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everal students, including
SStudents
Jawaharlal Nehru University’s
Union (JNUSU) pres-
ident Aishe Ghosh, general sec-
retary Satish Chandra and teach-
ers, were injured after a violent
clash broke out between JNUSU
and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi
Parishad (ABVP) members on
the campus on Sunday.
The clash took place during
a public meeting organised by
the JNU Teachers’ Association
(JNUTA). Sources said the vio-
lence started around 5 pm
near Sabarmati tea point in the
campus, where there had been
minor clashes over the issue of
semester registration under
the revised rules.
Violence broke out as
masked men armed with sticks
attacked students and teachers
and damaged property on the
campus, prompting the admin-
istration to call in police.
JNUSU said many students
were injured in stone pelting by
ABVP members. The Left-
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L iving in polluted cities is
harmful for health. Earlier
several studies have shown air
pollution causes a range of
medical issues such as lung
cancer, stroke, heart diseases,
asthma, dementia, depression
et al. Now, a new study has
warned that inhalation of toxic
airborne particles emitted by
diesel and petrol vehicles can
weaken bones and speed up the
ageing process.
Researchers came to this
disturbing conclusion after
studying the health of nearly
4,000 residents from 28 villages
just outside the city of
Hyderabad, in southern India.
The researchers, whose
study is published in the JAMA
Network Open journal
observed that those who inhaled
more toxic airborne particles
had less bone mass in their
spines and hips. Household air
pollution did not have a clear
association with bone mass.
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controlled JNUSU and the
ABVP blamed each other for
the violence that continued
for nearly two hours.
The ABVP alleged that its
members were "brutally"
attacked by students affiliated
to Left student organisations
SFI, AISA and the DSF.
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nion Home Minister Amit
U Shah on Sunday accused
Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi
and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra of
instigating “riots” by “mislead-
ing” people on the Citizenship
(Amendment) Act and
sought to reassure Muslims,
saying the law has no provision
about taking away citizenship
of minorities.
BJP launched a ‘Jan Jagran’
contact three crore families to
counter the Opposition’s cam-
paign against the CAA and
inform the masses about its fea-
tures. While Shah led the drive
in the national Capital, other
top party leaders like Rajnath
Singh, JP Nadda and Nitin
Gadkari were in different parts
of the country as part of the
campaign, which will end on
January 15. As part of door to
SRT\Ecf^ahRc_dEVYcR_
The bone mass loss due to
the oxidative stress and inflam-
mation was caused by the toxic
particulate matters, said the
study led by Otavio T Ranzani,
from Barcelona Institute for
Global Health, Barcelona,
Spain. Osteoporosis is a health
condition that weakens bones,
making them fragile and more
likely to break.
The researchers took mea-
surements of PM2.5 and black
carbon in the atmosphere in
each village. Total 28 villages
were studied. PM2.5 is the
finest type of particulate mat-
ter, while black carbon is a larg-
er toxin. Both come mainly
from petrol and diesel vehicle
exhausts. Analysis revealed
average PM2.5 exposure was 33
micrograms per metre cubed
(ug/m3) — far above the max-
imum 10ug/m3 levels recom-
mended by the World Health
Organisation (WHO), said the
researchers Carles Milà from
National Institute of Nutrition,
Indian Council of Medical
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members attacked students
who were peacefully protesting
against massive fee hike in
JNU. “On Saturday, a mob led
?C8 by Ritwik Raj who is council-
lor from School of International
“Around 25 students have been Studies belonging to ABVP
seriously injured in this attack attacked students. Then they
and there is no information as attacked JNUSU president and
to the whereabouts of 11 stu-
dents. Masked goons of Left
general secretary Aishe and
Satish, and other students.
entered the JNU today and beat Dripta’s, a 1st year MA student,
up the students who went for leg was broken due to ABVP
registration,” the outfit said. violence. Today they shame-
JNUSU alleged that ABVP lessly attacked students again
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door campaign, Shah visited seek people’s support on the
homes in Lajpat Nagar here amended Citizenship Act, and
and talked to people about the asserted that it has undertaken
benefits of the amended citi- a positive exercise to spread
zenship law. He also distributed awareness about the law. The
literature on the subject and number, however, led to some
urged them to go through it. controversy. Shah clarified that
The ruling party also rumours were being spread
launched a toll free number to about the number and noted
Research, Hyderabad and ciated with lower levels of bone
Bharati Kulkarni from mass. For ever y 3ug/m3
Department of Non-commu- increase in fine particulate
nicable Disease Epidemiology, matter, there was a decrease of
London School of Hygiene and -0.57g of bone mass in the
Tropical Medicine, London. spine and -0.13g in the hip, said
The researchers had cross- the study titled ‘Association of
referenced pollution levels with Ambient and Household Air
X-rays measuring bone mass in Pollution With Bone Mineral
participant’s lower back and Content Among Adults in Peri-
hip. Results showed that expo- urban South India’.
sure to air pollution were asso- An increase of 1ug/m3 of
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injuring a student from JNU’s
Centre of Social Medicine and
Community Health,” said
JNUSU in a statement.
JNU Professor Sucherta
Sen was thrashed and was
taken to AIIMS for the treat-
ment, said students. Several
photos and videos of the inci-
dents were doing rounds on
social media. In a video, Aishe
— who suffered a head injury
— said she was attacked by
goons wearing masks.
Continued on Page 4
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that it belonged to his party and
not to Netflix. The party later
held a press conference to slam
those spreading confusion over
it. The CAA seeks to grant cit-
izenship to Hindus, Sikhs,
Buddhists, Christians, Jains and
Parsis who had arrived in India
by December 31, 2014 from
Pakistan, Afghanistan and
Bangladesh due to religious
persecution.
While the Modi
Government has asserted that
it has so far not discussed the
proposal for National Register
?C8 of Citizens, NDA ally JD (U)
general secretary Pavan Varma
has asked party president and
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish
Kumar to categorically reject
the “divisive CAA-NPR-NRC
scheme”, saying this has “nefar-
ious agenda to divide India and
create a great deal of unneces-
sary social turbulence”.
Continued on Page 4
carbon saw bone density shrink
by -1.13g in the spine and -
0.35g in the hip, said Ranzani
adding that “this study con-
tributes to the limited and
inconclusive literature on air
pollution and bone health.”
According to the WHO, air
pollution causes an estimated
seven million premature deaths
a year worldwide — one third
of deaths from stroke, lung can-
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wo days after an attack on
T Nankana Sahib Gurdwara
in Pakistan’s Punjab province
by a Muslim mob, a Sikh
minority community member
Ravinder Singh was on Sunday
murdered in Peshawar by an
“unidentified” gunman,
leading to a strong protest
from India which condemned
the “targeted killing” of the
young Sikh man.
The Ministry of External
Affairs (MEA) said Pakistan
should stop “prevaricating”
and take immediate action to
apprehend and give exemplary
punishment to the perpetrators
of the crime.
Union Minister Harsimrat
Kaur Badal condemned the
killing and tweeted, “A day after
mob attacked our holy shrine
#GurdwaraNankanaSahib, this
brutal murder of Sikh youth in
Peshawar shows the extent of
persecution minorities face in
Pak. I urge PM @naren-
dramodi ji to imm take up the
issue with @ImranKhanPTI &
ensure the safety of Sikh
brethren there.”
Punjab Chief Minister
Captain Amarinder Singh also
tweeted, “Shocked & anguished
over killing of Sikh youth
Ravinder Singh in Pakistan,
coming on heels of Nankana
Sahib Attack. Imran Khan govt
must ensure thorough investi-
gation and strict punishment
for the culprits. This is the time
to act on what you preach.”
The incident involving
killing of 25-year-old Sikh man
comes two days after a mob
attacked, desecrated and van-
dalised the most revered gur-
dwara at Nankana Sahib. The
victim Ravinder Singh was the
brother of Public News anchor
Harmeet Singh. He was shot
dead in Peshawar by an
unidentified man, according to
media reports.
Ravinder was a resident of
Shangla district at Khyber
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cer and heart disease.
The WHO also points out
that every day around 93 per
cent of the world’s children
under the age of 15 years (1.8
billion children) breathe air
that is so polluted it puts their
health and development at seri-
ous risk. Tragically, many of
them die: WHO estimates that
in 2016, 600,000 children died
from acute lower respiratory
infections caused by polluted air.
A recent report by the
global health agency notes that
when pregnant women are
exposed to polluted air, they are
more likely to give birth pre-
maturely, and have small, low
birth-weight children. “Air pol-
lution also impacts neurode-
velopment and cognitive abil-
ity and can trigger asthma, and
childhood cancer. Children
who have been exposed to
high levels of air pollution
may be at greater risk for
chronic diseases such as car-
diovascular disease later in
life,” said the report.
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akistan Prime Minister
P Imran Khan on Sunday
condemned the recent inci-
dent of vandalism
at the Nankana
Sahib, saying it
goes against his
“vision” and the
Government will
show “zero toler-
ance” against those
involved in it.
Gurdwara
Nankana Sahib, also known as
Gurdwara Janam Asthan, is a
site near Lahore where the first
Guru of Sikhs, Guru Nanak,
was born. According to media
reports, a violent mob had
attacked the Gurdwara and
pelted it with stones on Friday.
A team of police had to inter-
vene briskly to control the sit-
uation.
Pakhtunkhwa and was in
Peshawar for shopping ahead of
his planned wedding. His
Peshawar visit came soon after
he returned home from his
Malaysia visit. After killing
him, the murderer made a
phone call to Ravinder’s fami-
ly, a media report said quoting
the Peshawar police.
“India strongly condemns
the targeted killing of minority
Sikh community member in
Peshawar that follows the recent
despicable vandalism and dese-
cration of the holy Gurdwara Sri
Janam Asthan at Nankana Sahib
and the unresolved case of
abduction, forced conversion
and marriage of a Sikh girl Jagjit
Kaur,” the MEA said. The
Ministry of External Affairs
(MEA) said Pakistan should
stop “prevaricating” and take
immediate action to apprehend
and give exemplary punishment
?C8Q F0B78=6C>=
resident Donald Trump has
P warned Iran that the US has
identified 52 possible targets in
the country and will hit it hard-
er than ever before if Tehran,
which has vowed “severe
revenge”, carries out any attack
against America to avenge the
killing of top military com-
mander Qasem Soleimani.
Maj Gen Soleimani, 62,
the head of Iran’s elite al-Quds
force and architect of its region-
al security apparatus, was killed
when a US drone fired missiles
into a convoy that was leaving
the Baghdad International
Airport early on Friday. The
strike also killed the deputy
chief of Iraq’s powerful Hashed
al-Shaabi paramilitary force.
Soleimani’s killing was the
most dramatic escalation yet in
spiralling tensions between
Iran and the US.
Continued on Page 4
Related reports on P12
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0XaBdaRWPaVT4gcaPXU0__[XRPQ[T
Breaking his silence on the
incident, Khan said that there
is a “major difference between
the condemnable Nankana
incident and the ongoing
attacks across India
on Muslims and
other minorities”.
“The former is
against my vision &
will find zero toler-
ance & protection
from the govt incl
police & judiciary
(sic),” he tweeted,
referring to the Nankana Sahib
incident. Khan claimed that
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi’s “vision supports
minorities oppression and the
targeted attacks against
Muslims.” He also alleged that
the Indian police, supported
by the Government, are lead-
ing attacks against Muslims.
Continued on Page 4
to the perpetrators of the crime.
“India strongly condemns
the targeted killing of minori-
ty Sikh community member in
Peshawar that follows the
recent despicable vandalism
and desecration of the holy
Gurdwara Sri Janam Asthan at
Nankana Sahib and the unre-
solved case of abduction, forced
conversion and marriage of a
Sikh girl Jagjit Kaur,” the MEA
said. It said the Government of
Pakistan should act in defence
of their own minorities instead
of “preaching sermons” about
it to other countries. India had
on Friday strongly condemned
vandalism at the revered
Gurdwara Nankana Sahib in
Pakistan and called upon the
neighbouring country to take
immediate steps to ensure the
safety and security of the Sikh
community there.
Continued on Page 4
0?
8]SXPSTT_[hR^]RTa]TS
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New Delhi: Amid spiralling
US-Iran tensions over the
killing of Iranian military
commander Qasem
Soleimani, External Affairs
Minister S Jaishankar on
Sunday had a conversation
with his Iranian counter-
part Javad Zarif and said
India remained deeply con-
cerned about the levels of
tension in the region.
Jaishankar noted that devel-
opments have taken a “very
serious turn”.
The External Affairs
Minister also discussed
the tense situation with
Omani Foreign Minister
Yusuf Alawi.
Detailed report on P5
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New Delhi: Union HRD
Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal
'Nishank' urged JNU students
to maintain dignity of the uni-
versity and peace on the cam-
pus, as his ministry sought an
immediate report from the reg-
istrar Pramod Kumar on the
violence that erupted there on
Sunday night.
"The violence on JNU cam-
pus is worrisome and unfortu-
nate. I condemn it. I appeal stu-
dents to maintain the dignity of
university and peace on cam-
pus," Nishank tweeted.
Asserting that acts of vio-
lence and anarchy will not be
tolerated, the ministry said a
group of “masked” people had
entered the campus and
attacked students.
"We have sought an imme-
diate report from JNU vice
chancellor on the violence on
campus. We have also spoken
to JNU VC and Delhi police to
ensure peace is maintained on
campus," an HRD Ministry
official told PTI.
The official said it has come
0eXTf^UeP]SP[XbTS9=DRP\_db^]Bd]SPh ?C8
to the ministry's notice that a
group of masked people entered
the JNU campus on Sunday,
threw stones, damaged prop-
erty and attacked students.
"This is very unfortunate
and highly condemnable, such
acts of violence and anarchy will
not be tolerated,” the official
said.
“Police has been called by
JNU administration to main-
tain law and order situation in
JNU,” the official added.
Violence broke out at
Jawaharlal Nehru University
on Sunday night as masked
men armed with sticks attacked
students and teachers and dam-
aged property on the campus,
prompting the administration
to call in police.
Many were injured and
admitted to the All India
Institute of Medical Sciences.
JNU Students' Union president
Aishe Ghosh suffered a head
injury. The Left-controlled
JNUSU and the ABVP blamed
each other for the violence that
continued for nearly two
hours. PTI
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New Delhi: Union Finance Minister
Nirmala Sitharaman and External
Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar - both
alumni - on Sunday condemned the
violence in the Jawaharlal Nehru
University in which several students
and teachers were injured when the
masked assailants with iron and
wooden rods attacked them.
"Horrifying images from JNU-
the place I know and remember was
one for fierce debates and opinions
but never violence. I unequivocally
condemn the events of today. This
government, regardless of what has
been said the past few weeks, wants
universities to be safe spaces for all
students," Sitharaman, who did her
MPhil from JNU, said in a tweet.
Jaishankar, who has an MA in
Political Science and an MPhil and
PhD in International Relations from
JNU, also took to Twitter to express
his reaction.
"Have seen pictures of what is
happening in JNU. Condemn the vio-
lence unequivocally. This is com-
pletely against the tradition and cul-
ture of the university," he tweeted.
The remarks of the two Ministers
came after violence swept the JNU on
Sunday evening as several masked
individuals, both male and female,
thrashed students, including girls,
and teachers inside the varsity cam-
pus with wooden and metal rods.
Two officer-bearers of the
?C8
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New Delhi: The ABVP on Sunday alleged that its 5V]YZA`]ZTV
members, including its JNU unit secretary, were
attacked by members of the Left-backed students'
outfits and 11 of the RSS-affiliated outfit's mem-
bers were missing.
Violence broke out at Jawaharlal Nehru
University on Sunday night as masked men armed
with sticks attacked students and teachers and
damaged property on the campus, prompting the
administration to call in police. New Delhi: Peace has been
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad restored in the Jawaharlal Nehru
(ABVP) alleged that its members were "brutally" University after masked men
Jawaharal Nehru University Students attacked by students affiliated to Left student armed with sticks attacked stu-
Union (JNUSU), including President organisations SFI, AISA and the DSF. dents and teachers, and dam-
Aishe Ghosh - who was reportedly hit "Around 25 students have been seriously aged property on the campus,
over the eye with an iron rod, injured in this attack and there is no information prompting the administration to
received severe injuries. They accused as to the whereabouts of 11 students," the outfit call in police that conducted a
RSS' student wing Akhil Bharatiya said. "Masked goons of Left entered the Jawaharlal flag march, an officer said.
Vidhyarthi Parishad (ABVP) for the Nehru University today and beat up the students "We were informed that
rampant violence in the campus. who went for registration." there was a clash between two
Hostel rooms, and lobbies were "The JNU students affiliated to ABVP were groups of students. The JNU
vandalised during the assault while brutally attacked," it said. administration sought police
several vehicles standing on roads According to the ABVP, its JNU unit secre- assistance from us in writing,"
were damaged by the unidentified tary and its last year's JNUSU presidential can- Joint Commissioner of Police
miscreants. didate, Manish Jangid, was "severely injured (his (New Delhi) Anand Mohan
The situation turned violent after hand is fractured). Many students have suffered said.
masked goons attacked a peace head injuries and a few students are still missing". Deputy Commissioner of
march being carried out by teachers The Left-controlled JNUSU and the ABVP Police (Southwest) said private
and students against the violence in blamed each other for the violence that contin- and public vehicles were dam-
campus. ued for nearly two hours. aged.
Earlier, the ABVP had accused JNU Students' Union president Aishe Ghosh "After we received written
Left inclined students of vandalising suffered a head injury. The JNU administration request from the JNU adminis-
the Periyar hostel and severely injur- said "masked miscreants armed with sticks were tration, we entered the campus
ing various students present inside roaming around, damaging property and attack- and restored peace. Legal action
the hostel. IANS ing people". PTI will be taken," he said. PTI

56=9:=24<D7:C6:?36==JE@5@FD6:E
B74:70AB8=67270=30=
?A0:0B7
factory in Anaj Mandi area of
north Delhi, leaving 43 labour-
residential areas across the
national Capital are ticking
the Chief Fire Officer, DFS,
the fire department had issued
The Pioneer he had been
working in a denim factory in
Q =4F34;78 ers dead and many others bombs and inviting incidents. only 2372 'No Objection the Bawana area for last five
injured. The fire broke out in These lives could have been Certificates' issued till date for years. "I work and earn Rs
ational Capital was kept the second floor of the four- saved had the Delhi Municipal hotels and industrial purpose. 4,000 per month. This inci-

N on its toes as devastat-

ing fire incidents kept
on taking place unabated in the
year just gone by. The New Year
2020 too started on an ominous
note as a blaze in a battery and
inverter manufacturing unit
in Nangloi, consumed the life
of a young fireman Amit
Balyan. 2019 witnessed over a
dozen infernos which claimed
scores of precious human lives.
The most deadly was the fire in
Anaj Mandi in the Walled City
area that took away 43 poor
labourers. Every time political
leadership and the bureaucra-
cy have been found wanting as
corrective measures that were
promised to prevent such
tragedies from happening,
remained only on papers. Even
if some measure were put in
action but that was not enough
to make Delhi a safe city for the
poor dwellers. The Pioneer
looks back on fire incidents that
were reported in 2019 and
also delve into the factors that
were responsible for deaths
caused by fire.
Several unauthorised
colonies across the city, avail-
ability of cheap labour and use
of residential buildings for
commercial purposes are few of
the many factors which lure
owners to establish illegal fac-
tories. The year 2019, saw five
major fire tragedies claiming 81
lives in national Capital. Irony
is that the fire incidents which
occurred in illegal manufac-
turing units and hotel located
AP]YP]3X\aX
at Karol Bagh, Zakir Nagar,
Sudarshan Park and Anaj
Mandi in National Capital did
not have any 'No Objection
Certificate' (NOC) issued from
Delhi Fire Services (DFS)
department.
Just after the tragedies, the
favourite pastime of passing the
bucks begins; DFS blames civic
authorities while civic author-
ities blame Delhi government.
But the core of the issue
remains the same, the illegal
factories in residential complex
and hotels without 'NOC' and
safety equipments continues to
run abated, risking lives of
several innocent people work-
ing and living there. These
tragedies are grim reminder
that civic agencies don't learn
lessons from past tragedies as
they wait for another to hap-
pen.
On December 23, 2019, a
massive fire ripped through a
three-storey residential-cum-
commercial building in outer
Delhi's Kirari area, killing at
least nine people, including
three children.
On December 8, 2019, a
massive fire ripped through a
storey building in the early
hours and 30 fire tenders were
pressed into service.
On August 6, 2019, five
people were killed and 11
injured in a massive fire at
Zakir Nagar area, in Delhi.
According to the fire depart-
ment, information regarding
the incident was received at
around 2.30 am, following
which eight fire tenders were
rushed to the spot. The fire
occurred in a four-storey res-
idential building due to short
circuit in electric metres,
which was doused by 5.25
AM.
On February 12, 2019, a
massive fire swept through a
four-floor hotel in central
Delhi's Karol Bagh, killing at
least 17 guests, including a
child and two people who
jumped off the building in a
desperate bid to save them-
selves. The blaze, in which 35
people were injured, started in
the second floor of the Arpit
Palace Hotel in the heart of the
national capital around 3.30
AM, trapping many guests
who were deep in sleep.
On January 5, 2019 seven
people died after a ceiling fan
parts manufacturing unit run-
ning illegally in a two-storey
building in Delhi's Moti Nagar
area collapsed following an
explosion in the gas compres-
sor.
And these are not one-off
incident as many areas where
illegal factories operating in
Corporation authorities and
other agencies acted timely,
learning from the unfortunate
Uphaar fire tragedy, which
claimed 59 lives on June 13,
1997.
Sources in the civic bodies
disclosed that these industries
are illegal not only because they
run from unauthorised areas,
but also because they do not
have the licence to operate. "It
is totally up to the enforcement
agencies to keep track of the
polluting factories operating
from residential areas," a source
declared.
According to sources, there
are more than 45,000 illegal
manufacturing units operating
in Moti Nagar, Kirti Nagar,
Ramesh Nagar, Jangpura,
Najafgarh and Mansarovar
Garden, all in west Delhi,
Bhogal, Ashram, Mahipalpur,
Maharani Bagh and Jangpura
in south Delhi, Gandhi Nagar,
Jheel, Shastri Nagar, Kailash
Nagar, Jafrabad and Shahdara
in east Delhi; and Sadar
Bazaar, Chandni Chowk,
Malkaganj, Ballimaran, Lal
Kuan and Kashmere Gate in
north Delhi.
Other areas includes Karol
Bagh, Patel Nagar, Anand
Parbat, Rohtak Road, Rajinder
Nagar, Old Rajinder Nagar in
central Delhi, Shahdara, GT
Road, Babarpur and Vishwas
Nagar in northeast Delhi, and
Burari and Jagatpuri in north-
west Delhi.
According to Atul Garg,
However, a senior
Municipal Corporation offi-
cial said that they have been
carrying out sealing action
against such units as per
instructions of the Supreme
Court, adding that many units
were either found closed or
vacant after a notice to that
effect had been served.
But is this a reality, as
claimed by Municipal
Corporation. The Pioneer the
visited Sudrahsan Park in
West Delhi's Moti Nagar area
where seven people died after
a gas compressor blast and
people there blamed civic
authorities for the havoc in the
area.
Harish Saini a resident of
Sudarshan Park area told The
Pioneer that this is not the
only illegal unit in the area.
Basai Dara Pur — cramped,
dirty and jumbled — at
Sudarshan Park area in Moti
Nagar has several small illegal
factory in two or four-stroyed
houses running just stone's
throw away distance from
zonal office of South Delhi
Municipal C orporation
(SDMC).
"We don't have any other
option other than to work
here. At least we are able to get
one square meal for our fam-
ily," said Ajit Kumar, who
hails from Etawah in Uttar
Pradesh and is working at
Sudarshan Park in a shoe fac-
tory.
Farhan, a worker, told
dent is shocking for us and I
agree there is no provision for
us to escape if there is some
tragedy or a fire incident but
for living we have work," he
said.
Venting his anger over
promises by local leaders for
developing facilities and bet-
ter working conditions for
them, Rajendra, who works in
a factory situated at a narrow
and congested lane of
Jangpura said that leaders talk
about development but the
ground reality is just the
opposite.
"We have a family to run.
Children to teach and a house
rent to pay so why would I not
work, knowing that there is
risk to my life. Leaders come
and shed tears, announce
compensations but nothing
happens on the ground. So
what if seven lives were lost,
people will forget it after
sometime and things will be
back to square one," Rajendra
said.
The DFS in year 2019
recorded more than 22,840
incidents of fire in which
there were deaths and injuries
in over 2,372 incidents. The
total incidents of fire in 2019
may be less compared to the
previous year, but the number
of casualties has increased in
the city. Further 65-75 per
cent of incidents of fire occur
in buildings that house both
residential and commercial
units.

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ar of words broke out
W between the BJP presi-
dent Amit Shah and Delhi
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal
after the former accused the
Chief Minister of misleading
people with a host of promis-
es. He also sought to know
whether the AAP Government
has completed any of the
promised work in the last five
years.
Reacting to the charges,
Kejriwal said Shah said noth-
ing other than to "abuse" him.
Kejriwal said the Home
Minister Amit Shah choose to
"abuse" him instead of talking
about development and point-
ing out shortcomings of the
AAP-led Government at a rally.
"I heard the entire speech
of the Home Minister, Amit
Shah ji. I thought he would
point out the shortcomings of
our work and talk about the
development of Delhi. He did
not say anything else except
abusing me," he said in a tweet.
"If they (BJP) have sug-
gestions for Delhi, then tell and
we will implement them in the
&0LQDXJXUDWHV0RKDOOD&OLQLFVLQ&LW\
BC055A4?>AC4AQ =4F34;78
elhi Chief Minister Arvind
D Kejriwal, along with
Health Minister Satyendar Jain,
inaugurated 152 Mohalla
Clinics (MC) at Pitampura on
Sunday. With inauguration of
these new clinics, the total
number of mohalla clinics
across the city has risen to 450.
"We targeted 1,000 Mohalla
clinics in Delhi. Due to admin-
istrative reasons, work in this
regard could resume just three-
four months ago resume at an
accelerated speed. Within the
next three-four months,
remaining Mohalla Clinics will
be inaugurated", said the chief
minister.
"When we came to power
in 2015, we observed that there
is no lack of big hospitals in
Delhi. In Delhi, we have bigger
hospitals like AIIMS, LNJP,
GB Pant, GTB, and Safdarjung.
But for the common people, it
08<C>140<>=6C>? 8=F>A;3
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NEW DELHI: Aiming to be
among the top-10 zoos in the
world, the National Zoological
Park in Delhi has planned to
introduce virtual reality tech-
nology allowing visitors to
"get closer" to animals and a
GPS-based mobile applica-
tion to make zoo visits more
engaging and informative.
Virtual reality headsets
will allow visitors to see the
animals up-close. People will
find themselves standing next
to a tiger, hugging a deer or
caressing an elephant, Delhi
Zoo Director Suneesh Buxy
said.
"They will be able to see a
lion hunting and playing in
front of them and not just sit-
ting under a tree."
Top zoos around the world
have turned to technology to
make visitors' experience bet-
2T]caTBcPcT]TTSR^\_TcXcX^]R^^aSX]PcX^]U^ab\^^cWbTaeXRTST[XeTah 7P]bR^]ST\]bZX[[X]V^UBXZWh^dcW
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mphasising the need of
E Centre-State coordination
to smoothen the effective
delivery of Government ser-
vices and schemes to the peo-
ple, Delhi Chief Minister
Arvind Kejriwal said that there
should be competition as well
as coordination between the
Governments.
Speaking at his sixth town
hall meeting at the Delhi
Technological University
Campus on Sunday, he said
that if we are providing free
electricity to the people of
Delhi, the Central Government
as well as other State
Governments should compet-
itively implement such a path-
breaking scheme in the entire
country and if Haryana or
Maharashtra Government
implements a scheme to
immensely benefit the people,
the same should be adopted
and implemented in Delhi as
per the requirement.
"To reduce pollution in
7^\T<X]XbcTa0\XcBWPW7PaSTT_BX]VW?daXP]S=XchP]P]SAPX3T[WX19?_aTbXST]c<P]^YCXfPaXD]X^]<X]XbcTa7PabWEPaSWP]19?<?AP\TbW1XSWdaXP]S^cWTa
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next five years," Kejriwal said.
Addressing a BJP's booth-
level workers' rally, Shah
alleged that Kejriwal came to
3T[WX2WXTU<X]XbcTaP[^]VfXcW7TP[cW<X]XbcTaBPcThT]SPa9PX]X]PdVdaPcTb
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was difficult for accessing these
hospitals for treatment of small
illnesses like cold, cough, and
fever and so on. Due to this,
these hospitals used to experi-
ence a huge rush. So we real-
ter. The government also
wants the Delhi zoo to be
among the top 10 across the
world. Virtual reality and a
mobile application are steps in
that direction, he said.
Range Officer Saurabh
Vashishtha said, "The tech-
nology will change people's
perspective. It will allow visi-
tors to interact with animals
without disturbing them. It
will be an exhilarating adven-
ture."
With the GPS-based
mobile application and
Bluetooth beacons, visits to the
zoo will become more engag-
ing and educative. At present,
boards placed outside every
enclosure carry only limited
information in the form of text
and pictures. The mobile
application will engage visitors
with text, pictures, audio and
Delhi, Centre and State
Governments should collabo-
rate. I wish to acknowledge
that the union Government
constructed the East-West
peripheral way that removed
the entry of 30-40 thousand
power in Delhi five years back
by misleading people with a
host of promises. He also
accused Kejriwal of "favouring
?X^]TTa_W^c^
ized that if we start smaller clin-
ics in nearby locations, people
can access the service of doc-
tors and avail medicines and
treatment without traveling a
lot. Also, it will reduce the rush
video content about the inhab-
itants of the zoo.
"Visitors spend a large
part of their time in the zoo
locating the animals, finding
the right direction etcetera.
Many a time, they go back
with not-so-good experience.
The mobile application will set
it right.
"Download the applica-
tion and put on your head-
phones, it will be that simple.
Using beacon technology, the
app will tell visitors what's on
their left, right, and ahead. On
reaching the enclosure, it will
provide all information relat-
ed to the animal — its habitat,
food, behaviour and others,"
Buxy said.
The ideas have been dis-
cussed and tenders will be
floated within the next three
months, he said.
trucks per day in Delhi and
significantly reduced pollu-
tion in Delhi," he added.
While presenting the
achievements of his govern-
ment in the last five years, he
reiterated that Delhi's
the tukde tukde" gang by not
giving sanction to prosecute
Kanhaiya Kumar, the former
president of the Jawaharlal
in the bigger hospitals in
Delhi," he added.
The chief Minister said
that the government has faced
so many difficulties to expand
this initiative in these years.
"The files were pending for one
to two years. Then the Supreme
Court judgment came in
between and it eased the
process of opening new
Mohalla Clinics. Now we made
450 Mohalla Clinics function-
al. In the coming three-four
months, more clinics will be
opened and I hope that the tar-
get of 1,000 Mohalla clinics will
be achieved in Delhi", he said.
As per the officials, about
two Crore OPD patients and
conducted 18 Lakhs tests until
November 2019. Earlier, the
number of patients in Delhi
government hospitals was three
Crores annually. Since AAP led
government made hospitals
better in terms of infrastructure
and cleanliness, and treatment
FX[[]^cX\_[T\T]c200=?A
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yeing on the Delhi's
E Assembly elections, the
Delhi Congress on Sunday said
that if the Congress is voted to
power in Delhi, it will not
implement the National
Population Register (NPR),
National Register of Citizens
(NRC) and the Citizenship
Amendment Act (CAA).
The Chairman of the
Manifesto Committee moved a
resolution in the first meeting
of the Manifesto Committee
that was adopted unanimous-
ly by the party on Sunday.
Addressing the media,
Delhi Congress President
Subhash Chopra hit out at BJP-
ruled centre, saying that it has
raised such issues just before the
Delhi Assembly election to
divert people's attention from
pressing issues like economic
distress, price rise and unem-
ployment.
Chopra also demanded the
Delhi Government to call a spe-
Healthcare schemes are better
than Centre's Ayushman Bharat
Scheme. "We amazingly trans-
formed the public healthcare
system in Delhi. Earlier people
had to spend their entire sav-
ings and sell their properties to
save their lives in case of any
kind of serious illness," he said,
adding that the healthcare
infrastructure in Delhi's
Government hospitals has been
significantly improved.
"People can avail of treat-
ment, surgery and various tests
free of cost. Delhi Government
gives support up to C15 Lakh
to get treatment for severe ill-
ness at private hospitals in
Delhi", he added.
Outlining the achieve-
ments of his Governmnet in
last five years, he said "our
Government launched a new
scheme 'Farishte Dilli Ke' to
help the accident victims in
Delhi. "The Delhi Government
invites the people of Delhi to
be a Farishte in the lives of the
accident victims. Nearly 1000
lives have been saved due to
this scheme", he added.
AP]YP]3X\aXk?X^]TTa
Nehru University Students
Union (JNUSU), in the JNU
sedition case.
Shah also exuded confi-
and medicines free, the turnout
of patients has now doubled to
six Crores annually.
"Government hospitals are
being closed down and the
standard of government dis-
pensaries is deteriorating in
other states across the country.
There you may see broken
walls, the absence of doctors
and staff and people losing
trust. But in Delhi, across the
city, Mohalla Clinics are being
opened, and Air Conditioned
hospitals are being built. In
Delhi, people's trust in the
Public healthcare system has
been multiplied," said the cm.
The AAP government is
also expecting that the devel-
opment of this primary health
care will find a place in Guinness
World Records and Limca Book
of Records. "If people are happy,
I would be happy. It is Guinness
World Records for me. I don't
require anything more than
that", said Kejriwal.
cial session of the Delhi
Assembly to clear its stand on
CAA and the police attack on
students of the Jamia Millia
University for protesting against
the act.
Highlighting the differ-
ences between NPR of 2010 and
the NPR of 2020, Maken said
that the Modi Government has
added six new illegal clauses
now. "The BJP Government
has added six new questions to
the NPR that is violation of
Article 14 in the Constitution,"
he said.
The NPR requires people to
declare the "date and place of
birth of both parents" for the
first time. In the last NPR, data
was collected on 15 criteria.
This time data on 21 points will
be collected," he said, adding
that in this NPR, a person like
me might have a problem- if a
person like me is asked where
your father and mother were
born; my parents were born in
Pakistan. Where will I get their
details," Maken asked?
Delhi is the only city in
India that provides 24X7
power supply and free or high-
ly subsidized electricity to
every household, he said.
"When we formed our
Government in 2015, only 58
per cent of Delhi had water
pipelines installed, and now
around 93 per cent of Delhi has
water pipelines installed.
Within a year, the remaining
seven per cent of households
will have piped water connec-
tions. We aim to provide 24
hours clean water to every
household in Delhi", he said.
Kejriwal further said that
the annual budget of the Delhi
government has doubled from
C30,000 Cr in 2015 to C60,000
Cr in 2019. It is because of the
increased trust of the taxpay-
ers as they realised that this
honest Government will utilize
the tax money for developing
infrastructure facilities for its
people as we did in the educa-
tion and health sectors.
The Chief Minister also
answered many questions
asked by public in the event.
dence that the BJP will come to
power in Delhi under the lead-
ership of Prime Minister
Narendra Modi. The BJP has
been out of power in Delhi
since 1998. "He promised 20
colleges, I cannot see any even
with binoculars. He promised
5,000 schools but they are not
visible even with spectacles,"
Shah said and asked party
workers to ensure that the BJP
stages a comeback in Delhi
after a gap of 20 years.
Asking whether the AAP
government has completed any
work during its tenure, the BJP
president listed the works done
by the Centre for Delhi in the
last five years.
Urging party workers to
undertake door-to-door cam-
paign to take the BJP's message
to the people, Shah said he will
himself take part in 'mohalla
sabha' campaign in the nation-
al capital.
The Home Minister also
led the party's door-to-door 10-
day campaign to spread aware-
ness about the Citizenship
(Amendment) Act with top
party leaders reaching out to
people across the country, amid
The mohalla clinics, porta
cabin alike settlement are being
set up in about 50 to 60 sqm
built-up area, in a plot of about
100 to 150 sqm in a semi-per-
manent structure built with
modern technology and the lat-
est design economically made.
The Clinics (Rented) are being
set up in rented premises with a
minimum of 40 sq. meter built-
up area and at least one Toilet.
These clinics operated in
shift basis from 8.00 am to
02.00 pm for normal Aam
Aadmi Mohalla Clinic
(AAMC); Double Shift: 7:00
am to 7:00 pm. The people get
treatment for basic health
issues such as cough, fever
and cold and they are provid-
ed with generic medicines as
per Essential Drug List (EDL)
of 125 medicine of AAMC
through a pharmacy manage-
ment protocol. It further pro-
vides about 212 diagnostic
tests.
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ondemning the attack on
C Nankana Sahib Gurdwara
and violence against Sikhs in
Pakistan, Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP), Member of Parliament
(MP), Hans Raj Hans on
Sunday urged Pakistan Prime
Minister Imran Khan to ensure
safety of minorities. Hans also
expressed grief over the killing
of a Sikh youth in Peshawar.
"There should not be dou-
ble standards in the words and
deeds of the Pakistan govern-
ment. As a singer and artiste, I
just want to remind Imran
Khan he had termed Nankana
sahib as 'Makkah' of Sikh com-
munity and that he should
stick to the same spirit of
respect to other religion," said
Hans.
In September, Khan had
termed Kartarpur "Madina"
and Nankana Sahib "Makkah"
of the Sikh community and
a wave of protests against the
contentious law since it was
passed in December.
Shah visited homes in Lajpat
Nagar and talked to people
about the benefits of the amend-
ed citizenship law. He also dis-
tributed literature on the subject
and urged them to go through it.
The BJP has launched a 'Jan
Jagran' (public awareness) cam-
paign to contact three crore fam-
ilies to counter the opposition's
campaign against the CAA and
inform the masses about its
features. The event is a public
awareness campaign to apprise
people about the outcome of the
revocation of Article 370.
Listing various works done
by Modi government in Delhi
including construction of east-
ern and western peripheral
expressways to reduce pollu-
tion, expansion of Delhi Metro,
property registries in unau-
thorised colonies and redevel-
opment of slums, Shah hit out
at the Kejriwal government
for falling short of fulfilling his
promises on various fronts.
Speaking immediately
before Shah, party's West Delhi
MP Parvesh Verma led the
*RYWGHSWVZDUQHGDJDLQVW
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elhi Chief Secretary Vijay
D Kumar Dev has written to
heads of departments in the
Delhi Government, warning
them against any delay in pay-
ment of salaries to contractual
employees.
In his letter, the chief sec-
retary said non-compliance of
the order would be viewed seri-
ously and appropriate action
taken against the defaulting
officers.
Heads of departments are
required to send a certificate by
the 20th of every month saying
all contractual employees have
been paid due wages pertaining
to the previous month.
The Labour Department
had also recently asked other
departments to ensure timely-
promised to facilitate pilgrims
of the faith, according to media
reports.
"The incidents of attack on
Nankana Sahib and violence
against Sikhs are against the
tenets of Guru Nanak Dev
who spread the message of
humanity. I just want to appeal
to Khan to ensure that Sikhs
and other minorities in his
country have a safe and peace-
ful life," Hans said.
India on Sunday strongly
condemned the "targeted
killing" of a minority Sikh
community member in
crowd in chanting "Jai Sri Ram"
and dubbed Modi as "Bharat ka
laal (son of India) who abro-
gated Article 370, paved way
for construction of Ram tem-
ple and provided ownership in
unauthorised colonies in Delhi
as wished by the people.
Verma invited the BJP
president to address the booth
level workers, introducing him
as the man "who delivered
what he promised" and under
whose leadership the BJP won
2019 Lok Sabha polls.
BJP working president JP
Nadda said that BJP will
achieve its target in Assembly
polls through dedication and
hard work of its workers.
The convention was attend-
ed by Union ministers and
Assembly poll incharges Prakash
Javadekar, Hardeep Puri and
Nityanand Rai, Delhi BJP pres-
ident Manoj Tiwari, Union min-
ister Harsh Vardhan, BJP MPs
Ramesh Bidhuri, Meenakshi
Lekhi, Gautam Gambhi, Hans
Raj Hans senior party leader
Vijay Malhotra, party vice pres-
ident Shyam Jaju, election com-
mittee convener Tarun Chugh
among others.
payment of wages to contractual
employees of the Delhi govern-
ment.
In the letter, Dev said it had
been observed that some
departments and organisations
under the Delhi government
were defaulting in implement-
ing these directions.
"All concerned HODs are
directed to scrupulously follow
the instructions in letter and
spirit and send certificate on or
before 20th day of each month.
"Any lapse in this regard
shall be viewed seriously and
appropriate action shall be taken
against the defaulting officers in
a time-bound manner," he said.
The chief secretary said
that sometimes delays can be
caused for want of requisite con-
currence from the Finance
Department.
?C8
Pakistan's Peshawar.
The Ministry of External
Affairs (MEA) said Pakistan
should stop "prevaricating" and
take immediate action to
apprehend and give exemplary
punishment to the perpetrators
of the crime.
"India strongly condemns
the targeted killing of minori-
ty Sikh community member in
Peshawar that follows the
recent despicable vandalism
and desecration of the holy
Gurdwara Sri Janam Asthan at
Nankana Sahib and the unre-
solved case of abduction, forced
conversion and marriage of a
Sikh girl Jagjit Kaur," the MEA
said.
A mob had on Friday
reportedly attacked Gurdwara
Nankana Sahib where Sikhism
founder Guru Nanak Dev was
born. Reports suggested that
hundreds of angry residents at
Nankana Sahib pelted the Sikh
pilgrims with stones.
=4F34;78k<>=30H k90=D0AH %!! ]PcX^]#

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LQ$08DIWHU Mumbai: Mumbai Police have
recovered a severed head near

cQic=Q]QdQ
a railway track here, five days

-18YLROHQFH
after the torso of a woman was

dVV\dcVa`ce
Kolkata: Within hours of
masked mob attacking the pres-
tigious Jawaharlal Nehru
University campus injuring
New Delhi: Union
Home Minister Amit
dozens of students and teaching
faculty members Bengal Chief
Shah spoke to Delhi Minister Mamata Banerjee on
Police Commissioner Sunday raised her voice against
Amulya Patnaik about the “brutality” perpetrated on
the situation at JNU and students saying such an act
ordered an inquiry by a brought shame to the democ-
senior police officer into ratic history of the country.
the violence that broke Condemning the atrocious
out on Sunday night, attack on the students she said,
?C8 Q =4F34;78
(former Railway Minister)
Dinesh Trivedi with MPs Sajda
Ahmed, Manas Bhunia, Vivek
C Sitaram Yechur y on
Sunday blamed the ABVP for
Gupta to show solidarity with
the JNU students.”
Another senior TMC leader
and Bengal Education Minister
Partho Chatterjee condemning
the attack said students move-
ments did take place in Jadavpur
University in Kolkata “but never
were any criminals allowed to
enter the campus like this. It is
for the Government to explain
PI(M) general secretary
the violence that broke out in
Jawaharlal Nehru University
and alleged that the attacks
were “planned” by those in
power.
Members of JNU Students'
Union and ABVP clashed on
the campus Sunday evening,
sources said, adding it hap-
pened during a public meeting
organised by the JNU Teachers'
?C8 Q 0;860A7D?
rotests were held at the
P Aligarh Muslim University
(AMU) in Uttar Pradesh late
on Sunday night against the
violence at the JNU campus in
Delhi.
A spokesperson of protest-
ing students said that a march
was held in the night to
express solidarity with the stu-
dents of the Jawaharlal Nehru
University (JNU).
In a statement, the AMU
Teachers' Association
(AMUTA) condemned the vio-
lence. AMUTA secretar y
Najmul Islam urged the Chief
Justice of India to take suo
motu cognizance of the
“unprecedented situation aris-
ing from Sunday's assault on
JNU students and teachers”.
found in suburban Vidyavihar,
an official said on Sunday.
Acting on a tip-off, the
police searched Santacruz-
Chembur Link Road (SCLR)
and found the chopped head,
suspected to have been thrown
from a bridge, near the railway
track in the area late Saturday
night, he said.
“The severed head was
found near the rail track below
the SCLR bridge. Since the
place is not so far from where
the woman's torso was earlier
recovered, we suspect that the

$DGLW\D7KDFNHUD\
officials said. “We strongly condemn the bru- such attacks.” Association. head may be of the deceased,”
The Home tality unleashed against stu- Former CPI(M) MP Samik The students' union the official said.
Minister's office tweeted, the Delhi Police Commissioner dents/teachers in JNU. No Lahiri attacked the BJP claimed that its president Aishe It was sent to Rajawadi
“Union Home Minister has and enquired about the vio- words enough to describe such Government saying “it for Ghosh and many other stu- Hospital for an examination,

spoken to Delhi police com-
missioner over JNU violence
and instructed him to take
necessary action.”
“The noble Minister has
also ordered an inquiry to be
carried out by a joint CP-level
officer and asked for a report
as soon as possible,” it said.
The Ministry of Home
Affairs also sought a report
from the Delhi Police about the
situation prevailing in the pres-
tigious institution and the steps
taken to restore peace. “The
Home Minister has spoken to
lence at JNU,” an official said.
Shah is also believed to
have directed the police com-
missioner to take all possible
steps to ensure peace at JNU.
Violence broke out at JNU
on Sunday night after masked
men armed with sticks attacked
students and teachers and dam-
aged property on the campus,
prompting the administration
to call in police. At least 18
people were injured and admit-
ted to the All India Institute of
Medical Sciences
(AIIMS). PTI
heinous acts,” adding “a shame
on our democracy.”
The Chief Minister imme-
diately decided to send a
“Trinamool delegation led by
ARhRcTR]]dReeRT\µf_UV^`TcReZT
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9=DbcdST]cbP]S_a^UTbb^abfTaT
bdQYTRcTSc^PR^fPaS[hQdc
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
and Home Minister Amit Shah
to answer about the kind of
democracy they have unleashed
in India. PNS
_[P]]TSPccPRZ8bca^]V[h
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eP]SP[Xb\P]SeX^[T]RT±?PfPa
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PSSTS ?C8 JNU to its Hindutva agenda.
dents were injured in stone-
pelting by ABVP members.
But the RSS-backed stu-
dents' organisation alleged that
its members were brutally
attacked by Left-affiliated stu-
dent outfits and 25 of them
were injured. “Reports coming
from JNU point to a collusion
between the administration
and goons of ABVP to inflict
violence on students and teach-
ers. It is a planned attack by
those in power, which is afraid
of the resistance provided by
FRQGHPQVDWWDFN
?C8Q <D<108
Shiv Sena leader and
Maharashtra cabinet minister
Aaditya Thackeray condemned
the attack on students and
teachers at Jawaharlal Nehru
University in Delhi on Sunday
evening. Thackeray, who han-
dles the Youth Affairs portfo-
lio among others, demanded
stern action against the “goons”
who attacked them.
“The violence and brutal-
ity faced by students, while
protesting, is worrisome. Be it
Jamia, be it JNU. Students
mustn't face brutal
force! Let them be!,” he tweet-
ed. “These goons must face
action. They must be brought
to time-bound
and swift justice,” he further
said.
the official said, adding that a
DNA test would also be con-
ducted to find out if it belonged
to the killed woman. “We will
send the head for DNA testing
as it is suspected to be of the
woman whose torso was found
earlier,” Deputy Commissioner
of Police (Zone 5) Niyati
Thakar told PTI. The torso was
found on December 30 on
Kirod Road in Vidyavihar area.
The next day, two chopped legs,
wrapped in a rexin sheet, were
found dumped in a dustbin in
suburban Ghatkopar. PTI

<070=0EH2>==42C!!
EXRT0S\XaP[0YXc:d\PaU[PVVb^UU
6LNK\RXWKVKRWLQ3DN
From Page 1
caXSX\T]bX^]P[Tg_TSXcX^]Ua^\<d\QPX The External Affairs Ministry
said members of the minority Sikh
from her home last August.
Addressing a meeting of Delhi
BJP workers in New Delhi, Union
cution.
The Opposition has also come
out strongly against the Pakistan 6^ec\d[[b[TP]Ta
20?5b*\TaVTaa^cPcX^]
authorities for failing to prevent the
attack. “The attack on Nankana
Sahab is reprehensible and must be
condemned unequivocally. Bigotry

community in Pakistan have been
subjected to acts of violence at the
holy city of Nankana Sahib, the
birthplace of Guru Nanak Dev.
The MEA said these reprehen-
sible actions followed the forcible
abduction and conversion of a Sikh
girl who was kidnapped from her
home in the city of Nankana Sahib
in August last year.
According to media reports, a
mob attack took place at the shrine
where the Sikhism founder Guru
Nanak Dev was born.
Reports suggested that hun-
E0S\0YXc:d\Pa5>2X]2FTbcU[PVVX]V^UUcWTHPRWcX]VTg_TSXcX^]Pc=PeP[3^RZhPaS<d\QPX dreds of angry Muslims pelted the
Sikh pilgrims visiting Nankana Sahib
with stones on Friday. The mob was
led by the family of a man who had
allegedly abducted a Sikh teenager
Home Minister Amit Shah attacked
Pakistan for “terrorising” Sikhs as he
referred to a recent attack on
Gurdwara Nankana Sahib by a vio-
lent mob in Pakistan and asked
Opposition leaders to open their eyes
to atrocities against minorities in the
neighbouring country.
“This is an answer to all those
opposing the CAA. Tell me if these
Sikhs who were attacked the other
day in Gurdwara Nankana Sahib will
not come to India, then where they
will go?” he asked.
The CAA seeks to grant citi-
zenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists,
Christians, Jains and Parsis who had
arrived in India by December 31,
2014 from Pakistan, Afghanistan and
Bangladesh due to religious perse-
is a dangerous, age-old poison that
knows no borders. Love + Mutual
Respect + Understanding is its only
known antidote,” Congress leader
Rahul Gandhi tweeted on Saturday.
Jammu & Kashmir-based All
Parties Sikh Coordination
Committee chairman Jagmohan
Singh Raina said in a statement on
Sunday condemned the attack on
Nankana Sahib Gurudwara in
Pakistan and demanded
an immediate probe to fix respon-
sibility.
“Some elements in Pakistan
want to give trouble to minorities
including Sikhs. An immediate
probe would fix the responsibility
following which action can be taken
against the culprits,”
^Uca^^_b^]RPaSb
?C8Q =4F34;78
he Government is working
T on an ambitious proposal
to transform various paramil-
itary forces into leaner and
compact fighting units by
undertaking probable steps
like merging and rotating older
troops amongst them,
informed officials said.
They said a special com-
mittee of senior Central Armed
Police Forces (CAPF) officers
and Union Home Ministry
brass has been constituted to
deliberate on the issue and
China, the SSB mans the 1,751
km front with Nepal and
another 699-km border with
Bhutan.
A few discussions have
taken place on the subject but
merits have to be analysed
before going ahead with the
merger of these two forces as
against the post Kargil war pol-
icy decision to have 'one force
for one border', another official
said.
Both the forces are just
under one lakh personnel in
strength and have their unique
culture and regimentation.

AP6P?aXhP]ZP Shah said Opposition parties have

CWTHPRWcfXcW]PeP[cTP\bPX[b^dc^U=PeP[3^RZhPaS<d\QPX
C=A067D=0C70Q <D<108
he Indian Navy on Sunday
T launched an expedition, aimed at
promoting the maritime heritage of
India and spread awareness about
Coastal Security amongst the coastal
communities in Maharashtra, from the
Naval Dockyard in south Mumbai.
Vice Adm Ajit Kumar, PVSM,
AVSM, VSM, ADC, the Flag Officer
Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval
Command flagged off the tri-dimen-
sional expedition consisting of yacht-
ing, running and cycling teams of 50
naval personnel along three different
axes.
The expedition extends from
Arnala fort, Northernmost fort of
Maharashtra to Sindhudurg fort, the
southernmost fort of Maharashtra,
covering more than 555 km. Enroute,
the teams will touch Kanhoji Angre
(Khanderi), Revdanda, Korlai, Murud-
Janjira, Raigad, Suvarnadurg, Jaigad,
Ratnadurg, Purnagad, Vijaydurg and
Devgad forts.
The teams will also visit various
schools and local establishments to
interact with locals and students. Along
these routes, the teams will undertake
community interaction, Swachhta
Abhiyan and awareness campaigns
amongst the locals, especially the fish-
ing communities, school and college
students, NCC and NSS cadets.
From Page 1
Addressing a meeting of BJP
workers in Delhi, Shah attacked
Pakistan for “terrorising” Sikhs as he
referred to a recent attack on
Gurdwara Nankana Sahib by a vio-
lent mob in Pakistan and asked
Opposition leaders to open their eyes
to atrocities against minorities in the
neighbouring country.
“This is an answer to all those
opposing the CAA. Tell me if these
Sikhs who were attacked the other
day in Gurdwara Nankana Sahib will
not come to India, then where they
will go?” he asked.
“I want to tell brothers and sis-
ters from the minority that none of
them can lose their citizenship
because the CAA has no provision
about taking it away,” Shah said.
Shah also claimed that Congress
general secretary Priyanka Gandhi
Vadra extended her support to riot-
ers by saying that she will visit
houses of those who carried out riots.
become habituated to the “politics of
opposition and vote bank” and
referred to their stand against mea-
sures like the law against triple talaq
among Muslim men and nullifica-
tion of Article 370.
They also opposed construction
of Ram temple in Ayodhya, Shah
said.
Congress leader Rajeev Satav hit
back at Shah over his allegation that
Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra instigated
riots by misleading people over the
amended Citizenship Act, as he
raked up the BJP leader’s internment
due to his alleged involvement in a
criminal case. Shah was later dis-
charged from the case. The entire
country knows which party runs the
“vote for riots factory”, Satav said.
Noting that vulgar claims are
also being made, such as people can
speak to lonely girls by dialing this
number, BJP spokesperson Sambit
Patra said the exercise should not be
reduced to ridicule.
Meanwhile, in an open letter to
the Bihar Chief Minister, Varma
expressed his surprise at the “uni-
lateral” announcement of Bihar
Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi,
who is from the BJP, that the
National Population Register (NPR)
exercise will be carried out in the
State between May 15 and 28 despite
Kumar’s stand against the National
Register of Citizens (NRC). The JD
(U) leader has been critical of his
party’s decision to support the
Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in
Parliament, and it has now become
a law following its passage in both
Houses.
JD (U) vice president Prashant
Kishor has also spoken strongly
against the CAA and said this, in
combination with the NRC, can
turn into a “lethal combo in the
hands of the Government to sys-
tematically discriminate and even
prosecute people based on religion.”
In his letter, Varma said the
CAA-NRC combine is a direct
attempt to divide Hindus and
Muslims, and to create social insta-
bility.
present a final report to the
Ministry by the middle of this
year.
One of the proposals that
is being discussed by the com-
mittee of the Directors General
(DsG) and Special Secretary
(internal security) in the
Ministry of Home Affairs is to
merge some forces to make
them leaner, fighting fit and
task-oriented for a specific
border guarding role or a spe-
cialised counter-terrorist
task.
It is being discussed if the
two border guarding forces,
Indo-Tibetan Border Police
and the Sashastra Seema Bal
(SSB), could be merged to cre-
ate a uniform unit to guard the
entire eastern land
border along countries like
China and Nepal, a senior offi-
cial told PTI.
At present, their task is sep-
arate. While the ITBP
guards the 3,488-km Line of
Actual Control (LAC) with
More discussions are in the off-
ing and nothing has been
finalised, officials said.
Another proposal in the
discussion stage is the
merging of country's largest
paramilitary force CRPF with
the counter-terror commandos
force, NSG.
The two forces are very
different from each other but
the discussion is to possibly
have a single command for the
two forces, officials said.
While the CRPF is the
lead force for maintenance of
law and order, anti-Naxal oper-
ations and counter-insurgency,
the NSG is the premier feder-
al strike force for counter-ter-
ror and counter-hijack opera-
tions.
The sheer core competen-
cies of these two forces can be
blended to achieve the target of
having a single force to combat
terror and hijack incidents and
Maoist and insurgency threats,
they said.

FX[[WXc$!b_^cbXUh^dbcaXZT EP]SP[Xb\ there.

Shiromani Gurdwara
Parbhandhak Committee

QPRZCad\_fPa]bCTWaP]
From Page 1
On Saturday night, Trump
warned that the US will target 52
sites in Iran some of which are “at a
very high level and important to Iran
and the Iranian culture” if the Islamic
republic attacks American personnel
or assets.
“Iran is talking very boldly about
targeting certain USA assets as
revenge for our ridding the world of
their terrorist leader who had just
killed an American, & badly wound-
ed many others, not to mention all
of the people he had killed over his
lifetime, including recently hun-
dreds of Iranian protesters,” Trump
tweeted.
“He was already attacking our
Embassy, and preparing for addi-
tional hits in other locations. Iran has
been nothing but problems for many
years,” he said.
“Let this serve as a WARNING
that if Iran strikes any Americans, or
American assets, we have targeted 52
Iranian sites (representing the 52
American hostages taken by Iran
many years ago), some at a very high
level & important to Iran & the
Iranian culture, and those targets,
and Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY
FAST AND VERY HARD. The USA
wants no more threats!” Trump
said.
Within 10 hours, Trump issued
another warning and said the US
would hit Iran harder than ever
before if Tehran retaliates. “They
(Iran) attacked us, & we hit back. If
they attack again, which I would
strongly advise them not to do, we
will hit them harder than they have
ever been hit before!” Trump said in
a past-mid night tweet amidst
remarks of retaliation coming from
Tehran.
“The US just spent Two Trillion
Dollars on Military Equipment. We
are the biggest and by far the BEST
in the World! If Iran attacks an
American Base, or any American, we
will be sending some of that brand
new beautiful equipment their
way...And without hesitation!”
Trump said in another tweet.
Responding to Trump’s remarks,
Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif
said targeting cultural sites was a ‘war
crime’. “Having committed grave
breaches of int’l law in Friday’s cow-
ardly assassinations, @realdon-
aldtrump threatens to commit again
new breaches of JUS COGENS;
Targeting cultural sites is a WAR
CRIME; Whether kicking or scream-
ing, end of US malign presence in
West Asia has begun (sic),” Zarif
tweeted, referring to the principles
which form the norms of interna-
tional law.
“Those masquerading as diplo-
mats and those who shamelessly sat
to identify Iranian cultural & civil-
ian targets should not even bother to
open a law dictionary,” the top
Iranian diplomat said.
Soleimani was widely seen as the
second most powerful figure in Iran
behind the Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. His Quds
Force, an elite unit of the Iranian
Revolutionary Guards, reported
directly to the Ayatollah Khamenei
and he was hailed as a heroic nation-
al figure.
Ayatollah Khamenei has vowed
a revenge against the killing of his
general, saying “severe revenge awaits
the criminals” behind the attack.
From Page 1
India has strongly con-
demned vandalism at the
revered Gurdwara and called
upon the Pakistan Government
to take immediate steps to
ensure the safety and security of
the Sikh community there.
On Saturday, Indian lead-
ers cutting across party lines
and various outfits condemned
the mob attack on the historic
Gurdwara, terming it as “cow-
ardly” and “shameful”.
Hundreds of protesters
thronged the streets near the
Pakistan High Commission in
New Delhi demanding
that Islamabad provide ade-
quate security to Sikh shrines
and community members
FX]jWRTV to maintain law and order.
From Page 1
JNU Registrar Pramod
Kumar said, “There is a law and
order situation on the JNU
campus. Masked miscreants
armed with sticks roamed
around, damaging property
and attacking people. The JNU
administration called the police
(SGPC), the apex body which
manages Sikh shrines in India,
said it will send a four-member
delegation to Pakistan to take
stock of the situation and urged
the Pakistan Government to
take stringent action against the
culprits who attacked the gur-
dwara — one of the holiest sites
in Sikhism.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office
on Friday rejected the media
reports that the Gurdwara
Nanakana Sahib was desecrat-
ed in a mob attack, saying the
birthplace of founder of
Sikhism remains “untouched
and undamaged” and the
“claims of destruction” of one
of the holiest Sikh shrines are
“false”.
This is the moment to remain
calm and alert.”
Late night, a plice officer
said peace was restored in the
JNU after masked men armed
with sticks attacked students
and teachers, and damaged
property on the campus,
prompting the administration
to call in police that conduct-
ed a flag march.
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mid escalating US-Iran
A tensions over the killing of
Iranian military commander
Qasem Soleimani, External
Affairs Minister S Jaishankar
on Sunday talked to his Iranian
counterpart Javad Zarif and
said India remained deeply
concerned about the levels of
tension in the region.
The External Affairs
Minister noted that the devel-
opments have taken a very
serious turn.
"Just concluded a conver-
sation with FM @JZarif of
Iran. Noted that developments
have taken a very serious turn.
India remains deeply con-
cerned about the levels of ten-
sion. We agreed to remain in
touch," Jaishankar tweeted.
The conversation between
the two leaders comes three
days after Iran's top military
commander Soleimani was
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A sinister plot to target senior
BSF officer, posted in the
Samba sector of Jammu fron-
tier, was foiled with the timely
detection of a parcel bomb late
Sunday evening.
According to official
sources, "a motorcycle borne
youth had delivered a parcel,
meant for deputy commandant
of 173 Batallion, at the sentry
gate of a BSF unit in Samba sec-
tor on Saturday evening".
For some unknown rea-
sons the packet could not be
delivered to the officer con-
cerned on Saturday.
On Sunday evening, BSF
jawans reported the issue of
non delivery of a parcel, to be
delivered to a deputy com-
mandant.
On learning the details, the
deputy commandant was con-
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ver 1,100 children adopt-
O ed across the country have
been returned to child care
institutions by their adoptive
parents in the last five years,
according to the nodal adop-
tion body CARA.
Most of the children were
returned due to adjustment
issues which is seen mainly in
case of older children (over 8
years of age), according to a
senior Central Adoption
Resource Authority official.
According to information
accessed by PTI through an
RTI, the highest number of
children were returned in 2014-
15. A total of 387 out of a total
of 4,362 adopted children
were returned in 2014-15 while
in 2015-16 a total of 236 out of
a total of 3,677 adopted chil-
dren were returned by adop-
tive parents, the RTI data
showed.
In 2016-17, a total of 195
out of 3,788 adopted children
were returned while in 2017-18
a total of 153 out of a total of
3927 adopted children were
killed in a US strike in Baghdad
on Friday.
US President Donald
Trump has warned Iran that the
US has identified 52 possible
targets in the country and will
hit it harder than ever before if
Tehran, which has vowed
"severe revenge", carries out any
attack against America to
avenge the killing of Soleimani.
Maj Gen Soleimani, 62,
the head of Iran's elite al-Quds
force and architect of its region-
al security apparatus, was killed
when a US drone fired missiles
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tacted but when he clarified he
was not expecting any delivery,
the BSF officers suspected
some foul play.
Following the standard
operating procedure, the local
unit officers contacted local
police and bomb disposal
squad.
The technical persons, after
carefully examining the parcel,
defused the same and foiled a
returned by adoptive parents,
the data showed.
In 2018-19, a total of 133
out of 4027 children were
returned by adoptive parents,
the data showed.
The CARA official said
about half of the older children
who are adopted are returned
by parents due to "adjustment
issues".
He stressed on the need to
prepare children in childcare
institutions so that they are able
to adjust with their families.
"At child care institutions,
children are groomed in a dif-
ferent way. They have to be
prepared and counselled to
stay and adjust with families,"
he said.
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into a convoy that was leaving
the Baghdad International
Airport early on Friday. The
strike also killed the deputy
chief of Iraq's powerful Hashed
al-Shaabi paramilitary force.
Soleimani's killing was the
most dramatic escalation yet in
spiralling tensions between
Iran and the US and is esti-
mated to be more dangerous in
recent past since he was an uni-
formed general unlike Al
Qaeda's Osama bin Laden and
ISIS' Abu Bakr al-Baghdaid,
both of whom were known ter-
bid to target the BSF officer.
According to official
sources, "an IED fitted parcel,
with explosive material was dif-
fused by the bomb disposal
squad late sunday evening in
Samba".
Senior Superintendent of
Police, Samba and DIG,
Jammu-Kathua range also vis-
ited the BSF unit late sunday
evening to ascertain the details.
BSF authorities have hand-
ed over the parcel bomb along
with other material to the
police authorities for carrying
out further investigations in the
case.
The BSF authorities are
also looking at the footage of
the CCTV camera to ascertain
the identity of the parcel carri-
er who had actually delivered
the parcel at the sentry gate of
the BSF unit late Saturday
evening.
He further said that in
many cases it is seen that chil-
dren have developed a strong
bonding with their caretaker at
child care institutions due to
which it becomes very difficult
for them to leave them and
move into a family.
The official said that fam-
ilies also need to be prepared
for taking care of the children.
"Even the parents have to
be counselled and prepared.
The parents think that as soon
as they bring a child they
would put him in an age spe-
cific class and the child should
start putting in effort due to
which the child feels he was
better off there at the CCI with
his or her friends and he
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oing its bit to help mitigate
D climate change, India, in
the last five years has installed
over 1.03 crore smart environ-
ment-friendly light emitting
diode (LED) streetlights till
date, enabling an estimated
energy savings of 6.97 billion
kWh anually and an estimated
greenhouse gas (GHG) emis-
sion reduction of 4.80 million
tCO2 annually.
Similarly, over 36.13 crore
LED bulbs have been distrib-
uted across the country, result-
ing in estimated energy savings
of 46.92 billion kWh per year,
avoided peak demand of 9,394
MW, and an estimated GHG
emission reduction of 38 mil-
lion t CO2 annually, said a
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expresses a desire to come
back to the institution," he
said.
The official also stressed on
the need to build social infra-
structure at the ground level.
"Each state is supposed to have
state social welfare board but
these have become defunct in
most of the states, if these
infrastructures are energised
and put in place then service
can be delivered but that is yet
to be made operational on
ground," he said.
He said CARA, the nodal
body of adoption, is conduct-
ing a study to look at ways to
prevent it.
Among states, the highest
number of children were
returned in the last five years
from Maharashtra at 273 fol-
lowed by Madhya Pradesh at
92, Odisha at 88, and
Karnataka at 60, the data
showed.
Dr Nimish G Desai, direc-
tor of the Institute of Human
Behaviour and Allied Sciences,
said this experience can be
"very traumatic" for the adopt-
ed children.
statement here on Sunday from
the Energy Efficiency Services
Limited (EESL), a joint venture
of PSUs under the Union
Power Ministry.
ESSL has been given the
mandate to implement the
LED Street Lighting National
Programme (SLNP), the
world's largest streetlight
replacement programme and
The Unnat Jyoti by Affordable
LEDs for All (UJALA), which
is also the world's largest
domestic lighting project.
"Energy efficiency is vital
for India's efforts in mitigating
climate change and achieving
a sustainable future. These pro-
grammes exemplify the
Government's vision for a New
India, and the empowerment of
every citizen, said Saurabh
Kumar, Managing Director,
ESSL about the progress of the
two energy efficient schemes
which completes five years on
Sunday since their launch on
January 5th 2015 by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi.
In fact, accelerating adop-
tion of Energy Efficiency (EE)
technologies, and LED lighting
in particular, have been iden-
tified as key elements in achiev-
ing the ambitious commit-
ments under the Paris
Agreement and transitioning to
a low carbon global economy.
Lighting accounts for near-
ly 6% of global CO2 emissions.
A global switch to energy effi-
cient light emitting diode
(LED) technology could save
over 1,400 million tons of CO2
and avoid the construction of
1,250 power stations, as per
various global studies.
Saurabh Kumar said that
UJALA project brought the
market transformation in ener-
gy efficiency sector. Prices of electricity bills while also al streetlights in India with
LED bulbs being distributed enabling them to access better smart LEDs under the SLNP by
under UJALA programme brightness in homes. With the March 2020. This will enable
have fallen to one-tenth of average household electricity peak demand reduction of
their rates in 2015 from Rs 310 bills down by 15 per cent, the about 1500 MW, annual ener-
to Rs 38 in 2018. annual energy saving is equiva- gy savings of 9 billion kWh,
The switch from inefficient lent to a week's average earning. and reduction in 6.2 Million
incandescent bulbs to LEDs is Now the ESSL is aiming to tons of CO2 per year, said a
helping families reduce their replace 1.34 crore convention- statement here.
R^]cT]cX^db2000ac"&XbbdTb
?C8Q =4F34;78 The first working day of within the SC/ST community
the new year is also likely to from reservation benefits to a
W ith the reopening of the
Supreme Court on
have a mention of the petition
filed by Tata Sons Private
7-judge bench for a review.
The apex court will keep an
Monday after winter vacation, Limited (TSPL) challenging eye on air pollution matter in
all eyes will be on the adjudi- the December 18 decision of which the court has been pass-
cation of contentious issues NCLAT restoring Cyrus Mistry ing slew of directions from time
including controversial
Citizenship (Amendment) Act
as the executive chairman of
the group and saying the ver-
to time.
On January 21, a five-
and abrogation of provisions of dict had "undermined corpo- judge Constitution bench head-
Article 370 of the Constitution. rate democracy" and the ed by Justices N V Ramana is
The year 2020 will also "rights" of its board of directors. likely to resume hearing on a
witness the apex court consti- The top court will also batch of petitions challenging
tuting a seven-judge take up the contentious issue of Centre's August last year deci-
Constitution bench to examine whether the creamy layer con- sion to abrogate provisions of
the issue of entry of women of cept should apply to Scheduled Article 370, which gave special
all ages into the hill shrine of Castes and Scheduled Tribes status to the erstwhile state of
historic Sabarimala temple, while giving them reservation Jammu and Kashmir.
which was referred by a five- in promotions. The top court had on
judge bench for fixing para- In December 2019, the December 12 indicated that it
meters to deal with alleged dis- Centre had urged the Supreme may consider the question of
crimination against Muslim Court to refer its 2018 verdict referring the issue of challenge
and Parsi women. excluding the creamy layer to the abrogation of provi-
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?C8 Q ;D2:=>F Accusing the Yogi
Adityanath led Government
know, you yourself are committed. The politics ahujan Samaj Party chief of jailing anti-Citizenship

J D(U) general secretary Pavan Varma on Sunday

asked party president and Bihar Chief Minister
of principle cannot be sacrificed at the altar of
short term political gain,” Varma said in the let-
B Mayawati on Sunday
asked the Uttar Pradesh gov-
Amendment Act protesters
without any proper investiga-
Nitish Kumar to categorically reject the “divisive ter. ernment to seek apology from tion, she asked them to seek
CAA-NPR-NRC scheme”, saying this has “nefar- The JD(U) leader has been critical of his the public for putting anti-cit- an apology from the public.
ious agenda to divide India and create a great deal party's decision to support the Citizenship izenship law protesters behind Her statement comes in
of unnecessary social turbulence”. (Amendment) Bill in Parliament, and it has now bars without thorough inves- the backdrop of a local court
In an open letter to Kumar, Varma expressed become a law following its passage in both Houses. tigation. granting bail on Saturday to
his surprise at the “unilateral” announcement of Protests have occurred in different parts of She dubbed it as “highly social activist Sadaf Jafar and
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi, who the country against the law, which seeks to give shameful and condemnable”. former IPS officer SR
is from the BJP, that the National Population citizenship to minorities from Pakistan, “In Uttar Pradesh, espe- Darapuri, besides 13 others
Register exercise will be carried out in the state Afghanistan and Bangladesh who had arrived in cially in Bijnor, Sambhal, arrested in connection with
between May 15-28 despite Kumar's stand against India due to religious persecution by December Meerut, Muzzafarnagar, anti-CAA protests in
the National Register of Citizens. 31, 2014. Firozabad and other districts, Lucknow.
“...In consonance with your own publicly stat- JD(U) vice president Prashant Kishor has also innocent people have been Mayawati also demanded
ed views, and long established secular vision, may spoken strongly against the CAA and said this, sent to jail for protesting financial assistance to those
I request you now to take a principled stand in combination with the NRC, can turn into a against the CAA/NRC with- killed in the protests.
against the CAA-NPR-NRC scheme, and reject “lethal combo in the hands of the Government out an investigation. This Officials maintain that 19
its nefarious agenda to divide India to systematically discriminate and even prosecute issue has also been raised by persons died in clashes during
and create a great deal of unnecessary social tur- people based on religion.” the media and is highly the widespread protests across
bulence. In his letter, Varma said the CAA-NRC com- shameful and condemnable,” the state in December, though
“A clear cut public statement by you to this bine is a direct attempt to divide Hindus and the BSP national president opposition parties claim a ?a^cTbcTabW^[S_[PRPaSP]SaPXbTb[^VP]bSdaX]VP_a^cTbcPVPX]bccWT2XcXiT]bWX_0\T]S\T]c0Rc200=PcX^]P[ATVXbcTa^U
effect would be a major step towards preserving Muslims, and to create social instability. said in a tweet in Hindi. higher toll. 2XcXiT]bWX_=A2P]S=PcX^]P[?^_d[PcX^]ATVXbcTa=?AX]1T]VP[dad^]Bd]SPh ?C8

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?C8Q ;D2:=>F tion. “In a village, who has
He said families of all those papers...From where will I
amajwadi Party president killed during protests should be bring date of birth paper of my

?C8Q 14=60;DAD
S favour of the CAA.
arnataka Chief Minister BS
K Yediyurappa on Sunday chal-
lenged Opposition leaders to prove
that the Citizenship Amendment
Act will have its ill-effects on the
Muslim community, as he accused
them ofattempting to create confu-
sion out of “malice.”
“There will not be any ill-effects
on our Muslim brothers of the coun-
try because of the Citizenship
Amendment Act. During Jawarharlal
Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv
Gandhi's (former PMs from
Congress party) time also there was
consensus on it,” Yediyurappa
said.
He said out of malice an attempt
is being made to create confusion
among Muslim brethren and that is
the reason the BJP had decided to
?T^_[TcPZT_PacX]PaP[[hX]bd__^ac^U2XcXiT]bWX_0\T]S\T]c0Rc200X]B^[P_da^]Bd]SPh ?C8 conduct door-to-door campaignsin
The party has plans to reach out
to three crore people across the
country and 30 lakh houses in the
state, he added.
Amid growing opposition and
protests, the BJP on Friday had
announced that it will be launching
a mega door- to-door campaign in
favour of CAA across the country on
January 5.
Reiterating that the act will in no
way affect Indian Muslims,
Yediyurappa challenged opposition
leaders to prove to the people of the
country that the law will affect the
community.
“We will also be visiting places
where Muslim community resides in
large numbers and try to create
awareness among everyone. We don't
have any difference towards Hindu,
Muslim or Christian, we will inform
facts to everyone, he added.
Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday
alleged that all deaths during
anti-CAA protests in Uttar
Pradesh were caused by police
bullets and said the BJP's
campaign in support of the Act
was to “mislead” people.
Yadav, who visited the res-
idence of Mohammad Wakil
killed during an anti-CAA
protest in the state capital,
said, “He (Wakil) was not
involved in the agitation. The
Government should probe as to
whose bullet hit him. They
(police) have the post-mortem
report now.”
“All the deaths during the
agitation in the State were
caused by police bullets,” he
claimed.
Yadav also demanded
compensation, house and job
for Wakil's family, currently liv-
ing in a rented accommoda-
given adequate compensation.
The UP police initially
claimed that none of the deaths
was caused by police firing, but
subsequently admitted some
casualties in police bullets
when cops fired in “self
defence”.
Officials have put the death
toll at 19 in widespread clash-
es in the state, though the
opposition parties claimed a
higher figure.
Yadav asked the
Government that if it wanted to
make someone from another
country its citizen, then why
has it not given this “right” to
Muslims.
“This is because you (BJP)
want to divide the society and
play politics. Every Indian is
against CAA and NCR. When
Aaadhaar has all information
why NPR?” he posed.
mother. Government wants
the people to only search for
papers and not do daily chores,”
he lamented.
He said his party will resort
to “Satyagrah” by not filling the
form.
Noting that people of all
walks, castes and religions were
coming out against CAA and
NPR, Yadav said, “The BJP
knows its decision is wrong and
against the Constitution.”
Asked to comment on the
BJP's campaign in support of
the Citizenship Amendment
Act, he said it was to “mislead”
people.
“The BJP is misleading the
people. What will they tell the
people now? They could not
convince us in Parliament.
Now, they have come out to
mislead the people,” he
said.

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?C8Q 14=60;DAD
arnataka Rural
K Development Minister K S
Eshwarappa has received threat
calls asking him to stop issuing
statements on Article 370 and
CAA, following which
security for him has been
tightened.
The threat calls were
received on Friday, police
said.Speaking to reporters in
Shivamogga on Sunday,
Eshwarappa quoted the caller
as having said, “You are talking
too much about article 370 and
CAA, if you don't stop
in 48 hours, we know what to
do.”
He said he did not want to
go into the details and would
inform officials, based on
which they will take action
against the culprits.
Gorakhpur/Moradabad (UP):
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister
Yogi Adityanath met Muslim
community members in
Gorakhpur on Sunday to dis-
pel doubts about the
Citizenship (Amendment) Act
and said the move was in line
with India's tradition of giving
shelter to persecuted
people.
Adityanath's deputy
Keshav Prasad Maurya, who
took part in a similar drive in
Moradabad, hit out at the
opposition parties, saying they
were trying to misguide the
public against the citizenship
law to create unrest in the
state.
The Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) on Sunday launched a
10-day nationwide campaign in
support of the law.
In his home turf
Gorakhpur in eastern Uttar
Pradesh, Adityanath walked
down to the shop Haji
Chaudhari Kaif-ul-Wara and
handed him a booklet on the
law which he said was meant to
give citizenship to persecuted
people.
“This is a booklet about
CAA, read it and all doubts will
be cleared. I thought of
beginning the awareness cam-
paign from here,” he told Kaif-
ul-Wara.
Kaifulwara promised to
create awareness about CAA
and requested the Chief
Minister to release people with
no criminal background who
were holding protests against
the CAA and the proposed
countrywide National Register
of Citizens (NRC) in
Gorakhpur on December 20,
saying children make mistakes.
On his way
Kaif-ul-Wara's shop from the
to
Gorakhnath temple, of which
he is the head priest,
Adityanath met many Muslim
community members.
He explained to them that
it was a law to give citizenship.
“Those who did not have citi-
zenship and are living in India,
this law gives them citizenship,”
he said.
“It is the tradition of India
to give shelter to persecuted
people and Prime Minister
Narendra Modi brought CAA
to give citizenship to such peo-
ple,” Adityanath said.
He said it was not meant to
take away anyone's citizenship,
but the Congress, Samajwadi
Party and its allies are “unfor-
tunately” trying to mislead
people by spreading
confusion and violence. PTI
n a counter-drive against
Ilaunched
anti-CAA campaign
by the Opposition
parties the Bengal unit of BJP
has launched a massive door-
to-door campaign to hammer
home the utility of the
Citizenship Amendment Act
and drive away the alleged
misgivings regarding the
amended citizenship
laws.
“Senior State leaders like
BJP general secretary Rahul
Sinha on Sunday went house to
house to clear the air on CAA,”
party sources said adding sim-
ilar campaigns were also being
carried out in districts of North
and South Bengal.
“Contrary to the general
perception fanned by the TMC,
Congress and the Left that
CAA is a mischievous device to
victimize the Muslim popula-
tion and the non-BJP popula-
tion it is in fact a positive Act
that will complete the work left
undone by the post
Independence Governments
and their leaders,” a senior
State BJP leader said adding
“the people are now convinced
that the TMC is falsely gener-
ating a fear psychosis among
the masses.”
State BJP president Dilip
Ghosh said his party members
were getting massive response
from the citizens who want the
Act to be thoroughly imple-
mented in all parts of the State.
“Our people have been visiting
houses and the people are giv-
ing overwhelming response to
the changed laws.
“In East and West
Midnapore we have been par-
ticularly receiving good
response from the people,” he
said adding the “popular
response in receiving the BJP
cadres was so much that the
TMC goons resorted to van-
dalism and using physical force
to stop and scare our workers
away. They attacked and van-
dalized our party offices. But
we will not get
intimidated by their strong
arm tactic.”
The ruling Trinamool
Congress too went about col-
lecting signatures from people
to register their complaints
against the controversial laws.
“Let the BJP go house to house,
let them go room to room but
they will not succeed mislead-
ing the people about the true
nature of t he CAA which is in
fact a poison sweet laced with
poison being offered to the
people,” said TMC’s Kalyan
Banerjee.
“The people initially were
carried away by their commu-
nal campaigns which gave
them 18 seats in the parlia-
mentary elections but the CAA
has proved how dangerous the
BJP is and what dangerous
designs they really have,” said
Bengal Minister Jyotipriya
Mullick.
“Interpreting the massive
turnout in Mamata Banerjee’s
mass rallies against the CAA
we can say that BJP will be
wiped out in the
coming elections,” the Minister
said.
Meanwhile, the Left Front
and the Congress which have
jointly called a general strike
against a host of issues includ-
ing CAA-NRC have warned
the Chief Minister against any
bid to foil the bandh.
“If the Chief Minister is
genuinely against the CAA
and if her public rallies are not
a public pretense then she will
not use force to thwart the
strike — which she has been
doing for the past so many
years to gag the working class
people’s voices,” said CPI(M)
Legislature Party leader Sujan
Chakrabarty.

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Lucknow: Union Minister and senior BJP
leader Rajnath Singh on Sunday said people
should not have any misconception about the
amended citizenship law.
On a day's visit to his Lok Sabha con-
stituency, Singh visited the residence of Justice
Khem Karan here to mobilise support for the
Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
“Our party has decided to give a message
to the people that they should not have any mis-
conceptions about CAA. The Indian culture
teaches us 'Sarvdharma Sambhav' and a
Hindustani cannot discriminate on lines of caste
and religion,” he said.
His visit comes days after widespread vio-
lence during protests against the law, which offi-
cials said left 19 persons dead.
The message of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam'
(the world is one family) had gone from India
to the entire world, Singh said, adding “Indian
cultural values cannot by violated by our party.”
The Defence Minister also circulated pam-
phlets on the CAA and requested the media and
party workers to go through them.
Asked by mediapersons about the National
Register of Citizens, he said the exercise was on
in Assam on the directives of the Supreme Court
and not on the Centre's initiative.
“NRC is going on only in Assam and work
has been completed to some extent. It is going
on there on SC directives. There is no order of
government in this regard. Prime Minister
Narendra Modi has clarified it,” Singh
said. PTI
LVODXJKDEOHVD\V*HKORW
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ajasthan Chief Minister Ashok
R Gehlot on Sunday ridiculed the
BJP's door-to-door awareness
campaign about the merits of the
Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
If the controversial legislation —
which offers citizenship to non-Muslim
refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan and
Bangladesh — had any merit, such a
campaign would not have been neces-
sary, he said, speaking to reporters here.
“There was a time when Prime
Minister Narendra Modi delivered
`Mann Ki Baat' (his monthly radio talk),
and the entire country listened to him.
“And now for the CAA, party lead-
ers and ministers are forced to go from
door to door to convince people. It is a
laughable situation,” the senior Congress
leader said.
“Had the Act been good, they
would not have been forced to go door-
to-door,” he said.
In the BJP-ruled Assam, 19 lakh
people were found to have no docu-
mentary proof of citizenship and 16 lakh
of them were Hindu, Gehlot said, ask-
ing why the Government was not giv-
ing citizenship to them through the new
law. “There are some 10,000 people in
Rajasthan who need citizenship. The
other day Union home minister Amit
Shah was in Rajasthan to address a rally,
but he did not even mention offering cit-
izenship to them,” he said.
“It means they are not serious
about their own law,” he said.
A country formed on the basis of
religion does not remain stable, he said.
“Pakistan was founded on the basis
of Islam. Why did Pakistan split into two
countries during Prime Minister Indira
Gandhi's time? Because it was formed
on the basis of religion, you have seen
what it leads to,” he said.
Gehlot also alleged that the BJP's
“hidden agenda” was to turn India into
a “Hindu Rashtra”.
There were once secessionist ten-
dencies in Tamil Nadu and Punjab, he
said, adding “how many countries you
want to make out of India?”
The Rajasthan CM also demanded
that the government bring out a white
paper on the state of economy.
“The economy has been crippled
because of the Centre's policies. Former
economic adviser Arvind Subramanian
and former RBI governor Raghuram
Rajan have already expressed concerns
about the economy,” he said.
“Most of the economic indicators
are going down...But instead of focus-
ing on it, the Centre is diverting atten-
tion to the Citizenship Act and National
Register of Citizens,” he said. ?a^cTbcTab_PacXRX_PcTX]PaP[[hPVPX]bc2XcXiT]bWX_0\T]S\T]c0Rc200X]6dfPWPcX^]Bd]SPh ?C8
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n the much-delayed alloca-
I tion of portfolios carried out
by Maharashtra Chief Minister
Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday,
the Nationalist Congress Party
(NCP) walked away with plum
portfolios like Home, Finance,
Co-operation, Water
Resources, Rural Development
and Housing, while the
Congress managed to land
only a couple of important
Ministries like Revenue and
Public Works Department
(Excluding Public
Undertakings).
The Shiv Sena, which is the
principal ruling party in the
three-party Maha Vikas Aghadi
(MVS) Government, some-
what got a raw deal in the port-
folio distribution exercise that
look six-long days since
Uddhav Thackeray expanded
his Cabinet, as it got very few
key portfolios like Urban
Development, Public Works (
Public Undertakings),
Agriculture and Industries.
While Uddhav Thackeray
retained portfolios like General
Administration, Information
Technology, Law and Judiciary,
Information and Public
Relations, he assigned his
Cabinet minister-son Aditya
Thackeray the portfolios of
Environment, Tourism and
Protocol.
Shiv Sena’s number two
man in the State Cabinet
Eknath Shinde, whose name
had been discussed in the state
political circles as a chief min-
isterial candidate before
Uddhav assumed the office, has
been given the key Urban
Development and Public
Works Department (Public
Undertakings) portfolios. Shiv
Sena’s senior-most leader
Subhash Desai has been hand-
ed Industries, Mining and
Marathi Language portfolios.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar,
who played a key role in cob-
bling the Sena-NCP-Congress
front managed to corner a
maximum of high-profile port-
folios for his party, in the port-
folio distribution that saw a lot
of hard-bargaining among the
three constituents in the MVA
and lobbying among the min-
isters in the three parties.
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit
Pawar, who was initially tipped
to be Home Minister, has
instead personally chosen the
Finance and Planning portfo-
lios –the two Ministries that Sr
Pawar’s confidant and State
NCP president Jayant Patil held
earlier.
In place of the Finance
and Planning portfolios that he
had held in the past and present
nine consecutive State budgets
in the previous Congress-NCP
Government, Jayant Patil has
been given Water Resources
(Known popularly as Irrigation)
and Command Area
Development.
In what is being seen as a
shrewd move, Sr Pawar has
hand-picked his loyalist
Minister Anil Deshmukh from
Vidarbha. Deshmukh, who was
a minister of state in the Shiv
Sena-BJP Government in the
nineties, later served as both as
a Minister of State and Cabinet
Minister in the Congress-NCP
Government between 2001 and
2014.
Elected to the State
Assembly from Katol con-
stituency in Nagpur district,
Deshmukh is understood to
have been vested with the
Home portfolio to deal with
former Chief Minister and
senior BJP leader Devendra
Fadnavis, who is also from
Nagpur and held the Home
Ministry in the previous BJP-
Shiv Sena Government.
The NCP’s other influential
leaders like Dilip Walse-Patil,
Jitendra Awhad and Hasan
Mushrif have been given State
Excise & Labour, Housing and
Rural Development Ministries
respectively. Sr Pawar’s anoth-
er confidant Chhagan Bhujbal,
who was in the past a deputy
chief minister in the previous
Congress-NCP Government,
has been assigned relatively
insignificant portfolios of Food,
Civil Supplies and Consumer
Protection.
Dhananjay Munde,
estranged nephew of late BJP
leader Gopinathrao Munde,
has been given relatively low-
key portfolio of social justice
and special assistance, while
low-profile Balasaheb Patil has
been vested with co-operation
and Marketing portfolios.
NCP’s national spokesper-
son Nawab Malik has been
vested with Minority
Development, Aukaf, Skill
Development and
Enterpreneurship portfolios.
The second-run NCP lead-
ers like Rajesh Tope and
Rajendras Shingne have been
given portfolios like Public
Health & Family Welfare and
Food & Drug Administration
respectively.
On the Congress front,
senior Congress leader Ashok
Chavan, who had resigned as
the Chief Minister on
November 9, 2010 following the
expose of the Adarsh society
scam, has returned to the State
Cabinet after a gap of more than
nine years. He has been vested
with the Public Works
Department (excluding Public
Undertakings).
The Congress high com-
mand’s decision to vest Chavan
with PWD portfolio has rubbed
senior party leader from
Vidarbha Nitin Raut, who ini-
tially held that portfolio, the
wrong way. Raut has now been
assigned relatively lesser sig-
nificant portfolio of Energy.
Maharashtra Congress
president and senior minister
Balasaheb Thorat has been
given the important Revenue
portfolio, while late Chief
Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh’s
son Amit Deshmukh has been
vested with the portfolios of
Medical Education and
Cultural Affairs.
The Congress’ two women
Cabinet Minister Yashomati
Thakur qnd Varsha Gaikwad
have been given Women &
Child Development and School
Education portfolios respec-
tively.
Former leader of the
Opposition in the Assembly
and Congress leader from
Chandrapur in Vidarbha
region Vijay Wadettiwar has
been given OBC, Khar land
development, Relief and
Rehabilitation, while another
senior Congress leader KC
Padvi has been vested with
Tribal development.
The other portfolio alloca-
tions made included: Shiv Sena:
Dadaji D. Bhuse — Agriculture,
Uday Samant — Higher &
Technical Education, Sanjay
D. Rathod — Forest, Disaster
Management, R&R, Gulabrao
Patil — Water Supply &
Sanitation, Sandipanrao
Bhumre – Employment
Guarantee & Horticulture, Anil
Parab — Transport &
Parliamentar y Affairs,
Shankarrao Gadakh (KSK Part)
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— Soil & Water Conservation. Yadravkar (Independent MLA) Home (Urban), while another
Congress: Sunil Kedar – — Public Health, FDA, etc. Mminister of State Vishwajit P.
Animal Husbandry, Dairy NCP’s Dattatray Bharne Kadam has been vested with
Development, Sports & Youth has been made Minister of Agriculture, Cooperation, scial
Welfare and Aslam R. Shaikh – State for Public Works (exclud- Justice and other portfolios.
Textiles, Fisheries and Ports ing Public Undertakings), It may be recalled that on
Development. Forests, etc., while other min- November 28, Uddhav
Among the 10 Ministers of isters of state from the Sharad Thackeray had been sworn
State (MoS) are: Shiv Sena’s Pawar-led party are: Sanjay into office as the Chief Minister
Abdul Sattar Nabi who has Bansode — Environment, along with six Maha Vikas
been given Revenue & Rural Water Supply & Sanitation, Aghadi (MVS) Ministers —
Development, Shamburaj Desai etc., Prajakt Tanpure — Urban Eknath Shinde, Subhash Desai
— Home (Rural), Omprakash Development, Energy, etc., and (both from the Shiv Sena),
alias Bachu Kadu — Water Aditi S. Tatkare — Industries, Jayant Patil, Chhagan Bhujbal
Resources, Command Area Tourism, etc. (both from the NCP),
Development, School Congress’s Satej Patil has Balasaheb Thorat and Nitin
Education, etc., and Rajendra been made Minister of State for Raut (both from the Congress).

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ne of the three people injured in
O the station building collapse at
Burdwan on Saturday evening died in
the wee hours of Sunday, Eastern
Railways sources said.
The man was among a dozen of
people who were standing near the
porch of the colonial structure when
a part of it caved in. While some of the
injured were released after first aid two
persons were admitted to the
Burdwan Medical College and
Hospital.
One of them died on the small
hours of Sunday. He is yet to be iden-
tified sources said.
Meanwhile both the Trinamool
0aX]VP]aT[XVX^dbRTaT\^]hQTX]V_TaU^a\TSPc5XeT6PaST]X]<d\QPX^]Bd]SPh ?C8 Congress and the Left Front have
questioned the lackadaisical approach
of the BJP-run Railway
Ministr y in providing public
services.
“They were involved in decorat-
ing and beautifying the premises
when the accident occurred. It only
proves that this Government is only
superficial in its ways. A high level
committee should be instituted to look
into fact,” Bengal Minister Swapan
Debnath said.
CPI(M)’s Sujan Chakrabarty said,
“the Railways are only interested in
increasing fare and not taking inter-
est in other things.”
A three-member committee has
been formed to conduct an inquiry
into the cause of the incident, the
spokesperson added.
Ahmedabad: After reports
about deaths of over 100 chil-
dren at a State-run hospital in
Rajasthan's Kota shocked the
country, data shows that 111
infants died at a civil hospital
in Gujarat's Rajkot district in
December.
Further, in Ahmedabad
civil hospital, 88 infants died
last month, it showed.
Confronted by reporters over
the issue in Vadodara, Gujarat
Chief Minister Vijay Rupani
walked away, without giving
any reply.
In Ahmedabad, Health
Minister Nitin Patel, who
shared the shocking data, said
cold weather in December was
one of the reasons for higher
number of deaths in December
and added that overall infant
mortality had declined in
Gujarat.
Of the 388 infants admit-
ted to the Pandit Deendayal
Upadhyay General Hospital in
Rajkot in December last year,
111, or 28 per cent, died.
As many as 87 and 71
infants died in October and
November last year, which was
19.3 and 15.5 per cent of the
infants admitted to the hospi-
tal's Sick Newborn Care Unit
(SNCU), respectively, the data
showed. At Ahmedabad civil
hospital, 88 infants died in
December, which was 21.2 per
cent of 415 infants admitted.
As many as 91 and 74
infants died in the hospital in
October and November, 18.4
and 16.4 per cent of the total
number of infants admitted,
respectively.
Sharing the figures, Patel
said that notwithstanding the
higher number of deaths in
December, the infant mortali-
ty in the state had dropped over
two decades, from 62 per 1,000
in 1997 to 30 in 2017, with fur-
ther drop recorded in 2018 and
2019. West Bengal, Karnataka,
Jharkhand and Telangana have
higher infant mortality rate
than Gujarat, as per the Centre's
2017 data, he said. PTI

0[TacP[^]V8]SXP=T_P[ >]TSTRPST^U>\Pa0QSd[[PWX]_^[XcXRb
Q^aSTaPUcTaX]_dcb^U <>78C:0=370A8Q 90<<D Abdullah experienced many
ups and down in his 'tumul-
hustings in December
2014.
choose to continue his friend-
ship and alliance with youth

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Basti (UP): Two suspected
ISIS terrorists have entered
Uttar Pradesh, following which
a high alert has been sounded
along the India-Nepal border
in Maharajganj, Kushinagar
and Siddharth Nagar districts,
a top police official said on
Sunday.
“It has come to the fore that
two wanted terrorists Abdul
Samad and Iliyas can escape to
Nepal from Uttar Pradesh,” IG
(Basti range) Ashutosh Kumar
said.
The alert was sounded
after the intelligence input was
received, he said. The IG said
photographs of the two have
been widely circulated so that
they could be identified.
The officer said he was not
aware which outfit they were
affiliated to.
Previously, they were spot-
ted in West Bengals' Siliguri
and are suspected to be asso-
ciated with the ISIS. Police
have launched a massive man-
hunt to nab them, officials
said.
India and Nepal share a
1,751-km-long porous fron-
tier which has reportedly been
used by Pakistani elements
and terrorists in the past. A
number of such operatives
have been nabbed by Indian
border guarding agencies.
Uttar Pradesh shares a
599.3-km-long open border
with Nepal, touching seven
districts - Pilibhit, Lakhimpur
Kheri, Bahraich, Sravasti,
Balrampur, Sidhharthnagar
and Maharajganj. PTI
n January 5, 2009 when
Omar Abdullah had taken
oath of office he not only
became the youngest Chief
Minister of Jammu & Kashmir
but also remained focal point
of media attention.
Close family friends, indus-
try captains, bollywood celebri-
ties and even political adver-
saries had converged in the
newly opened Zorawar Singh
Auditorium of Jammu univer-
sity to witness historic oath tak-
ing ceremony.
Former Chief Minister and
his father Dr Farooq Abdullah
had even dedicated a famous
song, “Papa Kahtain hain bada
naam karega” to his dutiful son
while wishing him all the luck
for the most difficult job.
While occupying the 'hot
seat' and running an alliance
Government with the Congress
party in the erstwhile state of
Jammu & Kashmir, Omar
tuous' political career.
He faced first litmus test
when under his watch the State
witnessed prolonged cycle of
violence between 2009 (in the
aftermath of Shopian rape and
murder case) and 2010. Over
100 protesters were killed in
sporadic incidents of stone
pelting and several hundred
were put behind bars to restore
normalcy on ground zero.
Security forces had to
resort to use to 'pellet' guns for
the first time to control the
rampaging mob on the streets
of Srinagar especially in volatile
downtown areas.
During his term in office,
Omar even attempted to scale
down the foot prints of the
Indian army and revoke Armed
Forces Special Powers Act
(AFSPA) from peaceful dis-
tricts of the region but failed to
assert his authority even while
chairing meetings of the
The National
Conference tally
declined from 28 seats it
won in 2008 to 15 in
2014. The party not only
lost sizeable chunk of
seats but its total vote
share also witnessed
steep decline.
As President of the
party and head of the
alliance Government
Omar failed to fulfil the
promise of restoration
autonomy which
remained high point of
NC’s election manifestos
3a5Pa^^`0QSd[[PW^UUTaX]VbfTTcbc^WXbb^]>\Pa0QSd[[PW <^WXc:P]SWPaXk?X^]TTa since Indra — Sheikh
Accord.
Unified command. Union gov- report card was dotted with Sitting in the Opposition,
ernment at the helm of affairs, dark spots and was not 'impres- Omar competed with the arch
kept him in the 'waiting' mode. sive'. rival, Peoples Democratic Party
After promising 'moon' to the After completing his six (PDP) and also flirted with the
people of the state Omar could year long term in office when idea of promoting 'soft sepa-
not do much to buy back Omar Abdullah went to the ratism' to woo electorate. With
power projects from NHPC. As electorate to seek reelection he BJP acquiring centre stage in
his innings came to an end his faced crushing defeat at the the national politics, Omar
congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
He also lost a perception
war when he locked horns
with Prime Minister Narendra
Modi after propagating anoth-
er lofty idea of reviving the
posts of sadr-e-riyasat (presi-
dent) and Prime Minister for
Jammu & Kashmir.
A decade later, Omar
Abdullah is struggling to spend
time, all alone in his own com-
pany.Since August 5, 2019 he is
under preventive political
detention.
Barring close family mem-
bers, no other visitors are
allowed to meet him. Since
August 5, only once a delega-
tion of party leaders led by his
close aide and provincial
President, Jammu DS Rana
called on him for about 30
minutes in the first week of
October 2019. No other meet-
ing with the party leaders fruc-
tified since then.

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IhisfMinister
the observation made by Prime
Narendra Modi during
speech at the inaugural
ceremony of the 107th Indian
Science Congress at Bangalore
last Friday is any indication,
Chennai is set to emerge as the
country’s hub for deep sea missions
akin to its feats in Space explo-
rations. While ISRO has started
training astronauts for space far-
ing, the country’s aquanauts are
being trained for deep sea
missions.
“We have to replicate the
achievements made by the coun-
try’s scientists in Space explo-
ration in ocean too. The seas
remain unexplored and untapped
for want of technology,” the Prime
Minister had said at Bangalore on
Friday.
Interestingly, Modi began his
speech from where Dr K Sivan,
chairman, Space Commission, left
on New Year day by announcing
about the country’s manned Space
mission (Gaganyaan),
Chandrayaan-3 and other inter
–planetary explorations.
Even as Prime Minister Modi
was delivering his speech at the ISC
, a group of scientists and engineers
in the National Institute of Ocean
Technology, Chennai, an elite insti-
tution under the Ministry of Earth
Sciences were busy in perfecting
the nuances of Samudrayaan (the
deep sea manned mission) for
exploring and exploiting the hith-
erto unmeasured deep sea marine
wealth.
“We hope to perfect the first
ever manned mission to deep sea
by 2022. The Samudrayaan has
many constraints and hence the
progress is slow though steady,”
said Dr Atmanand, director ,
NIOT Chennai. For Dr Atmanand
and his team of researchers, the
bottom of the ocean is not a
strange domain.
They have succeeded in send-
ing unmanned mission to the
depth of the Indian Ocean as early
as 2009 as part of the Samudrayaan
mission.
The NIOT scientists had con-
ducted a successful but silent
Samudrayaan on April 13, 2009
itself by planting the national tri-
colour on the seabed at a depth of
3000 meters using ROSUB-6000,
a Remotely Operated Vehicle for
deep sea exploration.
“It was a successful mission
and we proved the capability of
ROSUB in exploring ocean depths.
The machine has the potential to
go up to 6000 meters but we want
to reach that depth in stages,” Dr
G A Ramadass, chief scientist, had
told The Pioneer while declaring
the details of the mission.
Vice President M Venkiah
Naidu while addressing the scien-
tists of NIOT during its silver
jubilee celebrations in
November last had referred to the
importance attached by the
Government of India to the oper-
ations carried out by the institute.
“NIOT is working on almost all
aspects of the six priority pillars of
blue economy — Fisheries and
Aquaculture; Renewable Ocean
Energy; Seaports and Shipping;
Offshore Hydrocarbons and
Seabed Minerals; Marine
Biotechnology, Research and
Development and Tourism,” he had
said. India’s top priority is to
exploit offshore hydrocarbons and
seabed minerals whoich would
elevate the country to a super eco-
nomic entity, a NIOT veteran had
pointed out.
“While oceans already account
for significant trade and com-
merce in the fields of shipping, off-
shore oil and gas, fishing, under-
sea cables, and tourism, the emerg-
ing industries such as aquaculture,
marine biotechnology, ocean ener-
gy and sea-bed mining have the
potential to create jobs and spur
worldwide economic growth,”
Naidu had said.
The brief given to NIOT is to
mine and bring out the vast
deposits of cobalt, nickel, man-
ganese and copper present in the
Central Indian Ocean Region in
the form of polymetallic nodules
at a depth of 6000 meters.
A Manned Submersible vehi-
cle which can reach the 6000
meter depth is getting readied in
the laboratories of NIOT at
Chennai. Simultaneously, a mis-
sion is on to train the country’s
aquanauts (the ocean equivalent of
those known as astronauts). If
everything proceeds as planned,
the sea craft carrying three aqua-
nauts will touch the ocean bed by
2022 and they will be back with the
first consignment of polymetallic
nodules.
Who knows, in another cou-
ple of years, India will emerge as
an exporter of copper, cobalt,
nickel, manganese etc.
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WKH,UDQLDQ6SHDUµKDVWKHSRWHQWLDOWRVSDUN QTT]SXUUXRd[cc^aTR^]RX[TfXcWCWPc³bR^bcX]VdbQdbX]TbbP]S_TaRT_cX^]
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RI,UDQ·VPRVWSRZHUIXOPHQDQGLWVPRVWVHD could disown its ethos of inclu-
sivity and subscribe to alien
VRQHGPLOLWDU\FRPPDQGHUSDUWLFXODUO\LQWKH ideas of isolationism and racism?
0LGGOH(DVWVKRXOGKDYHEHHQWDNHQYHU\FDUH Some said they respected India
IXOO\E\WKH86·SROLWLFDODQGPLOLWDU\FRPPDQG for making feel everyone at
home no matter what the short-
8QOLNHVRPHRQHOLNH2VDPDELQ/DGHQZKR comings, simply because it was
ZDVNLOOHGE\7UXPS·VSUHGHFHVVRU%DUDFN not like China. “Even there, the
2EDPDLQ6ROHLPDQLZDVQRWGLIILFXOWWRILQG8QWLODIHZGD\VDJRKH autocracy of the State doesn’t feel
ZDVVHFXUHWKDWKLVSRVLWLRQJUDQWHGKLPDGHJUHHRIVDIHW\8QOLNH+RXWKLUHEHOV as overbearing. Yes they watch
B9>;E 67>B7 the tourist districts but within
RUHYHQWKH7DOLEDQKHZDVWKHUHSUHVHQWDWLYHRIDVRYHUHLJQVWDWH+HKDGDGRSW their orchestrated confines, they
HGDQDJJUHVVLYHSROLWLFDODQGPLOLWDU\WDFWLFWKDWFRQWLQXHGWRFKDOOHQJH$PHULFD·V n 1899 handbook on the Taj do not dilute the overall experi-
UHJLRQDOSULPDF\:KDWKLVGHDWKZLOOPHDQIRUIXWXUHFRQIOLFWLQWKH0LGGOH(DVW
UHPDLQVWREHVHHQ6RPHDQDO\VWVZRUU\WKDWWKLVZLOOFHUWDLQO\OHDGWRDIRU
PDOZDUEHWZHHQ,UDQDQGWKH86%XWFRPPHQWDU\DQGDQDO\VLVRQWKH/HYDQW
DQG3HUVLDDUHDGLPHDGR]HQEHFDXVHWKHUHDUHRWKHUH[SHUWVZKRVD\WKDW
,UDQVKRXOGKDYHVHHQWKLVFRPLQJSDUWLFXODUO\DIWHUWKHZD\WKH86HPEDVV\
A Mahal had said that your pres-
ence at the monument was
enough to make the whole world
your kin. No matter what the
asymmetry of cultures, the pristine symme-
try of the structure and its elevated conscious-
ness by the banks of the Yamuna seem to clear
ence,” said one of the travellers.
Another cancelled his visit to
Varanasi and decided to return
to Delhi the next morning.
Others cut short their trips fol-
lowing travel advisories from
their countries. Cancellations
LQ%DJKGDGZDVDWWDFNHGE\6KLDPLOLWDQWVLQWKHJXLVHRISURWHVWHUVDIHZGD\V all the cobwebs of our minds into an incred- are bad news for hoteliers during
DJR6ROHLPDQLZDVWKHPDQEHKLQGDORWRI$PHULFD·VWURXEOHVLQWKHUHJLRQ ible whiteness of perfection. The Taj has with- the busiest time of the year.
stood many assaults in its time — physical, Worst, European travellers, who
%HVLGHVKHKDGLUULWDWHGDQGDWWDFNHGRWKHUVDVZHOO+LVKDQGVZHUHEHKLQG cultural and ideological. Now it has even learnt have been born of the colonial
ILHOGDFWLRQVVXFKDVWKHDWWDFNVRQWKH6DXGL$UDELDQUHILQHU\VLWHVLQ<HPHQ to live in splendid isolation like its creator and legacy and have an unexplained
DQGWKHIRUPDWLRQRIWKHQHEXORXVDOOLDQFHEHWZHHQ7XUNH\,UDQDQG0DOD\VLD Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, held captive by happy feeling about coming to
the circumstances of our time. India and embracing it with its
+RZHYHUDFFRUGLQJWRVRPHUHDVRQHGDQDO\VWV6ROHLPDQL·VYLROHQWGHDWKLVD I happened to be in Agra over the warts and eccentricities, are going
ELWPRUHWURXEOLQJEHFDXVHKHZDVDOVRD´JURZQXSµLQDZRUOGIXOORIMXYHQLOH Christmas/New Year weekend quite by back disturbed. Simply because
LPEHFLOHVZKRGRQRWWKLQNRIWKHFRQVHTXHQFHVRIWKHLUDFWLRQV+HWKRXJKW chance, it being the celebratory time of the the India in their genes is not the
year when a record number of tourists con- India today. Much like author
KHNQHZKRZIDU,UDQ·VHQHPLHVZRXOGSXVKWKHERXQGDULHVDOWKRXJKKHGLGJHW gregate for a pilgrimage of sorts to witness the William Dalrymple, who had
KLVFDOFXODWLRQVZURQJDWWLPHV2QHRIWKRVHPLVFDOFXODWLRQVFRVWKLPKLVOLIH world’s wonder but perhaps for the first time never thought of leaving India
:KDWGRHVWKLVPHDQIRU,QGLDDFRXQWU\WKDWKDVEHHQWU\LQJWREDODQFHLWV felt unwelcome in a city under siege. The but is wondering whether he
administration, fearing tension following should die here or not.
UHODWLRQVKLSZLWKERWK,UDQDQGWKH86"7KH([WHUQDO$IIDLUV0LQLVWU\SXWRXWD the protests over the Government’s new iden- Dangerously, some even asked if
UHDVRQHGDQGVHQVLEOHVWDWHPHQWDVNLQJWKH86DQG,UDQWRH[HUFLVH´UHVWUDLQWµ tity-based and divisive policies, had ensured the clampdown had anything to
LQRUGHUWRDYRLGGHVWDELOLVLQJWKHUHJLRQEXWLWLVWKH3HWUROHXP0LQLVWU\WKDW a virtual lockdown with internet shutdowns, do with eroding Mughal legacies
VKRXOGEHSHWULILHGLQFDVHWKHFRQIOLFWHVFDODWHV,I1DUHQGUD0RGL·VHFRQRPLF restricted entry, limited mobile telephony, bar- and their significance. Nobody
ricaded localities and chaperoned access. Agra dare ask an Indian this question
WHDPVKRXOGEHJUDWHIXOIRUDQ\WKLQJLWLVWKHUHODWLYHFDOPLQIXHOSULFHVRYHUWKH has not just been any other tourist town; it but seen in the context of Chief
SDVWVL[\HDUVZKLFKKDVDOORZHGKLPWRLPSRVHKLJKWD[HVRQSHWURODQGGLHVHO has been the crown of India’s Golden Triangle, Minister Yogi Adiyanath’s earli-
ZLWKRXWWRRPDQ\FRPSODLQWVIURPWKHSXEOLFDWODUJH%XWZLWKSULFHVRISHWURO our most popular circuit, where heritage is liv- of them told us that the admin- meant fewer battery-operated iffs but even encouraging tourists er statement that the Taj was not
ing, the entirety of its local economy and iden- istration had really nothing to fear carts and buses were available for to stay an extra day with compli- that important a monument,
DWWKHSXPSDOUHDG\UHDFKLQJWKHCPDUNKRZPXFKPRUHFDQWKHFRQVXPHUV tity geared around its sense of hospitality. as no rioting of consequence had ferrying visitors, most of whom mentary benefits to ensure occu- one can understand why it is
WDNH"6XUHO\VRPHDQJHUDURXQGWKH&LWL]HQVKLS$PHQGPHQW$FW&$$DQGWKH While the Taj has been the pivot of the tourist taken place in the city. Neither were left waiting endlessly. And pancy figures. Understandable as being raised in the first place.
1DWLRQDO5HJLVWHURI&LWL]HQV15&LVEHLQJIXHOOHGE\WKHFXUUHQWHFRQRPLFVLW economy, the attention span it commands has
seldom extended to other structures. Over
XDWLRQLQWKHFRXQWU\ZLWKMREFUHDWLRQEHLQJQRWVXIILFLHQWHQRXJK&DQWKH,QGLDQ long years, successive Governments, culture
HFRQRP\DIIRUGDQRLOVKRFNULJKWQRZ"8QOLNHO\:LWK,QGLD·VUHODWLRQVQRPRUH czars and tour operators have painstakingly
EHLQJOLPLWHGWRRLOHVFDODWLQJWHQVLRQVPD\HYHQKXUWLWVDPELWLRXVSODQVWRGHYHO worked on “Taj by moonlight” sightings, cul-
tural soirees, art walks, crafts workshops on
RSWKHQHZRFHDQLFSRUWLQ&KDEDKDUDNH\WUDQVSRUWDQGWUDGHFRUULGRUZLWK pietra dura (the inlay work used in the mon-
$IJKDQLVWDQDQG&HQWUDO$VLD:LOO6ROHLPDQL·VGHDWKOHDGWRDZDU",UDQ·VVXSUHPH ument) Mughal spas and a host of other expe-
OHDGHU$\DWROODK.KDPHLQLKDVDOUHDG\VDLGWKDW7HKUDQZLOOUHWDOLDWH$QGLWZRXOG rientials to hold the tourist. Though middle
India sleeps early, the tourist enclaves have
GRVRDWDVXLWDEOHWLPHDQGSODFHRILWVFKRLFH$OWKRXJKWKHWRSJHQHUDO·VHOLP always bustled with life and danced to an
LQDWLRQKDVFRPHDVDKXJHVHWEDFNIRU,UDQWRGD\LWLVVWLOOYHU\PXFKFDSDEOH eclectic vibe. The jackboots not only destroyed
RIOHDGLQJDZDUDJDLQVW$PHULFDKRZVRHYHUDV\PPHWULFDO6KRXOGWKLVKDS that spirit but years of hard work to make the
tourist stay in the city and not run after the
SHQKRVWLOLWLHVEHWZHHQWKH86DQG,UDQDUHERXQGWRVSHOOWXUPRLOLQWKHHQWLUH customary ritual of a day trip.
*XOIUHJLRQDQGOHDGWRDPDMRUFRQIODJUDWLRQ%RWKWKH86DQG,UDQDUHWRJRWR The desolateness echoed everywhere.
SROOVVRRQ$IXOOVFDOHFRQIOLFWVKRXOGQRWEHFRPHWKHLQIOLFWLQJSRLQWIRUHLWKHU Shops in the Taj complex itself downed shut-
ters as many of their owners could not make
WRZLQRYHUWKHSHRSOH$OVRGHVSLWHKLVGHPLVHPD\EHWKHJURZQXSVFDQ it past “troublesome” localities without being
FRPHWRWKHWDEOHDQGGHHVFDODWHWKHVLWXDWLRQ asked why they needed to move outdoors in
the first place. The little that did open for busi-
would it be as even the most ghet-
toised Muslim had been tamed
into submission by the brutal face
of organised repression and ran-
dom pick-ups of innocents, sim-
ply because they “looked” suspi-
cious. In fact, they did not want
any activist to take up their
cause, fearing a hitback. But the
fear psychosis and aura of a police
state was chillier than the
December cold, the face of the
policeman more ominous with
the temporary power he had
been given to intimidate people,
who wouldn’t have noticed him
otherwise. The friendly tourist
police shut shop earlier than
usual, handing over charge to the
special personnel on the ground.
The unsaid dystopian future was
as the fog rushed in from the
edges post-sunset, the Taj tourist
complex crawled with military
police. Café El Clasico, which
serves light bites and beams
European football alongside, was
empty. We were the third or
fourth visitor group it had got that
day. The internet shutdown
meant no online bookings or
transactions could go through, no
aggregator service, be it of food
or transport, was operable, no
apps were serviceable and no
video chats were possible. Agra
that weekend had stranded
tourists on the move, who com-
pletely rely on online reservations
and forward linkages to plan their
holidays. Hotels were no better.
The broadband worked late
internet blackouts had meant a 60
per cent drop in December
bookings, according to operators.
Over 200,000 domestic and inter-
national tourists had either can-
celled or postponed their trip to
the Taj in the last fortnight of
2019.
The arrogance of power and
machismo may seem the new
normal but international trav-
ellers, who are our actual brand
ambassadors, have clearly been
shocked by the new idea of
India as opposed to the one
depicted in guidebooks. Many
were cautious about talking, fear-
ing they would be unnecessari-
ly harassed or sent back.
Everybody was aware about the
deportation of the German
No regime, no matter what
its colour of politics, can disregard
the economic value of the Taj.
Especially, when Prime Minister
Narendra Modi himself has
pitched tourism as the key
growth driver of a slowing econ-
omy. Government records show
that Mughal era monuments
attract the highest number of
tourists and the Taj Mahal gen-
erates the maximum revenue. It
attracts over 6.5 million tourists
every year, generating nearly $14
million annually from entrance
fees. And spends on its mainte-
nance have remained almost the
same in the Modi years because
of its economic and metaphori-
cal value. But has the venom of
politics stained its walls deeper

AR\¶dU`fS]VdaVR\
ness wound up early because the business was
not worth the establishment cost; there
weren’t enough tourists going around. On
Christmas day, the Taj had the highest num-
7KHVLHJHRI1DQNDQD6DKLEH[SRVHG,PUDQ.KDQ¶V ber of visitors this season, which was dismal-
ly low, less than half of what the monument
PRWLYDWHGFKDPSLRQVKLSRIWKH6LNKFDXVH gets on that day every year. Tourist operators
suddenly all too palpable.
It all began with the site.
Much time was lost because of
the elaborate entrance drill
through circuitous pathways and
one-man pass-throughs —
something which was most
evening at some properties in fits
and starts, with ridiculously low
speeds. Cable TV was down, too,
and where available, offered you
more free-to-air entertainment
channels than credible news.
Why would anybody want news
IITian and the Norwegian stu-
dent for sympathising with and
extending moral support to the
protesters. Their concerns are
deeply problematic for us because
for the first time they felt there
were no shared values of democ-
this time? Politicians would tell
you otherwise but the truth
emerged at the twilight hour. As
the Taj darkened its silhouette
with the receding light of day, a
small temple behind it on the
river bank came alive with bells

3
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have been conservative in estimating a 40 per
cent drop in business. But unofficially, fear-
ing stricter gag orders, they tell you that busi-
ness has fallen by 80 per cent, the food busi-
ness being hit the most severely. Cafes, proud-
ly displaying free wi-fi, an attraction for young
travellers on the move, looked bleak. Many
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inconvenient to the elderly and on a holiday? Apart from “our” racy here anymore. Those drawn and fire rituals. The birds came
the wheelchair-bound — and kind. What about telemedicine by the mysticism of the Orient home to roost on the domes,
being herded by the sternest networks and online referrals at wondered how India, as an lulled by the dulcet beats. The
minders. The Taj terrace had hospitals then? Or even hotels ancient civilisation that had Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb can still
more security personnel than themselves, which were off the absorbed millennial layers of withstand a rough tide or two.
tourists, who were being escort- grid for prime bookings? Agra influences through the Silk and (The writer is Associate
ed in batches. Low turnouts hotels were not only lowering tar- Spice routes but still held its own, Editor, The Pioneer)
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Those at the helm of affairs
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Sir — The devastating fires that
O\EHFRPLQJLWVVSRNHVPDQ have engulfed parts of Australia
provide a glimpse of the new nor-
3DNLVWDQKDVKDGDGLVPDOWUDFNUHFRUGDVIDUDVWKHWUHDWPHQWRIPLQRULWLHV mal that the world must brace up
OLYLQJRQLWVVRLOLVFRQFHUQHGEHLWRI&KULVWLDQV+LQGXV6LNKV.KDOVLV6KLDV to. There has been enough criti-
DQG$KPDGL\\D0XVOLPVDQGHYHQ,QGLDQ0XVOLPVZKRPLJUDWHGWRWKDWFRXQ cism of the Morrison
Government’s response to the
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LQ3DNLVWDQKDVFRPHGRZQIURPLQWRDGLVPDOLQ particular. There was a huge
%XWGULYHQE\DQDQWL,QGLDGHVLJQLWGLGWU\WRSODFDWH6LNKVZRUOGZLGHZLWKWKH backlash for he was holidaying in
Hawaii while the fires burned out
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3TRT\QTa"2WXTU^U3TUT]RTBcPUU23B6T]1X_X] party’s regime.
APfPc³b_aX^aXchbW^d[SQTc^U^bcTaR^[[TRcXeTSTRX Azhar A Khan
bX^]\PZX]VX]cWTSTUT]RTU^aRTb8cXbW^_TScWPcWT Rampur
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_a^RdaX]V\X[XcPahT`dX_\T]cP]SX\_PacX]V\X[XcPahcaPX] ial, “Children of a lesser God”
X]V4UUXRXT]RhX]\X[XcPahTg_T]SXcdaTXbPSPd]cX]VcPbZ S^dbPSeP]cPVT^Uf^aZX]VX]cP]ST\bW^d[S]^cQT[^bc (January 4). The death of over
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villages, shaking hands with angry
WKHIRUPHUFKLHI+DPLG*XORSHQO\VXSSRUWHGWKH.KDOLVWDQPRYHPHQWVHYHU and desperate residents.
DORIILFHUVKDYHDOVREHHQDFWLQJDVKDQGOHUVDQGRUJDQLVHUVRI6LNKVHSDUDWLVW Shaking hands is a positive
DFWLYLWLHVLQ&DQDGD(XURSHWKH86WKH8.DQG0DOD\VLD1RWVXUSULVLQJO\VHY way to greet people and is consid-
ered to be a sign of peace.
HUDO.KDOLVWDQLH[WUHPLVWVDUHEHLQJVKHOWHUHGLQ3DNLVWDQ,QLWV]HDOWRIRPHQW Handshakes have come to sym-
WURXEOHRQ,QGLDQVRLOWKH,6,KDVDOVREHHQWDUJHWWLQJDQGUHZDUGLQJFULPHV\Q bolise change and hope. The
GLFDWHVLQ3XQMDEWKDWKDYHH[SUHVVHGV\PSDWKLHVIRUWKH.KDOLVWDQLPRYHPHQW handshake between North
Korean leader Kim Jong-un and
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LQJRIWKH.DUWDUSXUFRUULGRU3DNLVWDQ·V0LQLVWU\RI,QIRUPDWLRQDQG%URDGFDVWLQJ Jae-in marked a milestone in a
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LQWKHEDFNJURXQG%XWUHSRUWVRIIRUFHGFRQYHUVLRQVDQGWKHGZLQGOLQJ6LNKSRS months of global fears about a
nuclear conflict.
XODWLRQLQ3DNLVWDQKDYHH[SRVHG.KDQ·VGXSOLFLW\8QDEOHWRGUXPXSPXFKVXS Prime Minister Morrison,
SRUWDWWKH81*$DIWHUWKHDEURJDWLRQRI$UWLFOHLQ-DPPXDQG.DVKPLUKH too, has met many people with a
QRZVWDQGVHYHQPRUHH[SRVHGDQGULGLFXOHG+RSHIXOO\6LNKVDFURVVWKHZRUOG handshake but some refused to do
so for various reasons. The prob-
ZLOOVHHWKURXJK3DNLVWDQ·VQHIDULRXVGHVLJQIRUZKDWLWUHDOO\LV lem probably with him is that he
cTTbc^^WPeTaTR^\\T]STScWTP__^X]c\T]c^UP23B QTcfTT]cWT23BP]ScWTaTb_TRcXeTbTaeXRTRWXTUbCWT Rajasthan, points to a deeper cri-
fW^R^d[SPRcPbPQaXSVTQTcfTT]cWTcWaTTSTUT]RT 23B\dbcQTPRR^\\^SPcTSfXcW^dcadUU[X]VcWTUTPcW sis in the healthcare system.
U^aRTb Tab^UcWTcWaTTRWXTUb8cXbX\_TaPcXeTU^aP[[\X[XcPah^UUX Both the primary as well as sec-
8]SXPbSTUT]RTU^aRTbPaTbTR^]Sc^]^]TX]R^\ RTabc^d]STabcP]ScWTbXcdPcX^]P]SPRcPRR^aSX]V[h ondary segments of healthcare
QPc TUUTRcXeT]Tbb CWPc bPXS Xc Xb P UPRc cWPc cWT cWaTT 6P]P_PcWX1WPc need to be upgraded. Hospitals
STUT]RTU^aRTbWPeTP[fPhbPRcTSX]Xb^[PcX^]CWTcaT\T] 0Z^[P need to be equipped with better
resources, equipment and more
staff so that the first response to
has been grabbing people’s hands
1SdbUc`_^cYR\i off case wherein hundreds of critical cases like these is ade-
and forcing them to shake hands. infants succumbed to death quate. The Government must get
Realistically, this is an assault and owing to systemic negligence. It to the root o the problem and
certainly offensive. There have Sir — This refers to the editor- is a pity that we are addicted to use the Kota tragedy to bring
been plenty of reports about his ial, “Children of a lesser God” get wise only when incidents like more reforms and improve the
lack of empathy. We should (January 4). Former South these happen and several lives overall heath scenario of the
always greet people with a hand- African President Nelson are lost. To make matters worse, country.
shake or its cultural equivalent Mandela had said, “There can be instead of looking for a perma- Ramesh G Jethwani
and if it is declined, accept that no keener revelation of a soci- nent remedy with a view to Bengaluru
and move on. ety’s soul than the way in which averting a repeat, authorities
Dennis Fitzgerald it treats its children.” The JK Lon get embroiled in a blame game BT]Shh^daUUTTSQPRZcc^)
Australia Hospital incident is not a one- of sorts. [TccTabc^_X^]TTa/V\PX[R^\
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WKLQJLVEHLQJVHWLQPRWLRQWRGRVR8QIRUWXQDWHO\HWKLFVLQHQWHU social media and opinion makers left no stone 3>=48=>A34A Haus Khas. You could be dead in the role to play in the huge environmental send food to the city. But, nevertheless,
SULVHLVDYHU\OLPLWHGGRPDLQHYHQLQEXVLQHVVVFKRROV7KHHPSKD unturned to berate farmers for choking Delhi- C>1A8=63>F= latter location if you’re not extra cau- mess that we humans have created. we can ease this burden and reduce our
VLVVHHPVWREHPRUHRQSURSHUERRNNHHSLQJLQWHJULW\RIGRFXPHQ NCR and darkening our skies. They effectively C748A?>;;DC8>= tious. This needs to change and the We need a holistic consumer cen- dependency on food grown outside the
WDWLRQDQGVLPSOHPRUDOLW\RIWUXWKIXOQHVVDQGPRUH7KHUHFDQEHQRWK deflected attention from more serious polluters ;4E4;B1DC0 more we pedal, the faster it will come. tric solution. For each person, we need city.
LQJZURQJZLWKWKDW+RZHYHUWKHUHDUHRWKHUFRUHLVVXHV,WGRHVQ·W — cars and construction activities. ;0A64A?A>1;4< This is the first positive step we all can to first follow a three-step principle, a Change is coming to Delhi as
KDSSHQRQO\LQGLDPRQGV,WKDVWRGRZLWKPDWWHUVELJDQGVPDOO As we continue to asphyxiate long after the ;>><B take this New Year. Ditch the car, try a “Plastic Satyagraha,” — refuse, reduce urban gardening is proliferating around
LQFOXGLQJFKLOGODERXU7KHUHZDVDQHZVSDSHUUHSRUWRIFU\VWDOVFRORQLV crop residue burning season is over, the truth is cycle, even if once a week, for what is and reuse. We can refuse each time we the national Capital. City dwellers are
out. Cars are the major source of pollution. But D=033A4BB43¯ at stake is not just our air, it’s our sun- are given plastics. One simple way is leasing land collectively around
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the lobbyists don’t care for the real pollution. shine. tearing off all the packaging material at Gurugram and spending their week-
VKRZVSHUKDSVWKHODUJHVWFU\VWDOH[SRLQWKHZRUOG$YHU\ODUJH When India buys lesser cars, they term it as bad 30A:4=43BD= Plastic Satyagarha — Refuse, the shop you buy it from. Carry min- ends working on the farms and help-
VSHFLHVRIEXVLQHVVPHQIURPQHZDJHHQWKXVLDVWVWRPDMRUZKROH economic growth. And what does the 85H>D5;H8=C> reduce and reuse: While the Narendra imal or no plastic home. Next would be ing grow their own vegetables.
VDOHUVZRXOGQXPEHUDPRQJVWWKHFXVWRPHUVDQGWKHUHDUHQRSUL]HV Government do? The Odd-Even vehicle C7420?8C0;>=0 Modi Government’s move to ban sin- to reduce the use of plastic, or at least Rooftop gardening is another
IRUJXHVVLQJWKDWWKH86DQG(XURSHGRPLQDWHWKHXVHUV7KH\LQFOXGH rationing scheme of the Arvind Kejriwal-led BD==H30H8CB gle use plastic is commendable, the root try and replace each plastic item you use activity which finds much resonance
HYHU\WKLQJIURPPXVHXPVWRFU\VWDOKHDOHUV\RJDFHQWUHVWRZHOO Delhi Government did well to keep a few cars 70A3C><8BB of the problem is not extirpated. The with some natural alternative and last with young professionals in Indian
QHVVUHWDLOHUV7KLVLVDVSHFLILFIDOORXWRIWKHZHOOQHVVIHYHUZKLFK off the Capital’s roads but this was not a perma- C74C782:B<>6 problem of plastic is entwined with the try and reuse the plastic you have. cities. But to make this into a large
KDVVZHSWWKHZRUOG*RWRDQ\FLW\RUDVSLULQJFLW\DQGRQHEXVL nent solution. 4=E4;>?8=6C74 profits of the petrochemical industry If we don’t act now the “trash movement the municipal bodies or city
QHVVZKLFKLVRQWKHXSWDNHLVWKDWRIFU\VWDOVDQGJHPV7KHUHLV The expansion of the metro system is a great 28CH4E4=0C and I doubt there will be any decrease mountains of Delhi” will be higher than administration can step in and help
QRWKLQJZURQJZLWKWKDW7KHRQO\WKLQJLVWKDWLQDZRUOGZKHUHVR step forward but we need to do much more. We in profits or production of plastic in its the historic and iconic Qutub Minar convert some parts of public parks as
have to restrict taxis in the city and also heavi- !544CC74 various forms unless the demand soon. organic horticulture zones. These zones
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ly tax new car purchases in the Delhi-NCR plummets. Don’t buy it, try and grow it: will become carbon sinks and also
SULVHWKDWEHLQJVRFLDOPHGLDIULHQGO\OXEULFDWHVEXVLQHVV$HVWKHWLFV region, just the way progressive places like 8C70A34A5>A As plastic doesn’t only come in sin- Delhi is the top destination for thou- attract local residents to pay the city to
FRPELQHGZLWKFRVPLFVSLULWXDOLW\LVDKHDG\FRFNWDLO+HDOLQJFU\V Singapore have done in order to bring down their ?DA4BD=;867C gle use form, but in myriad forms start- sands of trucks each day carrying dif- grow their own vegetables and herbs.
WDOVDUHDJUHDWUDJHDQGZKHQDQ\WKLQJEHFRPHVVXFKDWUHQGSDV pollution levels. But a larger problem looms C>A4027DB8C ing from the phones to clothes to the ferent types of fruits, vegetables and so This encourages public participation
VLRQVWKHOLNHRIZKLFKFDQRQO\EHVHOHFWLYHO\GLVFXVVHGHQWHUWKH unaddressed — Delhi’s darkened Sun. If you fly 8B70A<5D;5>A toothbrush, comb and food packaging on. Whether it is the Azadpur Mandi and also gives a chance for urbanites to
VFHQH7RGD\WKHUHLVDFU\VWDOIRUHYHU\RFFDVLRQ7KHFHOHEULWLHV into the Capital on a sunny day, it’s hard to miss DB0=3>DA material. The irony, despite the ban on or other smaller wholesale vegetable learn about horticulture. As a big
WKHFROOHFWRUVWKHLQYHVWRUVDUHDOOLQWRLW the thick smog enveloping the city even at 20,000 ?;0=CB0B plastic, our landfills are filled with more markets, the transportation of food for bonus this may also generate addition-
3UHGLFWDEO\WKHFRQFHSWRIDPELHQWHQHUJ\HQWHUVWKHVFHQH<HW feet. The smog is making it harder for pure sun- BD=;867C8B of the material than ever before. Plastic Delhiites has a heavy carbon footprint. al revenue for the municipal bodies.
WKHIDWHRIPLQHUVRIFU\VWDOVHYHQLQWKHDJHRIURVHTXDUW]UHPLQG light to reach us. It is harmful for us and our A45A02C43>55 producing giants like Coca-Cola and If you look closer, the whole system of This 2020, no matter if you live in
HGRQHRIVFHQHVIURPWKH%ORRG'LDPRQG7KHUHLVDOPRVWDFRQ plants as sunlight is refracted off smog particles. PepsiCo continue to pump plastics into production that gets food to Delhi is Delhi or Chennai, try your hand at gar-
However, just taxing cars won’t be enough. B<>6?0AC82;4B the country through their bottles and extremely degrading. dening. It doesn’t matter if you grow a
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We need to create an alternative, carbon-free and packaging materials. It’s about time the From the growing stage, our food herb or a pumpkin, the trick is don’t buy
HVIURPWKHPRVWREYLRXVWRPRUHVXEWOHRQHVDUHDGLPHDGR]HQ safe transportation system. There is a need to look Modi Government took a bolder step is dozed with chemicals and then everything, try growing something
+RZHYHUWKHUHDSSHDUWREHYHU\IHZDSSO\LQJVFUXWLQ\WRWKHFU\V at cities like Copenhagen and so on and incen- based on the “polluter pays principle” sometimes kept in cold storage and this year. This is the only way we will
WDOLQGXVWU\7KHUHLVQRFHUWLILFDWLRQRIIDLUWUDGHLQFU\VWDOV7UDQVSDUHQF\ tivise cyclists by building separate cycle tracks and make these corporations liable for finally trucked to a wholesale vegetable reduce our carbon footprint and give
VFKHPHVWKHOLNHVRIZKLFKDUHWKHUHIRUJROGDQGGLDPRQGDUH\HW and infrastructure so more people can be linked our overflowing landfills and contam- market near you. Try and imagine each future generations a fighting chance at
WRHQWHUWKHFU\VWDOLQGXVWU\LQDQ\VLJQLILFDQWZD\3HUKDSVRQHGD\ to the metro system in a few pedals from work inated ground water. India needs to tax step and the kind of pollution each stage survival. It is time that we took some
PDQDJHPHQWH[SHUWVZLOOZDNHXSWRWKHVRUU\VWDWHRIDIIDLUVDQG or home. them while at the same time ban plas- causes. responsibility for our actions and
WKHGHVSLFDEOHFRQGLWLRQVRIVRPHRIWKHSRRUHVWRIWKHSRRULQYROYHG Currently Delhi doesn’t even have one ded- tic packaging. The food laws need to be Social media has ample videos impact on the environment and
LQWKHPLQLQJIRUFU\VWDOV3HUKDSVWKH\ZLOOPDNHDQLVVXHRIPDW icated corridor for cyclists, although Delhi has re-imagined to curb the menace of showcasing adulterations in our food. stopped waiting for the Government to
WHUVRIKXPDQGLJQLW\DQGVRXQGZRUNLQJFRQGLWLRQVLIQRWRIWHUUL hundreds of thousands who use the cycle every- micro-plastics in our food and water But this is a necessary evil, as Delhi, do something.
EOHEXVLQHVVSUDFWLFHV+RSHWKDWGD\FRPHVVRRQ day to work or for chores. The policymakers that are not just harming our health and much like other cities, cannot be self- (The writer is Programme Director
should understand there is a stark difference in the health of our children but are also sufficient in food supply and we need for Policy and Outreach at the National
7KHZULWHULVDZHOONQRZQPDQDJHPHQWFRQVXOWDQW cycling to Parliament and cycling in areas like
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>1455= ?0A0270
he regime of 13th century king
T of France, Louis IX, formulated
and imposed what are consid-
ered to be the first formal laws that pre-
scribed punishments for those found
to have committed blasphemy. The
punishments included the mutilation
of the tongue and the lips. Historian
Nora Berend writes in her book At the
Gate of Christendom that Louis IX
largely used his blasphemy laws against
Jews and Muslims and against his
Christian opponents. He also ordered
the burning of dozens of copies of the
Talmud — the central text of Rabbinic
Judaism — after claiming its contents
were “blasphemous.”
There was no concept of such a law
in the Muslim world at the time. As
Fareed Zakaria (quoting the renowned
South Asian Islamic scholar Maulana
Wahiddudin Khan) points out in an
article, “Nowhere does the Quran
prescribe the punishment of lashes, or
death, or any other physical punish-
ment.”
Yet, a detailed 2017 report by the
United States Commission on
International Religious Freedom placed
Iran and Pakistan as the top two coun-
tries whose blasphemy laws severely
deviated from recognised internation-
al human rights principles. The report
studied 71 countries where some form
of blasphemy laws exist. It then inves-
tigated the severity of these laws and
prepared a list. The top two names on
the list were of Iran and Pakistan.
According to the report, the blas-
phemy laws of these two countries were
also more likely to be misused and/or
encourage vigilante violence. To under-
stand how this happened, it is impor-
tant to investigate how the idea of the
blasphemy law evolved in Europe,
where it had originated. After 13th cen-
tury France, blasphemy laws also
appeared in England in the 15th cen-
tury during the reign of King Henry IX.
Between 1404 and 1504, dozens of
alleged “heretics” were killed for blas-
phemy. The 13th century blasphemy
law in France was finally repealed
almost 500 years after it was first
enforced. It was cancelled in 1791 soon
after a revolution toppled the French
monarchy and established a secular
nationalist republic in France. England’s
15th century blasphemy law was made
part of the British Common Law in the
17th century, but without the death
penalty. In 1949, a British judge ruled
that the law was a “dead letter” and “not
required anymore.”
It is interesting to note that vari-
ous forms of blasphemy laws were
enacted in Europe between the 13th
and 19th centuries, but no such law was
ever adopted by a Muslim-ruled region.
The first Muslim-majority region to
prescribe the death sentence for blas-
phemy was Saudi Arabia, when that
country came into being in 1932.
In South Asia, the idea of the blas-
phemy law was introduced by British
colonialists. It was first codified in India
in 1860 and then, as tensions and vio-
lence between Muslims, Sikhs and
Hindus increased, it was expanded in
hurting hapless animals who have no
1927. It did not carry the death sen-
tence. In 1947, when Pakistan came
into being, it adopted the 1927 law. It
carried a one-year prison sentence or
a fine. Pakistan thus became the sec-
ond Muslim country to have a blasphe-
my law. Libya adopted one in 1953 and
Indonesia in 1965. None carried the
death sentence.
However, the situation began to
mutate rather drastically when Shia
clerics came on top during the 1979
revolution in Iran. The new Islamic
regime enacted stern blasphemy laws,
making Iran only the second Muslim-
majority country to prescribe the
death penalty for blasphemy after
Saudi Arabia. Pakistan would become
the third and Taliban-ruled
Afghanistan, the fourth. In Pakistan,
the intransigent military regime of
General Zia that had come to power
in July 1977, upped the ante in 1980
when it added two more years of
imprisonment to the 1927 law. In
response to Iran’s increasing
“Islamisation”, Saudi Arabia began to
further beef up its blasphemy laws. The
Zia regime followed suit when, in 1982,
it further expanded the law by prescrib-
to depend on villages and the trucks to
ing life imprisonment for those found
guilty of “defiling the Muslim holy
texts.” A year after the 1985 election,
in which only pro-Zia parties and indi-
viduals took part, a new Parliament
came into being, led by Prime Minister
Muhammad Khan Junejo. Zia encour-
aged the Parliament to legislate laws
that would “truly turn Pakistan into an
Islamic state.”
Human rights activist and lawyer,
the late Asma Jahangir then delivered
a scathing speech at a Women’s Action
Forum (WAF) seminar in Islamabad
in which she asked why the ulema
(Muslim scholars) were being turned
into a political class. A member of the
Jamaat-i-Islami Liaqat Baloch and
another member of Zia’s Parliament,
Nisar Fatima, took slight at Jahangir’s
criticism and demanded that WAF be
banned.Fatima then accused Jahangir
of using inappropriate language for
Islam. A former justice of the Zia
regime’s Federal Shariat Court, Aftab
Hussain, disagreed. He told reporters
that he found nothing objectionable in
Jahangir’s speech. But Fatima contin-
ued to demand action. With a few of
her colleagues in the Parliament, she
Seed Association of India)
demanded that a Bill be tabled to add
the death penalty to the blasphemy law.
In the “debate” that ensued, only an
MNA from Jhang, Arif Khan, plead-
ed that patience be exhibited to pass a
Bill prescribing the death sentence. But
his voice was drowned out by those
who claimed that “divine displeasure
awaited those who would oppose the
Bill.” Ironically, the situation seemed to
have spiralled out of control for the
Junejo regime because some ministers
tried to stall the Bill. But they couldn’t
and it was passed into a law which
many experts believe is highly vague.
For example, a Multan court
recently sentenced a professor to death
for committing blasphemy, whereas the
Islamabad High Court rejected a peti-
tion against Prime Minister Imran
Khan (for allegedly committing blas-
phemy) when the court noted that “reli-
gion was a private matter.”
From 1947 until 1985, just 14 peo-
ple were charged under the blasphemy
law that carried a one-year sentence.
After 1986, when the death penal-
ty was added, over 1,500 people have
been charged.
(Courtesy: Dawn)
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etrol and diesel prices rose
P for the fourth straight day
on Sunday as global oil prices
jumped after the US killed a top
Iranian general, fanning fresh
fears of conflict in the crude-
rich Middle East.
Retail pump price of petrol
was hiked by 9 paise per litre
and that of diesel by 11 paise,
according to a price notification
of State-owned fuel retailers.
Petrol in Delhi now costs
C75.54 per litre - the highest in
more than a year, while a litre
of diesel comes for C68.51.
While global stock markets
were mixed following the US
killing of Qasem Soleimani, oil
prices jumped more than 3 per
cent on Friday. Oil markets will
reopen on Monday after the
weekend break. The killing of
Soleimani represents "a signif-
icant spike in geopolitical risks
and could lead to a direct con-
frontation between the US and
Iran," Oxford Economics said
in a commentary.
India is 84 per cent depen-
dant on imports to meet its oil
needs and any spike in global
prices has a direct bearing on
its economy. Not just imports
2BA_a^YTRcb
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80=BQ =4FH>A:
usiness leaders take up more
B social responsibility pro-
jects when they disagree with
White House, reveals a study.
Liberal CEOs invested more
in socially conscious activities,
like diversity initiatives and envi-
ronment conservation, when
they felt those values were threat-
ened, found the researchers.
"Republican Presidents
aren't as interested in those
values, so business leaders think,
'we need to do more to promote
and protect these values'," said
Nara Jeong, Assistant Professor
of Management at San
Francisco State University in US.
When business leaders
shared same political beliefs as
President, support for socially
conscious initiatives declined.
For left-leaning CEOs,
more likely to engage in social-
ly responsible activities, those
efforts declined by an average
of 18 per cent, Jeong said.
Business leaders with same
political orientation as
President might have an expec-
tation that Govt "will deliver on
social values they hold dear,"
said the study published in
journal Management Decision.
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but even domestic crude oil -
which forms the raw material
for making petrol, diesel and
other petroleum products - is
priced according to interna-
tional benchmarks.
Middle East accounts for
more than two-thirds of the
country's oil imports, with Iraq
and Saudi Arabia being the top
suppliers.
Even though import basket
has been sought to be diversi-
fied with oil being contracted
from nations such as US, pric-
ing in all the regions is governed
by international benchmarks
and rates went up everywhere
following Friday's strikes.
Officials said there is no
immediate threat of any supply
disruption to India and the
only impact would be felt in
prices.
For an economy that is
struggling to recover from a
six-year low growth rate of 4.5
6WDWHVILQDOLVHDFWLRQSODQ 8]eTbc\T]cbX]8]SXP]
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?C8Q =4F34;78
he Government on Sunday
T said eight States, including
Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh,
Punjab and Karnataka, have
finalised action plan for agri-
culture export policy which
aims to double such exports.
"The Agri Export Policy
was announced last year with
an objective of doubling the
export and ensuring doubling
of farmers' income. Many States
have nominated nodal agency
and nodal officer.
Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh,
Kerala, Nagaland, Tamil Nadu,
Assam, Punjab and Karnataka
have finalised the State Action
Plan and other States are at dif-
ferent stages of finalisation of
the action plan," the Ministry
of Commerce and Industry
said in a statement.
The Agricultural and
Processed Food Products
Export Development Authority
(APEDA) has been adopting a
focused approach for ensuring
greater involvement of the State
Governments for effective
implementation of Agri Export
Policy (AEP).
Throughout the year
APEDA held a series of meet-
ings with State Government
officials and other stakeholders
for preparation of State action
5VgV]`a^V_edZ_HVde2dZR 1DWLRQDO3HQVLRQ6FKHPHIRU
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80=BQ <D<108
ith the US killing of the
W top Iran commander
Qasem Soleimani tensions in
the Middle East have reignited
and any further development
on this front would be the most
importact factor for the Indian
equity market, along with its
global conterparts, in the com-
ing week.
Iran has vowed to take
"tough" revenge and global
leaders have raised concerns
over the the incident and its
eventualities. US President
Donald Trump, on the other
hand, has warned Iran that he
has identified 52 Iranian targets
per cent, a spike in oil prices
poses significant risk as it will
not just stoke inflation but
also lead to higher outgo on
Government subsidies on
cooking fuel.
"Nowhere in the world has
seen any supply being stopped
because of US strikes. Oil con-
tinues to flow as normal," an
official said.
Sunday's price increase is
the fourth straight day of retail
prices going up. Since January
2, petrol price has increased by
38 paise per litre while diesel
rates have gone up 55 paise.
Prices were unchanged
over the new year. Rates of
petrol have been on the
upswing since December 26
and that of diesel since
November 29, 2019. Diesel
prices have increased by C2.78
per litre over this period while
petrol has become costlier by
91 paise.
plan which included all essen-
tial components like produc-
tion clusters, capacity building,
infrastructure and logistics and
research and development and
budget requirements for the
implementation of AEP, it said.
Several rounds of discus-
sions were held with the
Ministry of Agriculture and
Farmers' Welfare, Department
of Animal Husbandr y &
Dairying, Ministry of Food
Processing Industries and other
agencies for seeking inputs for
formulating a strategy to
increase exports and address
the existing bottlenecks in the
trade.
State level monitoring
committees have been formed
in many of the States. Cluster
visits have been made by
APEDA nodal officers to the
product clusters, it added.
and will respond "very fast
and very hard" to any reprisal
from Tehran.
Oil and gold prices had
already surged on Friday after
reports surfaced of the General
being killed in Iraq, and both
the Sensex and Nifty50, along
with global indices, tumbled
during the day.
The same nervousness and
concern is likely to follow in the
coming week.
"Escalation between US
and Iran, will add crude prices
and geopolitical tensions
impacting the performance in
the short-term," said Vinod
Nair of Geojit Financial
Services.
Siddhartha Khemka, Head
of Retail Research at Motilal
Oswal Financial Services said:
"Markets could be volatile
going ahead due to risk of pos-
sible retaliation from Iran."
However, there are also
some positive global and
domestic factors which are
likely to provide support to the
market in the coming days,
including the Trump's recent
announcement to sign the first
phase of the US-China trade
deal.
In a major sign of improve-
ment in the manufacturing
segment, the IHS Markit India
80=BQ =4F34;78
n a major turn in the Tata-
Mistry saga, Cyrus Mistry on
Sunday said that he would not
take up the chairmanship of
Tata Sons or become director
of any Tata Group company but
pursue all options to protect the
Shapoorji Pallonji Group's
rights as minority stakeholder,
including a seat at the Tata
Sons' Board.
He said that his decision
has been made in the interests
of the Tata Group, "whose
interests are far more important
then the interests of any indi-
vidual".
"To dispel the misinfor-
mation campaign being con-
ducted, I intend to make it clear
that despite the NCLAT order
in my favour, I will not be pur-
suing the Executive
Chairmanship of Tata Sons, or
Directorship of TCS, Tata
Teleservices or Tata Industries.
"I will however vigorously
pursue all options to protect our
rights as a minority sharehold-
er, including that of resuming
the thirty year history of a seat
at the Board of Tata Sons and the
incorporation of the highest
standards of corporate gover-
nance and transparency at Tata
Sons," he said, in a statement.
To recent media reports
attributed to Ratan Tata and
others questioning the NCLAT
judgment ahead of an hearing
in the Supreme Court, he con-
tended these "profess an inter-
pretation of corporate democ-
racy as being one of brute
majoritarianism with no rights
The roadmap for cluster
development in the clusters
notified under AEP was pre-
pared to address the identified
interventions during the clus-
ter visits.
"As a result of cluster vis-
its by APEDA, the cluster level
committee has been constitut-
ed in the states viz. Potato in
Punjab, isabgol in Rajasthan,
pomegranate, orange and
grapes in Maharashtra and
banana in Tamil Nadu," the
statement said.
APEDA organised a num-
ber of seminars and meetings
for the implementation of AEP
throughout the year.
A Memorandum of
Understanding was signed with
the National Cooperative
Development Corporation to
include co-operatives for active
role in AEP.
Manufacturing PMI rose to
52.7 in December from 51.2 in
November.
Further, the gross GST col-
lection in December 2019
announced last week, grew by
8.92 per cent year-on-year to
1.03 lakh crore, although
remaining below the target of
C1.10 lakh crore set by the
Government.
This growth in GST col-
lection is also likely to boost
market sentiments, analysts
said, along with the
Government's latest announce-
ment of a C102 lakh crore
infrastructure pipeline.
"Few positive domestic
data, like improvement in GST
revenue and India factory pro-
duction to 7-month high, has
brought a broad-based rally,"
Nair said.
He added that the global
market may also trade in the
positive in anticipation of
improvement in economy and
uptick in steel prices post the
announcement of US-China
first phase deal to be signed on
January 15.
Another major factor for
the domestic market senti-
ments in the coming week
would be the corporate earning
results for the quarter-ending
December, analysts added.
for minority stakeholders".
"The question in these legal
proceedings is whether oppres-
sive actions of a majority that
stifles minority shareholders is
beyond reproach and outside
judicial oversight," he added.
Mistry said that the found-
ing fathers of the Tata Group
had laid a strong ethical foun-
dation that cared for all stake-
holders and the relationship
between the Tata Group and
the Shapoorji Pallonji Group is
one spanning multiple decades
that was built on common
agreement and mutual faith.
"Former Tata leaders
worked together with the
minority partner to create value
for all stakeholders."
The statement comes just
days after Tata Sons and it
Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata
moved the Supreme Court
challenging the National
Company Law Appellate
Tribunal's December verdict
which ordered the reinstate-
ment of Mistr y as the
Chairman of Tata Sons.
Ratan Tata, in the petition
filed in the top court on
January 3, had said that that the
appellate tribunal's verdict was
"erroneous" and it "pulled
down" the governance and cor-
porate structure of the group.
On Mistry's replacement as
the Chairman of Tata Sons, he
told the apex court in his peti-
tion that the relationship
between Mistry and Tata Trusts
had become discordant and it
was felt by Tata Trusts that he
could not provide robust lead-
ership to Tata Sons in future.
 #Q]X]! ()AT_^ac
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?C8Q =4F34;78
Icentnvestments in Indian tech-
enabled start-ups grew 18 per
to $14 billion (about
C99,400 crore) in 2019, with
Delhi-NCR and Bengaluru
accounting for a lion's share of
the funds, a report by research
and consulting firm HexGn
said.
India has performed better
both in the number of deals as
well as funding in value terms
with companies like Oyo,
Paytm, Ola Electric, Udaan,
Bounce and Delhiver y
raising large rounds, the report
said.
"While the number of
startup deals in India fell by
only 15 per cent (down 27 per
cent globally and in Asia),
funding in value terms in star-
tups rose by 18 per cent (com-
pared to a 22 per cent decline
globally and 56 per cent fall in
Asia)," it added.
Globally, the total funding
for technology start-ups is esti-
mated to have dipped by 22 per
cent to $293 billion from $375
billion in 2018, with a 27 per
?C8Q =4F34;78
he National Pension
T Scheme for Traders and
Self-Employed Persons has
failed to gain traction as only
about 25,000 persons have
opted for the scheme as against
the government's target to
enrol 50 lakh by March-end.
As per Government data,
only 84 traders and self-
employed persons from Delhi
have registered for the scheme
so far, while 59 persons from
Kerala, 54 from Himachal
Pradesh, 29 from Jammu and
Kashmir and two from Goa
have registered.
No one has registered for
the scheme in Lakshadweep
and Mizoram.
Uttar Pradesh has the high-
est number of registrations
with 6,765 persons, followed by
Andhra Pradesh (4,781),
Gujarat (2,915), Maharashtra
(632), Bihar (583), Rajasthan
(549), Tamil Nadu (309),
Madhya Pradesh (305) and
West Bengal (234).
The National Pension
Scheme for Traders and Self
Employed Persons (Pradhan
Mantri Laghu Vyapari Maan-
dhan Yojana) is a voluntary and
contribution based central sec-
tor scheme.
80=BQ <D<108
ata Consultancy Services
T (TCS) has filed an appeal
in the Supreme Court against
the NCLAT judgement direct-
ing reinstatement of Cyrus
Pallonji Mistry as Director of
the Company.
"The company has on
January 3 filed an appeal
before the Supreme Court
against the judgement of
NCLAT dated December 18,
directing reinstatement of
Cyrus Pallonji Mistry as
Director of the Company for
the rest of the tenure," said
TCS in a regulatory filing on
Saturday.
Last month, NCLAT had
restored Mistry as executive
chairman of Tata Sons and
ruled that appointment of N
Chandrasekaran was "illegal".
In response to this decision,
Tata Sons moved the apex
court.
Besides, Ratan Tata had
on Friday moved the Supreme
Court in his personal capac-
ity challenging the NCLAT's
verdict reinstating Cyrus
Mistr y as Tata Sons
Chairman, alleging that in
an instance of conflict of
interest, Mistry was reluctant
to disassociate himself from
his family business even after
he became the chairman of
cent drop in deals, the report
said.
In Asia, funding
dropped by 56 per cent to
$ 83 billion in 2019 from $158
billion in the previous
year.
HexGn analysed over
60,000 deals and 1 million
data points for the report.
Delhi-NCR attracted $7.4
billion in funding, while
Bengaluru-based start-ups
received $4.4 billion in 2019, it
said.
E-commerce has custom-
arily been the sector to attract
the most funding in India and
in 2019 too, it continued its
strong march and attracted
$2.2 billion in funding, the
report added.
Transportation and logis-
tics start-ups attracted funding
of over $2.4 billion.
While fintech companies
raised over $4.1 billion, given
the considerable potential of
the sector and thrust
towards transparency
and digital payments
from the Indian Government,
it noted.
Q 0b_Ta6^ecSPcP^][h'#caPSTab
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The Government launched
the scheme, entailing monthly
minimum assured pension of
C3,000 for the entry age group
of 18-40 years after attaining
the age of 60 years, with effect
from July 22, 2019.
Under the scheme, the
Government makes matching
contribution in the subscribers'
account.
Commenting on the luke-
warm response to the scheme,
Confederation of All India
Traders (CAIT) Secretary
General Praveen Khandelwal
said the entry age and the pre-
mium for the scheme should be
raised to encourage more
traders to join the scheme.
"C3,000 to be given after 30
Tata Sons.
The former Tata Sons
chief moved the Supreme
Court in his personal capac-
ity, a day after Tata Sons
moved the apex court chal-
lenging the National
Company Law Appellate
Tribunal's (NCLAT)
December 18 judgement.
Ratan Tata in his petition
to the top court mentioned
that disassociation from his
family business, the Shapoorji
Pallonji Group, was a pre-
condition for Mistr y's
appointment as Tata Sons
Chairman.
"Amongst the various
fronts where Cyrus Mistry's
leadership was lacking was his
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?C8Q 908?DA
inance Minister Nirmala
F Sitharaman on Sunday said
the Centre has taken steps to
address the challenges faced by
various sectors without waiting
for the Budget.
She also said that GST col-
lection, which crossed C1 lakh
crore per month mark during
the last two months, will
remain "good" in coming
days."The Government has
been regularly taking steps to
help sectors which are facing
years of paying premium will
hardly have any value. Why
have traders aged between 40
and 55 years been kept out of
the scheme? The Government
can increase premium for this
age group (40-55) instead of
depriving them of the scheme's
benefits. These are two big
drawbacks," Khandelwal told
PTI.
He said the traders' body
had suggested to the govern-
ment that a provident fund like
provision be made whereby a
fund is created out of the total
tax paid by a trader throughout
his/her life, out of which every
trader can be paid monthly
pension upon attaining the
age of 60.
reluctance to timely and
meaningfully disassociate
himself from his family busi-
ness after he became the
Chairman of Tata Sons and
address any conflict in this
regard, which was a condition
precedent to his appointment
as Chairman of Tata Sons,"
Ratan Tata's petition said.
The petition said that
Mistry's leadership lacked on
various fronts and in the
months before his replace-
ment the relationship between
him and Tata Trusts became
discordant. Tata also said that
Tata Trusts strongly felt that
Mistry could not provide
robust leadership to Tata Sons
in future.
challenges. Without waiting
for the Budget, we are taking
the steps," the Minister said at
a press conference here.
Stating that the Centre
does not differentiate between
BJP ruled States and non-BJP
ruled States, she said that dues
of States were not being held
back by the Centre, and funds
were being given as per the rec-
ommendation of 14th Finance
Commission.
"The GST collection has
gone above C1 lakh crore per
month. It will remain good in
the days to come," Sitharaman
said.
She also said that credit
was made available to people
through non-banking financial
companies and banks during
the festive season of Navratri
and Diwali.
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urther escalation in the ten-
F sion between the US and
Iran will have implications on
India's exports to the Persian
Gulf nation, apex exporters
body FIEO said on Sunday.
Federation of Indian
Export Organisations (FIEO)
Director General Ajay Sahai
said so far exporters have not
flagged any concerns related
with exports to Iran. "However,
if the tensions will continue, it
may have affect on India's
exports to Iran," he said.
He added that due to exist-
ing trade sanctions on Iran,
Iranian shipping lines are only
taking Indian consignments
to that country.
Tensions between Iran and
the US increased after an
American drone strike killed
top Iranian general Qasem
Soleimani last week. Iran is a
key trading partner of India. Its
major exports to India are oil,
fertilisers and chemicals, while
it imports cereals, tea, coffee,
basmati rice, spices and organ-
ic chemicals, among others.
India's exports to the Persian
Gulf nation in 2018-19 were
worth USD 3.51 billion.
=4F34;78k<>=30H k90=D0AH %!! Ud]Sb
Scheme NAV 1Yr% Sundaram Select Small Cap 15.50 16.39 IDFC Large Cap Fund-Reg(G) 34.09 12.51 Edelweiss Mid Cap Fund-Reg(G) 27.26 8.02 HDFC Capital Builder Value Fund(G) 288.47 2.58
Kotak World Gold Fund(G) 10.90 37.11 Series-III-Reg(G) ICICI Pru Smallcap Fund(G) 26.28 12.50 ICICI Pru Bharat Consumption 10.45 7.95 Aditya Birla SL Resurgent 9.64 2.55
ICICI Pru US Bluechip Equity 32.31 36.91 IDBI Banking & Financial Services 11.48 16.31 ICICI Pru Growth Fund-2(DP) 12.82 12.46 Fund-4-(G) India Fund-5-Reg(G)
Fund(G) Fund-Reg(G) Franklin India Focused Equity 42.49 12.43 L&T Business Cycle Fund-Reg(G) 15.71 7.93 IDFC Equity Opportunity-5-Reg(G) 10.11 2.43
Franklin India Feeder - Franklin 35.09 35.81 Sundaram Select Small Cap 10.54 16.28 Fund(G) Franklin India Opportunities Fund(G)73.97 7.86 Templeton India Value Fund(G) 246.48 2.42
U.S. Opportunities Fund(G) Series-VI-Reg(G) DSP A.C.E. Fund-Sr 2-Reg(G) 10.67 12.42 ICICI Pru Value Fund-16(G) 11.27 7.85 Nippon India Capital Builder 7.99 2.38
Nippon India US Equity Opp 17.59 34.68 Sundaram Select Small Cap 15.52 16.26 DSP 3Y Close Ended Equity 16.13 12.41 IDBI Equity Advantage Fund-Reg(G) 28.13 7.82 Fund-IV-B(G)
Fund(G) Series-IV-Reg(G) Fund-Reg(G) UTI India Consumer Fund-Reg(G) 27.07 7.68 L&T Midcap Fund-Reg(G) 134.22 2.31
DSP World Gold Fund-Reg(G) 14.80 33.39 BNP Paribas Long Term Equity 41.44 16.24 Axis Midcap Fund-Reg(G) 39.65 12.39 Nippon India India Opp 11.04 7.62 Sundaram Mid Cap Fund(G) 465.42 2.22
Franklin Asian Equity Fund(G) 25.04 32.77 Fund(G) Kotak India Growth Fund-Sr 7(G) 10.97 12.32 Fund-Sr-A(G) ICICI Pru Midcap Fund(G) 95.77 2.17
Principal Global Opportunities 32.79 32.27 PGIM India Large Cap Fund(G) 179.47 16.23 SBI Equity Opp Fund-Sr IV-Reg(G) 16.12 12.31 SBI Magnum Global Fund-Reg(G) 178.46 7.54 SBI Healthcare Opp Fund-Reg(G) 120.16 2.05
Fund(G) Sundaram Select Small Cap 10.79 16.22 SBI Equity Opp Fund-Sr I-Reg(G) 16.87 12.22 L&T Tax Advt Fund-Reg(G) 55.89 7.52 UTI Mid Cap Fund-Reg(G) 100.97 1.89
PGIM India Global Equity Opp 20.89 32.22 Series-V-Reg(G) Aditya Birla SL Digital India Fund(G) 55.59 12.21 L&T India Value Fund-Reg(G) 36.46 7.44 SBI Contra Fund-Reg(G) 105.65 1.81
Fund(G) Tata Nifty ETF 123.87 16.14 Canara Rob Equity Tax Saver 68.52 12.20 ICICI Pru Value Fund-10(G) 11.97 7.35 UTI LT Adv Fund-IV(G) 10.34 1.38
Kotak US Equity Fund(G) 18.53 28.59 Mirae Asset Nifty 50 ETF 123.92 16.13 Fund-Reg(G) ICICI Pru Nifty Low Vol 30 ETF 92.05 7.26 Baroda Mid-cap Fund(G) 8.83 1.03
DSP US Flexible Equity 28.13 28.23 UTI Focussed Equity Fund-I(G) 14.65 16.03 Tata Value Fund-Sr-2-Reg(G) 10.15 12.18 L&T Equity Fund-Reg(G) 83.81 7.17 SBI Consumption Opp Fund-Reg(G) 116.61 1.02
Fund-Reg(G) HDFC Nifty 50 ETF 1283.3316.00 Tata Value Fund-Sr-1-Reg(G) 10.49 12.17 Baroda ELSS 96(G) 44.96 7.10 Nippon India Power & Infra Fund(G) 96.44 0.98
Sundaram Fin Serv Opp Fund(G) 48.45 27.52 Aditya Birla SL India 91.61 15.99 DSP Midcap Fund-Reg(G) 57.89 12.10 Aditya Birla SL Tax Relief '96(ELSS 32.43 7.03 ICICI Pru Bharat Consumption 9.76 0.93
Tata Banking & Financial Services 21.57 27.49 GenNext Fund(G) PGIM India Diversified Equity 14.00 12.00 U/S 80C of IT ACT)(G) Fund-2-(G)
Fund-Reg(G) Axis Nifty ETF 1260.6815.96 Fund-Reg(G) Aditya Birla SL Tax Relief '96(G) 32.43 7.03 L&T Emerging Opp Fund-I-Reg(D) 9.46 0.73
Edelweiss Emerging Markets Opp 14.26 26.96 Tata Large & Mid Cap Fund(G) 220.71 15.82 Axis Capital Builder Fund-1-Reg(G) 10.99 11.91 SBI Magnum TaxGain'93-Reg(G) 145.06 7.01 Sundaram Emerging Small 9.53 0.65
Eq. Offshore Fund-Reg(G) UTI Nifty Index Fund-Reg(G) 80.26 15.81 JM Core 11 Fund(G) 9.35 11.88 Invesco India Smallcap Fund-Reg(G) 11.00 7.00 Cap-Sr-IV-Reg(G)
Kotak Global Emerging Mkt 17.48 25.28 Tata India Tax Savings Fund-Reg(G) 19.36 15.75 UTI MEPUS 112.69 11.73 Kotak India Growth Fund-Sr 4(G) 9.61 6.88 UTI LT Adv Fund-V(G) 9.50 0.52
Fund(G) SBI Magnum Comma Fund-Reg(G) 38.75 15.66 ICICI Pru Value Fund-11(G) 13.17 11.61 Kotak Infra & Eco Reform Fund(G) 20.25 6.87 Aditya Birla SL Resurgent India 9.74 0.31
Aditya Birla SL Intl. Equity 23.95 25.19 Parag Parikh Long Term Equity 26.94 15.66 Kotak Emerging Equity Fund(G) 40.97 11.56 Edelweiss ETF - Nifty 100 Quality 30 287.25 6.76 Fund-4-Reg(G)
ICICI Pru S&P BSE 500 ETF 160.83 11.42 Invesco India Multicap Fund(G) 48.74 6.75 Nippon India Small Cap Fund(G) 39.52 0.26
ICICI Pru LT Equity Fund 394.88 11.39 HDFC Focused 30 Fund(G) 78.21 6.71 Tata India Consumer Fund-Reg(G) 17.26 0.23
(Tax Saving)(G) Principal Dividend Yield Fund(G) 54.52 6.69 L&T Infrastructure Fund-Reg(G) 15.52 0.13
ICICI Pru NV20 ETF 57.70 11.37 HDFC TaxSaver(G) 522.71 6.69 Aditya Birla SL Infrastructure 30.39 0.07
Invesco India Tax Plan(G) 53.75 11.33 Aditya Birla SL MNC Fund-Reg(G) 786.68 6.68 Fund(G)
Aditya Birla SL Equity Advantage 426.40 11.33 ICICI Pru Value Fund-13(D) 10.80 6.61 Sundaram Emerging Small 9.19 0.02
Fund(G) IDFC Core Equity Fund-Reg(G) 46.07 6.47 Cap-Sr-III-Reg(G)
PGIM India Large Cap 13.13 11.27 Aditya Birla SL Dividend 164.76 6.43 Sundaram Value Fund-VII-Reg(G) 8.65 -0.18
Fund-2-Reg(G) Yield Fund(G) UTI MNC Fund-Reg(G) 196.84 -0.18
Aditya Birla SL Equity Fund(G) 766.12 11.26 DSP Equal Nifty 50 Fund-Reg(G) 9.97 6.26 IDBI Midcap Fund(G) 10.46 -0.29
ICICI Pru Bharat Consumption 11.31 11.21 JM Large Cap Fund(G) 68.39 6.22 ICICI Pru Dividend Yield Equity 16.18 -0.31
Fund-5-(G) Invesco India Midcap Fund(G) 50.48 6.21 Fund(G)
Mirae Asset Great Consumer 37.36 11.02 ICICI Pru Infrastructure Fund(G) 51.01 6.05 SBI-ETF Sensex Next 50 322.71 -0.33
Fund-Reg(G) UTI Dividend Yield Fund-Reg(G) 66.20 6.03 Aditya Birla SL Midcap Fund(G) 278.99 -0.47
Motilal Oswal Midcap 30 26.70 10.91 Principal Multi Cap Growth Fund(G) 144.92 6.01 IDFC Infrastructure Fund-Reg(G) 14.33 -0.49
Fund-Reg(G) L&T Emerging Opp Fund-II-Reg(D) 10.28 5.98 HDFC Infrastructure Fund(G) 15.64 -0.49
Aditya Birla SL Intl. Equity Fund-B(G)19.37 10.89 Franklin India Equity Fund(G) 595.91 5.87 Sundaram Emerging Small 9.66 -0.56
Edelweiss Long Term Equity 48.56 10.84 Principal Nifty 100 Equal Weight 72.81 5.74 Cap-Sr-V-Reg(G)
Fund (Tax Savings)-Reg(G) Fund(G) Aditya Birla SL Mfg. Equity 12.93 -1.15
Fund-A(G) Fund-Reg(G) Edelweiss Tax Advantage 42.25 10.83 Franklin India Prima Fund(G) 970.41 5.66 Fund-Reg(G)
Invesco India Feeder - Invesco 14.18 24.85 IDFC Nifty ETF 126.37 15.66 Fund-Reg(G) Tata Infrastructure Fund-Reg(G) 55.61 5.66 Sundaram Emerging Small 8.40 -1.26
Global Equity Income Fund(G) BNP Paribas Multi Cap Fund(G) 50.92 15.64 Canara Rob Emerg Equities 97.25 10.64 Sundaram Emerging Small 10.76 5.52 Cap-Sr-II-Reg(G)
Baroda Banking & Fin Serv Fund(G) 26.06 23.98 L&T India Large Cap Fund-Reg(G) 29.05 15.64 Fund-Reg(G) Cap-Sr-VII-Reg(G) IDFC Equity Opportunity-4-Reg(G) 7.54 -1.57
SBI Tax Advantage Fund-III-Reg(G) 28.24 23.75 Kotak Equity Opp Fund(G) 129.28 15.63 Baroda Multi Cap Fund(G) 100.85 10.63 ICICI Pru FMCG Fund(G) 246.71 5.31 IDBI Small Cap Fund(G) 9.16 -2.24
Edelweiss Eur Dynamic Equity 12.00 23.54 HDFC Index Fund-NIFTY 50 Plan(G)111.67 15.53 PGIM India LT Equity Fund-Reg(G) 14.80 10.61 ICICI Pru Bharat Consumption 10.56 5.28 Sundaram Emerging Small 8.09 -2.53
Off-shr Fund-Reg(G) IDFC Nifty Fund-Reg(G) 25.36 15.38 ICICI Pru Value Fund-14(G) 11.13 10.53 Fund-1-(G) Cap-Sr-I-Reg(G)
ICICI Pru Global Stable Equity 17.06 23.18 ICICI Pru Nifty Index Fund(G) 118.53 15.37 Axis Emerging Opp Fund-1-Reg(G) 13.17 10.30 Canara Rob Infrastructure 45.03 5.26 Franklin India Smaller Cos Fund(G) 50.72 -2.80
Fund(FOF)(G) Tata Index Fund-Nifty Plan(G) 74.11 15.35 Aditya Birla SL Frontline Equity 234.17 10.28 Fund-Reg(G) IDFC Sterling Value Fund-Reg(G) 48.26 -3.03
DSP World Mining Fund-Reg(G) 9.18 23.12 Kotak Tax Saver Fund(G) 47.21 15.34 Fund(G) Sundaram Emerging Small 10.87 5.25 UTI LT Adv Fund-VII(G) 8.55 -3.13
Nippon India Japan Equity Fund(G) 14.31 23.11 Mirae Asset Large Cap Fund-Reg(G) 54.54 15.26 HDFC Top 100 Fund(G) 503.98 10.19 Cap-Sr-VI-Reg(G) Sundaram Small Cap Fund(G) 77.29 -3.27
Invesco India Financial Services 63.85 23.05 Motilal Oswal Long Term Equity 18.81 15.17 IDFC Focused Equity Fund-Reg(G) 38.42 10.18 Franklin India Equity Advantage 80.63 5.24 Sundaram Value Fund-IX-Reg(G) 8.84 -3.96
Fund(G) Fund-Reg(G) Edelweiss Multi-Cap Fund-Reg(G) 15.13 10.09 Fund(G) Sundaram Value Fund-X-Reg(G) 8.80 -4.14
Aditya Birla SL Global Emerging 14.32 22.92 L&T Focused Equity Fund-Reg(G) 11.59 15.15 Aditya Birla SL Resurgent India 12.52 10.02 Tata Ethical Fund-Reg(G) 161.73 5.12 UTI LT Adv Fund-VI(G) 8.17 -5.01
Opp Fund(G) SBI Nifty Index Fund-Reg(G) 105.17 15.08 Fund-2-Reg(G) Nippon India Tax Saver (ELSS) 56.29 5.09 Sundaram Select Micro Cap-Series 12.57 -5.25
Sundaram Services Fund-Reg(G) 12.60 22.50 SBI LT Advantage Fund-III-Reg(G) 14.08 15.00 Nippon India Large Cap Fund(G) 35.97 9.97 Fund(G) IX-Reg(G)
PGIM India Euro Equity Fund(G) 14.87 22.09 BNP Paribas Focused 25 Equity 10.33 14.91 ICICI Pru Growth Fund-3(DP) 10.86 9.92 HDFC Equity Opp Fund-Sr 10.55 5.07 Nippon India Capital Builder 7.52 -5.34
SBI Banking & Financial Services 20.06 21.84 Fund-Reg(G) Tata Digital India Fund-Reg(G) 15.39 9.90 2-1126D-May 2017(1)-Reg(G) Fund-IV-D(G)
Fund-Reg(G) Nippon India Index Fund - Nifty 20.47 14.86 Sundaram TOP 100-Sr VI-Reg(G) 12.94 9.73 IDFC Tax Advt(ELSS) Fund-Reg(G) 55.55 4.99 Sundaram Select Micro Cap-Series 12.63 -5.35
Aditya Birla SL Global Real Estate 21.16 21.07 Plan(G) ICICI Pru Value Fund-8(D) 11.18 9.72 Nippon India Multi Cap Fund(G) 98.65 4.98 VIII-Reg(G)
Fund(G) IDBI Nifty Index Fund(G) 22.57 14.85 Sundaram TOP 100-Sr VII-Reg(G) 12.71 9.65 PGIM India Midcap Opp 18.36 4.91 UTI Transportation & Logistics 93.70 -5.40
DSP Focus Fund-Reg(G) 25.93 20.87 Aditya Birla SL Index Fund-Reg(G) 120.04 14.85 DSP India T.I.G.E.R Fund-Reg(G) 93.34 9.63 Fund-Reg(G) Fund-Reg(G)
SBI Tax advantage Fund-II(G) 40.51 20.83 Kotak India Growth Fund-Sr 5(G) 10.51 14.80 Tata Mid Cap Growth Fund(G) 142.85 9.63 Sundaram Smart NIFTY 100 Eq 11.97 4.89 L&T Emerging Businesses 23.23 -5.45
Sundaram Global Brand Fund(G) 18.30 20.33 ICICI Pru Value Fund-18(G) 12.22 14.74 ICICI Pru Value Fund-17(G) 10.88 9.57 Weight Fund-Reg(G) Fund-Reg(G)
BNP Paribas India Consumption 12.90 19.97 JM Value Fund(G) 33.74 14.65 Sundaram LT Tax Adv Fund-Sr 15.36 9.50 UTI Core Equity Fund-Reg(G) 62.59 4.79 Sundaram LT Tax Adv Fund-Sr 9.23 -5.91
Fund-Reg(G) SBI LT Advantage Fund-V-Reg(G) 10.81 14.56 II-Reg(G) Sundaram Infra Advantage Fund(G) 31.94 4.78 IV-Reg(G)
Motilal Oswal Focused 25 24.44 19.95 IDBI India Top 100 Equity Fund(G) 25.90 14.55 Nippon India Focused Equity 48.17 9.49 Principal Tax Savings Fund 209.03 4.57 Sundaram LT Tax Adv Fund-Sr 7.94 -6.07
Fund-Reg(G) Kotak Standard Multicap Fund(G) 37.64 14.54 Fund(G) ICICI Pru Technology Fund(G) 59.12 4.49 III-Reg(G)
Axis Bluechip Fund-Reg(G) 32.02 19.52 Franklin India Index Fund-NSE 96.68 14.54 Motilal Oswal Multicap 35 27.05 9.47 Sundaram Rural and Consumption 42.32 4.47 Aditya Birla SL Resurgent India 7.93 -6.60
Edelweiss ETF - Nifty Bank 3267.5519.48 Nifty(G) Fund-Reg(G)
DSP World Agriculture Fund-Reg(G) 17.48 19.44 SBI LT Advantage Fund-II-Reg(G) 14.53 14.52 UTI Infrastructure Fund-Reg(G) 54.23 9.46
Sundaram Multi Cap Fund-Sr 11.23 19.19 Baroda Large Cap Fund(G) 15.39 14.25 SBI Large & Midcap Fund-Reg(G) 230.97 9.43
II-Reg(G) UTI Focussed Equity Fund-V(G) 10.26 14.21 IDFC Multi Cap Fund-Reg(G) 96.49 9.37
BNP Paribas Large Cap Fund(G) 97.85 18.85 SBI Technology Opp Fund-Reg(G) 68.16 14.18 DSP Healthcare Fund-Reg(G) 11.00 9.37
Sundaram Multi Cap Fund-Sr 11.25 18.70 ICICI Pru LT Wealth Enhancement 11.54 14.14 Sundaram Value Fund-III-Reg(G) 17.37 9.24
I-Reg(G) Fund(G) Axis Emerging Opp Fund-2-Reg(G) 12.65 9.24
JM Multicap Fund(G) 34.90 18.67 SBI LT Advantage Fund-VI-Reg(G) 11.22 14.14 HDFC Growth Opp Fund-Reg(G) 117.05 9.24
DSP Equity Fund-Reg(G) 42.85 18.45 Tata Large Cap Fund(G) 231.64 14.09 HDFC Equity Fund(G) 678.50 9.23
DSP World Energy Fund-Reg(G) 13.92 18.39 ICICI Pru Growth Fund-1(DP) 12.01 14.06 Nippon India Growth Fund(G) 1152.76 9.16
DSP Global Allocation Fund-Reg(G) 13.53 18.29 SBI BlueChip Fund-Reg(G) 41.70 14.03 ICICI Pru Exports & Services 58.73 9.10
Axis Growth Opp Fund-Reg(G) 11.93 18.24 Aditya Birla SL Focused Equity 63.21 14.03 Fund(G)
Aditya Birla SL Sensex ETF 388.01 18.09 Fund(G) Principal Emerging Bluechip Fund(G) 108.46 9.05
Axis Multicap Fund-Reg(G) 12.73 18.09 Principal Focused Multicap Fund(G) 69.26 13.95 Nippon India Vision Fund(G) 546.77 9.04
Mirae Asset Emerging 58.23 18.08 Canara Rob Equity Diver 142.05 13.91 DSP Natural Res & New Energy 33.04 9.02
Bluechip-Reg(G) Fund-Reg(G) Fund-Reg(G)
Canara Rob Bluechip Equity 27.29 18.04 Edelweiss Large Cap Fund(G) 37.83 13.91 Sundaram Value Fund-II-Reg(G) 16.68 8.97
Fund-Reg(G) UTI Focussed Equity Fund-VI(G) 10.72 13.86 Nippon India Capital Builder 10.25 8.95
Invesco India Feeder - Invesco 11.31 18.02 Tata Resources & Energy 15.12 13.85 Fund-IV-A(G)
Pan European Equity Fund-Reg(G) Fund-Reg(G) ICICI Pru Multicap Fund(G) 301.55 8.88 Fund(G) Fund-7-Reg(G)
HDFC Sensex ETF 4363.0417.99 DSP Equity Opportunities 235.61 13.82 Invesco India Infrastructure Fund(G) 17.69 8.86 ICICI Pru Manufacture in India 10.46 4.39 HDFC Small Cap Fund-Reg(G) 39.31 -6.80
DSP Top 100 Equity Fund-Reg(G) 227.01 17.92 Fund-Reg(G) SBI PSU Fund-Reg(G) 10.51 8.85 Fund(G) Sundaram Select Micro Cap-Series 12.25 -7.00
IDFC Sensex ETF 427.97 17.74 SBI LT Advantage Fund-I-Reg(G) 14.04 13.79 Mirae Asset Healthcare Fund-Reg(G) 11.06 8.80 UTI-Nifty Next 50 ETF 292.81 4.31 X-Reg(G)
SBI Focused Equity Fund-Reg(G) 153.72 17.55 Canara Rob Consumer Trends 42.36 13.72 IDBI Dividend Yield Fund-Reg(G) 10.90 8.78 ICICI Pru Bharat Consumption 10.60 4.23 Sundaram Select Micro Cap-Series 8.94 -7.08
Mirae Asset Tax Saver Fund-Reg(G) 19.23 17.55 Fund-Reg(G) IDBI Diversified Equity Fund(G) 22.30 8.78 Fund-3-(G) XII-Reg(G)
HDFC Index Fund-Sensex(G) 368.65 17.52 UTI Banking and Financial 103.71 13.55 Nippon India Consumption Fund(G) 67.99 8.78 Principal Personal Tax saver Fund 195.52 4.22 Nippon India Capital Builder 7.23 -7.16
Tata Index Fund-Sensex Plan(G) 102.29 17.32 Services Fund-Reg(G) Invesco India Contra Fund(G) 49.51 8.77 IDBI Long Term Value Fund-Reg(G) 10.50 4.17 Fund-IV-C(G)
DSP Tax Saver Fund-Reg(G) 51.99 17.27 IDFC Equity Opportunity-6-Reg(G) 10.85 13.49 IDBI Focused 30 Equity Fund-Reg(G) 10.22 8.72 Nippon India Pharma Fund(G) 153.61 4.02 Sundaram Select Micro Cap-Series 9.28 -7.24
SBI Magnum Equity ESG 113.98 17.16 Franklin India Technology Fund(G) 167.89 13.48 ICICI Pru Large & Mid Cap Fund(G) 334.34 8.69 Tata Small Cap Fund-Reg(G) 10.69 3.98 XI-Reg(G)
Fund-Reg(G) UTI Equity Fund-Reg(G) 152.60 13.47 Sundaram Diversified Equity(G) 103.34 8.66 DSP Small Cap Fund-Reg(G) 54.75 3.93 Aditya Birla SL Pure Value Fund(G) 47.18 -7.50
Aditya Birla SL CEF-Global 25.30 17.07 SBI Infrastructure Fund-Reg(G) 15.99 13.39 L&T Large and Midcap Fund-Reg(G) 48.74 8.63 Aditya Birla SL Nifty Next 50 ETF 287.03 3.93 Sundaram Select Micro Cap-Series 8.22 -7.55
Agri-Reg(G) SBI Magnum Multicap Fund-Reg(G) 51.45 13.34 Nippon India Value Fund(G) 75.94 8.57 ICICI Pru Value Discovery Fund(G) 143.42 3.52 XIV-Reg(G)
ICICI Pru Sensex Index Fund(G) 12.89 17.00 Invesco India PSU Equity Fund(G) 18.70 13.13 BNP Paribas Mid Cap Fund(G) 33.36 8.50 ICICI Pru Nifty Next 50 ETF 28.73 3.49 Aditya Birla SL Small Cap Fund(G) 31.25 -8.23
Aditya Birla SL Banking & 31.57 16.97 Kotak India EQ Contra Fund(G) 55.53 13.04 Tata Equity P/E Fund(G) 138.98 8.49 ICICI Pru Focused Equity Fund(G) 29.39 3.45 Sundaram Select Micro Cap-Series 8.02 -9.07
Financial Services Fund-Reg(G) Invesco India Growth Opp Fund(G) 36.43 13.03 ICICI Pru Value Fund-15(G) 11.17 8.45 UTI Nifty Next 50 Index 10.15 3.39 XV-Reg(G)
Axis Focused 25 Fund-Reg(G) 30.78 16.95 Sundaram Large and Mid Cap 36.95 12.96 Kotak Small Cap Fund(G) 74.47 8.36 Fund-Reg(G) Sundaram Select Micro Cap-Series 7.54 -9.11
Kotak Bluechip Fund(G) 254.07 16.90 Fund(G) SBI Small Cap Fund-Reg(G) 54.28 8.35 UTI Healthcare Fund-Reg(G) 85.82 3.38 XVI-Reg(G)
Sundaram Select Focus(G) 193.89 16.78 UTI Value Opp Fund-Reg(G) 64.90 12.85 Tata India Pharma & Healthcare 9.31 8.27 Sundaram Value Fund-VIII-Reg(G) 10.89 3.23 Sundaram LT Micro Cap Tax Adv 7.84 -9.77
JM Tax Gain Fund(G) 18.46 16.74 Edelweiss Large & Mid Cap 33.22 12.76 Fund-Reg(G) Aditya Birla SL Resurgent India 11.84 3.23 Fund-Sr V-Reg(G)
ICICI Pru Banking & Fin Serv 70.38 16.64 Fund-Reg(G) Templeton India Equity Income 46.96 8.23 Fund-3-Reg(G) Sundaram LT Micro Cap Tax 7.99 -9.88
Fund(G) UTI Mastershare-Reg(G) 129.45 12.76 Fund(G) UTI LT Adv Fund-III(G) 13.54 3.12 Adv Fund-Sr IV-Reg(G)
Axis Long Term Equity Fund-Reg(G) 49.35 16.62 UTI LT Equity Fund 92.73 12.63 Sundaram LT Tax Adv Fund-Sr 14.08 8.17 ICICI Pru Nifty Next 50 Index 25.22 3.03 Sundaram LT Micro Cap Tax 9.34 -10.05
Nippon India Index Fund - 20.38 16.61 (Tax Saving)-Reg(G) I-Reg(G) Fund(G) Adv Fund-Sr III-Reg(G)
Sensex Plan(G) Nippon India Banking Fund(G) 295.77 12.61 Franklin Build India Fund(G) 42.24 8.16 SBI Magnum Midcap Fund-Reg(G) 72.29 2.92 Sundaram Select Micro Cap-Series 7.11 -10.11
SBI LT Advantage Fund-IV-Reg(G) 14.29 16.52 ICICI Pru Bluechip Fund(G) 44.65 12.58 Nippon India Quant Fund(G) 25.99 8.13 IDBI Nifty Junior Index Fund(G) 21.47 2.91 XVII-Reg(G)
Axis Capital Builder Fund-4-Reg(G) 11.65 16.50 Invesco India Largecap Fund(G) 30.07 12.58 Franklin India Bluechip Fund(G) 474.48 8.11 HDFC Mid-Cap Opportunities 54.06 2.59 Sundaram LT Micro Cap Tax Adv 7.35 -10.52
UTI Focussed Equity Fund-IV(G) 10.56 16.49 DSP A.C.E. Fund-Sr 1-Reg(G) 10.75 12.51 Franklin India Taxshield(G) 579.67 8.11 Fund(G) Fund-Sr VI-Reg(G)
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Washington: Secretary of State
Mike Pompeo said Sunday that
any target the US military may
strike in Iran, in the event Iran
retaliates against America for
killing its most powerful gen-
eral, would be legal under the
laws of armed conflict.
Pompeo was asked on
ABC's "This Week" about
President Donald Trump's
assertion Saturday on Twitter
that the United States has 52
Iranian targets in its sights,
"some at a very high level &
important to Iran & the Iranian
culture."
The laws of armed conflict
prohibit the deliberate target-
ing of cultural sites under most
circumstances.
"Every target that we strike
will be a lawful target, and it
will be a target designed with
a singular mission — defend-
ing and protecting America,"
Pompeo said.
He also said the Trump
administration has abandoned
the previous US administra-
tion's focus on countering
Iranian proxy groups and sug-
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Riyadh: Saudi Arabia was not
consulted by its ally Washington
over a US drone strike that killed
a top Iranian general, an official
said Sunday, as the kingdom
sought to defuse soaring region-
al tensions.
Saudi Arabia is vulnerable to
possible Iranian reprisals after
Tehran vowed "revenge" fol-
lowing the strike on Friday that
killed powerful commander
Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad.
"The kingdom of Saudi
Arabia was not consulted
regarding the US strike," a Saudi
official told AFP, requesting
anonymity.
"In light of the rapid devel-
opments, the kingdom stresses
the importance of exercising
restraint to guard against all acts
that may lead to escalation,
with severe consequences," the
official added.
Saudi Arabia's foreign min-
istry made a similar call for
restraint at the weekend and
King Salman emphasised the
need for measures to defuse ten-
sions in a phone call on Saturday
with Iraqi President Barham
Saleh.
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Nairobi: Somalia's al-Shabab
extremist group attacked a mil-
itary base used by US and
Kenyan troops in coastal Kenya
early on Sunday, destroying US
aircraft and vehicles, Kenyan
authorities said.
Kenya's military said the
pre-dawn assault was repulsed
and at least four attackers were
killed.
It was the first known al-
Shabab attack against US forces
inside Kenya, a key base for
fighting one of the world's
most resilient extremist orga-
nizations.
A plume of black smoke
rose above the base near the
border with Somalia, where al-
Shabab is based.
Residents said a car bomb
had exploded.
Lamu county commission-
er Irungu Macharia told The
Associated Press that five sus-
pects were arrested and were
being interrogated.
gested the US Strike in
Baghdad that killed Iranian
Gen Qassem Soleimani was an
example of the new strategy.
"We're going to respond
against the actual decision-
makers, the people who are
causing this threat from the
Islamic Republic of Iran,"
Pompeo said.
In Baghdad on Sunday, the
US coalition combating the
Islamic State group in Iraq and
Syria announced that it has
"paused" training of Iraqi secu-
rity forces in order to focus on
protecting coalition personnel.
In a separate phone call with
Iraq's Prime Minister Adel
Abdel Mahdi, Saudi Crown
Prince Mohammed bin Salman
stressed "the need to make
efforts to calm the situation
and de-escalate tensions", the
official Saudi Press Agency
reported. The crown prince has
instructed Prince Khalid bin
Salman, his younger brother
and deputy defence minister, to
travel to Washington and
London in the next few days to
urge restraint, the pan-Arab
Asharq al-Awsat newspaper
reported. Prince Khalid will
meet White House and US
defence officials, the paper said,
citing unnamed sources.
The killing of Soleimani,
seen as the second most pow-
erful man in Iran, is the most
dramatic escalation yet in spi-
ralling tensions between
Washington and Tehran and has
prompted fears of a major con-
flagration in the Middle East.
US President Donald
Trump, who ordered the drone
strike, has warned that
Washington will hit Iran "very
fast and very hard" if the Islamic
The US Africa Command
confirmed the attack on Camp
Simba in Lamu county.
Spokesman Col.
Christopher Karns called al-
Shabab's claims, including that
its attack inflicted severe casu-
alties, “grossly exaggerated."
There was no report of US
or Kenyan deaths.
The camp, established more
than a decade ago, has under
100 US personnel, according to
Pentagon figures.
A US flag-raising there in
August signalled its change
“from tactical to enduring
operations," the Air Force said
at the time.
An internal Kenyan police
report seen by the AP said two
fixed-wing aircraft, a US Cessna
and a Kenyan one, were
destroyed along with two US
helicopters and multiple US
vehicles at the Manda Bay mil-
itary airstrip.
The report said explosions
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Tehran: Mourners flooded the
Iranian cities of Ahvaz and
Mashhad on Sunday, weeping
and beating their chests in
homage to top general Qasem
Soleimani who was killed in a
US strike in Baghdad.
"Death to America," they
chanted as they packed Ahvaz's
streets and a long bridge span-
ning a river in the southwestern
city to receive the casket con-
taining Soleimani's remains.
As Shiite chants resonated in
the air, people held portraits of
the man seen as a hero of the
1980-88 Iran-Iraq war and for
spearheading Iran's Middle East
operations as commander of the
Revolutionary Guards' Quds
Force.
In the northeastern city of
Mashhad, scores took to streets
around the Imam Reza shrine
and, addressing the US, chant-
ed "Be afraid of your own shad-
ow". Soleimani was killed in a
US drone strike Friday near
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republic attacks American per-
sonnel or assets.
Saudi Arabia and the United
Arab Emirates, both allies of
Washington, are also vulnerable
to Iranian counter strikes, ana-
lysts say. A string of attacks
blamed on Iran has caused anx-
iety in recent months as Riyadh
and Washington deliberated
over how to react.
In particular, devastating
strikes against Saudi oil instal-
lations last September led
Riyadh and Abu Dhabi to adopt
a more conciliatory approach
aimed at avoiding confrontation
with Tehran.
Analysts warn that pro-Iran
groups have the capacity to
carry out attacks on US bases in
Gulf states as well as against
shipping in the Strait of Hormuz
— the strategic waterway that
Tehran could close at will.
"Expect Iranian reprisals
(directly or through partner
groups in Iraq, Lebanon or else-
where) to target US partners in
the region including Saudi
Arabia," said Thomas Juneau, an
assistant professor at the
University of Ottawa. AFP
were heard at around 5:30 am
from the direction of the airstrip.
The scene, now secured,
indicated that al-Shabab likely
entered “to conduct targeted
attacks," the report said.
According to another inter-
nal report seen by the AP,
dated Friday, a villager that day
said he had spotted 11 sus-
pected al-Shabab members
entering Lamu's Boni forest,
which the extremists have used
as a hideout.
The report said Kenyan
authorities did not find them.
Al-Shabab's claim of
responsibility said Sunday's
attack destroyed US equipment
including aircraft and vehicles,
and it posted photos of blazing
aircraft it asserted were from the
attack.
A second al-Shabab claim
issued hours later asserted
that "ïntense close-quarters
combat" against US forces
continued. AP
Baghdad airport, shocking the
Islamic republic. He was 62.
The attack was ordered by
President Donald Trump, who
said the Quds commander had
been planning an "imminent"
attack on US diplomats and
forces in Iraq.
In the face of growing Iraqi
anger over the strike, the coun-
try's parliament was expected to
vote Sunday on whether to oust
the roughly 5,200 American
troops in Iraq.
Soleimani's assassination
ratcheted up tensions between
arch-enemies Tehran and
Washington and sparked fears of
a new Middle East war.
Iran's supreme leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed
"severe revenge" and declared
three days of mourning.
But Trump warned late
Saturday that America was tar-
geting 52 sites "important to Iran
& Iranian culture" and would hit
them "very fast and very hard"
XUQdV_bcY\U^SU_^
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London: Britain's Prime
Minister Boris Johnson is due to
return Sunday to the UK, where
he faces criticism for not cutting
short his holiday to deal with
soaring Mideast tensions.
Johnson, who celebrated
the New Year on the Caribbean
private island of Mustique after
leading his Conservative Party
to a strong majority in the
December 12 election, has been
silent over the US slaying Friday
of Iranian Gen. Qassem
Soleimani in a drone strike.
Soleimani's death stoked
fears that heightened world ten-
sions could spiral into war after
Iran threatened revenge against
the US, which has sent 3,000
more soldiers to Kuwait.
British Foreign Secretary
Dominic Raab has defended
Johnson, saying the two have
been in constant contact during
this time. The British govern-
ment has upgraded its travel
warning for the Middle East and
dispatched two warships to
escort UK-flagged ships passing
through the Strait of Hormuz, a
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Vienna: Austria's foreign min-
istry has been targeted by a "seri-
ous cyber attack", officials said,
warning another country could
be responsible.
The attack, which began
Saturday, was continuing on
Sunday and "experts say it could
last several days," a foreign min-
istry spokesman told AFP.
The interior and foreign
ministries issued a statement
about the attack which started
shortly before 11.00 pm (2200
GMT) on Saturday.
"Due to the gravity and
nature of the attack, it cannot be
excluded that it is a targeted
attack by a state actor," the
statement said.
"In the past, other European
countries have been the target of
similar attacks. Immediate mea-
sures have been taken and a
"coordination committee" set
up, the statement said. AFP
if the country attacks American
personnel or assets. AFP
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key shipment corridor for world
oil supplies. Jeremy Corbyn,
the outgoing leader of the oppo-
sition Labour party, said Johnson
"should have immediately cut
short his holiday to deal with an
issue that could have grave con-
sequences for the UK and the
world."
In an op-ed in The
Observer, Labour's foreign pol-
icy spokeswoman Emily
Thornberry, who is in the race
to take over from Corbyn, said
she was astonished Johnson
hadn't said anything 48 hours
after the strike and wondered if
he was afraid of angering US
President Donald Trump, who
ordered the slaying.
Ed Davey, the leader of a
smaller party, the Liberal
Democrats, tweeted that
Johnson's silence was “deafen-
ing.” Raab, appearing Sunday
morning on British news
shows, dismissed the criticism,
telling Sky News that “the
whole government is working
closely together. We're very
clear on strategy.” AP
S2^^[X]VcT\_TaPcdaTbP]S
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cWT\d]R^]ca^[[TS were hurled at a Hong Kong
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Dhaka: An arrest warrant was
issued against Bangladesh's first
Hindu chief justice Surendra
Kumar Sinha on charges of
embezzling 40 million taka,
court officials said on Sunday.
Sinha, 68, who lives in the
US, has been described as a
"fugitive" by the Anti-
Corruption Commission
(ACC) in its charge-sheet.
Judge KM Emrul Kayesh of
Dhaka's Senior Special Judges'
Court took cognizance of the
graft charges brought against
Sinha and 10 others by the
ACC.
"The judge ordered his
(Sinha's) arrest along with 10
others as the ACC accused
him of misappropriating and
laundering about 4 crore taka
(USD 471,993) in 2016," pub-
lic prosecutor Taposh Kumar
Pal told reporters.
The rest of the accused are
former senior officials of
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Beirut: Iraq's parliament has
voted to expel the US military
from the country.
Lawmakers voted Sunday
in favour of a resolution that
calls for ending foreign military
presence in the country. The
resolution's main aim is to get
the US to withdraw some 5,000
US troops present in different
parts of Iraq.
The vote comes two days
after a US airstrike killed
Iranian Gen. Qassem
Soleimani inside Iraq, dramat-
ically increasing regional ten-
sions.
The Iraqi resolution specif-
ically calls for ending an agree-
ment in which Washington
sent troops to Iraq more than
four years ago to help in the
fight against the Islamic State
group.
The resolution was backed
by most Shiite members of par-
liament, who hold a majority of
seats.
Many Sunni and Kurdish
legislators did not show up for
the session, apparently
because they oppose abolish-
ing the deal. AP
'R]HQVKHOGDIWHUVKRSSLQJ
SURWHVWDW+.ERUGHUWRZQ
Hong Kong: Petrol bombs
police station and dozens of
following a march against so-
called parallel trading near the
Chinese border.
The Democratic Party said
about 10,000 people marched
trict, but violence erupted after
police ordered protesters to
Several petrol bombs were
thrown at the Sheung Shui
police station, about 1.5 kilo-
rally took place.
The Sunday protest comes
during a period of heightened
anti-mainland sentiment in
Hong Kong, where a pro-
democracy movement
Farmers Bank including its ex-
managing director.
The ACC in its charge-
sheet described all the 11 to be
"fugitives". It alleged that Sinha
and 10 others embezzling 40
million taka from Farmers
Bank, which was later renamed
as Padma Bank Limited, Pal
said.
The development came
nearly three months after the
ACC said it found evidence of
fraud involving transactions of
40 million taka borrowed with
fake documents by two busi-
nessmen from the bank while
the amount was deposited in
Sinha's account.
Sinha, who is said to have
sought asylum in the US, served
as the 21st Chief Justice of
Bangladesh from January, 2015
to November, 2017.
The case came days after
Sinha's newly-launched autobi-
ography brought him in politi-
<YR^V_VZRUgZdVc
dRjd:cR_cVda`_dVe`
FDe`SV^Z]ZeRcj+4??
Tehran: The military adviser to
Iran's supreme leader said the
Islamic republic's response to a
US strike that killed one of the
country's top commanders will
be military, CNN reported
Sunday.
Supreme leader Ayatollah
Ali Khamenei vowed "severe
revenge" after a US drone strike
Friday in Baghdad killed
Qasem Soleimani, the power-
ful commander of the
Revolutionary Guards' Quds
Force foreign operations arm.
"The response for sure will
be military and against military
sites," Brigadier General
Hossein Dehghan told CNN in
Farsi, according to a translation
by the US news network.
In a televised news confer-
ence on Sunday, foreign min-
istr y spokesman Abbas
Mousavi said "Iran is not seek-
ing a war but is ready for any
situation".
Mousavi said the final deci-
sion would be made by "the
system's leadership".
BW^_R[TaZbfPcRWPb_a^cTbcTabVPcWTaSdaX]VPST\^]bcaPcX^]PVPX]bc_PaP[[T[
caPSTabfW^QdhV^^SbX]7^]V:^]Vc^aTbT[[X]\PX][P]S2WX]PX]BWTd]VBWdX
]TPacWT2WX]TbTQ^aSTaX]7^]V:^]V^]Bd]SPh
from Beijing has raged for
nearly seven months.
The marchers were
protesting against parallel trad-
ing, which sees thousands of
cal spotlight over two years
after he was forced to quit amid
a row with the government.
The ACC earlier said if
required it would quiz Sinha by
bringing him back home but
"interrogation is not a manda-
tory provision for investiga-
tions".
In his autobiography "A
Broken Dream: Rule of Law,
Human Rights and
Democracy", Sinha said he was
forced to resign in 2017 intim-
idation and threats, drawing a
sharp reaction from Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina who
accused some anti-government
newspapers of backing him.
In a media interview after
the book launch in
Washington, Sinha urged India
to support the rule of law and
democracy in Bangladesh, call-
ing the incumbent Awami
League Government as a "auto-
cratic" one. PTI
0?
It would try to "devise a
response in a way that would
both make the enemy regret"
the assassination and "not bring
the Iranian nation to a war".
In his interview with CNN,
Dehghan said: "It was America
that has started the war.
Therefore, they should accept
appropriate reactions to their
actions." "The only thing that
can end this period of war is for
the Americans to receive a
blow that is equal to the blow
they have inflicted," said the
former Iranian defence minis-
ter.
In a statement on Friday,
Iran's Supreme National
Security Council said the
Islamic republic would retali-
ate in the "right time and place"
for Soleimani's assassination.
Iran-US tensions have esca-
lated sharply since 2018 when
President Donald Trump with-
drew America from a landmark
nuclear agreement and reim-
posed crippling sanctions on
the Islamic republic. AFP
0?
mainlanders cross the
border every day to bulk-
buy goods such as infant for-
mula to sell at a profit in
China. AFP
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even children and four
Scivilians,
women were among 14
killed when a roadside
bomb blew up their bus in
northwestern Burkina Faso,
the government said.
"The provisional toll is 14
dead," a statement said, adding
that 19 more people were hurt,
three of them seriously in
Saturday's blast.
The explosion happened in
Sourou province near the Mali
border as students returned to
school after the Christmas hol-
idays, a security source said.
"The vehicle hit a home-
made bomb on the Toeni-
Tougan road," the source
told AFP. "The Government
strongly condemns this cow-
ardly and barbaric act," the
statement said.
=4F34;78k<>=30H k90=D0AH %!!
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=UQd\UccY^2UfUb\i
he Golden Globes, known as
T the “party of the year,” is
going with a meatless menu for
its 77th annual awards show.
Guests will be served a 100
per cent plant-based meal just
their symbolic steps but also
something that guests could
enjoy.”
Matthew Morgan, execu-
tive chef at The Beverly Hilton,
7KH*ROGHQ*OREHVZLOOVHUYHSODQWEDVHGPHDOVDWLWV called the menu change initial-
as an appetiser.
The HFPA has partnered
with Icelandic Glacial, a natural-
ly alkaline and sustainably-
sourced natural spring water.
The water will be served in glass

³0[fPhb[^^ZTSd_
ahead of the showtime Sunday.
The initiative is being taken to
WKDZDUGVFHUHPRQ\WRUDLVHHQYLURQPHQWDODZDUHQHVV ly surprising. But he ultimately
understood that it would send
bottles to eliminate plastic waste
in the ballroom and red carpet,

c^BWPQP]P0i\X´
raise environmental awareness
about food consumption and
DERXWIRRGFRQVXPSWLRQDQGZDVWH across a positive message. “It was
a little shocking when it was first
which is reused at other events
throughout the year.
waste. some initial push back about mentioned because of being Soria called the food “excel-
0Rc^aE83H010;0=fP]cbQXVVTa “If there’s a way we can, not changing the menu just about very close to the actual Globes lent” after a recent taste-testing
^_T]X]VbU^aWTaUX[\bcWP]cWTUX[\ change the world, but save the two weeks before the show but and having already decided on session. Morgan said making the
X]Sdbcah³b\P[Tbd_TabcPab planet, maybe we can get the the hotel eventually agreed on a menu,” he said. “But once we change wasn’t too difficult and
Golden Globes to send a signal the new menu. thought about it and the mes- added that the first course was
°8fP]cQXVVTa^_T]X]VbcWP]cWT and draw attention to the issue “People were basically say- sage that it sent, we were really already vegan and the main
\P[Tbd_TabcPab±bWT[PdVWTSP]S about climate change,” Lorenzo ing it’s too late, we’re ready excited about it! That’s some- course was a vegan alternate in
PSSTS°8P\VaTTSh8cWX]ZXc³bP Soria, president, Hollywood with all the orders, the holidays thing I stand behind myself.” which they enhanced the dish-
eTahX]cTaTbcX]VcX\Tc^QTX]7X]SX Foreign Press Association, said. and all that,” he said. “But after Items on the main entree es to add some “pop and colour
RX]T\P8aTP[[h[^^ZU^afPaSc^cWXb He added, “The food we eat, the we began discussions, meeting include king oyster mushrooms to the plate.”
way we grow the food we eat, the for one or two days, they (the scallops and wild mushroom The annual awards cere-
STRPST0bPUT\P[TPRc^aPc# 8P\ way we dispose of the food is hotel) accepted the change com- risotto, along with roasted baby mony will air from The Beverly
P\PiTSfXcWcWTZX]S^U one of the large contributors to pletely. They started to experi- purple and green Brussels Hilton in B everly Hills,
a^[TbP]SUX[\b8P\QTX]V the climate crisis.” ment with how to do plant- sprouts and carrots. A chilled California.
^UUTaTS± Soria said that there was based meals that was not just golden beet soup will be served °0?
0Q^dcfWXRW^cWTa
UT\P[TPRc^abbWTWPb respect its audience and have something
[^^ZTSd_c^X]7X]SX 5^aUX[\\PZTa to say and generate a conversation at the
RX]T\PEXShPbPXS end of the day because now, he feels, the
°8³eTP[fPhb[^^ZTS :0=D147;UX[\b audience has matured and is accepting
more complex narratives easily. Behl
d_c^BWPQP]P0i\X
BWTfPb^]T^UcWT bW^d[SaTb_TRccWT points out, “The grand 80s and the 90s
failed our commercial cinema as they did-
PRcaTbbTbfXcWcWT
e^XRTBWTfPb]^c
PdSXT]RTP]SRaTPcTP n’t reflect the society. As a result, they did-
n’t mean anything to anyone at that time.
bRPaTSc^Tg_aTbbWTa b_PRTU^acWT\c^ Before that, the Bollywood of the 60s and
the 70s was still doing very relevant work.
^_X]X^]bP]ScWTZX]S
^Ua^[TbbWT_XRZTS `dTbcX^]P]STeT] From Guru Dutt, Raj Kapoor, Hrishikesh
Mukherjee to Shyam Benegal, they made
U^aWTabT[U0[b^
BaXSTeXWPbWPSP Tg_[^aTP]bfTab films that had as much to say as much as
they entertained.”
bca^]VX]U[dT]RT^]
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cWT\bT[eTb7XbbW^ac Looking at the current trend in
Bollywood, there has been a streak of
7Ta]Tgc UX[\1X]]d:PBP_]P biopics over the last five years, which has
also become one of the favourite gen-
BWPZd]cP[P3TeX
aT[TPbTb^]<Ph' X]XcXPcTbPR^]eTabPcX^] res. However, Behl doesn’t have a very
high opinion on this trend. He says, “It
^]_PcaXPaRWh
is incorrect to call them biopics. They
are more of a hagiography. This streak
³FTVXeT is more of a substitute of Marvel-like
SXUUTaT]cZX]Sb 1h0HDB78 B70A<0 superheroes in India because we don’t
have any traditional superheroes here.”

TIME TO FIND
^Ud_QaX]VX]V And what about the theme of real-
c^cWTb^]P]S ism that is taking rounds in the Hindi
cWTSPdVWcTa film industry? The director feels that
most of the social issue films are just
FTS^]´ccTPRW

ANSWERS
public service advertisements. “I find a
Q^hbW^fc^ total lack of nuance and complexity in
PRRT_caTYTRcX^];PcTa them. I don’t think that most of them
are interested in exploring the issue
Xccda]bX]c^TV^8]\^bc beyond just preaching. For me, it is not
RPbTb^UPRXSeX^[T]RT what cinema is for. We all know what
cWTQ^hWPbUPRTSfXcW they are saying at the end of the day.
They are just repeating the kahavatein.
aTYTRcX^]Ua^\cWTVXa[ he cyclical pattern of patriarchy is brother-in-law. Many years salise your experiences to al. Having said that, such films are a fair But where is the conversation around
CWTUXabcbcT_c^bc^_
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cWTd_QaX]VX]VP]S
T a globally recognised social condi-
tion. And evidently, a highly flawed
phenomenon. One might even go a step
later, Binnu leaves home. At
a party, he sleeps with his
boss’ daughter, whom he falls
make them larger so that
they don’t just stay restrict-
ed to your personal life.” He
rebellion and an initiative to structure
such a thing that is defunct and clearly
doesn’t work. So there is a need to have
that issue?”
Well, Behl is someone who would
make a film that has enough space for
forward and think of it as a social disor- in love with but things don’t believes that Binnu Ka Sapna a nuanced debate about it,” says Behl, the audience to walk out with certain
_PaT]cb]TTSc^S^cWPc der. In almost every other home in the go as planned. He leaves the is a film that will be relevant whose debut feature Titli has won eight questions and have the rest of the con-
1^hb]TTSc^[TPa]c^ country, this cycle is justified and nor- town, engaging in another even after decades because it international awards including the NET- versation with themselves rather than
malised. The real impact of being witness romance in another city. But tries to explore the impact of PAC and the Best First Foreign Film someone passively telling them that this
PRRT_c³]^´U^aP] to the cycle, unfortunately, comes a full something is not quite right. anger and violence on an (2015) from the French Syndicate of is the lie and that is the truth. “Films
P]bfTaP]SaTP[XbTfWh circle when children who grow up in such Slowly, a strange paranoia individual as well as society. Cinema Critics. should leave enough space for the audi-
R^]bT]cXbX\_^acP]c´ an environment, enter adulthood. begins to engulf his being. “It will help us reflect on the way we live So what influences have shaped him ence to come and interact. It must not
°EXZaP]c<PbbTh Filmmaker Kanu Behl’s short film Binnu Behl says that Binnu Ka Sapna delves our lives today,” adds he. The film, pro- to question the pattern of patriarchy close all doors by giving a particular
Ka Sapna talks about the journey of one deep into a malignant mindset, trying to duced by Terribly Tiny Talkies and because even Titli dealt with a similar solution. Someone shouting or giving a
such young man, initiating a larger con- bare the ticking time bombs around us Colosceum Media, shows a harrowing issue. He says, “Thematically, I think they solution explicitly for people is almost
5X[\\PZTa0=DA06:0B7H0? versation about the need to introspect. and illuminate the wicks that light them. transformation of a victim into an attack- are two completely different pieces propagandist. That is the power of cin-
WPbRP[[TScWT?<=PaT]SaP<^SX The story revolves around Binnu, The 32-minute narrative is his attempt to er, with society only serving as a catalyst. exploring different sides of the psycho- ema that people connect in an ideal sce-
V^eTa]\T]cTV^XbcXR who carries multiple lives that he has wit- understand the anger within. He shares, The filmmaker believes that patri- logical spectrum. Titli was more about nario, which leaves them moved not just
nessed in his mind. His dreams get fil- “I went through a period where I raged archy is a disorder as it establishes the secularity and how patterns travel with- by the story or the plot but by what they
P]S°X[[XcTaPcT± tered and nightmares remain unshed. An and destroyed everything in my path. supremacy of one gender over the other. in a family.” notice that leaves them questioning the
8]WXbaTRT]c uneasy cycle of violence bursts beneath Irretrievably, irrevocably. Where did the “It resonates with the capitalist structure, According to him, it is really impor- lives that they live. And that is where the
CfXccTa_^bc0]daPV the surface. Will it drench everyone roots of that anger lie? Did the anger root much like taking control over what tant for a film to not be a sermon. He change begins — with questions that are
fa^cTX]7X]SX around him? Binnu has grown up strug- from a focal core or was it a constantly belongs to the other. Even the institution doesn’t think films are meant to be some- raised while you watch a piece of art and
°CWT200201Xb]^c gling with the echoes of the sound of his mutating unrecognisable beast? Its con- of marriage in India has been subsumed one’s observation. “Generally it’s like... then every individual going back and
father slapping his mother, the first one sequences and ripples, either way, rested with patriarchy, so much that one gen- someone who knows everything about finding answers for themselves,” says he.
V^X]VP]hfWTaT8cXb being 25 years ago, when she merely on my individual doorstep. That’s how it der is only suppressing the other. In that life and they are now trying to tell you,” (The film streams on MUBI India till
X\_^bbXQ[TU^acWT\ emerged from the same room as her began. In such times, you try to univer- sense, patriarchy is clearly dysfunction- says he. For him, a film should always January 22.)
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1TcWTRWP]VT
ooking at the current global political scenario,
ss Ghat Antar Baag Bagiche, are L the demand for harmony between various

I words evocative of the exceptional

oeuvre of Haku Shah, a celebrated
Gandhian artist, art historian, photog-
rapher, crafts archivist and polemicist,
who is the subject of an ongoing exhi-
bition at the Kiran Nadar Museum of
Art. His death at the age of 84, after a
long illness on March 21 last year, has
stirred renewed interest in his art prac-
tice. His approach predates most of the
contemporary theoretical lenses and
the razzmatazz of fleeting zeitgeist
movements. Central to his vision are
enduring Gandhian ideas and values that
powered the Indian independence move-
ment, the civil rights movement in the
US, the Solidarity Movement in Poland,
the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia,
the anti-Apartheid movement in South
Africa and several other political and
human rights movements across the
world.
The retrospective, with its display of
terracotta figurines, is a celebratory
homage to his passion for collecting and
presenting traditional rural and tribal
craftsmanship. His life was a crusade for
placing India’s economy at the corner-
stone of its development strategy. In the
words of Kapila Vatsyayan, his eye was
discerning, his taste impeccable, and his
respect for the creators of art exemplary.
“I watched him, both as an artist and a
collector, and knew that, despite the chal-
lenges and temptations of professional
curatorship, here was a man committed
to the “earth” and soil of these creations,
2T]caP[c^70:DB707³beXbX^]PaTT]SdaX]V6P]SWXP]XSTPbcWPc_^fTaTScWT8]SXP]
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the human dignity of the creators and the
eloquence of the forms they developed
as objects, functional and symbolic”.
Shah’s exhibition of clay objects, Form
and Many Forms of Mother Clay, curat-
ed for the Crafts Museum in Delhi pio-
neered some of the best indigenous cura-
torial practices as he did his collabora-
tive 1968 exhibition with art historian Dr
Stella Kramrisch named Art of Unknown
India at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Mentored in equal parts by artist-
pedagogue KG Subramanyan, Sankho
Chaudhuri and NS Bendre at the Faculty
of Fine Arts in Baroda, Shah’s love for
rural and tribal art forms received fillip
during his association with Pupul Jayakar
at the Weavers’ Service Centre, Bombay
with which she was closely connected.
Seeing his interest in indigenous tradi-
tions, she encouraged him to move as
research assistant to the National
Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. At
that point it was called the National
Design Institute, located in the museum
complex built by Le Corbusier in Paldi,
driven by the ideas of luminaries like
Henri Cartier-Bresson, Ernst
Scheidegger, Hans Gugelot, Armin
Hoffmann, Frei Otto and others. Shah
thrived in this house of creativity.
As a teacher, Shah mentored gen-
erations of students at the National
Institute of Design, taught at the School
of Architecture and joined the
University of California in the spring of
1991 to teach a studio course in Textiles
and Design as a distinguished Regents’
professor. He was a conscientious
researcher and authored several books
and monographs on folk and tribal art,
deconstructing the semiotics of rites and
rituals embedded in nature and earth
with eminent scholars like Eberhard
Fischer, Stella Kramrisch, Joan Erikson
and Charles and Ray Eames. His book
on Votive Terracottas of Gujarat is
amongst his most compelling work
together with his monograph on Temple
Tents for the Mother Goddesses in
Gujarat. One of his most seminal con-
tributions was in establishing an ethno-
graphic Tribal Museum at the Gujarat
Vidyapith in Ahmedabad. He also set
communities, castes, regional linguistic and
other inter-caste groups, is on the top of every
nation’s agenda. People are also aware that the
absence of harmony leads to waste of energy,
money and time as efforts are made to prevent
worsening of relations between various antago-
nistic groups or restore normalcy in law and order
if there are clashes between various communities
or groups.
Our soci-
etal structure
is so clearly
up a Crafts Village in Udaipur. knit today that
His own art practice was insepara- a disturbance
ble from his political beliefs. It was also caused by one
powered by a refined Sufi poetic sen- factor in one
sibility reflected in a small body of work sector, sets
emanating from his collaboration with waves of dis-
Shubha Mudgal in an exhibition called turbance in
Haman Hai Ishq (love is all there is). other sectors
One also sees his effortless creativity at of the society
work in playful experiments with hand- also. An act of
made paper called Kalamkhush (the dishar mony,
paper that delights the pen). The most wrought by
resonant work displayed in this unfor- science, tech-
gettable retrospective is from the nology, educa-
Gandhi series, where he has used the tion, art or reli-
semiotics of Gandhian objects to engage gious worship,
with important political and ethical in fact by any
questions, creating a space for aspect of the
Satyagraha:the wilful, peaceful, break- society’s life
ing of laws that are unjust, the most can disturb
powerful weapon of dissent in a non- harmony. The
violent struggle. forces of disturbance in turn will affect various
(A former civil servant, Sujata fields. Disharmony in the form of environmen-
Prasad is an author, art columnist and tal degradation is the best example of recent times.
craft crusader.) It is, therefore, essential that all types of institu-
tions and all aspects of an organised society

nother growing season is
A building momentum with
the 2020 seed catalogs and gar-
deners are drafting plans for new
harvests. There’s such a thing as
being too enthusiastic, though,
especially among novices.
Beginners can achieve their
best planting results by thinking
small. “Starting too large is the
most common mistake made by
first-time gardeners,” said Barbara
Murphy, a Master Gardener coor-
dinator and horticulturist with
University of Maine Cooperative
Extension for 23 years.
“Limit yourself to 10 feet by
10 feet. If you grow frustrated
because of too many things hap-
pening the first year, there’s a good
chance you won’t feel like garden-
ing for a second. You can always
expand as your skills develop,”
says she.
SOther tips that beginners can
start thinking about now:
Find the right location
You need 12 to 16 hours of
sun per day for a vegetable garden,
Murphy said. Ornamental gar-
dens aren’t as fussy. Gardens also
need a convenient water source
and rich, well-drained soils.
7KLQNVPDOO)LQG\RXUVSRW
BcPacX]Vc^^[PaVTXbcWT\^bcR^\\^]\XbcPZT\PSTQhUXabccX\TVPaST]Tab7TaTPaTPUTfcX_bU^acWT\
through and greatly inhibits
growth,” she added. Squeeze the
soil gently in your hand. If it
crumbles a bit when squeezed,
it’s ready for use. “It can take a
long time to get good soil tex-
ture, and just minutes to destroy
it if you work it while it’s too
wet,” Lerner said.
SKeep records
“You can learn a lot by
recording things. What worked
and what didn’t. Put those
lessons to use the following
year,” Lerner said. For vegetable
gardens, choose easy-to-grow
plants like leaf lettuce, carrots,
zucchini, potatoes, green beans
and radishes. Leave more chal-
lenging plants like cauliflower,
melons, celery and broccoli for
another season.
SGood soil preparation Lerner, an Extension horticul- wet. Soil structures will compact SDeal quickly with insects
“It is important to success, turist with Purdue University. and get tight. That makes it “Make regular visits to your
but be patient,” said Rosie “Don’t force the soil when it’s tough for water and air to move garden to check for plant pests.
Don’t worry about the adults.
You want to go after the eggs
before they develop into juvenile
leaf cutters. Most eggs are on the
underside of leaves. Use soapy
water and picking or simply
remove the infested leaves,”
Murphy said. Weeds compete
with your plants for nutrients
and water. Get rid of them
before they go to seed. Mulching
retains soil moisture, cools the
ground and smothers weeds.
Use natural and free materials
like shredded leaves, newspaper,
grass clippings and sawdust that
also enrich the soil over time.
Also try to eliminate or ease up
on the pesticides. Chemicals
don’t discriminate. They kill the
beneficial insects along with
the bad.
S Avoid overcrowding and
recruit pollinators
Avoid overcrowding that
stresses plants, invites disease
and reduces yields. And recruit
pollinators by adding clumps of
pollen-rich blooms (think daisy-
like coneflowers, sunflowers,
asters) to a vegetable mix
enhances pollination and boosts
harvests.
°0?
should work together to create holistic harmo-
ny, else an incongruous step by one or a desyn-
chronised way by another can disturb the sys-
tem.
Research has proved that education is one of
the most important sectors which can contribute
a lot to the well-being and smooth functioning
of the society. To create a healthy and prosper-
ous society, in which there is social, political and
economic justice, education is essential to
enlighten the people on the need to inculcate
human values and divine qualities in their life.
Currently, this element is neglected in education,
as a result of which many highly educated peo-
ple do not know how to live a peaceful life and
face their problems.
It is also found that the present education sys-
tem does not cultivate the qualities of tolerance,
self-control, humility, service and co-operation
for the well being of society and responsibility for
one’s own actions. Also, students are not taught
to value simplicity, honesty, justice, non-violence
and fair play. The result is that even after spend-
ing so many years in schools, colleges and uni-
versities, there is often a lack of gentleness, nobil-
ity, sincerity, humanism and an inspiring goal. The
society, therefore, may have many educated
people yet there may be commotion in legisla-
tive bodies, disregard for law, criminal tenden-
cies and unsocial habits.
Therefore, education would fulfill its noble
objective if it imparts such values that create har-
monious personality and helps to maintain har-
mony in the society. It will also lead to a harmo-
nious relationship of man with nature, environ-
ment and self.

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spanyol’s Wu Lei became the first

E Chinese footballer to score

against Barcelona on Saturday
and has revealed how the goal that
went viral was planned while he was
warming up.
Wu earned Espanyol a dramatic
2-2 draw at the RCDE Stadium after
he fired in an 88th-minute equaliser
to salvage a point in the all-Catalan
clash of La Liga’s top against bottom.
The 28-year-old drove decisively
past Barcelona’s stand-in goalkeeper
Neto and into the far corner but his
goal owed much to a brilliant reverse
pass too, executed by his team-mate
Matias Vargas.
Both players had been intro-
duced by new coach Abelardo
Fernandez in the second half and Wu
said after the match that Vargas had
predicted he would give him a chance.
“I am very happy, not just because
I scored but because of that assist,” Wu
told Espanyol TV.
“When we were warming up,
Matias told me he was going to put me
in with a through ball. After 10 min-
utes he played one to me and I
scored.”
Chinese media on Sunday
declared the strike as heralding “a new
chapter” in Chinese football while one
related hashtag generated 370 million
views on social media platform Weibo.
“Wu has now become the first
Chinese player to score against
Barcelona in all competitions ever,”
4b_P]h^[´bFd;TXRT[TQaPcTbPUcTabR^aX]VWXbbXST´bbTR^]SV^P[PVPX]bc1PaRT[^]PSdaX]V;P;XVP\PcRWPcA234 bcPSXd\^]BPcdaSPh
state-run China Global Television
Network (CGTN) said.
The 28-year-old Wu “single-hand-
edly revitalised Espanyol” against the
Spanish champions, CGTN continued.
“A new chapter in history has been
opened,” it added. “For Wu, it was a
night that will live long in the mem-
ory.”
State news agency Xinhua said
Wu’s dramatic leveller from a narrow
angle “sparked a wave of praise from
media and fans in China”.
Wu joined in the celebrations by
writing on Weibo: “Wonderful night,
a new year, a good start.”
CHINESE MARADONA
The forward, dubbed the “Chinese
Maradona” as a youngster, joined
Espanyol from Shanghai SIPG
in January last year and after
finishing top scorer in the
Chinese Super League, he
said he wanted to prove the
country’s players could deliv-
er at the highest level.
“Pressure is my driving
force, it’s what pushes me for-
ward,” he said last year.
“I want to show fans around the
world that there are players in China
who can shine in the best leagues in
the world.”
He has stayed true to his word and
more than justified his modest trans-
fer fee of 2 million euros.
After making his debut at the start
of February, Wu missed only one
game for his new club through to the
end of last season, playing 21 times
and scoring four goals.
This term, he has been even
more effective, scoring six goals in
28 appearances in all competi-
tions, despite Espanyol’s poor
form that has them languishing at
the bottom of the La Liga table.
Yet Abelardo’s appointment seems
to have revitalised the team and Wu
believes their stirring performance
against Barcelona can now be a turn-
ing-point in their fight against relega-
tion.
“After the game in the dressing
room, you could see everyone’s con-
fidence was up,” Wu said.
“It feels like we are going to
change the whole dynamic this year.
Hopefully in the next game we can
BcTUP]^bCbXcbX_PbaXVWcbWPZTbWP]SbfXcW0[TgP]STaIeTaTe[TUcPUcTafX]]X]V0?
05?Q BH3=4H
FPfaX]ZP[^^Zbc^
S tefanos Tsitsipas whipped an
error-strewn Alexander T]ScXc[TSa^dVWc
Zverev to win the battle of the
big guns at the ATP Cup on
Sunday, inflicting a second suc-
cessive defeat on the German in
his warm-up for the Australian
Open.
On day three of the inaugur-
al 24-nation team event in
Sydney, Brisbane and Perth,
world number 11 David Goffin
was another loser, along with
;P;XVPCfXccTa
Italy’s Fabio Fognini, ranked
get the victory because we are gain- one place below him.
ing momentum. Greek star Tsitsipas, who 05?Q 3>70
“We thank all the fans who sup- won the 2019 season-ending
ported us because they give us unity. ATP Finals in London and is
We are all a family together.”
China’s new coach Li Tie will
now ranked six, was in a differ-
ent league to Zverev, who only
Shistan Wawrinka hopes
the Qatar Open ends
worrying title drought
also hope Wu's form can help rescue began hitting balls a week ago although the fanfare sur-
the country’s hopes of reaching the after an off-season curtailed by rounding the newly-creat-
2022 World Cup in Qatar. They sit a lucrative exhibition tour. ed ATP Cup more than
second in their qualifying group after The lacklustre German 10,000km away in
four games, eight points behind world number seven sent down Australia means his efforts
Syria. 10 double faults and made just this week may struggle to
“He is currently the only Chinese 45 percent of his first serves, a register barely a blip on the
player in one of the five major foot- worrying sign ahead of the global tennis radar.
ball leagues,” said Li Tie in his first opening Grand Slam of the The 34-year-old
press conference in charge on year. Wawrinka, a three-time
Sunday. He lost to Australia’s Alex de major winner, is top seed
“I watched the game last night Minaur in his opening match on in Doha which boasts a
and this (goal) is really something that Friday, throwing away a one-set respectable $1.4 million
brings honour to Chinese football.” lead. prize fund.
“I worked very hard for this Wawrinka has not

;\_``[YTc :^^`SZ]V¶dU`fS]Vd_ReTY]ReVhZ_
win, I found solutions, found my
rhythm and my pace and knew
what I was doing on court,” said
impressive 21-year-old Tsitsipas
after his 6-1, 6-4
won a title since pocketing
the 16th of his career on
the Geneva clay in 2017.
His last outdoor hard
court trophy was in 2016

RQddUbD_VVUUc M
05?Q A><4
ario Balotelli warded off
05?Q ;8E4A?>>; the insults from travelling
Lazio fans to strike the first goal
iverpool inflicted fresh misery on Merseyside of the decade in Italy but the
L rivals Everton as a superb strike from
teenager Curtis Jones sealed a 1-0 win in the FA
title-chasers hit back with a
Ciro Immobile double to
Cup third round on Sunday. snatch a late win at ten-
Jones’second half curler sent Anfield in man Brescia on Sunday.
ecstasy as the club’s youth academy graduates hand- Simone Inzaghi’s side
ed Everton an embarrassing derby defeat. stretched their winning
The 18-year-old Liverpool-born midfielder was mak- streak to nine consecutive
ing only his fifth appearance and his memorable match win- league games and with a
ner was his first senior goal. game in hand are three
Jones is the youngest goalscorer for Liverpool in a points behind leaders Inter
Merseyside derby since Robbie Fowler. Milan and Juventus who play
Without a win over their rivals in any competition since today.
2010 and thrashed 5-2 at Anfield in the Premier League ear- Immobile struck the win-
lier this season, Everton will feel the pain from this defeat ner after 91 minutes having also
against their under-strength neighbours for some while. converted from the penalty
Hit by injuries that left him with 12 fit senior outfield spot before the break.
players, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp had made nine changes, Felipe Caicedo had the ball
selecting Nat Phillips, 22, and teenage trio Neco Williams, in the back of the net early for
Harvey Elliott and Jones. Lazio off an Immobile cross but
In contrast, Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti made just it was ruled offside.
two changes, fielding a strong team as the visitors chased But Italian international
a first win at Anfield since 1999. Balotelli picked up where he left
Liverpool’s injury problems mounted within 10 min- off before the winter break
utes when James Milner limped off to be replaced by anoth- opening the scoring after 18
er teenager Yasser Larouci.
minutes for the promoted side.
The 29-year-old pulled
clear of Luiz Felipe to volley in
his first home goal for Brescia
and first of the decade.
He also scored the first goal
of the previous decade in
January 2010 with
Inter Milan.
Balotelli was tar-
geted by insulting
chants from Lazio fans
with the referee inter-
rupting the game in
the first half and an
announcement made
that play would be suspended
if they continued.
Brescia fans tried to drown
out the insults with whistles and
cheering which Balotelli
applauded.
Relegation-threatened
Brescia were hit after Andrea
Cistana was sent off for a sec-
ond yellow card after bringing
down Caicedo just before the
break.
And Serie A top scorer
Immobile pulled Lazio back on
level terms from the penalty
spot on 42 minutes.
Lazio dominated the sec-
ond half with Immobile bring-
ing his league tally to 19 goals
connecting with a Caicedo
cross to fire in the injury time
winner.
It was the 12th time this
season that the team have
scored a late winner.
Inzaghi meanwhile equals
Sven Goran Eriksson’s record of
nine consecutive league wins
set in the 1998-99 season.
“We will try to continue
like this. We absolutely
want to hit the
Champions League,” said
Inzaghi, whose side
defeated Juventus to lift
the Italian SuperCup trophy
last month.
Inter Milan recommence
the title battle with Juventus
today, with both sides level on
42 points after 17 games.
Antonio Conte’s side trav-
el to Napoli with Juventus at
home against Cagliari.
2Xa^8\\^QX[TRT[TQaPcTbPUcTabR^aX]V
walloping in
Brisbane.
The Boris
Becker-cap-
t a i n e d
Germans have
now won one of
their opening ties, while Greece
has lost both of theirs.
The Grigor Dimitrov-led
Bulgaria won their second tie in
a row, beating Moldova 2-1, to
be in a commanding position in
Group C, while Australia also
made it two-out-of-two in
Group F with De Minaur again
on fire in their 3-0 sweep of
Canada.
Belgium’s Goffin saved five
match points against Dan Evans,
but it was too little, too late as he
crashed 6-4, 6-4 in Sydney for
one of the biggest wins of the
Briton’s career.
Jamie Murray and Joe
Salisbury won the deciding dou-
bles to secure the tie for Britain
2-1.
Fognini was beaten by
emerging Norwegian 21-year-
0? old Casper Ruud, who claimed
when he captured his third
and most recent Grand
Slam at the US Open.
Wawrinka, runner-up
to Andy Murray in Doha
in 2008 and a quarter-
finalist 12 months ago,
will face French veteran
Jeremy Chardy or a qual-
ifier in his opening match
in the Qatari capital.
his second big scalp after upset-
ting American John Isner in his
first match on Friday.
Ruud, whose father
Christian is Norway’s captain,
won 6-2, 6-2, although it wasn’t
enough to prevent Norway los-
ing 2-1 to Italy.
Mercurial Australian Nick
Kyrgios pulled out of his coun-
try’s tie against Canada just
hours before it started with
back soreness.
But John Millman seamless-
ly stepped in to stun Felix
Auger-Aliassime in straight sets
before De Minaur again showed
the fighting qualities for which
he is renowned.

Svitolina on right path for Slam glory

Ancelotti’s side threatened early on when Dominic
Calvert-Lewin’s strike was pushed away from Adrian, who
then repelled Mason Holgate's header and Richarlison’s shot.
Liverpool’s youngsters had been thrashed by Aston Villa
while the senior stars were away at the Club World Cup in
December.
But they acquitted themselves much better this time and
Japan striker Takumi Minamino, making his debut after join-
2Qbdid_T_^QdUgY^^Y^Wc
ing from Salzburg, glanced a header narrowly off-target 05?Q 1A8B10=4
before Divock Origi’s low drive was brilliantly saved by
Jordan Pickford. orld number one Ash
Jones’ moment of magic came in the 71st minute when
he played a chipped pass to Origi, took the return ball and
W Barty will donate all
her winnings from this
curled a stunning effort into the top corner. week’s Brisbane
International to the Red
B?DAB74;3 Cross to help the victims of
Elsewhere on Sunday, Lucas Moura kept Tottenham’s Australia’s bushfire crisis.
FA Cup hopes alive with the equaliser in their 1-1 draw at Barty revealed on
second tier Middlesbrough, while Callum Hudson-Odoi got ATP[:PbW\Xa52X]hT[[^fP]S<^Wd]1PVP]_[PhTaX]PRcX^]SdaX]V8;TPVdT\PcRWX]BaX]PVPa ?C8 Sunday that she had
back in the groove as Chelsea cruised to a 2-0 win over already donated Aus

<^Wd]1PVP]QTPcA:52!
Nottingham Forest. $30,000 to the Royal
Woodgate was on course to dent Tottenham’s bid to end Society for the Prevention
that wretched run when Ashley Fletcher put Middlesbrough of Cruelty to Animals
ahead in the second half at the Riverside Stadium. (RSPCA) to help with
But Brazilian winger Lucas headed the equaliser to send ?C8Q BA8=060A ground because of bitting cold, but the harsh injured wildlife, after seeing ed to do more and will give
the tie to a replay in north London later in January. weather conditions failed to stop the visitors the effects of the fires back her Brisbane winnings —
At Stamford Bridge, there were signs that Hudson-Odoi here was bone-chilling cold. Then there from showing their skills. in November. potentially US$250,000 —
might be emerging from his sophomore slump. T was a Real Kashmir outfit used to such
extreme conditions but Mohun Bagan still,
The green and maroons had the lion’s
share of possession and more shots on target
4[X]PBeXc^[X]PX]PUX[T_XRcdaT 4[X]PCfXccTa But she has now decid- to the Red Cross.

2dacXb9^]TbP]SCPZd\X<X]P\X]^QTU^aTcWTbcPac^U502d_cWXaSa^d]S
VP\TPVPX]bc4eTac^]Pc0]UXT[S
making light of both, won their I-League
match 2-0 here on Sunday.
After a barren first half, Joseba Beitia (71st
minute) and Nongdamba Naorem
(73rd) scored for the Kolkata
giants in a span of two minutes,
shattering the hopes of home
fans.
It was a chilly morning, with the temper-
ature dipping to 1 degree, but 11,500 Kashmiri
spectators still enthusiastically watched the
game against one of India’s biggest and old-
est clubs.
For tickets, they queued up since 9 o’clock
in the morning, but quite a few of them still
could not make it to the ground. Such was the
craze.
;528]bcPVaP\ The game started at 11.30 am at the TRC
but the home side had more attempts and five
more corners in a game which could have gone
either way.
Mohun Bagan have 10 points
from five games, while Kashmir
dropped to eighth spot with five
points from four games.
Mohun Bagan coach Vicuna
expressed his joy and said, “We won against
a tough opponent, but it was not out best
match. Real Kashmir were going with their set
piece, but we played better football against
Churchill brothers.
“Today we played good football, and
copped with the difficulties of conditions.”
The Mariners will next host Indian
Arrows on January 9 while the Snow Leopards
will host Punjab FC one day later.
05?Q 1A8B10=4
lina Svitolina believes the
E progress she made in 2019 will
help her achieve her ultimate goal
of becoming the first Ukranian
woman to win a Grand Slam sin-
gles title.
Speaking ahead of the season-
opening Brisbane International,
the 25-year-old insisted she is
ready to take the next step after
promising so much over the past
five years.
Svitolina has long been tout-
ed as a future major champion, but
despite reaching a career-high
world ranking of three and win-
ning 13 titles on the WTA tour,
until 2019 she had never reached
the semi-final stage at a Grand
Slam.
However, last year she made
the semi-finals at both Wimbledon
and the US Open and she said this
showed she was on the right path.
“Making semi-finals definite-
ly brought me the belief that I
could take one step further,” she
said.
“I had the chance to play on
the biggest stages and that gave me
lots of confidence at that particu-
lar point.”
Svitolina had a mixed year in
2019. Although she also made the
decider at November’s WTA
Finals, where she fell to world
number one Ashleigh Barty, she
also failed to win a title for the first
time since 2012.
“I think maybe 2019 was
tough because there were more sad
moments, I would say. But also, it’s
tough to really understand what’s
going on because the year is very
long,” she said.
“You have to lose almost every
single week, so you have to take lots
of positives somehow, and that’s, I
think, what I learned from the past
year, that you have to stay really
positive in even bad moments
and try to move forward.”
=4F34;78k<>=30H k90=D0AH %!! b_^ac %

?^\bcPZTRWPaVT
Pc=Tf[P]Sb
05?Q 20?4C>F=

gritty 85 not out from opener Dom Sibley ground down

A South Africa's bowlers as England took control on the
third day of the second Test against South Africa at
Newlands.
Sibley, playing in only his fourth Test, came in during
the morning session after James Anderson had picked up
the last two South African wickets to finish with 5-40 and
give England a first innings lead of 46.
By the close, Sibley was still there and England had
reached 218 for four, stretching their overall lead to 264.
Sibley's 85, his first Test half-century, came off a
painstaking 222 balls in just under six hours and includ-
ed 13 boundaries.
It was slow going but it consolidated England's advan-
tage after Anderson and Ben Stokes combined to secure
an important first innings lead.
Anderson completed his 28th Test five-wicket haul -
an England record - and Stokes
caught last man Anrich Nortje C_edX1VbYSQfc 5^W\Q^T
CWTUXabcC!8QTcfTT]8]SXPP]SBaX;P]ZPfPbRP[[TS^UUfXcW^dcPQP[[QTX]VQ^f[TSSdTc^fTc^dcUXT[SRPdbTSQhPb_T[[^UWTPehaPX]YdbcPUcTacWTc^bbX]6dfPWPcX^]Bd]SPh ?C8
to set an England Test record of <YfUVb_]"* `]9CD

Aussies on course of clean sweep

;h^]QPVbUXeTPb1PVVh6aTT]bcPZT!#"ad][TPSPVPX]bcCaP]bCPb\P]aXeP[bPccWTT]S^UcWXaSSPh_[Ph
05?Q BH3=4H
ustralia took a com-
A manding 243-run lead
over plucky New Zealand in
the third Test in Sydney on
Sunday, looking set for a
clean sweep of the series.
The Australians dis-
missed the Black Caps for
251 to lead by 203 runs on
the first innings before bat-
ting a second time in a bid to
build an overwhelming total
with two days remaining.
At stumps on day three,
the hosts were 40 without loss
with David Warner on 23
and Joe Burns not out 16, and
were expected to bat on for
some time on the fourth
day.
Off-spinner Nathan
Lyon captured five for 68 to
lead the Australian bowling
attack, with Kiwi Test debu-
?Pc2d\\X]bRT[TQaPcTbcWTfXRZTc^UA^bbCPh[^a 0? tant Glenn Phillips top-scor-
ing with a charmed knock of
52.
“We’re in a very good
position here,” said Lyon,
who has now taken a career
385 Test wickets.
“A lot of work to do in
the morning and we have to
see what lead we the batsmen
want to get to.
“It is pretty special to play
here in front of your home
crowd, in front of your fam-
ily and friends. Nice to go up
on the honours board.”
Phillips, who only flew in
on the eve of the Test as cover
for a team weakened by a
virus outbreak, was dropped
twice and given a reprieve
when caught off a no-ball.
Lyon put down the two
caught-and-bowled chances
when Phillips was on two
and 17.
The Kiwi batsman
dodged another bullet on 28
when he was caught by Travis
Head at deep midwicket only
to be recalled when James
Pattinson was found to have
over-stepped for a no-ball.
Phillips hit a cracking
pull shot off Pat Cummins to
raise his debut half-century
before Cummins got him
two balls later, ripping
through his defences to take
off-stump for 52.
Lyon bowled Will
Somerville and Neil Wagner
for ducks and fast bowler
Matt Henry came out to bat
despite fracturing his left
hand earlier in the match.
Henry ducked out of
the way of a couple of
Mitchell Starc thunderbolts
directed at his body before he
was stumped off Lyon’s bowl-
ing to end the New Zealand
innings.
It was the longest
innings of a disastrous lost
series for the Kiwis, better-
ing the 71 overs they faced in
the second innings of the
second Test in Melbourne.
The Black Caps lost
three wickets in the middle
session with the experienced
Ross Taylor out lbw to
Cummins for 22 in the sec-
ond over after lunch.
Taylor remains 20 runs
away from becoming the
highest-scoring New
Zealand batsman in Tests,
behind Stephen Fleming
(7,172).
Wicketkeeper BJ
Watling chopped a wide
Starc delivery on to his
stumps for nine off 30 balls
to put his team under more
pressure.
Colin de Grandhomme
was needlessly run out for 20,
taking on Matthew Wade’s
throw from the deep to
wicketkeeper Tim Paine
five catches by a fielder. D@?JD:I?6EH@C<
Zak Crawley made a
streaky 25 when England started their second innings, with
Sibley making only three in an opening stand of 28, before
the day settled into a battle of attrition.
Sibley and Joe Denly (31) used up 33 overs in adding
73 for the second wicket before Denly hooked
Nortje to fine leg.
England captain Joe Root was more
aggressive as he and Sibley added 116 for the
third wicket.
Root made 61 off 98 balls before
while attempting a sec- being caught at slip off Dwaine
ond run. Pretorius shortly before the close.
Lyon grabbed two The ball that got Root was an
key wickets in the morn-
ing session, removing
exception in deviating from a
crack outside off stump that
Melbourne Test centurion was far more of a factor on
Tom Blundell and recalled the first two days.
Jeet Raval. Dom Bess, who
Raval, who was dropped suffered a golden duck
after twin batting failures as in the first innings,
an opener in the first Test in came in as night-
Perth, batted positively at watchman and sur-
number three before he was vived until the last
leg before wicket to Lyon for ball of the day when
31 off 58 balls. he was adjudged to
Tom Latham was out have gloved a bounc-
two balls later in the next er from Nortje to
over from Cummins, done wicketkeeper Quinton
by a fuller delivery and chip- de Kock, thus collecting
ping straight to Starc at mid- a 'pair'.
on. Those two late wick-
The new skipper, ets marked the high point
deputising for the sidelined of the day for the toiling
Kane Williamson, was South Africans who will be
denied a deserved half-cen- wary of the potential damage
tury on 49 in his 133-ball that Stokes and Jos Buttler could
vigil. inflict on Monday.

D:?8=6D
PCB REJECT B'DESH TEST PROPOSAL
Karachi: 1P]V[PSTbW WPb PVaTTS c^ _[Ph ^]T CTbc X]
2PacTaWXcb% 8]TeTa[^bc\hbfX]V)8aUP]?PcWP]
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CTbc2WP\_X^]bWX_XbWT[SX]3WPZPP_a^_^bP[fWXRW
?C8Q <D<108 runs and 28 wickets).
fPb aTYTRcTS Qh cWT ?21 0 ?PZXbcP] 2aXRZTc 1^PaS
?21 ^UUXRXP[ bPXS cWPc cWT Q^PaS WPb aTYTRcTS cWT
He also praised his former
ormer India pacer Irfan captains Sourav Ganguly,
1P]V[PSTbW 2aXRZTc 1^PaS 121 _a^_^bP[ \PZX]V Xc
R[TPacWPccWTcf^CTbcbfTaT_Pac^U?PZXbcP]bW^\T
?C8Q 27A8BC27DA27 F Pathan on Sunday said he
never lost his swing, contrary
Rahul Dravid and Anil
Kumble.
bTaXTbP]S\dbcQT_[PhTScWTaT8cXbbcaP]VTcWPccWT
ew Zealand batsman Leo Carter to the general perception at that “When I came into the
121 fP]cb ?PZXbcP] c^ _[Ph P CTbc X] 1P]V[PSTbW X]
aTcda] cWT ^UUXRXP[ bPXS 1P]V[PSTbW Xb SdT c^ c^da N on Sunday emulated the likes of
Ravi Shastri and Yuvraj Singh when
time, and added blaming then
coach Greg Chappell for his
Indian team, Ganguly knew I
could do well with the new ball
?PZXbcP]Ua^\9P]dPah 'c^_[Phcf^CTbcbP]ScWaTT
C! 8]cTa]PcX^]P[b Qdc cWT c^da Xb bcX[[ d]RTacPX] PUcTa he entered the history books by downfall was a cover-up. in Australia. He eventually
121^UUXRXP[bbPXScWPccWThfX[[Ydbc_[PhcWTC!bTaXTb becoming the seventh cricketer in the Pathan, 35, announced his gave me the confidence. I think
cWTaTP]S]^ccWTCTbcb world to hit six sixes in an over. retirement here on Saturday, that was the start,” he said.
Carter achieved the feat during his saying “most players start their “When Dravid became the
STOINIS FINED FOR MAKING PERSONAL ABUSE side Canterbury Kings’ win over India career at 27-28 but I captain, he utilised my poten-
Melbourne: <T[Q^da]T BcPab P[[a^d]STa <PaRdb Northern Knights in New Zealand’s ended up playing my last game tial one step ahead. (He) used
Bc^X]XbWPbQTT]UX]TSU^a\PZX]VP_Tab^]P[PQdbTPc domestic Twenty20 tournament Super at that stage”. me higher in the batting order
<T[Q^da]TAT]TVPSTb_PRTa:P]TAXRWPaSb^]SdaX]VP Smash. Pathan was 27 when he (when) besides bowling with
The 25-year-old left-handed bats- ;T^2PacTaX]PUX[T_XRcdaT 822 made his final appearance in the new ball,” he said.
1XV 1PbW ;TPVdT 11; R^]cTbc Pc cWT <T[Q^da]T
2aXRZTc6a^d]S<26Bc^X]XbWPbQTT]RWPaVTSfXcWP man smashed left-arm spinner Anton Sobers, Shastri, Herschelle Gibbs, 2012. There was also a time made that Irfan lost his swing, your job. I remember getting “Anil bhai was the kind of
[TeT[ ! QaTPRW ^U cWT 2aXRZTc 0dbcaP[XP 20 2^ST ^U Devcich six times over the Hagley Yuvraj, Worcestershire’s Ross Whiteley when there was speculation people need to understand, dropped after winning the senior I was lucky to have
2^]SdRc U^a _Tab^]P[ PQdbT P]S fPb UX]TS 0&$ Oval boundary during his stunning and Afghanistan’s Hazratullah Zazai. over the left-arm pacer’s inten- that you are not going to get the game in Sri Lanka in 2008, who alongside Sachin paaji
Bc^X]Xb[PcTaP_^[^VXbTSU^aWXbQTWPeX^daP]SbPXS)°8 unbeaten knock of 70 off just 29 balls Carter also became only the tion to play all three formats. same kind of swing that you get gets dropped after winning (Tendulkar), who always gave
V^cRPdVWcX]cWT\^\T]cP]Sc^^ZXcc^^UPa±°8aTP[XbTS to seal a seven-wicket win for his side fourth batsman to achieve the feat in “All these in 10 overs.. I was still getting the game for the country with- me the right advice.
X\\TSXPcT[h 8 fPb X] cWT fa^]V P]S 8 P_^[^VXbTS c^ while chasing an imposing 220. T20 cricket in both domestic and discussions…people talking the swing,” Pathan said. out any reason?” he ques- “His leadership was out-
:P]T P]S c^ cWT d\_XaTb 8 SXS cWT fa^]V cWX]V P]S Overall, Carter is the seventh play- international level. about Greg Chappell they are “People talk about my per- tioned. standing. He is matured in
PRRT_caTb_^]bXQX[XchU^a\hPRcX^]bCWTbcP]SPaSbPaT er in world cricket to record the feat The other batsmen to achieve the just covering up. (The discus- formance, but my job was dif- Pathan featured in 29 Tests handling tough situations and
cWTaT U^a P aTPb^] P]S 8 PRRT_c cWT _T]P[ch± cWT P[[ across all formats in both domestic feat in T20s include India’s Yuvraj sion that) Irfan was not inter- ferent. I was given job to con- (1105 runs and 100 wickets), he showed that during the
a^d]STafPb`d^cTSPbbPhX]VQhRaXRZTcR^\Pd and international level. He entered the (2007), Whitely (2017) and Zazai ested, it was coming from tain because I was bowling first 120 ODIs (1544 runs and 173 Monkeygate episode,” he
elite list that includes the likes of Gary (2018). somewhere. All the aura they change. I had been told this is wickets) and 24 T20Is (172 signed off.
INDIAN ARROWS HOLD NEROCA IN GOA
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?PacP_ BX]VW T`dP[XbTS U^a cWT W^bcb cWaTT \X]dcTb itish Rana made a gritty 92 before
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four in their second innings to put Delhi
_aTeX^db[X]Td_fXcW^][hcf^RWP]VTbX]cWTU^a\^U in a strong position on day three of their 2x6) gave the team a solid start and the 33 overnight, added only three runs to
0\P] 2WTcaX b[^ccX]V X]c^ cWT Ua^]c cWaTT PWTPS ^U Ranji Trophy match here on Sunday. visitors were racing towards the target his score before being bowled by
7Pa\P]_aTTcBX]VWP]S1XZPbWHd\]P\bcPacX]VPccWT Not many gave Delhi a chance as they were 77/0 at lunch. Pandey.
QPRZX]_[PRT^UBPdaPQW<TWTa7^_X]VU^aPaT_TPc^U against table leaders Punjab going into However, post lunch offie Shashank There was brief resistance from the
cWTXa bcT[[Pa _TaU^a\P]RT PVPX]bc 2WdaRWX[[ 1a^cWTab the match but the Dhruv Shorey-led Attarde (4-52) pegged back the visitors lower-order but eventually Maharashtra
R^PRW ET]ZPcTbW bcdRZ c^ WXb caXTS P]S cTbcTS #"" squad has upped its game. by taking wickets. were bundled out in 48.1 overs.
U^a\PcX^]PccWTCX[PZ<PXSP]=4A>20WTPSR^PRW6XUc After Shorey’s 96 on day two, Rana But Shreyas Gopal (5 not out) and
APXZWP] ^] cWT ^cWTa WP]S ^_cTS U^a P #!" (92 off 189) batted sensibly alongside B R Sharath (4 not out) took the side BIHAR BEAT MIZORAM
U^a\PcX^] Jonty Sidhu (41) to take Delhi past home without any further damage. ?0C=0) Medium pacer Abhijeet Saket
Punjab’s first innings score of 313. Earlier, resuming the day on 109/5, produced a magical spell during which
ONYEKURU JOIN GALATASARAY ON LOAN Lalit Yadav (39) also made a crucial left-arm pacer Prateek Jain (4-11) he dismissed seven batsmen without
Monaco: <^]PR^b TgRXcX]V h^d]V =XVTaXP] bcaXZTa lower-order contribution as Delhi grabbed all the wickets in the morning conceding a single run to fashion
7T]ah>]hTZdadXbc^b_T]ScWTaTbc^UcWTbTPb^]^] ended their first innings at 339. session as he ran through the Mumbai’s Bihar’s six-wicket win over Mizoram in
[^P] Pc 6P[PcPbPaPh cWT ;XVdT  R[dQ P]]^d]RTS ^] After a spirited showing with the lower order. a plate group match.
Bd]SPh8cfX[[QTcWT!!hTPa^[SbbTR^]S[^P]b_T[[X] bat, pacers extended Delhi’s advantage, Meanwhile in Vadodara, Baroda Saket eventually ended the match
CdaZThPbWTbW^]TU^a6P[PcPbPaPh[PbcbTPb^]fWT]WT especially the young Simarjeet Singh thrashed Railways by 99 runs. with his career-best figures of 7/12 as
fPbbcX[[Pc4]V[XbWR[dQ4eTac^]7TbR^aTS #V^P[bX] who continues to impress in his second Bihar completed the win inside three
"$P__TPaP]RTbU^a6P[PcPbPaPhfW^fT]c^]c^fX]cWT first-class season. SERVICES GAIN BONUS days.
CdaZXbW RWP\_X^]bWX_ <^]PR^ fW^ bXV]TS cWT He removed Sanvir Singh (11) =4F 34;78) Medium-pacers Diwesh Mizoram opener C Lalrinsanga’s (0)
=XVTaXP]U^a &\X[[X^]Tda^bSdaX]VcWTbd\\TaWPeT before removing the in-form Gurkeerat Pathania and Sachidanand Pandey took first-over dismissal marked the begin-
]^c X]R[dSTS P] ²^_cX^] c^ Qdh R[PdbT X] cWT [^P] Singh Mann (15). five wickets each as Services thrashed ning of Saket’s electrifying spell. Four
bdVVTbcX]VcWPc>]hTZdadaT\PX]bP_Pac^UcWTXa[^]V Opener Shubman Gill (4), who Maharashtra by an innings and 94 runs Mizoram batsmen could not even open
cTa\bcaPcTVh courted controversy in the first innings, in a Group C match. their account.
failed for the second time in the game. Resuming at their overnight score Taruwar Kohli soon followed suit
MAGUIRE FACES RACE TO BE FIT FOR DERBY The India batsman was dismissed by of 93 for five, Maharashtra’s second with a first-ball duck in the the 24-year-
Manchester: <P]RWTbcTaD]XcTS\P]PVTa>[T6d]]Pa Subodh Bhati in the third over. innings folded for just 147. old’s second over. Lalhruaizela (1),
B^[bZYPTabPhb7Paah<PVdXaTUPRTbPaPRTc^_a^eTWXb Punjab captain and first innings’ The visitors lost Naushad S Shaikh Lalhmangaiha (3) , Lalruatdika (0),
UXc]Tbb X] cX\T U^a cWT ;TPVdT 2d_ bT\XUX]P[ UXabc [TV top-scorer Mandeep Singh was in the (41) for the addition of just one run Pratik Desai (0) and G Lalbiakvela (0)
PVPX]bc<P]RWTbcTa2Xchc^\^aa^f<PVdXaTP__TPaTS middle on 8 when stumps were drawn. when Pandey (5/56) induced an edge, were Saket’s other victims.
c^QT[X\_X]VU^[[^fX]VPUXabcWP[URWP[[T]VT^]0SP\P Punjab lead by just 18 runs going into taken by wicket-keeper Nakul Verma. His efforts helped Bihar bundle out
CaP^aT SdaX]V D]XcTSb  SaPf fXcW F^[eTb Qdc cWT day four. 1T]VP[_PRTa8bWP]?^aT[RT[TQaPcTbPUcTacPZX]VfXRZTc^U6dYPaPcRP_cPX]?PacWXe?PcT[X]AP]YX ?C8 Opener Murtaza Trunkwala, who Mizoram for 68 in their second innings,
RT]caTQPRZ TeT]cdP[[h R^\_[TcTS cWT ( \X]dcTb inside two-and-half days. win against Mumbai since the 2013-14 had retired hurt on Saturday returned setting Bihar a 185 run target.
B^[bZYPTaPS\XccTSWTR^]bXSTaTScPZX]V<PVdXaT^UUPc KARNATAKA THRASH MUMBAI This was Mumbai’s second consec- season. to the crease but didn’t last long, falling In reply, Bihar cruised to the target
WP[UcX\TP]SfWT]PbZTSfWTcWTacWTSTUT]STaf^d[S <D<108)Putting up an all-round show, utive loss at home, following their Chasing 126 for an outright win, to Pathania (5/49) for 9 after hitting two in 33.4 overs with opener Indrajit
QT UXc U^a cWT UXabc [TV PVPX]bc 2Xch Pc >[S CaPUU^aS WT Karnataka defeated Mumbai by 5 wick- defeat against Railways. Karnataka openers R Samarth (34; boundaries. Kumar (98 not out) and Babul Kumar
aT_[XTS)°8S^]cZ]^f± 064=284B ets in their Elite Group B game at BKC, It is also Karnataka’s fourth outright 2x4) and Devdutt Padikkal (50; 5x4, Vishant More, who was batting on (61) hitting comfortable half centuries.