Celsius. First, it isextremely uncomfortable. Second,one can’t breath properly. It wasvery tough. But I had to get used toit,” he tells you.

When he didn’t have the kit, hehad to ensure that he kept his fam-ily safe. So he quarantined himselffrom his family in the house theylive given to them by the commit-tee. He shifted in a room that wasa few yards away. His meals wouldbe delivered to him and kept out-side the room.

“With no protection, I had toensure that my family was safe. Iwas a bit apprehensive to being withbut someone has to do this job andthat too with dignity and respect forthe dead. I did what I had to do formy family and did my work. Iensured that the grave was dug tospecification of three feet. I ensuredthat the body was lowered accord-ing to the specifications; I wouldthen place a stone on the body andthen the soil to finally cover thegrave properly. Sometimes, thereare people who don’t want to touchthe body and don’t know what todo. In that case, I do the work for

them while the maulvi reads the ,”the 38-year old says.

For the COVID-19 bodies, hetells you there is a different proto-col altogether. One can’t remove thebag in which they come in, nor canone clothe them or wash thembefore burying. “In such a scenario,we have to ensure that the other rit-uals are followed to a T,” Shamimtells you.

Though, it has been toughgoing but now that the deathshave reduced, he is thankful to Godfor his mercy. But he is unhappywith the way the administration hastreated him. “We are a privatecommittee. When I was told that Iwould be getting bodies fromGovernment hospital, I told themI needed extra benefit. But theydeclined and said it was theGovernment’s decision. The leastthey could have done was provideus with health insurance. But no,there is nothing for us. Here we arerisking our lives; we are warriorstoo. Has anyone besides a half adozen people done anything forthose who are giving the dead theirdue? No. But it will not stop mefrom doing my work. Now, I justpray to God that I never get to seewhat I have seen in the last fourmonths ever in my life again,”Shamim says.

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The world is subject to continuedchange. Every moment, energydynamics of the cosmos keeps

varying widely, and with related bearingon life cycle on earth. The callings ofevery moment, thus, keeps changing. Weare witness to continued change in thesocietal dynamics, confronting us withfresh challenges, also unfolding freshopportunities. Accordingly, we need tokeep pace with the ongoing change —intelligently combat the challenges andtry to grab opportunities arising.Otherwise, we may be left behind in therun of time. The irony, however, is thatordinarily, we remain fixated to ourdream perceptions, habits and attitudes.So, we try to resist change, carryingassumed fear of its future ramifications.

We also need to be conscious aboutchanging ourselves at individual level.For, we are born with an inherent urge toevolve, expand our vision in order tovisualise things in the right perspective.Accordingly, articulate ways and meansto work towards a better tomorrow. This,however, would not be forthcomingunless we identify and acknowledge ourindividualistic limitations — mental andemotional, habits and attitudes — and

address them through fresh educativeinputs. Also identify our indwellingpotential, hone it and then make the mostout of it.

Many a times, we remain unaware ofour inlaid potential, and so it remainsuntapped. A couple of years back a younglad came seeking guidance on his careerprospects. He was advised to take upmedia related work as his strength pointwas communicative abilities and flair forlanguage. He immediately retorted: “Sir,you have read me wrong. My languageskill is not good and I wish to go for amanagerial assignment. So, I am trying toget into a business school to acquire thenecessary skill set required.” I could makeout that his preconditioned mind is notable to digest my advice. I then suggested:“Well, it is your prerogative what profes-sion to opt for. But in any discipline, youwill need language skill to conduct well.Together with your preparations for nextentrance test for admission into a busi-ness school, why not work on your lan-guage skills also.” That got registered inhis mind. He immediately joined a mediaorganisation as an intern, with the intentto improve his language skill. Withinthree months, the young man realised

that he could write well, and soon aftergot into journalism.

A couple of years back, a gentlemanin his early forties came seeking guidanceon two issues: “Sir, my domestic atmos-phere is not good. Suggest me some pujaso that our family life improves. What ismy growth potential in the present job?”

In so far as your wish to improvedomestic atmosphere is concerned, youneed to work upon your attitude, playingspoil sport with you so far. Pujas con-ducted by pundits can’t bring about anychange. “Is it possible to change myinborn nature?” He asked. “Remember,human beings enjoy the exclusive privi-lege to guide their actions by choice anddiscrimination. Your discriminatory abili-ty helps you identify and acknowledgeinherent infirmities. Following which,you can make a conscientious choice tobring about the desired change throughfresh educative inputs.” I responded.

About your career prospect, I see achange coming around 2019-20 underunforeseen circumstances. Better be onthe lookout for alternative options avail-able so that you land up in the rightplace. Otherwise, you may have to leaveyour job in a state of desperation. Heagain countered: “I am very comfortable

in my present organisation. My seniorsappreciate my work, and I have beengrowing. Why should I think of movingaway from such a comfortable workatmosphere?” “Well, time ahead willprove. The problem with you is yourstubbornness and the wish to live on ownexclusive terms. But the world doesn’talways move to anybody’s asking.” Iresponded. No wonder, during the ongo-ing pandemic, his company becamebankrupt, and he is without job. Havingthus been proven right, he has againsought guidance.

Let us now look at the man’s astrolog-ical pointers to his personality trends.Both the luminaries the Sun and Moonare in fixed signs making him stubborn.Mars in the 4th house conjunct Moonmakes him irritable, in fact, ‘My way orhigh way’ is his attitude. Mercury placedadverse to Neptune holds the key to hisinsensible judgment. The result is there tosee. The man’s indwelling potential too isimmense. It is still not late to address hisinherent infirmities. Following which, hislife may turn into a pleasant experience.

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The whole world celebrated 2020 with a bang andeveryone had exciting plans for their personaland professional endeavour. Came March 2020,Covid-19 changed life for everyone starting witha sudden complete lockdown forcing everyone

stay at home but ensuring that they work from home anddeliver the best despite pandemic and challenges of operat-ing from home.

While every business had a “so called” BusinessContinuity or Disaster Recovery plan in place but Covid-19lockdown was the father of all. A situation never happened,never thought about in 100 years. Everyone was sitting athome trying to figure out how to maintain sanity of work-ing while at home connecting with colleagues, vendors, sup-pliers, employees, manager etc.

��In the current pandemic scenario, it means every busi-

ness process of an organisation requires immediate conver-sion to digital mode to stay in business. Say for example, ifbanking transaction were done through visiting banks, inCovid-19 situation banking transactions needs to be doneusing net-banking. Or if the business was preparing invoicesphysically and sending it by courier to clients, during covidlockdown all invoices required to be prepared using digitalsolution, digital signature and sending it through emails.Take another example, if business meetings with clients,vendors, internal team which were happening physically,come pandemic, physical meetings are no more an option,so use of digital meeting options is only way out.

�� That’s an interesting topic. Struggling with lockdown,

the CEO gives target to all business heads and CIO to digi-tise everything. That can be really disastrous. I would alsolike to caution here that digitisation has to be done in verysystematic and gradual way. It is just not possible to digitiseeverything by approving a financial budget and giving man-date to all functions. Many companies burn their fingerslosing lot of money, efforts and drive due to failed digitisa-tion attempts. One must start with non-critical processes,function and implementation also to be done only for oneor two division to start with instead of going across.Companies also make the mistake of building software in-house. Now, that’s a terrible mistake. Now-a-days there aremany good Enterprise Product SaaS companies havingproducts very much in line of specific business need whichcomes at almost at 5% of cost of building in-house. In addi-tion, Enterprise Product companies are very focussed andcome with best practices, innovative solutions, state-of-arttechnology, seamless product support and feature upgradeswhich is not possible for in building in-house or makingtailor made product. It’s important to be very careful whileselecting technology partner so one can do a referencecheck from existing client and ensure security certification(like ISO). It definitely helps in building trust.

While it is always good to subscribe to readily availableSaaS solutions in the market, however, just to test thewaters, there are free tools available for basic digital solu-tions which allow users to get a feel of the solution andwhether it would really solve the problem. Many a times, alot of businesses purchase a technology solution or buildsolutions, however, they end up not using the solution

either due to the choice of wrong partner, notbeen able to spend enough time in scoping thetechnology solution or clear intent issue whichmeans resistance to change.

��Some businesses use technology firms to

build customised solutions like InvoicingSolution, CRM Solutions, ContractManagement Solution which comes with its ownperils like you end up spending 20 times moneyand ultimately realising the product which gotbuild has taken into consideration an idealisticscenario with advance level of digitisation. Lifedoes not really move that way. It is critical that astrategic initiative group should be formed fordigitisation purposes with clear agenda,roadmap and responsibilities fixed. At times ithappens that Strategy and Innovation along withCIO decides on one technology for a businessfunction which do not take into account real lifesituation resulting in complete waste of moneyspent.

��Digitisation & Technology deployment in

business can not be done by one person. Takingall stakeholders on-board and ensuring theproduct meets expectation makes a lot of differ-ence. In any business, normally CIO, CFO,Business Head and Strategy & Innovation Headare relevant stakeholders for a high level deci-sion making process. Once the business decidesto go for technology solution, the real stakehold-ers are business users, technology team toensure that the product is in line with businessexpectation and it gets installed within theorganisation without any major change manage-ment. The whole process has to be coordinatedand require acceptance from all stakeholder.

Another important thing is digitisationshould also be done based on level of readiness.Say for example, if you plan for digitisation ofinvoicing function, it’s ideal and simple toremove print, sign and despatch steps. So youcan make invoice as per normal process, use anyof digital signing functionality using DigitalSignature (Dongle) or Aadhar Sign feature tosign and email the Invoice from your officialemail ID. This is very basic process but will helpthe organisation reduce at least five days of timeand cost of despatch and invoice printing to zeroand improve collection time.

�� Globally, digitisation and using technology

solution has been a way of life. For example,while in India many businesses still do not usetechnology for invoicing, contract management,CRM and business operations work-flow, incountries like US, UK, Europe and Australia, thelevel of digitisation has been very high. The rea-son for this is high cost labour, availability of

skilled labour, value for technology and longterm business vision. Globally, businesses go forready SaaS products for CRM, ContractManagement Software, HRM Software and ERPunless the business is fairly big and has complexprocesses, which require specialised technologysolution. Even for those companies, they firststart with basic level of technology solution andgradually move to moderate and advance levelautomation.

��

The COVID-19 pandemic has completelytransformed how businesses carry out their day-to-day tasks. Every aspect of business is gettingdigitised and digital channels have become thesole media of communication for some. Everybusiness was seemingly forced to accelerate itselfas the digital strategy was still a part of the cor-porate world that had the potential to become aprimary in the future. Businesses that werealready thriving seemed to have seamlessly con-verted their channels of communication onlineafter a point of time, yet most businesses are stillstruggling to keep up with the pace. Digitalworkplace has become the new normal.

This digital transformation in the coronialera caused businesses in almost all industries toleap over several hurdles in a short time. Itdemanded business owners familiarise them-selves with the digital world as quickly as possi-ble and forced them and their employees tolearn new skills on an alien medium. This on-going process has led to several changes in thework culture and team collaboration of busi-nesses.

��

It is important for businesses to make surethat the working of the business can continuesmoothly. So certain ready solution which areuseful for key business function and easy todeploy can work really wonders. For example,board meeting management software havingvideo-conference facility in-built, provide sever-al benefits to the company and help it to flaw-lessly communicating amongst one another.Using these services could prove useful to com-panies in these uncertain times and can alsoallow people to support other upcoming busi-nesses. Same solution can be used to conductsenior management meeting or collaborativemeeting with stakeholders from multiple busi-nesses across geographies. These solutions canbe customised according to the company’s spe-cific needs, which can further improve the effi-ciency of the business.

Similarly, concerning the issue of physicaldocuments and digital documents, digitising thepaperwork is unavoidable. Replacing physicaldocuments has been an issue for a while now,

however, this is the perfect time for companiesto shift to electronic documents. Using digitaldocuments also help reduce the spread of covidand ensure a safer working environment.

To improve efficiency in this aspect as well,companies can use solutions such as ContractLifecycle Management (CLM) as they can becustomised to fit the business and can greatlyimprove the working of the business by alertingthe business for any risks in the contract. ACLM software allows an organisation to manageall its contracts on cloud and easily communi-cate with all its stakeholders in one place. Suchsoftware are not only necessary in this coronialera, but can improve productivity and profitabil-ity of a business.

Digitisation of businesses has significantpositive outcomes for businesses. Digital busi-nesses empower employees through transparen-cy, learning opportunities, and open communi-cation. If the communication channels are wellorganised and are familiarised with the work-force, it can allow everyone involved in the com-pany to be informed about the decision with justone click.

Unlike the usage of emails as we did pre-corona, a communication channel allow infor-mation to be without any disruption. Employeescan be anywhere in terms of location but theycan collaborate and discuss using meeting toolslike Zoom, Microsoft Team or Google Meet.The concept of office is slowly fading away. Thecost elements have changed and spending ismore into digital assets like software solution forbusiness function, cloud storage, cyber security,data protection insurance cost is being replacedfor earlier cost elements such as infrastructurecosts, rental, office maintenance cost, travel costetc.

Usage of the previously mentioned servicesinvolving board meeting management can alsoensure that all members are kept up to date withthe workings of the business. Moreover, toreplace the informal interactions that took placein the workplace, workers can virtually talk inthe middle of meetings to discuss their achieve-ments and how they have been adjusting to theworld after the pandemic. Since they are not inthe physical workplace, they can also take breaksto interact with their family, which could easetheir mental stress in between meetings.

The whole concept of digitisation has to beimbibed into the DNA of the organisation andshould be embraced across. If senior manage-ment does not get accustomed to digital plat-forms and expects the whole organisation toadopt digital platforms to perform office work, itwill be highly inefficient and ineffective. If busi-nesses are successfully able to implement thesechanges and utilise this digital transformation, itcan help them improve team collaboration andsupport the work culture.

The writer is CEO & Founder, Volody

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Lord Ram is not only a religious symbol. He today epit-omises a cultural renaissance that was long overdue. TheIndian subcontinent, the Aaryavrat, has been one of the

most invaded lands in the history of the world. The resultwas a civilisation battered, a culture desecrated and a psy-che bruised. Ancient India was a prosperous society and anacclaimed seat of learning. But the many onslaughts by for-eign invaders impoverished the rich Indian land and cul-ture. The continued subjugation of the country at the handsof Mongols and Moguls and subsequently the Europeans,particularly the British ingrained a deep rooted inferioritycomplex in the Indian minds. Centuries of alien ruledestroyed the richness of the civilisation to such an extentthat most Indians considered themselves to be a second ratecitizenry born only to be ruled. There was a deliberate designin the plundering and destruction of the places of religiousworship by the alien Islamic invaders. They wanted to estab-lish the superiority of their own religion over that of theIndians and demoralise the people. The temples of India notonly possessed huge wealth, they also stood for the civilisa-tional and cultural pride. The later British conquest of India,though largely for economic and commercial purposes, fur-ther accentuated this trend, even if it was perpetrated far moresystematically and cleverly. They wanted a thoroughly demor-alised India for tightening the British strangle hold and con-tinued hegemony. All these alien rules left a lasting impacton the Indian psyche. For those who have reasons to agree,the elaborate account given by American Historian WillDurant as early as 1930 may suffice. The Case for India isan eye opener in which he describes the cruel and schem-ing British rule as a conscious and deliberate bleeding of India.Freedom from the colonial yolk did mark the birth of an inde-pendent nation but it did not heal the wounded psyche whichcontinued to carry the baggage of centuries old alien rule.Certain sections of the western press were also adding to thispsychological loading with their myopic stories. The indeli-ble mark of inferiority in their minds needed a strong cul-tural symbol to wipe this and boost the morale. After men-tal struggle of several decades post independence, the Indianpride could find a succor in Lord Ram. Restoring the nation-al pride is what leads to a cultural renaissance and Ram sym-bolises that. Ram and Ram Temple signify many things today.It is not about a Hindu God, it is a sustaining force, a meansto strengthen the Indian psyche that was awaiting a realisa-tion for a long time. However, it is important to understandthat Ram stood for universal values that are relevant not onlyto all generations but also to people across ethnic, social andeconomic backgrounds. Ram’s life was an example of ethicsin practice. Truth, compassion and love, and most impor-tantly, values driven leadership. Ram was an embodimentof Raj Dharma, a virtue that is almost non existent today. Itis important to understand what was Dharma in the eyesof Ram. Succinctly stated in Ram Charit Manas by GoswamiTulsidas, it is — par hit sarasi dharam nahi bhai. Which meansthe greatest religion is to serve others.

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Whether we admit or not, welive mainly to get pleasures.Pleasures are classified main-

ly in two ways. These are in the threemodes or beyond and whether gross orsubtle or superior. I will begin with theclassification according to the threemodes. These are: goodness passion anddarkness. Examples of pleasures underthese modes will clarify their differencesand advisability quite adequately.Beginning with the mode of goodness,these are my favourite activities? I loveto appreciate others, especially mygrandchildren; I look for any goodexcuse. Eating tasty foods and listeningto good music comes next. In these daysof forced isolation, I enjoy the rich greenthe nature has blessed us with due toreduced pollution levels. Playing sportswas my favourite activity. I found theexperience very satisfying.

The mode of passion allows ussome pleasures. Creatively is high on mylist. As I spend a lot of time alone withonly God for my company, I try to man-age my life with small innovations.Reading literature is next on my list. Inmy case, I love The Gita. Good sleepmakes me feel very good. Feeding birdsin my balcony by leaving biscuit piecesin an earthen pot makes me feel verygood. I enjoy the company of the birds.

The pleasures, which are in themode of darkness, should be keptaway from self; I will not go anywherenear them. Illicit sex destroys families;the momentary pleasure exacts a veryheavy price. Eating meats, which is verymuch in news because of the possibil-ity of some meat being the origin of theCoronavirus pandemic, should berestricted in any case if we wish to saveour forests. Growing grains in order toobtain one fifth its weight in meat makes

zero sense to me. Gambling is a plea-sure best avoided. Are we not trying tograb someone’s money? Cruelty is abehaviour not fit for human beings. Andthe last example is drinking, which ruinsfamily finances and health; covers theconscience temporarily.

Now let me turn to examples ofgross and subtle pleasures. Starting withgross ones, preaching to devotees pleas-es the Lord greatly. (The Gita 18.68-69)Doing ‘satsang’ in the company of spir-itually-minded people is highly bene-ficial. Lots of what I have learned is inthe company of my learned friend Mr.Jha. Making sacrifice like parents do allthe time; don’t they put the needs oftheir children about theirs? Similarly,‘paropakar’, which is doing good deedskeeps the world going. The last exam-ple is personal, that is selling our bookin World Book-Fairs. I have picked outfive examples of subtle pleasures. Theseare: the feeling of purity, pride in beingdutiful/useful, control over the mindand the senses, love from others andtrust of others.

Let me end the article with five

examples of beyond the modes orsuperior pleasures. At the top of the listare responses from God, which devo-tees receive. It will be almost impossi-ble to go on the ‘tapasya’ path withoutadequate encouragement from God. Heis extremely kind to me; invariably, I getdaily communication from my master.Similar is my Lord’s mercy in empow-ering me to write spiritual texts; I fre-quently get surprised by what has beenwritten after I finish. Peacefulness mustbe part of the superior pleasures,because without peace there is no bliss— the ultimate ‘sukha’ (pleasures).(2.66) The last example is of makingprogress of the spiritual kind, whichcontinues in future lives. (6.43-45)

I hope this covering of wide spec-trum of pleasures will bring clarity aboutthem, and the false nation that sensepleasures are the only ones can be givenup. Superior pleasures are available andof many kinds. Then, why seek lowerones, many of them whom bring neg-ative results?(��1�$�� !��D��!��

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Meditation allows us tothink of our past withpeace, our present withpassion, and our futurewith prayerfulness. It’s a

daily sanctuary, wherein we can makesincere efforts, to allow the mostauthentic version of our Self to unrav-el. It’s the authenticity of this Self thatmakes its strength and ingenuity effort-less. Beyond the Self, it’s not just aboutcoming home to the Cosmos, theSource, but about making the journeyinspirational for others around us,too.

��

It helps with a significant aspect ofdaily practice — that of being able toassimilate a thought, idea, and/ormemory without an emotional ‘charge’attached to it. This is easier said thandone. But, it is doable, one step at a time.Then, one day, we find that we’re ableto adopt meditative stillness as a wayof being, when the situation calls for it,quite effortlessly.

��

The experience: Samsara — TheWorld Within is a tranquil fountain-head of guided meditation practicesentwined with skills-based learning.Founder-enabler Shikha Puri’s endeav-our is to bring awareness to one’s ownjourney, that one decides to embark

upon. She says, “Stillness is a momentthat can last a few seconds, minutes oreven longer. It’s a moment of realisation,and we can call it our oneness with thepower of the Universe. It helps us realisethat there is so much more than us andthere’s so much more over us. All of this— Nature’s abundance, and its ownpowers — humbles us. That way, evenin nothingness, there is something.”

Shikha describes meditation not asthe end, but the journey, the process,leading us. She elaborates: “In amoment, even for a second, when wecan feel the oneness with the Source,meditation happens itself and there isstillness.”

The approach: Assimilating athought, experience, and/or relatedmemory, without the emotional ‘charge,’is not about forceful detachment.Rather, it entails reconciling with theemotional ‘charge.’ Here’s a brief anec-dote to explain: I drew Tarot cards fora friend recently. He called me wise forthe manner in which I interpretedthem. I said, “wisdom comes from hav-ing been a fool for a very long time.”

It’s the same with meditative still-ness! Attempting it is easier, when weaccept, and embrace, the high-octanechaos of our existence. In doing so, we’reable to segregate what we need as a life-lesson, from what we need to let go of,because it may have run its course.

The process at work: As is the casewith all authentic forms of spiritual self-work, we find self-introspection at the

heart of meditation, and meditative still-ness. The subsequent mental chatter,though potentially excruciating, helpsus familiarise ourselves with the poten-cy of the emotional ‘charge.’ And,while this ‘charge’ is going through us,it teaches us many things about who weare, who we thought we were, and whowe can be. This combination of aware-ness and remembrance that makesmeditation personal, and sacred.

The ease or difficulty in arrivingat meditative stillness: Zorian Cross(the ‘modern Merlin,’ as I call him) isa tarot reader, astrologer, numerologist,and psychic channel. He’s also a certi-fied ashtanga/vinyasa yoga instructor.

Zorian asserts that stillness isn’t forthe unethical anarchists of chaos, andhe further explains union with the Self,through the practice of Asanas andPranayama: “The body is constantlyabuzz with trillions of cells and sub-atomic particles that are beaming withlife, while the mind is bombarded byinfinite thoughts on a conscious andsubconscious level. Perhaps that’s whyto achieve stillness, Patanjali laid out theeight limbs — Ashtanga — the first twobeing Yamas and Niyamas that containfive personal ethics to follow strictly,along with five societal rules to abideby. To get the body to be seated in still-ness, a regular Asana practice is a must.Only once that’s achieved, can wepractice the art of Pranayama to still themind. Some say that it takes five timeslonger to still the mind through

Pranayama than it takes to still the bodywith Asana.”

Practice that focuses on the powerof meditative stillness: Mini Shastri,founder of Om Yoga Shala Delhi, witha teaching experience of over twodecades, is also a wellness consultantand columnist. Her teachings areshaped by her vast travel and study withMasters from Kerala, Bengaluru,Mysuru, Chennai, and U.S.A. You canstudy and teach with Mini on herretreats. The focus is on living tech-niques — with daily Yoga, Pranayam,Meditation, cleansing Kriyas, along withcurated diets.

She explains the daily strength andnourishment we can derive from sin-cere practice succinctly, and so beau-tifully. “Your mat, your sadhna, andyour tapas will be your guru always,”she always reminds, gently.

On the subject of recommendedmethods she says, “Some easy medita-tion practices like So Ham breathmantra, Tratak, Om Japa meditation,and Kaya Stairam (cultivating stillnesswith presence in the body) are a greatway to pull in a fragmented mind(vikshepa) or distractions towardsmeditative stillness.”

Mini shares that striving to attainmeditative stillness is about workingtowards and creating a correct innerenvironment, to enter internal practicesfor the mind (Antaranga Sadhna) thatare more helpful to meditation, so ourmind/body lends itself naturally tomake meditation more spontaneousand joyous.

Choosing a suitable time to prac-tice stillness in meditation: Miniadvises, “It’s best to take advantage ofthe shifting qualities of the morningsor sunsets. According to Ayurveda andour body’s clock, we need to adjust ouractions to counteract the innate qual-ities of this time. Dawn and dusk are anatural time of change — transforma-tional, with shifting energies, resultingin fruitful meditation. The quiet stabil-ity of a meditation practice may alsoserve to counteract the potentiallyanxiety-producing aspect of change, ofthis time of day.”

�� We are all spiritual seekers in our

own ways, and no doubt, we all haveour own definition of meditative still-ness that resonates with us. Whateverthis definition is, based on my person-al experience, I’d like to say: In our spe-cial space of meditative stillness, maywe all reunite with, resurrect, and rein-vigorate who we truly are. May our new‘once upon a time,’ begin now.2��$��!��!��$��

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It is possibly right that “the happiest peo-ple we find today live on Facebook”. Thepleasure-filled acts, and the smiles on

every face, had made this social media plat-form a place to take shelter when every-thing around seems to be crumbling. Trueor not, humans seek happiness and pursueit all the time. It’s a state when one fulfillsone’s expectations, and craving is satisfied.Humans have linked happiness to pleasureand all efforts are being directed towardderiving pleasure to achieve this elusivehappiness.

Unfortunately, this happiness neverlasts. Probably because “perpetual blisswould completely undermine our will toaccomplish anything at all — that’s why per-fect contentment has probably been evolvedout of us”. Maybe, we are programmed to bedissatisfied all the time, and this may betrue as even after thousands of discoursesand hundreds of books with the goal ofincreasing well-being, we aren’t happier.

Does this mean we do not have trulyhappy people or communities around us?Take the example Amish people. A commu-nity living in parts of the United States andCanada and following a traditionalChristian church which dictates all aspectsof their day-to-day living, including prohi-bitions or limitations on the use of power-line electricity, television, telephones andautomobiles, as well as regulations on cloth-ing. The Amish value rural life, manuallabour, and humility, all under the auspicesof living what they interpret to be theirGod’s word. This group, by sheer willpower, has resisted the global culture. Theymarry in their own community and contin-ue to have six to seven children. Between1992 and 2017, the Amish populationincreased by 149 percent, a figure notrecorded in any society in modern history.While the population of indigenous tribesin all continents are on a drastic decline.

Amish children are found to be “obedient,content and remarkably happy”, and the rea-son was solely the way these children werebrought up holding on to certain values. Itseems simple life cues, just like in the goodold days, seemed to work in their commu-nities. They are taught to practice forgive-ness by understanding that “making a mis-take is not the end of the world”, and to usetheir own creativity to amuse themselves toavoid boredom.

Probably withdrawing membershipfrom the modern world is one good way toopen a path toward happiness. Talks on giv-ing it all up and heading to the mountainsseem a way out. It is true modernity hassent us into a depressive state, but whyblame modernity? In fact, modernity hasalso opened countless routes to happiness. Ithas laid more choices in front of us thanever before. Though the drive to attainmaterial wealth and physical pleasureremain a predominant activity for the mass-es as a way to happiness, a growing list ofindividuals are giving up their fortune andfuture to take to alternative living, new

careers, and expressing alternative behaviorto seek happiness.

Choosing to travel in car pools, living incommunes, in remoteness, living as a virtu-al being, expressing homosexual prefer-ences, accepting a pet as family, using cryp-to-currency, and thinking of life on anotherplanet are a growing trend. Modernity pro-vides such possibilities and opportunitieswith reversibility, a point toward an alterna-tive way to happiness. In fact, individuals orcommunities can be happy and free fromtussle if they set a boundary to their desiresand guard it mindfully. Modernity is nevera stumbling block in this.

Our natural state may not be mere seek-ing of happiness. Our natural state is possi-bly “being awake, aware, and feeling ourfeelings in their fullness”. To be in this state,it requires the willingness to feel everything,at maximum intensity. This they call it “joyof living”.

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ood is invariably auniversal connec-tor — however,experiencing andsharing-in thefood of a different

land is a very personal expe-rience.

As early merchants andtravellers navigated theglobe, they not only boughtback home goods and ideas,but also recipes, spices andedible ingredients, whichthey then customized andfurther cultivated.

Interestingly, SouthAfrica’s delicious signaturedish — the Bunny Chow(also simply known as the‘bunny’), has Indian origins.The dish consists of a hol-lowed-out loaf of whitebread filled with meat orvegetable curry. This dish,though rare in India, isextremely popular with thelocals of the RainbowNation. In fact, each year inSeptember the ‘Bunny Chow

Barometer’, which attractsnumerous entrants fromacross the Durban Metroregion to compete for thetitle of top bunny maker, isheld in Durban.

Other delicacies include,traditional African foodcooked over an open fire orin a three-legged pot (orpotjie), morogo (type of wildspinach), chakalaka (a spicyrelish served alongside amain course), and the ubiq-uitous boerewors roll (a vari-ety of spicy sausage).

Vegetarians will find awide range of appetizingfood options such as vegbobotie (a national dish ofSouth Africa, which is a deli-cious mixture of curried veg-etables, spices, fruits andnuts with a creamy goldentopping, that add to its com-plex flavor), pampoenkoekie(light, fluffy and literallymelt in your mouth pump-kin fritters) and pap tart(Pap, also known as

mieliepap, is the Afrikaansword for porridge, typicallyprepared with corn-maize).

Before the coronaviruspandemic resulted in shut-ting down of borders, SouthAfrican food trails werehugely popular among visi-tors. In South Africa, a typi-cal food trail would includea few must-have experienceslike wine tasting, BunnyChow sampling, coffee tast-ing at a local roaster, walking

tours of food gardens, visitsto ethical butcheries, spiceshops and quaint chocolatefactories.

Since a significant numberof Indian travellers are vege-tarian, South Africa offers avegetarian adaption/varia-tion to nearly every localSouth African dish, whetherit is Bunny Chow or the tra-ditional braai — this res-onates well with Indian trav-ellers on food trails.

With the rise of halal consciousness, the destina-tion has also increasedefforts to make restaurantsacross the food trail halalfriendly. Wine, and winetrails in particular, have alsobecome an enormous part ofthe South African experi-ence.

We can’t wait for bordersto open, and for us to havean authentic South Africandining experience!

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Iwas born in Tadepalligudemof West Godavari district.My father, Ramanadham,was a health inspector workingwith the government of undi-vided Andhra Pradesh. Becauseof his work he had to movearound different districts, hen-ce, all the four siblings alongwith my mom, ShakuntalaDevi, shifted to Chennai forour education to live with ourgrandparents. My grandfatherused to work with the late NTRama Rao garu, so they lived inChennai. Later, my father tooshifted to Chennai and got intofilm production and my eldersister too started acting inmovies.

5-��%/��5D��%�"��-��/-��I was not passionate aboutacting in my childhood. Ialways used to feel that myelder and younger sisters werethe good looking ones and thatI wasn’t beautiful or attractive. Iwas more into education.

@��5��%&&��"�+��When I was in Class 8 or 9,filmmaker T Rajendar garu sawme while I was walking to myfriend’s place near Vani Mahal.He stopped me on the road andasked about my whereabouts,interests, and where I lived. Heasked me if I was interested inacting. I didn’t respond then.The next day when I told thisin my school, my teachers gotexcited and asked me why Ididn’t say yes. I didn’t knowhow successful a filmmaker TRajendar garu was then. After Ifinished my +1, I was surprisedto see him at my home alongwith his assistant. He told myparents it would be nice if I actin his upcoming film. My par-ents left the choice to me. That’show I ended up in films. It wasa shocker to me. I never

thought Iwould act.

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I always wanted to be a doc-tor as a child. I took up BiPC inmy 11th standard. Five daysinto the course, we were takento the lab for our practicals. Wewere asked to pin a cockroachfor dissection. I ran from thelab and landed in my principal’sroom and started crying. I toldher I couldn’t dissect the cock-roach and pleaded with her toshift my group. I ended up do-ing commerce. But as a child, Iwas very passionate aboutbecoming a doctor. God isgreat I got married to a doctor. ��(/��"�/%��(��%��'��#��

There were other reasons forme to choose acting as my full-time career. My father produ-ced a film and we lost a lot ofmoney on it. We were goingthrough a rough patch then.Funding our education toobecame difficult for my father. I

used to be the last person topay my fee in the class. Tomake some money to help myfamily, I took up acting. Since Iwas introduced by T Rajendar,forget about my acting skills, Iwas signed by other productionhouses for 10 other films beforehis movie was even released.

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In one of my Tamil films,Rajasekhar garu was one of theheroes. That’s when I first sawhim. I heard he was a doctorand that naturally carried akind of respect towards him.We shot for one day and thenext day he disappeared.

Three days later, he wasreplaced by another actor.Thalambralu happened rightafter this film. When I met himon the sets, I asked why he quitthe other film. The director andproducer of the Tamil filmasked Rajasekhar garu how hefound me. He said, she ishomely and might not suit thecharacter. So the directorreplaced him instead of me inthe film (laughs). Rajasekhargaru and I became good friendsduring the making ofThalambralu, later our friend-ship grew and we fell in love. ;��'��"�/%��

We had a lot of issues fromRajasekhar garu’s family. Hismom didn’t approve of ourmarriage. She agreed to himacting on one condition that heshouldn’t get married to anactress. He comes from a well-read family of doctors, lawyers,and engineers at home. SinceRajasekhar garu didn’t want togo against his mother, we wait-ed for quite a long time before

we tied the knot. He struggled alot to convince his mother. Heeven met some other girls as hismother wanted. During such aphase, he met with a majoraccident during the making ofMagadu. His parents were outof town then. I stayed with himin the hospital. By the time hisparents got back, the surgerywas done. Everything changedwithin this one month and hisparents started liking me. They took me to their housedirectly from the hospital and Istarted living with my in-lawseven before my marriage. Atthe same time, I lost my father.After staying with his parentsfor almost a year, we got mar-ried in 1991. My marriageremains the most emotional

moment in my life.

2-��%��&��$%/��%��Our relationship was quiteopen. It was a shocker for theentire industry back then as wewould roam together and I wouldaccompany Rajasekhar garu on allhis trips. During interviews whenpeople asked him if he wouldmarry me, he would say that hewould marry somebody his par-ents approved. That shockedeverybody. My mother was a littleapprehensive then because ofRajasekhar’s answers. I convincedmy mom that even if I don’tmarry him, we would end upremaining good friends and Ihave thought over it and taken thedecision. Now, when I thinkabout it, I feel I was quite bold. 5"��/��&��

I am a very friendly mother.I don’t believe in strict parent-ing. We should compare ourmindset with our children

when you are at their age. Rightfrom education to clothing tofood, you have to think aboutthem from their point of view.Unless they experience, theywill not learn. Of course thereare some things they shouldnot experience. One shouldbuild a friendly relationshipwith one’s children to makethem understand that somethings are wrong and are betteravoided. If you build a vacuumwhere they feel your parentsdon’t understand you, they starthiding stuff from you. I strong-ly believe we should create afriendly space where they candiscuss and share anything andeverything with us. I wouldlove to give this advice to all theparents out there.

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ˇ ˘ˇ ˘ˆ˙˝˛˚ ˜ˇ˚ ˘ ˆ ˙ˇ ˛ ! ˇ€¦ · 2 days ago · Telugu Ganga, a project steered by N. T. Rama Rao, was severely casti-gated by YSR and other Congress leaders