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Delhi
City Edition
28 pages O ₹��10.00
monday, november 19, 2018
Printed at . Chennai . Coimbatore . Bengaluru . Hyderabad . Madurai . Noida . Visakhapatnam . Thiruvananthapuram . Kochi . Vijayawada . Mangaluru . Tiruchirapalli . Kolkata . Hubballi . Mohali . Malappuram . Mumbai . Tirupati . lucknow . cuttack . patna
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Haryana CM Khattar
courts controversy
with remarks on rape
page 7
BJP banks on Raman
as campaigning ends
in Chhattisgarh
page 11
Allparty conference,
convened by Sirisena,
ends without agreement
page 12
Shastri feels no team is
weak at home, says Aussies
will be no pushovers
page 15
EDGE A 4 PAGES
DELHI METRO A 6 PAGES
Three persons, includingpreacher Sukhdev Kumar,were killed and 15 injured ina grenade attack on a religious congregation at Adliwal village near Amritsar onSunday.
The incident took place inNirankari Bhavan, said thepolice. A congregation of theNirankaris was on, withabout 200 devotees, including many women, inside.
Probe under way Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said forensicteams had been rushed tothe spot and all angles werebeing investigated.
“The possibility of involvement of ISIbacked Khalistani and Kashmiri terrorgroups cannot be ruled out.Police teams have been despatched to raid suspected hi
deouts of the assailants andmultiple teams are investigating,” Capt. AmarinderSingh said.
The attack has come at atime when the Punjab policewere on high alert followingintelligence inputs on infi��l
tration of six or seven JaisheMohammed ( JeM) terrorists from across the international border.
The Chief Minister saidtwo men, one of them with afl��owing beard, with coveredfaces, forced their way into
the hall with a pistol. Theydetained the ‘sewadar,’lobbed the grenade into theprayer room and fl��ed on amotorcycle.
(With PTI inputs)
3 killed, 15 injured in attackon religious group in Punjab Involvement of Khalistani, Kashmiri terror groups not ruled out, says CM
VIKAS VASUDEVA
CHANDIGARH
Peace breached: A police offi��cer at the entrance of Sant Nirankari Satsang Bhavan at Adliwalnear Amritsar on Sunday. * AKHILESH KUMAR
CONTINUED ON A PAGE 10
The Union government maynot invoke Section 7 of theRBI Act to issue directions tothe central bank in a bid toreduce the tension betweenNorth Block and Mint Road,sources privy to the government’s thinking told TheHindu.
“It is understood that thegovernment has decidedthat it will not issue directions to the RBI…it is felt thatthere is no need for escalating the tension,” said asource.
The central board of theRBI will meet on Monday todiscuss contentious issuesthat fi��gured at the last boardmeeting — economic capital,governance issues of thecentral bank, boost for micro, small and mediumsizedenterprises and the promptcorrective action frameworkfor banks.
The October 23 board
meeting failed to reach aconsensus on any of the issues and was adjourned after an eighthour discussion.
Wide ramifi��cationsThough the government had‘referred’ Section 7 of theRBI Act for ‘consultation’ onthese issues, it may refrainfrom issuing directions assuch a move will have wideramifi��cations. Section 7 hasnever been used in the 83year history of the bank. Invoking it would be interpreted as interference in thebank’s autonomy.
It would also have a bearing on international agencies such as the International Monetary Fund that issueratings for central banks.“These agencies have beenraising the issue of Section 7for sometime now, saying ‘ifsuch a provision exists, howcan the RBI be independent?’ However, the RBI hasbeen telling them thatthough that provision exists,it has never been used,” saidanother source.
Govt. directions to RBIunder Section 7 unlikelyEasing of PCA framework on the cards at board meeting
MANOJIT SAHA
Mumbai
In ChristianmajorityMizoram, some Hindutemples do as the churchesdo. The Central GorkhaMandir Committeemanages 13 such temples inMizoram, fi��ve of them inthe capital Aizawl. Ritualsacross these temples areuniform and minimalist,and they follow theschedule of the churchesaround. Sundays, thus, arecongregation days for thedevout, primarily forreasons of convenience onthe weekly holiday,although it’s notmandatory to attend.
“There’s no harm inbeing inspired by anotherreligion, off��ering disciplineand positive impact,” UdayKumar, president of thecommittee, told TheHindu. Near his house isOm Mandir at ThuampuiMulco Veng, a locality ofabout 120 Gorkha families.
Donating ‘prasad’Families take turns inbringing ‘prasad’ —homemade suji halwa orkheer or boondi withpieces of fruits. BharatJoshi’s family organised the‘prasad’ on November 11;this Sunday was KumarChhetri’s turn.
Nineyearold SamairaJoshi is among the 40children attending OmMandir’s Sunday school — acommunity hall below the
prayer hall. “My Mizofriends in school talk abouttheir Sunday school in thechurch. I can talk aboutmine now,” she says.
She enjoys stories fromthe Ramayana and theMahabharata that herSunday school teacher RitaGiri relates. “The focus ison being good and truthfulin all that we do every day,”Ms. Giri said. For ShubhamJaishi, 9, playing the dholakfor the Sunday sangat(gathering) is the biggerattraction. A booklet,modelled on the book ofpsalms, features bhajansand shlokas recited at thetemple. “It is handy forpeople who cannotmemorise,” Bishnu PrasadSubedi, the temple’s priest,said.
Finally, the Hindu deadare carried in coffi��ns, andwellwishers gather to singbhajans before the fi��nalrites.
“This is derived fromcommunity service at thecore of Christian values,”Mr. Chhetri said.
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Temples are inspired bychurches in Mizoram
RAHUL KARMAKAR
AIZAWL
Temple panel hails inter-mingling of customs
Devotees at the Om Mandirin the Thuampui MulcoVeng locality of Aizawl.
The NDA government, led byPrime Minister NarendraModi, accounts for a whopping 58% of all the disinvestment that has taken placesince 1991, an analysis by TheHindu of data released bythe Department of Investment and Public Asset Management showed.
The data showed that disinvestment worth ₹��3.63 lakhcrore had taken place since1991, out of which about ₹��2.1lakh crore came in the lastfour years alone, with fi��vemonths still left in this fi��nancial year. The disinvestmentdone by the current govern
ment so far is already almosttwice that done by the UPAgovernment over both itsterms in power.
In the number of dealstoo, the current NDA administration seems ahead with75, compared with 33 inUPAII. Further, the government has set a target of₹��80,000 crore of disinvestments for this fi��nancial year,of which it has so farachieved only ₹��15,247.11crore. If it does manage tomeet its target, the presentgovernment’s share in totaldisinvestment since 1991 willgo up to nearly 65%.
Modi govt. divested twice as much as UPA₹��2.1 lakh crore stake sale done in the last four years alone, data show
TCA Sharad Raghavan
NEW DELHI
CONTINUED ON A PAGE 10
A day before the crucialboard meeting of theReserve Bank of India,Congress leader and formerUnion Finance Minister P.Chidambaram alleged onSunday that the governmentwas “determined to
capture” the central bank togain control over itsreserves. In a series oftweets, he said that Mondaywould be a day of reckoningfor the central bank’sindependence and India’seconomy. A PAGE 10
Chidambaram targets govt.
The enhanced capabilitiessought by India in the Rafalefi��ghter jets will be incorporated after all the 36 aircraft aredelivered, according to sources in the Defence Ministry.
There are 13 IndiaSpecifi��cEnhancement (ISE) capabilities sought by the Indian AirForce (IAF), which will be incorporated in batches afterApril 2022, an offi��cial sourcesaid.
“After the 36th jet is delivered, the fi��rst 35 aircraftwould be modifi��ed in India byDassault Aviation at the rateof seven aircraft per month,so that all the 36 aircraftwould be of the same capability by September 2022,” the
offi��cial source, with knowledge of the matter, said.
67month waitThe fi��rst Rafale jet for Indiamade its maiden fl��ight on October 30 in France and is designated RB 008. It will, however, be the last to bedelivered to the IAF in April2022, 67 months after thesigning of the InterGovernmental Agreement (IGA).
“This aircraft would beused to test and certify theISE which can only be employed after certifi��cation,”the offi��cial stated.
Indiaspecifi��c Rafale addonsafter delivery of all 36 fi��ghters
13 enhancementsto be done locallyin batches of 7
Dinakar Peri
NEW DELHI
CONTINUED ON A PAGE 10
After the 36th jet comes, thefi��rst 35 aircraft will be modifi��ed by Dassault Aviation.
HOLDS THE ACES A PAGE 13
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CONTINUED ON A PAGE 10
CMYK
2 former CCRT offi��cialsheld in scholarship scamNEW DELHI
A former director and a
former deputy director of the
Centre for Cultural Resources
and Training were arrested
for their alleged involvement
in a scholarship scam worth
over ₹��50 lakh, the police said
on Sunday. The police have
already arrested 11 people for
their alleged involvement in
the scam.
DELHI METRO A PAGE 1
DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
NEARBY
While real time monitoringof air quality has becomeindispensable for timely intervention to check pollution levels, most Indian cities do not have more thanone continuous monitoringsystem. Experts feel a singleContinuous Ambient AirQuality Monitoring Systemcannot represent an accurate picture of air pollutionfor the entire city. And this,according to them, becomes a problem whenemergency measures needto be taken. The Hindufi��nds out the situation onthe ground in three cities.
One air qualitysensor for anentire city?
DETAILS ON A PAGE 2
SEE ALSO A DELHI METRO PAGE 1
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NOIDA/DELHI THE HINDU
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NORTH
On November 8, two daysafter Diwali, the particulate matter (PM2.5)reading in Agra had shot
up to 375, or ‘very poor’ in the AirQuality Index (AQI). This was asper a measurement by the city’slone automatic monitoring station. However, on the same day,the PM2.5 concentration, according to a manuallyoperated stationat the Taj Mahal, was 273 or ‘poor’air quality.
While Agra doesn't have a Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)like Delhi does, a 102point disparity is highly problematic. It couldmean the diff��erence between, say,opting for just a ban on construction activity or banning privatetransport altogether.
Given the way India’s air quality monitoring infrastructure is setup, most cities have only a singleair monitoring device that provides continuous realtime updates on particulate matter, sulphur dioxide, and NO2concentrations. This is the Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System (CAAQMS), alsoknown as an automatic monitoring station.
At any given moment, it is thisautomatic unit that represents (itsfi��gures are instantly available onthe Central Pollution ControlBoard [CPCB] website) the city airquality. Agra, incidentally, fi��guresin the World Health Organisation(WHO) database of the world’smost polluted cities.
Agra has a total of eight airquality monitoring stations. Ofthese, seven are manually operated and located in diff��erent parts ofthe city. Their readings are takentwice a week. With the manualmonitoring stations, daily readings are not made available. Onlyreadings averaged over a monthare released, that too with timelag of a couple of months. So ifthere is, say, a sharp dip in airquality in a span of 2448 hours, ashappened this year in Delhiaround Diwali, then these stations, given the way they are operated at present, cannot providereal time actionable data. Andthis, according to offi��cials, becomes a problem when emergency measures need to be taken.
The automatic monitoring station in Agra is situated in the busycommercial district of SanjayPlace, atop the city’s municipalcorporation building. The two
storey building sits a few kilometres away from an intersectionof highways and therefore, said anoffi��cial in the CPCB, the unit picksup high volumes of particulatematter from passing trucks andvehicles. “By no means can a single station capture the varying levels of pollution in entire the city.However, we’ve chosen this location because it somewhat refl��ectsthe average,” said the offi��cial, whodidn’t want to be identifi��ed. Agra’sindustrial hub Ramgarh has, onaverage, higher PM readings whereas the Taj Mahal, given its location away from the bustle of the city, tends to have better ambientair.
“We do plan to have a second
automatic station soon to get amore representative picture ofAgra’s ambient air quality,” headded.
The problem is the cost. A continuous monitoring system costsabout ₹��1.5 crore, whereas a manual system comes for half of that.The CAAQMS at Agra is jointlyfunded by the State and theCentre and the maintenance andupkeep is the State’s responsibility. “Ideally, we would all like tohave CAAQMS,” said Atulesh Yadav, Regional Offi��cer, Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board.“However, we need a properspread to get a truly representative picture.” The State and Central Pollution Control Boards are
independent of each other, withthe State units vested with greaterresponsibilities in terms of bothmeasuring and controlling pollution levels.
In the 17 States and Union Territories where the CPCB has its network of CAAQMS stations, just 9out of 131 cities have more thanone unit, with only Delhi havingan outsized 37 stations.
High cost a deterrentNot far from Delhi, the industrialtown of Bhiwadi in Rajasthanmade the headlines earlier thismonth when it notched up theworst air quality in the country onDiwali eve. Falling as it does in theNational Capital Region (NCR),
around 20% of its industrial unitswere forced to remain shut fornine days in November this year.
Bhiwadi has around 1,200 industrial units spanning a range ofsectors, including auto parts, ceramics, chemicals, drugs, glass,iron and steel, packaging, andbathroom fi��ttings. Thanks to thethriving industry and the town'sproximity to Delhi, the real estatesector has enjoyed a tremendousgrowth in the region in recenttimes, causing a rapid rise in itspopulation.
The growth in industry, population and traffi��c has increased airpollution levels in the town. Butits infrastructure to measure themis far from inadequate. The town
municipal solid waste, which addsto the pollution caused by industry and vehicular traffi��c. The Punjab Pollution Control Board(PPCB) recently installed aCAAQMS at its administrative offi��ce premises.
The station is located a gooddistance from the city's nervecentre, which sees a heavy rush ofvehicular traffi��c. The PPCB, however, points out that as per CPCBguidelines, the CAAQMS shouldbe set up at a site where there isno local air polluting source in thevicinity.
Costs of the CAAQMS apart, theunit, to work effi��ciently, requirescontinuous power and connectivity to the Internet.
In several cities, these aren’t always available. Even in Delhi, forinstance, not every CAAQMS unitwould be generating data at a given point in time.
Increasing the number of automatic monitoring stations is highon the Centre’s agenda. The National Clean Air Programme, aninitiative to put in place a processsimilar to Delhi’s GRAP, envisionssetting up 1,000 manual airqualitymonitoring stations (a 45% increase from the present number)and 268 automatic stations (threetimes the current 84). It also, forthe fi��rst time, plans to set up pollutionmonitoring stations in ruralareas.
extends across 8,000 acres but ithas only one CAAQMS, located atAjanta Chowk in RIICO IndustrialArea PhaseIII, and three manualstations to validate its readings.
Neha Agarwal, the Scientifi��c Offi��cercumLaboratroy Incharge atRajasthan State Pollution ControlBoard, Bhiwadi, said that ideallyat least three CAAQMS were required for the commercial, industrial and the residential areas respectively, for a better estimate ofthe town’s air quality.
One more monitoring station isin the pipeline, Ms. Agarwal said,but added that the price and thehigh cost of maintenance and operation (around ₹��14 lakh per annum) remained a deterrent. Sheadded that there were only 10CAAQMS in entire Rajasthan.
Continuous Internet neededAnother singleunit city is Patialain Punjab, which ranked 13th inWHO’s list of the world’s most polluted cities, released earlier thisyear. It has only one automatic airmonitoring station to record theair pollution round the clock. Experts and local offi��cials both agreethat a single CAAQMS cannot represent an accurate picture of airpollution for the entire city, whichis the fourth largest in Punjab.
Patiala’s air quality has beenworsening over the years due tothe burning of crop residue and
One air quality sensorfor an entire city? While real time monitoring of air quality has become indispensable for timely intervention tocheck pollution levels, most Indian cities do not have more than one continuous monitoringsystem. Jacob Koshy in Agra, Vikas Vasudeva in Patiala and Ashok Kumar in Bhiwadi reporton how urban centres are making do with far fewer air quality sensors than what they need
A clear view of the Taj Mahal after the rain this past week and (right) the CAAQMS installed atthe Agra Municipal Corporation headquarters. * SANDEEP SAXENA
CMYK
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THE HINDU NOIDA/DELHI
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DELHI Timings
Monday, Nov. 19
RISE 06:47 SET 17:26
RISE 15:12 SET 02:39
Tuesday, Nov. 20
RISE 06:47 SET 17:26
RISE 15:46 SET 03:35
Wednesday, Nov. 21
RISE 06:48 SET 17:26
RISE 16:23 SET 04:32
Fourteen persons werekilled and as many injuredon Sunday when the bus inwhich they were travellingfell into a 150metredeepgorge in Uttarkashi district,an offi��cial said.
The private bus was on itsway to Vikas Nagar from Jankichatti, near the Himalayanshrine of Yamunotri, whenit fell into the gorge nearDamta, District MagistrateAshish Chauhan said.
Twelve people died onthe spot and two succumbed at a hospital, hesaid.
A search and rescue operation by the police with thehelp of locals is under way,Mr. Chauhan said, addingthat some bodies could bestuck in the bushes.
Six seriously injured people were fl��own in a chopperto AIIMS, Rishikesh, and Jolly Grant Hospital in Dehradun for treatment, Mr.Chauhan said.
Eight others were alsobrought to Dehradun, headded.
Landed near Yamuna The bus, after plunging intothe gorge, landed a fewmetres away from the Yamuna river, he said. The number of fatalities could havebeen higher had the bus fallen into the river, he said.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawatexpressed grief at the loss oflives in the accident andasked the district administration to make all arrangements for the treatment ofthe injured.
14 killed as bus falls into
gorge in Uttarakhand Search, rescue operation under way
Press Trust of India
Uttarkashi
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) hashinted at continuation ofthe fi��rstever interState tiger translocation project inOdisha’s Satkosia Tiger Reserve despite huge setbacks.
A twomember team,comprising an expert eachfrom NTCA and Wildlife Institute of India, was assigned to study if protocolswere followed after thedeath of a tiger. The teamcompleted its probe andmet top wildlife offi��cialshere.
There was uncertaintyover the fate of the reintroduction programme in theSatkosia reserve after thetiger, translocated fromKanha Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh marking thefi��rst such interState transfer, was found dead on Wednesday last.
The postmortem reportindicated that the death wasdue to infected antemortem maggotinfested woundfollowed by multiple organfailure.
Initially, the project hadrun into trouble after the tigress, Sundari, broughtfrom Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in M.P., was recaptured following couple of incidents of mauling.
Odisha had planned tobring three pairs of tigerfrom Madhya Pradesh to increase their population inSatkosia. One pair of big catshad reached Satkosia as part
of the ambitiousprogramme.
“We are not rushing intotaking a decision with regards to continuation or discontinuation of the project.First the tigress was recaptured and then came thedeath of a tiger. The NTCAauthorities, Odisha government offi��cials and experts ofWildlife Institute of Indiaare now discussing the overall situation,” said NTCA director General Amit Mallik.
‘Conditions satisfactory’“We have spent two days inSTR and also visited diff��erent villages. The prey baseis excellent. The forest coverage is very satisfactory.We are analysing the presence of people, habitat andalso the failure. We maycontinue the project,” saidMr. Mallik.
WII expert and anothermember, K. Ramesh, said:“The tiger had initiallyadapted to the situation andsettled in the forest. It wasnot in confl��ict and its areawas established. Everythingwas right. Its presence wasnoticed both in the core andthe extended area.”
Tiger translocationmay continue: NTCA Odisha planned to get 6 tigers from M.P.
Staff Reporter
BHUBANESWAR
Tigress Sundari * SPECIAL
ARRANGEMENT
The National InvestigationAgency (NIA) is likely to takeover investigation into thekilling of senior BJP leaderAnil Parihar and his brotherAjeet Parihar by suspectedmilitants in Kishtwar district of Jammu & Kashmirearlier this month, offi��cialssaid on Sunday.
A team of NIA experts visited Kishtwar town, 230km from here, last week toassist the State police in theongoing probe. It latersought permission from theMinistry of Home Aff��airs fortaking over the case for athorough investigation, theoffi��cials said.
The Parihar brotherswere shot at pointblankrange outside their houseon November 1 when theywere returning home afterclosing their shop in thetown.
The offi��cials said theHome Ministry was likely togive its nod to the NIA fortaking over the probe fromthe Special InvestigationTeam set up by thegovernment.
The SIT has arrestedsome people, including thesister of a local militant whoalong with his Kashmiri associate is believed to havecarried out the target killingin an attempt to revive militancy in the district bordering south Kashmir — thehotbed of militancy in theState.
BJP general secretaryRam Madhav visited the bereaved family last week andsaid, “Right now our mainchallenge is to track downthe terrorists (behind thekillings) and neutralisethem. That will be done very soon.”
“That (neutralising of terrorists) is the importantthing here. Of course, wewill not allow these kinds of
activities to create instability and violence in Kishtwaror Doda, the peaceful areasof Jammu region. That isour priority and we are focusing on that,” Mr. Madhavhad said.
On November 5, Jammu& Kashmir Governor SatyaPal Malik had said the accused in the killing of Parihar brothers have beenidentifi��ed and will soon bebrought to book.
“It has been proved thatit was an incident of militancy,” he had said, adding thatit “was an act of frustrationon the part of militants andPakistan”.
The State governmenthad constituted an SIT toprobe the killings and directed it to submit its reportas early as possible.
The SIT has detainedsome persons in connectionwith the killings after questioning over 30 people, including the personal security offi��cers of the BJP leader.
The police investigationhas so far revealed that thekillings were carried out bya twomember squad of theHizbul Mujahideen outfi��t.
NIA may take over J&K
BJP leader’s murder case Parihar brothers were shot outside their house on Nov. 1
Press Trust of India
Jammu
Anil Parihar * FILE PHOTO
Gold worth ₹��3 cr. seized;smuggled from MyanmarKOLKATA
The Directorate of Revenue
Intelligence seized gold
worth ₹��3 crore which was
smuggled into India from
Myanmar, an official
statement said on Sunday.
Acting on inputs, the DRI
intercepted a man from a
train at New Jalpaiguri railway
station and seized 56 gold
biscuits, weighing 9.2 kg,
from him. He was
transporting them from
Assam’s Guwahati to West
Bengal’s Kolkata, it said. PTI
CMYK
A ND-NDE
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THE HINDU NOIDA/DELHI
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SOUTH
TRS chief ChandrasekharRao begins 2-day ‘yagam’SIDDIPET
Ahead of the December poll,
Telangana Rashtra Samithi
president and caretaker Chief
Minister K. Chandrasekhar
Rao started a 2day
‘Rajashyamala Yagam’ at
Erravalli on Sunday. Visakha
Sharada Peethadhipati Sri
Swami Swaroopananda
Saraswati is conducting the
ritual with 75 ritviks.
IN BRIEF
The Bharatiya Janata Partyon Sunday blocked nationalhighways and main thoroughfares across Kerala fornearly two hours in themorning to protest the arrestof its State general secretaryK. Surendran at Nilackal onSaturday.
The disruption came barely hours after a dawntoduskgeneral strike called by theparty on Saturday to objectto the arrest of Hindu AikyaVedi leader K.P. Sasikala atSabarimala on Friday night.
The protest caused gridlocks, delayed travellers andforced motorists to take detours to reach their destinations.
BJP workers poured intothe roads at 10.30 a.m, waving fl��ags and chanting Ayyap
pa prayers. They staged sitinprotests on highways in Palakkad, Kozhikode, Kochi,Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram.
In Thiruvananthapuram,scores of BJP workers stageda black fl��ag protest againstDevaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran at St.Mary’s Girls High Schoolwhere the Minister had gone
to inaugurate a developmentseminar organised by theThiruvananthapuram cityCorporation.
The police removed theprotesters and thwarted aconfrontation between BJPand CPI(M) activists whowere present in strength atthe venue.
The BJP’s continuing protests have made the CPI(M)
see red. CPI(M) State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnantold journalists that the BJP’sactions were akin to thoseunleashed by revanchistforces against the fi��rst elected communist governmentin Kerala in 1959.
Remanded in custody A magistrate in Pathanamthitta district on Sunday re
manded Mr. Surendran injudicial custody for 14 days.
The police had on Saturday stopped Mr. Surendranand his four associates at Nilackal, the fi��nal checkpointon the 26km forested routeto Sabarimala.
The police did not buy Mr.Surendran’s argument thathe had arrived as a pilgrimand not as a protester.
BJP blocks highways over arrest Stages black fl��agprotest againstMinister
Special Correspondent
Thiruvananthapuram
Pilgrimage hit: Protests have aff��ected the fl��ow of pilgrims toSabarimala, which witnesses heavy rush on Sundays. * H.VIBHU
Recording for posterity: Visitors posing for photographs in front of sunfl��owers during the fi��nal day of Krishi Mela at theUniversity of Agricultural Science Campus in Bengaluru on Sunday. * G.P. SAMPATH KUMAR
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Flower power
The police on Sundayarrested three BJP workerswho allegedly assaultedCPI(M) district secretary P.Mohanan’s son JuliusNikithas and daughterinlaw Saniyo Manomi nearKuttiyadi on Saturday.
The accused ErathSudheesh, 35,
Karimbacheri Sreeju, 30,and K.P. Ashwin, 21, wereremanded in judicialcustody for 14 days.
On Saturday night, Mr.Nikithas and his wife SaniyoManomi, a visual mediajournalist, weremanhandled when theywere going to a hospital,ignoring the hartal calledby the Hindu Aikya Vedi.
Attack on couple: 3BJP workers heldStaff Reporter
Kozhikode
The Kerala Health Department and the Food Safetywing are joining hands toenforce dietary guidelines,involving the reduction oftrans fatty acids (TFAs),salt and sugar in commercially available foods in theState.
The initiative, with technical support from theWorld Bank, WHO and theFood Safety and StandardsAuthority of India (FSSAI),is being launched as unhealthy diet is pushing upmetabolic syndrome andpremature deaths due tononcommunicable diseases (NCDs) among Keralites.
Latest estimates (Harikrishnan. S et al.,PLOS One,March 2018) put the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) in Kerala between 2433%, indicatingthat one in three or fourpersons in the State — predominantly women — havethis condition.
Metabolic abnormalitiesMetabolic Syndrome (MS)is a cluster of metabolic abnormalities — increasedblood pressure, high bloodsugar, abdominal obesity,abnormal cholesterol ortriglyceride levels — thatoccur together, increasingone’s risk of heart disease,stroke and diabetes.
“A striking factor in Kerala is the high level of hypertriglyceridemia [elevated triglycerides in blood],at 45%, indicative of a dietary pattern high in fatsand carbohydrates,” saidP.S. Indu, Head of Community Medicine, Thiruvananthapuram GovernmentMedical College.
WHO recommends thattrans fat intake be limitedto less than 1% of total energy intake and has called forthe total elimination ofTFAs in global food supplyby 2023.
Kerala plansto enforce cutin trans fattyacids in food
C. Maya
Thiruvananthapuram
The sighting of a rare birdspecies in the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary has sparkedmuch interest among ornithologists, since its presencewas noticed on the easternside of the Western Ghats forthe fi��rst time.
The Sri Lankan Frogmouth, Batrachostomus mo-niliger, which was sighted atthe sanctuary is usually confi��ned to its habitation in thewestern side of the WesternGhats forests. It is a relativeof Nightjar, a crepuscularand nocturnal bird breedingin Europe and temperateAsia. Its preferred habitat isa dry and open area withsome small trees or bushes.
A few ornithologists, whowere on a trekking trip, accidentally noticed the bird’spresence in the forest. Initially, they thought it wasNightjar, but a closer scruti
ny confi��rmed it to be the SriLankan Frogmouth, said Assistant Wildlife Warden P.M.Prabhu.
The fi��rst one was noticedby ornithologist and Thattekkad resident Vimal. The second sighting was near theChinnar river.
The Sri Lankan Frog
mouth, like the Nightjar, eatsinsects and mainly seeksprey during night time.
One egg a yearThe main feature is that itlays only one egg a year afterthe mating season in AprilMay. The nest is made usingmoss or leaves of soft plants
and the bark of the trees.The male bird destroys thenest and fl��ies away with thenew born bird.
Last seen in 1976Ornithologists say that thebird has a unique habitat inSri Lanka and is also believed to be present in theThattekad bird sanctuary. Itis also found in Karnataka,Goa, and Maharashtra.
It was believed that thespecies had gone extinct inthe State after its presencewas not noticed for a longperiod. Ornithologist Sugathan had found it at Thattekad in 1976. The ChinnarWildlife Sanctuary is on aproject to study its habitatand make a favourable environment for it. The Sri Lankan Frogmouth usually restson small tree branches during daytime. Because of itssilent presence, it is hardlynoticed.
Rare bird sighted in Kerala’s Chinnar sanctuary
Sri Lankan Frogmouth is usually found on the western side of the Ghats
The Sri Lankan Frogmouth was recently sighted at the ChinnarWildlife Sanctuary.
Giji K. Raman
IDUKKI
As dawn breaks, Parambikulam Tiger Reserve, one of India’s protected forest areas,turns a garden with dreamfl��owers fl��oating all over. Thesight repeats as dusk falls in.Wafer thin canvases bearinga splash of colours fl��utter allaround, fi��lling the reservewith a splendour that matches the aura of a forest full ofbutterfl��ies.
A recent survey held inthe reserve spotted 221 varieties of butterfl��ies, 11 ofwhich were endemic to thearea. With such a richspread, the reserve could also hit the spotlight as a haven of butterfl��ies.
The survey, initiated jointly by Department of Forestand Wildlife, ParambikulamTiger Conservation Foundation, and WayanadbasedFerns Naturalists Society,was held between Novem
ber 9 and 12. Sixty expertsand 50 forest protectionstaff�� participated in it.
Butterfl��y expert V.K.Chandrasekharan says themajor species spotted include Small Palm Bob, Silverstreak Blue, OrangetailAwl, and Reddisc Bushbrown. Among them,Orangetail Awl gets activeonly during early morningand late in the evening.
The survey was held indiff��erent topographies andforest areas, including evergreen forests, dry deciduous
forests, moist deciduous forests, shrubs and meadows,which lie in areas such as Aanapanthi, Parambikulam,Kuriarkuttya and Nelliyampathy. Seventeen separatecamps were arranged inthese areas to ensure comprehensive surveying.
“One of the biggest surprises of the survey is thespotting of Reddisc Bushbrown, a highaltitude species endemic to WesternGhats. We found them in anarea of Nelliyampathy region at an altitude of 1,320m.It would be diffi��cult to spotthem in any part furthernorth of Western Ghats,”said Mr. Chandrasekharan.
The survey team also recorded migration patterns ofthe rare species — Dark BlueTiger and Common Crow.Budha Peacock or BudhaMayoori, which was recentlydeclared as State butterfl��y ofKerala.
A forest fi��lled with butterfl��iesSurvey spots 221 varieties in Parambikulam Tiger Reserve
K.A. Shaji
Palakkad
A Reddisc bush brownbutterfl��y in Parambikulam.
* K.K. MUSTAFAH
A Tirupatibound SpiceJetfl��ight developed a midairsnag on Sunday morningand had to be fl��own back tothe Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) at Hyderabad within half an hourof takeoff�� from the same airport.
SpiceJet ATR FlightSG1097 took off�� at 8.30 a.m.as per schedule. However,the aircraft was turned back,and made an emergencylanding at the RGIA, reportedly following a technicalglitch in the engine around 9a.m.
It had on board 70oddpassengers, including Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) R. P. Tha
kur, who was going toTirupati to receive Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi.
The CJI, along with his family members, arrived at Tirupati by an Air India fl��ightand off��ered prayers at thetemple to Lord Venkateswara in Tirumala.
Confi��rming this to TheHindu, Mr. Thakur said,“Yes, I was on board and theaircraft developed somesnag and was fl��own back toHyderabad. I was on an offi��cial trip to call on the ChiefJustice of India.”
Another fl��ight Postlanding, all the passengers were accommodated onanother fl��ight, which reportedly took off�� at 11.45 a.m.
and landed at the Tirupatiairport at 1.14 p.m.
Several passengers tookto Twitter to report the inconvenience caused tothem.
Varun tweeted: “Worstairline services by @fl��yspicejet..fl��ight from Hyderabad toTirupati delayed by 2 hrs 5min (as per staff�� at gate) noproper formal announcement by the staff�� regardingthe delay... still waiting forthe departureannouncement.”
Responding to his complaint, the airline said: “Sorry for the trouble! We alwaystry our best to maintain thedeparture time as per theschedule. However, at times,due to unavoidable reasons,we face delay.”
Flight develops snag; fl��own back to Hyderabad Andhra Pradesh DGP was among the 70odd passengers
Staff Reporter
Hyderabad
Team Abu Dhabi’s ShaunTorrente put up a great performance to emerge winnerin the UIM F1H2O GrandPrix of India held in Amaravati, the emerging capital ofAndhra Pradesh, on Sunday.
Mr. Torrente, who maintained a lead from the wordgo, clinched his seventh careervictory and moved tothe top of the championshipstandings in the powerboatracing event.
The second place went tothe Emirates Racing’s MaritStromoy, the only womanracer and ‘Darling of the
day’ with Erik Stark, also ofTeam Abu Dhabi, making ita onethree for Abu Dhabi.
CTIC F1Shenxhen China’sPhilippe Chiappe crashedheavily on the start lap atthe very fi��rst turn, endinghis title hopes while defend
ing champion Alex Carella’sbid ended almost before itbegan, retiring on the samelap due to technical issues.
Local racer opts outLocal favourite Jonas Andersson, the Team Amaravati driver, had to opt out after maintaining the fourthposition in 33 of the 44laprace due to a technical glitchin his powerboat.
Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, who felicitatedthe winners, said:“TheF1H2O World Championships at Amaravati will bebigger and even better nextyear.”
The championship will be bigger next year, says CM Naidu
P. Sujatha Varma
VIJAYAWADA
N. Chandrababu Naidufelicitating the winners.
* CH.VIJAYA BHASKAR
Team Abu Dhabi wins powerboatgrand prix at Amaravati
Karnataka Rajya RaithaSangha (KRRS) leaders intensifi��ed their ongoing protest against sugar mills overpayment of arrears by driving sugarcaneladen trucksinto the Suvarna Soudha legislature premises here onSunday.
This resulted in tense moments and culminated in thearrest of around 30 farmers.
The farmers demandedthat Chief Minister H.D.Kumaraswamy hold a meeting of stakeholders in Belagavi instead of Bengaluru.
They claimed that the ChiefMinister had promised tohold a meeting with themand factory owners in Belagavi itself.
Farmers alleged that
some factory owners hadbrought pressure on theChief Minister to shift the venue to Bengaluru. After attempts to pacify the farmersfailed, police arrested them.
Farmers drive caneladentrucks into Suvarna Soudha 30 arrested as agitation against sugar mills intensifi��es
Special Correspondent
Belagavi
Unique protest: Farmers drove sugarcaneladen lorries intothe Suvarna Soudha in Belagavi on Sunday. * THE HINDU
VicePresident M. VenkaiahNaidu on Sunday stressedthe need for participation ofthe private sector in reinventing the higher educational fi��eld of the country.
Speaking at an event hereto mark the launch of KreaUniversity, the VicePresident urged the universitiesto become hubs for innovation and excellence.
“The demand for skilledmanpower in India is predicted to be 700 million by2022. Disruptive new technologies like artifi��cial intelligence, robotics and machine learning will certainlyalter business prototypes.Firms will have two choices,either to develop an astutetechnology orientation orperish,” said Mr. Naidu, emphasising the need to improve quality of private educational institutions inIndia.
Strong facilitatorKrea University is a privateinstitution located in Sri Cityin Andhra Pradesh with administrative offi��ce in Chennai. Mr. Naidu said the government should play therole of a strong facilitator inensuring higher education
and the others should stepin to help. He said Krea University was focussed onacademic excellence and itsinitiatives would refl��ect thegrowing privatepublic partnership in the fi��eld of highereducation.
Foreign studentsThe VicePresident said thatwith a better educationalsector, India expected to receive more foreign studentsfor enrolment.
Foreign students wouldprovide a link among nations in the future and withschemes like ‘Study in India’, such links could bedeveloped.
“We are witnessingtechnological advancements unfold at a breakneckpace. Machine intelligenceis getting better by the day.Genetic engineering now allows us to experiment withthe basic building blocks ofour biology. At the sametime, rapid economic development has taken a toll onour environment... Amidstsuch fl��ux, institutions likeKrea University mustemerge as fountainheads ofinnovation, laying the pathway to a secure and prosperous future for humanity,”Mr. Naidu said.
‘Varsities should behubs for innovation’ Venkaiah launches Krea University
Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI
For creativity: VicePresident M. Venkaiah Naidu withgoverning council members N. Vaghul, left, and R. Seshasayeeat the launch of Krea University in New Delhi on Sunday. * PTI
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCar collides with seer’sescort vehicle; 2 deadBENGALURU
An elderly couple —
Ramakrishnaiah, 85, and his
wife Sarvalochana, 80 — was
killed when their car collided
with a police highway patrol
vehicle that was escorting
Vishwesha Thirtha, the seer
of Pejawar Mutt, on Sunday.
Four others were injured in
the accident on Karappana
Halli Gate in Hoskote. The
seer escaped unhurt.
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NOIDA/DELHI THE HINDU
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 20186EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
NATION
‘W.B. govt. committed toreducing road accidents’ KOLKATA
The West Bengal government
is committed to curbing
traffic offences and its
initiatives have significantly
reduced road accidents in the
State, Chief Minister Mamata
Banerjee asserted on Sunday.
On the occasion of ‘World Day
of Remembrance for Road
Traffic Victims’, she said her
campaign — ‘Safe Drive, Save
Life’ — has earned the praise
of the Supreme Court. PTI
IN BRIEF
Liquor worth ₹��15 lakhseized in BiharMUZAFFARPUR
The Bihar police seized Indian
made foreign liquor worth
₹��15 lakh during a raid on
Saturday in Muzaffarpur
district. Acting on a tipoff
that liquor bottles were
unloaded at a place near
Kolhua under Ahiyapur police
station, a police team raided
the spot and seized 34
cartons of IMFL and a
motorcycle, the police said
SHO Manoj Kumar. PTI
Harassed by loan sharks,woman ends life in U.P.MUZAFFARNAGAR
A 45yearold woman
allegedly jumped in front of a
moving train and died here on
Saturday. According to the
police, she was being
harassed by loan sharks. Two
persons — Anil Tiwari and
Ram Kishan — barged into her
house and beat up the woman
and her sons for failing to
repay a debt. Ram Kishan has
been arrested in connection
with the incident. PTI
Two killed in bustruckcollision in RajasthanKota
Two persons were killed when
a bus collided with a truck in
Bundi district of Rajasthan, the
police said. The drivers of both
the vehicles — Rakesh Saini
(34) and Hemraj Bairwa (42) —
died on the spot after the
collision on the Kota—Lalsot
highway on Saturday. PTI
Weather WatchRainfall, temperature & air quality in select metros yesterday
Temperature Data: IMD, Pollution Data: CPCB, Map: INSAT/IMD (Taken at 18.00 Hrs)
Forecast for Monday: Heavy to very heavy rain likely at isolatedplaces over coastal Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, south Rayalaseemaand coastal Andhra Pradesh; squally winds of speeds 4060kmph are likely to prevail over southeast and southwest Bay ofBengal and adjoining Equatorial India Ocean
city rain max min city rain max min
Agartala................. —.... 29.4.... 17.7 Kozhikode ............... —.... 32.8.... 25.0
Ahmedabad............ —.... 34.9.... 14.2 Kurnool ................... —.... 34.0.... 24.8
Aizwal ................... —.... 27.0.... 13.1 Lucknow.................. —.... 27.6.... 10.7
Allahabad .............. —.... 31.6.... 13.3 Madurai................... —.... 32.3.... 23.2
Bengaluru .............. —.... 29.5.... 20.6 Mangaluru............... —.... 35.3.... 22.8
Bhopal................... —.... 31.3.... 14.0 Mumbai................... —.... 33.2.... 20.2
Bhubaneswar ......... —.... 34.2.... 18.2 Mysuru.................... —.... 30.6.... 17.2
Chandigarh ............ —.... 27.5...... 8.7 New Delhi ............... —.... 29.0.... 11.0
Chennai ................. —.... 32.1.... 25.1 Patna ...................... —.... 29.1.... 14.0
Coimbatore............ —.... 30.9.... 23.4 Port Blair ...............34.... 28.2.... 23.7
Dehradun............... —.... 25.2...... 9.8 Puducherry.............. —.... 31.7.... 23.0
Gangtok................. —.... 11.8...... 9.6 Pune ....................... —.... 34.3.... 15.9
Goa ....................... —.... 33.8.... 24.4 Raipur ..................... —.... 33.0.... 18.7
Guwahati ............... —.... 26.9.... 15.9 Ranchi..................... —.... 28.4.... 12.7
Hubballi................. —.... 31.0.... 22.0 Shillong................... —.... 17.5...... 6.2
Hyderabad ............. —.... 32.6.... 22.2 Shimla..................... —.... 18.0...... 8.3
Imphal.................0.2.... 25.0.... 13.0 Srinagar .................. —.... 14.0...... 1.6
Jaipur .................... —.... 30.8.... 14.1 Trivandrum ............. —.... 31.8.... 23.5
Kochi..................... —.... 31.2.... 24.2 Tiruchi .................... —.... 32.7.... 25.0
Kohima.................. —.... 18.6...... 8.4 Vijayawada .............. —.... 32.6.... 25.3
Kolkata.................. —.... 30.9.... 21.0 Visakhapatnam ......... —.... 33.1.... 26.2
(Rainfall data in mm; temperature in Celsius)
Pollutants in the air you are breathing Yesterday
CITIES SO2 NO2 CO PM2.5 PM10 CODE
In observation made at4.00 p.m., Kanpur, UttarPradesh recorded anoverall air quality index(AQI) score of 373indicating an unhealthylevel of pollution. Incontrast, Panchkula,Haryana recorded ahealthy AQI score of 42
Ahmedabad ...... .76 .88 .36 . 232 .....— ....*
Bengaluru......... ...8 .28 .82 .....— .139 ....*
Chennai ............ .10 .30 .47 ... 84 .....— ....*
Delhi ................ .36 .25 .92 . 396 .382 ....*
Hyderabad ........ ...6 .67 .19 ... 21 ...55 ....*
Kolkata............. .19 .93 .51 . 348 .274 ....*
Lucknow........... .22 .99 .66 . 381 .....— ....*
Mumbai ............ .25 .58 103 . 128 .145 ....*
Pune................. 108 .31 .66 . 138 .108 ....*
Vishakhapatnam .11 .34 .28 ... 69 ...94 ....*
Air Quality Code: * Poor * Moderate * Good (Readings indicate average AQI)
SO2: Sulphur Dioxide. Short-term exposure can harm the respiratory system,
making breathing difficult. It can affect visibility by reacting with other air
particles to form haze and stain culturally important objects such as statues
and monuments.
NO2: Nitrogen Dioxide. Aggravates respiratory illness, causes haze to form by
reacting with other air particles, causes acid rain, pollutes coastal waters.
CO: Carbon monoxide. High concentration in air reduces oxygen supply to
critical organs like the heart and brain. At very high levels, it can cause
dizziness, confusion, unconsciousness and even death.
PM2.5 & PM10: Particulate matter pollution can cause irritation of the eyes,
nose and throat, coughing, chest tightness and shortness of breath, reduced
lung function, irregular heartbeat, asthma attacks, heart attacks and
premature death in people with heart or lung disease
About 4.5 lakh of the40,07,707 people excludedfrom the draft National Register of Citizens in Assamhave reapplied for inclusionin the list.
Simultaneously, the authorities have received 175 applications challenging the inclusion of names ofsuspected foreigners in theNRC meant for bona fi��de residents of the State.
The complete draft of theSupreme CourtmonitoredNRC was published on July30. It included the names of2.9 crore of the total 3.29crore applicants.
Claims, objections round The claims and objectionsround of the exercise beganon September 25 and is scheduled to end on December15. Offi��cials associated withthe exercise, seeking anonymity, said the pace of sub
mitting applications for inclusion is expected to pickup before the window of opportunity closes. “A monthago, only 1.02 lakh peoplehad submitted their claimsform with relevant documents,” an offi��cial said.
One of the reasons for thelow turnout of applications isbelieved to be the delay bythe government in setting astandard operating proce
dure for the disposal ofclaims and objections. Theapex court, too, had takentime to allow fi��ve documentsthat State NRC coordinatorPrateek Hajela sought to bescrapped from the initial listof 15 documents to be submitted by the applicants.
These fi��ve documents, allowed on November 1, arethe 1951 NRC, electoral rollsup to March 24, 1971, citizen
ship certifi��cate, refugee registration certifi��cate, and ration card. March 24, 1971 isthe cutoff�� date for detectingand deporting illegal migrants, as per the Assam Accord of 1985.
Decision on GorkhasThe Assam government hasdecided to stop markingmembers of the Gorkhacommunity as suspected fo
reigners and referring themto Foreigners Tribunals. Thegovernment will also movethe Gauhati High Court forrelief to members of thecommunity whose cases arepending with the tribunals,offi��cials said.
The move follows a circular the Assam governmentreceived from the Ministry ofHome Aff��airs saying thatGorkhas who are citizens ofIndia or who have Nepalesedocuments cannot be referred to Foreigners Tribunals to prove theircitizenship.
According to All AssamGorkha Students’ Union president Prem Tamang, morethan 20,000 Gorkhas havebeen wrongfully marked asDvoters despite having alldocuments.
“Some 1,50,000 Gorkhashave also been left out of thedraft NRC because of variousreasons, including the Dvoter tag,” he said.
4.5 lakh reapply for inclusion in NRC Pace likely to pick up before deadline ends next month; 175 applications challenging inclusion received
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
GUWAHATI
Over 40 lakh people have been excluded from Assam’s National Register of Citizens. * FILE PHOTO
The Bihar police on Sundayconcluded their twoday operation to attach propertiesof former State MinisterManju Verma, who is evading arrest in an Arms Actcase fi��led by the CBI whileprobing the Muzaff��arpurshelter home scandal.
The exercise to attach Ms.Verma’s property in Arjuntola village on Sunday wasled by SubDivisional PoliceOffi��cer Suryadeo Kumar.The police attached 16 articles on Sunday, while 109 articles were seized on Saturday, the SDPO said.
The police have handed
over a list of the seized articles to Ms. Verma’s brotherinlaw Hemant Verma. “Theoperation to attach the property of Manju Verma in theArjuntola area ended onSunday,” the SDPO said. Allarticles inside the housewere seized under Sections
82 and 83 of the CrPC.
Links with ThakurMs. Verma had steppeddown as the Minister for Social Welfare in August, following reports that her husband, ChandrashekharVerma, had close links withBrajesh Thakur, the primeaccused in the Muzaff��arpurshelter home rape case. Over 30 girls were allegedlyraped at the shelter home.
A few days later, the CBIraided Ms. Verma’s Patna residence and her inlaws’home in Arjuntola villagefrom where a cache of ammunition was seized. A casewas registered against her.
125 articles seized from Manju Verma’s house in Arjuntola
Press Trust of India
Begusarai
Manju Verma
Operation to attach Bihar ex-Minister’s properties ends
The health condition of RJDpresident Lalu Prasad, whois serving jail term in fodderscam cases, has deteriorated due to a festering boil onhis right leg, the doctor attending to him said onSunday.
Mr. Prasad is currentlylodged in a paying ward ofthe Rajendra Institute ofMedical Sciences here.
The sugar level and bloodpressure of the RJD chief,who is a diabetic, have shotup in the past two to threedays due to the boil, Dr.Umesh Prasad of RIMS said.
The former Bihar ChiefMinister’s dose of insulin
has been increased to bringdown the sudden increasein the sugar level, he added.
Long healing process“It will take some time forthe infectious boil to heal,”the doctor added.
When asked if the RJDchief needs to be shifted toany other hospital, Dr.Umesh Prasad said propercare of the patient was being taken at RIMS.
Convicted in the ₹��900crore fodder scam, the RJDchief surrendered before aspecial CBI court in late August, following the Jharkhand High Court’s refusal toextend his bail on medicalgrounds.
Lalu Prasad’s healthcondition worsensBoil on right leg cause for concern
Press Trust of India
Ranchi
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THE HINDU NOIDA/DELHI
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2018 7EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
CMYK
NATION
The Congress in Assamstruck a man accused of rhino poaching off�� its list ofpanchayat poll candidateshours after his nomination,on Saturday made wildlifeactivists see red.
But the regional AsomGana Parishad, a ruling allyof the Bharatiya Janata Partyin the State, chose to persistwith one of its candidatesfacing similar charges bytaking the “innocent untilproven guilty” stance.
The rural poll will be heldin two phases on December5 and 9.
Wildlife activists opposedthe AGP nominating GaneshDoley for the post of president, Dhansirimukh GaonPanchayat in Golaghat district, followed by the Congress giving a ticket to Dilowar Hussain for theSowaguri Gaon Panchayatpresident post in Biswanathdistrict.
Sawed off�� hornsMr. Doley was one of thetwo men arrested in October 2012 for killing elephantsand rhinos in Kaziranga National Park. The police had
seized fi��rearms, includingtwo rifl��es, from them andsaid they were part of a gangthat had sawed off�� the hornsof live rhinos. While he wasacquitted in the case thatwas closed in 2017, he is under trial in two more cases.
The AGP defended fi��elding Mr. Doley. “His crimehas not been proved. Unlessthe court says he is guilty,how can we say he is an animal hunter?” said Manoj Saikia, the party’sspokesperson.
The Congress was initially guarded in the case of Mr.Hussain. “We came to knowthat he is involved in a 2011case of rhino poaching [inBagori Range of KazirangaNational Park]. Legally, aperson can be fi��elded even ifthere are ongoing casesagainst him. But we havewithdrawn his candidatureto ensure the party’s cleanimage,” Ripun Bora, StateCongress president, said.
‘Rhino poacher’ off��Cong. candidate list AGP defends another accused
RAHUL KARMAKAR
GUWAHATI <> We have
withdrawn his
candidature to
ensure the party’s
clean image
Ripun Bora
State Cong. president
Maharashtra is faced withthe question of how to rehabilitate the two yearoldcubs of Avni, the allegedmaneating tigress of Pandharkwada, who was killedon November 2.
The cubs, which werespotted on Thursday at Vihirgaon in Yavatmal, plausibly have no takers, with theForest Department and wildlife experts stating that theonly option is to keep themin captivity.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests A.K. Misrasaid, “Avni’s cubs can beeither be sent to a safari, putin a cage, given to a sanctuary or a national park — theentire Maharashtra is open
for them.” Dr. Misra saidcatching a tiger is a matter ofopportunity and a game ofwait and watch.
“Once they are captured,a committee of experts consisting of members fromnongovernmental organisations, government offi��cers,scientists, local representatives and veterinary doctorswill deliberate on their physical condition, their size,their development. Accordingly, a decision will be taken. Nothing can be predicted at this stage.”
Quick resolution The Standard Operating Procedure for active management of rehabilitation of tigers from source areas at thelandscape level prescribed
by the National Tiger Conservation Authority reads,“With the increase in tigernumbers in India, there willbe several areas where dispersing tigers will movethrough human dominated
landscapes and at times result in humantiger confl��ict.Conservation in such areaswill now be dependent onquick, timely and appropriate mitigation of theseconfl��ict situations.”
Milind Pariwakam, wildlife biologist said, “Conventional biology of a tiger cubmakes us believe that theyseparate from their motherwhen they are about twoyears of age. But there is al
ways a variance. Some maystay for two and a half years,while others may leavewhen they are just one and ahalf years of age.”
Long processExplaining the process of acub weaning off�� its mother,Mr. Pariwakam said that acub when it’s about twoyears would wander awayfrom its mother for a day,but then it will come back.Later, it might go for three tofour days, and then a week.“It’s a gradual process that acub weans off�� its mother,”said Mr. Pariwakam.
Dharmendra Khandal, aconservation biologist withTiger Watch, said reducinginterference in the area iskey to locate them.
“Forest offi��cials can reduce pressure in the area.They can reduce humanpressure, even of staff��, police offi��cials, camera checking teams. Reduce all theseinterference, and once theylocate the cubs, they canstart feeding them at a particular place, and it wouldbe easy to catch them,” saidDr. Khandal.
Dr. Jerry Banait, a conservationist and petitioner tosave Avni, said, “The cubsare less than a year and alsoare believed to be on semisolid food. Therefore, chemical immobilisation, which istranquillisation, will be diffi��cult as they are dehydratedand starved. So priority hasto be given to physicalrestraint.”
Experts divided on rehabilitation of tigress Avni’s cubsToo young to fend for themselves, the yearold siblings will have to be captured and studied before a decision on their relocation is taken
Making a stand: A fi��le photo of people protesting against the killing of tigress Avni, at Dadar inMumbai recently. * ARUNANGSU ROY CHOWDHURY
Sonam Saigal
Mumbai
The husband of a sittingBharatiya Janata Party (BJP)MLA in Uttar Pradesh wason Sunday arrested for allegedly assaulting a Dalit tehsildar in his chamber in Bahraich district.
Dilip Kumar Verma, whois himself a former legislator, faces charges of assaultand criminal intimidation.Relevant sections of the SC/ST Prevention of AtrocitiesAct have also been invoked,a police spokesperson said.
Mr. Verma is the husbandof Madhuri Verma, who isthe MLA from the NanparaAssembly seat in Bahraich,along the IndoNepalborder.
Mr. Verma allegedly assaulted the tehsildar, Madhusudan Arya, in his chamber in the presence ofpolicemen. A video of theincident was also widelyshared on social media.
He is also accused ofmanhandling and misbehaving with a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP)
level offi��cer. Mr. Verma’ssupporters were alsobooked in the case fi��led onMr. Arya’s complaint.
‘Threat to life’In his defence, Mr. Vermasaid the allegations againsthim were false. “Hang me ifI am guilty,” Mr. Verma said,alleging that he faces a“threat to his life” fromChief Minister YogiAdityanath.
The accused is a formerMLA, winning from theMahsi seat in Bahraich on aSamajwadi Party ticket in1993 and 1996 and then a bypoll in 2003.
Tehsildar assault: BJPMLA’s spouse arrestedRelevant sections of SC/ST Act invoked
Special Correspondent
LUCKNOW
* GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO
A day after Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattarset off�� a controversy by saying that in 8090% of rapeand harassment cases the accused and the victim knoweach other, the Oppositionparties on Sunday hit out atthe BJP, saying the “antiwomen” mindset of the BJP andits Chief Minister had beenexposed.
Asking Mr. Khattar toapologise for his remark, Senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewla said in atweet, “Misogyny is thebuzzword for BJP. BJP lead
ers and Haryana CM Khattarji’s ‘Talibani thought process’ exposed again by hisdisparaging remarks. Are80% rape cases false? If boysgirls meet, does it lead torapes as Khattarji says? Apologise to India’s daughters.”
“Antiwomen mindset ofKhattar govt. exposed!...Blaming women for com
plete failure to control rapesand gangrapes? Deplorable!”he said in another tweet.
Kejriwal tweetsDelhi Chief Minister and AAPnational convener ArvindKejriwal questioned the security of women in Haryana.“There is anger among women on Mr. Khattar’s state
ment. Women say that whena Chief Minister can makesuch comments againstthem, how can women besafe in his State,” Mr. Kejriwal tweeted.
Mr. Khattar, however, denied that he ever made a remark that “rapes happendue to consent.”
“I never said ‘consent’,
what I said was ‘betweenknown’ people. And this isnot something that I am saying, this has come out of investigations. This should bedealt with at the social level,and no politics should bedone,” he said on Sunday,talking to reporters.
At a function in Kalka onSaturday, Mr. Khattar hadsaid “...the incidents of rapehave not increased, rapestook place in the past andeven today as well, the concern has now risen. The biggest concern is that in theseincidents of rape and eveteasing, 80% to 90% takeplace among those whoknow each other..for a longtime they roam around together, one day there’s an argument and an FIR is lodgedthat he has raped me.”
Khattar draws fl��ak for ‘rape’ remarkBJP’s antiwomenmindset exposed,say AAP, Cong.
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
CHANDIGARH
Manohar Lal Khattar
The Delhi Commission forWomen (DCW) said thestatement by Mr. Khattarwas unpardonable. “It isreally unfortunate thatpeople with such mentalityare governing our States. Nowonder women in Haryana
are in very bad state todayand crimes against womenare increasing day by day,” itsaid in a statement.
The DCW appealed to thePrime Minister to remove“such a person who doesn’tbelieve in freedom of choiceand unable to ensure safetyof women.”
Unpardonable: DCWStaff Reporter
NEW DELHI
Facing a massive public outcry, Odisha Chief MinisterNaveen Patnaik on Sundaydirected an immediate haltto felling of trees to makeway for a brewery in Dhenkanal district. The Chief Minister also ordered a probeby the Revenue DivisionalCommissioner.
On Saturday, clashesbroke out after the districtadministration, aided byarmed police force personnel, cut down around 500
sal trees in Jhinkargadi forest, which has been protected by the villagers of Balarampur since 1972. Thepolice also forcibly removedwomen who clung on to thetrees to protect them from
being felled. Lathiwieldingpersonnel chased away thevillagers from the forest.
The villagers on Sundayresolved to continue theirmovement till the government dropped the plan to ac
quire the forestland for the₹��102 crore brewery projectto be established by P&A Bottles. “The forest has been acritical source of our livelihood and other needs. Wewill not let anybody takeaway the precious trees,”said Sushanta Kumar Dhala,secretary, Balarampur Gramya Parichalana Parishad.
Social activist and GreenNobel winner Prafulla Samantra, who visited the areaon Sunday, said the government should reassess itspriorities.
“The government mustclarify its position if it wantsalcoholism to grow in ruralOdisha or let villagers live inpeace with nature,” he said.
Naveen orders probe into treefelling500 sal trees werecut to make wayfor a brewery
Staff Reporter
BHUBANESWAR
Taking stock: Activists discussing the issue with villagers inthe Balarampur forest on Sunday. * SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Varavara Rao sent topolice custody till Nov. 26PUNE
A special court here on
Sunday remanded firebrand
poet and literary critic P.
Varavara Rao to police
custody till November 26 for
his alleged links with the
outlawed Communist Party
of India (Maoist). The 78
yearold Mr. Rao was taken
into custody by a team of the
Pune police from his
residence in Hyderabad late
on Saturday after the
Hyderabad High Court on
November 15 had refused to
extend his house arrest.
IN BRIEF
Jawan killed in IED blastin Chhattisgarh; 2 injured RAIPUR
A jawan of the District
Reserve Guard (DRG) was
killed and two others were
injured in an improvised
explosive device (IED) blast
triggered by Naxals in
Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district
on Sunday, the police said.
Assistant constable Karram
Dara, who was seriously
injured in the explosion
succumbed to his injuries
while being airlifted to
Raipur, an official said. The
other jawans are said to be
out of danger. PTI
Jet Airways had to cancel afew domestic fl��ights fromhere on Sunday owing toshortage of pilots.
“Guests of the aff��ectedfl��ights were duly informedabout their fl��ight status viaSMS alerts. In accordance
with regulatory policy,guests have been reaccommodated and or compensated,” a Jet Airways spokesperson said.
The airline did not mention the number of fl��ights affected. However, it was confi��rmed that there was nostrike by the pilots.
Special Correspondent
MUMBAI
Pilot shortage groundssome Jet fl��ights
Cow vigilantes stab man in Gujarat AHMEDABAD
Unidentified men who
claimed to be cow protectors
intercepted a truck carrying
buffalo calves and stabbed
one person in the Ramol area
here late on Saturday night,
the police said. Zahir Qureshi,
the victim, was admitted to
the civil hospital here. The
truck, driven by Mustafa
Sipai, was transporting 30
buffalo calves to Bharuch
when four to five persons
stopped it, saying they were
‘gau rakshaks’, Mr. Qureshi
said in his police complaint.PTI
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NOIDA/DELHI THE HINDU
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 20188EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
CMYK
A ND-NDE
EDITORIAL
Deepak Krishnan
The Composite Water Management Index (CWMI) bythe NITI Aayog, which was
released this June, shows that 600million people face high to extreme water stress in India. The report, which was published in association with the Ministry of WaterResources, Ministry of DrinkingWater and Sanitation and the Ministry of Rural Development, places India at a dismal 120 among 122countries in the water quality index. It predicts that a persistentwater crisis will lead to an eventual 6% loss in the country’s GrossDomestic Product by 2030.
A signifi��cant key to this stress isthe vast gulf — of about 1498 billioncubic metres (BCM) versus 744BCM — that has been predictedbetween the demand and supplyof fresh water, by 2030. In the projections that the Central WaterCommission (CWC) released in
2015, the sectorwise requirementof water (that is, for drinking anddomestic use, industry and energy) will rise steeply between 2030and 2050.
This mounting rise in demand isstarkly evident in the energy sector, which is key to India’s ambitious developmental plan. Theshare of water consumed by thissector was 0.62% in 2010, which ispegged to rise up to 1.37% in 2030and 8.98% in 2050.
The CWMI report covers thesebroad themes — ground water andsurfacewater restoration; majorand medium irrigation; watersheddevelopment; participatory irrigation management; onfarm wateruse; rural and urban water supply;and policy and governance. Theprojected water demand of theenergy sector makes it an important point for the NITI Aayog toconsider while bringing out futureiterations of the CWMI.
Competition inevitableHere are some facts to mull over.As per the Central ElectricityAuthority (CEA), March 2018, thermal electricity accounts for morethan 86% of India’s total powergeneration. Analysis shows that
77% of India’s total electricitycomes from thermal power plantsthat are dependent on freshwatersources. Of all the freshwatercooled thermal plants, 38.9% ofgeneration capacity is installed inareas with high or extremely highwaterstress. By 2030, more than70% of India’s existing thermalpower utilities are likely to experience an increased level of watercompetition from agricultural, urban, and other industrial demands.
As the power sector consumesmore water, competition betweenpower and the other thirstyplayers is only likely to increase —a factor that future editions of theCWMI will have to consider.
The CWMI also raises threemain issues related to data: limitedcoverage, unreliable data and limited coordination and sharing.Measuring water consumption bypower plants has been a challengefor long. However, it can easily betackled by using the existing CEAreporting mechanism for dailygeneration. To do so, daily waterwithdrawal and consumption reporting should be mandated.These can be measured with existing technology and added into thisreporting framework.
Such information will also helpin implementation of the Ministryof Environment, Forest and Climate Change Notifi��cation (datedDecember 7, 2015), which mandates specifi��c water consumptionnorms for existing and new thermal power plants.
Seamless sharingIn addition, information about water stress, power plant siting (location) and so on must be sharedseamlessly across departments — aservice that the CWMI could perform. The NITI Aayog alludes tothis while describing the CWMI:“This Index is expected to establish a public, national platform
providing information on key water indicators across states. Thisplatform will help in monitoringperformance, improving transparency, and encouraging competition, thereby boosting the country’s water achievements byfostering the spirit of ‘competitiveand cooperative federalism’among the states. Further, the data can also be used by researchers,entrepreneurs, and policymakersto enable broader ecosystem innovation for water in India.”
The CWMI concludes by notingthat waterscarce States such asGujarat, Madhya Pradesh, AndhraPradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtraand Telangana are leaders in theIndex. It notes that this is “likelydriven by necessity in the face oflooming water shortages”. Factoring in the waterenergy nexus linkages, especially the metricsaround power plant water withdrawal and consumption, will onlyhelp make the Index better andthe States better prepared to manage their water and powerresources.
Deepak Krishnan works with the energy
programme at the World Resources
Institute India
Further stressed by thermal powerThe energy sector must be required to report its water consumption
CH
VIJ
AY
A B
HA
SK
AR
more letters online:
www.hindu.com/opinion/letters/
The role of the Board of Directors of the Reserve Bank ofIndia (RBI) and its powers
vis-à-vis the RBI Governor havecome into focus in the ongoingtussle between the Centre and thecentral bank. The Centre has hinted that it is examining the optionof using the powers of the RBIBoard to override the Governor.
There are several questions thatarise from this unprecedented attempt by the Centre to use powersunder the Reserve Bank of IndiaAct, 1934. The most important ofthese is: Where does the balanceof power lie between the Governorand the board? What is the legalposition of the board in relation tothe Governor? Does the latterdraw his powers from the board asin a corporate setup? Can theboard give directions to the Governor on issues of policy and management of the central bank?
Before we get to answeringthese, let’s get this out of the wayfi��rst. The relationship between theboard and the Governor is notcomparable to a corporate setupwhere the managing director (thecorporate equivalent of the Governor) reports to the board anddraws his powers from it.
While a managing director is anagent of the board in a company,in the RBI, the Governor is not. Hedraws his powers from the RBI Actand not from the Board of Directors. He is appointed by the PrimeMinister in consultation with the
Finance Minister. The RBI Boardhas no say whatsoever in his appointment. In a company, theboard of directors chooses one ofits own to be appointed as the managing director. In the RBI, the Governor secures board membershiponly after he is appointed to thepost. It is, thus, wrong to comparea corporate board to the RBI’s andsuggest that the Governor is subservient to it.
Constitution of the boardBut what is the constitution of theRBI board like? As per the RBI Act,the board is made up of the following members: the Governor andfour Deputy Governors, four directors (one each from the four regional boards of the RBI), 10 directors to be nominated by theCentre, and one government offi��cial who is also to be nominated bythe Centre.
The present board is made upof 18 members, which is the Governor and four Deputy Governors,four regional board members andnine nominees from the Centrewho include two offi��cials, the Economic Aff��airs Secretary and theSecretary, Department of Financial Services.
So, where does the balance ofpower lie between the Governorand the board? The sections in theRBI Act dealing with this subjectare rather vaguely worded. Eminent past Governors have interpreted Section 7, the relevant one,to mean that the powers of theboard and that of the Governor areconcurrent. The Governor drawshis powers from Section 7(3) of theAct. He can exercise all powersand do all things that may be exercised and done by the RBI.
This is subject to a caveatthough. The board, under Section
58, can make regulations that willgive it the powers to overridethose of the Governor’s. But this issubject to two important conditions. First, the regulations have tobe consistent with the provisions ofthe RBI Act, which essentiallymeans that the board has to actwithin the framework of the Act.Second, these regulations have togo through an elaborate approvalprocess before they become law(Section 58(4)). The board has toforward the regulations to theCentre, which will have to tablethem in both Houses of Parliament. Members have a period of30 days within which they caneither suggest modifi��cations to theregulations or annul them.
And then, there is the brahmastra of Section 7(1) which conferspowers on the Centre to issue directions to the RBI “from time totime” in the public interest afterconsultations with the Governor.All bets will be off�� if this section isinvoked as it will become untenable for the Governor to continue inhis position.
ConventionThis is the framework of the lawbut what has been the conventiontill now? The RBI Board has alwaysfunctioned in an advisory role
with the understanding that theGovernor would consider its advice while making policy decisions. In other words, there wasmutual respect between the boardand the Governor, with both operating in a spirit of accommodation.
The fact is that neither Section7(1) nor Section 7(3) has been unleashed in the 83year existence ofthe RBI. Not even when the RBIwas privately owned between 1935and 1949.
It is not as if there have not beenany disagreements between RBIGovernors and governments before this. You only have to read thememoirs of the former Governors,Y.V. Reddy and Duvvuri Subbarao,to understand the extent of meddling by the Centre in the RBI’s affairs. Yet, things did not reach thebrink and were sorted out quietlybehind the scenes.
Another former Governor, C.Rangarajan, has spoken abouthow the RBI, under Governor R.N.Malhotra, was forced by theCentre to withdraw a circular freeing shortterm rates of banks. Yet,there was no chatter of invocationof Section 7 or of the board armingitself with governance powers.
What’s the diff��erence betweenthen and now? The short answer isthat the spirit of accommodation,which fl��ows out of mutual respectand understanding of each other’scompulsions between the RBI andthe Centre, and which was evidentthen, is absent now. And theblame for this has to be shared bythe players involved in the currenttussle.
It may not be very diffi��cult forthe Centre to have its way by usingthe board’s powers to frame regulations overriding the Governorbut this will necessarily come witha price. Such a move will not only
set a bad precedent but also leadto several ticklish situations.
The RBI Board has several representatives from industry. Thepresent board includes N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman of TataSons, Dilip Shanghvi, MD of SunPharma, and Manish Sabharwal,founder of Teamlease. There willbe a confl��ict of interest if industrialists are members of committees that run the aff��airs of the monetary authority of the country(and we are not for a moment suggesting that they will behave in anymanner favourable to theirinterests).
Second, there is a good reasonwhy the RBI has been kept at arm’slength from the Centre and bestowed with a certain independence. That is because the Centreis the spender and the RBI is thecreator of money, and there has tobe a natural separation betweenthe two. The Centre arming itselfwith powers to run the RBI runsafoul of this precept.
Whichever way we look at it,such a move by the Centre wouldbe illadvised and will take its relations with the monetary authorityinto uncharted territory. Therewill be no winners in this dangerous game.
Enough dirty linen has beenwashed in public in the pastmonth and it is time for the Centreand the RBI to behave like the mature entities that they are, upholdtimetested conventions, and actwith mutual respect and a spirit ofaccommodation.
The board meeting today, November 19, will set a crucial precedent in the economic history of India, and one can only hope that itwill be the right one.
Balance of power, in the balanceAny attempt by the Centre to override the RBI Governor using the RBI Act would be ill-advised
Raghuvir Srinivasan
AP
Curbs on the CBIThe Central Bureau ofInvestigation has been inthe eye of a storm not onlynow but even earlier if oneis to go by the sobriquet“caged parrot” and othersuch examples. It hasbecome the refrain of somein the political class to carpabout the agency havingbecome a tool used by theruling dispensation tomuzzle Opposition parties.Therefore, the decision byAndhra Pradesh and WestBengal to withdraw“general consent” to theCBI can only be viewed as atitfortat response (Page 1,“‘Fear of probes led tocurbs on CBI’,” November18). The warring offi��cials inthe CBI will go but the CBIwill still remain. A.P. andWest Bengal have onlyallowed room for theperception that they areindeed afraid of beinginvestigated in corruptioncases. Has the time come tohave the CBI overseen bythe Supreme Court?R. Sridharan,
Chennai
Krishna singsPerhaps Carnatic singerT.M. Krishna is beingtargeted unfairly. The fact
that he is a recipient of theRamon Magsaysay awardspeaks volumes about therecognition he has receivedas an Indian in the fi��eld ofmusic. His reformative stylein his eff��orts to spreadCarnatic music to the grassroots is commendable,which might help therichness of this musicaltradition pass down toother generations. Anysocial reformer will have toface many obstacles alongthe path he or she chooses,and this is the case with Mr.Krishna. I do not agree with andeven dislike some of theaspects of his style of musicin his concerts these daysand I even fi��nd a noticeableshift from his original stylein the strategy ofapplication in the music heis uniquely skilled at. But Ido not allow this toinfl��uence my views abouthis mission. It is hearteningthat the Delhi governmenthosted the singer (“T.M.Krishna enthrals Delhi withhis songs”, November 18).N. Visveswaran,
Chennai
■ Being openly critical of theestablishment was perhapsthe prime reason behind the
mysterious cancellation ofthe AAIsponsored concert.To this one can add Mr.Krishna’s audacious feats ofgoing against the grain ofCarnatic music. What hisdetractors fail to understandis that being open tocriticism is also a sign ofgood governance.Linta Titty John,
Palakkad, Kerala
■ The “noble mission” of theAam Aadmi Partygovernment in Delhi toeventually sponsor theconcert of T.M. Krishna hadpolitics written all over it.Anyone could have seenthrough the game. Music ispure and it should stay thisway. Finally, The Hindu, withits Editorial, cartoons andreports, seems to have gonea bit overboard in fi��ghting hiscause. Is Mr. Krishna the onlyCarnatic singer in India, andthe only singer to have facedobstacles?Jayanthi Subramanian,
Chennai
■ No one objects to the acesinger attempting to breakdown the barriers oforthodoxy, caste and class.But trying to do so bytrampling upon the veryessence of classical music
which has been nurtured forcenturies by singers ofrepute to sustain itself in thesame form as it was renderedby the Trinity of Carnaticmusic is unacceptable in myview. T.M. Krishna ismistakenly mixing up musicwith the right to live in asecular and casteless society.These are separate issuesaltogether. He can use hispopularity to take forwardhis forwardlookingthoughts. But while doing so,he has to draw a line toensure that hisexperimentation ofexploiting music to suit hisideology does not in any wayleave a jarring note in theears of music lovers.V. Subramanian,
Chennai
■ The Hindu’s attempts totake up the cudgels for Mr.Krishna are highly subjectiveand smack of politics. I fi��nd ithard to recollect any protestsagainst Carnatic artistes inthe past based on theirpersonal and political ideas.If there have been protests,as for example recently, itwas out of a lament overtraditions being violated.Trying to single out thepresent government as beinga reason only refl��ects the
■ The sarcasm in the article,“What’s in a name?” (‘OpenPage’, November 18), madefor enjoyable reading. In thecourse of the next decade, itmay not be a surprise ifplaces and persons arenamed after the charactersand places as found in theepic, the Ramayana.D. Sethuraman,
Chennai
Cricket Down UnderPlaying cricket in Australia isdiff��erent from playing athome. The fast and bouncywickets at the WACA and theMCG will test even the bestbatsmen. Murali Vijay,known for playing longinnings, has made acomeback as an opener afterbeing dropped for a dismalperformance against Englandin the middle of the Testseries. He should prove hismettle now. So should offi��eR. Ashwin. Both players canbe devastating. K. Pradeep,
Chennai
narrowminded judgment ofsome in the daily. Somesubscribers to thisnewspaper such as me fi��ndthis to be jarring.S. Jayaraman,
Chennai
Beyond name changeAs Rabindranath Tagore hasmentioned in his book,Nationalism, everysuccessive race that hasinhabited this land hascontributed immensely in itscultural development andhas ultimately got assimilatedinto it. In the same manner,Mughal and Muslim rulershave left indelible andinextinguishable imprints onour society which cannot beerased by just changing thename of a city. A nation isnot made up of just cities,buildings and structures. It iscomposed of people whereeveryone see themselves aspart of one national identity.Our political leaders mustpromote development ratherthan dispute. Gagan Pratap Singh,
Noida, Uttar Pradesh
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters emailed to [email protected] must carry the full postal address and the full name or the name with initials.
With just months left for the U.K.’s withdrawal
from the European Union, there is little clar
ity on the terms of its exit, or indeed whether
the verdict of the 2016 referendum can be honoured at
all. Instead, Prime Minister Theresa May’s government
is facing a possible vote of no confi��dence, orchestrated
by her own deeply divided Conservative Party, over the
modalities of a future relationship with the EU. At the
heart of this bitter dispute is the withdrawal deal with
the other 27 nations in the bloc, which would leave the
country largely bound to current regulations, with di
minished infl��uence over policy formulation. Brussels
has indicated broad agreement over its terms, which
are to be formalised at an EU summit this month. But
Ms. May’s government faces an uphill task to secure
parliamentary approval for the deal in the wake of a
spate of resignations by senior Cabinet colleagues in the
last few days. Notable among them are the prominent
proEurope Transport Minister Jo Johnson, brother of
the principal Leave campaigner Boris Johnson, who
stepped down in July; and Brexit Secretary Dominic
Raab. The latter’s exit, as that of his predecessor David
Davis, underscores the extent to which Ms. May’s blue
print for an exit has proved controversial even among
Conservative eurosceptic Ministers and MPs. Even
those proBrexit Ministers who have chosen to stick
with Ms. May are anxious that the terms of withdrawal
be altered. This group recognises the importance of a
soft border between Northern Ireland and the Republic
of Ireland. But they are opposed to the proposed com
promise arrangement in return, which could lock Bri
tain into a customs union with the EU for an indefi��nite
period and constrain its ability to strike trade deals.
The unfolding Conservative leadership crisis could
trigger a general election, a prospect the Labour Party
has been eyeing ever since Ms. May formed a minority
government after the 2017 polls. That danger also
means she could yet rally support for the draft withdra
wal deal among Conservative backbenchers anxious to
avoid an election. Her failure to win parliamentary
backing for the exit deal would raise the risk of a no
deal Brexit, with potentially chaotic ramifi��cations. Both
the U.K. and the EU know that averting such a night
mare is in their mutual interest. For that reason, it is
conceivable that the 27 other states will see wisdom in
deferring the March 29 deadline for withdrawal, should
a request be put forward. Such a scenario would streng
then the case for a second referendum, articulated
most eloquently by former Prime Minister John Major
and echoed in a public demonstration in London.
Meanwhile, growing uncertainties over Britain’s future
on the global stage only expose the hollowness of the
Leave campaign and the fragility of its leadership.
Her toughest weekTheresa May is struggling to retain her party’s
support as the Brexit deadline looms
Tamil Nadu was more prepared than before to
deal with Cyclone Gaja when it made landfall bet
ween Nagapattinam and Vedaranyam on Novem
ber 16, but it still took a toll of at least 45 lives. The sev
ere cyclonic storm damaged infrastructure, property
and agriculture. Even so, the eff��ort to professionalise
disaster management through a dedicated national and
State organisation initiated more than 15 years ago ap
pears to be paying off��, with bureaucracies acquiring
higher effi��ciency in providing early warning and in mi
tigating the impact of cyclones. The National Cyclone
Risk Mitigation Project started by the Ministry of Home
Aff��airs has been working to reduce the impact of such
catastrophic events on Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West
Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, classifi��ed as States
with higher vulnerability; most western coastal States
are in the next category. However, there is a lot to be
done to upgrade infrastructure and housing in coastal
districts to meet higher standards of resilience in an era
of extreme weather events. The lead taken by the State
Disaster Management Authority in issuing a stream of
alerts ahead of Gaja helped coastal residents move to
camps and adopt safety measures. The active measures
taken by the State after the cyclone, notably to clear
roads, remove fallen trees and repair power infrastruc
ture and communications, helped restore some stabil
ity. In its destructive exit path, the cyclone has aff��ected
some southern districts, felling tens of thousands of
trees and also 30,000 electricity poles along the coast.
It also hit residents in some central Kerala districts.
Tamil Nadu’s political parties have acted in a mature
manner and kept partisan criticism from getting in the
way of relief and rehabilitation after Gaja. This is in con
trast to some earlier instances, such as the Chennai
fl��ood of 2015, when the distribution of relief became
politicised. Today, if any pressure on the government
machinery is necessary, it is to secure without delay the
fi��nancial relief of ₹��10 lakh that has been promised for
families of the dead, compensation for lost crops, trees
and livestock, provision of emergency health interven
tion and rehabilitation assistance to rebuild lives. The
larger question, of course, is whether the coastal States
have equipped themselves for an even bigger event,
such as the super cyclone that hit Odisha in 1999 that
killed about 10,000 people. Even with far fewer casual
ties, Cyclone Phailin in 2013 required reconstruction
estimated at $1.5 billion. India’s coastline experiences a
lower frequency of tropical cyclones compared to ma
ny other regions, but the loss of life and destruction is
much higher. Coastal States must, therefore, focus on
reducing the hazard through policies that expand resi
lient housing, build better storm shelters and create fi��
nancial mechanisms for insurance and compensation.
Being preparedCoastal districts must continue to strengthen
resilience against extreme weather events
corrections & clarifications:
The percentage change in Brent oil price was erroneously givenas 4.75 in the Market Watch column (Business page, Nov. 14, 2018).It should have been 3.37.
The Readers’ Editor’s office can be contacted by Telephone: +91-44-28418297/28576300;
E-mail:[email protected]
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THE HINDU NOIDA/DELHI
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2018 9EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
CMYK
A ND-NDE
OPED
The problems of Indian planning, both shortterm and longterm, were discussed today [November 18] at a meeting thePresident of the World Bank, Mr. Robert McNamara, had withthe Deputy Chairman and members of the Planning Commission. Mr. McNamara was given a complete picture of the present state of Indian planning and of the Indian economy generally. Dr. D.R. Gadgil and other members of the Commission areunderstood to have explained to Mr. McNamara how they lookat the planning eff��ort of the last decade, its achievements andweaknesses. The problem of price stability fi��gured in the discussion of the present position of the economy. The directions, in which the planners and the Government now propose to go in industry and agriculture, were explained to thedistinguished visitor.
FIFTY YEARS AGO NOVEMBER 19, 1968
Problems facing Indian planners
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FROM ARCHIVES
The following Press Communique has been issued [in Nagpuron November 18] by the Finance Department of the CentralProvinces Government: The Government currency notes issued in place of silver coin are regarded with suspicion by ignorant people who have been led by the advice of interestedpersons into believing that substitution of paper currency forcoin indicated that the Government is unable to meet its liabilities and that actual value of Government currency notes isless than its face value, the consequence being that peoplehave been induced to submit to payment of heavy discount onall payments made in notes and higher prices have to be paidfor goods whenever payment is made in notes, and this in turnhas led to a not unreasonable objection on the part of poorerclasses of population to receive dues in the form of notes andto the refusal of shopkeepers to accept notes at all in paymentof goods.
A HUNDRED YEARS AGO NOVEMBER 19, 1918.
Premium on Notes.
Over the past week, a 2015 tweet byformer British Prime Minister DavidCameron has been widely resharedonline. “Britain faces a simple and inescapable choice — stability andstrong Government with me, orchaos with Ed Miliband,” he wroteon May 4, before the general election. Mr. Cameron won that electiondecisively, but the rest of his prediction has been looking darkly comicas Britain continues to stumble fromone political crisis to another.
Many adamant parties Last week, the respite that came afterthe British Cabinet formally backed awithdrawal agreement reached withEuropean Union (EU) negotiatorslasted less than 24 hours, for a seriesof resignations later and the prospectof a noconfi��dence vote now threatento disrupt the deal. Five Ministers arelobbying Prime Minister TheresaMay to change the terms of the deal.Ms. May is adamant that she won’tstep down. She insists that her dealmeets what the people voted for inthe referendum and prevents the development of a hard border betweenthe Republic of Ireland and NorthernIreland.
Just as determined are the socalled hard Brexiteers such as JacobReesMogg and Boris Johnson. Theyare eager to avoid any form of customs alignment with the EU that willdent Britain’s chances of forgingtrade deals, even if the limits are onlytemporary. They’ve been lining upan increasing number of Conservative MPs to call for a vote of no confi��dence in Ms. May, though it is still unclear if and when they will have thesuffi��cient numbers to do so. Whatworsens the situation is that, thanksto the general election that the government risked last year, it is nowdependent on Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to getanything through Parliament. TheDUP is deeply unhappy with the stateof aff��airs, arguing that the graduatedcustoms arrangement being proposed will threaten Britain’s territo
rial integrity. The Labour Party,while insisting that it is committed toBrexit, wants the government to return to the negotiating table. It dubsthe current deal a “huge and damaging failure” which fails to live up toshadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer’s six tests to judge the deal.
A bumpy road aheadIt is incredibly hard to predict wherethings will go from here. Should Ms.May win a leadership contest, it’shighly likely that her deal would bechucked out of Parliament. Shouldshe be replaced, there’s a goodchance that the hard line pursued byany successor would lead to no dealbeing forged and Britain crashing outof the EU on World Trade Organisation terms. Most rational observersagree that this situation would be disastrous for the country. There’s alsothe increasing possibility of a secondreferendum, and the more remoteone of a general election (this wouldrequire a twothirds parliamentarymajority and would be like Turkeysvoting for Christmas for the Conservatives and the DUP). But what is remarkable is that all these scenariosshare one thing in common: not oneof them commands support from amajority of politicians or has clearsupport from the public. In a recentSky Data poll, 55% backed a secondreferendum and just one in sevenbacked Ms. May’s deal. This is farfrom the categorical endorsementthat its proponents might havehoped for given the chaotic state ofaff��airs and the very diff��erent visionsof Brexit being presented to them.
Britain remains as divided as ever before — or possibly more so.
Many, particularly within the Conservative Party, have been scathingin their assessment of Ms. May forthe current deal. The most contentious part of the 585page documentcovering everything from Britain’s£39 billion “divorce bill” to the rightsand privileges of EU citizens relatesto the backstop or insurance policythat will kick in to avoid a hard border in Ireland. Unsurprisingly, Ireland has been adamant on the needfor this, but Brexiteers are convincedthat it would eff��ectively run the riskof keeping Britain in what one MP described as a “Hotel California Brexit”— one in which Britain would neverreally leave but remain bound by EUcustoms rules without having a say inEU policy, as has been the case untilnow. It’s true that the deal, as itstands, is far from ideal and does notdeliver on the “taking back control”message that had been toutedthrough the referendum campaign.But then again, that was always animpossible dream, one of the manylofty promises made by Brexit campaigners alongside the pledge thatforging a trade deal with the EUwould be the “easiest in history”.
The trouble has been that rightfrom the start, the Brexit envisagedcould never have matched reality.The idea of Britain untethering itselffrom Europe and magically fl��oatingaround the world was never going tohappen. This is a world of shiftingpriorities and this is a country whosesupply chains for goods and servicessector, which is a major component
of the economy, are enmeshed in Europe. The government’s determination to run a hardline immigrationpolicy that continues to frustrate business and anger potential tradepartners makes this vision evenmore farcical.
The language of EmpireSo determined have Brexiteers beento shout down anyone warning of potential disruption that they’ve remained fi��rmly oblivious of basic realities. Senior economists and businessleaders, and even Britain’s ownChancellor of the Exchequer whohas warned of negative consequences, have been portrayed as antinational establishment fi��gures intenton “talking Britain down”. FormerBrexit Secretary Dominic Raab rather chillingly admitted that he hadbeen unaware of how reliant Britishtrade was on the crossing betweenDover and the French port of Calais.Mr. Johnson dismissed some of thewarnings of chaos as “pure millennium bug stuff��”, conveniently forgetting that issues had only been avoided in 2000 because of the tens ofthousands of hours spent in preparation. Britain is as obsessed with itscolonial history as ever — the language of Empire and oneupmanshiphas also been infused into the national debate. References to Britain beingreduced to “colony status” or “vassalage” abound, while newspaperheadlines rage indignantly againstdefeats or gloat over victoriesnotched up against Europeannegotiators.
The trouble is that in the hubris,the public had been left with a distorted sense of reality. It’s not surprising that many think it’s fi��ne toleave the EU when they are fed suchcastles in the air. The idea of an independent trading nation not structured by pesky foreign courts or regulations is pure fantasy in today’sworld. An ugly debate around immigration has also taken hold (it’s noteworthy that in her defences of thedeal, Ms. May has repeatedly pointedto the end of free movement as if tojustify all other compromises). Whichever direction Britain takes fromhere, society will remain deeply divided. To even begin to move forward, Britain needs a good dose ofreality and an honest conversation.
Whichever direction the country takes from here on Brexit, it will remain deeply divided
“To even begin to move forward, Britain needs a good dose of reality and anhonest conversation.” A scene near Parliament in London. * AP
Britain on the edge
Vidya Ram
For journalism, winning back trust ismuch more important now than sorting out its business models that are be
ing undermined by digital disruptions. Journalists have an immense responsibility: theymust reclaim the public sphere from deliberate falsehood, the disinformation avalanche,and algorithmdriven hate content. Theword polarisation means diff��erent things todiff��erent readers, but it fails to capture thecleaving of our social fabric, the erosion ofempathy and the power of information silosin denying space for dialogue and in amplifying prejudices.
What Jim Acosta did Let’s look at a recent example. The tumultuous interaction between the CNN’s ChiefWhite House correspondent, Jim Acosta,and the U.S. presidential staff��during a recent press conference has been subjected tomultiple interpretations. Forthe critics of President Donald Trump, the suspensionof Mr. Acosta’s White Housepress credentials was a signof vengeance and intolerance. The President and hissenior staff�� portrayed the episode as yet another illustration of how Mr.Trump is a victim of unfair journalistic practices. The solidarity expressed by the U.S.media with Mr. Acosta in legally challengingthe White House decision was seen by somein India as the diff��erence between the American media, which defends its rights despitehaving a hostile regime, and the Indian media, which has failed not only to hold ourleaders accountable by asking tough questions, but also to stand by those who have.
The issue is not only about governmentsacross the world becoming heavyhanded intheir dealing with critical voices; it is alsoabout the ideal approach that journalismshould adhere to in these troubled times.Journalists, like other citizens, are humanbeings. They are emotional and hold political views. I do not underestimate any of thediffi��culties that journalists face today whiletrying to do their job credibly. But I also see
how journalism is moving away from its traditional standards that helped build trust inthe fi��rst place. Anger is not an emotion thatexists only in the Twitter space; it has alsoseeped into newsrooms and pressconferences.
Al Tompkins and Kelly McBride of thePoynter Institute argue that Mr. Acosta’s conduct showed that he wanted not so much tonot ask questions as make a statement. Theywrote: “In doing so, the CNN White Housereporter gave President Donald Trump roomto critique Acosta’s professionalism. In thistime of diffi��cult relations between the pressand the White House, reporters who operateabove reproach, while still challenging thepower of the offi��ce, will build credibility.”They did a fi��ne analysis of the press conference and found that Mr. Acosta was on tracktill he moved to making statements insteadof posing questions to the President.
What he could have doneMr. Tompkins and Ms. McBride believe thatthe moment a journalistic query turned intoa statement, it provided an exit route to thePresident, who has a troubled relationship
with the press. First, Mr. Acostaframed his question in a mannerthat could have elicited an easy ‘no’for an answer: “Do you think thatyou demonise immigrants?” Mr.Tompkins and Ms. McBride areright when they suggest that a better question might have been: “Howdo you respond to the criticism thatyou are demonising certain types ofimmigrants, namely poor immi
grants?” The wise counsel from the Poynterfaculty applies to reporters everywhere:“Ask tough questions, avoid making statements or arguing during a press event andreport the news, don’t become the news.”
It is crucial to build and retain trust injournalism by using the tried and tested formula of newsgathering, adhering to the separation of news and views, and recognisingthe line that divides advocacy and reporting.This responsibility extends to the desk too.On November 14, this newspaper carried areport, “Yechury rejects idea of projectingRahul as PM candidate now”. This was not afaithful refl��ection of the reporter’s copy. Theheadline was later modifi��ed for the Web edition as “Yechury rejects idea of projectinganyone as PM candidate now” to give a fairpicture.
Journalism in the time of hate Journalists must reclaim the public sphere from falsehood
FROM THE READERS’ EDITOR
A.S. Panneerselvan
RE
UT
ER
S
An unexpected fallout of the controversy surrounding the entry ofwomen of all age groups into Sabarimala is the ownership rights ofthe Malayarayan tribal communityover the hill shrine. The controversy has also led to arguments aboutthe Brahminisation of at least some
temples in Kerala, which some historians believe were either Buddhist shrines or in the control of the avarna castes.The United Malayaraya Mahasabha has now moved the apexcourt seeking ownership rights over Sabarimala temple. P.K.Sajeev, general secretary of the Aikya Mala Araya Mahasabha and a researcher, claims that the temples in Sabarimalaand in adjacent Karimala were in the possession of the Malayarayans until the early 20th century.
The fi��rst priest there was Karimala Arayan, Mr. Sajeevsays, whose name was reportedly embossed on the fi��rst ofthe 18 sacred steps that leads up to the sanctum sanctorum.Ayyappa, according to him, was the son of Malayarayan couple Kandan and Karuthamma. The legend surrounding the41day penance that Ayyappa devotees follow is believed tobe related to an episode in their life. The 18 steps are a symbol of the 18 hills around Sabarimala. The Thazhamon Madhom, now hereditary chief priests (tantris) at the temple,snatched away the ownership of the temple from the Malayarayans, the community claims. The right to perform honey abhishekam and the ritual of lighting the makaravilak-ku at Ponnambalamedu too were taken away, they allege.
This brings to the fore the argument by historians such asRajan Gurukkal about the avarna ownership of the temple.Ayyappa, an uncommon name in the Hindu pantheon,could be the tribal chieftain Ayyan or Ayyanar, who mighthave been worshipped as a deity by the tribal population,they point out. The introduction of savarna rituals and theban on entry of menstruating women could be a recent phenomenon, as tribal communities do not have any such practice.
M.G.S Narayanan and other historians have also writtenextensively about how ancient Kerala did not have a cultureof temples. Most were kavus, or sacred groves, and templescame into being in the 8th or 9th century CE. Archaeologicalevidence points to the possible presence of a Buddhist culture too, which was gradually appropriated by Hinduism.
As the Supreme Court takes up writ petitions against itsorder allowing women of all age groups to the Sabarimalatemple, it might also trigger questions about the rights ofthose communities pushed to the margins by modernityand by upper castes. Kerala is one of the few States that extends reservation to Dalit priests in temples governed by Devaswom Boards. It remains to be seen whether Kerala society will also stand up to its celebrated progressive credentialsby restoring the rights of Malayarayans.
The writer is a Principal Correspondent at The Hindu Kozhikode
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Claiming Sabarimala Will Kerala society live up to itscelebrated progressive credentials byrestoring the rights of Malayarayans?
A.S. Jayanth
H.
VIB
HU
Prediction market
Economics
This refers to any market platform where investors speculateon the probability of a future event or outcome. Predictionmarkets have been created to forecast elections, the weather,consumer demand, and a number of other things that are normally hard to predict. Instruments that are linked to variousfuture outcomes are issued in these markets and openly traded by investors. The predictions of these markets are considered to be more reliable than the opinion of experts becauseinvestors are willing to bet real money to back their personalopinion. In fact, prediction markets have been empiricallyshown to be more reliable predictors of the future.
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CONCEPTUAL
Video: A look at what Viswanathan Anand achieved in the
years the rest of the 10 players in the Tata Steel Chess
tournament were born.
http://bit.ly/ViswAnand
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DATA POINT
CMYK
A ND-NDE
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NOIDA/DELHI THE HINDU
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 201810EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
NEWS
FROM PAGE ONE
wing of the Punjab policeearlier this week issued acircular regarding the infi��ltration of the JeM terroriststhrough the internationalborder in Ferozepur.
The CM announced acompensation of ₹��5 lakheach to the kin of the dead.
Capt. Amarinder said theattack strengthened the belief that Pakistan was continuing with its nefarious activities to disturb the State’speace.
Home Minister RajnathSingh said in a tweet that the“strongest possible actionwill be taken against the perpetrators of this crime.”
In a Facebook post, Congress president Rahul Gandhi said, “I am very pained bythe news ...It cannot be condemned enough. I conveymy deep condolences to thefamilies.”
The police said the grenadewas hurled towards thestage where preacher Kumar was holding the congregation. He, besides SandeepSingh, a resident of villageRajasansi, and KuldeepSingh were those killed.Nine women and a sixyearold child were among theinjured.
An FIR was registeredbased on the statement ofNirankari sect volunteer Gagan, who was on duty at themain door of the premises.
InspectorGeneral of Police, Border range (Amritsar), S.P.S. Parmar told TheHindu, “The attack hasbeen against a group of people and not against any individual. It seems to be a terror attack as there’s noreason to throw a hand grenade on a group of people.”
The Counter Intelligence
3 killed, 15 injured inPunjab grenade attack
tees, to address the issue ofeconomic capital of the RBIand other governanceissues.
“The issue of economiccapital is a technical oneand conclusion on such anissue cannot be reached in atwohour board meeting,”said a source.
On the governance issue,it is increasingly felt that theRBI management must bemade accountable to theboard. The board so far hasrefrained from taking upspecifi��c policyrelated issuesand its main focus has beento provide a broader visionto the central bank. It hasbeen argued that the centralbank has slipped on manyissues — such as not anticipating the IL&FS crisis andpoor supervision in the caseof fraud perpetrated at thePunjab National Bank — andthat its management shouldhave been made accountable to the board.
To meet the governmenthalfway, the RBI may takesome steps to boost loans tothe MSME sector that hadbeen badly hit by the demonetisation exercise, andwhich the government iskeen to support in an election year. However, it is tobe seen how much RBI cando, since the central bankmay have some reservationsabout the sector’s loan absorption capacity at thispoint in time.
The RBI may also climbdown from its position ofstringent norms for the PCAframework for banks. Asmany as 11 public sectorbanks out of 21 are underPCA, which the governmentthinks is hampering loangrowth. RBI may ease someof the conditions, whichmay help some lenderscome out of PCA.
The RBI and the Centremay also reach an agreement to form two commit
Govt. directions to RBIunder Sec. 7 unlikely
jammer pod. “The remaining ISE capability pertain toavionics,” the documentstated.
In September 2016, Indiaand France signed a €7.87billion IGA for 36 Rafalemultirole fi��ghter jets in fl��yaway condition followingthe surprise announcementby Prime Minister NarendraModi in April 2015 citing“critical operational necessity” of the IAF.
Quick deliveryAs per the IGA, deliveriesbegin 36 months from signing of contract and will becompleted in 67 months.
The government has consistently maintained thatthe deal for 36 jets was doneto ensure quick delivery offi��ghter aircraft to the IAFwhich is facing a drop insquadron strength.
An IAF document accessedby The Hindu states that the13 ISE capabilities are “notpresent in the Rafale aircraftbeing operated by othercountries. These capabilities pertain to radar enhancements, which will providethe force with better longrange capability. One of thespecifi��c capabilities beingacquired is the ‘helmetmounted display’ throughwhich IAF pilots will be ableto counter many threats simultaneously. Another verysignifi��cant capability enhancement sought is the abilityto start and operate fromhigh altitude airfi��elds,” thedocument states.
ISE capabilitiesThe enhancement includesan advanced infra redsearchandtrack sensor anda very potent electronic
Rafale addons afterdelivery of 36 fi��ghters
HPCL shares from the government. How is that disinvestment, if ONGC is a governmentowned companyitself?”
ONGC had in January2018 bought 51.1% of BPCLfor ₹��36,915 crore from thegovernment, which went towards meeting that fi��scalyear’s disinvestment target.
The government is alsoreportedly considering ordering several public sectoroil companies to buy backshares from the governmentamounting to about₹��10,000₹��20,000 crore.
Another deal in the making is BPCL and IOC buying26% each in GAIL, whichwould give the governmentanother ₹��20,000 crore.
Last year, the governmenthad set a disinvestment target of ₹��72,500 crore, whichit overshot signifi��cantly bycollecting ₹��1,00,056.91crore.
“The government needsall the revenue it can get tomeet its fi��scal defi��cit target,”an economist workingclosely with the governmentsaid on the condition of anonymity.
“Most of the disinvestment needs to take place.These are lossmaking companies. But the manner inwhich it is getting the disinvestment proceeds in somecases is problematic. Takethe ONGCHPCL deal,where ONGC bought some₹��36,000 crore worth of
Modi govt. divestedtwice as much as UPA
Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik said onSunday that the State was allset for President’s rule in January as there were no plansto dissolve the Assembly yet.
Since J&K has a separateConstitution, Governor’srule is imposed under Section 92 for six months afteran approval by thePresident.
In case the Assembly isnot dissolved within sixmonths, President’s rule under Article 356 is extended tothe State. Governor’s rule expires in the State on January19.
‘Centre has to decide’Asked if there were plans tohold Assembly elections after the panchayat polls thatconclude in December, Mr.Malik said, “There are no
plans to dissolve the Assembly. There are variouscivic issues which will be affected by this move. The decision to hold fresh Assembly elections in the State lieswith the Centre and the Election Commission. I will givethe report when asked for.”
Mr. Malik was in Delhi tolaunch a book written byAmitabh Mattoo, academic,who was Adviser to Mehbooba Mufti when she was J&KChief Minister.
Mr. Malik said the voterturnout in the fi��rst phase of
panchayat polls on Saturdaywas unprecedented andcomparable to Kerala fi��gures. The Kashmir Valleyrecorded a 62.1% polling, ajump from the civic electionfi��gure of 35.1% last month.
No casualty“People came out in largenumbers to vote, not even asingle casualty was reported.Abductions and killings happen in places such as Meerutand other parts of the country as well. Don’t demoniseKashmiris,” he said, when
asked about the killing andabduction of two youths inthe past 24 hours.
The killings carried out bymilitants were fi��lmed anduploaded on social media,evoking severe criticismfrom political parties.
He said to a large extent,Delhi was responsible for thesituation in Kashmir but “thetime of Vajpayeeji and Modijiwas not included in this.”
He said only one youthhad joined the militant ranksin the past three months andstonethrowing had comedown.
He said corruption wasentrenched deep in the system. “Europe is full of Kashmiri doctors, but they belong to families whoadvocate separatism. Thechildren of ordinary Kashmiris drive ponies duringAmarnath Yatra and theydon’t even have sweaters on
them. No house in Kashmirhas fewer than 15 rooms andcarpets that cost crores of rupees… Several offi��cers hadnot fi��led property return foryears. After I insisted, 97%fi��led returns,” he said.
Mr. Malik said he wasfi��ghting a tough battle on thecorruption front and recently cancelled two deals involving powerful people that“nobody would have daredto touch.”
On October 27, the Stategovernment scrapped a contract given to Reliance General Insurance Company(RGIC) for a group health insurance policy for employees and pensioners anddirected the AntiCorruptionBureau to review the entireprocess in relation to thegranting of contract.
He said his mandate wasnot to hold dialogues but topush governance.
J&K all set for President’s ruleGovernor’s rule, imposed under Section 92 for six months, expires in the State on January 19
Vijaita Singh
New Delhi
Chief of the Air Staff�� B.S.Dhanoa has stronglypitched for an institutionalised structure for jointplanning among the IndianAir Force, Navy and Armyso that the country winsany war in future in the“shortest possible” time.
The IAF chief said all thethree services will have toadopt a coherent approachto deal with all possible security threats facing thecountry eff��ectively.
“No single service canwin the war solely on itsown inherent organic capabilities, given the varietyof threats which nationsare capable of infl��ictingupon each other,” he said.
“Thus it is imperativethat the three services promote joint planning,” hesaid.
‘Armed forcesshould planjointly’
Press Trust of India
New Delhi
A day before the crucialboard meeting of the Reserve Bank of India, Congress leader and former Finance Minister P.Chidambaram alleged onSunday that the governmentwas “determined to capture” the central bank togain control over itsreserves.
In a series of tweets, hesaid that Monday would be aday of reckoning for the central bank’s independenceand India’s economy. “Government is determined to‘capture’ RBI in order togain control over the reserves. The other socalleddisagreements are only asmokescreen,” he said.
“Nowhere in the world isthe central bank a boardmanaged company. To suggest that private businesspersons will direct the Governor is a preposterousidea,” he said. “November19 will be a day of reckoningfor central bank independence and the Indianeconomy.”
The Finance Ministry andthe RBI have had diff��erencesover the past few weeks. Reports suggested that the government was exploring
ways of utilising a third ofthe RBI’s reserves of ₹��9.59lakh crore, and wanted thenorms eased for banks withpoor balance sheets andliquidity.
On November 9, the government denied that it wasasking the RBI for its reserves, but maintained thatdiscussions were under wayon the “appropriate size ofcapital reserves” that thecentral bank maintains.“There is no proposal to askthe RBI to transfer (₹��)3.6 or(₹��)1 lakh crore, as speculated,” Economic Aff��airs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garghad tweeted.
Govt. moving tocapture RBI: Cong.‘Nov. 19 will be a day of reckoning’
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI
<> Nowhere in the
world is the
central bank a
board-managed
company
P. Chidambaram
Congress Leader
The U.K. is “concerned” atcertain aspects of China’sBelt and Road Initiative(BRI) and is keen to workwith countries like Indiaand Australia so that everyone gets the opportunityfor “our own belts and ourown roads” and not justone, said Tom Tugendhat,MP and Chair of the Foreign Aff��airs Committee ofthe British Parliament.
“We are looking at therole of China and the BRIand we are looking at howthis plays out. There aresome things that are positive and some things weare concerned about. Theport of Colombo (Hambantota) is a concern as it doesnot speak of free trade. Itspeaks of a diff��erent formof control,” Mr. Tugendhatsaid in a conversation withThe Hindu.
He said the U.K. was very keen that its relationshipwith India alongside withAustralia and many others“is enabled to ensure thatIndia’s position is securedand all of us have the opportunity for our own beltsand our own roads and notjust one.”
Mr. Tugendhat, an Armyveteran, was in India forthe centenary commemoration of the First WorldWar and to pay tribute tothe Indian contribution inthe Great War.
We need ourown BRI, saysBritish MP
Dinakar Peri
NEW DELHI
The Maharashtra Cabinet onSunday cleared the decisionto extend reservation to theMaratha community bycreating a new categorycalled Socially and Educationally Backward Class(SEBC) on the recommendations of the State BackwardClass Commission.
Chief Minister DevendraFadnavis announced the decision at a press conferenceheld on the eve of the wintersession of the Statelegislature.
The reservation quantumwill be fi��xed by the Cabinetsubcommittee assigned tochalk out the technical aspects of the law that will bepresented in the next twoweeks.
“The report of the Backward Class Commissionmade three recommendations,” Mr. Fadnavis said.
Panel recommendationsThe recommendations areMarathas are socially andeducationally backwardclass of citizens with miniscule representation in thegovernment and semigovernment services; sociallyand educationally backwardclass can be extended benefi��ts of reservation under Articles 15(4) and 16(4) of the
Constitution and in view ofsuch extraordinary and exceptional condition, theState government is liable totake action.
Asked if the proposed reservation for Marathas willcross the 50% mark set bythe Supreme Court, Mr. Fadnavis said the BC Commission had specifi��cally mentioned that the condition ofMarathas was extraordinaryand exceptional.
“Even the Supreme Courthas said this earlier. Also,even though the case of Tamil Nadu crossing 50% reser
vation is pending in the Supreme Court, it has not beenstruck down either. We areconfi��dent of extending reservation to Marathas,” he said.
Central nod He said the opinion of theAdvocateGeneral was takenon whether the permissionof the Central governmentand the Centre’s various bodies was needed to bring outthe legislation in the State.
“We do not need permission from the Centre,” hesaid.
The report did not recom
mend including or mergingMaratha reservation withthat of the OBCs.
Asked about the demandof the Dhangars, Mr. Fadnavis said the State government had received a reportfrom the TISS.
“The Dhangars are presently under the VJNT category with 3.5% reservation.Their demand is that theyshould be added in the Scheduled Tribe category, whichcomes under the Centre’spurview. We will make therecommendation to theCentre,” he added.
Quota for Marathas approved Socially and Educationally Backward Class category created for the purpose
Long-drawn protest: A fi��le photo of Marathas taking out a silent march demanding reservationin jobs and educational institutions. * VIJAY BATE
Special Correspondent
Mumbai
Two militants of the AlBadroutfi��t were killed on Sundayin an encounter with security forces in Shopian districtof Jammu and Kashmir, thepolice said.
Based on a credible inputabout the presence of militants, a cordon and searchoperation was launched bysecurity forces at the crackof dawn in Rebban area ofZainapora in the south Kashmir district, a police spokesman said.
He said as the search operation was going on, thesearch party was fi��red uponby the hiding militants. Thesecurity forces retaliatedleading to an encounter inwhich two militants werekilled, the spokesman said.
He said the slain menhave been identifi��ed as Nawaz Ahmad Wagay, a resident of Rebban Zainaporaand Yawar Wani, a residentof Batnoor Litter inPulwama.
“They were affi��liated withproscribed terror outfi��t AlBadr. Both the killed terrorists were involved in a series of terror attacks on security establishments andmany other civilian atrocities in the area,” the spokesman said.
Arms and ammunition
were recovered from the siteof encounter.
No collateral damagetook place during the encounter, he said.
Hideout bustedSecurity forces also busted amilitant hideout in Shopianon Sunday, the police said.
A police spokespersonsaid a joint team of the police and Army’s 23 Para busted the hideout in Yarwanforest area. He said a hugequantity of materials, including food, stores and sustenance items for winter,were seized from the hideout.
On Sunday evening, JaisheMohammad militants attacked a CRPF camp set uprecently in view of the on
going panchayat elections inPulwama, killing a havaldarand injuring two personnel,offi��cials said.
The incident took placearound 7.30 p.m. when themilitants fi��red grenades andopened fi��re at the CRPF personnel near Kakapora railway station. In the attack,CRPF jawan, Head Constable Chandrika Prasad sustained injuries. He was shifted to a nearby hospitalwhere he succumbed toinjuries.
CRPF personnel immediately cordoned off�� thearea, leading to an encounter with the militants. However, the operation wascalled off�� as a religious eventwas under way in the area.
Two militants killed inShopian encounter CRPF havaldar killed in grenade attack on camp
Press Trust of India
Srinagar
Show of grief: Women attending the funeral procession ofNawaz Ahmad Wagay in Shopian district. * NISSAR AHMAD
The offi��cial death toll fromCyclone Gaja was put at 45on Sunday. While relief, restoration and damage assessment works were under way, there weresporadic protests in Nagapattinam.
Minister mobbedHandlooms Minister O.S.Manian had to be escortedto safety when he wasmobbed by protesters, upset at the pace of reliefoperations.
Facing criticism from theOpposition, Chief MinisterEdappadi K. Palaniswamiexplained that he did nottour the aff��ected districts asarrangements for his offi��cial engagements in Salemand Namakkal had beenmade.
Eleven Ministers and 24
senior IAS offi��cials were onthe ground, Mr. Palaniswami said.
The Chief Minister willchair a meeting at the Secretariat on Monday morning to review the relief operations. He would tour theaff��ected districts on Tuesday.
CM’s Delhi visitMr. Palaniswami is expected to visit Delhi later in theweek to apprise the PrimeMinister of the situation.
On Sunday evening,Commissioner of RevenueAdministration K. Satyagopal said: “Presently, arterialroads are being cleared andonly then can we reach interior villages. It will happen step by step. We are giving our 100% commitment.If there is any defi��ciency somewhere, the public cancall 1070.”
Gaja toll rises to 45; CMto chair meeting todaySporadic protests in Nagapattinam
Special Correspondent
CHENNAI
CMYK
A ND-NDE
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THE HINDU NOIDA/DELHI
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ASSEMBLY POLLS 2018: CHHATTISGARH, MADHYA PRADESH, RAJASTHAN, TELANGANA, MIZORAMTAKE FIVE
Days ahead: Police personnel and offi��cials drafted for election duty waiting to cast postal ballots for the Madhya PradeshAssembly election, at Lal Parade Ground in Bhopal on Sunday. * A.M. FARUQUI
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Early birds
As campaigning drew to aclose in Chhattisgarh for thesecond and fi��nal phase of theAssembly elections scheduled for Tuesday, the rulingBJP is banking on the popularity of Chief Minister Raman Singh to win a fourthstraight term in power, whilethe Congress hopes an upswing in its support amongfarming communities in theplains will turn the tide in itsfavour.
The past three Lok Sabhaand Assembly elections inthe State were settled by narrow margins ranging between 2.5% and 0.7%. The BJPwon 49 of the 90 Assemblyseats in 2013 by scoring nearly one lakh votes more thanthe Congress, which won 39.
The Chief Minister for 15years, Mr. Singh, an Ayurvedic doctor who used to practise in a tin shed in the smalltown of Kawardha when hebegan his climb up the power ladder as a municipalcouncillor in 1983, remainspopular. But it is a diff��erentscenario for the BJP’s MLAswho are contesting to retaintheir place.
On one man’s strength“The BJP is bigger than thesum of its parts, for one reason — Raman Singh. Man toman, booth to booth, theCongress is better this time,”a key fi��gure in the BJP campaign told The Hindu.
“Being in power for thelast 15 years led to a weaken
ing of the BJP organisation,which was partly required toassert the CM’s authority. Being out of power for 15 yearshas had the opposite eff��ecton the Congress. The hungerfor power and the fear of sitting in the Opposition foranother fi��ve years hascharged them up,” the campaign functionary said.
The BJP’s sitting MLAs arefacing strong antiincumbency, which is a trend in theState, said Amit Jogi, leaderof the Janata Congress Chhattisgarh ( JCC), which hadsplintered from the Congress.
“Three out of four MLAslose in the State, if you go bytrends in the previous elections,” Mr. Jogi, who, alongwith his father and formerChief Minister, Ajit Jogi, istrying to establish the JCC asthe fi��rst regional party in theState.
The BJP denied ticket to 16of its sitting MLAs, far fewerthan during the previous twotimes. Many who weredropped in the past threeelections have made a comeback too. Twelve of its 13 Ministers are in the fray, manyof them unpopular, said Sunil Kumar, a political com
mentator and editor of thedaily Chhattisgarh.
Mr. Jogi has a signifi��cantfollowing in the ScheduledCaste Satnami communitythat constitutes around 12%of the State’s population, buthis exit from the Congressmay make it more acceptableto several backward castes,traders and the urban middle class.
These sections are hostileto Mr. Jogi. The JCCBSP alliance is breaking into theBJP base also. “The Congresshas made signifi��cant inroadsamong the backward castefarmers in the plains who
formed the core of the BJP’sbase. They got a raw deal under the BJP. We retain ouredge in the tribal regions inthe south and north, and a20% shift among farmers tous will see us through,” saidChandan Yadav, AICC secretary in charge of the campaign in the State.
“Eeven if the sky falls andthe roof collapses … one,two, three, four… before the10th day of a Congress government in the State, thefarmers will have their loanswaived off��,” said Congresspresident Rahul Gandhi during the campaigning. This
message is the spearhead ofthe party’s attempt to woothe backward caste farmersin the State, particularly theSahus, Kurmis and Yadavs.Bhupesh Baghel, the KurmiState president of the party,and Tamradhwaj Sahu, thelone party MP from the Stateand Congress Working Committee (CWC) member, areleading the campaigning.
Assertive leadershipMr. Singh wanted to replacemany more Ministers andMLAs and bring in fresh faces to beat antiincumbency,but other considerations bythe BJP’s central leadership,which is now far more assertive and interventionist inthe State’s aff��airs than it wasin the past three elections,tied his hands, according topeople in the know.
Mr. Singh initially resistedbut gave in. His campaigningis centred on his own persona, and he stresses inspeeches that the vote for aparticular candidate is, eff��ectively, for him as CM. Campaign ads feature him prominently, with a large sketch ofthe late A.B. Vajpayee in thebackground.
While objective factorsmay appear favourable forthe Congress, it is being outspent many times over bythe BJP. In the last lap of campaigning, this might be critical. What is, however, unmistakable is the challengeposed for the BJP by thechurn in Chhattisgarh’s social dynamics.
[IN FOCUS: CHHATTISGARH PHASE 2]
BJP banks on Raman, Congress on farmers Sitting MLAs face strong anti-incumbency; long years out of power has charged up the Opposition
Varghese K. George
Raipur
Leading from the front: Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi helmed an intense few days of campaigning in Chhattisgarh. * PTI
Nand Kumar Sai, 72, is a sadman as his party, the BJP,has not asked him to campaign during the Assemblyelection.
“Big leaders are coming.Perhaps, they don’t needme,” said Mr. Sai, Chairperson of the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes.
A threetime Lok Sabhaand twotime Rajya Sabhamember, former presidentof the BJP in undivided Madhya Pradesh, former Opposition leader and the key tribalface in Chhattisgarh was noteven asked if he was interested in campaigning in a Statewhere a third of the seats arereserved for the tribal people.
Of the 29 seats reservedfor Scheduled Tribes in the90member Assembly, 11 arewith the BJP. While votingwas held for 12 of these seatslast week, the remaining 17will go to the polls on November 20.
Numbers gameBoth the BJP and the Congress agree that these seatscould be crucial in a closerace. In 2013, the Congressdid well in south Chhattisgarh where it bagged eight ofthe 12 seats. In the north, theparty got nine seats while
the BJP got the remainingeight.
Asked about the chancesof the BJP in the tribal areas,Mr. Sai, who is closely associated with the RSS, said he“should not commentagainst the party”. But hedid raise issues that couldhave an impact on the polls.
“First, there are seriousattempts to convert triballand into nontribal land. Second, the tribal seats are reducing. When Chhattisgarhwas formed [in 2000], therewere 34 seats reserved forthe tribal people; now it is29; I can’t understand howonly the tribal percentageand seats are decreasing,while others are growing,”
the tribal leader said.He also fl��agged other con
cerns — from “nonimplementation of Panchayats(Extension to the ScheduledAreas) Act in the tribaldominated Fifth Schedule areas,nonavailability of teachersin schools with tribal children, “planned” attempts toacquire tribal land” to violation of the law in Naxaldominated areas.
Dealing with naxalism“They [BJP] could not stopnaxalism and the only solution that they could think ofis to arrest tribal people,while police tortures womenand fake encounters are continuing,” he said. National
Crime Records Bureau(NCRB) fi��gures are availableonly up to 2015, while datapublished over a period indicate Chhattisgarh has highest occupancy rates of jailsin the country.
“I am often consideredantiparty for raising such issues,” Mr. Sai said.
Higher turnout Four of the 12 tribal seats inthe fi��rst phase saw a higherpercentage than in 2013.Both Congress and the BJPsaid the “extra” votes wouldboost their chances. StateMinister of Tribal Development and School EducationKedar Kashyap said the BJPwas receiving “an overwhelming tribal support” in2018.
He denied any “uppercaste attempt” to reduce thenumber of tribal seats or sidestep tribal leadership inpolicy making. “I am theBJP’s candidate for thefourth time and fully participate in policy making,” hesaid. Tribal people receivedindividual and communityrights over forest land in“large numbers” and “thesewill benefi��t BJP,” he said.
Apart from reservedseats, others also have alarge number of tribal voters. Jagdalpur and Ambikapur have more than 50%.
Where tribes hold the calling card 29 seats reserved for STs in Chhattisgarh could be crucial in a close race
Suvojit Bagchi
Chattisgarh
Swing seats: The campaign in a tribal constituency in southChhattisgarh. * SUVOJIT BAGCHI
Cong. third list for RajasthanNew Delhi
The Congress released itsthird list of candidates forthe Rajasthan Assemblyelection on Sunday,declaring 10 new namesand replacing threepreviously declarednominees. It has left fi��veseats for its allies. With this, the Congress andits allies have announced candidates for 199of the 200 seats. Congress sources said theparty was likely to give the remaining oneseat to the Samajwadi Party. In the third list,the Congress named Karan Singh Yadav,Alwar MP, for Kishangarh. In Bikaner West,B.D. Kalla replaced Yashpal Gehlot, who willcontest Bikaner East, where he replacedKanhayia Lal Jhawar. PTI
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‘Ticket not on religious basis’Jaipur
Union MinisterRajyavardhan Rathore saidhere on Sunday that ticketfor the Assembly electionshould not be distributedon the basis of religion,amid questions why the BJPhad not fi��elded any Muslim
candidate in Rajasthan. “There should be noquota for ticket distribution for any religion. Ifthe work done by our government has notreached any religion then only we can beunder question,” he said. PTI
Leading lights for TelanganaHyderabad
Campaigning for theDecember 7 TelanganaAssembly polls will hit topgear during the nextfortnight with top leaders,including Prime MinisterNarendra Modi, BJP chiefAmit Shah and formerCongress president Sonia Gandhi, set toaddress public meetings in the State. With thethe process of fi��ling nominations coming to aclose on Monday, all major parties, the rulingTRS, the BJP, and the Congress along with its“grand alliance” constituents have drawn upplans for intense hustings. The Congress hasannounced that Ms. Gandhi, on her fi��rst visitto Telangana after the State’s formation, willaddress a public meeting on November 23 atMedchal on the periphery of Hyderabad.
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In the cacophony of an election campaign, the removalof nearly 30 lakh duplicatevoters by the Election Commission from the electoralrolls of Madhya Pradesh canget lost in the din. Not so inObedullahganj, where former Union Minister Suresh Pachouri makes sure that Congress party workersremember this.
He ensures they remember that in Bhojpur alone,more than 20,000 bogus voters were removed from therolls — nearly as much as themargin of victory posted byhis rival, Surendra Patwa.
‘EC did needful’“I didn’t say anything then,but now that the EC hasdone the needful, we needto be careful about our voters and the fair exercise ofvoting,” Mr. Pachouri said ata meeting of party workersin Obeduallahgunj.
The Congress had evengone to court to make theelectoral rolls more readable on the EC’s website via asoftware conversion. Thecase was lost, but the EC’sexercise in weeding out duplicate voters was successful, something Mr. Pachourihopes will work in his favour.
Mr. Pachouri, a fourtimeRajya Sabha member, ishoping to post his fi��rst electoral victory after spendingnearly four decades in politics.
His campaign and his op
ponent best encapsulate thecurrent election from theCongress’s perspective.
Mr. Patwa, son of formerChief Minister and BJP stalwart Sunderlal Patwa, hasbeen mentioned in cases relating to wilful defaults onloans.
The Congress is hopingthat local antiincumbencyagainst a decadeandahalfold system will do the trickthis time around.
“I don’t want any workerfrom Obeduallahganj towaste time trying to fi��nd outthe position in other Blocks.Restrict yourself to the areasassigned to you and get everyone to the polling booth,”he added.
The Congress’s biggestselling point in these pollsis, however, the farm loanwaiver the party has promised within 10 days of being elected.
“Unlike the BJP, whosepolicies are fl��awed andwhich do not know how toget work done from offi��cials,you very well know that wedeliver,” Mr. Pachouri declared to some cheering bythe crowd, pointedly referring to his stint as a UnionMinister in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.
First-ever?With duplicate voters weeded out and an opponentwith some serious issues tocontend with, Mr. Pachouriis hoping to post his fi��rstever electoral victory this pollseason.
EC purges scores of bogus voters
Nistula Hebbar
OBEDULLAHGANJ
Pachouri drawsfi��rst blood
With the workers: Suresh Pachouri at a Congress campaignmeeting at Obedullahganj. * NISTULA HEBBAR
Pt The Congress has
accepted defeat even
before the poll. Going by the
support for the BJP in the
fi��rst phase of the poll
in Chhattisgarh, it is
certain that the lotus
will bloom in the State
for the fourth
consecutive time.
AMIT SHAH
BJP PRESIDENT
As per your assets declaration, you have a fl��at
worth ₹��15,000, a commercial complex worth
₹��20,000, a Mercedes worth ₹��9,000. Your wife
has a kilo of gold worth ₹��10,000 ... and your son
has a motorbike worth ₹��6,000.
POCKET | SURENDRACCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
Cong. will sweep polls: SharadNew Delhi
Rebel Janata Dal(U) leaderSharad Yadav said here onSunday that the results ofthe Assembly elections,including in BJPruledRajasthan, Chhattisgarhand Madhya Pradesh,would set the tone for the
Lok Sabha election. People want to get rid ofthe Narendra Modi government as it had notfulfi��lled a single promise made to them in2014, he said. “The Congress is in the drivingseat in all the fi��ve States [where elections arebeing held]. People are under distress andwant to defeat the BJP. PTI
CMYK
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NOIDA/DELHI THE HINDU
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Khaleda Zia challengessentence in graft caseDHAKA
Bangladesh’s former Prime
Minister Khaleda Zia on
Sunday challenged the
sevenyear sentence handed
out to her in a corruption
case, claiming that she has
been convicted “illegally and
unjustly”. Ms. Zia, 73, has
been in custody since
February 8, when she was
sentenced to fi��ve years in
prison in another case. PTI
ELSEWHERE
Netanyahu resists callsfor snap electionJERUSALEM
Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu resisted
calls for a snap poll on
Sunday, saying elections now
would be “unnecessary and
wrong”, ahead of what he
called lastditch talks to hold
his embattled coalition
together. Mr. Netanyahu’s
coalition was thrown into
crisis on Wednesday after
Defence Minister Avigdor
Lieberman’s resignation. AFP
The U.S. government has notreached a fi��nal position onthe culpability for Washing-ton Post columnist JamalKhashoggi’s murder in theSaudi consulate in Istanbullast month, despite reportsthat the CIA had concludedthat Khashoggi was killed onorders from Saudi CrownPrince Mohammed bin Salman. This has placed U.S.President Donald Trumpand his administration atodds with the intelligenceassessment.
Mr. Trump was briefed over the phone by CIA DirectorGina Haspel and Secretary ofState Mike Pompeo on Saturday morning while he wasaboard Air Force One on hisway to California to tour siteshit by the wildfi��res.
Crown Prince’s roleThe Washington Post had reported on Friday that it hadbeen told by an unnamed offi��cial that the CIA had concluded that Prince Mohammed had ordered thekilling of Khashoggi.
“They haven’t assessed
anything yet. It’s too early,”Mr. Trump said in Malibu,California, late Saturday afternoon California time, adding, “It’s a horrible thingthat took place, the killing ofa journalist… we’ll be havinga very full report over thenext two days, probablyMonday or Tuesday.”
“There remain numerousunanswered questions withrespect to the murder of Mr.Khashoggi,” State Department spokeswoman HeatherNauert said on Saturday afternoon. “The State Department will continue to seek allrelevant facts.”
The State Department hadsanctioned 17 individuals on
Thursday last week and theSaudi Public Prosecutor’s Offi��ce had said, on the sameday, that it was indicting 11people for the murder andseeking the death penalty forfi��ve of these.
Khashoggi disappeared after a visit to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2to obtain papers for his imminent marriage. The Saudigovernment repeatedlychanged its story on whathappened before admittingthat he had been killed, allegedly after a quarrel, by Saudiagents who had gone rogue.
While the Saudi government has said the CrownPrince was unaware that a
killing had been planned,the CIA’s conclusion thatPrince Mohammed was involved is based on intercepted phone calls and a clandestine recording of Khashoggi’sfatal October 2 consulate visit provided by the Turkishgovernment, The Washing-ton Post reported.
Mr. Trump and other administration offi��cials have repeatedly said that they wantto punish those responsiblefor the murder but they havealso avoided blaming theCrown Prince and showedresistance to taking a toughstand on Saudi Arabia, whichis a U.S. ally and buyer ofAmerican arms.
In a related development,Kirsten Fontenrose, a WhiteHouse offi��cial who hadpushed for strong actionagainst Saudi Arabia, resigned on Friday evening,The New York Times fi��rst reported. The exact reasonsfor her departure remain unclear but The Times reportedthat she wanted a top adviserto Prince Mohammed, SaudalQahtani, added to the listof sanctioned individuals(his name was included).
Report on Khashoggi’s killingexpected in two days: TrumpPresident says nothing assessed so far, a day after CIA report implicated Prince
Sriram Lakshman
Washington
Blood on hands? A protest in October outside Saudi Arabia’sconsulate in Istanbul against Jamal Khashoggi’s killing. * AFP
Democratic candidate forFlorida’s governorship, Andrew Gillum, conceded toRepublican Ron DeSantis after a long and bitter fi��ghtthat went into a Statewideelectronic recount of votes.Had he won, Mr. Gillum, aprogressive, would havebeen Florida’s fi��rst AfricanAmerican Governor.
After conceding to Mr. DeSantis on the night of the November 6 midterm elections, the 39yearold Mayorof Tallahassee withdrew hisconcession as counting wenton and the gap between thecandidates narrowed to33,000 votes.
Florida law requires a Statewide electronic recount ifthe margin of victory is 0.5%or less and a hand recount ifit is 0.25% or less.
Although it had emergedthat Mr. DeSantis had wonfor all practical purposes after the machine recountended on Thursday withoutbreaching the 0.25% mark,Mr. Gillum held out till Saturday to concede. The Democrats have made a point ofensuring that every vote is
counted. “R.J. and I wantedto take a moment to congratulate Mr. DeSantis on becoming the Governor of thegreat state of Florida,” Mr.Gillum said via a Facebookvideo, in which he appearedwith his wife R.J.
‘Hard-fought campaign’“This was a hardfoughtcampaign,” Mr. DeSantissaid via Twitter. “Now it’stime to bring Floridatogether.”
U.S. President DonaldTrump campaigned particularly hard for Mr. DeSantis, aformer Congressman andIvy Leagueeducated Navylawyer and admirer of Mr.
Trump. Shortly before hisconcession, Mr. Trump congratulated Mr. Gillum onTwitter for a hardfoughtbattle. “He will be a strongDemocrat warrior long intothe future — a force to reckon with!” Mr Trump said onSaturday. Earlier in the campaign, Mr. Trump had madecomments with racist undertones, calling Mr Gillum a“thief”.
Hand count results for theSenate race between Democratic incumbent Bill Nelsonand his opponent, GovernorRick Scott, were due on Sunday, as were recount resultsfor the Agricultural Commissioner race.
Machine recount took place after the margin was too close
Sriram Lakshman
Washington
Recount over: Andrew Gillum and Ron DeSantis, Floridagubernatorial candidates, in a combination photo. * AP
Democrat Gillum concedesFlorida Governor race
U.S. President DonaldTrump criticised Pakistanfor doing nothing to help theU.S. in combating terror. Thecomments were part of awideranging interview toFox News, where he spokeon topics like allegationsabout his state of mind,transfers in the WhiteHouse, and Robert Mueller’sinvestigation.
Mr. Trump said that Osama bin Laden could have
been caught a lot sooner.“Living in Pakistan, beautifully in Pakistan, in what Iguess they considered a nicemansion... right next to themilitary academy… everybody in Pakistan knew he wasthere and we give Pakistan$1.3 billion a year and theydon’t tell him [President Barack Obama about bin Laden’s whereabouts]?”
“I ended it [aid]. Becausethey don’t do anything forus, they don’t do a damnthing for us,” he said.
On Saudi Crown PrinceMohammed bin Salman denying any involvement inthe killing of Jamal Kashoggi,Mr. Trump said, “I don’tknow... I mean who can really know? But I can say this,he’s got many people nowthat say he had no knowledge,” adding that there aresanctions on Saudi individuals now, but “at the sametime we do have an ally and Iwant to stick with an allythat has... in many ways,been very good.”
Sriram Lakshman
Washington
Trump blasts Pakistan in interview
An allparty conference convened by President Maithripala Sirisena on Sunday ended without an agreement,prolonging the political crisis that has gripped Sri Lanka for over three weeks.
Mr. Sirisena called for ameeting of all party representatives on Sunday, in thewake of a political deadlockfollowing a noconfi��dencemotion against former Presi
dent Mahinda Rajapaksa. Mr. Rajapaksa, who was
controversially appointedPrime Minister on October26, was defeated by threevotes in the House last week,but has refused to accept theresult citing “procedural”reasons.
However, MPs aligned todeposed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremsinghe and fromother Opposition partieshave countered the claim,pointing to specifi��c provi
sions that allow such a vote.The House took up a vote onFriday under tumultuouscircumstances.
Logjam persistsLittle progress was made onSunday, sources said. “Wehave placed our cards on thetable. We told the Presidentthat those who do not agreewith the Speaker’s earlierrulings could move a motionagainst them in the House,”UNP MP Lakshman Kiriella
told mediapersons after themeeting. Asked about thePresident’s response, he saidit was “nil”. Mr. Rajapaksa’sside, on the other hand, reiterated its accusation thatparliamentary process hadbeen breached. His MPssought a fresh vote.
Opposition party JVP earlier said its members wouldnot attend the meeting. “Youare the architect of the anarchy and instability the country is subjected to at present.
It could be corrected only byyou. We do not believe a solution could be reached byhaving a mere discussionwith you,” its leader AnuraKumara Dissanayake told Mr.Sirisena in a stronglyworded letter.
With Parliament scheduled to reconvene on Monday, Mr. Sirisena has urgedMPs to go for a vote by nameor through the electronicvoting system, a media release said.
Meera Srinivasan
Colombo
Sirisena’s all-party meet proves inconclusive
British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Sundaythat toppling her would riskdelaying Brexit and shewould not let talk of a leadership challenge distracther from a critical week ofnegotiations with Brussels.
Since unveiling a draft divorce deal with the European Union (EU) on Wednesday, Ms. May’spremiership has been thrustinto crisis by the resignationof several Ministers, including her Brexit Minister, andsome of her own lawmakersseeking to oust her.
“A change of leadershipat this point isn’t going tomake the negotiations anyeasier... what it will do ismean that there is a risk thatactually we delay the negotiations and that is a risk thatBrexit gets delayed or frustrated,” she told Sky News.
To trigger a confi��dencevote, 48 of her Conservativelawmakers must submit aletter to the chairman of theparty’s socalled 1922 committee, Graham Brady. Morethan 20 lawmakers havesaid publicly that they havesubmitted a letter, but others are expected to havedone so confi��dentially. Mr.Brady told BBC Radio onSunday the 48 thresholdhad not yet been reached.
Mr. Brady said he thoughtit was likely Ms. May wouldwin any confi��dence vote.
Mark Francois, one lawmaker who has submitted aletter, said he expectedsome colleagues were taking soundings from localparty members in their constituencies over the weekend before decidingwhether to submit a letter.
The proBrexit ERGgroup of Conservative MPspublished its assessment ofthe deal on Sunday, saying itwould leave Britain “half inand half out” of the EU.
Opposition Labour leaderJeremy Corbyn said his party would vote against Ms.May’s deal when it came toParliament and the government should go back toBrussels for further negotiations. He said that was apriority ahead of pushingfor a socalled people’s voteon the fi��nal agreement.
Getting rid of me would delayBrexit, says Theresa MayBritish PM asserts she would not be distracted from talks
Reuters
London
British Prime MinisterTheresa May. * AP
Bangladesh’s plans to tacklethe Rohingya refugee crisishave been stalled until thenew year with repatriationand relocation programmesonly likely to be revisited following the yearend generalelection, a top Bangladeshioffi��cial said on Sunday.
Abul Kalam, Bangladesh’sRefugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner, said that“a new course of action”needed to be adopted thattook into account refugees’key demands.
In late October, Bangladesh and Myanmar agreed tobegin to repatriate refugees,but the plan has been opposed by the refugees inBangladesh and the UN refugee agency and aid groups,
who fear for the safety ofRohingya in Myanmar. Therepatriation of the fi��rst batchof 2,200 refugees was to begin offi��cially on November15, but it stalled amid protests at the camps.
Myanmar has agreed totake the Rohingya back and
said they would need to accept the National Verifi��cation Card, which it sayswould allow Rohingya to apply for citizenship. The Rohingya reject the card, sayingit brands them foreigners.
Mr. Kalam said he believed Myanmar needed to
propose a “clearer path” tocitizenship for the Rohingyaif any returns were to takeplace, adding he would raisethe matter at the next bilateral meeting, likely to takeplace next month.
“Elections are coming upnow, so the government willonly fi��nalise a future courseof action after the elections,”said Mr. Kalam. Bangladeshhas vowed not to forceanyone to return.
Mr. Kalam said construction work on alternativehousing on Bhasan Char was“nearly complete”. He saidhe was hopeful some refugees would agree to move,given the island’s “livelihoodopportunities” such as fi��shing and farming. Aid agencies express caution as the island is prone to fl��ooding.
Rohingya relocation plan pushed to 2019New proposal after poll, says Bangladesh offi��cial, after refugees refuse to return
No return without rights: Rohingya people protesting at a camp in Bangladesh against the repatriation plan. * AFP
Reuters
Cox’s Bazar
The Taliban has held threedays of talks with U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad inQatar, a Taliban offi��cialand another individualclose to the group said onSunday. The two individuals said KhairullahKhairkhwah, the formerTaliban Governor of Herat,and Mohammed Fazl, aformer Taliban militarychief, attended the talks.
A third individual withknowledge of the talks saidthe Taliban pressed for apostponement of nextyear’s presidential electionand the establishment ofan interim government under a neutral leadership.Abdul Sattar Sirat, an ethnic Tajik, was suggested asa candidate to lead an interim administration.
The individual said Mr.Khalilzad wants to reach asettlement within sixmonths, a timescale theTaliban said was too short.Mr. Khalilzad also proposed a truce, which theTaliban rejected, the individual said, adding thatthere was no agreement onthe release of prisoners,opening the Taliban offi��ceor lifting a travel ban.
U.S. envoyholds talkswith Taliban
Associated Press
Islamabad
CMYK
A ND-NDE
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THE HINDU NOIDA/DELHI
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2018 13EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
BUSINESS
IN BRIEF
BSE to part ways withS&P Dow JonesNEW DELHI
Asia’s oldest bourse BSE will
snap ties with S&P Dow
Jones, which manages and
operates the benchmark
Sensex, and plans to develop
indices through its inhouse
development team, the
exchange’s offi��cials said. The
two entities had announced a
joint venture — Asia Index —
in 2013 to provide an array of
indices enabling global and
domestic investors to
participate in South Asia’s
vibrant economies. Pti
PSU banks’ losses widen3.5 times in JulySept. NEW DELHI
Stateowned banks saw their
cumulative losses widen
nearly threeandahalf
times to ₹��14,716.2 crore in
the JulySeptember quarter
of the current fi��scal due to
mounting bad loans. These
21 public sector banks had
posted a net loss of
₹��4,284.45 crore in the
September quarter of 2017
18. Higher provisioning
towards bad loans had
impacted the balance sheets
of these PSU lenders. PTI
As the trade war with the United States continues to bite— with only a slim chancethat the world’s two biggesteconomies can go past a possible truce — China appearsto be opening up to nonU.S.imports.
Smelling an unexpectedopportunity to export moreto the Middle Kingdom, India is quietly squeezing inthe door. The focus so far hasbeen on pushing agriproducts into the Chinese market. Sensing that Chinawould look fi��rst at its food security by diversifying imports in view of the tradewar, New Delhi has steppedup its agrodiplomacy withBeijing.
Over the past two months,Indian food and beverageproducers have been conducting seminars and roadshows in the Chinese capital.
Soya sourceThough Indian soya bean exports are apparently a priority, especially after the Chinaimposed a 25% levy on U.S.imports, success in the hugeChinese soya bean market isyet to materialise, thoughsome progress may have re
gistered during talks. Visiting Commerce SecretaryAnup Wadhawan in a conversation with his Chinesecounterpart Wang Shouwenearlier in November “expressed satisfaction overprogress on soya bean mealand pomegranate and related issues,” an Indian Embassy press statement said.
However, other agriproducts may have stolen amarch over soya beans infi��nding a niche in the Chinese market. On November6, Jay Shree Tea and Industries Ltd. signed a $1millionblack tea export contract
with Stateowned COFCO.Assam tea, in particular, hasgood prospects in China as itblends well with milkbasedtea drinks. “China has beentraditionally a green tea market. But of late, its young people are developing a tastefor milk infused bubble tea,potentially opening a largermarket for Indian blackteas,” said Arun Kumar Ray,Deputy Chairman of the TeaBoard, on a visit to Beijing.
India’s eff��orts to exportsugar to China, which beganin earnest in June, also appear to have paid dividends.Earlier this month, a Com
merce Ministry statementsaid the Indian Sugar MillsAssociation had signed itsfi��rst sugar export contract of50,000 tonnes with COFCO.During his visit, Mr. Wadhawan briefed the China SugarAssociation about India’sproven capacity to meet China’s sugar needs over thelong haul.
China has also opened upimports of nonBasmati ricefrom India in June on the sidelines of the Qingdao summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).Offi��cials say China is a lucrative $1.5$2 billion market forIndian rice. A delegation ofIndian rice traders was inBeijing in October on a followup visit after China, inprinciple, opened its doorsto 24 Indiabased rice mills.
Eff��orts to tap the Chineseagrimarket, in view of theChinaU.S. trade war, wasfl��agged in April. In his opening remarks at the fi��fth ChinaIndia Strategic EconomicDialogue, NITI Aayog ViceChairman Rajiv Kumar saidIndia was ready to step inand supply soya beans toChina. “I was noticing thatthere were some tariff��s thatwere issued on farmers fromIowa and Ohio, etc. Maybe
India can substitute for something like soya beans andsugar if we could have accessto those exports with all thedue quality considerationsthat you might have,” Mr. Kumar had said.
Trade imbalanceDespite signs of incrementalprogress, India’s $63billiontrade imbalance with Chinais alarming. In his meetingsin Shanghai, Mr. Wadhawanstressed that pharmaceuticals, information technologyservices and tourism, inwhich India has a signifi��cantglobal footprint, had a “minuscule presence” in China.
Earlier this year, India hadraised the red fl��ag about itsadverse trade balance during China’s trade policy review at the WTO, specifi��callyciting hindrances that Indianexporters of rice, meat,pharmaceuticals and IT products were encountering toaccess the Chinese market.
“There are some positivedevelopments... but we wantthat to be refl��ected in concrete trade fi��gures before wecan conclude that there hasbeen a turnaround in ourcommercial ties with China,”an Indian diplomat told The
Hindu.
India steps up agrodiplomacy with China New Delhi feels that Beijing will focus on food security by diversifying imports in view of trade war
Seizing opportunity: Assam tea has good prospects in China asit blends well with milkbased tea drinks. * AP
Atul Aneja
BEIJING
one big reason for this wasthat last year exports haddropped due to the impactof GST introduction. Rupeedepreciation also seems tohave encouraged exportsnow. According to Sanjay K.Jain, chairman of Confederation of Indian Textile Industry, the IIP data for textilesand clothing saw a yearon
The textile and apparel sector seems to have seen a revival, going by export performance in October this year.Apparel exports grew 54% inrupee terms in October compared with the same monthlast year; in dollar terms itwas 36% for the same period.
Total textile and apparelexports grew 38% in rupeeterms and 22% in dollarterms for the same period.An industry source, who didnot want to be named, said
year growth during September this year from a year earlier. Manufacture of textilesgrew 5.4% this Septemberyearonyear and manufacturing of wearing apparelsaw a 20.9% growth for thesame period. “The growing,positive trend shows visiblesigns of recovery after a diffi��cult period.” he said.
Chandrima Chatterjee,adviser to the Apparel Export Promotion Council,said market sentiment wasgood and that demand hadpicked up in the U.S. and theEuropean Union.
Rupee fall boosts apparel exports
Total textile and apparel exports grew 38% in October
Special Correspondent
COIMBATORE <> Growing, positive
trend shows signs of
recovery after a
diffi��cult period
Sanjay K. Jain
Confederation of Indian Textile Industry
Mobile handset fi��rms havesought a 10year tax holiday, along with regulatoryreforms to focus on exports that can enable theindustry to grow by over 11fold to $230 billion by2025, an ICEAMcKinseyreport submitted to the government said. “If India extends its ambitions to theexport market, it could manufacture around 1,250million handsets by 2025,”the report said.
Mobile fi��rmsseek 10yeartax holiday
Press Trust of India
New Delhi
Foreign portfolio investors(FPIs) have pumped innearly ₹��8,285 crore intothe Indian capital marketsso far this month due to fallin crude oil prices, recovery in rupee and improvement in the liquiditysituation.
The recent infusioncomes after a net outfl��owof more than ₹��38,900crore in October and morethan ₹��21,000 crore inSeptember.
According to depositories data, FPIs infused₹��3,862 crore in the equitymarkets during November116, and ₹��4,423 crore inthe debt market.
FPIs investover $1 bn in Nov. so far
Press Trust of India
New Delhi
HDFC gives ₹��1,100 croresubsidy under PMAYMUMBAI
Housing fi��nance fi��rm HDFC
has disbursed over ₹��1,100
crore subsidy to more than
51,000 customers under the
Credit Linked Subsidy
Scheme – the fl��agship
scheme of Pradhan Mantri
Awas Yojana. HDFC has given
loans of over ₹��9,800 crore
under the scheme, to these
customers belonging to the
Economically Weaker
Section, Low Income Group
and Middle Income Group
category, the lender said.
A deal to acquire Jet Airwaysmay be in the making, nowthat Tata Sons has clarifi��edthat it is holding preliminarydiscussions with Jet Airwaysfor a possible investment inone of India’s oncehighfl��ying airlines.
Analysts expect an openoff��er from the Tatas shortly,maybe as early as Monday.They added that Jet Airwaysfounder and chairman Naresh Goyal — who holds 51%— may have to exit completely to allow the Tatas andtheir partner Singapore Airlines (SIA), a free hand torun the airline or merge itwith Vistara.
“No one can have a freeride with the Tatas. Theywould like to have full control of Jet. In the Jaguar LandRover deal, they did not allow Ford to keep a minoritystake of 5%. Going by this example, Mr. Goyal needs toexit,” said Mark Martin, CEO,Martin Consulting.
“The Tatas admitting thatdiscussions were at a preliminary stage is enough indication that they are keen onthis deal and they must havecompleted due diligence. Anopen off��er for Jet is likely anytime from Monday to Christmas,” Mr. Martin said.
He said, “While the Tataswill lead the investment, SIAwill put it to shape. It will bethe most aggressive comeback of [the] Tatas in aviation.” Going by past experience, the Tatas will moveswiftly to close the deal.
In August 2012, they haddenied to The Hindu anypossible reentry into theairline business, but announced two airline JVs (AirAsia India with AirAsia Bhdand Vistara with Singapore
Airlines) within months.Analysts said Jet had run
up ₹��8,052 crore in debt as ofSeptember 2018, but “it is agood buy” considering the“soft and hard assets” it has.
Its cost structure may beseen as a disadvantage; ithas an order pipeline of 225Boeing 737 Max planes, alarge maintenance facility inMumbai, an army of traditional travel agents and aworkforce of over 16,000employees.
Currently it operates 124aircraft, including 16 that itowns. “The Tatas are gettinga very good asset at a verygood price,” Mr. Martin said.
The market capitalisationof Jet was ₹��3,940 crore as onFriday. “It will be a strategicvaluation, not based on marketcap. It is all about whatthe buyer will do with the acquisition and how muchcontrol premium theywould pay to Mr. Goyal,”said KG Vishwanath, director & partner, Trinity Aviation Consultants.
But post acquisition, theroad ahead would be bumpyas IndiGo will keep the pressure on with low fares.
“Apart from the buy, howmuch incremental moneythe Tatas would pump in to
run Jet for the next 1218months would be crucial. IndiGo will put pricing pressure for the next 34 quarters,” he said.
Though the contours ofthe deal are still not known,what is clear is: cash needsto come to Jet; the Tataswant full control; and SIAwill not coexist with Etihadthat owns 24% of Jet. “Overall consolidation is positive[for] the industry,... there islimited market for three fullservice carriers and rationalisation is likely,” said KapilKaul, CEO, South Asia,CAPA.
Goyal’s role?What will Mr. Goyal’s futurebe in Jet Airways?
“The Tatas, by nature, arenot as harsh as MNCs andMr. Goyal can work withthem in an advisory/ mentorrole with a hefty salary andhe has had good relationshipwith the Tatas. He is thebestnetworked airline owner and can add lot of value,”an analyst said.
It was JRD Tata who inaugurated Jet’s fi��rst fl��ight inMay 1993 to encourage ayoung Mr. Goyal. Now, theTatas may board Jet permanently to keep it fl��ying.
‘If Tatas acquire Jet,Goyal may have to exit’Group’s due diligence of the carrier may be over: analysts
Lalatendu Mishra
MUMBAI
Money talks: It would be a strategic valuation and not basedon marketcap, says K.G. Vishwanath. * REUTERS
Monday’s meeting of the Reserve Bank of India’s CentralBoard will be as importantfor the actions taken as forthe fact that it’s the fi��rst timethe body has met since the‘RBI vs Finance Ministry’tussle broke out in the open.The public exchange ofwords and criticism beganwith RBI Deputy GovernorViral Acharya fi��ring the fi��rstsalvo, saying the government was encroaching onthe central bank’s independence and autonomy.
Opinions on the matterranged from saying that thegovernment had no businessto engage in monetary policy decisions to opining thatthe RBI was never really independent of the government due to the way the RBIAct is worded, and still others pointing out that thewhole issue was not a tusslebetween institutions but between two particularindividuals.
The issue of the government encroaching on theRBI’s autonomy has beendiscussed extensively already, but less has been mentioned about the eff��ects thatdiff��erences between the RBIGovernor and the Centrecould have on decisionmaking, as seems to be the casecurrently.
One of the main issueswith bodies like the RBIBoard and the Monetary Policy Committee is whetherdecision making by committee is preferable to one mancalling the shots.
Decisions by committeeThe government prefers decisions by committee, as canalso be seen by how itpushed to install a MonetaryPolicy Committee to replace
the Governor as the sole arbiter of monetary policy decisions.
But someone in the government at the time offraming the RBI Act clearlyseems to have also studiedthe research on voting systems and committees, andhow they can bemanipulated.
Section 13 of the RBI Actsays: “The Governor, or if forany reason, he is unable toattend, the Deputy Governor authorized by the Governor under the proviso tosubsection (3) of section 8 tovote for him, shall preside atmeetings of the CentralBoard, and, in the event ofan equality of votes, shallhave a second or castingvote.” In other words, theGovernor is the tiebreakerin all decisions of the Board.In doing so, they risk giving apotentially discontented Governor the deciding vote.
Giving the Governor thedeciding vote is theoreticallysound, especially in the context of the research done byAllan Gibbard and Mark Satterthwaite, the seminal work
on the effi��ciency of votingsystems.
What they said was that inany voting system, there isalways a confl��ict betweenthe seemingly aligned butcounterintuitively opposedaspects of complete democracy and complete honesty.
The theorem says that if asystem is completely democratic where everybody hasan equal vote, then it wouldbe vulnerable to tactical voting (which is where peoplevote according to their ownprivate interests, even iftheir stated interests are different). In other words, people try to game the system intheir favour every time theyget the chance.
The only way to counterthis is something the government seems to have realised— empowering a single individual in the voting systemmore than the others. Inboth the RBI Board and theMPC, that person is the Governor, who has been giventhe deciding vote in the caseof a tie. How that plays outon Monday will be key. Willpersonal animosity derailprofessional duties?
Unlikely, but nonzero inits probability.
Section 13 of the RBI Act gives Governor the deciding voteTCA Sharad Raghavan
New Delhi
Eye of a storm: One of the key issues debated is whetherdecision making by a committee is preferable. * AFP
In case of a split vote,Governor holds the aces
NEWS ANALYSIS
A genome study project initiated by the Tea Board ofIndia, to establish the originsand speciality of Indian teas,has now reached an advanced stage.
The study is being conducted on Assam teas to establish it as a product ofIndia.
“We hope to ready the report by early next year. Itwill be a basestudy that willmainly unravel the specialities of Assam teas,” saidCommerce Ministry offi��cial
who was not willing to benamed.
Tea Board Chairman ArunRay said that ₹��5 crore hasbeen earmarked for thisstudy.
Joydip Phukan, secretaryof Tea Research Association,which is also involved in thisproject, said that the studyinvolved decoding the TV 1clone to fi��nd out itscharacteristics.
Partner institutesThere are six partner institutes in this project. The listincludes the New Delhi
based National Tea ResearchFoundation and ICARNational Research Centre forPlant Bio Technology, CSIRInstitute of Himalayan BioResource Technology Palampur Himachal Pradesh, TeaResearch Institute, Jorhat(under TRA), UPASI, Coimbatore, and Darjeeling TeaDevelopment Centrein Kurseong, Darjeeling.
The study, which will establish Camelia assamica asan indigenous Indian variety, comes amid reports of aneighbouring country’s efforts to establish Darjeeling
tea as a variety that is theirown. “These reports do notworry us much,” DarjeelingTea Association SecretaryKaushik Basu said, addingthat Darjeeling tea is protected through a GI tag.
The Commerce Ministryoffi��cial said that the multiinstitutional project on genome sequencing is extremely important forestablishing the whole genetic makeup of India teagermplasm, in addition tomolecular methods like DNAfi��ngerprinting and DNAbarcoding.
Genome study on teas at advanced stageResearch will unravel the specialities of Assam teas, says an offi��cial
Indrani Dutta
KOLKATA
Petrol price was cut onSunday by 20 paise a litreand diesel price by 18paise, the 29th straight daily reduction that has wipedout all of the massive petrolprice increase in twomonths since midAugust.
Petrol price in Delhi wascut to ₹��76.71 a litre from₹��76.91 on Saturday, according to a price notifi��cationissued by stateowned fuelretailers. Diesel is beingsold at ₹��71.56, as against₹��71.74 on Saturday.
With this, the reductionin the past month totals₹��7.29 a litre for petrol and₹��3.89 for diesel. Rates havebeen declining since October 18, wiping out all ofthe petrol price hikes intwo months since August16, and more than half ondiesel.
Petrol pricecut again by 20 paise
Press Trust of India
NEW DELHI
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NOIDA/DELHI THE HINDU
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 201814EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
CMYK
A ND-NDE
BUSINESS REVIEW
If you ever get stuck at a traffi��c signal near the verdantcampus of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru and see a fellow commuter driving a whiteMahindra e2o Plus electricvehicle covered with stickers, don’t mistake him forjust another techie.
Chances are that he isAkshay Singhal, the 25yearold cofounder and CEO ofnanotechnology startupLog 9 Materials, conductingtrials for his car to run onwater. This is made possibleby the metalair battery, developed by Log 9, fi��tted inthe vehicle.
Log 9, an IIT Roorkeespinoff��, says it is using thewonder material ‘graphene’to make the metalair batteries commercially viable andaff��ordable for evehicles andstationary applications likepower backup products.
Mr. Singhal said that traditional lithiumion batteriesstored energy rather thangenerating it. For instance,an evehicle has a mileagerange of 100 km to 150 km,after which it has to becharged. This on an averagetakes about fi��ve hours, hesaid. “If you are driving fromKoramangala to the airport[in Bengaluru], you can’tcome back with one singlecharge,” Mr. Singhal said in
an interview. The companyaims to replace the requirement to charge evehiclesand “instead refuel themjust like gasoline, but withwater,” said Mr. Singhal, whofounded the company alongwith his IITRoorkee collegemate Kartik Hajela in 2015.Log 9 said the initial cost ofits battery was almost half ofthat of the lithiumion battery. A single ‘refuelling’ ofthe battery which uses aluminium, besides water asfuel, would give a range of1,000 km.
Wonder materialLog 9’s secret sauce is its experience and expertise in‘graphene’ which is one million times thinner than paper and forms graphite orpencil lead when stacked together. Log 9 said its batteryenables the car to run on asimple fuel cell technologythat uses electrochemical
reaction to produce electricity. But there is a ‘graphenerod’ along the metal platethat generates electricitywith water as its base for thechemical reaction. The electricity thus generated is sentto an electric motor thatdrives the car.
Experts like Ashok Misra,an honorary energy professor at IISc, said the growth ofevehicles requires an innovative battery solution tomake it a convenient proposition for enduse customers. “Log 9 Materials has demonstrated the capability totackle this energygeneration bottleneck... with acommercially viable solution,” said Prof. Misra, whois also on the boards of Kirloskar Electric Companyand Reliance Industries.
Investors are taking noteof the potential of Log 9’s innovation and have so far invested $1 million in the fi��rm.
Firm develops metalair battery to deliver higher mileage
Peerzada Abrar
Aluminium and water are fuel for this electric vehicle
Longer run: A single ‘refuelling’ of the battery would give arange of 1,000 km. * SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
It has been 15 months sincethe rollout of what is considered one of India’s biggesttax reforms — the Goods andServices Tax (GST). But, weare already witnessing a major positive transition in thelogistics sector.
Outsourcing and the valueaddition in the logistics sector is set to take off�� post GST.Considering the doubledigitgrowth, the logistics marketwould exceed $250 billion inthe next two years. As per arecent survey, the Indian logistics sector provides livelihood to 22 millionplus people, which is expected to beover 40 million by 2020. Thehigh rate of growth in thenext couple of years is expected largely due to implementation of GST.
GST has replaced at least 7indirect tax heads and haseliminated the need for warehouse hubs across States.Further, GST has eliminatedcheck posts across the nation and thereby waitingtime, leading to at least 1215% reduction in the turnaround time of trucks.
Better utilisation of assetslike vehicles and warehouseswill lead to effi��ciency and increased productivity thus lowering overall cost. Thiswould considerably benefi��tthe supply chain directly andIndia’s growth indirectly.
The manufacturing andother services sectors havenow started planning their
supply chains, bearing inmind fl��eet cost and fast delivery, rather than tax structureand compliance.
Competitive edgePreGST, the Indian logisticssector was struggling to addvalue to customers, compared to global peers. Indianfi��rms were seen as labourcontractors or mere transporters, which denied themthe benefi��ts of being a part ofthe supply chain. But the equation has changed now.
Manufacturers are lookingto optimise supply chainsand are willing to outsourcevalueadded planning to logistics players, who have invested in technology and operate with a focus on qualityand compliance. These logistics players are seeing a positive shift in the mindset oftheir clients and are gainingmomentum. Further, smalltransporters can also now
work with third party logistics (3PL) providers and expand their fl��eet. GST has aided this move at a faster clip.
Post GST, there is amarked improvement in theuse of technology and digitisation by logistics players.3PL players can become real‘diff��erentiators’ as they embrace technology to enhancevisibility of load carried,turnaround time, vehicleutilisation, improvement inloading/unloading time byremoving congestion at thedocks, and the like.
Equipped with technology and software for load design solutions, vehicle geotracking, inventory (order/part level) tracking and routeoptimisation, 3PL playersadd more value to their customers’ supply chain.
Logistics costs have beenone of the biggest stumblingblocks for Indian manufacturers eyeing exports. At
about 1314% of GDP, India’slogistics cost is high, andcompares with about 8% inadvanced nations that haveeffi��cient systems. This despite the percentage of outsourcing being higher in developed markets.
The Centre has madeclear its intention to bringdown this cost to less than10%, which would make Indian manufacturers globallyrelevant.
The Centre created a newdivision in the CommerceMinistry to deal with the integrated development of logistics and urged all stakeholders to bring to Indiarelevant best practices to enhance effi��ciency in logistics.
This is a good move as logistics fi��rms used to dealwith six diff��erent ministriesseparately and each wouldrequire separate paper workand formalities. It is a bigsense of relief to note there
will soon be a system wherea single document would beaccepted for multimodal logistics within India.
India has moved from the54th position in 2014 to 44thin 2018 in the World Bank’sLogistics PerformanceIndex.
Infrastructure statusThe muchawaited ‘infrastructure’ status to the sectorwas conferred in November2017, which is helping thesector avail cheaper fi��nance(2% lower) for its warehousing and cold storage needs.
This will bring in a lotmore players with an integrated service approach thatwould again help Indian manufacturers. New investments in this sector is goodnews as it could create a lotmore jobs in the near future.
Together, the implementation of GST and other reforms have already startedbringing effi��ciencies into thesupply chain of variousfi��rms. Digitisation, asset utilisation and visibility enhancement are facilitating bettervalueadded outsourcing tologistics fi��rms.
The government, too, hasrealised that aspirations foreconomic growth, employment generation, manufacturing and exports are all inextricably linked to effi��cientmanagement of logistics.
(The writer is Chairman,CII Southern Region & JointMD, T V Sundram Iyengar &Sons Pvt. Ltd.)
GST, a gamechanger reform for logistics sectorIn preGST era, the industry was struggling to add value to its customers, compared to global peers
Decks cleared: GST has eliminated tax check posts, leading to 12-15% reduction in theturnaround time for trucks. * K. K. MUSTAFAH
R. Dinesh
Indian industry may wellstand to gain from the fal-lout of the U.S.-China tradewar, if the country plays itscards right, says Wheels In-dia MD Srivats Ram. Hedwells on the opportunitiesat hand and how challengesstill remain. Excerpts:
How will the U.S.China
trade war impact Indian
manufacturing?
■ China is signifi��cantly larger as a manufacturing baseand has a bigger part of theglobal supply chain. However, China is now seen as notas cost competitive as it wasin the past. Companies inthe U.S. and Europe arelooking at longterm optionsto build supply chain capabilities in India as an alternative to China. There is generally a move to derisk.
The fact that U.S. and European fi��rms are looking at options away from
China is an opportunity forIndia. The other option theyare looking at is to create amanufacturing hub in India,recreating what they did inChina in the past. These arethe two ways that foreigntrade could potentially benefi��t India.
For the fi��rst time, geopol
itics, as much as economics,is playing a role in globaltrade. An adjustment intrade relationship is happening. As long as India plays itscards right, businesses inthe country will benefi��t. OurPrime Minister has playedhis cards well, both on tradeand foreign relationshipfronts. Infrastructure development, too, has been really good in the country in thelast couple of years.
How will this aff��ect
employment?
■ India certainly is in agood position to take advantage of this thoughscale is a challenge for usto match China.
Quality is less of an issue for India. It is an opportunity for India to leverage over the next three
years if we are ableto scale up. We
have to lookat industriesin Indiawhere the
scale is somewhat comparable with that in China. Thereare enough segments whichare supply chainbased tocreate some kind of manufacturing hub.
The government shouldlook at job creation by expanding industries (even ifmultinational fi��rms createjobs) within India. Traderelated competition from other countries should belooked at from the point ofview of creating enough employment in India. That’swhen we will grow faster.
You have said industrial
infl��ation is a challenge.
■ Fuel is a big infl��ationaryfactor for India because itcreates a discontinuity inpricing due to rupee depreciation. Fuel prices aff��ect therupee in relation to the dollar. That aff��ects landed costsof all other commodities entering the country and thereby creates a spiral of infl��ation. The good news is, theworld economy is probablydoing well after many years.
Globally, fuel consumption across the board is higher (that is a positive). For allcommodities, demand ishigher. But industrial infl��ation is a challenge.
How do you address the
challenge?
■ Firms need to be fl��exiblebetween diff��erent fuel types.On currency, we, as a company, believe that as long aswe are a net exporter, weshould be okay.
INTERVIEW | SRIVATS RAM
U.S., Europe fi��rms looking atIndia as alternative to China‘Though China is ahead in scale, trade wars spur derisking’
K.T. Jagannathan
K. Bharat Kumar
<> Car buying by fi��rst
timers is being
postponed due to
high fuel costs
The IL&FS saga has broughtthe spotlight back on creditratings agencies for all wrongreasons. The last time such asituation arose was in late2015, when auto ancillarycompany Amtek Auto defaulted on the repayment ofits bonds.
The aftermath of the Amtek episode witnessed a series of measures from SEBIaimed at strengthening theratings process and enhancing the standards of creditratings agencies. While thishas helped in standardisingthe processes across theagencies and plugging someobvious loopholes like suspension of ratings (to avoid adowngrade) and lack of timely updates, the IL&FS episode reminds us that thereare issues that still need to beaddressed before reliance oncredit ratings can increasefurther.
Among other things, thereare two elements that warrant a close examination, given their susceptibility to impact the quality of a rating.These are (a) the extent of independence of the ratingscommittee and (b) quality ofthe analysis.
Membership Over the years, the membership of the ratings committeehas shifted from external experts to employees of the ratings agency. While there isno evidence to suggest thatthis has resulted in dilutionof rating standards, it is nonetheless pertinent to notethat the ‘independence’ ofthe members of the ratingcommittee could always
come under question. Afterall, as they say, Caesar’s wifeshould be above suspicion.
Given the large number ofratings issued, which shouldbe in hundreds at any givenratings committee meeting(one ratings agency has issued more than 120 rating releases on October 31), therehas to be a mechanism to ensure that the large systemically important issues are addressed through a separatemechanism.
Therefore, it may be useful to have an element of ‘independence’ in the ratingscommittee — at least in casesthat involve systemically important entities.
The second element of the‘quality of analysis’ is a moresubjective and diffi��cult issueto handle. To quote S. Raman, former wholetimemember of SEBI, “Credit rating fi��rms have sadly beenrarely ahead of the curve.”There appears to be an element of truth in this statement given what we arewitnessing.
It appears that the ratings
agencies are cautious whencredit quality is improvingand probably do not want tobe ahead of the curve whenthings are getting better, butthe lag continues when thereis trouble ahead.
While it is easy to say thatratings agencies need to beahead of the curve (akin tosaying sell high and buy lowin the stock market!), in reality, it is certainly diffi��cult.However, there are a few factors that could be addressedin order to ensure betterquality of analysis and ratingactions.
The sheer increase in thenumber of ratings issued after the commencement ofBank Loan Ratings in 2007has put signifi��cant workpressure on the ratings agencies. While the processesand standards can be defi��ned and outlined, the output in terms of quality ofanalysis can’t be regulated orlegislated. There will alwaysbe pressure from clients tocomplete the ratings exercise as quickly as possible,which means that the agen
cies will have to be staff��edadequately or even in excessof the requirements, giventhat bunching of work is verylikely. A cursory look at someof the rating rationales published by the rating agencies reveals the shallow nature of the analysis.
For instance, in the case ofIL&FS Financial Services,the comment on liquidityprofi��le is identical in the rating rationales published byan agency in March 2018 andAugust 2018 and in both cases, the liquidity position ismentioned as a key strength!Over time, relevant information contained in the ratingrationale is almost down to atrickle and one cannot makeany independent assessmentbased on the informationprovided. It will be helpful ifthe requirements of a ratingrationale are laid down to ensure the provision of meaningful information.
Earnings pressureThe ratings agencies seem tobe in the race to maximiseearnings, thanks to three ofthem being listed, whichprobably has an impact onthe quality of the output. Itcan be seen that the operating margins are consistentlyat over 40%, with one company even posting a 65% operating margin. Obviously,such high margins are a result of low employee expenses, which is the main head ofexpenditure for a knowledgeorganisation.
This calls for some mechanism to ensure that therigour of analysis is not lostin the race for better fi��nancial performance. It is alsopertinent to note that the
credit rating industry, unlikethe decade of the 90s and2000s, does not attract thecream of talent. If recruitment on Day 0 and Day 1 atthe premier IIMs or the CAinstitute are any indicators,the credit ratings agencies donot appear to have a seat atthe high table as far areplacements are concerned.
It may also be useful toclearly delineate the bondrating and bank loan ratingbusinesses, as the users ofthese two products are diff��erent. The investor who usesthe bond rating productdoes not have any windowinto the issuer’s business,whereas the banker who uses the bank loan rating has amore detailed view of theborrower’s business — inmost cases a view which isbetter and deeper that theratings agencies themselves.
Credit ratings is a businesswhere the better you perform professionally, it ismore likely that your client(read the entity that is rated)may not be too happy! It istherefore essential to incentivise rigorous analysis sothat the pressure of improved fi��nancial performance does not force themto cut corners.
This may be done by standardising the fee structure atleast in the case of bondratings.
Having external expertson the ratings committee forlarge issues and bringing insafeguards to ensure that theanalytical rigour is not diluted are some steps that couldhelp rating agencies regaintheir credibility.
(The author is a risk ana-lyst and strategy consultant)
Of credit rating agencies and credibilityThe extent of independence of the ratings committee and quality of analysis warrant close watch
V. Sriram
Shooting off�� stars: There is pressure from clients to completethe ratings exercise as quickly as possible. * GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCK
CMYK
A ND-NDE
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THE HINDU NOIDA/DELHI
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SPORT
New Zealand — 1st innings:153. Pakistan — 1st innings: 227. New Zealand — 2nd innings:J. Raval c Sarfraz b Hasan 46,T. Latham b Hasan 0, K. Willi-amson b Yasir 37, R. Taylorlbw b Hasan 19, H. Nicholls cSarfraz b Yasir 55, B-J. Watlinglbw b Yasir 59, C. de Grand-homme lbw b Yasir 3, I. Sodhib Hasan 18, N. Wagner b Yasir0, Ajaz Patel (not out) 6, T.Boult c Hafeez b Hasan 0; Ex-tras (b-4, nb-1, w-1): 6; Total(in 100.4 overs): 249.Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-86, 3-105, 4-108, 5-220, 6-224, 7-227, 8-227, 9-249. Pakistan bowling: Abbas 22-10-31-0, Hasan 17.4-3-45-5,Yasir 37-6-110-5, Sohail 7-1-12-0, Asif 14-3-43-0, Hafeez3-1-4-0.Pakistan — 2nd innings:Imam-ul-Haq (batting) 25,Mohd. Hafeez (batting) 8; Ex-tras (b-4): 4; Total (for no lossin eight overs): 37.New Zealand bowling: Boult3-0-16-0, de Grandhomme 3-0-15-0, Ajaz 1-1-0-0, Sodhi 1-0-2-0.
SCOREBOARD
England — 1st innings: 290. Sri Lanka — 1st innings: 336.England — 2nd innings: 346. Sri Lanka — 2nd innings: D.Karunaratne c Foakes b Rashid57, K. Silva st Foakes b Leach 4,Dhananjaya de Silva c Jenningsb Leach 1, K. Mendis lbw bLeach 1, A. Mathews lbw b Mo-een 88, R. Silva c Root b Moeen37, N. Dickwella c Stokes b Mo-een 35, D. Perera lbw b Leach2, A. Dananjaya not out 8, S.Lakmal b Moeen 0, M. Push-
pakumara c and b Leach 1; Ex-tras (b-5, lb-4) 9; Total (in 74overs) 243.
Fall of wickets: 14-1, 16-2,26-3, 103-4, 176-5, 221-6,226-7, 240-8, 240-9.
England bowling: Anderson 5-2-12-0, Leach 28-2-83-5, Mo-een Ali 19-2-72-4, Adil Rashid17-1-52-1, Root 5-0-15-0.
England wins by 57 runs,takes winning 2-0 lead inthree-match series.
SCOREBOARD SRI LANKA VS ENGLAND, 2ND TEST, DAY 5
Refusing to buy ViratKohli’s selfappraisal thathe is no longer looking forconfrontations, pacer PatCummins said on Sundaythat the Australians willhold their ground in theface of any verbal barragefrom the India captain.
“I think I heard him sayin the media the other dayhe won’t, but I’ll besurprised if he doesn’t,”
Cummins told FairfaxMedia.
“He’s so competitive,he really thrives on that.
“We’ll hold our ground,we’re going to becompetitive and all thosethings. We wouldn’t treathim diff��erently to anyothers. I think you’ll see alot of passion from bothsides but nothing superfi��ery like we saw againstIndia a couple of yearsago,” he added.
‘I’ll be surprised ifKohli is quiet’ Press Trust of India
Melbourne Kapil Dev is legendary formany reasons, one of thembeing his amazing fi��tness levels throughout his playingcareer. So when he insiststhat fi��tness standards needto be looked at in their entirety, you have to take note.
The World Cupwinningcaptain insists that while YoYo tests can be a good parameter for setting a basicbenchmark, they cannot bethe only criterion for selection to the national team.
“I think it’s important tokeep a level of fi��tness but inmy mind, cricketing fi��tness ismore important than anything else and it is diff��erentfrom YoYo tests,” Kapil toldThe Hindu on the sidelines ofhis Tedx Talk here onSunday.
“If you are not a good athlete but if you have goodcricketing sense and useyourself best for the benefi��tof the team, that’s moreimportant.
“ If I say (Ravichandran)Ashwin is not a 100 % athlete
but a 100 % performer of thegame, can you really say he isnot good enough if hedoesn’t pass the Test? Samewith (Saurav) Ganguly. Hewasn’t one of the best athletes but he was one of thebest captains we have had,”Kapil said.
He, however, refused topredict the outcome of the
tour down under despite alltalk of this being the weakestAustralian team.
Not a big fan of the inyourface aggression that hasdominated the Indian teamfor a while now, Kapil said,“Aggression is not somethingto show on television. Hittingthe bat on the ground aftergetting out is not aggression,it’s show business. Aggressive is what you do with yourperformance.”
Asked about Hardik Pandya and the constant comparisons with him, Kapil ad
vised restraint. “I only saythat we should not put pressure on young kids, don’tcompare so early. Tomorrowwhen Prithvi (Shaw) comesout and we say he’s the nextSachin Tendulkar, his natural talent will go out, don’tdo that.
“Let them play over a period of time — 78 years — andyou will come to know who’swhat because by then aplayer is mature enough.Pandya is a very good cricketer, very talented but he hasto perform,” he signed off��.
‘YoYo tests can’t be the only criterion for selection’ Kapil Dev says cricketing fi��tness is diff��erent from athleticism
UTHRA GANESAN
GREATER NOIDA
Kapil Dev.* FILE PHOTO: V.V. SUBRAHMANYAM
<> Ganguly wasn’t one
of the best athletes
but he was one of
the best captains we
have had
India is yet to shed its “poortravellers” tag, but headcoach Ravi Shastri feels thatit’s unfair to pick on one particular side when most of thenations have fared poorly onaway tours.
India has lost two awayTest series in 2018, againstSouth Africa (12) and England (14). This was afterboth tours were seen as thebest chance for Virat Kohli’smen to set their poor overseas record straight.
Asked how important it isfor India to win the series inAustralia, Shastri said:“Youhave got to learn from yourmistakes. When you go overseas and when you look atteams that travel around
now, there aren’t too manysides (that travel well).
“Australia did for sometime in the 90’s and duringthe turn of century. SouthAfrica did it for a while andother than these two, in thelast fi��vesix years, you tell mewhich team has travelledwell. Why pick on India?”questioned Shastri.
Seizing the momentsAsked whether he or skipperKohli has spoken to the teamas to why they lost in SouthAfrica and England, Shastrisaid, “We have spoken aboutseizing the big moments. Ifyou look at the Test matches,the scoreline really doesn’ttell you the real story.
“There were some realtight Test matches and welost some big moments badly, which cost us the series at
the end of it.”Shastri refused to believe
that the Australian team haslost its aura after what happened during the past fewmonths.
“I don’t think so. I thinkonce you have a sporting culture in you, you will alwayshave that. I have always believed that no team is weak athome.”
Shastri was also confi��dentthat his pacers would enjoy
bowling on Australian pitches. “I think they (pacers)should enjoy bowling onthese pitches if it’s like thepitches we have seen in thepast. It’s important to stay fi��tas a unit.”
Pandya’s absenceShastri broadly dropped ahint that the injured HardikPandya’s absence robs Indiaa chance to play an extrabowler.
“One player we will miss isHardik Pandya, who has hadan injury. He gave us that balance as a bowler as well as abatsman, which allowed usto play that extra bowler.
“Even now we have got tothink twice. Hopefully, hewill get fi��t soon and if the fastbowlers do well, we mightnot miss him,” the former allrounder said.
Why pick on India alone, asks Ravi Shastri
Taking guard: The Indian cricket team got down to training in right earnest after landing in Australia. * COURTESY BCCI/TWITTER
Head coach defends his side’s away record, says most teams are poor travellers these days
OZ CHALLENGE
Press Trust of India
Brisbane
<> At the end of the day,
it’s the cricket that
talks. I didn’t care if a
McGrath or a Warne
did say something or
didn’t say something,
they would have still
taken wickets
Ravi Shastri
Saying that quality cricket wins matchesnot sledging
The BCCI didn’t send its representative to the AGM ofthe Asian Cricket Council(ACC) held in Lahore on Saturday due to “securityconcerns” and existing political tension between thetwo nations. Although theBCCI skipped the meeting,the head of the BangladeshCricket Board (BCB), Nazmul Hassan took over aspresident of the ACC fromEhsan Mani till 2020.
A PCB offi��cial said thatIndia was the only notableabsentee from the meetingwhich was attended by 33nations affi��liated to theACC, including full members like Bangladesh, SriLanka and Afghanistan.
“ICC CEO Dave Richardson also attended themeeting,” he said.
Hassan isnew ACCpresident
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA
KARACHI
Jack Leach’s fi��rst fi��vewickethaul clinched an overwhelming win for Englandin the second Test againstSri Lanka on Sunday thatsealed the series with amatch to go.
England needed just 30minutes on the fi��fth day totake the fi��nal three wicketswith Leach fi��ttingly getting
last man Malinda Pushpakmura caught and bowled toset off�� celebrations.
It was England’s fi��rstaway series win since beating South Africa in 201516and their fi��rst series win inSri Lanka since 2001.
England’s 57run win followed its convincing victoryin the fi��rst Test in Galle andwas set up by spinnersLeach, Moeen Ali and AdilRashid — who took 19 of the20 Sri Lankan wickets.
England seals series ENGLAND IN SL
Agence France-Presse
Kandy
New ZealandA’s lastwicket pair frustrated the IndiaA attack with an 83runstand on the third day ofthe fi��rst ‘Test’ on Sunday.
In reply to IndiaA’s 467for eight, New ZealandAdeclared its fi��rst innings at458 for nine after being reduced to 375 for nine atone stage. No. 10 batsmanSeth Rance (69 n.o., 57balls) and No. 11 BlairTickner (30 n.o.) shone forthe hosts.
The scores:
India-A 467 for eight decland 35 for no loss (PrithviShaw 33 batting) vs New Zea-land-A 458 for nine decl(Hamish Rutherford 114, SethRance 69 n.o., Dan Cleaver53, Doug Bracewell 48, K.Gowtham three for 107).
Last wicketstand baulksIndia-A
Press Trust of India
Mount Maunganui
(New Zealand)India captain HarmanpreetKaur said that her team isbound to perform well because of the quality in theside which was proved during its thumping 48run winagainst Australia in the fi��nalgroup league encounter of
the ICC Women’s WorldT20.
India wasalready insemifi��nals after winning its
fi��rst three matches but didn’tlet the intensity downagainst the formidable‘Southern Stars’ in an inconsequential last group leagueencounter. “When you havea good team, you have toperform well,” Harmanpreetsaid at the end of the matchon Saturday.
After a belowpar fi��elding
performance against Pakistan, Indian women were excellent against Australia.
“I am very happy with the
(performance from the)girls. We worked very hardand today, we fi��elded well. Iam proud of the girls. Hope
the sort of partnership I hadwith Smriti (68 in 7 overs)can keep coming.”
Opener Smriti Mandhana,who fi��nally converted astart, got 83 off�� 55 balls andthanked Veda Krishnamurthy for insisting on a DRSwhen she thought the shewas gone.
“First three matches I gotstarts but couldn’t convert it.So I just wanted to score bigtoday,” said Mandhana, adding, “Veda insisted on thereview, and thanks to her wegot 2030 runs extra.”
Harmanpreet’s deputy also echoed her skipper’s sentiments that both bowlingand fi��elding were top notchagainst the Aussies.
“The way we bowled andfi��elded today was the best ofthe four games, but battingwise the performanceagainst New Zealand wasbetter.”
‘Have to perform well with good team’ Skipper Harmanpreet hopes Smriti and she can keep scoring
Jolly ride: Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana have had alot to cheer about in the group stage. * FILE PHOTO
Press Trust of India
Providence
Hasan Ali and Yasir Shahtook fi��ve wickets each toput Pakistan in control onday three of the fi��rst Testagainst New Zealand onSunday.
Pakistantakes controlAGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
ABU DHABI
Elite honesty. That’s the inthing in the Australian cricket fraternity in the aftermathof the balltampering scandal in South Africa that resulted in three Aussies, including then captain StevenSmith and his deputy DavidWarner, being suspendedfrom topfl��ight cricket for ayear.
No wonder then that daysahead of India’s muchsoughtafter tour down under, Australian cricketers,rather than indulging inpressure tactics on ViratKohli and Co., appear to betrying their best to stick tobeing honest on the fi��eld.
Former England captainMike Brearley still cannotcome to terms with themeaning of elite honesty.
“What does it mean?That’s what Australian cricket is supposed to be: elitelyhonest. That’s expecting alot,” Brearley told The Hindu
on Sunday. “You do want straightfor
wardness in honesty, butlet’s not be elite about it.Let’s just say ordinary honesty will be good and straight
forwardness. I mean it’s nota wick rich tea party, a cricket match, you don’t expect tonot say anything for thewhole day.”
Brearley, considered oneof the fi��nest cricket captains,was in the city to attend a panel discussion during the Tata LitFest. The genius skipper feels the balltamperingscandal blew up because ofthe reaction of the Australianpublic.
Disillusioned“The Australian public wasdisillusioned with theirteam, not just over that, that
was the last straw. They weredisillusioned because theythought that the Australianteam were not elite honest,but they weren’t ordinarilyhonest,” said Brearley,whose latest book titled On
Cricket: A Portrait of the
Game has recently beenpublished.
The septuagenarian,though, contradicts the viewof a section of Australiancricket fraternity, primarilythe Players’ Association, thatSmith and Warner’s suspension should be revoked tomake them available for theIndia series.
“I know there have beentalks, that’s because peoplewere so outraged when ithappened and they were very angry and wanted punitive action.
“Once they saw these people were distraught by it andthat it was not quite such abig thing they felt. I thinkthey then felt bad about it
and didn’t want to be sotough,” he said.
“I think that’s true aboutmany situations in life. Ithink they probably shouldserve their time. Once thedecision has been made, youshould do it but then theyshould be allowed back andgiven a fresh start. That’swhat I think.”
Raising eyebrowsBrearley’s assessment ofKohli’s style of captaincyleaning towards possibly being autocratic during India’sseries in England had raisedeyebrows. The veteran captain wasn’t as harsh, but explained the dangers of a character like Kohli leading ahighprofi��le team.
“I said basically his attitude on the fi��eld is terrifi��c,but like everything else, if itgoes too far, it might becomediffi��cult.
“If he expects too much ofpeople and if he shows hisdisappointment in them toostrongly, then it might putpeople off�� and they won’t besuch good members of theteam.
“They might be more anxious, more intense, moreuptight. I have a lot of admiration for him,” he said.
Let’s not be elite about honesty: Brearley
Feels balltampering scandal blew up because of Australian public’s reaction
MIKESPEAK
Amol Karhadkar
MUMBAI
Mike Brearley.* EMMANUAL YOGINI
<> His attitude on the
fi��eld is terrifi��c, but
like everything else,
if it goes too far, it
might become
diffi��cultBrearly’s assesment of Kohli’s style offunctioning
Novak Djokovic produced amasterclass to beat KevinAnderson on Saturday andset up a title decider withAlexander Zverev in the ATPFinals.
World No. 1 Djokovic comfortably saw off�� the SouthAfrican fourth seed 62, 62,the Serb never looking evenremotely troubled as he targeted a recordequallingsixth endofseason title atLondon’s O2 Arena.
Anderson came into thecontest knowing his serve
had to fi��re on all cylinders ifhe was to stand any chanceagainst Djokovic — one of thebest returners in the game.But the giant South African
landed just 48% of fi��rstserves in the fi��rst set andDjokovic was ruthless inpunishing his opponent,breaking in the fi��rst gameand repeating the feat beforeserving out the set.
Hitting the ball with mesmeric accuracy, Djokovicbroke his fading opponent atthe start of the second setand again in the fi��fth game tounderline his totaldomination.
His serving numbers areeven more phenomenalthan his returns — he has notbeen broken even once infour matches here and hasfaced just two break points.
Djokovic demolishes Anderson ATP FINALS
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
LONDON
Djokovic. * AFP
Pawan Sehrawat produced aterrifi��c raiding performanceto lead Bengaluru Bulls to a4532 win over Jaipur PinkPanthers in an Inter ZoneChallenge Week match ofthe Pro Kabaddi League Season 6 here on Sunday.
Sehrawat’s 19 points andtwo super raids by Rohit Kumar and Kashiling Adakelaid the foundation for Bengaluru’s victory.
Bulls ease past Pink Panthers PKL
No way back: Pink Panthers’ Deepak Hooda is hemmed in byBengaluru Bulls’ tacklers. * VIJAY SONEJI
Press Trust of India
Ahmedabad
CMYK
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NOIDA/DELHI THE HINDU
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 201816EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
SPORT
SUDOKU
Solution to puzzle 12474 Solution to yesterday’s Sudoku
DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
The Subramanya Bhujanga is a brilliant hymn of Adi Sankarathat extols Lord Muruga’s ineff��able supremacy even as itconfers mental strength and solace to all caught in samsara.Legend has it that once a rival of Adi Sankara, jealous of theacharya’s felicity in debates, casts an evil spell that causessevere stomach pain to him. Being a jnani, Adi Sankara justtries to bear the pain as part of prarabdha karma and doesnot seek alleviation of distress. But the omniscient Lord, theembodiment of compassion, bound by His vow of protecting His devotees, appears in his dream and summons AdiSankara to Tiruchendur, pointed out Nannilam Sri V. Rajagopala Ganapadigal in a discourse. Adi Sankara reaches thisplace through yoga marga and is overwhelmed when he hasa vision of Muruga with Adisesha spreading his hood overHim. This perhaps inspires the poetphilosopher to sing thishymn in the Bhujanga metre, as it conjures wavelike, graceful movements of a snake. More striking is the bhava of humility that is characteristic of the truly devout who are inspired by the Lord’s infi��nite power and grace. At the outset,he says: “I do not know sabda or artha; neither am I profi��cient in gadya, prose or padya, poetry; Yet when the Lordsits in my heart with the eff��ulgence of His six shining faces,words rush with a fl��ow from my mouth with ease and perfection.” This is the confession from the greatest ever exponent of philosophical and spiritual truths that explain theAdvaita Siddhanta. Lord Muruga’s grace is shown to be thesource for all human achievements, skills, etc. Muruga isseen as the very essence of the Mahavakyas that convey thetruth of the identity of the atma with Brahman. Contemplating on Him one gains purity of thought and gradually becomes enlightened.
FAITH
Hymn that enlightens2 ...only after a month? It's
strange etiquette (7)
3 Business meant to develop
under the sky (9)
5 Lament for bananas (6,8)
6 Staggers fi��lms (5)
7 Practice British English, it's
part of Japanese get up (7)
8 Home on high ground (6)
9 Vision is 20/20, it's fl��awless
(7,7)
16 Mostly worry about it
escalating, could start
becoming combative (9)
17 The French, in looks are
unique (8)
19 May be reliable, no point
being broadminded (7)
21 Strike a chord perhaps within,
not counting wife (3,4)
22 Confi��ne and forfeit court case
(6)
24 It comes to a point of hungry
tiger eating monkey (5)
12 Berry managed to stop short
(7)
13 Fool's blunder, no force to
attack (7)
14 Marie replaced plant (5)
15 Embarrassed US central bank
left in a hurry, according to
Spooner (35)
18 Supply at random to a resident
in Australia (8)
20 Child separates mineral
pigment (5)
23 Loft at the back of the boat —
mostly has crayfi��sh (7)
25 Celebrate inclusion of one in
the list (7)
26 Refuse to fi��ght (5)
27 May be lie detector missed it,
gives one a shock (9)
28 Accept enamelled metalware,
with value addition (8)
29 Entry tax accompanies bill (6)
■ DOWN
1 It's risky taking Queen to
court... (8)
(set by Arden)
■ ACROSS
1 Arrange fi��rst class cricket
match with friendly sides (6)
4 Herb set off on a marathon,
nothing came out of it (8)
10 Instrument of settlement, no
one opposed (9)
11 More to come in the next
transaction (5)
THE HINDU CROSSWORD 12475
HYDERABAD: Be Sure, who maintains form, may repeat in theBhagyanagar Cup (1,400m), themain event of the races to be heldhere on Monday (Nov. 19).
1 VEGAVATHI PLATE (Div. II),(1,200m), 3yo & over, rated 26
to 46 (Cat. III), 150 p.m.: 1. LongRange (1) Akshay Kumar 60, 2.Symbolic Star (6) Dhebe 57.5, 3.Tokyo Jam (4) Srinath 57, 4. YourGrace (3) Nakhat Singh 57, 5. Ursula (2) Kiran Naidu 55.5, 6. Asgard (7) Kunal Bunde 52.5, 7. Magic Street (10) G. Naresh 52.5, 8.Story Teller (11) C.P. Bopanna 52.5,9. Delphina (5) Gaddam 51, 10.Rosie Fragrance (8) Rafique Sk.50.5 and 11. Royal Faith (9) AjitSingh 50.5.
1. LONG RANGE, 2. TOKYO JAM, 3.
YOUR GRACE.
2 ELUSIVE HERO PLATE
(1,100m), 3yo & over, rated 42to 62 (Cat. II), 230: 1. Classic Remark (6) Ashhad Asbar 60, 2. Flying Spaghetti (ex: Cash Landing)(4) Abhay Singh 56, 3. Classy Guy(3) Nakhat Singh 55, 4. RoyalGreen (7) Gaurav Singh 55, 5.Shiloh (9) Akshay Kumar 55, 6.Perfection (1) Sai Kumar 54, 7.Honest Hunter (2) Md. Ismail 53.5,8. Ashka Ashka Ashka (8) Aneel 53and 9. Time To Climb (5) Gaddam53.
1. CLASSIC REMARK, 2. SHILOH, 3.
CLASSY GUY.
3 TWIN CITIES CUP (1,400m), 4yo & over, rated 42 to 62 (Cat.
II), 305: 1. Mozambique (5)Srinath 60, 2. Somerset (3) ArshadAlam 60, 3. Avantika (10) A.A.Vikrant 59.5, 4. Buddy Brothers
(8) N. Rawal 59.5, 5. ExclusiveStriker (11) Nakhat Singh 59.5, 6.Clarisa (2) Akshay Kumar 59, 7.Jumeira Express (4) Ajit Singh58.5, 8. Columbus (9) C.P.Bopanna 57.5, 9. Humaaghar (1)Rafique Sk. 57.5, 10. CharlieBrown (6) Koushik 57 and 11. Cityof Sails (7) G. Naresh 57.
1. MOZAMBIQUE, 2. CLARISA, 3.
SOMERSET.
4 VEGAVATHI PLATE (Div. I),(1,200m), 3yo & over, rated
26 to 46 (Cat. III), 340: 1. HappyTogether (11) C.P. Bopanna 60, 2.Rapid Fire (7) Akshay Kumar 59.5,3. Baywatch Babe (10) Sai Kumar56.5, 4. Amazing Script (2) Dhebe56, 5. Farmville (5) Koushik 55, 6.Freedom Fire (3) G. Naresh 53, 7.Moka (1) Arshad Alam 52.5, 8.Dance All Night (4) Ashhad Asbar
III), 450: 1. Blazing Speed (11)Kunal Bunde 60, 2. Eau Claire (5)Arshad Alam 60, 3. Victoria (9)Akshay Kumar 60, 4. All Star General (8) G. Naresh 59.5, 5. BrushThe Sky (7) Gaddam 59.5, 6. NewDesire (13) Deep Shanker 59.5, 7.Southern Meteor (6) Ajit Singh 59,8. Windy Dawn () () 59, 9. Parizaat (1) Nakhat Singh 58, 10. Sindhu(2) Tanwar 58, 11. Vallee Ikon (3)Md. Ismail 58, 12. Diesis Dream (4)A.A. Vikrant 56.5, 13. Nicola Tesla(10) Deepak Singh 56 and 14. Cannon Fury (12) N. Rawal 54.5.
1. VICTORIA, 2. ALL STAR GEN-
ERAL, 3. CANNON FURY.
Day's best: LONG RANGE
Double: MOZAMBIQUE — BE SURE
Jkt: 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6; Tr (i): 1, 2 & 3;(ii): 4, 5 & 6; Tla: all races.
52, 9. Smarty (9) Md. Ismail 51, 10.Escalating Striker (8) Ajit Singh50.5 and 11. Loch Stella (6) NakhatSingh 50.1. RAPID FIRE, 2. AMAZING SCRIPT,
3. MOKA.
5 BHAGYANAGAR CUP (1,400m),3yo & over, rated 58 to 78 (No
whips), (Cat. II), 415: 1. HighlandAcclaimed (5) Surya Prakash 60,2. Aragonda Princess (6) GopalSingh 58.5, 3. Royal Dynamite (1)Gaurav Singh 58.5, 4. Be Sure (7)C.P. Bopanna 57, 5. Celtic Queen(8) Santosh Raj 57, 6. Sea Castle (3)Kiran Naidu 57, 7. Tootsie Roll (2)Jitendra Singh 54.5 and 8. Durango (4) Dhebe 54. 1. BE SURE, 2. DURANGO, 3. SEA
CASTLE.
6 BHONGIR PLATE (1,400m), 3yo & over, rated upto 25 (Cat.
Be Sure may repeat in the Bhagyanagar Cup
HYDERABAD: M/s. Zaveri StudFarm Pvt.Ltd.rep. by Mr. Champaklal Zaveri, Mrs.Bindu C. Zaveri, MissNiti N. Desai & Miss Harsha N. Desai's Paprika (Afroz Khan up) wonthe Kasu Brahmananda Reddy Memorial Cup, the feature event of theraces here on Sunday (Nov. 18).Deshmukh trains the winner.
1 HIDDEN BLOOM PLATE (1,100m),(Cat. II), maiden 2yo only
(Terms): MON GENERAL (Ashhad Asbar) 1, Tough Lady (Dhebe) 2, AonAon Aon (Akshay Kumar) 3 and RedSnaper (Arshad Alam) 4. 33/4, hdand 11/4. 1m 6.41s. ₹��27 (w), 8, 7 and5 (p), SHP: 17, FP: 191, Q: 76, Tla:368. Favourite: Aon Aon Aon.Owner: Mr. R.S. Sanas. Trainer: M.Srinivas Reddy.
2 SRINIVASA SADAGOPA SHARMA
MEMORIAL CUP (Div. II),(1,600m), 3yo & over, rated 26 to46 (Cat. III): STARIDAR (N. Rawal) 1,Alta Vita (Akshay Kumar) 2, His Excellency (Dhebe) 3 and Spicy (G.Naresh) 4. 3/4, 13/4 and nk. 1m39.97s. ₹��25 (w), 7, 6 and 8 (p), SHP:16, FP: 85, Q: 38, Tla: 281. Favourite:Alta Vita. Owner: Ms. Viveka Kumari Idar. Trainer: Prasad Raju.
3 DEMOCRACY PLATE (1,600m), 3yo & over, rated 42 to 62 (Cat.
II): KINGSWOOD (Srinath) 1, WaveRider (Akshay Kumar) 2, KingMaker (Ashhad Asbar) 3 and SanVinto (Ajit Singh) 4. Not run:Golden Fortune and Satin Symphony. 1/2, 11/4 and 21/4. 1m39.08s. ₹��11 (w), 6, 5 and 7 (p), SHP:13, FP: 18, Q: 9, Tla: 33. Favourite:Wave Rider. Owners: Mr. & Mrs.Dilip Thomas rep. Rajagiri Rubber& Produce Co. Ltd. Trainer: S.Abbas.
4 SRINIVASA SADAGOPA SHARMA
MEMORIAL CUP (Div. I),(1,600m), 3yo & over, rated 26 to46 (Cat. III): BRADFIELD COLLEGE
(Dhebe) 1, Big Brave (Srinath) 2,Brave Warrior (Koushik) 3 and SoloWinner (C.P. Bopanna) 4. 13/4, 33/4 and 1/2. 1m 39.02s. ₹��9 (w), 7, 6and 27 (p), SHP: 17, FP: 33, Q: 22,Tla: 461. Favourite: Bradfield College. Owners: M/s. S. M. Ruia & Vijay B. Shirke. Trainer: Deshmukh.
5 SOVIET STAR PLATE (1,100m), 4yo & over, rated 26 to 46 (Cat.
III): SWEETIE (Afroz Khan) 1, Thundering (Gaddam) 2, Vallee Bloomer(Md. Ismail) 3 and Limousine(Koushik) 4. 31/4, 11/4 and 11/4. 1m5.95s. ₹��24 (w), 8, 8 and 8 (p), SHP:19, FP: 127, Q: 68, Tla: 583. Favourite: Limousine. Owners: Mr. S.
Daljeet Singh, Sardar Jivtesh Singh& Ashok Chukkla. Trainer: M.Srinivas Reddy.
6 KASU BRAHMANANDA REDDY
MEMORIAL CUP (1,200m), 3yo& over, rated 74 & above (Cat. I):PAPRIKA (Afroz Khan) 1, That's MyClass (Md. Ismail) 2, Dance OhDance (Srinath) 3 and Breezeofthesouth (Akshay Kumar) 4. 1/4, 1/2and 1/4. 1m 11.08s. ₹��59 (w), 14, 14and 7 (p), SHP: 49, FP: 835, Q: 429,Tla: 3,378. Favourite: Breezeofthesouth. Owners: M/s. Zaveri StudFarm Pvt.Ltd. rep. by Mr. Champaklal Zaveri, Mrs. Bindu C. Zaveri,Miss Niti N. Desai & Miss Harsha N.Desai. Trainer: Deshmukh.
7 KINNERASANI PLATE (1,200m),5yo & over, rated upto 30 (Cat.
III): SEFARINA (Ajit Singh) 1, Ultimate Risk (Arshad Alam) 2, MoonWalker (Nakhat Singh) 3 and Aalishaan (Md. Ismail) 4. 1, 1 and 13/4.1m 14.14s. ₹�� 46 (w), 12, 7 and 6 (p),SHP: 18, FP: 147, Q: 64, Tla: 472. Favourite: Moon Walker. Owner: Wg.Cdr. D.S. Gill (Retd.). Trainer:Ravinder Singh.
Jackpot: Rs. 20,507 (17 tkts), Runnerup: 617 (242 tkts), Treble (i): 219 (211tkts), (ii): 5,490 (14 tkts).
Paprika wins main event
M.C. Mary Kom’s class andexperience held her in goodstead in her opening boutagainst Algerim Kassanayevaas she began her quest for asixth World title in right earnest here on Sunday.
Mary’s 50 victory overthe Kazakh took centrestageeven as three other Indians —Manisha Moun (54kg), Lovlina Borgohain (69kg) andBhagyabati Kachari (81kg) —recorded wins to reach thequarterfi��nals of the Worldwomen’s boxing championships at the Indira GandhiStadium Complex.
L. Sarita Devi (60kg)fought bravely before losingher closelyfought prequarterfi��nal bout to 2016 Worldssilver medallist (64kg) KellieHarrington 32.
In front of an ecstatichome crowd, Mary, who hada fi��rst round bye, took sometime to assess her rival. The35yearold eluded her opponent’s grasp, thanks to herquick feet and refl��exes. Shethen latched on to opportunities to deliver a rightleftcombination and a stunningstraight in the second round.
Even as the Kazakh triedholding tactics, Mary remained calm to secure a
place in the last eight (48kg).“There was pressure of ex
pectations but I was energised by the fans’ support,”said Mary, who will take onChinese Yu Wu. Yu tamedPhilippines’ Josie Gabuco50.
Manisha stunned Worldchampion Dina Zholamanfor the second time in twomonths. Having faced theKazakh in the Silesian championships in Poland, the 20yearold used her long reachand excellent footwork toprevail.
When Dina tried to up the
ante, Manisha’s evasive techniques and counterattacksworked to fetch her a 50win.
Manisha will meet Worldssilver medallist and top seedBulgarian Stoyka Petrova,who beat Uzbek TursunovRakhimova 41.
An Asian championshipsbronze medallist, Lovlinabeat 2014 World championAtheyna Bylon 50.
Employing her back andforth movement, Lovlina notonly landed punches on target but also saved herselffrom the wild blows of the
Panamanian, who tried toruffl��e the youngster. “My fi��tness helped me in such aduel,” said Lovlina, whowould clash with Aussie KayeScott. Kaye went past KazakhAkerke Bakhytzhan 50.
National champion Bhagyabati Kachari banked onher quick combinations tomake up for her lack of footmovement as she defeatedGerman boxer IrinaNicoletta Schonberger 41 in fi��rstround. Bhagyabati’s facesColumbian Jessica Sinisterra,a 50 winner over AnastasiiaChernokolenko.
Mary Kom begins in style L. Sarita Devi loses a closefought prequarterfi��nal to Kellie Harrington
Y.B. Sarangi
NEW DELHI
Take that! Mary Kom took time to assess her opponent Algerim Kassanayeva before unleashinga barrage. * SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR
WORLD BOXING Chennai’s Karthik Tharani(97 pts) went home happy after clinching the Euro JK 18championship crown in thefi��nal round of the 21st JK TyreFMSCI National racing championship at the Buddh International Circuit here onSunday.
The titlewinner had saidthe other day that he wouldgo fl��at out on the fi��nal day.He had to do that as Mumbai’s Nayan Chatterjee andCitymate Ashwin Datta,were not far behind onpoints.
At the start of the day, polesitter Nayan won the fi��rstrace in a commanding manner but Karthik, who startedthird on the grid, lost threeplaces at the start before herecovered well to fi��nishsecond.
That tightened the situation between the two driversas they were locked at 89points apiece and with justone race (reverse grid) left inthe season fi��nale. It was herethat Nayan met his fate. TheMumbaikar knew he had tofi��nish ahead of Karthik toclinch the crown.
And, he tried to go that ex
tra length right at the start ofthe second race and endedup crashing with Faridabad’sManav Sharma.
It came as a breather forKarthik, who kept it safe andsteady to fi��nish on top of thepodium.
It was a welldeserved victory for the young man whohad worked so hard through
the season.
Chennai racers RaghulRangasamy and defendingchampion Vishnu Prasadfought all the way down forthe championship crown inthe LGB4 class. But the former had the last laugh edgingout the latter by a point.The results: JKNRC: Euro JK:Race 3: 1. Nayan Chatterjee; 2.Karthik Tharani, 3. Arya Singh.
Race 4: 1. Karthik Tharani, 2.Yash Aradhya, 3. Brayan Perera.
LGB4: Race 3: 1. Rohit Khanna,2. Raghul Rangasamy, 3. Sandeep Kumar.
ACRR: 1. Malsawmdwngliana, 2.Max Stauff��er, 3. HansikaAbeysinghe.
Gixxer Cup: 1. Malsawmdwngliana, 2. Sachin Chaudhary, 3.Sanjeev Mhatre.
JK Superbikes Cup (600cc): 1.Vijay Singh, 2. Kulwant Singh, 3.Saranbir Singh. 1000Cc: 1. DilipLalwani, 2. Deepak Ravi Kumar,3. Gurvinder Singh.
Karthik clinches Euro JK 18 crown Raghul has the last laugh in LGB4 class
Rayan Rozario
Greater Noida
Podium: Chairman & Managing Director JK Tyre Industries Dr.Raghupati Singhania, centre, fl��anked by Ashwin Datta, KarthikTharani and Nayan Chatterjee. * SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Harry Kane fi��red England into the Nations League semifi��nals as Gareth Southgate’sside scored twice in the fi��naldozen minutes to seal a dramatic 21 victory over Croatiaat Wembley on Sunday.
England was on the brinkof relegation after AndrejKramaric had given Croatiathe lead against the run ofplay in the second half. But
Southgate’s vibrant youngside pulled off�� a stirring escape act in the closing stagesto gain a measure of revengefor the World Cup semifi��naldefeat to the Croats earlierthis year.
Jesse Lingard came off�� thebench to score England’sequaliser and captain Kanescored the winner with fi��veminutes left.
On Saturday, Europeanchampion Portugal became
the fi��rst team to qualify forthe semifi��nals after holdingItaly to a 00 draw at the SanSiro.Important results: Sunday: League A: Group 4:England 2 (Lingard 78, Kane85) bt Croatia 1 (Kramaric 57).Saturday: League A: Group 3:Italy 0 drew with Portugal 0;League B: Group 2: Turkey 0lost to Sweden 1 (Granqvist 71pen); League C: Group 4: Serbia 2 (Ljajic 30, Mitrovic 32) btMontenegro 1 (Mugosa 70).
Kane’s men stage remarkable rally Portugal holds off�� Italy to reach the semifi��nals
Agence France-Presse
London
The rousing, rhythmicbeats of drums brought theCorporation Stadium to lifeon Sunday night. Just whenit seemed the music wouldbe the most memorablething about the ILeaguematch between GokulamFC Kerala and MinervaPunjab, a lovely movedown the right fl��ank produced cheers that soundedeven sweeter.
S. Rajesh fi��nished off�� amove in spectacular fashion with a diving header togive the host a 10 winagainst the defendingchampion.
Rajesh does it forGokulam
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
KOZHIKODE
If persistent rains gave wayjust ahead of qualifying onSaturday, on Sunday it wasthe other way around as theskies opened up just whenthe Moto GP riders lined upon the grid for the fi��nal raceof the season.
What was to be a homecoming party for Marq Marquez ended in tears as therecently crowned fi��vetimechampion crashed out onlap seven running in thethird position and huntingdown rival AndreaDovizioso.
In the end, Doviziososhowed why he is one of thebest in wet conditions. He hewon a popular victory afterthe race was stopped on lap15 due to treacherous conditions and restarted 40 minutes later.
Alex Rins fi��nished secondwhile Pol Espargaró took hismaiden podium on a daywhen some of the top riderscrashed out.
Repsol Honda won theteam championship to helpHonda seal a triple crown after having won the rider’sand manufacturer’s championship as well.
Polesitter Maverick Vi
nales of Yamaha lost his leadon the opening lap to Suzuki’s Rins staring second. Ducati’s Dovizioso too passedhim on the second lap.
Marquez traded positionswith Spain’s Espargaró forfourth and fi��fth as they gotpast Vinales before theworld champion passed hiscompatriot on lap four tomove into third.
Meanwhile, ValentinoRossi on the other Yamahamade a stunning start. Hemoved from 16 to 10 on theopening lap and kept moving up the order even asteammate Vinales struggled.
At the top, Rins was undercontrol before Doviziosomade a move on lap 14 to
take the lead and draggedRossi along in his trail as theItalian moved past Rins totake second.
Rossi briefl��y took the leadbefore running wide and allowing Dovizioso to moveahead before the red fl��ag onlap 15.
The race was restarted for14 laps with the grid basedon the running order at theend of lap 13 that had Rins inlead ahead of Dovizioso andRossi.
In the end, it was Dovizioso who fi��nished the seasonwith a superb win.
(The writer is in Valenciaat the invitation of HondaMotorcycle & Scooter IndiaPrivate Limited).
Dovizioso has the last laugh Champion Marquez crashes out at his homecoming
S. Dipak Ragav
Valencia
Pulling ahead: Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso leads Honda’s MarcMarquez on a rainhit Ricardo Tormo circuit. * AP
Pankaj Advani on Sundayextended his World titlecount to 21 by winning thelong and short formats ofthe IBSF World billiardschampionship titles for arecord fourth time here.He defeated compatrait B.Bhaskar 1500299.
On his recent achievement, he said: “I’m on topof the world to win myfourth grand double in billiards. It was the toughestfi��eld with the likes of Bhaskar, Causier and Russell init and to come out on top issimply unreal. I’m nowlooking forward to defending my snooker title overthe next 10 days.
Double forAdvani
Press Trust of India
Yangon (Myanmar)
Pankaj Advani. * SPECIAL
ARRANGEMENT
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THE HINDU NOIDA/DELHI
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2018 17EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
SPORT
Pakistan vs New Zealand:1st Test, day four, Sony Ten 2(SD & HD), 11.30 a.m.Boxing World Championships: SS Select 1 (SD & HD),1 p.m. & 5 p.m.
TV PICKS
Ankita Raina and KarmanKaur Thandi combined wellto clinch the trophy in the$125,000 WTA event on Sunday. The unseeded pair waslevel 63, 57 against fourthseeds Olga Doroshina andNatela Dzalamidze of Russiain the fi��nal when the latterretired following an injury.
This was the best performance by an Indian women’s combination this season, and the eff��ort wasworth 160 WTA points and$5,500. Prarthana Thombare and Thailand’s LuksikaKumkhum had earlies thisyear won the $100,000 doubles title in Manchester.
Icing on the cake
Ankita was thrilled about thetriumph. “I am very happyto win my fi��rst WTA title. Ihave been telling coach Hemant (Bendrey) that I would
win a WTA title this year. It isa surprise it has come indoubles,” said Ankita fromTaipei City.
“I am glad my wish hascome true. To top that, it is agood feeling to win the titlewith an Indian partner. Itmakes a big diff��erence whenyou can communicate withyour partner in the same language,” said Ankita.
While Ankita has won 14doubles titles, including twoin the $60,000 events apartfrom seven singles titles,Karman has won a singles title this year apart from fourdoubles crowns.
The 25yearold Ankitawas all praise for the 20yearold Karman. “Karman,as we all know, has the game— big serve and big strokes.We combined well,” saidAnkita.The result:$125,000 WTA, Taipei City:Doubles (fi��nal): Ankita Raina &Karman Kaur Thandi bt OlgaDoroshina & Natela Dzalamidze(Rus) 63, 57 retd.
AnkitaKarman duo delights Bags title in the $125,000 WTA event
SPORTS BUREAU
TAIPEI CITY
Moment to cherish: The unseeded pair Ankita Raina andKarman Kaur Thandi blitzed the fi��eld to win the title.
* SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
INDIANS ABROAD
Anjum Moudgil, with a lastgasp eff��ort, retained the women’s 50m rifl��e 3 positionscrown — the fi��rst individualgold to be decided at the62nd National shootingchampionships at the Vattiyoorkavu shooting rangehere on Sunday.
The 24yearold was involved in a battle for supremacy with Tejaswini Sawantbefore prevailing in the 45thand fi��nal shot.
In April this year, Tejaswini had pipped Anjum to takethe top spot at the GoldCoast CommonwealthGames. The 28yearoldshooter from Kolhapur ledthe fi��eld going into the fi��nal,enjoying a threepoint leadover the Punjab shooter. However, she failed to sustainthe momentum.
Despite that, Tejaswini
went into the fi��nal shot withan advantage of 0.4 pointsbut managed just 9.5 whileAnjum came up with a superb shot of 10.6. Anjum fi��nished with 458.6 points andTejaswini 457.7. SunidhiChauhan (MP) was thirdwith 443.0.
‘Badly needed this’About the close fi��nal, abeaming Anjum said: “Tejas
wini really shot well throughall the rounds but I was notgoing to give up as I badlyneeded this gold medal.”
The results:
Women: 50m rifl��e 3 positions:1. Anjum Moudgil (Pun) 1168(458.6), 2. Tejaswini Sawant(Mah) 1163 (457.5), 3. SunidhiChauhan (MP) 1155 (443.0).
Team: 1. Haryana (3454points), 2. Gujarat (3447), 3.Maharashtra (3426).
Anjum pips Tejaswini in fi��nal shotThe latter had a 0.4 point advantage but squandered it
NATL. SHOOTING
A. Vinod
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
The shot that mattered: Anjum Moudgil showed no sign ofnerves in a thrilling climax. * S. MAHINSHA
Defending champion P.V.Sindhu has decided to skipthe Syed Modi InternationalWorld Tour Super 300 tournament to focus on nextmonth’s BWF World Tour Final in China.
The 23yearold Indian isplaced fi��fth in the ‘Race toGuangzhou’ ranking to qualify for the $1,500,000 WorldTour Final, which will beheld in the Chinese city forthe fi��rst time from December12 to 16.
“Sindhu has written toBadminton Association of India (BAI) asking them to allow her to skip the Syed Modi tournament so that shecan concentrate on theWorld Tour Finals in December,” Sindhu’s father P.V. Ramana said. “She has also informed the organisers and
national coach P. GopiChand.”
The World Tour Final,which showcases the elitetop eight players, will beSindhu’s 18th tournamentthis year.
“It is a prestigious tournament and she will need to beat her peak to win a medal.So at least 20 days of trainingwould be required to be ingood shape,” said Ramana.
Sindhu to skip Syed Modi event To focus on the World Tour FinalPress Trust of India
New Delhi
P.V. Sindhu * PTI
Mohd. Asab and Ahvar Rizvi pipped the reigningWorld champion AnkurMittal to win the doubletrap gold and silver in the62nd National Shotgunchampionship on Sunday.
Asab shot 134 to beat Ahvar by one point, while Ankur shot 128, followingscores of 23 and 24 in thesecond and fi��fth rounds.No fi��nals were held as theevent has been taken off��the Olympics.The results: Double trap:Men: 1. Mohd. Asab 134; 2.Ahvar Rizvi 133; 3. Ankur Mittal 129. Junior men: 1. Ahvar Rizvi133; 2. Shardul Vihan 120; 3.Vinay Pratap Singh 118.Women: 1. Prabsukhman Kaur84; 2. Shalini Yashwant 75; 3.Anam Basit 73.Junior women: 1. Pravjot KaurPanesar 66; 2. Anushka SinghBhati 64; 3. Hitasha 60.Veterans: 1. YadavendraSingh 91; 2. DV SeetharamaRao 88; 3. Mohd. Yaqoob 78.
Asabbags gold SPORTS BUREAU
JAIPUR
Mahesh outlastsHerrewegan, wins titleBRUSSELS
Mahesh Mangaonkar
emerged champion in the
Brussels Open squash
tournament, a PSA
challenger event, on
Saturday. The top seed beat
the secondseeded Belgian
Jan van den Herrewegen
116, 611, 118, 411, 1311 in
a final that lasted nearly one
and a half hours. This is
Mahesh’s seventh PSA title.
IN BRIEF
Okuhara downs Intanonto clinch titleHONG KONG
Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara said
her triumph over a
determined Ratchanok
Intanon in Sunday’s Hong
Kong Open final is a massive
confidence boost ahead of
the Tokyo Olympics. Both
players were hungry for the
win, drawing level 13 times in
the second game before the
sixthranked Okuhara beat
the Thai, a former world
champion, 2119, 2422 in 64
minutes. “This match is very
important for me,” she said
afterwards. AFP
76ers withstand Walker’s60 pointsLOS ANGELES
Kemba Walker’s 60 points
weren’t enough for the
Charlotte Hornets on
Saturday as Philadelphia’s
Jimmy Butler drilled a game
winning threepointer as time
expired in overtime to lift the
76ers to a 122119 NBA
victory. Walker became the
first player in Hornets’ history
to score 60 points in a game.
NEW DELHI: Gerardo Mazziniand Sawai PadmanabhSingh scored 11 goals between them to guide SonaPolo to a 127 victory overLA Pegasus Polo in the fi��nalof the Sir Pratap Singh Cup14goal polo tournamenthere on Sunday.
Sawai Padmanabh Singhwas adjudged the ‘Most Valuable Player’ and mare ElClo Nado, ridden by Gerardo Mazzini, was declaredthe ‘best polo pony’.
The Chief of the ArmyStaff��, Gen. Bipin Rawat,and Maharaja Gaj Singh ofJodhpur gave away theprizes.The results (fi��nal): Sona Polo12 (Gerardo Mazzini 6, SawaiPadmanabh Singh 5, Abhimanyu Pathak) bt LA PegasusPolo 7 (Samir Suhag 3, Dhruvpal Godara 2, Siddhant Sharma, Dhananjay Singh).
Sona Polotriumphs
India’s Lakshya Sen won abronze medal in the Worldjunior badminton championship after suff��ering anarrow 2220, 1621, 1321.defeat to top seed KunlavutVitidsarn of Thailand in themen’s singles semifi��nalshere.
Bronze for Lakshya Press Trust of India
Markham (Canada)
India went down 12 to Jordan in an internationalfootball friendly here onSaturday, an improved secondhalf performancefailing to salvage a draw forthe visitors.
This was a climbdownfor Stephen Constantine’smen weeks after holdingWorld Cupwinning coachMarcello Lippi’s higherranked China to a goallessstalemate.
The 97thranked India,though, was without talismanic striker Sunil Chhetri, who was ruled out dueto an injury.The result: Jordan 2 (Shafi�� 25,Haddad 58) bt India 1 (Nishu61).
India loses to Jordan PRESS TRUST OF INDIA
AMMAN
Prajnesh Gunneswaran, thewinner of the $150,000 Bengaluru Open on Saturday,will be watched with interest in the fi��fth edition of the$50,000 KPIT MSLTA Challenger starting here onMonday.
The relevance of promoting more Challengers in India has often been highlighted by Leander Paes, RohanBopanna and a host of Indian tennis professionals.Soon after the 29yearoldPrajnesh’s second Challenger triumph this year, Bopanna tweeted: “Anothergreat example having a@ATPChallenger in Indiawhich has helped Indianplayers benefi��ting from it.We need more internationaltournaments in India and,hopefully, every State hasminimum one.”
Prajnesh, who earned 125ATP points, is expected tobe ranked close to 100. Avictory here will give him 80points and further improvehis chances of getting a direct entry into the Austra
lian Open in January 2019.“There is an outsidechance,” Gunneswaran toldThe Hindu on Sunday.
Two years ago, Prajneshhad lost to Frenchman Sadio Doumbia in the summitclash here but has improvedsince. In the absence of YukiBhambri (winner here in2015 and 2017), the Indianchallenge will be led by theNo. 2 seed Ramkumar Ramanathan, No. 4 seed Prajnesh, Saketh Myneni (therunnerup at Bengaluru)and Sumit Nagal.
The other Indians in themain draw are the four wildcard benefi��ciaries — Sasi Kumar Mukund, Manish Sureshkumar, Arjun Kadheand Aryan Goveas.
Imporant results (qualifyingsecond round): Danylo Kalenichenko (Ukr) bt Khumoun Sultanov (Uzb) 57, 76(3), 64;Fransesco Vilardo (Ita) bt Sanjar Fayziev (Uzb) 26, 76 (5),75; Ben Patael (Isr) bt VijaySundar Prashanth (Ind) 60,63; Benjamin Hassan (Ger) btSriram Balaji (Ind) 76(7), 63;Sebastian Fanselow (Ger) btChienHsun Lo (Taipei) 63,63.
All eyes on Prajnesh G. Viswanath
Pune
Federer disappointed,but looks ahead LONDON
Roger Federer trained his
sights on next season after a
disappointing defeat in the
last four at the ATP Finals
brought his 2018 campaign to
a premature halt. “(Pete)
Sampras once said, ‘if you win
a Slam, it’s a good season’,”
said Federer. “I’m very proud
that at 37 I’m still so
competitive and so happy
playing tennis,” he said. “I’m
actually very happy about the
season.” AFP
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NOIDA/DELHI THE HINDU
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LIFE
Mickey Mouse celebrateshis 90th birthday NEW YORK
Mickey Mouse, the brainchild
of cartoonist Walt Disney
that symbolised a global
entertainment empire,
celebrated his 90th birthday
on Sunday. Mickey’s career
got launched in the animated
short film Steamboat Willie
on November 18, 1928. To
mark his birthday, Disney
opened a 16,000square
foot art exhibition in
Manhattan. REUTERS
IN BRIEF
Marilyn’s Golden Globesold for $2,50,000 CALIFORNIA
Marilyn Monroe’s Golden
Globe Award was sold for a
recordbreaking $2,50,000 at
Julien’s Auctions in California,
on Saturday. The 1961 award
statue for World Film
Favourite Female from the
Hollywood Foreign Press
Association made history as
the highestselling Golden
Globe at auction. REUTERS
Second World War-eraplane crashes, kills 2WASHINGTON
A Second World Warera
fighter plane crashed on
Saturday into a parking lot in
Fredericksburg, Texas, killing
a veteran and one other
person, local media and
officials said. The P51
Mustang served in the Pacific
and other theatres of the
Second World War, as well as
during the Korean War. AFP
Imagine an airport wherethousands of planes, emptyof fuel, are left abandonedon the tarmac. That is whathas been happening for decades with satellites that circle the earth.
When satellites run out offuel, they can no longermaintain their precise orbit,rendering them useless evenif their hardware is stillintact.
In recent years, new aerospace companies havebeen founded to try and extend the lifespan of satellites,on the hunch that manyclients would fi��nd this moreprofi��table than relaunchingnew ones.
“It’s literally throwingaway hundreds of millions ofdollars,” Al Tadros, vicepresident of Space Infrastructure and Civil Space at SSL,said.
In 2021, his company willlaunch a vehicle that is capa
ble of servicing two to threedozen satellites in a distantgeostationary orbit, some36,000 km from the earth.
This unmanned spacecraft will be able to latch onto a satellite to inspect it, refuel it, and possibly evenrepair it or change components, and put it back in thecorrect orbit.
“It’s fi��nancially a very, very big opportunity,” said Mr.Tadros.
Intelsat, which operates50 geostationary satellites,
chose a diff��erent option andsigned a contract with SpaceLogistics for its Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV).
When it launches in 2019,the spacecraft will attach itself to a broken down satellite, and reposition it in itscorrect orbit.
The MEV will stay attached and use its own engine to stay in orbit.
Onorbit servicing couldalso help cut down on theperplexing problem ofmounting space debris.
Of the 23,000 space objects counted by the U.S. military, just 1,900 are activesatellites.
Too much debris
The rest includes nearly3,000 inactive satellites,2,000 pieces of rockets andthousands of fragments produced by two key events: thedeliberate missile explosionof a Chinese satellite in 2007,and the 2009 collision of anIridium satellite with an ageing Russian one.
Since 2008, France has required satellite operators totake steps to “deorbit” theirspacecrafts by programmingthem to reenter the earth’satmosphere in 25 years sothat they burn up, accordingto the French National Center for Space Studies (CNES).
A small Japanese company founded in 2013, Astroscale, is developing a systemto approach and capturespace debris and broken satellites.
New space industry emerges:servicing satellites in orbitFixing them is more profi��table to companies than relaunching new ones
Agence France-Presse
Washington
Clean space: Of the 23,000 space objects counted by the U.S.military, just 1,900 are active satellites. * AP
One of the last missing pieces of Byzantine art stolenfrom Cyprus in the 1970swas handed back this weekby a renowned Dutch artinvestigator.
“It was in the possessionof a British family, whobought the mosaic in goodfaith more than four decades ago,” Arthur Brandsaid.
“They were horrifi��edwhen they found out that itwas in fact a priceless arttreasure, looted from the Kanakaria Church after theTurkish invasion,” Mr. Brandsaid.
The family agreed to return it “to the people of Cyprus” in return for a smallfee to cover restoration andstorage costs, he added.
Mr. Brand said on Fridayhe handed back the sixthcentury depiction of SaintMark during a private ceremony at the Cypriot embas
sy in The Hague.For Mr. Brand, dubbed
the “Indiana Jones of the artworld” because of his exploits to recover stolenworks, the handover was ahighpoint in his lifelong interest in the Byzantine saint— and the result of a nearlytwoyear chase acrossEurope.
“This is a very special
piece that’s more than 1,600years old. It’s one of the lastand most beautiful examples of art from the early Byzantine era,” said the artsleuth.
After getting a tip from anart dealer, Mr. Brand travelled to Monaco in August.Through a series of intermediaries, he fi��nally traced it tothe British family.
1,600yearold Byzantine art was stolen in the 1970s
Agence France-Presse
The Hague
Back home: The missing mosaic of St. Mark, a rare piece ofstolen Byzantine art from Cyprus, in The Hague. * AFP
Missing St. Mark mosaicfi��nally returns to Cyprus
Albania’s long underexplored coastal waters havebecome a hotspot for treasure hunters scooping up ancient pottery, sunken shipparts and other shellencrusted relics that have lainon the seabed for centuries.
The 450km coastline,which is lapped by theAdriatic and Ionian seas, wasoff��limits under the communist regime which ruled theBalkan state until 1990, withorders to shoot anyone
caught diving withoutauthorisation.
But today its waters areopen, luring archaeologists
but also looters eager toplumb the new territory andsell their fi��nds on the art andmetals markets.
“Much of this wealth resting at the depth of 2030metres is easily accessiblewithout any special equipment,” said Albanian archaeologist Neritan Ceka.
Expeditions carried outsince 2006 have found some40 shipwrecks along Albania’s coastline, including vessels dating back to the 7thcentury BC and naval shipsfrom First and Second World
Wars. Hundreds of Romanera amphoras — used to storewine, olive oil and othergoods on trade vessels — arealso clustered on the seafl��oor, covered in marineplants.
Other prized discoverieshave been ferried home byforeign divers and placed invarious private museumsaround the world.
In June, authoritiespassed a law classifying theshipwrecks as cultural monuments and requiring strictlicensing for diving teams.
Police are also workingwith Interpol to trace and getback stolen objects, said criminal police director EduartMerkaj.
One dream shared by Albanian and foreign experts isto create an underwater museum, such as the one thatexists in the Turkish city ofBodrum. “The time hascome to build an underwatermuseum, laboratories and aspecialised centre,” saysLuan Perzhita, director of Albania’s ArchaeologicalInstitute.
Looters plunder Albania’s sunken treasures The coastline was off��limits under the communist regime, which ruled the Balkan state until 1990
Marine life growing onamphorae off�� the coast ofAlbania. * AP
Agence France-Press
Vlora One of seven paintings stolen six years ago from a museum in The Netherlandsmay have been found in Romania, the public prosectorin Bucharest said onSunday.
Seven masterpieces by Picasso, Monet, Gauguin, andLucian Freud were stolenfrom the Kunsthal Museumin Rotterdam in 2012 in araid that lasted only threeminutes. Dutch media at thetime called it “the theft ofthe century”.
Public prosecutor Augustin Lazar confi��rmed that Romanian authorities were inpossession of a painting that“might be” one of the stolenartwork.
Sources said that expertsare checking if the canvas isPicasso’s Harlequin Head.
A Dutch Foreign Aff��airsMinistry spokesperson saidthe painting’s “authenticitymust now be established”.
Four Romanians werejailed for the heist in 2014,and ordered to pay $20.5million to the paintings’ insurers.
Stolen ‘Picasso’ paintingtraced in Romania Agence France-Presse
Bucharest
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monday O november 19, 2018
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A burning issueAs Delhi grapples with toxic
air, authorities step up efforts
to check burning of garbage in
the open Page 2
Gangs ofMirzapurKaran Anshuman, Gurrmeet
Singh talk about their new
Amazon Prime show set in
badlands of UP Page 4
‘I am a believer,a seeker’Ahead of release of Kedarnath,
director Abhishek Kapoor
delves into deeper layers of
the love story Page 5
PollutionsolutionFourteen of the world’s 15
most polluted cities are in
India, according to the
WHO’s report Page 6
Woman drug peddlerarrested in cityNEW DELHI
A woman drug peddler wasarrested from Taimoor Nagarof SouthEast district, thepolice said on Sunday.The woman was identifi��ed asHasina Begum, 32, and 265gram of heroin was seizedfrom her possession, saidDCP (SouthEast) ChinmoyBiswal.
CITY A PAGE 3
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Two-year-old homelessgirl kidnapped, rapedNEW DELHI
A twoyearold homeless girl
was allegedly kidnapped
from a footpath and raped by
a 24yearold vagabond in
north Delhi’s Kotwali on
November 17. The accused
was arrested on Sunday. The
man took the girl to a
secluded place in the railway
washing yard and raped her,
the police said.
CITY A PAGE 3
DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public meeting at Gurugram’s Sultanpurvillage here on Monday, to inaugurate the 83kmlongKundliManesar section ofthe muchdelayed WesternPeripheral Expressway,there was widespread resentment among the farmers inseveral villages along thehighway on Sunday.
Fields of many of thesefarmers were acquired forthe construction of the Western Peripheral Expressway,also known as KundliManesarPalwal Expressway, overa decade ago. They have nowopposed the BJP government’s proposal to set up fi��vebig cities, or panchagram,along the highway. The farmers have alleged that it wouldrender hundreds of farmersand farm labourers joblessand only help developersand industrialists.
Shamsher Singh, a farmerand a resident of Kundal village, said the farmers werenot against development inthe region, but were demanding that they should also be partners in it. Singh(42) alleged that the government had declared over sixlakh hectares of land alongthe KMP as controlled areawithout notifi��cation and didnot specify the purpose aswell.
“It is wrong to snatchlands from farmers and hand
those over to big corporatesand developers. Any development plan for the areamust include the farmers asthe partners,” he said.
Hans Raj Rana said theproposal to develop the fi��vecities along the highwaywould render hundreds ofpeople jobless. He alsosought to know if the government had any plan for theirrehabilitation.
Indefi��nite dharnaHolding an indefi��nite dharnaat Saidpur Chowk nearKharkhoda village here sinceFebruary 15, 2011, under theaegis of Bhumi BachchaoSangarsh Samiti against alleged faulty land acquisitionfor KMP, Mr. Rana said thefarmers in Haryana were facing discrimination. He saidthat the people living in villages along the KundliGhaziabadPalwal Expresswaywere given heftier compensation for land acquired forthe construction of the expressway.
“While farmers in UttarPradesh got ₹��34 crore peracre, farmers in fi��ve Haryanadistricts along the road werepaid meagre ₹��2080 lakh peracre. When the purpose ofacquisition is the same, whyis there a diff��erence in compensation?,” said the 62yearold.
Mr. Rana also alleged thatthe Haryana government hadfailed to rehabilitate thefarmers from whom lands
were acquired for the expressway, adding that theywere also not paid the annual royalty of ₹��21,000 peracre, as promised.
Singh said that the highway had dissected the landsof various farmers forcingthem to take detours of several kilometres to reachtheir own farm. He said irrigation channels at severalplaces were also cut off��. Hefurther said that a largenumber of farmers wantedthe KMP to be named afterfarmers’ leader Sir ChhotuRam, but their demand wasnot met by the government.
Farmers’ leader PradeepDhankar (47) said there wasanger among the farmers fornot getting the MinimumSupport Price (MSP) fortheir crops and over imposing of the Pradhan MantriFasal Bima Yojana on them.
Despite the announcement made by the government, a very small percentage of their crop wasbought at the MSP, Mr.Dhankar alleged. He saidthat farmers were dying bysuicide due to crop failuresor after not getting the proper price, but there was nopolitical leader to raise voicefor them.
“The share of agriculturein Gross Domestic Producthas been rapidly falling andthe farmers are only beingexploited as voters duringthe election season,” he added.
Resentment among farmersahead of PM visit to Gurugram‘It is wrong to snatch land from farmers and hand them over to developers’ Ashok Kumar
SONIPAT
Farmers protest in Gurugram on Sunday. * ASHOK KUMAR
Two former senior offi��cialsof Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT)have been arrested for theiralleged involvement in thescholarship scam, the policesaid on Sunday.
The accused — G.C. Joshi(60), former director ofCCRT (2011 to 2018), andAnil Kohli (60), former deputy director, fi��nance, CCRT(2011 to 2018) — had allegedly peculated more than ₹��50lakh of the government’smoney during 20152017 inthe name of providing scholarships to young childrenall over India, said A.K. Singla, Additional Commissioner of Police(Crime Branch).Mr. Joshi retired from thepost in July while Mr. Kohliretired in April this year.
Earlier arrestsThe police have already arrested 11 people for their alleged involvement in thescam in August.
In February 2018, a caseof cheating was registered atDwarka South police stationon the complaint of Mr.Joshi, the then director ofCCRT, regarding majorfrauds committed in the department at a large scale onthe pretext of providingscholarships to youth in different artistic fi��elds. Theprobe was transferred to theCrime Branch.
The matter was investigated and 11 people, including
IT programmer Sandip and aformer CCRT employee,were arrested by the CrimeBranch in August 2018. During investigation, the role ofthe then director and the deputy director of CCRT wasprobed. They were found tobe allegedly involved in thescam and were arrested.
The CCRT, which is fi��nanced by the Ministry ofCulture, grants scholarshipto people of various agegroups from various artisticfi��elds such as music, dance,drama, theatre, painting andcrafts among others. It invites applications for scholarships from all over thecountry from September toOctober every year. After ascanning by the Central Selection Committee, about650 applicants, in the agegroup of 1014 years, areawarded with monthly scholarship till they turn 20.
Mr. Joshi had appointedMr. Sandip as the IT programmer on a contractualbasis in August 2011 and attached him with the accounts section, which wasunder the supervision of Mr.Kohli. Mr. Sandip used to
prepare the list of studentswho were supposed to getthe scholarship amount.
He spotted loopholes inthe procedure of payment ofscholarships and hatched aplan to peculate the money.He roped in some of hisfriends, colleagues, the director and the deputy director of CCRT in his plan afteroff��ering them certain percentage as commission.
Mr. Sandip allegedly manipulated the list by inserting details of himself and hisaccomplices, replacing thenames of the actual scholarshipholders. The accusedthus managed to peculatemore than ₹��50 lakh during20152017.
In 2016, a dispute arosebetween Mr. Joshi, Mr. Kohliand Mr. Sandip over thecommission as there waslack of currency in banksowing to demonetisation.“Mr. Joshi terminated theservices of [Mr.] Sandipprior to the completion ofthe [job] contract and fi��led acomplaint against him alleging a scholarship fraud in order to wash his hands of thematter,” said Mr. Singla.
Accused of involvement in peculation during 20152017
STAFF REPORTER
NEW DELHI
G.C. Joshi and Anil Kohli * SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Scholarship scam: two formersenior offi��cials of CCRT arrested
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)on Sunday alleged that theElection Commission (EC)carried out a “farcical investigation based on an inaccurate list of deleted voters into the allegation raised bythe AAP that more than 10lakh voters have been removed from the voters’ listin Delhi”.
AAP spokesperson Raghav Chadha said that after adelegation led by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal metwith Chief Election Commissioner O.P. Rawat regarding the issue, Mr. Rawatrequested for a list of coupleof areas where the AAP suspected that voters had beenwrongfully removed fromthe voters’ list.
“We provided the namesof Harkesh Nagar and Lalkuan in Tughlakabad Assembly in South Delhi constituency to the EC. The ECthen ordered a doortodoorsurvey in the matter between November 16 and 18 atthe locations by eleventeams,” said Mr. Chadha.
However, he alleged thatthe investigation carried outby the EC was “insincereand manipulated”. Mr.Chadha said that the EC hadfailed to provide an accurate, authentic and comprehensive list of voters whose
names have been deleted bypolitical parties as the listbeing carried by the investigative authorities was diff��erent from the one that EChas uploaded on its offi��cialwebsite. “Any investigationbased on an incorrect list isfarcical exercise and a joke.It is an eyewash exercise asit is based on an inaccuratedeleted voters’ list,” said Mr.Chadha.
‘Electoral fraud’The AAP said that the deletion of voters from the listseems to be a scam of thehighest magnitude and a bigelectoral fraud on people ofDelhi. “Most of the peoplewhose names were foundmissing from the voters’ listwere found to be nonBJPvoters. This directly indicates that it is a politicallymotivated exercise. This is aserious attempt to sabotagedemocracy and to snatchthe constitutional rights ofthe people of Delhi to vote,”said Mr. Chadha.
He requested all voters,especially nonBJP ones, tocheck their names in theirrespective electoral roll toensure they can exercisetheir constitutional right.The AAP is exploring all possible options including legaloptions to take up the matter as it is a serious attemptto sabotage democracy.
‘Probe was insincere, manipulated’
Staff Reporter
NEW DELHI
Raghav Chadha at a pressconference in New Delhi onSunday. * SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR
<> Most of the people
whose names were
missing from the
voter list were
found to be non
BJP voters. This
directly indicates
that it is a
politically
motivated
exercise...
Raghav Chadha
AAP spokesperson
EC survey of deletednames a farce: AAP
Dream job: A potter enjoys his siesta in New Delhi on Sunday. * V.V. KRISHNAN
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‘Cot’ napping
In the wake of a blast at Nirankari Bhavan in Amritsar onSunday morning, the DelhiPolice has stepped up security at Nirankari Sarovar innorth Delhi’s Burari. The cityhas been put on high alert.
A senior police offi��cer saidthe security at Nirankari Sarovar has been beefed up. ‘Pa-rakram’, an antiterrorismvan has been deployed at the
Sarovar. The premises has been
barricaded and CCTV cameras around it have been thoroughly checked. Police personnel have been deployed inplain clothes to gather information and keep an eye onantisocial elements.
All borders of Delhi havealso been put on high alert.Random checking of vehicleshave been started at severalplaces. “The Capital is on
high alert after we got inputsfrom the Punjab Police regarding the movement of sixto seven JaisheMohammadterrorists from Punjab to Delhi,” said a police offi��cer. “Alldistricts and other units likethe Crime branch and theSpecial Cell have started massive combing operationsacross the city,” he added.
Patrolling and surveillancehave been increased in sensitive areas. All vital installa
tions in Delhi, including IndiaGate, Rashtrapati Bhavan,railway stations have beenput on high alert.
The police said they havesensitised people who live inor go to places that see highfootfall. “We request citizensto immediately contact us ifthey notice any suspicious activity,” the offi��cer said. Thepolice heads of adjoiningStates have also been asked todeploy extra staff�� at borders.
STAFF REPORTER
NEW DELHI
Security personnel at Nirankari Sarovar in New Delhi onSunday. * SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA
City put on high alert post Amritsar blast
A 25yearold lawyer waskilled after his car rammeda road divider and hit a treeon Aruna Asaf Ali Road insouth Delhi’s Vasant Kunj inthe small hours of Sunday.
The accident was reported around 4.30 a.m. when afew people saw the damaged car with its injureddriver and called the police.A team reached the spotand rushed the victim to anearby hospital where hewas declared dead.
Postmortem awaitedPrime facie, it appears thatDebanjan Sarkar was speeding and lost control over thevehicle after which it hit theroad divider and thencrashed into a tree, the police said, adding that he wasreturning home from a party.
He lived at National Institute of Immunology campus where his father is anemployee, they said.
A case of rash driving anddeath by negligence was registered at the Vasant KunjNorth police station.
The police said they areawaiting the postmortemreport to ascertain if thedriver was drunk.
Lawyerkilled as carrams divider
STAFF REPORTER
NEW DELHI
Five AAP workers, including its State spokesperson,were detained on Sundayfollowing a tweet, whichsought PM Narendra Modi’sreply to fi��ve questions andover a press note that threatened to greet Mr. Modiwith black fl��ags, the policesaid. They were later let off��.
Mr. Modi is slated to holda public meeting in Sultanpur on Monday at the inauguration of KundliManesarsection of the KMPExpressway.
AAP Haryana spokesperson Sudhir Yadav told TheHindu that more than halfadozen of policemenbarged into his housearound 8.30 p.m. and tookhim to Farrukhnagar policestation. He alleged that theymanhandled and abusedhim. He said four more AAPworkers were detained after they went to meet him atthe police station.
Mr. Yadav, in a tweet, hadcome up with fi��ve questionsto Mr. Modi on Haryana CMManohar Lal Khattar’s recent statement on rapes,farmers’ plight, makingKMP tollfree etc.
The AAP had issued apress note demanding thatthe dues of KMP contractors be cleared and threatened to show the PM blackfl��ags if the demand was notmet. Mr. Yadav said theywere let off�� after AAP Statechief Navin Jaihind tweetedagainst the alleged atrocity.Gurugram Police spokesperson Subhash Boken saidonly Mr. Yadav was detained and was let off�� afterhe assured that he wouldnot take the law in his hand.
Five AAPworkersdetained
Special Correspondent
GURUGRAM
<> While farmers in
Uttar Pradesh got
₹��34 crore per
acre, farmers in
fi��ve Haryana
districts along the
road were paid
meagre ₹��2080
lakh per acre...
Why is there a
diff��erence in
compensation?
Hans Raj Rana
Delhi’s air quality slips to‘very poor’ categoryNEW DELHI
Delhi’s air quality slipped to
‘very poor’ category due to
slow wind speed and high
humidity on Sunday,
authorities said. The Centre
run System of Air Quality and
Weather Forecasting (SAFAR)
said the overall air quality
index was recorded at 326,
which comes under ‘very
poor’ category. The air quality
is very poor and expected to
remain in the same category
with gradual increase for the
next three days as wind speed
is slow and humidity is high, it
also said. PTI
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CITY
As one enters the Yamunafl��oodplains, on the stretchbetween Old Railway Bridgeand Geeta Colony, closedcircuit television cameras(CCTV) and public addressing systems greet the personfrom the poles erected onthe riverbed.
The new additions are apart of the Delhi Development Authority’s eff��orts tocurb illegal dumping of construction waste and debrison the fl��oodplains.
A total of eight camerashave been installed along thestretch, with another 34 inthe pipeline to cover the entire area, said DDA offi��cials.
“The fi��rst phase was completed around one and a halfmonths ago. The locationswere identifi��ed keeping inmind the points from wherethe trucks usually enter formuck dumping on the fl��oodplains,” said a DDA offi��cial oncondition of anonymity.
Ignored ordersDumping of construction debris has continued on the Yamuna fl��oodplains despiteseveral orders and judgments of the National GreenTribunal.
In a detailed order passedby the green panel in January2015, a Bench headed byformer NGT chairpersonSwatanter Kumar had said:“Whoever violates this direction relating to dumping ofdebris shall be liable to paycompensation of ₹��50,000 onthe ‘Polluter Pays Principle’and ‘PrecautionaryPrinciple’.”
It also imposed a spot fi��neof ₹��5,000 on dumping reli
gious and other waste. “Wehereby prohibit any personfrom throwing puja material
or any other material likefoodgrain, oil etc. into the Yamuna except on designatedsite. Any person who isfound disobeying this direction shall be liable to paycompensation of ₹��5,000,”the panel observed.
The green tribunal had directed the authorities to remove construction and allother wastes lying on the entire stretch within “fourmonths” of its order. However, illegal dumping of wastehas continued over the yearsacross the banks of theYamuna.
‘Simple step’Environmentalist Manoj Mishra, on whose petition the
judgment was delivered bythe NGT, said: “It is a shamethat the DDA has taken solong [since January 2015] toinitiate a simple step. Whilewe wish that some eff��ectivesteps are taken, we are notreally hopeful that the measures, as planned, shall put ahalt to dumping [of waste]and continuous encroachment as one does not needCCTV cameras to pinpointthe culprits.” The camerasbeing installed by the DDAhave advanced technology todetect illegal dumping ofwaste, said the DDA offi��cial.
“The cameras have automatic number plate readersto track vehicles indulging inillegal waste dumping on the
fl��oodplains. They also have a360degree rotation featureto focus and detect any unusual activity. Public addresssystems are also being installed to ensure people donot dump waste,” he said.
A senior DDA offi��cial associated with the project said:“With a coordinated systembetween our own securityteams, cameras and policeteams, we are hoping thatthe strategy to detect and remove illegal dumping andunauthorised colonies willwork out. There is also thepresence of multiple antisocial elements and we arehoping to tackle this aspectas well.”
When The Hindu visited
ed for police action, arrestsmade, number of trucks impounded and compensationlevied.
The committee in its report observed: “The result ofCCTV monitoring is vagueand gives no confi��dence thatthe footage has been reviewed and acted on. On theuse of remote sensing, thesame vague response hasbeen repeated orally and inwriting without anyspecifi��city.”
However, DDA offi��cialssaid that through deployment of guards, along withthe CCTV monitoring, theauthorities are hoping that illegal dumping can becurbed.
“Tenders for private security guards have also beenfl��oated. Approximately 60guards should be present atthe site, roundtheclock,with fi��ve security men foreach 4km stretch. This is being done to prevent fresh encroachments. Also, barricading will be done to preventdumping of debris,” an offi��cial said.
By January next year, theinstallation of cameras onthe remaining stretches ofthe Yamuna fl��oodplains is expected to be completed, theoffi��cial added.
Highlighting the urgencyof the issue, which has remained unresolved over theyears, Mr. Mishra said: “Thegroundlevel staff�� know whothe culprits are. It is more amatter of intent than gettinghold of the wrongdoers.There is brazen invasion taking place south of the DND[DelhiNoi da Direct fl��yway].Do you really need a CCTV toknow of it?”
the area further,” said a civicbody worker.
Monitoring panelIn July this year, the NGT hadconstituted a MonitoringCommittee, comprisingformer Delhi Chief SecretaryShailaja Chandra and formerNGT expert member BikramSingh Sajwan, to submit anaction plan to clean the riverand the fl��oodplains.
In a detailed report compiled by the committee, accessed by The Hindu, severaldirections have been given tothe authorities including theDDA. It has been suggestedthat the committee, on amonthly basis, should monitor the status of cases report
the fl��oodplains near GeetaColony after the Chhath Pujacelebrations, municipalworkers were seen clearingthe banks and dumping thewaste into the river.
When asked why theywere doing so, they claimedthat they were merely “depositing” the fl��owers and puja materials into the river sothat a machine used forcleaning the water could collect them.
“We are putting all the materials into the river so thatthe machine which comes toclean can collect the wastefrom the river itself. Leavingthe material on the banks isnot viable as often the windscatters the waste and dirties
Can technology help save the Yamuna fl��oodplains?With illegal dumping of construction debris continuing on the fl��oodplains in the Capital, the DDA has decided to crack down on polluters with hitech CCTV camerasand public address systems. As the agency completes its fi��rst phase of installation, Shinjini Ghosh takes a walk on the riverbed to check the diff��erence
Shinjini Ghosh
New Delhi
Debris dumped on the Yamuna fl��oodplains in the Capital. (Right) CCTVs cameras are being installed on the riverbed to curb illegal dumping of construction waste in the area. * V. V. KRISHNAN
<> While we wish that
some eff��ective
steps are taken, we
are not really
hopeful that the
measures [devices]
would put a halt to
dumping [of
waste] and
continuous
encroachment as
one does not need
CCTV cameras to
pinpoint the
culprits
Manoj Mishra
Environmentalist
As the Capital grapples withtoxic air, the authorities havestepped up eff��orts to checkburning of garbage in theopen but environmentalistssay the problem will persisttill infrastructure to collectand process the waste is notput in place.
In October, the Environment Pollution (Prevention& Control) Authority, rappedthe three civic bodies —North Delhi Municipal Corporation, South Delhi Municipal Corporation and EastDelhi Municipal Corporation— for garbage burning and directed them to step uppatrols.
It also asked the Delhi Pollution Control Committee toappoint environment marshals to check the burning ofgarbage, said EPCA chairman Bhure Lal. “We eventold them to fi��le FIRs againsthabitual off��enders,” headded.
Since the start of November, the corporations havebeen conducting regularnight patrols and issuingchallans, said spokespersonsof the three civic bodies.
₹��5,000 fi��ne “We have been instructed toextinguish the fi��re and alsonab the culprit, who is to befi��ned ₹��5,000. However, attimes, it is not easy to nabthe perpetrators,” a northbody offi��cial said, addingthat the corporation hadformed 43 teams of three tofour people from various departments to conduct the patrols. On the other hand, theSDMC has about 55 teams forthe same.
The data from the corporations stated that the north
body has issued 624 challansfor garbage burning this yearwhile the SDMC has issuedup to 484 challans.
Interestingly, the numberof challans issued by thenorth body shot up in October to 246 from 12 in September. Data from the east bodywas not furnished in time forthis story. Mr. Lal believesthe incidence of garbageburning has gone down.
“On inspecting Narela andBawana industrial areas, wefound plastic and rubberbring burnt. Since then up to16,590 metric tonnes of gar
bage has been lifted from thearea and sent to energyplant,” he said, adding: “Butthe problem still persists, especially near jhuggis and unauthorised colonies.”
A senior north body offi��cial said garbage collection isnot regular in those areas because of which its incidenceis higher.
A 2016 study on air pollution in the Capital by professors at IIT Kanpur, statedthat Municipal Solid Wasteburning — about 190246tonnes estimated to be burntdaily — contributes to about
98% of the PM 10 PM 2.5 inthe air.
Garbage burning alongwith biomass burning is oneof the most variable contributors to emissions but it it estimated to be marginallyhigher in the winters, it added.
Sunil Dhaiya, a clean aircampaigner with Greenpeace said: “When garbageis burnt, it releases a cocktailof carcinogens into the air.Especially when the waste isnot even segregated, it contains heavy metals, plasticsand all kinds of toxins.”
The study also stated:“Open burning of any type ofwastes including agriculturalwastes, garden wastes, municipal wastes or residentialwastes, due to incompletecombustion release hazardous pollutants which include PM, CO, PAH (Polycyclic AromaticHydrocarbons), SOx, NOx,VOC. A very high concentration of these pollutants is observed in the smoke duringwaste burning.”
Chitra Mukherjee of Chintan — an NGO — advocate better waste management saidwhile patrolling was one approach to the problem, processing the garbage is another. “Garbage burning takesplace completely at random.Hardly anyone is aware ofthe fi��nes being imposed. Besides how much can youcontrol it? The question isnot levying more fi��nes but toput up proper infrastructureto collect and processgarbage.”
Ms. Mukherjee added thatproper implementation ofmunicipal solid waste management rules would helpput an end to the problem.
Burning issue: civic bodies step up patrol Waste collection and processing must be put in place to end burning in open, say environmentalists
Staff Reporter
New Delhi
Smoke billows out of a pile of smouldering garbage alongside Ring Road near Kashmere Gate. * SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA
<> When garbage is
burnt, it releases a
cocktail of
carcinogens into
the air. Especially
when the waste is
not even
segregated, it
contains heavy
metals, plastics and
all kinds of toxins
Sunil Dhaiya
Clean air campaigner
Years after they wereopened for public use, twofoot overbridges (FOB) at busy spots in Noida are still incomplete, with lack of adequate lighting and facilitiesmaking them a safe havenfor encroachers. .
The FOB connecting Noida Sector 18 to The Great India Place mall does not havean elevator and one of theescalators was not workingthis week.
“I had to carry a heavybag up the stairs as the escalators were broken. It wouldhave been easier if they wereworking or if it had a lift. Many pedestrians, specifi��callythe old and physically challenged, face the same problem,” said Amit Jaiswal, ashopper.
A senior Noida Authorityoffi��cial said there was noprovision for an elevator,though there was a space setaside for one.
“There is only provisionfor stairs. The escalators onthe bridge are also workingnow,” the offi��cial said.
The FOB outside the Botanical Garden Metro station— an interchange station forthe Blue Line and MagentaLine of the Delhi Metro —does not have escalators andlights.
“Having no lights on theoverbridge makes it very unsafe. It is worse during rainsand late hours. In winter itwill worsen further. But Idon’t think we can do anything but deal with it,” saidShrija Srivastava, a resident.
Sheetal Yadav, a regularmall visitor, said: “Absenceof lifts and nonfunctionalescalators is a problem. Ihave a huge bag which Ineed to carry down thestairs. I am sure that manypeople have luggage as theFOB is just outside the metrostation.”
‘Work under progress’ Vansh Chaudhary, a pedestrian using the FOB, said:“The bridge is clearly a workunder progress as the construction is not complete.
The absence of lights, liftsand escalators is certainly anissue but I believe that eventually, they would be inplace.”
The Noida Authority offi��cial, however, said the construction work had beencompleted.
“The lights may havebeen broken. We will getthem checked and fi��xed.The work had earlier lostpace because of a court order,” the offi��cer said.
While the foot overbridges pose a challengefor pedestrians, street vendors fi��nd the space suitableto sell their wares.
“I sit here daily from 8a.m. to 8 p.m. and get many customers,” said, Arvind Kumar, a vendor selling socks.
Experts raised concernsover the condition of theFOBs.
“It is the basic rule that astructure should not beopened for public use untilits construction is complete,” said Prof. P.K. Sarkar, director [transport] atthe Asian Institute of Transport Development.
He added: “In India,most people don’t evenchoose to use these bridgesuntil they are compelled bythe presence of barriers orheavy traffi��c on the roads.This can be because FOBsdo not provide the bestconnectivity.”
FOBs pose new challengeto pedestrians in Noida Many complain of lack of lights, lifts, nonfunctional escalators
Pragya Gupta
New Delhi
Pedestrians tread cautiously on a poorly illuminated footoverbridge in Noida. * SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
<> Having no lights on
the overbridge
makes it very
unsafe. It is worse
during rains and
late hours. In
winter it will
worsen further. I
don’t think we can
do anything about
it but deal with it
Shrija Srivastava
Resident
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THE HINDU NOIDA/DELHI
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2018 3EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
CMYK
B ND-NDE
CITY
A twoyearold homeless girlwas allegedly kidnappedfrom a footpath and rapedby a 24yearold vagabondin a railway washing yard innorth Delhi’s Kotwali on November 17 (Saturday).
The accused was arrestedon Sunday following raidsby the police at various locations. The police hadformed 10 teams for thetask.
The police said it wasaround 2.30 a.m. on Saturday when the child who wassleeping next to her motherwas kidnapped by Anil aliasLalu, a resident of Bareilly inUttar Pradesh.
The man took the girl to asecluded place in the railway’s washing yard andraped her, the police said.
Search for girlThe accused fl��ed after raping the child. Around 3.30a.m.,when the child’s mother woke up and did not fi��ndher daughter by her side,she rushed to her husband,a rickshaw puller, who wassleeping near a gurdwara.
After more than threehours of looking for the girl,the couple lodged a complaint at Kotwali police sta
tion. A case of kidnapping un
der IPC Section 363 was registered, said a policeoffi��cer.
Meanwhile, a passerbyspotted the girl lying nearthe tracks at the railwayyard and informed the police at Old Delhi Railway station.
“The cops found that thechild was bleeding and tookher to Aruna Asaf Ali Hospital. They informed the Kotwali police station. The police called the girl’s parentsand took them to the hospital where they identifi��edher. A case of rape was registered,” the offi��cer said.
The child’s condition isstable, she has been shiftedto Lok Nayak Hospital forfurther treatment. “The accused was identifi��ed with
the help of CCTV footage ofthe area from where thechild was reported missing.He was arrested within a fewhours of the incident beingreported. The case is underinvestigation,” added thepolice offi��cer.
Maliwal expresses shockMeanwhile, Delhi Commission For Women chairperson Swati Maliwal met thegirl in the hospital and expressed outrage over theincident.
“1.5 year old homelessgirl brutally raped in Delhi.Met her in hospital & can’tdescribe her condition. Herbeggar mom is inconsolable. Her cries ring in myhead. Thru my Anshan, law4 death 2 rapist created buttill date no rapist givendeath in Delhi! No fearamongst criminals [sic],”she tweeted.
“PM @narendramodi ji’scabinet promised during myAnshan that within 3months they will increasepolice resources, accountability & fast track courts sothat rapists shall be givendeath within 6 months. Ibroke my fast on this promise. Till date, nothingdone by Centre. Shameful![sic]” Ms. Maliwal wrote.
2yearold homelessgirl kidnapped, rapedAccused, a vagabond, arrested after raids; victim stable
STAFF REPORTER
NEW DELHI <> The accused was
identifi��ed with
the help of CCTV
footage of the
area from where
the child was
reported missing
and was soon
arrested. The case
is under
investigation
Police officer
The Delhi Petrol Dealers Association (DPDA) on Sundaysaid the purpose of introducing Euro 6 EmissionStandard compliant petroland diesel in the nationalCapital was being defeatedas consumers were buyingcheaper and more pollutingEuro 4 fuel from the neighbouring States.
Due to reduction of ValueAdded Tax (VAT) by neighbouring States recently, fuelprices are lower in theseStates that sell unclean Euro4 fuel, said DPDA presidentNischal Singhania. “Withprice disparity of ₹��2 to ₹��3,the consumers in Delhi arebuying Euro 4 fuel from Noida, Gurugram, Ghaziabad,Faridabad, Sonipat and Bahadurgarh adding to the airpollution in the Capital,”said Mr. Singhania.
Decline in saleSharing fi��gures, Mr. Singhania said that due to price disparity, sale of Euro 6 fuel inthe Capital had declined byabout 3.72 crore litres duringthe month of October.
This means that thismuch quantity of Euro 6 fuelwas replaced by Euro 4 fuelbought in neighbouringStates. “In November, projected loss of sale of Euro 6
fuel is expected to be about4.5 crore litres which wouldfurther add to the problemof pollution in the city. TheDelhi government alongwith other measures takenby them to control pollutionin Delhi should make Euro 6fuel cheaper than the neighbouring States by reducingVAT to help in combatingpollution,” Mr. Singhaniasaid.
On October 22, all 400 petrol pumps along with linkedCompressed Natural Gas(CNG) dispensing units hadgone on a 24hour strike toprotest against the Delhi government’s refusal to reduceVAT on fuel prices.
‘Consumers buying polluting fuel from neighbouring States’
Staff Reporter
NEW DELHI
Motorists wait for their turn at a petrol pump in Gurugram.* FILE PHOTO: MANOJ KUMAR
Price disparity defeating purposeof introducing Euro 6 fuel: dealers
<> In November,
projected loss of
sale of Euro 6 fuel
is expected to be
about 4.5 crore
litres which would
further add to the
problem of
pollution in the
city. The Delhi
government
should make Euro
6 fuel cheaper than
the neighbouring
States by reducing
VAT to help in
combating
pollution
Nischal Singhania
DPDA president
The Delhi High Court hassought the Centre’s response on a petition allegingthat the government was notfollowing through on theirassurance to the court to ensure there would be no shortage of antiretroviral (ARV)drugs, used to treat HumanImmunodefi��ciency Virus(HIV).
Justice Sunil Gaur hasasked the Ministry of Healthto fi��le a status report in response to the petition seekingcontempt proceedingsagainst the Centre, Delhi government and the NationalAIDS Control Organisation(NACO).
The plea has contendedthat the Centre, Delhi government and NACO had assured the High Court thatthere would be no shortageof ARV drugs at all governmentrun hospitals and antiretroviral therapy (ART)centres in the nationalCapital.
Continuous stock-out The contempt petition thatwas moved by Delhi resident
Rekha Devi alleged that ARTcentres of government hospitals in Delhi were havingcontinuous stockout of fi��rst,second and third line of ARVdrugs used in the treatmentof HIV.
The petition stated thatIndia has 2.1 million PeopleLiving with HIV (PLHIV) andan HIV infection can be effectively controlled withART and the patients canlive longer without developing the Acquired Immune
Defi��ciency Syndrome(AIDS), an advanced form ofthe ailment.
“Unavailability or stockout of ART drugs at the ARTcentres and not meeting thedemands timely is therefore,an emergency situation,” itsaid.
The plea said the issue ofshortage or stockout was aproblem in States other thanDelhi also. The High Courthas listed the case for hearing on March 12 next year.
Court asks Ministry to fi��le status report in response to plea
Staff Reporter
New Delhi
‘Centre, AAP govt not ensuringregular supply of HIV drugs’
The plea has contended that the Centre, Delhi governmentand NACO had assured the High Court that there would be noshortage of ARV drugs. * FILE PHOTO
November 19
Talk: Discussion on “The Data Privacy Report”. Speaker: Justice(Retd.) B.N. Srikrishna, Chair, Committee of Experts Report on DataProtection. The Committee has suggested measures to be taken when itcomes to protecting personal information of Indian citizens, the roleand duties of data processors, andthe rights of individuals. Chair: N.N.Vohra, President, IIC, at Multipurpose Hall, India International Centre(IIC), 6:30 p.m.
Talk: IHCICRIER Conversations onUrbanisation Series. “Challenges ofthe National Capital Region”.Speaker: Dr. Bhure Lal, Chairman ofEnvironment Pollution (Prevention& Control) Authority for the NationalCapital Region. Chair: Dr. IsherJudge Ahuwalia, Chairperson, Boardof Governors, ICRIER at GulmoharHall, India Habitat Centre (IHC), 7p.m.
Music: Aarohi’18 a two day festival celebrating the gharana heritage. Performance by Master IshaanGhosh of the Ghosh Gharana on theTabla and fl��ute recital by RupakKulkarni; Followed by a vocal recitalby Ghulam Niyaz Hussain Khan of theRampurSahaswan Gharana at TheStein Auditorium, IHC, 7 p.m.
Dance: Natya Vriksha presentsGeeta Chandran’s Swarna, a soloclassical dance performance to paytribute to her Guru, late SwarnaSaraswathy at Kamani Auditorium,Copernicus Marg, 7 p.m.
Dance: India International RuralCultural Centre (IRCEN) presentsOdissi dance by Paulami Guha in Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya, No.2,Kalkaji, 9 a.m. and Ishani Govt. Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya, Saket, 11a.m.
Exhibition: “Zaaviye” a dual imagery and poetry photography showby Gaurav Bharadwaj at Visual ArtsGallery, IHC, 11 a.m. 7 p.m.
(Mail your listings for this column [email protected])
DELHI TODAY
The National Students’ Union of India on Sunday announced that it is launching a national campaign forstudents titled ‘BehtarBharat’.
NSUI’s Ruchi Gupta said,“Traditionally, studentwings of political partiesare seen as the mouthpieceof the party within the student community. However,the NSUI wants to use itsinstitutional space to givestudents and youth a platform to engage with and infl��uence the politicalleadership.”
She added that NSUIaims to bring issues, whichmatter to young people in alanguage they understandand to ensure that youngpeople feel that they areseen/heard and are caredfor.
The programme wouldbe launched on November19 at Andhra University byformer HRD Minister Pallam Raju and would be followed by student interactions across the country.the NSUI said. “We are targeting 7,500 collegesacross India, which havemore than 1,000 studentseach to recruit Behtar Bharat ambassadors,” said Ms.Gupta.
NSUI’snationalcampaign forstudents
Staff Reporter
NEW DELHI
The police have not madeany breakthrough in connection with the robberycummurder case of a 73yearoldwoman who was foundkilled at her residence insoutheast Delhi’s Sarita Vihar on Saturday.
Savitri Pandey used to reside with her husband on theground fl��oor while her son,daughterinlaw and grand
son used to reside at theback of the house in a separate accommodation. Whenthe murder took place, herhusband was not at home.
Friendly entryDeputy Commissioner ofPolice (SouthEast) ChinmoyBiswal said that as per thevictim’s family membersgold bangles and a chain thatshe was wearing is missing.The house was not
ransacked.“The suspect is known to
the family as the entry wasfriendly. The house is located in a gated society and entry of any outsider is not easy. We are making a list ofseveral suspects who will becalled for questioning. Themurderer was aware that shewas alone in the house,” saidMr. Biswal.
He added that the police iswaiting for postmortem re
port. A team of forensic experts have inspected thehouse and gathered samplesfor investigation.
Frequent visitors“We will also approach thefamily members to get anidea about frequent visitorsto the house. Several policeteams are working in thecase simultaneously. Thecase will be worked outsoon,” said Mr. Biswal.
STAFF REPORTER
NEW DELHI
No breakthrough in murder of elderly woman
A woman drug peddler wasarrested from Taimoor Nagar of SouthEast district,the police said on Sunday.
The woman was identifi��ed as Hasina Begum, 32,and 265 gram of heroin wasseized from her possession,said DCP (SouthEast) Chinmoy Biswal.
In an ongoing driveagainst drug peddlers, thepolice gathered intelligenceregarding supply of drugs inTaimoor Nagar.
On November 16, the police got a tipoff�� regarding themovement of a drug supplierin the area. A trap was laidand Hasina Begum wasarrested.
Family businessDuring interrogation, the accused disclosed that shelived in Taimoor Nagar sincechildhood and her familymembers were into the drugpeddling business.
She used to purchase heroin at ₹��12 lakh per kg fromdrug suppliers. She used to
prepare small packets of thedrug and sell them at ₹��150each. She used to earn a profi��t of ₹��3 lakh on sale of 1 kg ofheroin. Begum used to sellthese packets to drug addicts in DelhiNCR and atparty events.
Hired peopleTo avoid detection, she haddeployed unemployedyoung men to keep an eyeon police movement in thearea. She had also hired men
to deliver drug packets to addicts. She paid ₹��500 per dayto them to sell heroin packsfor her and ₹��200 to menwho kept an eye on the police.
“Under the antidrugdrive, we have arrested several drug peddlers who wereactive in SouthEast Delhi.Further investigation is under way and the eff��orts totrace the other drug peddlers are on,” said Mr. Biswal.
Accused used to supply heroin to addicts in DelhiNCR
STAFF REPORTER
NEW DELHI
Hasina Begum in police custody. * SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Woman drug peddler arrested
South Delhi Municipal Corporation Education committee chairperson Nadnini Sharma said the bodywas all set to install CCTVcameras in its schoolswhich will allow parents towatch live on the mobilesthe activities of their wardsin the school. She made theannouncement at a ‘Bal Divas’ event at AmbedkarStadium on November 17.
The project of installingabout 4,348 CCTV camerasin 344 of its primaryschools which have up to2.5 lakh students enrolledwas given the nod by theStanding Committee of thecorporation in June. Theproject was expected tocost about ₹��5 crore. A senior offi��cial said that it isexpected to be completedby yearend.
At the event, other announcements were alsomade including the launching of a “Bal Sansad” orparliament to inform students of the democraticprocess, as well the commencement of an annual“Shikshak Rattan” awardfor one teacher and oneprincipal in SDMC schools.The Mayor also announceda holiday for SDMC schoolson Monday.
SDMCschools toget CCTVcameras
Staff Reporter
New Delhi
A wanted criminal identifi��edas Govinda of the notoriousBawariya gang and an alleged sharpshooter Baleshwar Bhati from the SundarBhati gang were arrested in apolice encounter in GreaterNoida and Noida respectively on November 17 (Saturday)night.
The police arrested Govinda without any injuries whilethe sharpshooter was shot inthe leg while trying to escapeduring the encounter. Thecops said that both criminalswere living in Meerut andDelhi on fake identities.
Govinda belongs to Bharatpur in Rajasthan and was
a wanted fugitive for morethan 10 years in murder attempts and dacoity cases. Hewas arrested at 8.30 p.m.near power substationsquare in Ecotech 1 in Greater Noida after the police received a tipoff��.
“We were informed thatan accomplice of the gangster from the Bawariya gang,who was arrested a day ago,will be seen in the area so weestablished a special checkpost and detained the accused after he looked suspicious. Further after questioning, he revealed that heis a wanted criminal in Rajasthan and was living in a rented room in Bhawanpur inMeerut with a disguised
identity of Rajesh Babu,” saidStation House Offi��cer Farmood Ali Pundhir at Ecotech1.
In another encounter onSaturday at around 8 p.m.,Baleshwar Bhati was arrested after a gunfi��ght near Okhla Bird Sanctuary.
The police said that Bhatihas escaped from the custody of Special Task Forcearound six months ago.“Since then he was living as awhite collared man in Delhiwhere he and his men had allegedly acquired the contract for tax collection at tollplazas in Delhi. Bhati headedthe gang who extorted money from people, carriedrobberies and contract kill
ing. He is booked in at leastfi��ve cases in DelhiNCR,” saidStation House Offi��cer ManojPant at Sector 20.
He further added thatBhati planned his hideoutsabroad where he fl��ies afteralmost every successful bid.
“His passport revealedthat he had recently been toThailand. A pistol with 10bullets, a Samsung mobilephone, two ATM cards, SIMcards, a key card of a fi��vestar hotel was recoveredfrom his possession. A redbeacon and a luxury car wasalso confi��scated,” Mr. Pantadded.
The two were sent to jailafter they were produced incourt on Sunday.
Staff Reporter
Noida/Greater Noida
Two criminals arrested in encounters
A man was held for allegedlysending off��ensive messages/pictures to his estrangedwife and for uploading herphone number on a pornwebsite.
The woman alleged thatthey had separated 10months ago due to domesticviolence.
However, the husbandkept sending off��ensive andlifethreatening messagesnot just to her but also to hercolleagues and friends.
The accused worked at arecruitment consultancyfi��rm as a consultant whereasthe victim works at a Noidabased BPO.
Ruining social imageThe accused had marriedthe victim in 2011 and afteralmost seven years of marriage, the two had got separated in January this year.The couple also have a sonwho lives with the mother.
The woman fi��led a complaint on November 13 atSector 20 police station. Shesaid that she had raised thematter earlier with the police a few months ago. However, the man did not stopmisbehaving with her.
“He was called to the Noida SP city offi��ce and had given a written undertakingthat he will not do it againbut still there is no change,”
the FIR reads.Station House Offi��cer Ma
noj Pant said the man wascyber stalking his estrangedwife in which he sent vulgarand off��ensive text messagesto her whenever he saw herwith anyone on social mediaand had also uploaded hiswife’s contact number at aporn website.
“The accused was arrested from his residence afterthe circumstantial evidencewas produced by the woman in which it was clearthat the accused continuedto harass women by his persistent attempts to outrageher social image,” said Mr.Pant.
The accused was bookedunder Section 504 (intentional insult with intent toprovoke breach of thepeace), Section 509 (word,gesture or act intended toinsult the modesty of a woman) and Section 66 of theInformation Technology Actof the Indian Penal Code.
Also used to send texts to woman’s friends and colleagues
Staff Reporter
Noida
Man held for sending off��ensivemessages to estranged wife
<> The accused was
arrested from his
residence after the
complainant [wife]
produced
circumstantial
evidence which
suggested that the
accused was
harassing other
women too with his
persistent attempts
to outrage her social
image
Manoj Pant
Station House Offi��cer
The Delhi High Court hasdismissed the plea of aformer Border SecurityForce (BSF) jawan who wasdismissed from service forallowing 15 cattle to besmuggled into the countryfrom Bangladesh.
A Bench of Justices S. Muralidhar and Sanjeev Narulatook a serious view of theaction of Krishan Kumar Dubey, who not only allowedthe cattle to be smuggledbut also fi��red from his personal weapon towards anambush party who caughthold of the cattle.
The petitioner joined theBSF as a constable in 1990.The incident took placewhen he was serving at theBorder Outpost (BOP) between West Bengal and Bangladesh on August 31, 2004.
Special partyThe precise charge againsthim was that while he wasdeputed at BOP Matiyariand was detailed for On Post
(OP) duty on August 31,2004, he had allowed somecattle heads to cross fromIndia to Bangladesh by giving safe passage to smugglers. A special ambush party laid by SubInspectorDharma Singh managed tocatch hold of 15 such cattleheads ahead of fencing.
At that point of time, inorder to cover his lapse, Mr.Dubey fi��red fi��ve roundsfrom his personal weapontowards the special ambushparty.
Later, a Summary Security Force Court (SSFC) dismissed him from service.Mr. Dubey challenged theorder of the SSFC before theHigh Court in 2006.
“Being at the BOP, whichis a sensitive post, it was anextremely serious matterthat the petitioner allowed15 cattle heads to cross overand after it was detected bythe ambush party, he fi��red 5rounds from his personalweapon towards the specialambush party to cover hislapse,” the court noted.
Special Correspondent
New Delhi
HC dismisses former
BSF jawan’s petition
■ Across
1 Thankfulness (9)
8 Fly high (4)
9 Near thing (5,4)
10 Plant growing where it
is not wanted (4)
13 Fundamental belief (5)
15 Tasty morsel (6)
16 Stymie (6)
17 Deranged person (6)
19 Mouth of a volcano (6)
20 Starkers (5)
21 Ms Locket? (4)
24 Recover consciousness
(4,5)
25 Central point (4)
26 Expose to a current of
fresh air (9)
■ Down
2 Bap (4)
3 Assignment (4)
4 Price label (6)
5 Pleasing to the ear (6)
6 Sample of something
that lies ahead (9)
7 Killing and feeding on
others (9)
11 Study of the origins
of words (9)
12 Regardless of the
price (2,3,4)
13 Saturn’s largest
satellite (5)
14 Last place on the
podium? (5)
18 Inveigle (6)
19 Building material
(6)
22 Covering for a
chimney (4)
23 This month (abbr)
(4)
THE GUARDIAN QUICK CROSSWORD-12919
6 Solution will appear inDelhi Metro dated
November 20, 2018.
Solution No. 12918
POOCH CAFE
HAGAR THE HORRIBLE
TIGER
PEANUTS
CALVIN AND HOBBES
PEARLS BEFORE SWINE
WUMO
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NOIDA/DELHI THE HINDU
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 20184EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
CMYK
B ND-NDE
SHOWCASE
Set in the hinterland of Uttar Pradesh, Mirzapur — a highontestosterone world of gangs and guns — isone of the fi��rst Indian shows to distinguish between the creator andthe director. With a stellar cast —Pankaj Tripathi, Vikrant Massey, AliFazal, Divyenndu Sharma, RasikaDugal, Shweta Tripathi, SheebaChadha and Shriya Pilgaonkar —the series is Amazon Prime Original’s latest Indian production thatreleased yesterday. The Hinduspoke to cocreator Karan Anshuman and director Gurrmeet Singhabout Mirzapur’s characters, whythere’s a need for strong womenonscreen and what the lack of censorship means to fi��lmmakers.
Keeping it realGurrmeet is delighted that strongwomen actors like Rasika, Shwetaand Shriya play pivotal roles onthe series. He emphasises, “Theyknow the world they are in and thekind of limitations this society hasput on them, yet are very clear onwhat they want and they’re goingfor it.” Sensitive to the times we areliving in, Karan continues, “Wehave a responsibility to empowerwomen and create characters withagency, who even in this extremelypatriarchal world, can hold theirown. It was a real challenge in a setting like Mirzapur and still keep itreal.”
Talking about the male counterparts in Mirzapur, Karan says,“Guddu and Babloo Pandit, playedby Ali Fazal and Vikrant Massey,come from simple middleclassbackgrounds. One is studying veryhard and trying to take a shot at theIAS. The other brother’s dream is to
conduct his business genuinely andresponsibly. His son, Munna is aspoiled brat. He’s entitled, wantsthe power but has no check on reality. Yet, he’s doing it all for his father’s love and approval.”
Free from the scissorsThe lack of censorship on OTT platforms has bestowed unwarrantedfreedom to content creators. Butwhen it comes to colourful language, violence and sex, how much
is too much? “Since there’s no censorship, the onus is on the makers,”shares Gurrmet. “What we’ve decided is that we will treat the violence and the language as we wouldany other tool in a story. Whereverwe felt it’s not working for the storyand was just sensationalising thecontent, we pulled back.” The concern, he says was to stay real, “Theworld is violent and the people weare portraying have a certain way oftalking, which can be colourful. Wewanted the show to seem as authentic as possible,” he adds. Karanreiterates, “In terms of violence, wehave pushed it a little bit. It’s goingto be interesting to see such visceralimages coming out of an Indianproduction for the fi��rst time.”
When asked what about Mirza-pur will appeal to a global audiencecompletely unaware of such a milieu, pat comes Gurrmeet’s reply,“It’s about these young men andtheir aspirations. They’re all looking for a better life, a better footingin the world. And that is just universal. It’s a story of survival, whicheveryone can relate to, no matterwhat part of the world you live in.”
Mirzapur is being streamed onAmazon Prime Video.
Gangs of MirzapurKaran Anshuman andGurrmeet Singh talkabout their newAmazon Prime show setin the badlands of UttarPradesh
Vasundhara Rathi
Gangs and guns: (Left) KaranAnshuman and Gurmmeet Singh onthe sets; and Vikrant Massey and AliFazal in a still from the show.
open a gym and be a bodybuilder.Suddenly, they’re thrust into thisworld of crime and violence andhave to make some diffi��cult choices.” Singh’s insight into the men ofthe Tripathi family — Kaleen Bhaiya(Pankaj Tripathi), Munna (Divyenndu Sharma) is succinct: “They’rethe business tycoons of Mirzapur.The way they deal with their businesses — both lawful and unlawful— is very similar. Kaleen Bhaiya hasa strong moral code. He wants to
<> In terms of violence, we
have pushed it a little bit. It’s
going to be interesting to see
such visceral images coming
out of an Indian production
for the fi��rst time
Karan
Motherhood comes with itsfair share of exhaustion, andonce the clock strikes halfpastten at night, hell hathno fury like a mom whosechild isn’t in bed. I know, because I belong to the fraternity. It’s not just about catching up on rest, it’s also aboutthat most revered ‘me’ timethat every mother looks forward to.
This can mean diff��erentthings to diff��erent mothers;for me, it means an undisturbed few minutes ofbrowsing through social media on my phone before Iend the day.
Social media has rearedits ugly head everywhere.Even during my work hours(hey, my work demanded it,okay). Whenever I openedto look at ‘something’ for‘some’ reason, I ended uplooking at that and 10 other‘somethings’ for no reasonat all!
Soon, I started waking upwith a niggling pain in myarms and headaches became common. I’d read (over Twitter on my phone ofcourse) that singer ArianaGrande had quit social media to avoid all the negativityit brought with it, followingher breakup with Pete Davidson. I had begun withreading about the AQI in thecapital. That led me (inexplicably!) to KJo’s new season on TV, then Nick Jonasand PeeCee posting some‘aww’worthy pics and thento this news!
“The Internet is a confi��rmation bias machine,” statesJeff�� Bezos, and leaders aretrying their best to tacklethis known devil. I was itching to try this social mediadetox that every celeb wastalking about. I asked myfriend and IT professionalJaysree Vijay, who was detoxing from most mediaplatforms except for one,
what it was like. “Helps meconnect with the silence inside,” she said.
I was intrigued, and wanted to give it a shot. I startedwith baby steps by fi��rst monitoring my cell phone usageon a daily basis, and thanksto apps such as Freedom/Space/App Detox, I clearlyknew where I stood: at 5hours, 9 minutes a day.Scary!
“You’ll feel awesome onceyou try it,” Jaysree’s wordsrang in my ears, and I started reducing my mobile usage, rather than totally disconnecting from it, which Ithought impractical. Here’swhat I learnt:● I started by disabling allpush notifi��cations. Nothingis that important.● When at work, I clearlymarked my ‘no distraction’time — during the morninghours, for instance, whenthe chunk of the workhappened.● I kept my eyes on theprize. If my goal was to fi��nisha task and then relax and usesocial media, I did just that.● Most important: I disabled
Wifi�� and 4G when heading tobed, and made sure toswitch it on only after I relished my fi��rst cup of coff��eethe next day. Staying awayfrom these notifi��cations andmessages will give you asense of freedom.● I deleted apps that I hadn’tused in a long time.● I created ‘nophone’ minutes in a day: dinner time,when watching my favouritecartoon with my child, whilereading a book at bedtime,or during workouts. When Iwas using a particular app,like one I’d use for my workout, I’d disable othermodes, to ensure I wasn’tdistracted.
I’m not sure if it improvedmy emotional and mentalwellness — research says thatpeople who controlled orstopped the urge to comment or post social updateson their connection’s wall,actually fared better in thisarea.
But I do know it wasn’t easy. I felt that I was in ‘control’mode through the day. Ittook too much willpowerand I felt confl��icted: sometimes I felt that I was missingout on the world’s updates,and at other times, I feltproud of what I was doing. Iknow it takes 21 days to forma new habit or break an existing one. The next time, Ihope I get it right!
Have you done thesocial-media detox?A mom did it, and failed. What she learnt inthe process, and what we can too
* GETTYIMAGES/ISTOCK
..............................................................................................
I started with baby
steps by fi��rst
monitoring my cell
phone usage on a
daily basis, on apps
Janani Koushik
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THE HINDU NOIDA/DELHI
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2018 5EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
SHOWCASE
The plight of medievalmonuments is in the newsfrom time to time. One ofthem, an old gumti in southDelhi has been convertedinto a temple. The 500yearold gumti of Sheikh Alinear Defence Colony market, says a report, is beingused as an RWA offi��ce since1960. Now the Delhi HighCourt has sought the Defence Colony Welfare Association’s explanation in thematter. The gumti is of theLodhi period which preceded the Mughal era. TheHastsal Minar of Shah Jahan’s time, 17 km from theold city, near Uttam Nagar,has been encroached uponby villagers for decades,who store fodder in it andkeep their cattle in the adjoining Hathikhana or elephant house. Near Akbar’stomb at Sikandra the tombof Itbari Khan Khwajasaraihas become a gurdwara.The royal eunuch was theone who tortured Shah Jahan at the instigation of Aurangzeb. The plight of Begumpuri mosque of FirozTughlaq’s time also deserves attention. The masjid was not built by him butby his Prime Minister,KhaneJahan Junan Shah(13511388). Besides this hehad built six other mosquesin Delhi. Among them werethe Khirki Masjid in the village of that name, Kali orKalan Masjid near Turkman Gate, the Kalu SaraiMasjid on the DelhiMehrauli Road, and the KaliMasjid in Nizamuddin.
KhaneJahan JunanShah Tilangani or MaqbulKhan, whose father alsobore the title of KhaneJahan or Khan of the World,belonged to a family whichhad embraced Islam and taken to its propagation withzeal. All these mosques arecharacterised by eaves or
chhajjas, low domes andsloping minars on cornersand at the entrance. But besides love for his newly acquired religion, KhaneJahan was obviously an ableman to have served FirozTughlaq as Prime Ministerfor 37 years, right up to thetime of the emperor’sdeath. Eleven years later,Taimur invaded Delhi andlaid it waste, despite thestiff�� resistance put up byMahmud Tughlaq’s generalMallu Khan, whose realname was Iqbal Khan. ButTaimur found the mosquesbuilt by KhaneJahan beautiful architecturally and
spiritually uplifting.The Vazir of Firoz Tugh
laq is buried not far fromthe Kali or Kalan Masjid inNizamuddin in what is supposed to be the fi��rst octagonal tomb in Delhi, andwhich inspired many of themonuments built later bythe Sayyid and Lodhi kings.The story is told of KhaneJahan that he dreamt onenight that he had strolledinto a palace of great lightand beauty, high up in thesky. There he met a manwith a long, white beardwho pointed out to him seven structures in the distance which, he said, were
to emerge as constructionson earth too. When thegreat Khan got up in themorning he vowed to buildseven mosques of greatgrandeur, and the resultcan still be seen.
However, it is not clearwhether all seven were hiscreations or some werebuilt by his father too. Besides his passion for building mosques, KhaneJahanwas also fond of accompanying Firoz Tughlaq onhunting expeditions. Thewise Vazir that he was, heseldom opened his mouthuntil the emperor askedhim for his opinion. But hewas very particular aboutoff��ering prayers. One afternoon the emperor was thirsty and eventually foundsome water in a goatherd’shut. Just as he was about todrink it, he noticed thatKhaneJahan was preparing to spread the prayermat to say the namaz. Without a word the emperorgave the water to his Vazirfor the ablutions. The storygoes on to say that aftersome time the royal entourage found a well and all ofthem had a hearty drinkfrom it.
Zealous Vazir
However, it should bemade clear that Firoz Tughlaq was of a religious bentof mind too and built anumber of mosques, including the Jama Masjid inhis Kotla. But the Vazir, being a convert, was morezealous to prove his faith.He would have been a verysad man today seeing theplight of some of the mosques constructed by him.The Begumpuri masjid, situated in the village of thatname, about 15 miles fromthe city, has a courtyardmeasuring 94 metres by 88metres, enclosed by cloisters. Nobody seems tobother about the preserva
tion of the edifi��ce which isover 600 years old and animportant part of the architectural heritage of Delhi.The other mosques built byKhaneJahan are more orless in much the samestate, except perhaps theKali or Kalan Masjid inTurkman Gate, whichthough showing signs of decay is nevertheless still apopular house of prayerwhere namaz is regularlyoff��ered.
At the time when thismosque was built the placewas an open area, but nowit is a congested locality.However the masjid is famous for the delicious nahari sold near it and whichrivals that of Bara HinduRao. At the time of KhaneJahan there was no WalledCity of Delhi. The sitewhere the Red Fort was tobe built centuries later hadnot yet been occupied bythe Afghans for their fortress, and the environs ofthe mosque were uncluttered by any human habitation. But, close by was anenclosure with the gravesof the daughters of Altamash – Razia Sultan and Sazia Begum. These too tell astory of neglect.
The same is true of oldMughal gardens, particularly Shalimar Bagh, whichhas been cordoned off�� fromthe colony of that nameand whose residents arehardly aware of its existence, what to talk aboutothers. Bibi Akbarabadi,Shah Jahan’s begum fromAgra who laid it must betuning in her grave at thegross neglect of her beloved garden which revealed the one in Kashmirand which bured even theBritish Lat Sahibs for summer and winter sojourns.
Signs of decay Let’s recount tales associated with some of the medieval monuments which are cryingfor attention
Sad state: Inside the Hastsal Minar in New Delhi* THE HINDU ARCHIVES
R.V. Smith
DOWN MEMORY LANE
The Author is a veteran
Chronicler of Delhi
“I’m in the recording studioright now, but I can makesome time,” says Jonita Gandhi. Earlier that day, soon aftershe landed in Mumbai fromCanada, at around 2.00 am,she got a call from AR Rahman’s team asking her if shecould advance her Chennaitrip to record with the producer. Within two hours, she washere.
Such is life for the CanadiaIndian singer these days, andshe is absolutely enjoying it.The ‘Mental Manadhil’ singeris hesitant to reveal what she’sworking on with AR Rahman,but goes on to say how comfortable he makes newcomersfeel. “Rahman sir is veryfriendly, and always humble,so he puts you at ease,” shesays, adding how his image asa shy person is not completelyaccurate. “In fact, he’s surprisingly funny! He has us all insplits with his comic timing.”
It was working with AR Rahman for her one of her biggesthits, the soulful ‘Kahaan HoonMain’ from Highway, thatgave her the style she wants toexplore further as her musicalidentity. “I gravitate towardsmusic that’s traditional soulful, sombre or romantic,” shesays, adding with a light laugh,“ you know, sappy.” It’s thekind of music she herselfwould listen to, on a lazy Sunday morning. “But I hardly ever have Sundays like those. It’salways running around, preparing for the next recordingor show.”
That said, over the years,she has experimented with different styles. “I work like asponge, absorbing things fromevery genre, every person andexperience, and all that
should refl��ect in my voice.”Dance music is one of thosegenres. “Growing up, I loveddancing, so that’s anotherfi��eld I’d like to experiment in.”
Talking YouTubeJonita’s claim to fame was herYouTube Channel, which features, apart from her originalsongs, acoustic covers that focus on her vocals. “So manyartistes today are coming outof YouTube, they’re runningcareers based solely on theirchannel. That’s how I was discovered by Rahman sir.”
But with a majority of viewsgoing towards labels like TSeries, how much space do individual YouTubers have?“That’s the thing about YouTube; it’s freeforall. Whetheryou are a big record companywith money, or just one per
son, making it alone. It bringseveryone to the same playingfi��eld, but yes, it can be tough.”
She’s currently on an indiepop roll on YouTube. “I’vebeen listening to independentworld music. YouTube recommendations actually workreally well for me, it’s prettygood at detecting what onelikes.” Though she can speakEnglish, Hindi, and Punjabi,Jonita has sung in other languages, including Tamil, Telugu, and Bengali. “It’s all thanksto the lyricists who help meunderstand the mood of thesong, and the music directors.” Having worked with Anirudh for ‘Iraiva’, she says,“Anirudh is a very chill person, even though it’s his song,he’ll let you experiment with itand add your own style.”
‘AR Rahman has goodcomic timing’Singer JonitaGandhi on herassociation withthe composer, her musicalpreferences andthe space forYouTubers
Tune in: Jonita Gandhi * SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Sweta Akundi
In the trailer of Kedarnath, whensomebody asks Mansoor, the local porter who takes pilgrims tothe shrine, how come he is here,he casually answers that theywere always there...nobody noticed them. As a section of societyis trying hard to make us forgethow closely knit Hindus and Muslims are, writerdirector Abhishek Kapoor has noticed the Mansoors of our world to tell us a lovestory set around the Uttarakhandfl��oods of 2013 which threatenedto destroy one of the char dhamsof the Hindu faith.
“When I was a child, my parents used to take me to VaishnoDevi every year. At that time, Ididn’t understand the value ofpilgrimage. Hinduism requires alittle maturity to understand. Astime passed, I realised how weare diff��erent from others. All ourgods represent the khoobyian,the qualities, the good things thatwe all have. Finding these qualities in ourselves is like fi��ndinggod. When I realised this, I started looking at pilgrim spots andthe yaatras in a diff��erent light,”Abhishek clears the air as we chaton a smoggy Delhi afternoon.“Now, as a fi��lmmaker having aworldview I could see a wholenew world there. Many of theseare old people who could not
walk on their own. These pitthoos or porters take them to theshrine. In a world where we talkof the divide, here a person ofone religion helps the person ofanother religion in completinghis pilgrimage.”
Though pilgrimage is important to the Hindu thought, we seldom fi��nd its refl��ection in mainstream Hindi fi��lms. Abhishek sayshe doesn’t remember anythingbeyond the Aasha (1980) song,“Tune Mujhe Bulaya Sherawaliye”. Around the same time, therewas one in Avtaar as well. In recent times, Tanu Weds Manu hada few scenes around a pilgrimagecentre. Perhaps, fi��lmmakers feelthat the multiplex going audiencewill not be able to relate to theidea. “Maybe, but I wanted tocapture this fulfi��lling processwhich leads to a spiritual experience. And I believe the fi��lm willring a bell.”
Torch of humanity
But it is the bigger idea wherethe love story of a Muslim porterand a Hindu pilgrim becomes ametaphor for the existing socialfi��ssures in the country that defi��nes his fi��lm. The trailer suggeststhat if the two are not allowed tomeet, it will lead to an apocalyptic situation. “I am a believer aswell as a seeker. I am in search oftruth. After the catastrophe of
2013, people need healing. Andthis country needs to realise thatwe have gone through so muchthat only a torch of humanity cansee us through this darkness.” It isa liberal thought planted in a religious place. “Hinduism is veryliberal and inclusive. When a natural calamity strikes, all theboundaries of caste and religiongo away. What remains is humanity, and that is our one true religion.”
Independent spirit
Mainstream Hindi cinema hasits own unwritten rules and oneof them is a Muslim boy can’t fallin love with a Hindu girl. “I seeKedarnath as an independentfi��lm. We haven’t cast big namesand the budget is not huge. Ithink it will touch the hearts evenof those who turn everything intoa meme.”
However, there is a sectionwhich is already feeling off��ended
by the theme and the location.“We are living in times when twomen are allowed to kiss each other. So, what’s the harm in showing a boy kissing a girl. See, if somebody has decided that he hasto feel off��ended, then I can’t domuch. Let the CBFC watch thefi��lm. My experience of Kai PoChe, which dealt with communalriots, gives me confi��dence thatthings will settle down once people watch the fi��lm. I have notmade it to titillate. And, if your intention is pure, it permeates thescreen,” reasons Abhishek.
His previous two fi��lms wereadaptations of novels, and thistime he has collaborated with novelist and screenwriter KanikaDhillon. “I like to write back stories of my characters. Even if allof it doesn’t make it to the screen,you can feel its undercurrent inthe performances. That’s why thecharacters of Rock On!! madesuch an impact. It gives a certain
richness and depth to thescreenplay.”
Here he is launching Sara AliKhan, the pilgrim who sweepsMansoor (Sushant Singh Rajput)off�� his feet. “I didn’t have time towait for an established actor. Ihad heard Sara is interested. Imet her and found her confi��dent.As the fi��lm relies heavily on herperformance, we did workshopsso that she looks a natural performer on screen. A lot of eff��ortgoes in launching a new actor,”says Abhishek who started as anactor.
The roadblocks
His last eff��ort Fitoor failed torealise the ‘great expectations’ atthe box offi��ce. “I was trying tocreate a visual experience but thestory and the budget didn’tmatch. It was essentially a story ofa damaged old woman but themarket forced us to sell it as a Katrina Kaif love story. Had it been
made in a smaller budget, wedidn’t need to make this compromise,” he argues.
The journey of Kedarnath hadits share of roadblocks as Abhishek had to part ways with coproducer KriArj Entertainment. “Itwas another gruelling yaatra,”sighs Arjun. “But the fi��lm hasn’tgot delayed and hasn’t gone overbudget. Thankfully, producerRonnie Screwvala, with whom Ihave worked before, bought thefi��lm.” Then Sara got ambitious!“There was a time when itseemed that the fi��lm will be delayed. She started getting anxiousabout Simmba. I called Rohit(Shetty) to have a look at the rushes of Kedarnath. He liked her andshe was cast. But then her management company gave the datesthat she had committed to us toSimmba. We went to the courtand the issue was resolved in twodays.” Did he speak to Sara’s father Saif Ali Khan? “No, not on this
issue. Sara is strong enough tospeak for herself.”
The fi��lm, he says, also hints atthe delicate ecosystem of the region where haphazard growth ledto the natural calamity. “Youcan’t ask a river in spate to shifttwothree metres. The planninghas to be done keeping the topography in mind. During the shooting, we kept in mind that we don’tlitter the space with plasticwaste,” says Abhishek who hadfour shooting schedules in Kedarnath with a crew of about 150 people. “For live action, we createda water tank in Mumbai and thenadded the special eff��ects.”
From Aryan to Kedarnath, noone can accuse Abhishek of repeating himself. “I don’t believein safety net as I would get bored.I want to learn with each fi��lm.And I love to go through the unlearning process, shedding thepast. This constant search of anew idea keeps you humble.”
‘I am a believer as well as a seeker’Ahead of the release of Kedarnath, directorAbhishek Kapoor delves into the deeperlayers of the love story
Anuj Kumar
On a spiritual trip: Abhishek Kapoor explaining scenes to Sara Ali Khan and Sushant Singh Rajput * SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Fourteen of the world’s 15 most polluted citiesare in India, according to the World HealthOrganization’s report earlier this year. WhileChina has recently unveiled the world’slargest airpurifi��er tower, we are yet to makeany systemic changes in our country. So whatcan you, as an individual, do to combat airpollution? We get experts to help you.
HELP ME CHOOSEAN AIR FILTER!
Industry expert, DeepakAhuja, director, Clean
Climate Technologies, helpsus with the questions we
should ask before buying anair fi��lter.
What is the quality of theHEPA fi��lter? It should
ideally be H12 or 13, butdefi��nitely not less than H11.
What’s my room size(including the ceiling
height)? Check what thecoverage of the gadget is.
If you use one for a 220 sqft area in a room of 550 sq
ft, if won’t serve anypurpose.
Do I live next to a road?You may need one that’s
higher than the room sizemeasure. For instance, if
you are in a 220 sq ft roomthat’s next to the road, you
may need one that’s for abigger room.
What kind of door do Ihave? Air purifi��ers are
tested in a sealedenvironment, but our homes
are not usually like that.Check whether you need
something more eff��ectivethan just that which is
suitable for the room area.Do I have a central AC?
While air purifi��ers do catchthe allergycausing mould
in the airconditioning ductsthat don’t often get cleaned
in an offi��ce, you still doneed to clean them.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Do I need one?
It all depends on what grade of airpurifi��er you are using, says DrSalvi. “You need ones that fi��lter
out PM 2.5, because by and large, theycause more harm than your gaseouspollutants like ozone.” There is researchfrom China to suggest that control ofasthma may be better if you use goodquality HEPA (higheffi��ciency particulateair) fi��lters, adds Dr Guleria. He addsthough that there is no hard data saying itcompletely prevents asthma attacks.People who generally stay indoors andhave asthma or chronic obstructivepulmonary disease (COPD), will benefi��t themost from using an air purifi��er inside thehouse, while the pollution levels aredangerously high, concludes Dr Salvi. Evenif it brings down the pollution from thevery poor category to poor, it’s still a stepin the right direction.
The fi��ne print...
Air purifi��ers are used inside rooms,but none of our houses areconstructed in a sealproof manner,
explains Dr Guleria. “Even if you do havean air purifi��er in your room, there isalways air coming in from the windows ordoorways, which reduces the effi��cacy.”People use it because they have no option.Lowgrade air purifi��ers do more harm thangood, as they release ozone, a pollutant,into the atmosphere. Even if you use aHEPA fi��lter (and they are expensive,starting from ₹��20,000), you’re not going tobe at home all day and night. So in the longrun, it is a question of attacking the sourceof pollution.
AIR PURIFIERS
FACE MASKS
OTHER SOLUTIONS
Yoga has been the rediscovery of the decade. Now, Natya yoga, which blendsdance, yoga, and music, ishaving its moment.
What is it?Natya (dance) is a sampoor-na (complete) yoga as it activates all the senses. “Innatya, we have karanas,which are basically yogicposes in rhythm. Yoga is essential to any dancer, as ithelps build stamina, fl��exibility, concentration andoverall energy,” says VPDhananjayan, a Bharatanatyam exponent.
In fact, Thiruvananthapurambased danseuseDaksha Sheth begins herday’s lessons with a yogasession.
“Yoga helps us becomeaware of our body, breathand mind. As a dancer, itcan help in increasing bodyawareness, building thedeep fl��exibility needed fordance, and supporting thestrength required to prac
tise any form of rhythmicmovement.”
Who does it?Physical fi��tness expert andcontemporary dancerDeepti Martolia recalls thatwhile learning the asanaswas challenging, “what attracted me most is that Iknew that each posture wasproperly aligning my body”. She was surprisedwhen her classmates notedhow she seemed to performthe asanas like a dance, especially while doing the su-rya namaskar. And that gother thinking. “Dancing andyoga are two very similardisciplines; both provide anopportunity for selfexpression and body awareness.”
And so came Lyrical yoga, a style that blends the‘fl��ow’ of Vinyasa yoga andthe ‘fl��uidity’ of dance. “Wecoordinate our movementswith our breath, as we fl��owfrom one pose to the next intune to music,” says Deepti,who has been holding classes and workshops on Lyrical yoga in Bengaluru for
the past four years.India Dans Theater in
Delhi has been conductingregular classes in Dance yoga (a blend of dance and yoga), for the past six months.According to Rekha Rani,an instructor at the institute,
“Dance yoga is a form ofart that is based on applyingthe principles of yoga to
dance. Students, especiallythose between their 20sand 40s, seem to preferDance yoga, as the movements aren’t rigid and aremoving to music,” she says.
In Thiruvananthapuram,Natya yoga, an adapted version of yoga introduced byclassical dancer Vidya Pradeep and nutritionist andyoga instructor, Uma Kalyani, blends Hatha yoga andIndian classical dance andmusic.
“In dance, although weuse yoga poses in adavus, itis never static. However, inyoga, you absorb the ener
gy in a static pose. Our version focusses on Hatha yogapostures,” says Vidya.
Who can do it?The moves taught by thesevarious classes are easy tofollow for even nondancers. “I enjoy doing yogaand have always wanted tolearn dance. When I heardof a kind of yoga that fusesboth, it piqued my interest.The dance moves are easyto follow even for nondancers like me,” says Dr NeetuGupta, a paediatrician andstudent of Natya yoga. Gynaecologist Dr Anupama Rconcurs, “If you love todance and swear by yoga,then you are sure to get super excited by this form ofyoga.”
How does it help?As the choreographedmoves are set to rhythm,the classes off��er a form ofmusic therapy. According toDhananjayan, “Music relaxes the mind and enlivens allfi��ve senses of your body; italso enlivens you spiritually.” Pairing yoga withdance, according to Vidya,helps you burn more calories than yoga alone, and also teaches you what danceactually is. “And while yogacomes in various avatars, allof them off��er potentialhealth benefi��ts and help inreducing stress and improving fl��exibility,” adds Deepti.
Dance to yoga
<> In natya, we have
karanas, which are
basically yogic
poses in rhythm
VP Dhananjayan
<> Yoga helps us
become aware of
our body, breath
and mind
Daksha Sheth
An avatar of yoga that combines dance, yoga asanas and music is the newfi��tness preoccupation
Find your move: Bothdance and yoga off��erpotential health benefi��ts
* SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Liza George
Do I need one?
“Even if you have air purifi��ers inside your home, onceyou step outside into traffi��c, you are back to square one,”
says Dr Sundeep Salvi, Director of the Chest ResearchFoundation. Enter face masks. “ N95 face masks are mostrecommended in terms of effi��ciency; they fi��lter out 95% of PM2.5,” he says. The other lessexpensive options are the surgicalmasks. Made of cloth, “they are more comfortable, but fi��lter outonly 4050% of pollutants,” he explains, adding that they aregood enough for moderate levels of pollution, and should beworn immaterial of whether you have any lung disease or not.Apart from the medical factors, the plain visual impact of masksshould be a reason enough, according to Reecha Upadhyay,Campaigns Director of Help Delhi Breathe. “Look at Bangkok,look at Beijing and Shanghai; when you see so many peoplewearing masks, it underlines the need for lowering thepollution,” she says. The more noise you make, the more youtake your own health seriously, the faster the Government wakesup to the problem.
The fi��ne print...
You can only wear theN95 and N99 masks fora few hours, says Dr
Salvi, pointing out that they arenot very comfortable.“Breathing becomes morediffi��cult,” he says. “The maskisn’t foolproof either,” saysDr Randeep Guleria,Director, AIIMS, and apulmonologist. “Dependingon how they fi��t, some masksmay have space on the sidethrough which air can be suckedin when you breathe.”
Eat fruits and vegetables
Take care of your lungs withproper nutrition. Pollutioncauses freeradical damage,and your body needs toproduce a lot of antioxidants tocombat them. “To enrich thisprotective barrier, you need toeat fruits and vegetables rich inantioxidants,” says Dr Salvi,adding, “You also need todrink lots of water. Keep yourairways moist; a dry lungabsorbs more pollution,” hesays.
Clean green
“Studies show that the moregreen cover in an area, theless the pollution,” says DrGuleria. “Indoor plants alsohelp, depending on the airquality level and the size ofthe room,” he says. Try aloevera, snake plant (commonlyknown as motherinlaw’stongue), spider plant, andbamboo palm.
Munch on jaggery
It’s traditionally eaten inplaces where there are highlevels of particulate matter,such as in the deserts ofRajasthan and in industries,says Manjari Chandra, a Delhibased dietician. “It works inthree ways: it is rich in iron, soenriches the blood withhaemoglobin. The blood thencarries oxygen better. It’s richin minerals such as zinc,selenium, potassium andphosphorus, that have anantiallergy eff��ect bystrengthening respiratorychannels and boostingimmunity,” she says.
NEW TECHNOLOGY
Nasofi��lter Strap it on to yournostrils. Its creator, PrateekSharma, an IITKanpur graduate,says the nanofi��lters prevent
90% particulate matterfrom entering the
nose. Priced at ₹��10each, one striplasts one day.
Dyson makesair purifi��er fansthat also sense
and display the airquality levels.
BUT WHAT IS AQI?We get Prashant Gargava, Member
Secretary, Central Pollution Control Board,Delhi, to explain what those numbers mean.
Simply put, AQI — the Air Quality Index —is a way to communicate the air pollution
levels in an easy way. It is one number thatcan fall into six colourcoded categories thatdetermine what the health impact would be:0 to 50 is good, 51 to 100 is satisfactory, 100to 200 is moderate, 200 to 300 is poor, 300
to 400 is very poor.
Pollution solution
HOW IS IT CALCULATED?The CPCB has monitors across cities
that continuously measure the levelsof eight pollutants — PM2.5, PM10,SO2, NO2, Ozone, Lead, Ammonia,
and CO — drawing up a runningaverage every hour. It is essential
that a minimum of three parametersare monitored, out of which one ofthem has to be Particulate Matter.
Depending on how unhealthy it is,each pollutant has its own indice (or
weight) and is given an AQI value.The worst of these eight AQI valuesis taken as the AQI value of the area.
AQI is very locationspecifi��c.Across a city, diff��erent places will
have diff��erent AQIs.
* GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCK AND SHANKER CHAKRAVARTY
Sweta Akundi
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NOIDA/DELHI THE HINDU
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 20186EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
CMYK
B ND-NDE
HEALTH
I have recently become addicted to Twitter. Not as a participant. I say very little. People seem very mean. Instead,I observe silently. I roll upwith my thumb, reading people’s opinions with growingunease, stopping to click onthe occasional puppy video.Twitter is very random aboutwhat it feeds me. It does notpursue me like Google. I oncegoogled a particular lingeriestore, purely out of scientifi��ccuriosity, as part of an assignment, around fi��ve years ago. Itwas part of my work, anddone very professionally. I didnot linger.
Five years later, Google stillthrows up lingerie ads on mybrowser on a regular basis,usually when I’m connectedto a big screen. Thanks tothem, my reputation as a middleaged pervert is secure.Twitter is not like that. Twitter is whimsical. Twitter likesto keep you guessing. It servesme a lot of messages in Turkish and Malaysian, which issurprising. I am in no wayconnected to either nation,
originally hailing from Chittagong, although I did eat onceat a Malaysian restaurant, andI enjoy the occasional turkeysandwich.
Apart from this, ShekharGupta pops up a lot. I fi��nd thisworrying. If he’s spending somuch time on Twitter, who’skeeping an eye on the Army?He foiled the last coup attempt, which occurred justwhen the Army Chief hadstarted talking about corruption. It seems to have worked.There have been no furthercoups, and no Army Chiefsince has talked about corruption. We need him to stayfocused.
Things like this can be worrying, and lead to more timeon Twitter, because this is always the fi��rst place to reportsudden troop movements,with pictures. If we zoom intothose pictures and look at thesoldiers’ faces, we may beable to judge their intentions.Do they look like they areabout to overthrow the Government, or are they justlooking bored? This is oneway to diff��erentiate betweencoup attempts and routinemanoeuvres. There’s never adull moment on Twitter. It’s aplace full of magic and wonder, where Rahul Gandhievolves from amiable bumbler to slightly Hindu Batman,and journalist Barkha Dutt
fi��ghts with journalist RahulPandita, usually about Kashmir. Sometimes cricketer Shahid Afridi jumps in.
Right after him, I see weddings. The weddings on Twitter are becoming increasinglygorgeous, with lehengas to diefor, and invitations that include tasteful designer jewellery. As my thumb keeps moving, I feel such a sense ofpower. I learn so much beforeanyone else. I have a particular interest in cows, for example, and Twitter always keepsme uptodate.
Newspapers are becomingjealous. That’s why The Hin-du is now suggesting thatwhen it comes to social media, some kind of detoxifi��cation is required. Do not fall fortheir propaganda. It’s a conspiracy to keep us in the dark.They want us to consume onlytheir information, so that theycan suppress what they don’twant us to know. To my lastbreath, I will resist this. Mythumb will still be twitching,as they pry my phone frommy cold, dead hands, my eyesrefl��exively trying to see, forone last time, whether Afridihas mentioned Kashmiragain.
In Shovon Chowdhury’s most recentnovel, Murder With BengaliCharacteristics, only good citizensare allowed cell phones
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THE CREAKING TREE
I’ll detox when
I’m dead
*G
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IST
OC
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Shovon Chowdhury
CM
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www.thehindu.com/education
www.facebook.com/thehinduedge
www.twitter.com/thehinduedge
DelhiMonday • November 19, 2018
Supreet Aneja, IV, Journalism,Apeejay Stya University, Gurugram
This step seems to stand in contrast to the ethos of JNU, especiallyfor departments of social sciences.The analytical and comprehensiveability to defend one's view hasbeen taken away. The move alsoleads to the habit of cramming,where candidates fail to understand the concepts in detail. For theproblem of evaluating lengthyanswer sheets, a middle ground canbe thought of.
Spriha Shukla, M.Phil in EnglishLiterature, Tata Institute of SocialSciences, Mumbai
The objective exam pattern is anunfair means to judge someone’sknowledge. An individual’s understanding of a particular topic canvary, based on his/her socialisationwhich cannot be summed up inone word answers.
Also, the pattern is highly problematic for the social sciencecourses where there are no blackand white answers. The answersare supposed to be backed by detailed explanation, which can varyfrom person to person, based ontheir experiences.
Aishwarya M.R., III, B.E. (ECE), SriKrishna College of Technology,Coimbatore
JNU’s decision principally in thefi��eld of arts will be ineffi��cient in testing relevant skills of prospectivestudents. Moreover, selecting students through objective entranceexams might not reap good resultsin the long run due to low complexity of evaluation. The pattern of thepaper needs to be set in accordancewith the skills required at the entrance level.
Sadia Anjum, Final Year, PGDM,Jaipura School Of Business,Ghaziabad
Online entrance tests are certainly a step forward towards fair selection. But the University will have tomake sure that the holistic requirements, like knowledge and skills aretested despite this change in the exam pattern.
Students, especially at the postgraduate level, must be gauged properly.
It seems a little diffi��cult to assesssubjective knowledge throughMCQs and therefore the eff��ectiveness of this system can be challenged.
Jawaharlal Nehru University’s (JNU) decision to change to the objective pattern of examquestions the competence of the selection process, especially in Humanities b Neha Rupeja
How eff��ective is this?VOICES)
<> The analytical and comprehensive ability to defend
one's view has been taken away.
Supreet Aneja
“The opportunities here are really exciting,” says Manya Modi, while on a briskcampus tour. Early on a Monday morning, Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL)is abuzz with activity. Manya is oneamong the many students clad in formalwear, heading to classes purposefully,gearing up for yet another busy day atschool. There’s lots to do, lots to learn.In a way, the energetic atmosphere effuses EHL’s constant focus on shapingthe future of hospitality through innovation. As it turns 125 years old, the spotlight is as much on the legacy of its pastas it is on its ambitious plans for thefuture.
Located in the vibrant city of Lausanne in Switzerland, EHL is driven by apurpose — to be a pioneer in hospitalityeducation. With its stateoftheart campus in the world’s Olympic capital, theuniversity consistently strives to be anambassador for traditional Swiss hospitality. What started off�� in 1893 as a hotelschool in a room of the Hôtel d’Angleterre in Lausanne has now grown to oneof the top hotel management schools inthe world.
With more than 3,000 students from119 countries, two campuses in Switzerland and a third one underway in Singapore, a range of undergraduate, graduate and certifi��cate programmes and astrong network of alumni, EHL is goingstrong.
“When it started, EHL was a vocational school. Today, we are a universityof applied sciences in hospitality management, with the same spirit we had125 years ago,” says Michel Rochat, ChiefExecutive Offi��cer, EHL Group. “TheGroup is supported by a worldwidealumni network, produces researchprojects and partnerships which, inturn, generate an important innovationpipeline, and all of this while integratingcuttingedge digital evolutions and partnerships in its roadmap,” he observes.
Looking aheadThe 125th birthday marks the start of animportant period of growth for EHL. Onthe cards is an innovation village nearthe campus — with the aim of creating aunique hospitality ecosystem bringingtogether entrepreneurs, researchers,experts, investors, students, artists,alumni and so on.
“We would like to inspire and disruptthe hospitality industry,” says Rémi Walbaum, Chief Innovation and Valorisation Offi��cer. “For us, the combination ofpowerful local academic players, a dynamic VC scene, and the regional presence of large corporations is an asset,”
he explains. Being a part of the ecosystem of Switzerland, which has beenranked fi��rst in the global innovation index for the seventh year in a row, surelyadds fi��repower.
EHL is also working on taking the rapid digital revolution in its stride. “Our
students are going to walk out into theworld tomorrow, and they have to makea diff��erence,” believes Julia Aymonier,Chief Information Offi��cer. To give students an edge in the market and betteremployability, the university has decided to focus on virtual reality and AI conversational interfaces.
While the former will allow fi��rstyearstudents to experience working on reallife problems, the latter will enhancethe student experience by creating a virtual personal assistant.
EHL also envisions a campus whererobotic concierges answer questionsabout the campus and give informationto students. One such robot is dubbedEHLie by the students. When coupled
with Amelia, an artifi��cial intelligencesoftware, it could lend itself to usefulapplications. “Soon I will have a familyof brothers and sisters to help me. Wewill be creating a digital EHL family,”quips EHLie, in a demo. Amelia agrees.
Another milestone will be the inauguration of a new campus in Lausanne in2021, with a host of facilities for students. According to Rochat, this is thelast piece of the puzzle in EHL’s strategyfor the future.
The Indian angleThere are 51 Indian students currentlystudying at the university. India has potential for EHL, though the concept ofstudying hospitality might be misunder
stood. “Hospitality is not just in hotelsand restaurants — it’s in banks, hospitals, luxury brands, even in technology.This is something we are trying to reinforce in the new markets, that we areentering. It has been working well, butwe still have a lot of work to be done,”explains Sherif Mamdouh, externalcommunications manager.
For Delhibased Manya Modi who isnow in her second year, the academicexperience is transforming her view ofhospitality. “It’s a challenging course,but our teachers are always there tohelp us,” she signs off��.
The writer was at Lausanne, Switzer-land at the invitation of Ecole hôtelièrede Lausanne.
When legacy meets
INNOVATIONFor Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne in Switzerland, its 125thanniversary is as much about honouring its past as it isabout building the future
b BHAVYA VENKATESH
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To give students an edge in themarket and better employabilityas well, the university has decidedto focus on virtual reality and AIconversational interfaces.
TIMELINE
1893: First classes at the Hôteld’Angleterre commence with 27 students, two nationalities.
1904: The school moves to theAvenue de Cour in Lausanne
1924: Creation of a mixedgenderclass — admission of four youngwomen
1943: The Second World War forces EHL to close. Thanks to the effortsof 600 alumni, the school is able to reopen its doors.
1951: About 500 students across30 nationalities are enrolled.
1959: The new concept of studentinternships is introduced.
1974: EHL becomes a nonprofi��tfoundation.
1975: EHL moves to its current sitein Le ChaletàGobet, Lausanne.
1986: An admissions exam isintroduced.
1996: EHL creates and opens itsEnglish section.
1998: EHL joins the HESSO, becoming the fi��rst hotel managementschool to be recognised as a universityby the Swiss government.
2001: Launch of the Masters inHospitality Administration (MHA)
2013: EHL acquires the SwissSchool of Tourism and Hospitality AG(SSTH) in Passugg, Switzerland.
2014: EHL launches its Master ofScience in Global Hospitality Business
2015: EHL has 2,399 students, 90nationalities
2018: 125 years of EHL
COURSES OFFERED
Bachelor of Science in International Hospitality Management (one practical year andthree years of university level management courses)Master of Science in Global Hospitality Business (a tripartite programme with the Schoolof Hotel and Tourism Management at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management at the University of Houston)Executive MBA in Hospitality Administration (accelerated, oneyear fulltimeprogramme)Executive MBA in Hospitality Management (parttime, 18month programme in partnership with the China Europe International Business School)MBA in Hospitality (blended MBA with 80% online and 20% face to face)Culinary and Restaurant Management Certifi��cate (25 master classes in fi��ve months)
ILLUSTRIOUS INDIAN ALUMNI
Aman Aditya Sachdev, Director andCountry Head, Lausanne HospitalityConsultingFatima Mahimwala,Business Head,Liberty Oil Mills LimitedRahul Khanna, Director, Azure Hospitality Ambika Seth,Executive Director, CulinaryArts & Research Academy (CAARA)
SP
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<>If you have knowledge, letothers light their candles in it. Margaret Fuller
BITS Pilani has a unique, standalone system in place whichallows its students to gethandson experience in therealworld projects through aprogramme called PracticeSchool (PS). It’s an ideal platform for us to learn about anorganisation’s culture andfunctioning. I was lucky to getmy fi��rst preference, the Central Leather Research Institute(CLRI) in Chennai. It has ahuge database and an economics department in place,which defi��nitely was an idealplace for me, given my interest in applied econometrics.
On the fi��rst day, we reachedthe institute early morningand our schedules for the nexttwo months were explained tous. For the next two weeks,we were given orientations ofthe numerous departmentsby department heads. Students, during the same time,were allowed to choose theirown departments and theavailable projects on whichthey would be working. As Iwas certain about my preference, I went ahead andtalked to the head of the economics department. After adetailed discussion, the faculty was convinced and agreedto mentor me for the project.
HeadwayInitially, I was asked to look into the qualitative aspect of aproject which did not intrigueme enough. So, I decided toshare my concern with amember of the faculty. He explained how he was from thesociology department butwould nonetheless speak withthe scientist for my benefi��t,and a meeting was scheduledthe next day. The meeting wasunexpectedly fruitful, and hepromised to help me with myproject. The next couple ofweeks were spent in discussing the details and otherplausible explanations to thevarious prospects of the chosen project.
My project involved analysing the factors responsible forthe export performance ofleather garments in India.This topic required a great
deal of knowledge about theleather and export industry,and so I spent considerableamount of time in CLRI’s library going through the previous research papers andother relevant material. Aftercollecting relevant data, a regression analysis was made tofi��nd out the signifi��cant factorsthat determined the price ofthe exported leather garments such as the availabilityof raw material and disposable income of consumers. Idrew the conclusion based onmy fi��ndings and suggestedthat we include other parameters like seasonal eff��ects in theregression to obtain better results. The fi��nal report hadsome unexpected results andI discussed the possibilities ofthem being true. It opened anew channel of thoughts forwhich I was praised, given thetime constraint in which I fi��nished my project.
Rajat Seth is 2018 BITS Pilani
graduate.
Courtesy: internshala.com
my internship)
Lessons from leather Rajat Seth’sexperience atChennai’s CentralLeather ResearchInstitute proved tobe challenging
Name:
Rajat SethInternship:
CLRI ChennaiDuration:
Three monthsCollege:
BITS Pilani
The Templeton World CharityFoundation, Inc. has announced20yearold Indianborn SandraNair as the fi��rst 2019 Templeton–Ramanujan Fellowship recipient.The award, part of the Spirit of Ramanujan STEM Talent Initiative, isthe fi��rst of 30 fi��nancial grants to
be issued yearly for the next threeyears, totaling $5,50,000.
Sandra is in her third year ofundergraduate studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz.She will receive a monetary grantof up to $5,000 for furtheringeducational pursuits and develop
Talent Initiative supports emerging engineers, mathematicians,and scientists who lack traditionalinstitutional support through fi��nancial grants and mentorshipopportunities.
For more information, visithttps://spiritoframanujan.com.
ment in STEM. The Fellowshipwill support her research withShamit Kachru — the Wells FamilyDirector of the Stanford Institutefor Theoretical Physics and Chairof the Department of Physics atStanford.
The Spirit of Ramanujan STEM
Fellowship awarded
Today is World Citizensday — an opportunity torefl��ect on how educatorscan produce good global citizens
We are the world We are the childrenWe are the ones who make a
brighter day, so let’s start giving...It’s true we’ll make a better day,
just you and me
The above is an extract from thechorus of the song “We are theWorld” written by Michael Jacksonand Lionel Richie and recorded byUnited Support of Artists (U.S.A.) forAfrica in 1985. Sung by a starstudded lineup of over 30 artistes including Stevie Wonders, MichaelJackson, Lionel Richie, Kenny Rogers, Diana Ross and Tina Turner, thesong was remade as “We are theWorld 25 for Haiti” by an allstar castof singers following an earthquakein Haiti in 2010.
The song made music loversacross the globe feel that they areglobal citizens and have a role toplay in making the world a betterplace to live in. The impact of thesong on me was so great that it inspired me to work in the 1994genocidehit Rwanda in Eastern Africafor fi��ve years, and get to know thepeople of a diff��erent continent andappreciate diff��erent cultures.
World Citizens Day is observedon November 19 every year. It is awonderful opportunity to experience the feeling that we are part ofa big global community. The occasion is a call for educators to raisethese questions: Do we have a goodinclusive education system in thecountry? Does our education system promote global citizens education? Do educators in India allow thestudent community to truly feel andjoyfully sing “We are the World”?
ImportanceToday, quite unfortunately, peopleare becoming jingoistic and nationalistic. The feeling ‘My country, mylanguage, my people, my culture,
my religion’ makes people myopicand selfi��sh, creates chaos in societyand divides the country. The level ofintolerance is so high that many arenot able to digest diff��erences and accept others as they are.
A good global citizen believes allpeople are equal, has concern forothers, shows interest in the welfareof people, appreciates diff��erences,demonstrates empathy and responds positively to various globalchallenges. Educators have the responsibility of producing global citizens and promoting global citizeneducation.
The broad objectives of global citizen education are: to make everyteacher and student feel that they
are part of the global society andconnected to people in diff��erentparts of the globe, to enable them tobecome aware of global issues, andto respond positively to the issuesand contribute to a more peacefuland inclusive society.
Role of educatorsEducational institutions should sensitise teachers and students aboutthe need to know about people ofdiff��erent countries, races, religions,and so on. This helps them appreciate otherness. Teachers shoulddiscuss global issues in the classroom and help students becomeaware of what is happening aroundthe world.
Labelling students based on theirlevel of intelligence, backgroundand performance is against the principle of inclusiveness. When teachers fail to understand the learningstyles of students who do not perform well, they tend to label them as“slow learners”. Making every student feel comfortable and equal iscrucial to promoting tolerance, acceptance and inclusiveness.
In the era of commercialisation ofeducation and unhealthy competition that kills inclusiveness, whether educational institutions canteach values is a debatable question.At a time when there is much stresson conforming to the status quo,whether the concept of develop
mentoriented education is possibleis another question. As optimists,educators should be able to see lightat the end of the tunnel and preparestudents to meet the demands of society.
The moment we feel that we areglobal citizens, our world view willchange. All our petty politics and divisions will vanish and we will valueinclusiveness. We will recognise andcelebrate otherness. We will joyfullysing, “We are the world. We are thechildren.” It is a dream. Will thedream come true?
The author is an academic, columnist
and freelance journalist. E:
[email protected] T: @albertprayan
In THE NEWS)
We are theWORLD
b Albert P’Rayan
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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 20182EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
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EAR SHOT
ASHOK RAJAGOPALAN
Title: General Studies for CivilServices PreliminaryExamination: Paper IIPublisher: PearsonGeneral Studies Paper II 2019edition is a comprehensive andpracticeoriented study materialwhich will help students with athoroughly revised andupgraded content as per thelatest examination pattern ofCivil Services Aptitude Test.Apart from providing the latest content and syllabusrequirements for the aspirants of Indian Civil Services(Preliminary) Examination, it also provides tips andtechniques for quick revision. It has numerous examplesand practice questions to provide a clear understandingand simplifies the lastminute preparation process. Thebook has a deeper sectionwise analysis of past yearquestions and two free online mock tests with completesolutions. With unique sections like Aptitude Building which will helpstudents analyse their strengths and weakness, provideeffective study skills, and memory enhancement, the bookalso extensively covers Reading Comprehension,Interpersonal Skills, Communication Skills, DecisionMaking, Problem Solving, Logical Reasoning and AnalyticalAbility, General Mental Aptitude, and Numerical Aptitude.These chapters contain elaborate figures, illustrations, andpractice exercises to ensure accuracy. The book is modelled as per the latest syllabus of theIndian Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination and mainlyfocuses on topics from which questions normally appear inthe examination. It has a scientific presentation withchapters divided into separate sections to present clarityand a firm grip on the topics.
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ON THE SHELF
b Astha Nahar
We love to make plans. Plans toaccomplish big and little thingswithin time frames long andshort. Goals set for life, to bereached by the time one is thisage or that. Even those of us whomay not be obsessed by milestones and targets, may have a hazy sense of what we want for ourselves, and vaguely wonder howwe might get it.
A student recently told me hewas concerned that he would notbe able to reach all the targets hehad set for himself within thetime frame he had planned. Hesaid he had had it all worked out,that he would get to point A by acertain age, complete goal one,move towards goal two within aspecifi��c time, and so on. Andnow, it seemed, that it wasn’t going to happen exactly as he hadhoped. He was already severalmonths behind in his estimation,and he felt his entire plan wasslipping away.
When you’re 18 — or 25, as inthe case of my young friend — every year seems like an eternity. Iremember thinking, at 18, thatthe best phase of one’s life endedat 25, that I needed to have thingssorted and in place by then, thatsuccess (in the notsomodestway I defi��ned it) had to be realised by then. If not, I would haveachieved nothing. Or so Ithought.
Expect the unexpectedIn the decades since then, I haverealised that there is no point insetting certain kinds of timedependent goals (fi��rst novel by 25,fi��rst patent by 28, fi��rst million by
30). Yes, by all means set goalsfor yourself, but be realisticabout how and when you willachieve them. Most of our aspirations require a number of thingsto fall into place, and there arethings that are beyond one’s control. In addition, as we gothrough life, we run into unexpected situations that require usto spend time and eff��ort that wehad not bargained for. So, evenas we may not be progressing towards our preset goal, we are actually being productive in otherways — so, it is not all timewasted.
What is important is that wefi��nd a way to work steadily towards those goals — and lookkindly upon some of those interruptions and distractions. So, letus say you have set out to fi��nishfi��ve big things during a particularyear. You need to be clearheaded about what time and eff��orteach of those requires, andwhether you can realistically doit. Some may depend only onyour own discipline while othersare contingent on many factors.If you get stuck on the idea thatsuccess means fi��nishing all fi��ve,then, you are likely to be disappointed. Instead, suppose youset your goals without that deadline in mind. There are somethings you want to accomplish.Some must be done within a certain time frame (a degree programme, for instance, or a project). But, others may be doneover a longer period, and aremore in the nature of aspirationsthat you will work toward fulfi��lling over time.
So that is the key. Diff��erentiating between what must be done(and no two ways about allocating time and resources for this)and what can be done, time andresources permitting. My 25yearold friend should probablygo back and rethink his criteriafor success and failure, and notblame himself too much.
The author teaches at the University
of Hyderabad and edits Teacher
Plus. [email protected]
Cut yourselfsome slackSet goals for yourself,but be realistic abouthow and when youwill achieve them
Backpacker’s guide)Usha RAMAN
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I recall a game from my days as acorporate training facilitator,which was a favourite with somecompanies. Teams would be takenon a short, oneday trip to a naturespot. They were encouraged to participate in leisure activities, relaxand have fun. The particular game Iam referring to required one member of the team to stand on a slightly elevated platform, with her backto the rest of the team standing onthe ground. And then, on the facilitator’s cue, she had to close hereyes and fall back. The team wouldcatch her, avoiding any injury. Itwas basically a blind, free fall andthe litmus test of trust within yourteam.
Though this was a fun, teambuilding activity, it helped uncoverany inherent tensions or “beliefs”in a set of people working together.In teams that trusted each otherand had a strong sense of bonding,the fall wouldn’t be an issue. But inthe absence of those, the fall is adiffi��cult task because you are notsure your team has your back.
Individual Vs. teamOrganisations the world over nowfavour collaboration over individualism. While an individual’s talent matters, how she contributesto the team’s talent and strengthens the team as a unit, becomesmore critical.
This leads to the pivotal question: What makes a great team andhow does a team develop mutualtrust? In these days of agility, whenour workplace encourages quick
problem solving and faster business results, teamwork becomesespecially critical.
Team playing as a skill, is drivenessentially by the desire to makethe team succeed. This desire isfi��red by the motivation to help eachother, communicate to each otherclearly and honestly at all times, allthe while led by a shared sense ofpurpose. It is, to a great extent, theleader’s responsibility to ensuresuch an environment is created inthe team so that its members feelvalued, secure and inspired. Whenthe leader of a team creates the endgoal and empowers the team to accomplish it, the team members feelinspired to pursue it.
But the onus is not on the leaderalone. Once such an environmenthas been created for us by the leader, we must be able to apply our individual talent and autonomouslytake decisions that help the team.Such decisions must be made transparently and honestly, creatingtrust. Individual opinions must be
sought and considered, contributions valued and responsibilitiesshared. All the while, open communication must be practised.
Whenever possible, the teammust also relax and have fun together in informal scenarios, whichmakes them feel at ease in eachother’s company. Team lunches ortrips are all ways in which teamscan come together to have fun. Butthe leader must ensure that thecamaraderie outside work is complemented by camaraderie andmutual respect at work.
It is like playing cricket. Individuals in a team may have theirstrengths and weaknesses, butcome together to win the game. Aslong as we speak the language ofcollaboration, taking that leap oftrust shouldn’t be diffi��cult. Theteam will have our back.
The author is a writer and literary
journalist. She also heads Corporate
Communications at UST Global. Write
to her at [email protected]
Language of collaboration What makes a great team? How do members develop mutual trust?
Team building:
PS & QS )Anupama Raju
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b Warburg Long-Term ResearchFellowships in Intellectual andCultural History 2018-19, the U.K.
Warburg Institute and Universityof London is off��ering this fellowship to postdoctoral scholars topromote research in intellectualand cultural history.Eligibility: The candidate must be apostdoctoral scholar who has received his or her degree in the lastfi��ve years, or be a candidate whowill successfully completed thedefence of his or her doctorate orviva by November 23.Prizes and Rewards: £30,512 for ninemonths, including London allowance on monthly basis.Deadline: November 23
Application: Online http://www.b4s.in/EDGE/LTR1
b Carnegie Fellowships at theGeophysical Laboratory 2019
Ph.D. degree holders in the fi��eldof geophysical studies are giventhis fellowship in the thematicareas of astrobiology and the origin of life, earth and planetaryscience, and the physics and chemistry of materials at extremeconditions by Geophysical Laboratory, Department of CarnegieInstitution for Science.Eligibility: The candidate must be adoctorate in the related fi��eld atthe time of appointment, with apromising research and publication record.Prizes and Rewards: Funding formeeting and conference travel,
and for the publication of resultsfrom the postdoctoral workDeadline: November 29Application: Online applications http://www.b4s.in/EDGE/CFA3 Toptal Scholarships for Women201819For women who have innovativeideas to bring meaningful changein society or want to contributefor a cause they care about.Eligibility: Women candidates ofage minimum 16 years, pursuingor aiming to pursue any type ofeducation programmePrizes and Rewards: $10,000 and ayear’s mentorshipDeadline: November 30Application: Online
http://www.b4s.in/EDGE/TSF1
Courtesy: www.buddy4study.com
SCHOLARSHIPS)
Spider-ManPublisher: Sony InteractiveEntertainmentGenre: ActionadventureStill mourning the demise of thefriendly neighbourhood SpiderMan in the latest Avengermovie? Even though hisresurrection in the sequel is stillshrouded in secrecy, this gamewill give you the chance to relivethe action and the antics of thisbeloved character. Developed byInsomniac Games, it is set in the modernday New YorkCity and is played from a thirdperson perspective. Whileprotecting the city, players battle various supervillains,including Wilson Fisk, Electro, Rhino, Scorpion, Shocker,and Tombstone, among others. It also features otherprominent characters such as Aunt May, Mary Jane, Dr.Otto Octavius, and Norman Osborn. The engagingnarrative and gameplay, along with the combat and webswinging mechanics, make this game quite addictive. It iscurrently available only on PlayStation 4.
Starlink: Battle for AtlasPublisher: UbisoftGenre: Actionadventure gameSet in the Atlas star system, thegame revolves around a groupof heroic interstellar pilots whoare dedicated to freeing thesystem from the ForgottenLegion, an evil robot force.Players need to design theirown modular spaceship andwhile combining differentpilots, hulls, wings, andweapons to do so. The game features seven planets whichhave a unique set of landscape, hazards, story, and floraand fauna, which can pose a threat to the player. It isplayed from a thirdperson perspective and players canfreely venture into and explore the Atlas system. Itincludes a splitscreen multiplayer mode which will allowyou to share your space adventures with your wingman. Ithas been released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, andXbox One.
Mega Man 11Publisher: CapcomGenre: ActionplatformIf you miss the classic arcadegames of the 90s, Mega Man willsend you on a trip downmemory lane. The 2.5D graphicstyle and 3D polygonalcharacters lend it an appealingvisual style. Featuring fourdifficulty modes — Newcomer,Casual, Normal, and Superhero— the game’s objective is to stopthe evil Dr. Wily. It comprises eight stages at the end ofwhich players need to battle Dr. Wily’s Robot Masters suchas Bounce Man, Blast Man, Acid Man, and Torch Man.After defeating every Robot Master, players get access tonew weapons. One of the most interesting features is thedouble gear system through which Mega Man gets twoadditional abilities — the Speed Gear and Power Gear —which allows him to slow down time to dodge attacks andincrease the power of his weaponry. It has been releasedfor Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4,and Xbox One.
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Perfectly predicting defects of designs in manufacturing,construction, andvarious biologicalaspects with attractive colour mapshas always fascinated me and mademe curious to knowhow it is done. Thatis why I was interested in pursing computational mechanics.
I chose my undergraduate programme inMechanical Engineering at SCSVMV, Kanchipuram, where things started to dawn upon me.Dr. Ratna Kumar Annabathula, Assistant Professor, IIT Madras, identifi��ed my interest towards Finite Elements as well as research. Heencouraged me to pursue masters in computational mechanics through the programmecalled Erasmus Mundus.
An Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree, isan integrated, international study programme,jointly delivered by an international consortium of higher education institutions. Subsequently, I applied and got selected in the Erasmus Mundus MSc in computational mechanicsprogramme with funding which was more thanenough to cover my monthly living expenses.
The course is designed for students whowish to develop their knowledge in the fi��eld ofcomputational mechanics with applications insolids, fl��uids, and other interdisciplinary fi��elds.The programme also includes a component ofentrepreneurship and innovation.
It provides the skills for the modelling, formulation, analysis, and implementation of simulation tools for advanced engineering problems, as well as skills for understanding theseapproaches in the broader context of businessand innovation. Mostly students may take theMaster’s as a professional terminal degree, or inpreparation for a Ph.D.
This course is provided by international consortium of four leading European Universitiesin computational mechanics: Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Spain; Swansea University, the U.K.; Ecole Centrale Nantes (ECN),France; Universität Stuttgart, Germany.
One programme, two institutionsUsually, students study in two universities: thefi��rst year in Barcelona, Spain or Swansea, theU.K.. The remaining two semesters will bespent at any of the other three institutionswhich is diff��erent from that of the fi��rst year. Idid my fi��rst year at Swansea University and second year at UPC. Swansea University is considered as the birthplace for fi��nite element analysis and its computational engineeringdepartment is named Zienkiewicz Centre forComputational Engineering after Professor Olgierd Zienkiewicz, who is the father of fi��nite element methods. It is now lead by Professor Perumal Nithiarasu, an Alumni of IIT Madras. Bothuniversities have excellent ongoing researchworks and amazing teaching faculties.
Swansea University, in particular, is very studentfriendly. A faculty is appointed as a tutorwho meets each student once in two weeks during which they can share all their personal andprofessional issues.
Also, being an exchange programme, students benefi��t from interacting with diff��erentgroups of academics in an exciting international environment. It provides an amazing platform to understand diff��erent research collaborations happening in European universities.
Sai Chandana Divi is currently a doctoral student at
Eindhoven University of Technology, Netherlands.
Postcard from...Swansea and Barcelona)
An exchange spreeThrough the Erasmus Mundus programme, Sai Chandana hadthe opportunity to learn the best from not just one, but twouniversities
Name:
Sai Chandana Divi Institute:
Swansea University, Wales, UK and Techin-
ical University of Catalonia, Barcelona, SpainCourse:
Erasmus Mundus MSc in Computational
Mechanics
Over 10 lakh students attempt JEE( Joint Entrance Exam) every year.Only if one manages to get the top3,000 to 5,000 ranks, (0.01% of thetotal students) will one be able toget a popular branch in the top fi��veto six IITs. Thus, most students, however good they are, will not makeit. Three to four lakh students alsodrop one year to prepare exclusively for JEE.
Most good students in topschools have stopped attendingClass XI and XII, as they seriouslystudy for JEE, to the exclusion ofeverything else. We are thus producing a unidimensional workforce. In addition, most undergraduates in every engineering collegeare burnt out.
Lateral entry I propose a solution to the JEE issuethrough an exclusive lateral entryapproach into IITs. This will resultin the following benefi��ts:
1Postponement of JEE advanced
preparation to colleges, leaving
school students alone.
2Ensuring that IITs conduct their
own admission exams, thereby
ensuring fairness.
3Keeping the number of B.Tech
graduates through IITs small, only
twice of what they produce now.
4Ensuring that only those who like
engineering get into IITs.
I propose that B.Tech admissionsinto IITs happen in the third year,after students spend two years inengineering colleges. After gettingadmission into IITs, these studentsmay complete the education of IIIand IV years, and graduate with aB.Tech degree. It may be a joint degree with the institution thattrained them in the fi��rst two yearsof B.Tech.
The entrance exam will be basedon the fi��rst two years of engineering and science courses that onenormally undergoes at the IITs.The syllabus for these exams willbe based on the excellent NPTEL(National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning) videocourses, freely available to all. IfNPTEL videos can be dubbed intoall 22 Indian languages, quality study material will be within the reachof motivated students, rich or poor,urban or rural.
The IITs may also mandate thatall students who aspire to join theB.Tech course must know how towrite at least one working computer programme.
Although I mentioned only theIITs, other top institutions such asBITS Pilani and ICT (formerlyUDCT) can be included in theabove indicated mentoring list.Colleges that routinely send manyof its students to the IITs can themselves move over to this mentoringgroup.
As the portion for the exams isclearly defi��ned, students will knowwhat to study. Help can be given bythe IITs to help clear doubts of students. IIT Bombay has successfullybeen running a programme ‘Ask aQuestion’ through which its professors have been answering students’questions.
This activity, spearheaded by thebest teachers from all establishedinstitutions, can provide free ofcost, the extra help a bright studentneeds, to make the cut.
Joint mentoringMany of the heads of departmentsat IIT Bombay gave their personalview that students selected in themanner proposed in this articlewill do at least as well as the current students.
The IITs can be encouraged toclosely work with colleges thatsend their best students: teachertraining, joint guidance of students, joint master’s degree, applying for project grants, and so on.These colleges may also get higherranking in accreditation and NIRF
(National Institutional Ranking Framework) evaluations.
JEE Main will be conductedmore or less in the same manner aswe do now. Once all top level colleges and the IITs are selected to dothe mentoring work, there couldbe 100 to 200 comparable collegesat the next level, with a total ofabout 50,000 seats. It should be easy for a good school student to getinto any of these seats without extraordinary preparation. It will alsobe possible for a student to pickand choose a branch of his/herchoice.
JEE Main may be kept comparatively simple; as not much distinction needs to be made amongstthese 50,000 students. It wouldthen be possible to reduce the syllabus of Class XI and XII, which thegovernment has been trying to dofor quite some time. School students will get a lot of free time, toplay, create art forms, participatein social work, prepare for scienceolympiads, and so on.
The science departments of theIITs, freed from the teaching load,can work with smart school students, desirous of carrying outscience research. It will also not benecessary for school students todrop a year to prepare for the JEEMain.
The writer is a professor of chemical
engineering at IIT Bombay.
Time Management)
New approach:: Perhaps, it is time for a change.
b Dr. Kannan Moudgalya
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Most good students in topschools have stoppedattending Class XI and XII, asthey seriously study for JEE,to the exclusion of everythingelse.
Theproblem ofburning out
With some planning and restructuring,school time can be freed up for
pursuing creative and innovativeprojects rather than preparing
exclusively for JEE
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For generations, having an MBA hasbeen considered one of the mostsought after paths to success, in the business world. Every student is trulyaware of the lucrative edge that an MBAin sales and marketing, fi��nance, humanresources, operations and IT could givethem. In this modern era, the dream ofstudying at a top business school, passing with exceptional grades, getting atop management position and a handsome package, has been ingrained instudents.
Every year, approximately 1.8 to 2lakh students appear for a mainstreamMBA exam. This is not just restricted tofi��nal year college students or freshgraduates, but preemployed professionals as well. It is a crazy rat race, andthe consequences aren’t always pleasing. Not only is the probability of getting through a top college low, but employment is also a cause of worry. Afterall, general business programmes arein abundance and with everyone opting for the same course, there is nofreshness that comes out. Everyonewants to be globally relevant but at thesame time wants to work within sectorsof the Indian economy. A strong inclination towards doing something unconventional is linked with the unlikelypossibility of succeeding in the jobmarket.
Evolving demandInnovation is the key to staying competitive. As the cultural framework ofthe country evolves, a number of management institutes have realised theneed for swerving away from traditional courses and off��ering niche management degrees. They are attempting todiff��erentiate themselves in a crowdedMBA marketplace with tailormadecourses that are relevant, compelling,
dynamic, and not available elsewhere.They have not moved away from thetraditional MBA; instead, they havedrawn up a gamut of niche MBA programmes in order to adapt to thechanging demands of the industry andstudents. These courses are a perfectblend of theory and practice, preparing students to meet contemporary global needs.
The following courses off��er tremendous potential as well as a global competitive edge.
Energy and environment: AnMBA in energy and environment currently off��ers plenty of opportunitieswaiting to be tapped. This course is notonly wellequipped to train aspiringprofessionals towards managerial, economic, legal, political and relevanttechnical competence, but also makesthem a crucial link between the world
of technology, business and sustainable development. It encompasses sectors such as power, renewable energy,energy effi��ciency, oil and gas, climatechange and sustainable development,green buildings, corporate sustainability, global standards and environmentalmanagement.
Agri-business: This sector is growing rapidly, with the food and agriculture business all set to triple itself by2020. An MBA in agribusiness presents a challenging and exciting opportunity to help contribute to and engineer this demanding and dynamicrevolution. This course works well infi��elds such as agriculture and WTO,agricultural exportimport and agricultural fi��nance, as it broadly covers marketing, fi��nance, taxation and supplychain management.
Multiple Bschools provide highquality niche MBA programmes. It istime to check out these contemporarycareer options that could not onlymatch your interests but also help youimprove your prospects.
The writer is Director, Symbiosis Institute
of International Business.
niche)
Stay competitive In an evolving world, explore out-of-the-box MBA programmes for that extra edge
b Asmita Chitnis
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A strong inclination towardsdoing something unconventionalis linked with the unlikelypossibility of succeeding in thejob market.
PostcardThe Hindu EDGE invites Indianstudents in foreign universities toshare their experiences about thecampus, course, quality of education, city life and adapting tochanges abroad. The articleshould be not more than 500words. Send three diff��erent pictures of yourself on campus (eachshould be minimum 2MB size,JPG/JPEG format) to goal[email protected].
British Council hasannounced the secondedition of its 70thanniversary scholarshipprogramme for Indianwomen pursuing amaster’s in science,technology, engineeringand math (STEM) in theU.K. The announcementwas made at a felicitationceremony for 104 Indianwomen STEM scholars,with British PrimeMinister Theresa May.
The scholars arecurrently completingtheir master’s in 43British universities acrossEngland, Scotland, Walesand Northern Ireland.
In the second year, theBritish Council and someuniversities located in theU.K. will fund full tuitionscholarships worth £1million for 70 Indianwomen to study amaster’s programme inSTEM in the U.K. for theacademic year 201920.Candidates applyingmust have an off��er from aU.K. university byJanuary 30, 2019. Fordetails, visit the BritishCouncil website.
Scholarshipsfor womenin STEM
Blackboard
The Hindu EDGE invites
teachers to send in their
contributions on issues and
challenges they face. The
article should be about 500
words. Please email it to
educationplus@t
hehindu.co.in
EDGE
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Big win Gokul S, Arushi Rajand Akash Vermafrom Delhi School ofEconomics (DSE)recently won TheSweden India NobelMemorial Quiz 2018with a leading scoreof 165 at IP collegefor Women. XLRIJamshedpur andUniversity ofHyderabad securedthe second and thirdpositions respectively. Around 2,148 students from across the countryparticipated.
in brief)
Vineyard visitCEDP Skill Institute,Mumbai, recentlyorganised anindustrial visit to theSula Vineyards inNashik, for its hotelmanagement studentsto provide theminsight about theindustry and methodsof wine-making. Thestudents were giveninformation on winetasting and anopportunity to tastethe best six blends of Sula wines. The visit provided them exposureabout the company’s functioning and a chance to apply theirtheoretical knowledge.
Graduation Loyola Institute ofBusinessAdministration(LIBA) recentlyconducted itsGraduation Day and197 studentsreceived theirexecutive diplomas.Addressing thegraduates, LathaPandiarajan, co-founder, Ma FoiGroup of Companies,and director, Ma FoiStrategic Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and R. Arunachalam congratulated thestudents. Congratulating the graduates, Fr. P. Christie SJ, director, LIBAsaid, “We are happy to help students in their career by enhancing theirskills and we are proud of their achievements.”
The most important thing we doin life is to take decisions. At atime of information overload,this can be particularly challenging. Yet, this is the time of yearwhen students have to make uptheir mind on their future courseof study. It is one of the most diffi��cult and important decisionsthey will need to take, one thatwill impact the rest of their life.
Trends suggest that there willbe an increasing number of Indians opting for higher studiesabroad, particularly in Australia.
Keep in mindDo your homework: Basic research is important, but information overload can make decisionmaking diffi��cult and confusing. Itis important to decide what subject you would like to pursue,where you would like to study,whether you meet the entry andeligibility criteria and fi��nally,whether we have the requiredfunds to pay for it. Given the Indian rupeeAustralian dollar exchange rate, studying in Australia is signifi��cantly cheaper thantraditional destinations, such as,the U.S., and the U.K., whichpose new challenges.
How to apply: If you are going through an education agent,fi��nd out which education agentshave been empanelled by the un
iversity of choice. For instance,the internationallyranked University of New South Wales, Sydney (UNSW) has only 12 registered Indiabased educationpartners. No one else is authorised to process student applications. The list is available on theuniversity’s website. Furthermore, empanelled agents are notauthorised to charge students forservices they render. Such payments, or commissions, are paidfor by the university.
Know ‘why’ you are pursu-ing higher studies: Simon Sinek, in his pathbreaking bookThe Power of Why, stressed onthe misplaced emphasis that many place on ‘what’ and ‘how’,without ever knowing ‘why’. Ifyou know ‘why’ you are planning on a particular course of action, other things fall in place. Interms of sequencing, ‘why’ is
where we fi��rst start. You can decide, for instance, to pursue anundergraduate course in fi��nanceand accounting, if you are clearas to why you would like to do so.Once you know your why, whereis easy.
Embrace change: Often, ourparents, in particular, and sometimes even we, fear the uncertain. Living abroad, especially ifit is the fi��rst time, can be challenging. Our parents worryabout multiple things: Is it safe?What is the culture like? Will my
son or daughter make friends?Will the studying and living culture cause problems? These arelegitimate questions and anxieties. At the same time, if the decision is to study abroad, it is important to be open to change.Some things might be similar towhat we are used to, but therewill be big diff��erences in otheraspects. What is particularly fascinating is that ‘other cultures’open up the mind to new ways ofseeing and thinking and even,behaving. This creates a globalmindset. It lies at the heart ofwhat great education is all about.
Learn with passion: We canlearn every single day, but only ifwe are open to it. ‘Smell the roses’ we are told and yet, we rarelydo. Employability is not a quotient of how many books we haveread or quotations we know byheart, but how we are able to relate with our external environment. This is what employerslook for because what they wantare persons who can work in ateam, take decisions and consequently, anticipate and solveproblems without compromising on integrity and values.Great educational institutions recognise this and embed it intotheir pedagogy. It is what makesthem stand out.
The author is a former Indian
diplomat, and the inaugural India
country director for UNSW
study abroad)
Changeyour course
Want to study in Australia? Five tips tohelp you take the decision faster
b Amit Dasgupta
Options Down Under: Make the right choices.
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Basic research is important,but information overloadcan make decisionmakingdiffi��cult and confusing. It isimportant to decide whatsubject you would like to pursue and where youwould like to study.
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The Kishore Vaigyanik Protsa-han Yojana (KVPY) is a nationalfellowship programme in basicsciences, initiated and funded bythe Department of Science andTechnology, Government of India, to identify highly motivatedstudents who could pursue basicscience courses and research careers. Students of classes XI andXII, who qualify, receive amonthly scholarship up to theirprePh.D level or fi��ve years, whichever is earlier. The exam is administered by the IISc Bengaluruwith only 2,500 students qualifying out of lakhs who apply.
The programme tests studentsat three levels: KVPY SA exam forstudents of class XI, KVPY SX exam for class XII and KVPY SB exam for fi��rstyear students of BSc,integrated fi��veyear M.Sc, or integrated fi��veyear M.S.
PreparationStudents who are already preparing for exams such as JEEMain, olympiads or any othercompetitive exam through institutes need not worry much, asthe pattern accommodatesKVPY. Here are some tips.
1. Manage your time with aneff��ective study plan. Discipline isthe key to following your timetable. Make a plan which is feasible, allowing you to utilise timeeff��ectively, while giving equal attention to all subjects and important topics. Keep aside an hourdaily for selfanalysis and correction. Segregate time for coveringthe syllabus conceptwise. Whileattempting the exam, it is alwaysadvisable to attempt the knownportion of the question paperfi��rst.
2. Utilise available resourceseffi��ciently. Understanding concepts is a must; choose study material which enable this. Makeuse of periodic physical interactions with expert faculty andgroup study to clear yourdoubts. Make short selfwrittennotes for longterm memorising.
3. Evaluate yourself and reinforce your weak areas. Neglecting them can be your biggestmistake.
4. Stay connected with experts. Institutes which provideresult analysis and doubtclearing sessions on a regular basiscould be useful.
5. Judge your performancewith periodic testing, after focussed study. Practise with asmany mock tests as you can andmake sure you go through previous year’s question papers.
Subject-wise tipsPhysics: The class XI syllabusforms the foundation of anycompetitive exam. Be thoroughin it, especially if you are appearing at the SA level. Focus on topics such as optics, mechanicsand electromagnetism. Do notleave any topic untouched, andgo through thermodynamics,simple harmonic motion, andwaves.
For the SX level, practise numerical problems and keep allthe concepts clear. Focus on kinematics, gravitation, fl��uids,heat and thermodynamics,waves and sound, capacitors andelectrostatics, magnetics, electromagnetic induction, opticsand modern physics.
Math: Basic knowledge of geometry and number theory is amust. Other topics include algebra, quadratic equations, seriesand progression, permutationsand combinations, and basic geometry. Study of fundamentaltopics such as circles, trigonometry and sequence and series canguarantee good marks. Gothrough them at least once before the exam, as three to four
questions based on them are expected. The SX level will includequestions from integration, statistics, vector algebra and 3D geometry. Topics such as application of derivatives, matrices anddeterminants, and limits arehighscoring.
Chemistry: If you are appearing for the SX exam, consultNCERT books for inorganic chemistry. Organic chemistry needsto be clear from the basic levelalong with regular practice. Focus on coordination chemistryand chemical bonding in inorganic chemistry, electrochemistry, chemical and ionic equilibrium, mole concept in physicalchemistry and organic chemistry, atomic structure, and chemical bonding.
Biology: It is relatively easierto score good marks in biology inthe SA category, compared toother subjects. If you are thorough with class IX and X NCERTand have gone through important topics from class XI and XIINCERT books, you can expect toscore more than 80%. Genetics,cell and biomolecule, physiology(both animal and plant, especially photosynthesis in plants andcontrol and coordination in bothanimals and plants), and healthand disease are important. Readthese topics from XI and XIINCERT selectively. Attemptingmock tests and solving previousyears’ question papers duringpreparation will help you scoreextra marks.
The writer is a FIITJEE expert.
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Take the KVPY route
b Ramesh Batlish
Persevere for perfection: For long-lasting results
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Expert tips on how to gain entry to this fellowship programme, agateway to a glorious career in basic sciences
I have spent more than 20 years in theeducation industry, during which I haveworked in positions that have presentedopportunities to interact with people atthe helm of the university leadership,both in private as well as in governmentinstitutions.
Universities, around the world, are going through a transformation. Technological advancements, rising costs, reduced funding, increasing competition,and many other factors make the role ofa vice chancellor extremely challenging,yet critical for a university.
Currently, universities select their vicechancellors from the applicants whomeet the basic criteria (candidate with aPh.D. with a minimum of 15 years of experience in teaching and research, having held posts of dean, director or principal of a university or reputed institution,is ideal).
However, universities of the future willneed a charismatic leader with excellentadministrative, academic, fi��nancial andteam management skills to be able to navigate the changes that are been seen inthe horizon. It is time to think about howour universities ought to get ready to address the challenges of tomorrow, andwhat roles the vice chancellors wouldplay, while they lead these institutions.
Purpose: Ability to drive resultsUniversities of the future will be built onthe culture of meritocracy and performance. They will need to ensure thatthey deliver quantifi��able and measurableresults in terms of academic and administrative performance, as well as deliverstudent outcomes.
Vice chancellors need to be pioneers,who value possibilities, and ignite energyand imagination in their teams. Theymust look at new ways and methods toaccomplish things, to gain competitiveadvantage. They will need to use theirimagination to derive extraordinary models of how things ought to work, to produce a result which transformssituations.
FinancingUniversities are faced with a multiedgedsword: increased costs due to demandfor higher quality, increased investmentin technology and allied services, pressure to bring down tuition fees and a reduced funding from the government.
Also, the pressure to continuosly improve the quality of infrastructure, increased pay for better qualifi��ed faculty,spending on marketing, increased investment in content for fast changingcurriculum has made the situation increasingly critical.
Universities will need to fi��nd alternatesources of funds to ensure that they arebeing able to fi��ght the trinity of cost,quality and scale. The ability of a vicechancellor to mobilise funds from multiple sources including, but not limited to,endowments, charities, public allocations, and so on will become important.
NetworkingVice chancellors will need to play therole of the integrator, who values connection and draws teams together. Theirability to network profoundly with the
components of the ecosystem is criticalto drive the university.
They must be able to communicatethe vision of the university with passionand authenticity, pull things together atcritical points, avoid arbitrariness andgive focus to the process. They shall beresponsible for the cohesion in the teamand for making eff��orts comprehensive —pull diff��erent positions and perspectivesback on track so that the greater good isrealised.
CollaborationThe lines between formal and informal,degree and vocational, classroom andonline education are getting blurred.With multiple guiding frameworks likeNSQF, CBCS, LOCF and government focus on skill education at university level,it is imperative to identify the right collaborators who can add complementaryand supplementary value to the university. Vice chancellors would need to collaborate with multiple agencies, frameworks, regulators, employers, academicand research organisations, national andinternational counterparts and funding
agencies to get the desired results. They will need to be the guardians
who value stability and bring order andrigour, a prudent guide to what is pragmatic and workable without resulting inorganisational defi��cits across the board.
TeamworkLeaders, in the university of the future,must value challenges and generate momentum; moving things forward, exerting mild pressure to get things donewhile respecting individual personalities. They must exert enthusiasm andfoster energy to accomplish goals. Theymust goad the team into action, generating momentum to ensure benchmarksare met and time is managed so that desired results are achieved.
As the competition becomes fi��erceand expectations from students, higher,a vice chancellor’s ability to build a performing team to ensure greater productivity through responsibility sharing, using the unique competencies of eachmember to advance the interest of theentire organisation, shall be of greatimportance.
Universities will have to deal with anew set of challenges and must rise to newopportunities. It is order and stabilitythat harness what is positive in attemptsat innovation, and contribute to creativity being more responsible and realistic.Tagore’s magnifi��cent view that ‘lifeshould not be the infi��nite elongation of astraight line’, fi��ts so well to defi��ne therisks of tomorrow. Universities have biggoals and aspirations, and only a nonlinear planning and a strategic mindsetcan help reach them.
The writer is the Senior Vice President of
Schoolguru Eduserve Pvt. Ltd.
value add)
Leading the varsities of tomorrowThere are many challenges, opportunities and roles, a vice chancellor has to take up, to head an institution
b Vipendra Singh
Being forearmed: To handle the universities of the future.
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Vice chancellors need to bepioneers, who value possibilities,and ignite energy andimagination in their teams. Theymust look at new ways andmethods to accomplish things,to gain competitive advantage.
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